It was true that she had snuck into the grove, and it was also true that she had been keeping her options open. But when it came to that aspect, the original owner was quite traditional, always holding firm to the final step.
The reason she had agreed to her parents’ arrangement to marry Xie Fangzhu wasn’t because her reputation had been tarnished and she couldn’t marry into a good family. Rather, it was because her former fiancé worked at the same coal mine as Xie Fangzhu.
Ever since her former fiancé had started working, he had never returned to the village. In order to see him one more time, she agreed to her parents’ decision to marry Xie Fangzhu.
When she arrived at the mining area, her former fiancé helplessly told her that breaking off the engagement was his family’s decision. They wouldn’t allow him to marry a girl from the countryside, and they had pressured him with threats of suicide to marry a girl with a mining area household registration instead.
Hearing this answer, the original owner, who had always believed her fiancé had betrayed her, found it impossible to hate him.
She loved her fiancé too much. To make sure he would never forget her, she was willing to give him the chastity she valued most, then settle down peacefully with Xie Fangzhu, whom she looked down on.
But her former fiancé refused her, saying he couldn’t wrong his wife.
The original owner broke down. He couldn’t wrong his wife, but he could wrong her, who had already been brought so low?
She couldn’t accept it and completely turned dark.
She swore she would find a man more impressive than her former fiancé, to show him that even though she was a country girl, there were men more capable than him who were willing to take her, to marry her.
By then, her former fiancé had already become the communications officer of the mining area.
Xie Fangzhu, with his poor background, still working underground and only a Deputy Team Leader, clearly didn’t meet the criteria of being “more impressive.”
So, she set her sights on the mining area’s leadership, hoping to climb to a higher branch.
But those leaders were all shrewd. The unmarried ones looked down on her, and the married ones certainly wouldn’t abandon their stable marriages for a married country girl like her. They all only wanted to play around with her.
The original owner remained patient. As long as they didn’t get a marriage certificate with her, she wouldn’t let them touch her.
But as time passed, seeing her former fiancé already had children, she grew somewhat anxious.
It was under these circumstances that when she met an out-of-towner who claimed to be a “factory director” and was not only willing to marry her but also promised to arrange a job for her, her head was instantly turned. Without a second thought, she ran off with him.
Thinking of this, Shen Yingying felt both relieved and speechless—relieved that the original owner had her principles, yet speechless at her unusual way of thinking.
If only the original owner had been a bit smarter, Shen Yingying wouldn’t have had to travel from the 21st century to shoulder this burden.
She glanced at Xie Fangzhu, who was sitting with his back to her on the edge of the bed, and her brows immediately furrowed into a knot.
And she certainly wouldn’t have to shamelessly coax and deceive the big villain!
Perhaps Shen Yingying’s gaze was too “intense,” because Xie Fangzhu seemed to sense it and instinctively turned to look at her, just in time to meet her eyes full of resentment.
Not expecting Xie Fangzhu to suddenly turn around, Shen Yingying was startled.
But her ability to change expressions was faster than flipping a page. She quickly fastened the last button and swiftly moved in front of him.
“Speaking of which, I haven’t settled accounts with you yet.”
Xie Fangzhu lowered his gaze to the woman before him. On her beautiful face were both anger and grievance, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
For a moment, he didn’t understand. “Settle accounts?”
“Yes!” Shen Yingying nodded emphatically. “I told you I was innocent, but you didn’t believe me. Now that I’ve proven it to you, what are you going to do about it?”
Xie Fangzhu glanced at that glaring red stain, as if recalling something. His train of thought broke, and his face grew hot.From the moment he decided to have her, he had already prepared himself to be deceived.
Throughout his life, many people had bullied him, but she was the first willing to treat him this way.
Though he was reluctant to admit it, he truly enjoyed this feeling. Even if it was an act, as long as she could keep up this attitude, what did it matter?
But he never expected her words to be true.
In an instant, everything he thought he knew about Shen Yingying crumbled.
He even began to doubt again—could her previous harshness and ferocity have been nothing more than an attempt to get his attention?
Looking back carefully, although he had always been obedient to her in the past, whenever she cursed or scolded him, he had remained silent.
Facing someone who showed no reaction, like punching cotton, it was indeed easy to grow even angrier, wasn’t it?
Convinced by his own reasoning, his voice grew slightly hoarse. “I’m sorry for scaring you today. I thought you had run off with someone, and I was furious.”
Hearing this, Shen Yingying, who was pretending to be angry, couldn’t help but roll her eyes inwardly.
You were furious?
Keep pretending.
As someone who had read the book, she knew exactly how Xie Fangzhu had felt at that moment.
To put it dramatically, he had been so overjoyed he could have danced a celebratory dance on the spot.
Shen Yingying’s inner monologue was practically screaming, but her expression remained unchanged. Instead, she furrowed her brows as if deeply upset by his words.
“Speaking of that, I’m even angrier! It’s one thing for others not to believe me, but you’re my husband. If even you don’t trust me, I feel so wronged and hurt!”
As if struck by a painful memory, her eyes reddened once more.
“Not only that, but I finally mustered the courage to kiss you, and you called me shameless. Even now, thinking about it makes my heart ache. I married you hoping you’d cherish me, not treat me like this.”
Hearing her turn the tables on him, Xie Fangzhu couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. Hadn’t he “cherished” her enough?
In the entire mining area, he doubted any other man “cherished” his wife as much as he did. In front of her, he had practically lowered himself to the dust.
Even if it was an act, he had still done everything.
If anyone should feel wronged, shouldn’t it be him?
But glancing at her pitiful expression, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
Instead, he patted her back gently and coaxed, “Alright, alright, don’t be angry. I was just startled at the time.”
“I don’t believe you!”
Shen Yingying pursed her lips, appearing even angrier, and turned her back to him in a huff.
“I think you just find me shameless and dirty! If that’s the case, I don’t want to stay with you anymore. I’ve told you before—if I’m innocent, we should get a divorce. Do you remember that?”
Shen Yingying waited for a moment, but hearing no response from behind her, she knew her test had failed and quickly turned around.
Sure enough, she was met with Xie Fangzhu’s shadowed face. His pale eyes churned with dark clouds, a clear sign of danger.
Xie Fangzhu felt his relatively good mood plummet to the depths. Had all her twists and turns been leading up to this—divorce?
Was it all an act after all?
Could she not even keep up the pretense for this long?
His brows furrowed as he stared intently at her face, his voice lowering dangerously. “What did you promise me?”Just as a storm was about to erupt, Shen Yingying’s expression changed in a flash. Tears welled up in her eyes as she raised her fists and pounded his chest resentfully, her eyes rimmed red.
“You’re so lacking in romance! I was just joking with you, and you took it seriously. If I really wanted to divorce you, why would I promise to stay by your side forever?”
Her slender, fair arms wrapped around his neck, her eyes brimming with tears and her face full of grievance.
“…I just wanted you to comfort me a little, but instead of comfort, all I got was your sour face. It really makes me feel awful—you don’t understand me at all! Let me tell you, next time I get angry…”
She took his hand and placed it on her cheek, speaking softly:
“You should hold me and say: ‘Darling, I was wrong. It’s my fault. How could I ever dislike you? You’re my precious treasure—I love you more than anything…’”
Xie Fangzhu: “…”
The sudden turn left him completely unprepared.