Сhарtеr 15: Fighting for the Cоntrаct Wife 15
Wеn Shanyi’s ехрrеssiоn suddеnly turnеd соld, his jawlinе taut, his hеart aсhing аs if piеrcеd bу сountlеss nеedlеs.
Тhе dеnsе, рiеrcing рain mаdе his breath catсh when hе saw thе twо kissing.
Wеn Shаnyi clоsed his eуеs briеflу. What hurt him wаsn’t just their intimаcy.
It wаs аlsо thе shуness оn Shen Jiaojiао’s fасе and the affесtiоn in her еyеs.
Hah.
Sо blinding.
Wеn Shаnуi clenсhеd his teeth аs he watсhеd thеm.
Нis pаlm griрped the roses so tightly thаt he didn’t еvеn fееl thе thorns рiercing his skin or thе bloоd flowing.
Shеn Jiaоjiao felt as if her entire back was being watched, sending shivers down her spine.
Not long after she had stepped out, Xie Yanqing had followed.
He dropped his facade before her, revealing a weary expression.
As Shen Jiaojiao smoothed his furrowed brow, Xie Yanqing’s kiss descended.
Under the dim lamplight, Xie Yanqing’s tall frame nearly enveloped her petite figure entirely.
But why did she feel as if she was being watched from behind?
Shen Jiaojiao turned around and was startled to see an expressionless, handsome face.
Before she could take a closer look, the figure in the shadows revealed a sorrowful smile, the sadness in his eyes almost tangible.
Shen Jiaojiao’s heart skipped a beat.
Her sharp eyes noticed Wen Shanyi’s hand bleeding, the blood trickling down the drooping rose stems.
Drop by drop, staining the already vibrant red roses even more brilliantly.
Shen Jiaojiao couldn’t bear to watch and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Wen Shanyi was gone from the shadows.
“What’s wrong, Jiaojiao?”
Seeing her staring blankly at one spot, Xie Yanqing followed her gaze.
There was nothing there.
But judging by Shen Jiaojiao’s expression, his intuition told him something was off.
Shen Jiaojiao snapped back to reality, brushing away the stray hairs the wind had tousled on her face, and shook her head. “It’s nothing, just a bit chilly.”
Xie Yanqing lowered his gaze, masking the contemplation in his eyes.
Although his relationship with Jiaojiao was on the right track, the lack of understanding between them still felt like a barrier.
It didn’t matter.
They could take it slow.
Xie Yanqing gently patted Shen Jiaojiao’s head. “Shall we return to Yushui Bay tonight?”
Shen Jiaojiao was still distracted. She nodded before realizing and quickly added, “No!”
Feeling her reaction was too strong, and noticing the confusion and curiosity in Xie Yanqing’s eyes, Shen Jiaojiao cleared her throat. “I’ll stay here tonight.”
“Jiaojiao, we’re husband and wife.”
“Hmm?” Shen Jiaojiao didn’t understand.
Xie Yanqing chuckled softly. His wife was utterly adorable when she was this clueless.
“We’re legally married. I can stay too.”
Shen Jiaojiao hesitated. She hadn’t noticed anything when changing into her gown, but she wasn’t sure about her back…
Just to be safe, Shen Jiaojiao still refused:
“Then I’ll have the housekeeper arrange a room for you. My throat still hurts a little, and I’ll need to wake up a few times at night to drink water. You haven’t rested well these past two days, and I don’t want to disturb you.”
A perfectly reasonable excuse.
Xie Yanqing stared at Shen Jiaojiao for a few seconds, making her slightly nervous before calmly replying, “Alright.”
As someone who had received top-tier education from a young age and possessed intelligence far above average, he couldn’t possibly fail to notice something unusual.
When Shen Jiaojiao suggested returning to her room first, Xie Yanqing nodded, watching her figure disappear down the corridor.
He stood there for a moment before slowly walking over to the spot Shen Jiaojiao had been staring at earlier.The air seemed to carry a faint, dissipating scent of sandalwood. Xie Yanqing lowered his gaze, his eyes settling on a conspicuous patch of red.
He slowly crouched down and reached out a finger to touch it.
Warm. Blood.
A cold glint flashed in Xie Yanqing’s deep, dark eyes.
For over twenty years, he had lived by the rules, disciplined and restrained. Shen Jiaojiao had shattered his assumption that he might remain single for life, becoming the first ripple in his otherwise calm existence.
Xie Yanqing had allowed that ripple to form, but he would not permit a second.
He stood there for a moment before returning to the banquet, which was now winding down. Guests sat scattered in small groups, with no particularly outstanding presence among them.
Xie Yanqing furrowed his brows slightly and had Steward Shen arrange a room for him.
………
When Shen Jiaojiao found Wen Shanyi, he was sitting on a bench in the rose garden, head slightly bowed, his gaze seemingly fixed on the rose in his hand.
He exuded an air of dejection, none of the spirited confidence he had shown earlier.
Seeing such a favored son of heaven reduced to a pitiable state, Shen Jiaojiao felt a mix of satisfaction and a rare pang of guilt.
So she slowly walked over and hesitantly spoke:
“Shanyi.”
Wen Shanyi lifted his drooping eyes to look at her but said nothing.
Yet, those eyes brimming with grievance allowed Shen Jiaojiao to easily discern his emotions.
Shen Jiaojiao pursed her lips, holding the gauze in her hand as she walked over and slowly sat down beside him.
An awkward atmosphere settled between them, tinged with something more.
“I…”
“I…”
They spoke simultaneously, their voices—one cool and detached, the other gentle—blending together.
Shen Jiaojiao blinked. “You go first.”
Wen Shanyi didn’t refuse. He lifted the rose in his hand and spoke bitterly:
“I wanted to give these to you, but I’ve dirtied them.”
Shen Jiaojiao followed his gaze to the roses. The few red roses were exceptionally vibrant.
She shook her head. “Don’t be like this.”
After all… it was a mistaken relationship.
Wen Shanyi, who had seemed relatively calm until then, suddenly stiffened at her words.
He raised his icy eyes, staring directly at Shen Jiaojiao, his tone growing intense:
“Jiaojiao, I can’t do it! I can’t pretend nothing happened, I can’t stop thinking about that night, and I certainly can’t treat you like a stranger.”
As he spoke, a mist seemed to gather in Wen Shanyi’s eyes.
His cool, refined face appeared on the verge of tears, looking strikingly beautiful.
Shen Jiaojiao averted her gaze, stammering, “I’m already married.”
“I don’t mind,” Wen Shanyi said firmly. “I don’t mind, Jiaojiao.”
“You and Xie Yanqing are just a business marriage, without any real feelings, right…”
Wen Shanyi’s voice gradually trembled, his exquisitely handsome face turning pale, as if he might faint if Shen Jiaojiao said otherwise.
Afraid of agitating him further, especially seeing the wound on his palm reopen, Shen Jiaojiao could only murmur vaguely, “Mm…”
A gleam flashed in Wen Shanyi’s eyes, but he continued in a pitiful tone, “Jiaojiao, I really, really like you. Do you… like me even a little?”
Shen Jiaojiao felt her scalp tingle. She truly admired men who managed multiple relationships—how did they evenly distribute their time and affections?
And act so convincingly.
With those moist eyes fixed on her, Shen Jiaojiao had no choice but to give a slight nod.Wen Shanyi smiled. With his naturally delicate features, his smile was like ice melting and all things coming back to life.
He stretched out his long arms and gently embraced Shen Jiaojiao, his movements incredibly tender.
Resting his chin on Shen Jiaojiao’s shoulder, he whispered softly, “Jiaojiao, as long as you’re willing, I can be your…”
“Secret lover.”