“It’s me, son-in-law.”
Xu Tianhe’s voice carried a fawning tone, devoid of any father-in-law’s dignity or presence.
Xu Zhiyuan didn’t know who was calling, but she saw He Jiayu frown and then look at her.
A suspicion arose in her heart, and the lingering romantic mood vanished completely. She watched He Jiayu nervously, even urgently, eager to snatch his phone and hang up.
He Jiayu read her emotions clearly, reached out to grasp her hand, and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“What is it?” He Jiayu’s voice was cool.
Xu Tianhe chuckled, then stated his purpose: he wanted He Jiayu and Xu Zhiyuan to come back for a meal. He didn’t dare criticize He Jiayu, but he dared to say that Xu Zhiyuan was being inconsiderate—it had been over a month since the wedding, and she still hadn’t come back to see them.
He joked that she had forgotten her family after getting married, but it was actually a veiled accusation that Xu Zhiyuan was ungrateful.
A cold glint flashed in He Jiayu’s eyes.
He didn’t know much about the Xu family. If they hadn’t suddenly shown up demanding the fulfillment of the marriage contract, he wouldn’t even have known he had a fiancée. He hadn’t specifically investigated the Xu family, but because of the marriage, he had dined with them a few times. During those occasions, he hadn’t seen Xu Zhiyuan.
It wasn’t until the wedding day that he learned Xu Zhixiao had a younger sister.
This alone was enough to show how insignificant Xu Zhiyuan’s presence was in the Xu family and how much they had neglected her.
“Zhiyuan mentioned it, but I’ve been too busy with work and haven’t had the time. We’ll come back together in a few days after I finish up,” He Jiayu said calmly.
Xu Tianhe didn’t notice that He Jiayu hadn’t addressed him as “father-in-law”—or perhaps he did but didn’t dare comment. Hearing that He Jiayu would visit the Xu family in a few days, he was immediately overjoyed and quickly said work was more important.
“Was that my father?” Xu Zhiyuan asked anxiously as soon as he hung up. “Did he ask you to go to the Xu family for a meal?”
“Yes. Don’t want to go back?” He Jiayu pulled her over and locked her in his embrace. “Even if you don’t want to, we have to go once. Otherwise, people outside will gossip about me to death.”
Xu Zhiyuan looked up, puzzled. “Gossip about you? Aren’t they all talking about me?”
He Jiayu looked into her eyes. They were clear, without resentment or indignation, as if this matter was no big deal to her. “You know about it? And you’re not angry?”
“You left right after the wedding, and to England at that. It’s hard for people not to speculate,” Xu Zhiyuan said. “But I don’t go out, so I haven’t heard those rumors.” The novel had only briefly described the situation, without going into much detail.
He had indeed gone to England, but why would that make people speculate?
Ah! He Jiayu suddenly remembered—Xu Zhixiao had eloped with a noble from England.
Realizing this, He Jiayu felt even more guilty.
His earlier apology had been out of a sense of responsibility, but he had believed it was an unavoidable situation—some things were more urgent, and he hadn’t left in the middle of things.
Now, his guilt came from the heart, stemming from the unnecessary harm his actions had caused Xu Zhiyuan.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
Both apologies were spoken, but Xu Zhiyuan could sense the difference between the two.
“Why apologize again? I already said it wasn’t something you could control.”
That’s what Xu Zhiyuan said, but in her heart, an inexplicable sourness and grievance began to grow.
She couldn’t fully empathize with the original owner’s experiences, but now it was different. Now, she was the one enduring the gossip. Although she didn’t know exactly how others viewed her, she was certain it wasn’t anything good.
He Jiayu easily picked up on her emotions, thinking to himself, What a contradictory person.
“That’s exactly why we have to go back,” he said. “My wife can’t just be slandered like that, and I can’t be accused of things I never did. I don’t even know when I supposedly fell for Xu Zhixiao, let alone abandoning my newlywed wife for her. It’s utterly ridiculous.”
He looked as if he had been wronged more than Dou E, which made Xu Zhiyuan chuckle, her mood suddenly brightening. “I’m even more wronged than you.”
“Yes, absolutely,” He Jiayu agreed firmly. “I’ll find a chance to shut them up and prove them wrong for spreading rumors and making baseless assumptions.”
“Make it hurt. I’m counting on you,” Xu Zhiyuan said, patting his shoulder.
He Jiayu gave her a reassuring look, as if to say, Leave it to me. Then, the two exchanged a knowing smile.
“Let’s go out for dinner.”
…
In the bedroom.
After half a month apart, the room’s other occupant had returned, and the atmosphere instantly shifted. A subtle, ambiguous tension lingered in the air.
Xu Zhiyuan slowly emerged from the bathroom, this time having dried her hair completely.
He Jiayu chuckled inwardly. After all, we are truly husband and wife now. Why is she still so shy?
“I’m going to take a shower.”
He Jiayu looked at her intently, his deep gaze causing the tips of Xu Zhiyuan’s ears to flush red.
She cleared her throat, pretending to be calm as she gave a soft “Mm,” though her heart remained tense, tinged with a hint of anticipation.
Xu Zhiyuan climbed into bed and curled up under the covers, only to poke her head out moments later, lost in thought. This isn’t our first time. I should relax more. We even kissed earlier. If I act like this every time, won’t he look down on me?
But this was only the second time, and she couldn’t bring herself to let go completely.
Lost in her tangled thoughts and nervousness, she suddenly felt a shadow loom over her. Then, a clean scent of pine mixed with the faint aroma of hormones filled her senses. By the time she snapped back to reality, He Jiayu was already leaning over her, his hands braced on either side of her body, his gaze gentle yet carrying a hint of possessiveness.
Her heart skipped several beats.
“You…”
“Zhiyuan, is this okay?”
Xu Zhiyuan hesitated for a moment before nodding shyly.
The next instant, her lips were captured in a kiss. He Jiayu started gently, waiting for Xu Zhiyuan to relax before deepening the kiss, their breaths mingling in a tender dance.
…
The next morning, He Jiayu still didn’t go for his workout.
Instead, he lay in bed, turned on his side, watching the person nestled in his arms.
Truth be told, Xu Zhiyuan slept very peacefully, hardly moving at all. At first, he found it quite pleasant. If she had been a restless sleeper, he wouldn’t have been comfortable with too much physical contact with someone he wasn’t yet familiar with—even if she was his wife in name.
But after their first intimate contact, he realized his body seemed to crave the touch of skin, longing for contact with Xu Zhiyuan.
During the half month abroad, sleeping alone in bed always felt like something was missing. Before, he had always slept alone without such a strange feeling.
It wasn’t until last night, when he returned and held Xu Zhiyuan, that he suddenly understood what was missing.
It turned out he was missing this person.