As for Zhao Meiyun, in return for that venomous look she had just given, Lin Siya decided that tonight she would let her experience what sleep paralysis felt like.
Out in the courtyard, Zhao Meiyun suddenly shivered, feeling an inexplicable chill run down her spine.
Zhao Tianlei stood there, watching Lin Siya busily moving about.
“Xiao Ya, I will apply for you to accompany me to the army,” he said.
Men his age already had children, yet he did not. After this incident, it would be even harder for his wife to conceive. He believed that if she truly could not have children, his parents would eventually force him to divorce her. Even if he was in the army, even if it affected his future, they would still make him remarry. The only solution was to keep his wife by his side more often, so her chances of conceiving would be greater.
He had never worried about such things before, but now her situation was different.
“Then don’t send money back for the next few months. Use it to buy what you need over there,” Lin Siya said calmly.
She did not want money to become another source of trouble for him.
If she needed money, she had ways to get it herself.
From her memories, her father and brother had once gathered medicinal herbs and sold them to specialized buyers.
There was also the so called black market, where no coupons were needed, but prices were higher, and getting caught could lead to public denunciation.
“Alright,” Zhao Tianlei agreed.
Seeing her attitude soften, he pulled her hand and sat down by the bed, about to say something more.
But Lin Siya instinctively pulled her hand back.
He looked at her in surprise.
Did she dislike him? Otherwise, why would she pull away?
Lin Siya realized her reaction had been a bit excessive. For decades, aside from being close to her father when she was young, she had lived alone. Suddenly having a man this close to her made her react instinctively.
She hurried to explain, “This… this…” but found herself momentarily at a loss for words.
“Xiao Ya, do you still resent me?” Zhao Tianlei asked quietly.
Being rejected by his own wife dealt him a blow.
“No,” she replied. She was simply not used to it.
“Xiao Ya, I’m going back to the army tomorrow.”
He had already said that several times.
Outside, Zhao Meiyun had already gone out, unwilling to stay under the same roof as Lin Siya.
But after stepping out, she realized everyone in the village was at work and no one was home. After wandering around for a bit, she returned home in frustration.
She glanced at her brother’s room, then went back to her own.
From the moment Zhao Meiyun left until she returned, Lin Siya was aware of everything.
But shouldn’t this man go do his own things by now?
Was it really appropriate for him to keep holding her hand like this?
After Lin Siya had pulled away earlier, Zhao Tianlei stubbornly insisted on holding her hand again, and now he refused to let go.
Had he had enough yet?
Because she had eaten spiritual fruits and drunk spiritual wine these past few days, her body had improved slightly. The original owner’s hands were not rough to begin with, and with the nourishment of spiritual energy, they had become slender and delicate.
But being held like this felt extremely uncomfortable.
She wanted to pull back, but the man seemed almost addicted and would not release her.
“Xiao Ya, you’re really beautiful,” he said softly.
She did not need him to say that.
Did she need to thank him for it?
“Brother Tianlei, isn’t it inappropriate for us to stay in the room like this? Shouldn’t we go work in the fields?” Lin Siya changed the subject, trying again to free her hand.
“Xiao Ya, your body is still weak. Why don’t you lie down and rest?” Zhao Tianlei said, a faint blush appearing on his dark face.
Lin Siya looked at him in surprise. “Brother Tianlei, that wouldn’t be right. Father and Mother are working in the fields, and I’m lying at home, not even cooking lunch. What will they think of me?”
Zhao Tianlei replied, “Isn’t Xiao Yun at home? She didn’t go to work. Let her cook.”
After saying that, he stood up and went out. Soon, their voices could be heard.
“Xiao Yun, you cook later.”
“Brother, Lin Siya is back. Let her cook.”
“Xiao Yun, your sister in law isn’t feeling well. You cook. If you don’t, you can still go work in the fields. You’re already grown and still lazing around at home.”
After that, Zhao Meiyun fell silent. Soon, Zhao Tianlei returned, and from her room came the sound of Zhao Meiyun angrily kicking the kang, followed by her sharp intake of breath.
Lin Siya could not help but smile, feeling a bit wickedly pleased.
“Xiao Ya, lie down and rest. I’ve told Xiao Yun to cook later,” Zhao Tianlei said.
Lin Siya naturally did not waste his display of affection.
In front of him, she removed her heavy cotton jacket and black cotton pants, then got into bed.
She glanced at the jacket. In the cultivation world, she had never worn such clothes. She usually wore garments made of celestial silkworm silk, light and warm.
“If you have things to do, go ahead,” she said.
Being stared at made her uncomfortable. Used to solitude, she truly was not accustomed to having someone by her side. To her, Zhao Tianlei was still a stranger, albeit one who had shared intimacy with this body.
“I don’t have anything to do,” he replied.
Lin Siya turned over, facing the wall, and closed her eyes to rest.
But within seconds, she felt the bed dip beside her. When she turned back, she met Zhao Tianlei’s deep gaze.
“Xiao Ya, I’m resting too,” he said after wriggling awkwardly for a moment.
Lin Siya was speechless. She felt she had fallen into a trap.
He would not do anything, right?
He would not try to do anything intimate, would he?
Her body tensed immediately, and she instinctively scooted inward until her back pressed against the wall, with nowhere left to retreat.
She would rather lean against the cold wall than let him get any closer.
When Zhao Tianlei realized this, he lay properly and closed his eyes, resting. But he could not hide the sense of loss in his heart.
The faint fragrance from her body reached his nose, and he suppressed the urge to pull her into his arms.
With a light flick of her finger, Lin Siya sent Zhao Tianlei into a deep sleep.
She then sat up and carefully studied him.
Perhaps because of his short haircut and his habit of keeping a cold expression, even when speaking gently to her, his face rarely showed emotion. She had begun to wonder if there was something wrong with his face.
In truth, Lin Siya did not know that decades later, this would be called having a “stone face.”
He actually had a decent face. His darker complexion detracted from his looks somewhat, but it also gave him a sense of reliability and security.
Perhaps that was why the original owner of this body had fallen for Zhao Tianlei.
Love at first sight?
Or affection grown over time?