Shen Jiheng had returned home.
In their three years of marriage, this was the longest he had ever been away on a business trip: a full three months.
Han Xi had been woken early that morning by a call from the Shen family’s old residence. The Old Madam had earnestly admonished her to take the matter seriously, act quickly, try to conceive a child that very night, and secure her place as Madam Shen.
That evening, Han Xi had just finished making the last dish when Shen Jiheng arrived home.
The man’s eyes turned slightly cold as he looked at the dishes on the table.
Stir-fried kidney, scrambled eggs with chives, Chinese broccoli with yam, oysters, ram testicles…
Every dish was supposed to be fortifying, yet each one seemed to remind him that he was “incapable.”
Han Xi smiled and went to greet him, thoughtfully helping him take off his suit jacket. She looked every bit the perfect wife and mother. “You’re home, honey? You must be hungry. Let’s eat first.”
Hearing her soft, sweet “honey,” Shen Jiheng’s temples began to throb. He pulled out a chair at the table, his expression cool and serious.
Han Xi obediently served him rice, then placed several slices of kidney and some ram testicles in his bowl before gazing at him with affection.
Shen Jiheng’s jaw tightened. His long fingers tapped the rim of the bowl. He stared at Han Xi, his dark, brooding eyes unfathomable. “I was only gone for three months. Are you really that desperate for a man?”
The biting words made Han Xi’s smile stiffen, but she soon recovered her composure and said mockingly, “The family elders are in a hurry for a grandchild, and you’re away on business every other day. If I don’t make the most of it when you’re home, do you want to come back one day and find yourself raising another man’s child?”
Shen Jiheng: “…”
She was still the same: seemingly obedient, but sharp-tongued underneath.
When Han Xi saw that he wasn’t touching his food, she didn’t get upset. She simply went to the kitchen and brought back a bowl of Ten-Ingredient Tonic Soup, then walked over to him.
Shen Jiheng’s face darkened until it seemed it could drip ink. Suddenly, he grabbed Han Xi’s slender arm. Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms.
“Ah…”
She lost her balance and landed right on his lap, her hands instinctively winding around his neck.
She looked up and met Shen Jiheng’s dangerously captivating eyes. Han Xi’s heart skipped a beat.
Without drawing attention to it, she turned her head away. Her face flushed to her ears, and she said awkwardly, “Let go of me. Let’s eat.”
Shen Jiheng lifted her and strode toward the bedroom. His voice was low and pleasant as he said, “I can satisfy you without all that food!”
The door clicked shut, and Han Xi was pressed against its back.
“W-wait…”
Ignoring her resistance, he showered her with kisses. Her already flimsy dress fell to the floor with a tearing sound.
Han Xi’s body went limp. Helpless, she let Shen Jiheng do as he pleased. As their passion intensified, he lifted her and carried her to the bed.
The room’s temperature didn’t drop with the darkness. A few drops of sweat fell onto her face, accompanied by the man’s ragged breathing.
She had no idea how much time passed. By the time her voice was hoarse with exhaustion, all she could do was beg for mercy and admit she was wrong. Only then was Shen Jiheng satisfied.
The man switched on the bedside lamp, its light accentuating the sharp lines of his face.
“Now do you still think I need those dishes?” he murmured in her ear. His tone was perfectly serious, but the low sound of his voice made Han Xi feel as though a feather had brushed across her heart.
Breathing hard, she gave a weak shake of her head. She wanted to say no, but she was too exhausted to get a single word out.
When Shen Jiheng didn’t hear an answer, he pulled her back into the fray…
Han Xi felt as though her waist had nearly been crushed in his grip. In their three years of marriage, it was only in bed that the two of them seemed to find any harmony.
Their harmony made it seem as if she were the one he held closest to his heart. Every time, he seemed bent on taking her apart, grinding her to pieces, and melding her into his own body.
…
Han Xi couldn’t remember how she had fallen asleep. A phone rang, and she answered it, still half-asleep.
“Jiheng, it’s so cold at the hospital. I’m scared. Can you come keep me company?”
The soft, sweet voice from the phone seemed to pierce Han Xi’s nerves. Her eyes flew open, and she woke completely.
She had answered Shen Jiheng’s phone by mistake. The caller ID on the screen read “Xixi.”
Gu Hanxi!
The woman who had once disrupted her wedding to Shen Jiheng—his cherished white moonlight!
Hadn’t she been in a car accident and left in a vegetative state? Could it be…
While Han Xi sat frozen in shock, Shen Jiheng had already woken. He looked at her blearily, then his gaze fell on the lit-up phone screen.
In an instant, Shen Jiheng’s eyes turned as sharp as an eagle’s. He took the phone from Han Xi and went straight into the bathroom.
Han Xi heard him answer in a gentle, affectionate voice. “What is it?”
“Don’t cry. I’m coming right over.”
His manner was unbelievably tender, completely unlike the way he treated her.
Han Xi’s heart ached as if it had been hollowed out. She watched Shen Jiheng come out of the bathroom and hurriedly get dressed.
As if in a trance, she reached out and caught the hem of his shirt. “Shen Jiheng, you’re not allowed to leave.”