If he hadn't overheard her resolute words to Yun Li, he would have doubted whether this girl married him just to get by, or... if she had different feelings for him.
Fortunately, her answer satisfied him.
The anger that had just risen was forcefully suppressed by him.
An Ruo lowered her eyes, her fingers lightly twisting together, and said softly, "You were busy at the time. I thought I could handle this small matter myself... I didn't want to trouble you."
Even if he had come, wouldn't it have been the same process—taking her to the hospital, getting medicine, and then going home to apply it? Since the outcome was the same, she could handle it herself.
Shen Xiaoxing's gaze deepened: "In your heart, am I an outsider?"
"No..."
"Then what?"
An Ruo said earnestly, "You're my husband. We're husband and wife. How could you be an outsider?"
"Since we're husband and wife, why do you prefer to bear things alone rather than share them with me? Am I not worthy of your reliance?"
An Ruo was stunned, momentarily unable to digest the meaning of his words.
"When you were hurt and helpless, did you ever think of me?"
"..." At that moment, she was only thinking about how to hide it from Shen Xiaoxing, not planning to tell him.
"In your heart, is a husband just a dispensable role?"
An Ruo bit her lip, unsure how to answer this question.
In her heart, a husband was a very important role, and he was her most important person. Wasn't that the same thing?
Looking at the man again, he was clearly dissatisfied with her reaction. His eyes grew darker, and just as he was about to say something more, Han Chong reminded them they had arrived at the hotel.
He had himself pushed into the hotel, leaving An Ruo standing there, staring blankly at his retreating figure.
Han Chong carried the shopping bag, following behind her, and said meaningfully, "Young Madam, the young master isn't angry at you. He might... just wait for him to calm down."
The girl lowered her gaze to her hands, not knowing what she had done wrong. Was it just because she hadn't told him she was injured?
But in her worldview, if she was hurt, as long as she wasn't dying or unable to move, she could crawl to the hospital and heal on her own.
She had taken care of Xiao Che and her grandmother since she was young, forcing herself to mature early. She always shared good news and hid the bad, whether it was injuries or hardships. This had become her habit.
She had never thought of relying on anyone. He was good to her, and that was already enough. She didn't want to trouble him when he was busy.
...
The room had its own study, and the man hadn't come out since he entered.
An Ruo sat by the bed, sighing softly. She couldn't figure out why he was angry, why he wouldn't talk to her, and why he locked himself away.
What could she do to make him happy...
Just as she was about to use the method she used to cheer up An Che as a child, she stood up, and the study door suddenly opened.
The man's expression had softened slightly. He wheeled himself over.
An Ruo forced a smile. "Shen Xiaoxing, look at me." She suddenly made a funny face, both silly and cute. "Rawr~ Don't I look like a monster?"
The man's deep eyes flickered slightly. He stared at her intently, his expression unchanged. Seeing that she hadn't made him laugh, An Ruo felt a bit discouraged. But then, the corners of his mouth slowly lifted.
He smiled. He looked especially handsome when he smiled.
With a cold face, he was aloof and restrained; when he smiled, he was both gentle and mischievous, like the February breeze warming the earth.
An Ruo was momentarily stunned. She shook her head slightly. "You smiled. Does that mean you're not angry with me anymore?"
She admitted that they were both introverted, with delicate feelings, and didn't know how to open up and resolve problems when they arose. But she really didn't want to argue with him, nor did she want him to ignore her.
"I'm not angry with you." The man held her small hand, rubbing it in his palm, his voice low. "I'm just angry at myself."
Maybe it was because he hadn't given her enough security that this girl subconsciously felt she had to bear things alone and not burden him.
He understood that in her environment, she had to be strong to protect herself, gritting her teeth when hurt, like a little animal licking its wounds.
"Then why did you lock yourself in the room and ignore me..." At that moment, she was really scared—scared that Shen Xiaoxing would never talk to her again.
She didn't care about others, but Shen Xiaoxing was different. She... she didn't want to lose him.
Shen Xiaoxing rubbed her head with his big hand, a gentle smile tugging at his lips. "Silly girl, I was just calming myself down. I didn't want my violent side to scare you."
So he had smoked a few cigarettes in the room in frustration, each one not even finished before he crushed it out with his fingers, the burning heat on his knuckles helping to quell the rage that threatened to erupt.
Ever since he witnessed his mother vanish before his eyes, he had been overwhelmed by immense grief and fainted. When he woke up, he had developed a temper disorder.
At uncontrollable times, places, and occasions, because of a single word or something he couldn't figure out, a voice inside him would scream, making him want to throw things, hit people, or even... kill.
As he grew older, he learned to restrain his temper, to endure and hold back. During the day, he appeared elegant and refined, but at night, in secluded corners, he would vent his rage violently.
This girl was young, and her childhood had been so hard. He didn't want her to see this dark side of him, didn't want to scare her.
An Ruo's eyes were clear. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry."
The man stared at her. "Why are you apologizing?"
"I..." She bit her lip again. "I've learned to take care of others since I was little. My grandmother is old, and Xiao Che needs protection. I have to be strong. I never tell them when I'm hurt because I don't want them to worry. In my heart, you're the same. It doesn't mean you're not important, or that I don't want to rely on you. It's just... I need to slowly adapt."
An Ruo had figured it out. The reason the man was so angry was simply because she kept things to herself and never took the initiative to share them with him.
How could she forget? Between husband and wife, it's more about mutual understanding, mutual support, opening up, and slowly adjusting to each other.
Shen Xiaoxing's gaze deepened. For her to say all that in one breath, it seemed the half-hour of cold treatment hadn't been without effect.
He held her small hand a little tighter.
"I know there are many things I do wrong, because... this is my first time being someone's wife. There's so much I need to learn."
The man suddenly smiled, the corners of his eyes curving beautifully. "Me too. This is my first time being someone's husband. There are many things I don't do well enough. So, Mrs. Shen, shall we learn from each other and keep each other in check from now on?"
It turned out that what they lacked was communication. Once everything was out in the open, there wouldn't be so many baseless suspicions.
"Then from now on, when you're angry, you can't ignore me."
"I'll try."
"Why?"
"Silly girl, when I'm in a rage, I might say something harsh that hurts you. Even if I'm angry, I'd blame myself. So I'll calm myself down first, then come and calm you down."
An Ruo half-knelt on the floor, her hands wrapping around his waist.
The man bent slightly, pulling her into his arms.
"Let me see your injury."
"It's fine. It's scabbing over."
Shen Xiaoxing kissed her cheek. "Remember, from now on, you need to learn to tell me things. We're husband and wife. There's nothing we can't talk about. I won't force you; I'll wait for you to slowly adapt."
[The female lead's character is set to be relatively inexperienced in matters of the heart, but trust that she loves the male lead and has firmly chosen him—that's the truth!]