The man's voice was slightly nasal. "I want to hold you."
"If you don't let go, I'll hit you again!"
Shen Xiaoxing immediately released his grip and stood obediently to the side, watching her.
Seeing him so compliant, An Ruowei couldn't help but curl her lips as she looked down. Could it be that this man had been tamed by her beatings these past few days?
This shabby single-apartment was small, and the man's tall stature made it feel even more cramped. Leaning against the wall, he noticed the girl secretly suppressing a smile.
He lowered his head slightly and whispered in her ear, "Not mad at me anymore?"
An Ruo was startled, looking up to see her own smiling face reflected on the clean range hood, along with the man's face now wearing a mischievous grin!
Her face flushed with embarrassment, and she jabbed him with her elbow. "Go away."
The girl's weak force against his chest was neither painful nor itchy, but carried a hint of playfulness instead. A ripple stirred in his deep, dark eyes.
"Let me." He reached his arm past her, skillfully ladled the instant noodles into a bowl, and topped it with two poached eggs. He gently kissed her earlobe. "Being this good to me?"
"Who's being good to you?" An Ruo pouted, ducking under his arm to leave.
The man grabbed her wrist, and before she could react, bent down and hoisted her over his shoulder, steadying the bowl of noodles with his other hand.
An Ruo instinctively struggled. "Shen Xiaoxing, what are you doing? Let me go!"
"Bastard!"
She had kindly cooked for him, and now he was trying to force himself on her!
What a wolf in sheep's clothing, wasting her good intentions!
The man carried her to the sofa and set her down, placing the bowl of noodles on the table. He didn't look at all like someone who had fallen down the stairs drunk.
An Ruo grabbed a throw pillow and smacked it over his head, venting her anger. "Eat your noodles and get out!"
But the man ate as delicately as if he were embroidering, deliberately taking his sweet time.
An Ruo couldn't be bothered with him. She got up, went to her room, grabbed her pajamas, and headed to the bathroom.
This wasn't the villa—the bedroom didn't have its own bathroom, nor a bathtub to lounge in.
The worst part was that the hot water in the bathroom wasn't steady; she had to let the cold water run for a while before she could shower.
Though it was already May, her body had just suffered a major blow, so she had to be careful to avoid catching a chill.
After her shower, An Ruo scanned the living room. The man who had been sitting there eating noodles was gone. Her heart tightened for a moment, then she let out a long sigh. Good, he was gone.
He must have heard her showering and left without saying goodbye.
An Ruo sighed in the living room, tousled her freshly dried hair, and headed to the bedroom.
The moment she stepped inside, she saw the man sitting on the edge of the bed, watching TV.
The landlord had installed the living room TV in the bedroom, probably so the tenant could watch comfortably while lying down.
"Why aren't you gone yet?" An Ruo frowned in displeasure.
The man was lounging against the headboard, remote in hand, flipping through channels.
Hearing her, he turned his head. "It's too late. No one's coming to pick me up."
"..."
Who was he kidding!?
"What about Han Chong?"
"He's busy with other things."
"You have so many bodyguards—can't even one of them come to get you?"
"No."
An Ruo sneered. "Some master you are!"
It must be because he had terrible relationships—no one would come to pick him up even if he died out there!
The man glanced at her slyly. "Can I sleep here tonight?"
"No."
"..." Shen Xiaoxing. "I'll sleep on the couch."
"The couch is off-limits too."
"Why?"
"Because you're a man." An Ruo crossed her arms and stared at him coldly. "Don't you know men and women should keep their distance?"
Shen Xiaoxing paused, almost laughing in frustration. "We're legally married. Does that rule still apply?"
"..."
An Ruo pursed her lips. "You can't sleep here, period."
The man raised an eyebrow. "If I can't sleep here, are you planning to let some other man?"
"Think what you want." An Ruo muttered under her breath.
Seeing he wouldn't leave, the girl coldly approached to drag him out.
But he was too strong; no matter how she tugged, he sat there like a rock. An Ruo gritted her teeth and let go. "Shen Xiaoxing, if you don't leave, I'll hit you!"
With that, she deliberately raised her hand as if to slap his handsome face.
The man didn't flinch, speaking calmly. "Go ahead. If I get ugly, I'll embarrass you when I go out."
"..."
"Might as well hit hard. Then I can tell everyone you're abusive."
An Ruo: "..."
This time, the man had the upper hand completely. He lay back on the bed, refusing to budge.
An Ruo stared at him in disbelief. Had this man become so shameless? He had no shame left!
Or had her beatings these past days thickened his skin?
"Shen Xiaoxing—"
She came over to drag him again, but the man grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms, his large hand cradling the back of her head.
"Ruoruo, stop trying to chase me away." His thin lips pressed against her ear, his voice unusually hoarse. "I missed you."
"..."
"I can't sleep from missing you. What should I do?"
An Ruo leaned against his chest, his strong heartbeat echoing in her ears, as if probing her heart, the two beating in sync.
"Let's end this cold war, okay? I won't stop you from living outside, and I won't oppose any decision you make. Give me another chance. Don't break my heart like this."
An Ruo's nose tingled. Since moving out, she had struggled to sleep every night, relying on sleeping pills from the drawer to get any rest.
Ever since losing the child, she couldn't sleep through the night, her insomnia so severe she went two days without closing her eyes. When the man lay beside her, she pretended to sleep, but her mind was wide awake.
Now living alone, her insomnia had only worsened.
"Ruoruo..."
"Alright, let go of me first." An Ruo sensed what he was about to say. She understood it all, but she didn't want to face reality.
Shen Xiaoxing released her as she wished. Once free, An Ruo jumped off him and straightened her pajamas.
She wasn't wearing a bra underneath—had he noticed just now...
"Sleep on the couch." An Ruo relented. "Wait outside first. I'll go buy some medicine."
Shen Xiaoxing's drunkenness had faded significantly, and he frowned immediately. "What medicine? What's wrong?"
"Your face—don't you want it treated?"
The man's dark eyes froze for a moment, then a soft smile spread across his lips after a few seconds.
He knew this girl was soft on the inside despite her tough exterior. She still cared about him.
His fall hadn't been in vain.
In fact, before the girl returned, the man had looked down from the hallway window and spotted her slender figure under the streetlight, slowly approaching. On a whim, he deliberately slipped and tumbled down the stairs.
His expensive clothes were covered in dust, and he lay sprawled on the ground. A neighbor, hearing the commotion, opened the door and offered to help, only to be scared back inside by his terrifying glare.
He waited for the girl to come, but she didn't. He stood up and looked down the stairs again, only to see her chatting with someone on her phone, standing downstairs for ages before coming up.
That's how An Ruo opened the door to find him battered and bruised, sitting on the steps waiting for her.
An Ruo turned around. "What are you waiting for? Get out first."
"Alright."
His wife still cared about him.
Shen Xiaoxing left the bedroom, beaming. The moment he stepped out, the door slammed shut behind him.
Shen Xiaoxing: "???"