Pitiful Widower (14)

Xue Ci's mind went blank, and she looked at the blond hair with a dazed expression.

Bill had sharp features and deep-set eyes. After living in the slums for so long, doing manual labor under the sun and wind, his skin had become a bit darker.

He has a very typical Western white appearance.

"Why... are you saying these things again?" Xue Ci tried to grab his clothes, but found that he was shirtless.

He awkwardly withdrew his hand. "Go turn off the TV."

Bill's eyelids twitched at his embarrassed expression, and his voice was hoarse. "Aren't you going to do it anymore?"

The man himself was unaware that he was being forced into adultery, forced to offer his body to Xue Ci, and maintained a facade of chastity.

But Xue Ci to mention it, which made him unhappy.

What trick are they playing?

If... he really becomes Xue Ci's first man.

Bill's Adam's apple bobbed back and forth.

Then he would forgive Xue Ci for all the deceptions she had done before.

Bill had just woken up; his pants were loose-fitting casual style, the fabric stretched high.

The bathroom space is so small that these changes are easily noticeable.

Xue Ci inevitably saw it and awkwardly looked away.

After being watched, it unexpectedly expanded a bit more.

How did you become so innocent? Have you even forgotten what the things you need every day look like?

Staring at the handsome boy with pink earlobes, Bill suddenly realized—he was bullying someone, and bullying him... very much.

I'll go turn off the TV.

Bill stepped aside and left the bathroom.

The TV signal was poor, with static already appearing. He leaned over and decisively pressed the switch.

On the table not far away, there was an opened milk carton with liquid on it, and the bread packaging was also torn open with a small bite taken out of it.

Bill frowned—he thought of the years they'd spent crammed into a run-down room. This brand of bread and milk was the best he could afford.

Xue Ci ate with great relish, smiling at him after every bite.

Even the corners of her lips tasted sweet.

But now, after a few years of good times with her husband, all of this has become hard to swallow.

Xue Ci was still just as difficult to please.

Yet, he misses it so much.

Bill suddenly wanted to make more money.

He could buy whatever Xue Ci wanted to eat.

He felt he must be despicable, so despicable that he wanted to be Xue Ci's dog.

Having been abandoned once, it finally found its owner from afar, ready to tear off all the clothes and lick the whole body to teach the man a lesson.

But once you actually find them, and pet them a couple of times like before, they obediently go back to being dogs.

They never learn their lesson.

Will Xue Ci forget him in the blink of an eye?

The small hotel room became quiet. After the strange video was turned off, Xue Ci came out of the bathroom and immediately saw Bill holding that translucent little thing between his fingers and rubbing it back and forth.

Bill was cleaner than he had imagined; his fingers were a normal skin color, not at all stained yellow from smoking.

He didn't know that after marrying and leaving her husband, Bill, no matter how angry or disappointed she was, dared not smoke a single cigarette, simply because she disliked the smell of smoke.

"You... why are you still holding that thing?" Xue Ci suppressed the embarrassment on her face. "You can throw it away..."

"Throw?"

Bill was unsure whether Xue Ci was unwilling to do it with him or unwilling to let him use these things.

However, after seeing that pure and innocent face, he completely understood— Xue Ci only wanted to use him to find memories of her husband, and didn't care about him as a person.

Bill felt a dull ache in his heart and a dryness in his throat.

With a cold expression, he threw what he was holding into the trash can, then walked coldly into the bathroom.

The man showered quickly and came out in no time. He probably used cold water, as there wasn't much steam in the bathroom.

Xue Ci urged, "Let's go quickly."

Bill abandoned any romantic thoughts, glanced at the remaining milk and bread from Xue Ci, and took them with him as he left.

The place was too far away, so the two found a horse-drawn carriage, which would take a whole day to travel.

Lu Min provided Xue Ci with ample travel expenses, and just as he was about to spend some money, Bill paid for it first.

Where did you get the money?

He was surprised.

These words made Bill's face turn sour. He sneered, "So, all I can do is become your Xiao Bai?"

Xue Ci softly, "You're not fair-skinned..."

"..." Bill sneered in anger and stuffed a big bite of bread into his mouth.

Xue Ci felt that the bread looked familiar—it seemed like the one he had eaten earlier.

But Bill hates him so much, he probably wouldn't eat his leftovers, right?

*

Even on a smooth road, a whole day's journey makes the carriage bumpy and uncomfortable.

Xue Ci refused Bill's suggestion to sit on his lap, and slumped listlessly in the corner, her lips pale, looking very pitiful.

Finally, without saying a word, Bill forcefully pulled him into his arms.

Xue Ci struggled a couple of times, the thin fabric rubbing against their skin. Bill's breathing became heavier. "Don't move."

"..." Xue Ci could sense the other person's stiffness.

After a half-minute standoff, he found that sitting in the other person's lap was indeed much more comfortable, so he accepted the other person as a cushion.

Bill's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and his strong muscles made him feel safe.

Xue Ci was sleepy.

The two were so close that Bill's hot breath was right next to his ear. Just as he was about to shrank away, he felt Bill's hand squeeze his waist.

You seem to have gained a little weight.

"..." Xue Ci didn't know how to answer for a moment. He didn't care much about his weight and had no concept of whether he was fat or thin.

Puzzled: "Why 'seems'?"

"I don't know what it feels like to hold you." Bill's tone was casual, but he rested his chin on Xue Ci's neck and took a deep breath. "You're so soft to hold, and you smell so good. Does your husband usually hold you like this?"

"Should I just hold you, or should I hold you on my lap and bounce you around vigorously until you cry?"

Xue Ci felt her scalp tingle and her eyelashes trembled uncontrollably.

He pretended not to hear and closed his eyes.

But Bill was very interested in the topic, and seeing that he didn't answer, he began to guess. "You're definitely going to cry."

"Her skin is so delicate, it gets chafed red just from a light touch."

"In your relationship with your husband, was it you who initiated the on-top position? Like in our current position?"

Would you take the initiative? Do you like your husband that much?

Bill's probing questions were tinged with barely concealed jealousy.

He held Xue Ci tightly, pressing down hard on Xue Ci stomach with his long, slender fingers.

Will it reach this point?

Xue Ci finally snapped, "It was my initiative!"

"You're so annoying... I'm sleepy, I want to go to sleep, don't ask me any more questions!"

They treated him like a dog.

Bill was both annoyed and pleased.

Jealousy made him irritable all over, but Xue Ci's scolding made every nerve in his body feel relaxed.

This was the first time he had been so intimate with Xue Ci. The carriage was so bumpy, and they were squeezed into a small, enclosed space.

This fueled his crazy thought—if a rock were to fall on their heads right now, he would shield Xue Ci with his body and take the disaster upon himself. If he was unlucky, he would be crushed to death, and Xue Ci would never forget him for the rest of her life. If he was lucky, he would be crippled, and Xue Ci would feel guilty and become his wife, even riding on top of him during sex.

She might get angry and deliberately sit on his face, making him rub it with his nose.

He would grind and mash that piece of soft flesh mercilessly, leaving it covered in his own flavor.

When Xue Ci woke up, the carriage had already stopped, and upon closer inspection, they had arrived at their destination.

The church was closed, and it was getting dark. They decided to go back to the slums to stay for the time being, and see if they could find someone who knew her husband.

Exhausted from the journey, Xue Ci had little appetite and looked listless.

Finally, Bill carried her back to her place.

The man's arms and forehead had bulging veins, making him look exceptionally powerful.

Xue Ci puzzled; they were both working the same day, so why did the other person seem so energetic?

Everyone's energy level is different. If Bill gets tired and exhausted after driving all day, then no man is qualified to be an adulterer.

The lights in the slums at night are scattered and the smell is unpleasant.

Homeless people congregate on every road, looking filthy and appalling.

Xue Ci instinctively wrapped her arms around Bill's neck. "Did we live here before?"

The word "we" made Bill's heart skip a beat, but surprisingly, he didn't choke and just hummed in agreement.

It didn't look safe at all... Xue Ci felt guilty thinking about how Bill lived in such a place and had been swindled out of a large sum of money by her.

Although he couldn't remember it for the moment, Bill had waited for him in the small hotel and carried him on his back. He could tell that the other person was a kind person at heart. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been swindled out of all his money and still be willing to help him like this.

Xue Ci felt she still needed to make amends, and asked softly, "How much money did I scam you out of...?"

When Bill announced the number, Xue Ci opened her mouth in surprise. "This... so much?"

"I already said it was my wife's savings," Bill's sarcastic tone returned. "I thought you really would be my wife; I didn't leave you a single penny, it's all gone."

"It's funny now that I think about it. You wouldn't even let me touch you, how could you be willing to be my wife?"

Xue Ci at his words, and she leaned close to Bill's ear, her voice soft and sticky, almost like she was being coquettish.

"Didn't I let you touch me now?"

Bill's eyelids twitched heavily.

look.

Song Xueci was indeed very resourceful.

If you asked him for money now, he would give it to you without hesitation.

*

The two lived in a corner of the slum.

The key is placed under the flowerpot by the door.

Xue Ci, knowing full well the danger, asked, "Aren't you afraid of being robbed?"

Bill smirked. "The most valuable things in the house aren't here. What's there to steal?"

Xue Ci didn't think too deeply about what Bill meant by "valuable".

He didn't say anything more.

As soon as the door was opened, a cloud of dust and a musty smell hit the room.

Xue Ci choked softly.

Bill glanced at him, went inside, and opened the window to let in some fresh air.

The room was even smaller than the hotel I had stayed in before, with only a single bed and the most basic furniture.

"We'll stay at a hotel tonight, and leave after a short while."

When Bill saw him wrinkling his nose, he couldn't help but frown as well.

This place is indeed no longer worthy of Xue Ci.

No, they were never a match.

"It's late... let's stay here for now." Xue Ci was a little sleepy, and she also felt that she could definitely find some clues in this place, so she didn't want to leave.

Bill couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he made him sit in a clean chair and took a set of pajamas from the closet. "Go take a shower first."

Xue Ci obediently took the clothes.

The size is indeed his.

It seems they really did live together...

Xue Ci hadn't expected to need to search through so many memories. He called out, "Bill?"

When he calls out to people, he draws out the last syllable, almost like he's being affectionate.

Bill couldn't stand being called by his name.

He coughed dramatically, "You're not even willing to take a bath yourself?"

"..." Xue Ci thought to himself that he had never been so dependent on others before. He was really curious, so he looked up at his fair face and asked, "How did we meet?"

Bill seemed a little lost in thought.

That expression, those beautiful eyes... it was exactly the same as the day they met.

Xue Ci is still the same Xue Ci.

"Hmm?" Xue Ci her hand in front of him when he didn't speak.

"At the church entrance," Bill composed himself, his tone returning to its usual gruff manner. "I just got my wages and bought myself a new set of clothes."

"You've been following me ever since you saw me, asking if I could take you in."

I disagree.

You hugged my arm and said you were very good, and that your body was soft and you wanted me to touch it.

Author's Note:

How come it's getting sweeter and sweeter as I write? [melted][melted]

Wishing everyone a peaceful and healthy Dragon Boat Festival and a happy Children's Day in advance!

This chapter's little red envelope is paid for by Bill's about to get a bite of the baby's mouth!

Damn it, he got his way again.

Other dogs: Bill (bushi)