The Missing Husband Has Returned (22)

That slap was dull; it had no force at all.

Lu Xiunan could almost picture the feeling of being slapped—soft, slender fingers brushing against his cheek, bringing a sweet fragrance.

No... the fragrance should be stronger than usual.

Xue Ci was all wet and soft, she must have been covered in a fine sweat, like a ripe peach.

Besides fragrance, there will be other flavors.

A beautiful, honest woman with a good temper was repeatedly taken advantage of, leaving her exhausted and sore all over, yet she was still not let go.

She was completely bewildered. Why was her usually honest and upright husband so disobedient at this moment, even though she had clearly said that she felt very sore and uncomfortable?

The young wife clutched her stomach, realizing that crying and begging for mercy was useless. So, her body instinctively tried to push the other person away. She was probably still stunned after hitting him, and she would have to explain herself to him.

As expected.

Lu Xiunan soon heard Xue Ci's whiny voice. "I... I didn't... I didn't mean to... You were too fierce, I just... I just..."

The poor little wife couldn't even finish her sentence before her husband gagged her.

Lu Xiunan didn't know how long he had been standing outside the window.

The heavy curtains obscured the view, but he could roughly guess what Xue Ci looked like at that moment.

Beautiful, gorgeous, fragile, pitiful yet easily arousing desire.

Only when the bedroom was completely silent did Lu Xiunan lean against the wall as if all his strength had been drained.

His forehead was obscured by stray hairs, and the darkness concealed the expression on the man's face.

Lu Xiunan didn't have a smoking habit, but at this moment he really wanted to have one, as if only in this way could he take away those helpless and complicated emotions.

He was debating whether to knock on the door and go inside as if nothing had happened, or to go back to his car and come back the next day.

The man's limbs stiffened, his blood ran cold, and by the time he came to his senses, he was already at the door.

Intuition dictated his actions—even though Xue Ci and her husband had such a good relationship, he wouldn't let go willingly and would stay by Xue Ci's side as if torturing himself.

After all, this is the only chance.

He will not give up.

Lu Xiunan took a deep breath.

Yes, he is Lu Xiunan, so he should be cunning, ruthless, and unscrupulous.

Even if all this happens, so what? Xue Ci will eventually get tired of him, and he will always have a chance to openly and honestly win Xue Ci's love.

It's okay if I don't receive love.

Moreover, judging from what we just saw, it seems that my sister-in-law's frail body is not able to withstand it.

If Zhao Ying becomes addicted to this kind of thing, and Xue Ci sees through her husband's true colors, she might feel that her husband only knows how to demand, and then, feeling miserable, she might file for divorce.

Although this is extremely rare.

Lu Xiunan pursed his lips tightly, his brows furrowed ever since.

The lights in the lobby suddenly came on.

Lu Xiunan gave a faint smile, but his eyes were full of jealousy. He then knocked lightly on the door twice.

The force wasn't strong, but the knuckles turned white from being pinched.

Villagers go to bed early, so knocking on the door so late probably means something urgent has happened. Zhao Ying, who had just plugged in the kettle, went to open the door and was taken aback when he saw Lu Xiunan's gloomy face.

Realizing what had happened, she calmed herself down a bit.

"Why are you here so late? Did you drive or was your driver bring you?"

"I drove back myself." Lu Xiunan suppressed the hostility in his eyes and curled the corners of his lips. "Brother, I just finished talking to a friend and couldn't find you and your wife. I thought someone had upset you, so I came back to ask you."

Zhao Ying was shirtless, with loose pajama pants casually draped over his hips. The sweat on his body had not yet subsided, and the unidentified liquid on his lower abdomen was half-dried.

It doesn't look like someone is sleeping properly at all.

Afraid that Lu Xiunan would notice something, he awkwardly stood by the door and said, "It's nothing. Xiao Ci and I just wanted to be alone for a while, and Xiao Ci is shy."

Lu Xiunan sneered inwardly, but pretended to be completely unaware, glancing towards the bedroom where the door was tightly closed.

"It's so late, is your wife already asleep?"

Before Zhao Ying could answer, he asked again, "Are you going to take a shower?"

Zhao Ying wasn't good at lying, so he looked away and said, "Hmm."

Lu Xiunan entered the house.

As he passed by Zhao Ying, he smelled a familiar scent.

Xue Ci's scent was faint; unless you were in close contact with her, you wouldn't be able to pick up any of it.

Zhao Ying didn't know how long he held the person before he was covered in a fragrant scent.

It might be juicy and bursting with flavor the moment you get home, until it's soft and tender.

Lu Xiunan could barely maintain his composure. "It's too late, I'll rest here. Driving back now would probably make me fatigued."

Zhao Ying wanted to say something, but after hearing what the other person said, he agreed to go inside, "Then go to your room. It's late at night, so be quiet."

Lu Xiunan pushed open his bedroom door and said before entering, "Right, brother, I haven't showered yet. Call me when you're done."

Zhao Ying hesitated, "I... I'll probably be taking a long time to shower, and it's so late now. Why don't you just make do for the night and shower tomorrow morning?"

"I can't sleep without showering tonight." Lu Xiunan's feigned smile couldn't hide his jealousy, and his expression twisted in an instant. "I'm not sleepy yet. Wake me up after you've showered."

After saying that, he went back inside without waiting for Zhao Ying's reply.

Zhao Ying glanced at the closed door, then stopped paying attention to Lu Xiunan.

He put the bucket in the bathroom, prepared cold water, and placed soap, towels, and a change of clothes on the stool next to him.

After boiling the water, he mixed it with water and checked the temperature before opening the bedroom door.

The room smelled complicated, a mixture of... Zhao Ying's neck turned red, and without saying a word, he picked up Xue Ci, who was hiding under the covers.

The young wife was still conscious, but she was so exhausted that she couldn't even lift a finger. Even so, she was trembling and trying to push him away.

"Xiao Ci, it's time for a bath." Zhao Ying couldn't resist Xue Ci just by looking at her, let alone now that he was facing a pink kitten with her belly exposed, letting him touch her.

But he couldn't go too far, so he promised Xue Ci, "I... I won't do anything else. I'll just help you take a bath, and then we'll go to sleep."

"Is it good, honey?"

Taking advantage of Xue Ci's dazed state, Zhao Ying secretly used this nickname that he usually found cheesy.

Seeing Xue Ci vague reply, the man wrapped her in a large towel and held her in his arms.

Zhao Ying's heart was pounding.

Only then did he realize that he and Xue Ci had finally consummated their marriage.

Xue Ci's body was covered in liquid, making her feel sticky and uncomfortable. Hearing that she was going to take a bath, she stopped resisting and instead wrapped her arms around the other person's neck.

This dependent look made Zhao Ying's throat tighten.

The towel wasn't very big, and Xue Ci's two legs were exposed, which made him very uncomfortable. He shifted uncomfortably after being picked up.

"Snap!"

Some water droplets fell to the ground.

Zhao Ying could only hear his own heartbeat and didn't notice what had fallen to the ground. After quickly carrying the person into the tub, he swiftly closed the bathroom door.

The water temperature in the bucket was just right, which greatly relieved the soreness and weakness.

Xue Ci lay weakly by the tub, her head drooping on her arm, her eyelashes drooping slightly, her whole body flushed pink from the steam.

Zhao Ying stared at him for a while before looking away and gently wiping him clean with a towel.

Xue Ci her eyes tightly closed, occasionally letting out a soft hum.

Zhao Ying was so intimidated by his voice that she dared not look up, suppressing the filthy thoughts in her mind.

He found himself seemingly addicted; even though he had done it several times that night, he was never satisfied.

But Xue Ci definitely couldn't stand it.

A layer of sweat appeared on Zhao Ying's forehead as he suppressed his urge to give Xue Ci a bath.

Soon his body was washed clean, but... the bathroom was foggy, and Zhao Ying didn't know where to look.

Xue Ci seemed to be asleep, her cheeks bulging out in a small clump.

Like a sleepy kitten.

"Xiao Ci..."

Xue Ci's eyes were sticky and she couldn't open them, so she mumbled an "Mmm".

Then I heard someone next to me say something, but I didn't hear exactly what it was, only the words "need to be cleaned up" intermittently.

He wanted to go back to sleep and urged the other person, "Hurry up..."

After he finished speaking, Zhao Ying did not reply.

Xue Ci thought he was done washing and was waiting for the other person to pick him up when, in the next second, he felt someone squeeze in from behind.

Water splashed outside the bucket.

Xue Ci up with a start and looked behind her, only to be burned.

He paused, then bit his lip and looked at Zhao Ying incredulously.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with tears.

It feels even hotter...

"What... are you doing?"

Xue Ci was truly frightened; her eyes widened like a startled fawn. "I don't want it anymore!"

Zhao Ying's cheeks flushed red. Realizing that Xue Ci hadn't heard what he had just asked, he quickly explained, "Xiao Ci, don't be afraid... I... I promise I won't bully you anymore."

He licked his dry lips, lowered his voice, and whispered in Xue Ci's ear as if embarrassed, "I'll help you clean up."

Xue Ci blankly, "Didn't I already wash up?"

Zhao Ying, embarrassed to look at his young wife, stammered, "Clean... those things."

Xue Ci paused for a few seconds, then finally reacted. A little embarrassed, he turned his face back and said, "I'll do it myself."

"It's deep, Xiao Ci... your fingers aren't long enough."

Zhao Ying spoke in a serious tone, but upon realizing what he had said, he found it extremely lewd, like flirting with someone afterward.

He glanced at Xue Ci, and sure enough, the white rice ball's ears were red as if they were about to bleed.

Her brows and eyes held a hint of shyness and annoyance; her lips were captured, and her eyes welled up with tears.

Pure yet alluring.

Zhao Ying was stunned, feeling as if the little fox had completely bewitched him.

He finally understood why the men in the village, even knowing that their words were flirting, still insisted on saying them.

So... I can see that kind of expression.

Zhao Ying was lost in thought until Xue Ci's voice rang out, bringing him back to his senses. "Then you don't need to go into the bucket... it's uncomfortable to squeeze in."

The man was large, and the water level rose immediately. The bathtub, which was originally more than spacious for Xue Ci, became extremely crowded with the addition of another person. He tried his best to stay close to the edge of the tub, but his back was still pressed tightly against the man's chest, making it look as if he was deliberately leaning into the man's arms.

Zhao Ying hurriedly replied, "Oh... it's not easy to bump into me if I'm standing outside."

He placed his hand on Xue Ci's shoulder. "Xiao Ci, you've worked hard."

Xue Ci pursed her lips, her muffled voice suppressing her shyness, and reluctantly agreed.

Zhao Ying's calluses were so thick that Xue Ci, with her delicate skin, felt very uncomfortable from the rubbing.

Moreover, the cleaning was very thorough, leaving no area untouched.

Xue Ci occasionally let out a soft hum, and fine beads of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose.

He gradually felt something was off, turned around, and asked embarrassedly, "... Is it done?"

The veins on Zhao Ying's forehead bulged, and his voice was hoarse. "Alright, just change the water and wash it again."

However, Xue Ci looked embarrassed and hesitated for a few seconds.

A weak voice said, "I need to go to the restroom first."

He didn't want to go, but Zhao Ying kept cleaning the same spot.

It made him a little uncomfortable.

The toilet was right next to the shower room, but the light bulb was too dim. Xue Ci was already weak, and Zhao Ying was afraid he would fall.

Seeing that the person didn't answer for a long time, Xue Ci impatient, her voice tinged with urgency. "I have to get up now, I'll wash later."

But the next moment, Zhao Ying said, "I'll carry you."

Xue Ci's eyes widened.

Wh-what?

She couldn't believe that her husband even needed to help her go to the toilet.

Thinking it was a joke, Zhao Ying had already gotten out of the bucket and quickly pulled him out of the water as well.

Water splashed up, and the water in the bucket had unknowingly become murky.

Fearing the wind would be strong at night, Zhao Ying wrapped Xue Ci in a thick towel, then picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom to the toilet.

Xue Ci felt herself being put down.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

However, she was still pressed tightly against the man's back, and he didn't seem to have any intention of leaving.

Xue Ci didn't want to be watched while he went to the toilet, and was about to urge the other person when he felt the person behind him hug him again.

What... is this supposed to be?

Soon, the man half-squatted, raising his arms from the back of his legs.

In an odd pose.

His dark, large hands made his young wife's legs appear exceptionally fair.

Realizing what had happened, Xue Ci flushed red instantly, and her voice trembled.

"I... I don't want to..."

*

Lu Xiunan waited in the room for a long time.

The lights outside were on, but there was no sound.

He couldn't wait any longer, and as soon as he opened the door, he saw a few drops of dirt on the ground in front of the door of the opposite room.

Not yet.

Lu Xiunan lowered his eyes, and after seeing what it was, his face instantly turned gloomy.

What's going on?

To make someone like this.

Lu Xiunan, breathing rapidly and with a cold face, strode into the courtyard, driven by an impulse to completely break ties with Zhao Ying.

The bathroom door was open, and the water in the tub was still rippling.

The toilet light was on, but the door was closed.

Both of them are in the toilet? What are they going to do?

Lu Xiunan's eyelids twitched, and he walked over.

Just as he approached the window, he heard the sound of water, and a cry filled with intense shame.

*

Xue Ci fall asleep until late at night.

He wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, covering his head as if he didn't want to communicate with anyone.

Zhao Ying seemed to have done something wrong and didn't dare to go to bed easily, for fear of hearing Xue Ci's unhappy tone.

He turned off the light, and not wanting to disturb Xue Ci, he quietly laid a straw mat on the ground.

He was burning up, and after hearing Xue Ci's muffled, weak breathing, he couldn't fall asleep. So he propped himself up, lay down next to his wife, and took a deep breath.

The warmth and coziness of the blankets filled the air.

He was so happy he could hardly breathe.

Tonight I did many things that I used to only dare to dream about.

Even without seeing Xue Ci's face, the man could imagine it—her soft, fleshy cheeks, damp and red after being wrapped in the blanket, and her eyelids pink from crying.

It leaves marks easily on the skin.

Zhao Ying only realized then that he hadn't controlled his strength properly and had left the person covered in kiss marks.

Moreover, Xue Ci doesn't seem to be able to handle it.

Zhao Ying felt a pang of tenderness for his young wife's spoiled nature. He thought about how to please her in the future and planned to ask for her opinion the next day when he woke up.

Chaotic thoughts filled his mind, and Zhao Ying lay on the edge of the bed until dawn before he felt sleepy.

However, he was woken up by noises at the front door after only a few hours of sleep.

As the morning light streamed through the curtains, Zhao Ying woke up and immediately glanced into the bed.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Xue Ci was fast asleep, with only half of her face showing.

After helping to tuck the blanket in, he came out of the room.

Lu Xiunan was closing the door; there was still the sound of a woman crying outside.

Zhao Ying frowned. "What's wrong?"

Lu Xiunan turned around and glanced at him indifferently. "A relative of yours said their child is sick and they've come to borrow money."

Zhao Ying could roughly guess who the other person was, but Lu Xiunan had only been living there for a short time and didn't know the names of Xue Ci's relatives.

He didn't mention the relative's name. "How much did she ask you to borrow?"

Lu Xiunan: "At first she said she wanted to borrow five hundred, but I said I didn't have any. She said one hundred would be fine too."

Zhao Ying frowned slightly. "Did you borrow it?"

"Of course I won't lend it." Lu Xiunan seemed to have slept poorly; there were faint dark circles under his eyes, and his brows furrowed with a hint of irritation and hostility. "She borrowed it to give to her family for gambling. Lending it to someone like that is like throwing money into a bottomless pit."

"Luckily, his sister-in-law hasn't woken up yet, otherwise, with his soft heart, he would definitely have lent her a lot of money."

Zhao Ying didn't speak, his eyes lowered as he pondered something.

After a moment, he asked, "How do you know someone in her family gambles?"

Sun Xingmei rarely visits Xue Ci's home. He only learned about her from Aunt Liu when she came to Xue Ci to borrow money last time.

Lu Xiunan showed no remorse and spoke as usual, "My sister-in-law is family with us, of course we need to know these things."

He smirked meaningfully, "Brother, you wouldn't be jealous of me, would you?"

Zhao Ying paused for a moment.

After a moment, he said in a stiff voice, "Don't joke around."

However, the seeds of doubt had already been sown in my heart, and had even sprouted.

He just hadn't expected that Lu Xiunan understood Xue Ci better than he had imagined.

A soreness spread from his limbs to his heart. The woman's crying at the doorway gradually faded into the distance. Zhao Ying came to his senses. "Did she bring the child?"

Sun Xingmei's husband died early, and she has a child with congenital weakness, making it difficult for her to remarry. She is also being exploited by Sun Xingmin, who is addicted to gambling. If she really comes to them for help out of desperation, it's hard to say whether they will drive her away and delay the child's treatment.

"No, she said the child is sick." Lu Xiunan, a businessman, was used to this kind of thing and wasn't bothered by it. "Brother, if she asked my sister-in-law for money alone, she would definitely lend it to her, and the money would definitely end up in Sun Xingmin's hands."

"Whether she's telling the truth or not, she'll definitely come back soon if she doesn't get the money, and she might even try to see your sister-in-law alone while we're not around."

"My brother and I must stay by our side and protect our sister-in-law."

The last sentence sounded particularly grating to Zhao Ying.

He wasn't sure if Lu Xiunan was doing it on purpose. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Lu Xiunan didn't wait for him to speak and continued, "Where's your wife? She's usually awake and having breakfast by now. What's going on today?"

She can't stop talking about her sister-in-law.

Zhao Ying's expression darkened slightly. "He's still resting. He's a little tired. I'll make breakfast. Be quiet and don't wake him."

"Understood." Lu Xiunan said with a forced smile.

Zhao Ying didn't say anything more and prepared to go to the kitchen to make breakfast.

Midway through, Zhou Qize came over and said he had bought a DVD of a foreign movie and wanted to send it over.

Zhao Ying lowered his voice. "He's still resting. Leave him here, I'll tell him."

Zhou Qize glanced at the bedroom door, his eyes filled with reluctance despite saying "okay".

After everyone left, Lu Xiunan said jokingly, "Brother, does that guy have a thing for your sister-in-law?"

Zhao Ying's expression changed slightly, and he glanced at him.

His expression was much calmer than usual.

Lu Xiunan: "I'm not making this up. The moment he arrived, his eyes were glued to my sister-in-law. He's been showering her with gifts and trying to win her over every day. Are you angry, brother?"

"Xiao Ci is my wife," Zhao Ying said calmly, then slowly added after a few seconds, "And she only has me as her husband."

"As for what others think, as long as they don't do anything to Xue Ci or try to ruin our relationship, I can't control that."

After saying this, Zhao Ying withdrew his gaze from Lu Xiunan's face.

Lu Xiunan chuckled lightly, "What if someone tries to sabotage it?"

Zhao Ying's breathing stopped.

"Then I won't let him get away with it."

An undercurrent of tension surged within the lobby, and the air seemed to freeze.

The two brothers seemed to have both guessed the unspoken meaning in each other's words, but neither of them openly pointed it out.

One is waiting for an opportunity to take advantage of the situation, while the other is giving the other a chance to withdraw.

*

Xue Ci slept until noon and still hadn't woken up. Finally, Zhao Ying, worried that she might be hungry and uncomfortable, gently woke her up.

Xue Ci struggled to open her eyes, her eyelashes trembling several times before she closed them again.

The powder on the skin hasn't completely faded yet.

Zhao Ying said with concern, "Xiao Ci, it's time to eat. Your stomach will feel uncomfortable if you're hungry. Why don't you eat first and then go to sleep, okay?"

Xue Ci hummed softly a few times before getting out of bed.

However, upon waking up, she was met with devastating news—the progress bar had regressed.

Xue Ci's face turned pale instantly.

Taking small, sharp breaths, she quickly asked 11, "Why did you back away...?"

However, 11 is still inside the dark room and hasn't come out yet.

His response was met with Fragment driven mad by jealousy.

Although they can't see it, they probably all sense something because they come from the same code.

Of course, he didn't dare to speak too harshly to Xue Ci.

Put away that crazy, obsessive, jealous face.

[The baby's body is covered in marks, and his mouth is still swollen.]

[You must be feeling really uncomfortable, baby. Is your tongue bothering you? Let me put it in your mouth for you.]

[I want to kill him! He's the one who lets my baby pee, isn't he?]

Author's Note:

I can't take it anymore, I feel so tired.