Chapter 6: Biting My Wife to Pieces.
The scattered spots of light swirled before my eyes, and the gazes around me were direct and intense.
Yin Xiao looked up at Yi Zhiyan, pursed her lips, and struggled to get used to this unfamiliar title.
The boy opposite him stared wide-eyed, craning his neck to look left and right, his voice almost cracking as he exclaimed, "Sister-in-law?!"
Yi Zhiyan stared at him, her silence tacitly agreeing.
"Hehehehe." The boy's expression changed, and he suddenly laughed out loud, "Oh, so you're his marriage partner... I was wondering which family was in such a hurry, but it turns out it's a complete stranger. You're so young and already thinking about climbing the social ladder. Hey, tell me the truth, how much do you want to get out of Yizhi?"
Yin Xiao frowned, stunned, unable to grasp the logic in his words for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, Yi Zhiyan grabbed the boy's collar, twisted his wrist, and threw him in front of her, coldly uttering two words.
"Apologize."
The boy struggled to tilt his head back, his mouth turned down, and he remained silent.
When Yin Xiao met his defiant gaze, a thought crossed her mind, and she reached into the inner pocket of her small bag with her right hand, pulling out a chocolate covered in gold dust.
"Little brother, do you like this? I'll give you two boxes."
The boy broke free from Yi Zhiyan's grasp, paused for two seconds, then picked up the chocolate, examined it from all angles, and sneered with a crooked smile.
"Trying to please me?"
He tossed the chocolate back into her arms with a gentle toss.
"No need for you to deliver it. Manager Liu here is a good friend of mine. How about I deliver it to you?"
Yi Zhiyan stared straight at the person and took a step forward. Yin Xiao raised her hand to block him in time, shook her head slightly, and silently gave him a look.
"No need, I know people like that too." Yin Xiao gripped the chocolate tightly, tilted her head to look at him, and replied with a smile, "Mr. Qian is my aunt."
The boy frowned, his face gradually turning pale. He remained silent for a few seconds, then raised his hand to smooth his bangs that were sticking up in front of his forehead. His gaze darted around, and he mumbled, "I'm sorry..."
Yin Xiao watched him walk away quietly, too lazy to argue anymore, and clenched the chocolate in her hand. Her mood shifted from gloomy to partly cloudy. She turned her head, studied the newly placed row of sparkling water on her right for a few seconds, picked up the blue-purple glass, and casually clinked it against Yi Zhiyan's champagne glass.
Yi Zhiyan opened his palm, generously hooked his fingers together, and lightly touched the back of her hand, conveying a subtle warmth.
His tone was uneven, with a casual ending, "I want to eat chocolate."
Yin Xiao looked up at him and questioned, "Don't you dislike sweets?"
"One is fine."
"That's what you just said too." Yin Xiao laughed at him without any politeness, while casually handing him the chocolate.
He unwrapped the candy and sincerely praised her, "You're amazing, you can cure him with just one piece of chocolate."
“It’s simple, just beat him in his area of pride.” She clenched her fist and slammed it into the air.
Yi Zhiyan looked up and caught the cunning glint in her eyes, like ice surface stained with shards of light, pure and clear.
“However,” she raised her hand to cover her lips, tilting her head and smiling, “I was lying to him.”
—
Around nine o'clock, the light drizzle stopped. Yi Lu stood under the porch, leaning against the wall, waving unsteadily, and urging Yi Zhiyan to hurry up and take Yin Xiao back to school.
As soon as I got in the car, the driver in the front seat handed me a royal blue plastic bag. "Mr. Yi, here's the ointment you requested."
"Thank you." Yi Zhiyan took it and handed it to her unopened. "Here you go."
"What?" Yin Xiao took out the square medicine box inside, flipped it over to read the instructions, "Redness and swelling reduction, skin repair... Why are you giving me this?"
"I noticed your hand was red earlier, it might be because I... used too much force." He spoke slowly, "I'm sorry."
Yin Xiao didn't understand, so she lowered her head and gently pressed the back of her hand. When she touched her finger bones, she could vaguely see a faint red mark. The image of her holding hands with Yi Zhiyan flashed through her mind, and she instantly understood.
"It's okay, it'll go away in a bit." She replied awkwardly, her fingers curled up on her knee. "I've been like this since I was little. It looks scary, but I don't really feel anything."
Yi Zhiyan didn't move, her tone light and casual, "I'll be more careful next time."
Yin Xiao looked up at him.
He paused for a second, then suddenly continued, "What I mean is, if there's a similar need to hold hands next time, I'll be gentler."
"……oh."
Yin Xiao silently moved towards the window, picked up a croissant cushion from the chair and put it behind her back, then sat down to rest with her back to Yi Zhiyan.
She had been on edge for hours today because of her acting. She hadn't felt particularly tired at first, but now that she was relaxing, her eyelids felt like they were glued shut.
My mind was like a broken old television screen filled with static, and my consciousness was slowly slipping away.
Beep... beep...
The blaring of horns and shouts never stopped in her ears, leaving her teetering between sleep and wakefulness, unable to fall asleep at all.
The car stopped, and she opened her eyes sharply, recognizing the Luckin Coffee across the street at first glance.
This is the East Gate.
She braced herself on the handrail with one hand, slumped her right shoulder, and turned around.
A faint woody scent instantly filled her nostrils.
Her pupils dilated, her movements froze, and she stared blankly at the face so close to hers.
The carriage was dimly lit, and Yi Zhiyan's face was mostly hidden in shadow. His deep-set eyes and superior bone structure highlighted an elusive searching in his gaze.
She jerked her head back, her disheveled hair barely brushing against her cheek.
What are you looking at?
Yi Zhiyan raised his hand to brace himself against the back of the chair, seemingly startled by her movement, and asked her in a low voice, "You're not asleep?"
"without."
Yin Xiao picked up the wool scarf next to her, slung it over her shoulder, and reached her right hand behind her neck to feel for the tassels.
He reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, loosely wrapping it around her twice, then turned and opened the car door. "I'm sorry, I thought you were asleep and wanted to wake you."
As soon as she opened the door, the damp, cold wind rushed straight at her face, making her shiver.
She rubbed her face hastily, got out of the car, and casually replied, "It's nothing, I..."
The words caught in her throat as her gaze met those of figures shoving each other at the east gate. Yin Xiao suddenly stopped. Without thinking, she closed the car door, grabbed her bag, and rushed over.
"Jiang Fei, let go of me!" She swung her crossbody bag into the air and smashed it hard against the man's forehead.
The man cried out in pain, clutched his head, and backed away.
Yin Xiao turned around anxiously and supported the swaying Zhao Xiaoxun, "How are you? Are you feeling unwell?"
Zhao Xiaoxun's eyes reddened, and he sniffed and shook his head at her.
"Damn it, it's you again, you little brat! Why are you meddling in other people's business? You..."
Jiang Fei straightened up and stumbled over, his greasy fingers almost poking her face. She tilted her head back to avoid him.
Yi Zhiyan's cold face suddenly came into view. He walked very fast, bringing with him a chill.
He blocked her way completely, raising his hand rudely. Jiang Fei stumbled as he pushed her, then stepped forward, cursing.
Yin Xiao put her arm around Zhao Xiaoxun's shoulder to comfort him, then anxiously looked towards the security room at the east gate, preparing to call for help. Unexpectedly, a girl with curly hair rushed out from behind and punched Jiang Fei in the face.
Everything happened too fast, and the scene instantly spiraled out of control. Jiang Fei was pinned to the ground and beaten so badly that he couldn't fight back, while passersby gathered around to try and break up the fight.
"Never mind him." Zhao Xiaoxun, who had remained silent, grabbed her and cursed through gritted teeth, "That two-timing scumbag deserves it!"
Yin Xiao stared at her in surprise for a few seconds. It was the first time she had heard her curse so directly, and she felt a little worried.
"What happened? What is he doing...?"
"It's nothing." Zhao Xiaoxun shook her head, opened her black wallet, and carefully took out a gold ornament from a hidden compartment. "Is this what you're looking for?"
She tapped the top, where her sister's name, YY, Yin Yi, was engraved.
Yin Xiao immediately realized what was happening, held the thin gold locket in her palm, breathed a sigh of relief, and felt a weight lifted from her heart.
"Go to hell!" Zhao Xiaoxun raised his hand above his head and tossed the heavy wallet to Jiang Fei's feet like a shot put, then turned away with a flourish.
Yin Xiao paused for a second, then followed without hesitation.
"Wait a minute."
Yi Zhiyan grabbed her, his tone serious and his speech twice as fast as usual, "Before you rush in the future, can you please consider your own safety first? In situations like just now where the disparity in strength was too great, please don't be reckless, okay?"
Yin Xiao was stunned by his string of words and naturally retorted, "But she's my roommate, of course I have to help her."
Yi Zhiyan looked at her expressionlessly, his breathing rapid, as if he were angry or preparing for his next outburst.
"So you think it was okay to run away without saying a word?" He clearly disagreed with her.
Without a second's hesitation, Yin Xiao replied, "No."
After a couple of seconds, reason returned, and the scales tipped towards emotion slowly swayed back to normal.
She rubbed her nearly frozen fingers and tried to salvage the situation, saying, "If it doesn't work, I'll yell for help. I'm not stupid..."
“Yes, you’re smart,” Yi Zhiyan replied calmly.
Yin Xiao sensed the sarcasm in his words and was about to retort when a bold idea flashed through her mind.
"You care about me?"
Yi Zhiyan didn't look at her. He clenched his fist and pressed it against his brow, which conveniently concealed his expression.
"I'm analyzing the pros and cons."
—
On his way back to the Hubin campus, Yi Zhiyan received a call from Fang Yiwen. He was holding a golden star-shaped chocolate in one hand and his phone in the other.
"Old Yi, where have you been? At this hour, not in the dorm or the lab building, that's a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence..."
He was used to Fang Yiwen's nonchalant tone, so he didn't respond and simply replied, "Sending someone away."
"Who should it be given to?"
He gently unwrapped the chocolate, held it in his palm, and gazed at it for a few seconds.
"Family members."
After hanging up the phone, the car turned onto the small road near the school gate and pulled over.
Yi Zhiyan put the chocolate in his mouth and crunched it a few times.
The sweet, thick taste felt somewhat unfamiliar. He looked down and patiently smoothed out the crumpled gold candy wrapper, folded it into a small piece, and stuffed it into his pocket.
After finishing the chocolate, he got out of the car and walked towards the door. He looked up and saw Yi Lu standing under the streetlight with her hands on her hips, looking at her phone.
"Auntie," Yi Zhiyan called out to her, "Why aren't you home?"
She reached out and pressed her hand on his shoulder, laughing mysteriously, "I'm here to do a spot check."
"Investigate what?"
She smiled without saying a word, grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward, placing her phone in his hand.
"What?" Yi Zhiyan was completely confused.
Yi Lu tapped her phone screen, laughing so hard her eyes were almost closed, "Call Xiao Xiao and tell her you miss her."
Yi Zhiyan bent his fingers but didn't move.
"Immediately, right now!" Yi Lu put on a stern face, her cheeks flushed, as if she were drunk but surprisingly strong. She twisted his wrist and forced him to dial the number. "I miss you, not a single word can be omitted!"
—
When her phone rang, Yin Xiao had just finished showering and was standing in front of the sink, washing her thick cashmere sweater in a plastic basin.
Her phone kept vibrating on the sink. Her hands were covered in foam and white lint. She hesitated for a few seconds, staring at the unfamiliar number on the phone. Seeing that the IP address was An Lin, she decided to call out to Zhao Xiaoxun for help.
"Xiaoxun, could you come and help me get my phone? I have a call coming in, but I don't know who it is."
"Here you are." Zhao Xiaoxun ran over, clutching a photo of Zhang and Jiang Fei, which was already half-cut, and casually placed it on the sink.
"Hands-free is fine."
Yin Xiao raised her arm, rested her head on her shoulder, brushed her hair aside, and then buried her head in the water, not paying much attention to whose call it was.
Zhao Xiaoxun picked up Yin Xiao's phone, put it on speakerphone, and held it to her face.
The call connected, but no one spoke on the other end; only intermittent static could be heard.
After a long while, only two words were heard through the howling wind.
"Wife."
A note from the author:
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