Chapter 10 If you take it seriously, you've already lost...
After confirming that Chu Song was fast asleep, Xie Tang tiptoed out of the room and slipped into the kitchen by the dim light of her phone.
The cool yogurt slid down her throat, and Xie Tang nestled in the rattan chair on the balcony, clutching the sandwich she had taken.
The night wind carried dew, and she couldn't help but shiver, yet she cherished this moment of freedom.
Suddenly, the courtyard lights came on.
Xie Tang nearly choked on the sandwich when she saw Qin Wu and Chu Yi stop by the fountain and become entangled together like vines.
She silently looked away, suddenly finding the sandwich in her hand tasteless.
She didn't know whether to blame the perfect couple for ruining her late-night snack, or to blame herself for stumbling upon their moonlit rendezvous.
The rattan chair made a slight creaking sound. She suddenly wondered if Chu Song were to peek out at that moment, would there be a ripple in his usually calm eyes?
"Cough cough cough..."
The sudden cough startled the two people in the courtyard, causing them to abruptly separate.
Chu Yi looked up at the second-floor balcony, a nonchalant smile still playing on his lips: "Big brother, why aren't you resting so late?"
Chu Li leaned against the carved railing, the moonlight casting a frosty hue over his stern expression: "Does the Chu family lack a bedroom for you?"
"Let's go back now." Chu Yi turned around with Qin Wu, whose face was flushed, and before leaving, he didn't forget to throw a meaningful look in Xie Tang's direction.
It was just a late-night snack... Xie Tang was annoyed by her bad luck, but then she saw Chu Li turn around and walk towards her.
She stood up. "Big brother."
Shedding his elite image from business magazines, Chu Li now appears as casual as a senior student on a university campus—his T-shirt hem is blowing in the wind, and his hair is still dripping with water droplets.
He sat down in the wicker chair, his fingertips tapping out a broken rhythm on the armrest. "Sit."
Xie Tang sat down properly, but his long silence made her uneasy.
Just as the night breeze lifted a strand of her loose hair, Chu Li suddenly spoke: "Xie Tang."
Each word was like an accented note on a piano key, and his gaze toward her carried the familiar scrutiny.
"Is something wrong, brother?" She straightened her back reflexively.
In my memory, this older brother often picked fights and bullied Chu Song.
She often rushed forward to confront Chu Li like a cat with its fur standing on end because she couldn't stand how he bullied Chu Song.
"I still remember how you argued with me for Ah Song back then." Chu Li suddenly chuckled. "You weren't even as tall as my shoulder, yet you dared to point your finger at me and call me a bastard."
The night wind ruffled Xie Tang's hair and also dispelled some of her guard.
She looked down at the tips of her slippers and smiled, "I was so naive back then..."
"Hmm, she's become more sensible now, but it's not as fun anymore." Chu Li's fingers suddenly stopped, and he turned to stare at her. "When you first came to the Chu family, why did you set your sights on A-Song?"
This question, spanning more than a decade, left Xie Tang stunned.
A night breeze rustled through the chrysanthemum bushes in the distance.
“It’s just…” she said, looking at the chrysanthemum branches bent by the night dew, “I thought he was too handsome at first glance, but he was also as quiet as a shadow.”
Chu Li chuckled softly, and as he stood up, his T-shirt billowed in the wind, much like a teenager casually tossing his graduation cap into the air at a graduation ceremony.
"You two are destined to be together..." He changed the subject abruptly and suddenly leaned forward.
Xie Tang instinctively stepped back, only to be greeted by a faint scent of sandalwood.
Wen Qu arrived at some point and stood behind her, her dark red silk robe shimmering like water in the moonlight.
"Sister-in-law," Xie Tang hurriedly greeted.
Wen Qu nodded gently, her hair still damp from her bath.
She leaned lazily against the railing, squeezing the water bottle in her hand: "What do we need to talk about that requires us to get so close?"
The sound was like the coolness of the night.
Chu Li's gaze softened instantly, and he reached out to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear: "Weren't I waiting for you?"
After saying that, he kissed her cheek without regard for anyone else, then put his arm around her waist and went back to the room.
As he was leaving, Chu Li suddenly turned back and called out, "A-Tang."
Xie Tang looked up at him.
Chu Li stood a few steps away, the light from the corridor reflecting on his face.
He didn't speak immediately, but stared at her with an extremely complicated look.
Those eyes held emotions Xie Tang couldn't decipher at all—was it pity? Mockery? All-knowing indifference? Or perhaps an unspeakable warning?
He was silent for a few seconds, then finally spoke slowly, his voice not loud, "Let me give you a piece of advice."
He paused, a faint, yet utterly cold, smile playing at the corners of his lips. "In this marriage—"
His gaze was fixed firmly on Xie Tang's eyes. "If you take it seriously, you've already lost."
The night breeze, carrying the scent of chrysanthemums, swept by. Xie Tang stood there, repeating the same phrase over and over.
Fu Xiu had said something similar to her.
What hidden schemes and plots lie behind this marriage that she is unaware of?
Or rather, what unknown and immense "value" does Xie Tang possess that makes Chu Song go to such great lengths, even resorting to marriage as a cage, to firmly control and exploit her?
A chill instantly shot up my spine from the soles of my feet!
"Have you eaten?" Chu Song had woken up at some point, and with a coat draped over his arm, he walked towards her.
Xie Tang hurriedly stuffed the last bite of the sandwich into her mouth, her hair swaying as she nodded vigorously.
Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder as a warm coat enveloped her slightly chilly body.
"It's windy at night." His fingers brushed against the back of her neck, making Xie Tang shudder. "Let's go back to our room."
On the way back to their room, Chu Song rested his hand on his waist. Xie Tang stared at their long shadows cast by the moonlight and noticed that his shadow always leaned slightly towards her.
Chu Song's gentleness and thoughtfulness towards her seemed genuine.
Xie Tang didn't let herself think too much about it and rinsed her mouth.
When getting into bed, I tensed up and even deliberately kept my breathing light.
Half an hour later, Chu Song suddenly spoke up: "What do you need to do to fall asleep?"
His voice carried a helpless smile.
Xie Tang immediately closed his eyes and began to silently recite "Counting Sheep" in his mind.
I got stuck when I sang the thirty-first song, but then I unexpectedly felt sleepy.
In a daze, she felt the mattress behind her move—Chu Song was carefully tucking the blanket around her.
When Xie Tang woke up, she found herself being held tightly in someone's arms.
Chu Song rested his chin on the top of her head, one arm around her waist, his warm palm accidentally touching the small patch of skin exposed under the hem of her pajamas.
She froze instantly, even holding her breath.
The chest pressed against my back rose and fell gently with my even breathing, and a reassuring warmth emanated from it through the fabric.
Such an intimate posture has far exceeded the safe distance she had set for herself.
Chu Song had offended her, and reason told her she should push the hug away.
But she couldn't bring herself to do it—she couldn't do it to the person sleeping beside her.
The root of all this is that agreement.
During the three-year marriage contract, she was obligated to cooperate with Chu Song in fulfilling his physical needs.
But right now, all he needed was to hold her as he fell asleep.
Xie Tang tried to move away carefully, but as soon as she moved, the arm around her waist tightened immediately.
In his sleep, Chu Song nuzzled her hair, his warm breath brushing against her ear, sending a slight shiver down her spine.
She stared at the sliver of morning light filtering through the gap in the curtains, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest.
They had been separated for more than ten years, and they should have been strangers, so why could he hold her and sleep so naturally?
The person next to Xie Tang suddenly stirred, and Xie Tang quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.
Half-asleep, Chu Song kissed her hair.
The touch was so tender that Xie Tang's fingertips, hidden under the covers, quietly curled up.
She desperately wanted to know who he was embracing in his hazy dream at this moment.
Over the next three years, such mornings will become the norm.
Skin to skin, yet unable to touch the heart.
Xie Tang has a habit of sleeping in late, but now that she's in someone else's house, she feels embarrassed to stay in bed.
Once Chu Song's breathing became long and even again, she removed her hand from Chu Song's waist and got out of bed.
After washing up, Xie Tang looked back at Chu Song, who was still fast asleep, and the fatigue that had accumulated between her brows for many days finally eased.
She thought to herself, "Let him sleep a little longer," and quietly closed the door.
Downstairs in the lobby, Old Master Chu was reading the morning paper, while Mingwei and Chu Yuan were talking in hushed tones.
As soon as Xie Tang came downstairs, everyone's eyes were on her. She greeted them with a polite smile.
Mingwei put down her teacup, her eyes crinkling with concern. "A-Song hasn't gotten up yet?"
Xie Tang nodded slightly: "He's sleeping soundly."
Upon hearing this, Grandpa Chu laughed heartily and said, "Even Ah Song sometimes sleeps in?"
"Let him get some more sleep," Chu Yuan said, stroking his teacup with a slight frown. "He's been pulling several all-nighters these past two weeks working on the merger and acquisition deal, and it breaks my heart to see him like this."
Mingwei immediately got up and went to the kitchen. "Sister Wang, bring out the pine nuts and dried scallops. I'll cook myself later..."
The butler stepped forward at the opportune moment and said respectfully, "Breakfast has been prepared."
Grandpa Chu then put away the newspaper, smiled, and waved to Xie Tang: "Tang girl, let's eat first. Let him sleep as much as he wants."
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Chu Song woke up at nearly ten o'clock.
After the meal, Xie Tang was nowhere to be seen in the hall.
Mingwei noticed his eagerness and smiled, "Atang and your brother and sister-in-law are playing mahjong upstairs."
Thinking of Chu Li's card-playing style, Chu Song stood up: "I'll go take a look."
"Want another bowl of soup?" Mingwei asked with a smile in her eyes when she saw that he had eaten two bowls of rice.
I'm full.
The mahjong room on the second floor was bathed in warm sunlight, filled with the aroma of tea and the occasional laughter.
"I won!" Chu Li pushed over the cards and tapped the table with his fingertips. "Pay up."
Xie Tang pursed her lips and handed over the banknotes—this was the seventh time she had lost to him.
As the new game began, Chu Song dragged a chair over and sat down beside her: "How much do you want to lose?"
She sighed, "Seventh inning."
I thought my card skills were decent, but I kept losing to the Chu brothers, as if they had sacked me with their hands.
Chu Song glanced at Chu Li's amused expression, then turned to Xie Tang and whispered, "I'll win."
Chu Li immediately raised his index finger and shook it: "Hey—no off-field coaching allowed. Either you stand in for her, or you're like Xiao Wu, only allowed to watch but not to say anything."
Qin Wu, whose name was called, glanced evasively at Xie Tang, but the latter didn't even bother to look at her.
"So you're just targeting my people to bully them?" Chu Song sneered. "You're making money through underhanded tactics, aren't you ashamed?"
“With me,” Chu Li said, toying with the chips, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “being able to win is a skill.”
He deliberately turned to Xie Tang, "Tang, losing seven games in a row must be a tough feeling, right?"
Xie Tang lightly tapped the cards with his fingertips, a smile playing on his lips: "It's just a small amount of money, as long as you have fun, brother."
Chu Li laughed loudly, "You still have such a silver tongue."
A note from the author:
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I spent the whole day at the hospital today and I'm a bit tired. I'll revise and add to this chapter tomorrow.
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