As Xue Niang and Liu Dong Huai emerged from the mountain path, with no trees to block the view, the wind suddenly intensified, nearly snatching the umbrella from their hands.
"Be careful."
Liu Dong Huai grabbed the umbrella handle, his hand covering Xue Niang's, but he hastily pulled it back.
Through the vast mist, a figure could be seen running towards them.
He ran against the wind and rain, with nothing on his body, completely drenched. His clothes clung tightly to him, and his expression was obscured by the rain. He seemed to be in a hurry.
Because he ran so fast, he reached them within mere moments.
Xiao Shan.
Forcing herself to shift her emotions, Xue Niang felt a pang in her chest again.
The three met in a hurried fashion. Liu Dong Huai hadn't even registered what was happening. Upon seeing it was Xiao Shan, he instinctively glanced at Xue Niang before fumbling to take off his straw cloak and hand it to Xiao Shan.
"Hunter Xiao, thank you for your family's straw cloak. I'm heading back now." He lowered his head and rushed into the rain.
"Hey! You—" Xue Niang's shout was swallowed by the rain.
Her slender figure swayed in the wind, her clothes soaked in large patches, her hair flying to cover her face. She struggled to hold the oil umbrella steady, as if it would be blown away at any moment.
The umbrella in her hand was taken, and the wind and rain around her suddenly ceased.
Xue Niang then tucked her windblown hair behind her ear. Xiao Shan held the umbrella in one hand and put his other arm around Xue Niang's delicate waist, shielding her from the fierce wind.
"Let's hurry home."
The fierce wind, as if bullying the weak, suddenly lost its earlier ferocity. The wildly swaying branches visibly slowed their movement.
Xiao Shan did not put on the straw cloak, his entire body exposed to the rain. He kept a slight distance from her, holding the umbrella firmly above her head.
Xue Niang looked up at him, their gazes meeting.
Rainwater streamed down his face. He shook his head and smiled at her.
Xue Niang wanted to ask if he could carry her, as she felt a bit weak. But thinking of the scene in the woods, she instead moved a little further away from him. Her heart felt like a gaping hole, with cold wind rushing in, chilling her lips and teeth until they chattered.
Xiao Shan, are you still my Xiao Shan?
...
Chen Dong's wife ran back home. Fortunately, she didn't encounter anyone on the way. She looked at her cracked lips and the bruises on her neck in the mirror, exuding a scent that could never be washed away. She bit her hand and cried suppressedly.
How could this happen? How did it come to this? It shouldn't be like this.
What should she do? Would that person pester her?
No, Xiao Shan wouldn't let him speak!
Xiao Shan, Xiao Shan, I was waiting for you, it was you! Why were you a step too late, just one step!
It was too disgusting, utterly disgusting.
She wanted to take a bath, or perhaps stand in the rain.
The door was pushed open, and Chen Dong walked in with a sinister expression. His eyes lit up when he saw the woman cowering like a frightened mouse.
He closed the door, a strange look on his face.
"Did it work?"
Chen Dong's wife's face was ashen. She clutched her clothes, trembling all over.
Chen Dong, impatient, stepped forward and roughly tore her clothes, from top to bottom, leaving nothing. He stared at her trembling body, his face contorting for a moment before he grinned.
"You truly are a shameless slut. Tell me, have you ever fooled around behind my back? How many times has this happened, hmm?"
"No, I haven't. Chen Dong, please spare me!" She covered her face and cried.
Chen Dong's face softened again. He stepped forward, embracing her with concern. "I know, I know, Pei Lan. You only have eyes for me, right? I swear, I'll treat you better from now on. Look, that man was too rough; how could he have hurt you like this? I knew he wasn't a good man; men like that never truly treat women well."
"Pei Lan, the rumors outside are getting more and more outrageous. Some people are even saying I'm impotent. Tell me, tell me, am I capable?"
"Chen Dong, I feel unwell. I want to take a bath. Can we do it next time?"
Chen Dong pushed her away, his gaze turning cold again. "Su Pei Lan, don't tell me you've forgotten your own name after being with those wild men outside. If you don't get pregnant this time, I'll give you only two more chances. Otherwise, I will divorce you!"
Su Pei Lan lowered her arms blankly. The wind blew in through the door crack, raising goosebumps all over her body.
Chen Dong was more robust than the average man, so why was it different?
The doctor said his seeds were dead, boiled by hot water, and would never sprout or take root, never allow a woman to conceive.
There were thousands of men in the world, why did she, Su Pei Lan, have to encounter this kind of man!
"Don't divorce me. You know I love you the most in my heart, but you pushed me to someone else. He's not as good as you at all, and I feel so disgusted and uncomfortable..."
Su Pei Lan crawled towards Chen Dong.
"Pei Lan, Pei Lan, you've suffered so much. It's all my fault, all my mistakes. You are a good woman, and I won't divorce you. As long as the child born from your womb, it will be my son, Chen Dong's son. Once we have a child, we'll live happily as a family of three."
Chen Dong tenderly touched Su Pei Lan's injured lip and kissed it.
His judgment was correct. Xiao Shan was not one to cherish a woman. This put him at ease. Pei Lan's heart would not lean towards him. As long as he could borrow a seed, Pei Lan would still be his.
Moreover, Xiao Shan's build was similar to his own. If they had a son in the future, no one would suspect anything.
Su Pei Lan kept her eyes closed throughout the entire process. She had no idea what to do next.
She was still afraid. If she got pregnant this time, it wouldn't be Xiao Shan's child. If it resembled that scoundrel, would Chen Dong find out?
...
When Xiao Shan and Xue Niang returned home, he had her undress and wrap herself in a quilt, while he rushed into the kitchen to boil water.
"Xue Niang, the water is ready. Take a bath quickly to drive away the chill."
Xiao Shan had already taken off his wet clothes and was bare-chested. His hair was also dried and no longer slicked back, falling casually, adding a touch of wild, unrestrained charm.
Xue Niang lay on the bedding, turning her head to examine him, meticulously scanning from his bulging chest muscles to his waist, and then to his strong arms.
"Turn around."
Xue Niang's gaze made Xiao Shan's desire flare. Hearing her request, he thought she was shy and didn't want him to see her change. He turned around.
"Hurry up. Don't catch a cold; you'll be the one suffering."
Xue Niang examined his entire back again, finding nothing different.
"What about the prey you hunted today?"
"Left it on the mountain. Why are you asking? Hurry up, don't make me carry you myself."
"I saw it!"
"Saw what? The prey?" Xiao Shan was startled and turned back.
He saw Xue Niang sitting cross-legged on the bed, wearing only a bodice. She sat upright and poised, like an attendant before a statue of Guanyin.
Xiao Shan's gaze deepened.
"I saw Chen Dong's wife running down from the mountain, half-naked."