Chapter 8
Song Yugui was too ashamed to ask any more questions. She could only offer a dry promise. “This kind of thing will never happen again. You can rest assured.”
Shen Xizhi glanced at her, then silently lowered her head. She neither agreed nor disagreed, her voice calm and even. “Wife, I’ve heated some water. Shall I bring some in for you?”
Song Yugui’s mind was a mess, still reeling from her apocalyptic start. She didn’t quite hear her and just nodded distractedly, plopping down on the edge of the bed.
It wasn’t until her leg was inexplicably lifted that she was startled and, out of reflex, kicked the person away.
“Ugh—”
The woman, caught off guard by the kick, let out a sound filled with pain and a muffled sob. She clutched her chest and sat on the floor, looking frail and helpless.
So, it’s finally here.
After all this time pretending, Song Yugui finally couldn’t hold back her true nature.
Her moist eyes were downcast, not daring to look up, her posture timid and shrinking.
Song Yugui had acted on pure instinct. Realizing what she had done, she was horrified and scrambled off the bed to help her up. “Are you alright? Did I hurt you? Let me see.”
When Shen Xizhi saw her reaching out, she instinctively recoiled. A cold, bleak feeling filled her heart. She’s just putting on an act. You haven’t changed, you’ve never changed.
Her hand having been dodged, Song Yugui failed to touch her. She knew she had frightened her, and her guilt deepened.
I’m a terrible person. The original owner bullied her, and now I’m bullying her too. I really deserve to die.
“You suddenly touched my leg, and I didn’t react in time. I’m truly sorry.” She looked down at her, her tone sincere.
Shen Xizhi knelt on the floor, her head also bowed, her expression unreadable.
After a long moment, she said in a hoarse voice, “I’m fine. Thank you for your concern, Wife.”
Song Yugui could feel her aversion and resistance, which was even stronger than when she first arrived. Her own body stiffened, and she stood up mechanically, inch by inch. “Oh… you’re fine.”
“Please sit, Wife.”
Her expression was submissive and humble, as if she truly didn’t mind the kick and was about to continue what she had started.
But Song Yugui was a little hesitant to entrust her leg to her again. “What were you trying to do just now?”
The wooden basin on the floor was steaming. She couldn’t help but come to a rather frightening conclusion.
In the next second, the other woman confirmed her guess, and her heart sank like a stone.
“I wanted to wash Wife’s feet, but I don’t know what I did wrong to make you angry.”
Her voice was faint, as if she didn’t care at all, but the rims of her eyes were red.
She was clearly very wronged.
Song Yugui’s guilt increased.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was me. I’m not used to people touching my feet. You don’t have to wash them for me. I’ll do it myself. You… you should go wash up too.”
The atmosphere had become too tense. She couldn’t help but break the silence, while inwardly cursing, Original owner, are you some kind of giant baby? You need someone else to wash your feet? What’s wrong with you! You have the airs of a princess without being one.
This time, Shen Xizhi didn’t insist. Hearing her say no, she nodded and left.
Song Yugui finally let out a sigh of relief. She quickly washed her own feet and took out the safflower oil they had just used, planning to apply it to Shen Xizhi’s bruise later.
Shen Xizhi had thought that the kick would be the start of another beating, but for some reason, Song Yugui didn’t hit her.
Instead, she continued to play the good person.
If this was the kind of person she had married from the start, she might have developed feelings for her over time. But she hadn’t been like this at first. Her sudden change now was clearly a trick to get something from her, and it only made her feel disgusted.
How could such a vile person exist in the world?
After Shen Xizhi had washed up and returned, Song Yugui filled the basin with hot water and washed herself. When she returned, she found her bending over, spreading out the straw again. Her face stiffened.
“You… you’re going to sleep on the floor?”
Shen Xizhi lowered her eyes, her voice soft and pitiable. “I may have angered Wife just now. I dare not get close to you again.”
What’s the big deal? Song Yugui thought. The original owner was so petty. If she got angry, she wouldn’t let her sleep on the bed? What a psycho.
Feeling that she was the one who had struck first, her guilt deepened. “It’s not your fault. I was the one who kicked you. It should be my fault. Don’t spread that out. The floor is so cold. If you sleep on it for too long, your body won’t be able to take it. Sit on the bed first. I’ll help you with the medicine.”
The woman’s voice was gentle.
Shen Xizhi was a little reluctant, afraid that her offer of medicine was just another trick. But besides obeying her, she didn’t seem to have any way to resist.
After a long moment, she sat down, her head bowed.
Her posture was pitiful, as if she were about to endure some kind of atrocity.
Song Yugui: …
“Take off your clothes. Let me see if it’s serious. If it is, we might have to go to town to see a doctor.”
Her words were filled with undisguised concern, but Shen Xizhi didn’t take it seriously.
Talk of seeing a doctor… we don’t even have the money. Who can’t say sweet things to coax someone?
She couldn’t help but let a sarcastic smile touch her lips before quickly suppressing it and becoming anxious again.
Her thin clothes were removed, revealing only her high, snowy-white breasts and a faint bruise on her chest, where the outline of a footprint was vaguely visible.
Song Yugui cursed herself inwardly. She had been an outsider before. Everyone else had wronged the villain, but she hadn’t. All she had to do was nurse her back to health, give her some money, and divorce her, and they would be even. But now, she had become one of the bullies.
The bruises on her body were from the original owner, and now there was a new one from her.
Please don’t hold a grudge against me.
Song Yugui reached out a finger and gently touched the bruise.
The woman let out a muffled grunt.
This sent her into a panic. “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?”
Although Shen Xizhi was used to pain, she was inherently afraid of it. The kick had hurt, and now even a light touch was excruciating.
Her rosy lips pressed together, and she said nothing.
“Let me rub the bruise out for you.”
Rub out the bruise again?
The woman’s face instantly turned pale, and her beautiful eyes welled with tears.
She carefully tugged at her sleeve, her expression beautiful and wronged. “Do you have to rub it?”
Song Yugui didn’t speak, her mind at war with itself.
Then she heard her sniffle. “Can we not? It doesn’t hurt if I don’t touch it.”
It would heal on its own eventually. Why did she have to rub it so hard? It hurt so much.
“Ah, but if you don’t rub it, it will heal slower.”
She was starting to soften but was still hesitant.
Shen Xizhi really didn’t want that hand, which was much stronger than a normal woman’s, to press down on her chest and rub hard. She quickly promised, “It won’t. The injury is on my chest; I won’t touch it by accident. I don’t want you to rub it. It hurts so much.”
While Song Yugui was putting on an act, perhaps she could also soften her tone, pretend to believe her, and use it to bargain for a few days of peace.
As long as she remembered what she was really like, she wouldn’t be too disappointed when she eventually reverted to her old self.
With that thought, Shen Xizhi’s voice became even softer, like a pitiful kitten, almost at the point of hugging her arm and swaying.
Song Yugui was completely dumbfounded by this sudden display of coquettishness. She stared at her for a long moment before finally having to agree. “Alright, alright. We won’t rub it. Let’s go to sleep. Be careful tonight and don’t touch it.”
An almost imperceptible smile touched Shen Xizhi’s lips. When she looked up, her face was alluring yet innocent. “Mmm…”
