So, You’re the Henpecked One? 52

Chapter 52

The cold wind whipped against her numb cheeks. The heavy snow bent the branches of the trees by the roadside, and walking in the snow was a struggle, one deep step after another.

Lin Zhao led her horse back to the gate of Yong’an Town. She looked up at the three characters for “Yong’an Town” on the gate, which had been weathered by the wind and sun for who knows how many years. Although she had never paid attention to this plaque before, seeing it now, Lin Zhao felt an inexplicable sense of bitterness.

Even more so, she felt a complex mix of nostalgia and apprehension.

After the war subsided, her application for discharge, although a little unexpected, was finally approved. And because of her performance in the army and the pension she received as a retired Centurion, the land she received after her discharge was enough for her to become a small local gentry. In addition, with her status as a retired soldier, especially one who had retired from the position of Centurion, as long as they were not clueless, probably no one would deliberately make things difficult for her.

Although her position as a Centurion was only a low-ranking officer in the army, back in her hometown, this status was more than enough.

Lin Zhao led her horse slowly into the town, sniffing her red, frozen nose. I think no one will dare to bully me now, right?

Although she had only been away for three years, Lin Zhao already felt that this Yong’an Town was a little unfamiliar, but at the same time, it seemed that nothing had changed.

On her way home, Lin Zhao didn’t know what she was feeling. And now that she was back, it meant that she had to face her relationship with Chu Xihuan again.

Ever since she had sent that letter to Chu Xihuan, she had not received any more news from her. So had she also let go?

Lin Zhao bit her lip, a little annoyed with herself for coming back to this place. She and Chu Xihuan were in the same town. Wouldn’t it be very awkward if they ran into each other in the future?

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. And maybe Chu Xihuan had already married that person. Without her, the wedding must have gone very smoothly.

When she arrived at the alley of her home, Lin Zhao felt a little annoyed. Back then, she had turned and left without even entering the alley. Thinking back now, she was still too cowardly. She should have rushed out at that time and asked them how they dared to be so brazen at her doorstep.

Her face was dark. The occasional passing neighbors all looked at her with a mix of surprise and uncertainty, as if she looked a little familiar, but they didn’t dare to recognize her.

Lin Zhao ignored their gazes and led her horse into the alley, one heavy step after another.

However, when she arrived at her own door, she was a little stunned.

The door isn’t locked?

She stared blankly at the closed gate. There was no lock on the outside, which meant that someone was still living inside.

Her heart suddenly beat faster, and her eyes felt a little swollen. Biting her lower lip, she reached out and tried to push the gate. It was not bolted from the inside, and she pushed it open easily.

However, the moment she pushed it open and saw the situation inside, her heart, which had been a little warm, suddenly turned cold. She looked at the scene inside with disbelief.

Chu Xihuan was still at her house. Not only was she still at her house, but she was even squatting on the ground, her arms open, her eyes gentle as she looked at the small child in front of her, who was dressed so bulkily she was almost a ball, and was stumbling toward her.

The noise she made attracted the attention of the two of them, and they both turned to look over.

Lin Zhao looked at Chu Xihuan, then at the obviously tiny child. The cold winter wind was not as cold as her heart. She gripped the reins in her hand, her lips trembling with anger.

She had only been away for three years, and not only did Chu Xihuan not like women anymore, but she had even had a child?!

And even so, she was still living in her house. Was she so sure that she would die on the battlefield!

Lin Zhao’s mind went blank with anger. She raised her other hand, which was not holding the reins, and pointed at Chu Xihuan, her face turning red. “Why are you still in my house!” she snarled.

Her gaze kept darting between Chu Xihuan and the child, and then she looked inside, wanting to see who it was who dared to be so bold. Did they really think she wouldn’t dare to do anything?

The moment she saw Lin Zhao appear, a look of surprise crossed Chu Xihuan’s face. However, when she saw Lin Zhao’s obviously wrong expression, she immediately understood that she must have misunderstood something. But before she could explain, Lin Zhao’s words had already come out.

Chu Xihuan’s face stiffened slightly. She immediately picked up her daughter, who was about to be scared to tears, and looked up at the clearly furious Lin Zhao. She took a deep breath. “A wife follows her husband, for better or for worse. I am still your wife, so I naturally still live here.”

Lin Zhao’s heart was beating too fast, and the rapid blood flow had made her mind unclear. Her eyes were red, and especially seeing Chu Xihuan’s calm and composed appearance, the grievance in her heart was overwhelming. She couldn’t understand why, even in this situation, Chu Xihuan could still be so calm when facing her.

“Alright, alright, it’s my fault. We’ll get a divorce. I forgot about this at the time. We’ll get a divorce, right now, so as not to delay your family’s life. Whoever doesn’t go is a dog!” Lin Zhao was already so angry she was incoherent. All her previous apprehension about returning home had been doused by this bucket of cold water.

Why? Why did Chu Xihuan do this to her? What had she done wrong?

The more she thought about it, the more wronged she felt, and tears started to fall uncontrollably. She hadn’t cried in a long time. She hadn’t even cried when she was cut by an enemy’s sword. But when facing Chu Xihuan, these tears were still so disobedient.

“Lin Zhao!”

Chu Xihuan’s voice rose, as if she were also angered by her words. But she still took a deep breath to calm herself down and explained, “This child is not mine, and I could never have a child with anyone!”

When she said the last sentence, there was a hint of gritted teeth in her voice. She felt that her efforts to prove her innocence were actually a kind of insult to her. But when facing Lin Zhao, she had to do this. In Lin Zhao’s eyes, she already had a “criminal record.” If she were to be stubborn and refuse to say anything now, the gap between them would only grow deeper, and they would drift further and further apart.

Lin Zhao had originally been engulfed by an overwhelming wave of grievance and anger. The pain of being completely betrayed had made her heart ache violently. But after hearing Chu Xihuan’s words, her precarious rationality was pulled back, and she looked at the two of them with teary eyes.

Chu Xihuan took a deep breath and looked at Lin Zhao’s appearance. “Can you come in first so we can have a good talk?”

This person was just standing at the door with a horse. If this situation continued, the neighbors would probably come out to watch.

The child in Chu Xihuan’s arms seemed a little scared of this situation. She wrapped her arms around Chu Xihuan’s neck, bit her lip, and held back her tears with a small, tense face.

Lin Zhao sniffled. Because of Chu Xihuan’s previous deception, she couldn’t help but be a little suspicious of her words. But she still led the horse in, tied it to the long-abandoned stable, and then went to close the gate. Then, she stood there with her back against the door, looking at Chu Xihuan as if to say, “Let’s see what else you have to say.”

Chu Xihuan was almost angered to laughter by her appearance, but in the end, she was the one in the wrong. She rubbed her cheek against the little person in her arms to comfort her and walked toward the main hall with her in her arms.

“Do you have to say it outside?”

Seeing Chu Xihuan being so gentle with the child, Lin Zhao only felt her nose sting even more.

She had never had such treatment!

She gritted her teeth and finally followed Chu Xihuan’s steps toward the main hall.

On the way, her gaze kept scanning the courtyard. Seeing from the clothes hanging in the courtyard and such that there were no traces of a man in the house, she quietly sighed in relief and believed Chu Xihuan’s words a little more.

When she entered the main hall, she saw Chu Xihuan put the child in a walker on the side, so that even if no one was holding her, she would be safe and not fall.

Lin Zhao’s gaze kept scanning the child, trying to see if she could make out anything from her features.

Chu Xihuan poured a cup of hot tea for Lin Zhao. Seeing her red, frozen hands, she paused for a moment and continued, “I found her two years ago. At that time, the war had broken out, and many people were fleeing for their lives. She was abandoned on the side of the road.”

In that situation, it was clear that someone had thought that such a helpless child was a burden and did not want to take her with them.

Hearing her words, Lin Zhao couldn’t help but frown. “But I remember that the war did not affect this place.”

If the war had already reached here, this country would probably be in a precarious situation.

“I found her in Liangcheng,” Chu Xihuan said.

Lin Zhao slowly reached out and held the cup of hot tea Chu Xihuan had poured for her. Her hand was trembling, and even the hot tea in her hand was shaking.

Liangcheng, isn’t that the place where she was stationed? Isn’t that the city she had desperately defended on the battlefield?

“Why were you there…” Lin Zhao’s voice was a little strained. Although she already had some guesses in her heart, she still couldn’t believe it.

How could it be? How could Chu Xihuan have gone to such a place for her?

“Lin Zhao!” Chu Xihuan’s voice was a little sharp. “Didn’t you read the letter I wrote you?”

Lin Zhao was silent and did not speak again.

How could she not have read it? But what was the use of reading it? Could it cover up what Chu Xihuan had hidden from her?

So malicious… so excessive…

Lin Zhao didn’t believe that Chu Xihuan, who had been so heartbroken because of another person’s departure, would fall in love with her after choosing her in a fit of anger.

Even if she had perhaps felt a little of Chu Xihuan’s affection for her in the past, Lin Zhao still couldn’t quite believe it.

Chu Xihuan was much smarter than her. She could completely give her any illusion she wanted.

Seeing Lin Zhao’s silence, Chu Xihuan’s shoulders slumped slightly. She sat down opposite Lin Zhao and, after a long silence, finally said, “Lin Zhao, you don’t believe me anymore, do you?”

Lin Zhao still did not speak. She looked down at the hot tea in her hand, her nose stinging, and she wanted to cry again.

It was so annoying. When she was with Chu Xihuan, she would always feel wronged and want to cry, so easily, so uncontrollably.

She had not been like this before. Before Chu Xihuan appeared, she had always been the one who made others cry.

“Chu Xihuan, how can you expect me to trust you again?”

Lin Zhao looked up, her eyes red as she looked at her.

**