Chapter 6: Yan Ziyue Desires to Continue Her Studies

The warmth from her fingertips and palm seeped into Xiao Heshuo’s skin like spring sunshine melting away winter snow. The sudden sensation left him tingling all over, his breathing grew ragged, and his heart hammered against his ribs.

He was reluctant to pull his hand away, yet he wanted to, and found himself gripping hers tightly without even realizing it.

"Is this not something you’ve done plenty of times before?" he asked, his tone cold and indifferent.

Yan Ziyue rubbed the tip of her nose and sighed inwardly; coaxing her own husband was truly difficult. It was even harder when that husband had been deeply hurt. But no matter how difficult it was, she had to win Xiao Heshuo over.

"I understand. You won't believe me after just once or twice, but if I keep at it, you will eventually believe me."

Xiao Heshuo pulled his hand away and walked into the kitchen, his demeanor as cold as frost.

Yan Ziyue followed him, acting the part of a devoted wife. "Let me help you with the chores, shall we?"

Xiao Heshuo ignored her. He took the seasonings and plates he needed from the simple cupboard, retrieved the smallest piece of meat from the rafters along with some other ingredients, and began to cook in silence.

Yan Ziyue didn’t mind his icy, unapproachable manner at all. She sat by the stove, tending the fire while she spoke. "I’m going into the mountains tomorrow morning."

"We can’t just live off our savings. I want to see if there’s anything in the mountains that can be sold, so I can take some to town."

The family's income had always come from Xiao Heshuo hunting and foraging in the mountains, and they lived quite well. He was an expert hunter. Had it not been for his cold and intimidating appearance, he would have been married ages ago—it would never have come down to her, with her less-than-stellar reputation.

Xiao Heshuo paused in his vegetable washing, a flash of mockery in his dark eyes. Was Yan Ziyue heading to the mountains to meet Xu Lecheng again?

Yan Ziyue didn't notice this, continuing, "I also want to study."

"Xiao Heshuo, do you still have the textbooks from when you were in school?"

Xiao Heshuo held a high school diploma. With the college entrance exams currently suspended, he couldn't attend university even if his grades were excellent. People found it hard to understand why someone with his credentials, more than enough to land a good job in a big city, would choose to return to the village.

Xiao Heshuo looked at her in surprise and nodded. "I have them."

In the past, Yan Ziyue had never had time for books; her energy was entirely devoted to Xu Lecheng and her maiden family, sparing only a tiny fraction for him when she needed something. Now, she was actually asking to study.

"That's wonderful!" Yan Ziyue exclaimed happily. "If you still have your books, I won't have to borrow any from the village."

"Could you lend me the elementary school books first? I want to review them."

Xiao Heshuo said, "Fine."

He wiped his hands on a cloth and retrieved all his elementary school textbooks from his room for her. Yan Ziyue accepted them with the solemn care one might show a precious treasure. She stroked the covers gently, her eyes filled with happiness and reflection.

In truth, her grades in elementary school had been good, and her mother had wanted to keep her in school. However, her "scum" of a father refused, often beating her and her mother over the matter. He wouldn't even let her finish elementary school, claiming that education was useless for a woman and she would be better off staying home to work and getting married early.

Seeing her expression, Xiao Heshuo felt a pang of pain in his heart. He knew full well the miserable life Yan Ziyue had led with her maiden family. He opened his mouth to ask if she needed him to teach her, but swallowed the words; he assumed she wanted Xu Lecheng to teach her.

"Xiao Heshuo, if I run into something I don't understand, will you teach me?" Yan Ziyue looked at him with sparkling eyes.

Xiao Heshuo found he couldn't refuse; instead, he felt a spark of joy. "...Mn."

As Yan Ziyue tended the fire, she read through the first-grade textbook. It brought back such nostalgic, painful memories. Back then, when she was in first grade, her mother had secretly saved money to pay her tuition and buy her books and pencils, and for that, her mother had been severely beaten.

At the thought of this, a trace of ruthlessness and hatred flickered in her eyes. She would make her father pay back a thousandfold for how he had treated her mother.

***

Meanwhile, in the main room of the Yan household, Yan’s father sat on a bench, smoking and scowling, refusing to even look at Xu Lecheng and Zhang Qingqing.

"Dear," Zhang Juhua said, sitting beside him with a pathetic look, forgetting that her face was a bruised, swollen mess—making her look all the more hideous and terrifying. "This isn't Qingqing's fault. She was framed by Yan Ziyue. You know better than anyone how vicious Yan Ziyue is."

Yan’s father turned, saw her face, and jumped, quickly scooting away. How could Juhua be so ugly?

"Is now the time to talk about this?" He slapped his own face with frustration, his teeth gritted. "My reputation is completely ruined by these two. How can I ever show my face in public again?"

He was a man who valued face above all else. As a carpenter, he had always been held in high regard in the village. Now, because of this scandal, he would be the subject of gossip wherever he went.

Zhang Juhua shot a glare of pure annoyance at Zhang Qingqing. That stupid girl—not only had she failed to consult her beforehand, but she had also given everything to Xu Lecheng.

"I think we should..."

Before she could finish, Xu Lecheng interrupted. "I’m divorcing Zhang Qingqing tomorrow!"

At these words, Zhang Qingqing froze, staring at him in disbelief. Yan’s father looked on, both furious and unwilling, his face dark. Zhang Juhua was stunned, desperately searching for a way to salvage the situation.

Xu Lecheng touched the wound on his lip, hissing in pain, which only made him feel more irritated with Zhang Qingqing. If she hadn't crawled into his bed and seduced him at every turn, he wouldn't have been foolish enough to secretly marry her, and none of this would have happened.

"Ten o'clock tomorrow morning. I'll be waiting for Zhang Qingqing at the commune office."

With that, he turned to leave. Zhang Qingqing blocked his path, ready to scream a demand, but Zhang Juhua pulled her behind her.

Giving Zhang Qingqing a warning glare, Juhua turned to Xu Lecheng with a cold, forced smile. "Lecheng, you two just got married. If you divorce tomorrow, it will cause quite a stir."

Xu Lecheng understood the threat in her voice, his eyes turning gloomy. "Are you threatening me?"

He had never held these lowly villagers in high regard. Had it not been for the sake of "gilding his resume," he never would have come to the countryside as an educated youth.

Zhang Juhua, a daughter abandoned by her family since childhood, had seen too many vicious, calculating people to be intimidated by the likes of Xu Lecheng. She crossed her arms and looked at him coldly. "I'm not threatening you; I'm trying to talk sense into you."

"I don't want my daughter to stay with you either, but we’ve reached this point. Divorce isn't the solution." She lowered her voice. "I have a way to fix this, and I promise that after this, no one will ever bring up your business again."