Yi Zhuo casually brushed the stray hair from his forehead. A hint of obscurity lurked in his narrow eyes. He turned to look at the little "bump" under the covers and chuckled.
In the silence, Chang Xuyu hid under the blanket, clearly hearing the rustle of slippers on the carpet. Then the spot beside her sank, and the faint scent of mint mixed with tobacco once again enveloped her.
Buried in the quilt, listening to the gradually steady breathing beside her, her pounding heartbeat slowly calmed.
She stealthily poked half her head out and, by the faint moonlight, carefully studied Yi Zhuo's profile.
Prominent brow bone, deep eye sockets, thin lips slightly closed, high nose bridge...
As an art graduate, Chang Xuyu particularly admired people with good bone structure.
She stared, entranced, and as if possessed, reached out her hand to trace his side face in the air.
But the next second—
The man suddenly opened his eyes, turned to face her, his gaze flickering with amusement.
Her heart skipped a beat. Before she could withdraw her hand, he grabbed it.
He pressed over, his forearm bracing beside her ear, an overwhelming sense of pressure washing over her instantly.
All traces of drowsiness vanished. She turned her head slightly, not daring to meet his eyes.
Yi Zhuo looked at her quietly for a while, then noticed a certain mark on her neck and suddenly laughed.
"If you're not sleepy, how about doing something more interesting?" he asked in a low voice, though his expression was quite serious.
Her face grew redder. As if mustering her courage, she tilted her head up to look at him, her almond eyes holding a hint of moisture.
"It's... almost dawn..."
As the words left her mouth, they were filled with a pleading tone, coupled with her soft voice. Yi Zhuo felt a tingling sensation somewhere on his body.
She bit her lip, motioning for him to look at the clock.
It was five in the morning.
"Then I'll be quick."
The man slowly approached her, his scent growing stronger.
Chang Xuyu shrank back, and just as his lips were about to meet hers, she abruptly turned her head away.
Yi Zhuo froze for a moment, having assumed she wouldn't refuse.
"What's wrong?"
He asked, pulling back a little.
Chang Xuyu took a deep breath.
In the two months of their marriage, the most intimate thing between them had been fooling around in bed.
Other than that, there wasn't a single word of affectionate warmth.
She couldn't hold it in anymore and finally asked softly—
"Yi Zhuo, why me?"
She remembered that on their blind date, Yi Zhuo had confessed that he needed a partner to deal with his family.
He had his own business and dreams to pursue and didn't want to inherit the so-called "family legacy" so early.
Unable to discern the emotion in her voice, he narrowed his eyes and caught the hint of loneliness and hope in hers.
What answer did she want from him?
Chang Xuyu turned her head back.
Yi Zhuo silently clenched his teeth, leaned in again, and quickly pressed a kiss to her lips. "There's no 'why.' We're just married."
At the time of the blind date, she had tried to dissuade him with the excuse that she didn't plan on having children in the near future.
But what she didn't know was that marrying her had long been something he had plotted.
Tears welled up in Chang Xuyu's eyes. Not getting the answer she wanted, she felt sorrow.
Was marriage only for... doing this sort of thing?
No other reason?
She held back her tears and heartache, determined not to continue living like this.
She also had her own life and love; she couldn't just throw them away for him.
"Yi Zhuo, after spring comes, let's get a divorce."
"What?"
She took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and looked at him seriously. "I'll return the bride price..."
After all, he had given her a lot.
Yi Zhuo was dumbfounded, staring at his beautiful, naive wife in disbelief.
Then he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word, finally finding himself laughing in anger.
"Xuyu, do you really not know why?" His voice was low, like a warning.
Author's note: None.