"Don't force the praise." Wei Xunzhou, who had been cold-faced...
Hearing the shrill cries of Xiang Yun and her lover begging for mercy, Di Yao was completely dumbfounded.
Were they really this cowardly? But why were they so vicious and mean to her? Was it because she didn't look fierce enough?
Seeing lights come on in neighboring houses, Di Yao didn't want to make a big scene. Without a word, she grabbed the "fierce and vicious" Wei Xunzhou and pulled him away.
Caught off guard, Wei Xunzhou stumbled and then looked at Di Yao in disbelief.
Di Yao didn't care; she gave him a hard tug and dragged him off.
They walked hand in hand for some distance. When Di Yao saw that Xiang Yun and the others hadn't followed, she slowed down and let go of Wei Xunzhou's hand.
After the exertion, Di Yao's palm was hot and sweaty. Wei Xunzhou quietly curled his hand and withdrew it into his wide sleeve, unconsciously rubbing his fingertips together.
Di Yao felt a sense of relief at having survived a disaster. She took several deep breaths, looking at Wei Xunzhou's calm and indifferent expression, and suddenly felt a sense of security from him.
Initially, Wei Xunzhou had always been cold, so she hadn't held high expectations for him, only hoping they could live together peacefully.
Sometimes, listening to his sarcastic remarks, Di Yao even wondered if she would be happier living alone. But unexpectedly, at this critical moment, it was Wei Xunzhou, still a stranger to her, who saved her.
"Thank you, husband, for saving me today." Di Yao looked up with a sincere face and said earnestly.
Recalling the day's events, Di Yao felt quite aggrieved. She had meant well and genuinely wanted to help Xiang Yun, but she never expected Xiang Yun and her lover to do something so malicious.
Whenever Di Yao felt wronged, she wanted to pour her heart out to someone, but faced with Wei Xunzhou's cold face, she chickened out.
Wei Xunzhou had never supported her farming here, and now that she had encountered such danger, if she complained to him, he might ridicule her mercilessly.
So Di Yao decided to keep quiet and wait for Wei Xunzhou to ask first. After all, she had no relatives or friends in the Underworld, yet she had suddenly gotten into a big conflict with someone; anyone would be curious.
But Wei Xunzhou showed no intention of speaking.
Finally, Di Yao couldn't help it and tentatively asked, "Husband, how did you end up at Xiang Yun's place? When did you arrive? Don't you have anything to ask me?"
As soon as she finished, Wei Xunzhou turned around, his face stern, and looked at her. "Just passing by."
Di Yao pouted, then lowered her head to look at her mud-stained embroidered shoes. On the ground, she could still faintly see her footprints.
Standing on one foot, she used the other to scrape the mud off the side of her shoe. "Oh, okay. Thanks to you today, husband. I really don't know what I would have done otherwise..."
Wei Xunzhou glanced around casually, then happened to notice a large stone by the roadside. He walked over to it, coughed lightly, and said to Di Yao, "Come here and sit down."
Di Yao didn't understand what he was up to, but she instinctively obeyed.
After Di Yao sat down, Wei Xunzhou immediately crouched in front of her and reached out to take off her shoes.
"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?" Di Yao instinctively blocked him.
Wei Xunzhou rested his arms on his thighs, glanced at Di Yao, then reached out again and pulled off her shoes.
Di Yao thought he was possessed or joking around, so she tried to grab the shoes back, but Wei Xunzhou had no intention of teasing her; he let her take them.
Just as Di Yao was about to put her shoes back on, Wei Xunzhou suddenly turned around and crouched with his back to her. His tone still betrayed no emotion, but his words made her heart tremble: "Get on. I'll carry you back."
"Huh? But my shoes..." Di Yao suddenly understood why he had taken off her shoes: either he was afraid her dirty shoes would soil his clothes, or he was afraid Xiang Yun would follow the footprints to their home.
"If you want them, carry them yourself. If not, throw them away. Come on."
Unwilling to throw away her shoes, Di Yao held them in one hand and wrapped her other arm around Wei Xunzhou's neck.
Since she was holding onto him with only one arm, Di Yao felt a bit uncomfortable, so she wriggled upward. But as she did, the pair of shoes in her hand fell to the ground with a clatter.
The shoes were caked with mud, and the sound of them hitting the ground was solid and loud. Wei Xunzhou turned his head to look. Di Yao's cheeks suddenly flushed; she rarely felt so embarrassed.
"Don't want them?" Wei Xunzhou asked.
Di Yao stammered for a long time before answering, "I do want them, but... I dropped them."
Without a word, Wei Xunzhou turned around with Di Yao on his back and picked up the shoes.
Di Yao wanted to take the shoes, but Wei Xunzhou simply said, "No need."
Di Yao could only wriggle her toes awkwardly.
Unexpectedly, Wei Xunzhou could be so considerate. Di Yao wrapped both arms around his neck and wriggled upward again, and he cooperated by lifting her higher.
Somehow, Di Yao felt that Wei Xunzhou now might not ridicule her, so she asked again, "Husband, don't you really want to ask me what happened between me and Xiang Yun?"
Wei Xunzhou was silent again. Di Yao craned her neck to see his expression. It was the first time she had looked down at him from the side. What was more striking than his well-defined profile was his thick eyelashes; he looked unusually handsome.
After a moment, Wei Xunzhou's thin lips parted slightly, his voice calm and low: "I heard everything."
"Heard what?"
Seeing the faint, subtle curve of his lips, Di Yao suddenly understood what his cryptic words meant.
What! He heard everything! Di Yao's mind exploded.
"Sister, you don't know—my husband dotes on me the most. He can't bear to see me work. The moment I start laboring, he gets so worried."
Di Yao's face instantly turned bright red. She had said that casually to get herself out of a tight spot, but Wei Xunzhou had heard it. The key point was that what she said was completely opposite to reality... This was so embarrassing.
She had to quickly move past this.
So she tried to make a joke: "So husband also likes to watch the excitement?"
Wei Xunzhou lowered his eyes and said seriously, "I'm sorry."