Chapter 7 Xiao Shi Is Back

• What did I say?
• My thoughts were jumbled up, my hair and pajamas completely soaked, while I was locked within Xi Qingchuan’s wet warms.
• I lifted my head and tried to meet his eyes.
• “What was it that I got right?”
• “Guess.”
• “That you’re a bottom?”
• He shook his head.
• “That you’re bisexual?”
• He shook his head again.
• He didn’t tell me the answer. I was trying my best to remember when he began kissing my collarbone.
• Yes, I had those.
• I had lost all ability to think by then. Part of it had been washed away by the water running in the shower. Another part of it had melted away in Xi Qingchuan’s scorching kiss.
• I had no idea where he got his energy from. This was the third time in the same day.
• I didn’t seem to mind, even though I knew that there was no love between us.
• I had grown up neglected and being looked down upon. Perhaps, because of such a childhood, I felt a sense of happiness amidst my confusion when a man like Xi Qingchuan suddenly showered me with affection.
• It might be a fleeting emotion, but there was no doubting its momentary existence.
• This was, after all, the man that every woman in Hua City longed to have.
• In fact, he could be the man that every gay man in Hua City also lusted after.
• Having a man who was desired by other women was not the worst tragedy that could befall upon a woman. It was having other men lust after him as well.
• Fortunately, I did not love him.
• I had my one true love hidden deep in my heart. Unfortunately, I had been married off to Xi Qingchuan before I could reunite with my true love.
• Xi Qingchuan suddenly pinched my chin tightly. He stared at me through the running water.
• “Are you thinking about another man while you’re with me?”
• I was stunned. I stared at him, dazed.
• Could he read minds? How did he know I was thinking about another man?
• His lips twisted upward into an ugly smile.
• “Did I guess correctly?”
• My wet pajamas stuck onto my skin. It felt unbearable. I freed one of my hands and began unbuttoning my top. Xi Qingchuan lowered his head, staring.
• “His name is Ni Yizhou. He’s 24 years old. You used to be neighbors and grew up together. But after your father took you away, he went abroad for studies.”
• He knew the details like the back of his hand. It appeared that he had done his homework. He had hired someone to look into me.
• I finally got out of my drenched pajamas top and threw it onto the floor. There was a seeming smile on his face.
• “Does he know that you take your clothes off in front of another man? Has he ever seen you like this? Hmm, I bet not,” he was talking to himself. “Earlier today, that should be your first time. You stained my sofa.”
• He had stolen my virginity. I hadn’t settled that score with him yet, and now he was flaunting it in my face.
• Furious, I struggled out from his arms, turned and made a run for the door. He pulled me back by the waist just as I got the door open.
• “We’re not done yet.”
• “Let me go. Are you going to force yourself on me? There must be plenty of women who are willing to lie on their backs for you.”
• “Don’t forget your performance will determine whether I’ll join you tomorrow for your family dinner.”
• His voice was like ice in the heated, steamy shower.
• He was an absolute villain. The heated passion that he had stirred in my earlier had vanished completely.
• Regardless, he continued to drag me into his arms, nibbling on my ear and driving me crazy with the soft bites that hovered between slight pain and teasing.
• He pushed me against the wall and hooked his fingers on the hem of my panties.
• “A reminder. I don’t like my women to think about other men when they’re with me. You’ll do well to wipe that man’s name from your mind right this moment.”
• “I’m not a computer. I can’t just delete something with a tap of a key.”
• “Is that so?” His smile looked surreal in the steamy air. He gave my lips a sudden peck. “I’ll make you forget right now.”
• He was crazy. He lowered the temperature of the water. Icy water poured down on my body. I stood, trembling in his arms. He laughed loudly and tightened his arms around me.
• “How about that? Is he still on your mind?”
• Sure, he succeeded in making me forget not only Ni Yizhou’s name, but my own as well.
• This was the first night I was sharing the same bed with Xi Qingchuan. After we finally left the bathroom, I sat down in front of the dresser and dried my hair. He sat in bed and looked at his mobile phone.
• Even his profile was attractive. He remained handsome under the lights’ pink glow. I snuck a look at him through the mirror. I didn’t expect him to discover my peeping after a few furtive glances.
• “Don’t expect our relationship to change just because we slept together.”
• “I never harbored such expectations,” I retorted instantly.
• “You’ve quite the sharp tongue,” he smirked, then set his mobile phone aside and met my eyes. “It’s a pity that you’re not my type.”
• “Is that why you had sex with me three times today?”
• That shut him up suddenly. He had no comeback to my retort.
• The speechless look on his face was extremely satisfying. I had suddenly discovered something endearing about him.
• He smirked a moment later, and the earlier awkwardness vanished. Then, he went back to looking at his phone.
• “Who’ll be at the dinner tomorrow?”
• “Only family. My father, my stepmother, my sisters and my brother.”
• “Sisters?” He lifted his head and looked at me. “Xiao Shi is back?”
• Xiao Shi was the second daughter my father had with my stepmother. She was beautiful but distant. She had never bullied me, or paid much attention to me at all, really.
• Xi Qingchuan’s reaction was quite extreme. In fact, I knew something about what had happened between him and Xiao Shi.
• I knew the engagement between him and Xiao Shi. They had dated and Xi Qingchuan had quite liked her. But more than six months ago, Xiao Shi had suddenly broken up with Xi Qingchuan and ended their engagement. It had been out of the blue. No one had known what had happened. My father and my stepmother had been frightened out of their skins then.
• It didn’t matter how successful our business had been then. As long as we were in Hua City, we still needed the Xi family’s support in order to survive. Xiao She’s sudden break-up with Xi Qingchuan resulted in much unrest in both families. The only reason I was able to marry someone like Xi Qingchuan was because he had pushed for an immediate wedding out of anger. He hadn’t cared which daughter from the Xiao family he was marrying.
• My eldest sister was already married. I had been the only one left. I had been rushed into marrying Xi Qingchuan.
• Xiao Shi hadn’t attended our wedding. She had left for England the day before the event and had not returned home for the past six months.
• Dad had told me over the phone that Xiao Shi had returned, and had asked Xi Qingchuan and me to join them for dinner.
• I hadn’t been bothered by it, but Xi Qingchuan’s reaction to her return had been rather pronounced.
• I felt slightly uneasy. I wasn’t sure if he would still join me for dinner now that he knew that Xiao Shi was back. He stared into the distance, his eyes unfocused. A moment later, he said, “I’ll send the chauffeur to pick you up tomorrow evening.”
• Did that mean he agreed to attend the dinner?
• Having dried my hair, I walked over to my bed. I hadn’t shared a bed with a man before. This felt slightly awkward.
• Fortunately, Xi Qingchuan had already laid down and had his back turned towards me. I lay down at the edge of the bed and slept without any blankets. The room had a heater, but I still came down with a cold the next morning.
• Xi Qingchuan had already gone to work. I carried a box of tissue around and managed to use up nearly the entire box.
• Finally, someone came knocking at my door. Mrs. Xiu, who was charged with my care, appeared at my door with a box in her arms.
• “Madam, the master had someone send this over.”
• “What is it?” I asked curiously, and sat up in bed.