A delicate beauty takes a place in a marriage, while a cold, rough man seduces her every night.

The Fang family had many relatives and friends, making the entire wedding banquet lively and bustling.

In the evening, Qingyan gave Xiao Jingye some instructions and then took Duoduo and her mother-in-law home.

The men in the courtyard were in high spirits, sitting around a table, toasting and laughing as they took turns offering drinks, all determined to get the groom, Fang Zhijie, drunk.

As Zhijie's best friend, Xiao Jingye shielded him from a lot of drinks throughout the event.

The banquet lasted until late into the night before the guests gradually dispersed.

Xiao Jingye propped himself up on the edge of the table, shook his heavy head, slowly stood up, and raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples.

Zhijie said worriedly, "How can you go home like this? Why don't you just stay at my place tonight?"

He waved his hand: "It's nothing, a little wine won't make a fuss. You go about your business, hurry up and go with Chun Ya, I'm just a few steps away from home."

The moonlight was so bright that it bathed the earth in daylight.

Xiao Jingye had just stepped out of Zhijie's yard when he ran into someone.

"Jingye," Chen Xiaomeng called out to him.

Xiao Jingye narrowed his drunken eyes slightly, then frowned deeply.

This person was released from the detention center so quickly?

"You've had too much to drink, you can't even walk straight. I'll take you home." Chen Xiaomeng took two steps forward.

"Stay away from me." Xiao Jingye stepped aside to avoid her, his steps unsteady as he continued walking forward.

I drank a bit too much today. My head feels heavy, my legs feel a bit unsteady, and I feel unsteady when I walk.

Chen Xiaomeng quickly caught up and stood directly in front of him, saying, "I won't hold it against you for having the police arrest me before. Can't we have a proper talk?"

As the alcohol took effect, Xiao Jingye felt a buzzing in his ears and saw figures constantly moving before his eyes. One moment it was Chen Xiaomeng's annoying face, and the next it was Qingyan's gentle appearance.

He shook his head vigorously, then quickened his pace, wanting only to get away and go home as soon as possible.

As Chen Xiaomeng gazed at his tall and strong back, she recalled the sounds of him and Qiao Qingyan working together that night, and a growing itch crept into her heart.

She steeled herself, mustered her courage, and rushed forward, hugging him tightly from behind, her voice deliberately softening:

"Jingye...actually, I'm your wife."

"I've been with Jiang Runsheng for so long, and he's never touched me. He's not even a fraction as good as you."

"Please have some love for me, Xiao Jingye, please have some love for me."

Xiao Jingye stiffened for a moment, feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

He seemed to hear his wife's soft, gentle moan: "Xiao Jingye, you're hurting me..."

But soon, he realized something was wrong. His mind was half-awake and half-dazed. He looked around and realized he wasn't home yet, so where did this wife come from?

His remaining rationality returned instantly, and Xiao Jingye forcefully pried open her arms that were holding him, turning around to look directly at Chen Xiaomeng.

A strong sense of disgust and revulsion welled up in his eyes instantly, and his voice was cold and hoarse: "Get out."

Chen Xiaomeng's gaze involuntarily swept downwards, passing over his trousers.

Still unwilling to give up, she bit her lower lip and said resentfully, "Xiao Jingye, I was the one who married you in my past life! It was all Qiao Qingyan's fault for interfering, otherwise I wouldn't have married Jiang Runsheng in this life."

"I saw you doing that with her. Can't you be a little more considerate of me? Hmm? I'm your wife too."

Xiao Jingye frowned even more. What nonsense was this woman spouting?

As the evening breeze blew, the headache from drinking intensified, and Chen Xiaomeng continued to pester him like a noisy fly.

He pressed his throbbing temples, his last ounce of patience tingling as he warned, "I told you to get out of the way, can't you understand human language?"

"Why should I?" Chen Xiaomeng's eyes were full of resentment. "I came to you willingly, and you still refused. What's so great about Qiao Qingyan?"

A cold glint appeared in Xiao Jingye's eyes: "Don't mention my wife's name. She's clean and pure, unlike you, who's so filthy!"

"Me, dirty?" Chen Xiaomeng sneered.

Xiao Jingye glanced at her with disgust and warned, "Don't bother my family again." Then he turned away without looking at her again.

In the biting cold wind, Chen Xiaomeng, still humiliated by those words, stood there, her fists clenched tightly.

Why do they all think Qiao Qingyan is clean while she is dirty?

Jiang Runsheng was like this, and so was Xiao Jingye.

-

When Xiao Jingye arrived home, Duoduo and her mother's bedroom door was closed, and the two were already asleep.

The bedroom was filled with a light, sweet fragrance, and Qingyan had specially left a warm yellow lamp on for him.

She was a light sleeper. Hearing the door open, she opened her sleepy eyes and said in a soft, slightly hoarse voice, "You're back."

"Mmm." He walked over and wanted to lean down and kiss her, but remembering what had happened on the way, he quickly took off his coat. "I'll go wash up first."

After a quick wash, Xiao Jingye went back into the house.

Qingyan slept soundly this time.

She waited for him at home until she saw him return safely, then she fell into a deep sleep.

The warm yellow light fell on her face, her soft hair covered half of her cheek, and her long, dark eyelashes cast a small shadow, making her look delicate, youthful, gentle, and serene.

She looks like a little girl who hasn't grown up yet.

Yes, she married him when she was 19, not long after she came of age.

Xiao Jingye leaned down and kissed her rosy, delicate lips: "Good girl."

He turned off the light, carefully climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and reached out to pull the soft little person into his arms.

She lowered her head, burying her face in her fragrant hair.

Holding her in my arms, I felt more at ease than anything else.

-

Shidianzi Village, Qiao Family Compound.

As dawn broke, the bedding on the kang (a heated brick bed) was crumpled and disheveled.

"Jia Er, you beast, ouch..."

Jia Er casually puffed on a cigarette, the crimson embers occasionally landing on Chen Xiuying.

"I'll kill you, you bitch..."

He muttered a few curses under his breath until the cigarette burned out, then collapsed onto the kang (a heated brick bed) like a heavy stone.

After resting for a while, he reached out and nudged Chen Xiuying beside him: "Give me some money."

Chen Xiuying's narrowed eyes snapped open, her brow furrowing as she said, "Didn't I just give you a large sum of money last time?"

"When you're out doing business, you have to entertain and make arrangements, and money comes in everywhere. I've landed a big job, and after the New Year, I'll take you to move to the city to live a simpler life."

"I have no money!" Chen Xiuying said.

Jia Er reached out and lightly pinched her side, grinning mischievously, "Don't try to fool me."

"I really have no money left. Last time you said you were going to do business, the money I gave you was all the savings I had kept on my own," Chen Xiuying explained with a worried look. "That old man Qiao Nianshan is very cunning now. He doesn't tell me how much he earns, and he doesn't bring any money home. I don't know where he hides it."

Last time she saw Qiao Nianshan hide a sum of money in a bamboo basket on the roof, but when she went to look for it again, she found that the money was gone.

Upon hearing this, Jia Er immediately became anxious. He had recently incurred several hundred yuan in gambling debts in a neighboring town, and the creditor had threatened to punish him if he did not repay the money.

"How much do you have left? Give me some in case of emergency, any amount is fine."

"I only have a little over thirty yuan left, which is my and my son's living expenses for the time being."

Jia Er nudged her, "Give it to me first, I need to go somewhere urgent. I'll pay you back double when I make money."

Chen Xiuying looked him up and down: "You didn't gamble, did you?"

"How could that be? I'm focused on making a better life. Go ask around at the village teahouse; it's been so long since I last played cards."

These words reassured Chen Xiuying. She had indeed inquired at the teahouse in private, and Jia Er had not shown up during this period.

She had originally decided that she would not give him a single penny if he gambled again, but now it seemed that he had truly reformed.

"Wait here." Chen Xiuying got up, grabbed the old cotton-padded jacket from the side of the kang (a heated brick bed), and took out thirty yuan from the hidden pocket inside the jacket and handed it to him.

"Spend frugally, because I really won't be able to come up with the money next time. Qiao Nianshan is tight on cash, and I'm struggling to make ends meet."

"Okay, okay."

Jia Er hurriedly stuffed the money into his pocket, but inwardly he grumbled: "That bitch, I've been serving her like a dog for ages, and this is all the money she gives me. Looks like I won't be able to squeeze anything out of her anymore."

Having taken the money, Jia Er had no patience to stay there any longer and hurriedly put on his clothes, intending to leave the Qiao family.

Chen Xiuying secretly escorted him to the courtyard, opened the gate, looked around warily, and urged him in a low voice, "Hurry up, don't let anyone see us."

Just as Jia Er was about to step outside, he suddenly caught sight of Qiao Nianshan standing not far away, his face full of anger.

"Stop right there!" Qiao Nianshan shouted angrily.

Jia Er was so frightened that he turned around and ran away like a madman.

Chen Xiuying stood frozen at the courtyard gate, terrified by Qiao Nianshan's ashen and terrifying face.