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Chapter 36: Chapter 36 Misunderstanding
After taking a shower and returning, Si Chen sensed something unusual about the atmosphere in the room. Tong Yao was still sitting by the bed reading a book, her gaze was fixed on him every time he turned his back on her. When he turned around again, she was engrossed in her medical book. After a standstill, Si Chen was the first to break the stagnant atmosphere.
"Is something bothering you?"
"Not at all!" Tong Yao pretended to play innocent, holding her medical book and said sarcastically, "I am a well-fed person, waiting to sleep, what could possibly be bothering me!"
"..."
Assuming that Tong Yao had possibly heard someone gossiping about her, Si Chen, who was not very adept at comforting people, especially women, and even less at understanding their intricate thought processes, tried to counsel her as per his understanding. "If you are unable to get along with the sisters-in-law, just stay indoors and read some books. Save up and buy a television you can watch when you are inside."
"Give me a break!" Tong Yao cut him off sharply, "I’ve already been branded as lazy and unproductive, if I spend my days watching television, I’ll surely be accused of being a good-for-nothing." If she ever divorced, she would ignore Tong Yaohui completely.
Noticing that Tong Yao genuinely seemed aggrieved, Si Chen didn’t say anything more. Instead, he silently cleaned up the room, organised the medical books on the table, and sorted everything. Seeing that Tong Yao was still engrossed in her book, he couldn’t help but say something.
"You’re holding the book upside down."
Tong Yao was irked, her mind not at all on the book, instead she was keeping tabs on Si Chen from the corner of her eyes and silently chastising him for being a duplicitous man. Caught out by Si Chen’s sudden remark, she realised that indeed she had been holding her book upside down the whole time.
Just as if her little bit of cunning had been seen through, Tong Yao instantly turned red in embarrassment. However, it only lasted a few seconds before she regained her composure. Pretending as if nothing had happened, she turned the book around, "Reading it this way can enhance my eyesight."
"Quite an unusual method," Si Chen said with a twinkle in his dark eyes, obviously seeing through her lie.
Tong Yao rolled her eyes at him before shifting to sit at the foot of the bed, "You go to sleep early! I’ll read for a bit more before I go take a bath."
Si Chen nodded and sat down beside Tong Yao on the bed. A faint scent of soap wafted from his body which was, surprisingly, rather pleasant. Stealing a glance at Si Chen from the corner of her eyes, she noticed him bent over removing his shoes. His thick, black hair still wet, that’s when Tong Yao remembered they had forgotten to buy a hairdryer after a full day out.
Lost in her thoughts, suddenly Si Chen asked, "Didn’t you buy a hairdryer when you went out today?"
Startled, Tong Yao thought to herself, did this man have eavesdropping technology installed in her brain!
"I forgot about it as I was busy looking for a job."
Si Chen nodded, "It’s quite late today, don’t wash your hair. You might catch a cold if you sleep with wet hair."
What a hypocrite, Tong Yao muttered under her breath. Although, she did nod in agreement. She hadn’t planned on washing her hair today anyway.
Si Chen, possibly due to his hair still being wet, didn’t go to bed as soon as he got there. Instead, he took a medical book and leaned against the headboard, reading more diligently than Tong Yao. Unable to concentrate on her book, Tong Yao glanced at the time. At fifteen past eight, she put her book on the bed.
"I am going to take a bath."
At this era, people adhered to a strict routine. By eight, most people had tidied up and stayed indoors. By nine, they were asleep. As Tong Yao left the room carrying her washbasin, she didn’t meet a single person. The only thing she could hear was the crying voice of Baodan.
Don’t let Baodan’s tender age of three fool you, his lung power was surprisingly strong. His crying has a strong penetrating power, audible even from the first floor.
The bathroom was devoid of any people, a condition that delighted Tong Yao as she could wash in peace. The wound on her arm had already formed a scab, she had been recovering quite well over these few days of not working. After a relaxing bath, she was startled to see someone had come while she was inside.
"What are you doing standing here, shouldn’t you be sleeping?"
Si Chen looked at the washbasin in her hand, "You should go to bed, I’ll wash the clothes first."
"No need, I’ll wash them myself." Tong Yao couldn’t exactly put her finger on her feelings, but she was adamant about not wanting Si Chen’s help with washing the clothes at that moment.
Although Si Chen was not quite able to understand a woman’s mind, he was well aware that Tong Yao seemed to be trying to put some distance between the two of them. He wasn’t exactly sure why Tong Yao was acting standoffish towards him again. However, he was certain no good can come from not taking care of one’s overall well-being, and so he said, "I had made a promise to our parents, I would take good care of you."
Tong Yao looked straight into Si Chen’s eyes, Si Chen didn’t shy away from her gaze. They stood face to face for a few moments, eventually, Tong Yao gave in.
"You may wash them if you want!"
Saying that, she ran upstairs.
Back in the room, she suddenly remembered her undergarments were also in the washbasin. So, she ran back downstairs. As she turned the corner, she saw Si Chen holding her underwear in his hands. Her face turned crimson red at the sight, she turned around without saying anything and ran back to the room.
Running around had caused her to perspire again. When Tong Yao was back in her room. She increased the fan speed before flopping onto the bed pretending to sleep. A few minutes later, she heard footsteps by the door. Not long after, the door was pushed open. She heard Si Chen place the washbasin on the ground before turning off the light and going to bed.
After consoling herself for some time, she told herself that while Si Chen’s actions had been slightly objectionable, it was natural for a person to think of themselves first. Who among them has never been selfish? Throughout their marriage up until now. Si Chen had always held himself to high standards. He had never laid a hand on her. Viewed from this perspective, he was a righteous gentleman, and his affection for Yu Shiya was incredibly genuine, so he couldn’t be considered a bad person.
However, thinking about how he was her husband, lying beside her while thinking of another woman, made Tong Yao feel uneasy, as if she had thorns on her body, making her want to kick him under the bed. And, Tong Yao did exactly that.
In the pretense of restlessness while sleeping, Tong Yao turned over, her foot purposefully kicking Si Chen in the leg, the strength of the kick was medium, which resulted in Si Chen’s leg hitting the side of the bed. Seeing that Si Chen didn’t react much, she stretched again, her hand pushing against Si Chen’s arm forcing him to move away.
Her plan successful, Tong Yao moved a little closer to Si Chen and plotted to kick him in the leg again. However, after feeling around for a while, she realized that his legs were already off the bed.
Achieving her goal, Tong Yao’s lips curled up a little as she felt slightly happier. Now she could get a good night’s sleep.
Under the hazy night sky, using the dim moonlight trickling through the window, Si Chen looked at the sweet smile on Tong Yao’s face. A trace of deep emotion passed through his dark eyes. Only after Tong Yao’s breathing evened out did he slowly adjust his sleeping position to move closer to her.
The night blanketed the whole town. While some slept peacefully, others couldn’t sleep at all. Returning home in high spirits, Shiya found out she had been rejected by Si Chen. Her eyes red and swollen from crying, she refused to believe Si Chen could so easily reject her.
