C12 One Room

Xue Zhengqing glanced at the specks of blood on his clothes and clarified, "No, I had to deal with a troublemaker on the way here. It was her first time witnessing a fight, so it scared her."

Shang Wu resumed his laughter and teased, "That's what I thought. Qing would never lay a hand on his sister-in-law. You take ages just to pick out clothes for her, and you carry around two marriage certificates. Who else roams the streets at night with their marriage certificates in tow?"

Xue Zhengqing quickly coughed twice to silence Shang Wu. Noticing that Qian Duojing wasn't laughing at Shang Wu's remarks, he felt a touch of embarrassment as if his secret had been poked at.

With his ears blushing, Xue Zhengqing opened the rear door of the car, gesturing for Qian Duojing to get in first. He then took his place in the backseat next to her.

As Shang Wu drove, he said, "Sister-in-law, please don't take offense. Qing can't stand those thugs, yet somehow, he's a magnet for them. Probably because he's got that Xiaobai look that seems easy to push around. But let me tell you, Qing has been unbeatable in fights since he was a kid. He's really something."

Sitting in the car, Qian Duojing silently cradled the two marriage certificates and sniffled. Understanding that Xue Zhengqing's words were meant to defend her, she nodded in agreement, "Yes, he's quite formidable."

Hearing her, Xue Zhengqing caught sight of her holding the certificates and surmised that she was no longer upset with him for leaving on their wedding day. He instructed Shang Wu, "Wu, head to the city's guesthouse. Your sister-in-law and I will stay there tonight. Tomorrow, I'll join you to return the car, and in the evening, we'll get train tickets ready for our trip back to Jinzhou."

Shang Wu responded with an even broader grin, "You got it."

Qian Duojing had thoughts of speaking up, but after the night's tumultuous events and Xue Zhengqing's recent rescue, she didn't want to undermine him in front of Shang Wu, so she remained quiet.

Upon reaching the guesthouse, Wu checked in and departed. Xue Zhengqing and Qian Duojing followed the owner's directions upstairs. Qian Duojing entered the room, and as she was about to close the door, Xue Zhengqing followed her in.

Qian Duojing hurriedly said, "What are you doing here? Go to your room."

The innkeeper, observing the situation, chuckled and explained, "Ma'am, why aren't you two sharing a room? The young man who registered and paid didn't cover the cost for two rooms."

Xue Zhengqing adopted a look of resignation and said, "I don't have any money on me; it's all with Shang Wu."

Qian Duojing couldn't bear to let her lifesaver sleep on the streets, especially not in front of the innkeeper, so she reluctantly allowed him to enter.

Once the door was closed, they were faced with a single bed in the room. Qian Duojing kept her distance, sitting on a chair far from the bed. Xue Zhengqing could tell she was still shaken from her encounter with Wu Guang earlier that night, which made her wary of him as well.

He decided to take the initiative by fetching a basin of hot water, dampening a towel, and wringing it out before approaching Qian Duojing.

Startled by his approach, Qian Duojing flinched, her mind racing with the night's events and the current situation of being alone with a man—her husband, no less. She couldn't help but shiver with trepidation.

Xue Zhengqing came closer, and Qian Duojing shook like a leaf. He simply offered her the warm towel, but when she didn't take it, he gently pressed her back into her chair and began to tenderly wipe her face with the damp warmth.

Qian Duojing felt the soothing heat on her skin, followed by a soft caress across her cheeks. She watched Xue Zhengqing, who was attentively and delicately wiping her face as if she were delicate porcelain, with a tender and meticulous touch.

After Xue Zhengqing finished with her face, he took her hands and carefully dried them with the towel, from the palms to the backs, over each finger and every fingertip. Then, he turned to place the towel back in the basin, gave it a rub, and used the remaining warm water to freshen up himself.