"Your taste is questionable; you can’t even differentiate between beauty and ugliness."
Xiaoxiao was really angered. She had dressed up so carefully just for him to see, yet he had the nerve to say she didn’t look as good as before.
"..." He just didn’t want other people coveting his wife, who should only belong to him. She was so beautiful, it was enough for him alone to see, not for others.
"It’s getting dark; we should head home."
"Xiaobai, let’s go," Xiaoxiao called to Xiaobai.
"Woof! Woof!" Xiaobai responded and followed, walking by Xiaoxiao’s side.
With the woman and dog walking ahead, Yang Ming felt that he was now less than a dog; that spot by her side was rightfully his.
They arrived at the city gates, and unluckily, it was late, and there were no more carriages. Xiaoxiao was left with a hollow laugh; it was going to take her life—she had already walked for two hours, and it would take another two hours to get back home.
Love was about to be defeated by reality.
"It’s all your fault, coming out so late, and now look, we have to walk back," Xiaoxiao complained, pouting.
"Yes, yes, yes, it’s all my fault for coming out so late," Yang Ming was placating his wife, "How about we don’t walk anymore, and stay at an inn instead?"
"..." What did she hear? Yang Ming was inviting her to an inn, wasn’t that suggesting they rent a room? Were inns expensive, how much would it cost for one night?
Xiaoxiao halted in her steps. Should she go or not? If she went, might something happen? She stood there, conjuring up various scenarios in her head.
"Wife?" Seeing his wife spacing out again, Yang Ming called out to her, wondering what she was thinking about this time.
It was then Xiaoxiao snapped back to reality, "Go where? It’s not like it doesn’t cost money."
Besides not going home, the family would worry. They weren’t just a couple; they were a family and couldn’t act so capriciously.
"..." So his wife was worried about spending money; he was reluctant too, but if it was for his wife’s rest, he was willing to spend.
"Let’s hurry; the family will be concerned. They all know you’re supposed to return today," Xiaoxiao said more gently.
Yang Ming caught up with his wife and walked by her side. He thought, when it got darker and the path wasn’t clear, his wife might hold onto him.
Just thinking about wrapping his arms around his wife later got him excited, and he recalled how they had held hands earlier. His wife’s hands were so soft, he wanted to hold them again.
As they walked further and darkness fell, he thought his chance had come, but to his disappointment, his wife didn’t hold onto him but led Xiaobai, walking steadily. Now, the more he looked at Xiaobai, the more displeased he felt.
"Xiaobai, I’ll sing you a song."
"..." He had indeed been replaced by a dog; his wife was supposed to sing to him.
"A bulldog stands at the door, its eyes dark and shiny, wishing for a bone..."
His wife’s singing was delightful, no matter what she sang; it was just that she seemed to have completely forgotten about him for a while.
In fact, Xiaoxiao hadn’t forgotten him at all. Why else would she be here? How could she forget him when she had been longing to see him like crazy?
She interacted with Xiaobai purely to ease the atmosphere; after all, her husband had become rather quiet.
Borrowing the moonlight, she kept glancing at her husband’s stern face—so exceedingly stern. How in the world had she fallen for him?
Suddenly, Xiaoxiao felt her feet slip, "Ah!"
Yang Ming: Good opportunity.
Xiaoxiao: Good opportunity.