Yixuan had been keeping company with two family members who were ill in the house but now, as he emerged, seeing his elder brother in such a state, and noticing the snow on his brother’s shoulders, his eyes flickered slightly. "Elder brother, we’re running out of ginger at home."
Liang Zhichen regained his senses, "Alright, I’ll make a trip to Balibao in a bit and buy some more."
Yixuan said, "Buy more. If the wife catches a cold, it’s also elder brother’s fault. With the heavy snow and cold weather now, please be more considerate towards the wife, lest she falls ill."
Was that a subtle hint? Like a soft needle. He walked over and gently patted Yixuan on the shoulder, "You’ll have to put in more effort." He and Shujun had advanced, while Little Liu, originally the most hopeful, had always been stuck in the same place.
Yixuan was annoyed for a moment; he brushed his elder brother off and then, whether out of anger or because his elder brother had struck a nerve, his face flushed hotly as he strode into the kitchen.
Upon entering, he saw his wife washing rice.
"Wife, let me!" The water for washing rice was too cold, and fearing it would chill his wife, he took over the task.
Dong Huiying turned to glance at him and noticed his mood was off, his thin lips pressed into a straight line.
"What’s wrong? Who made you angry?" She could tell he was upset.
Yixuan silently glanced at her, seeming like he wanted to say something, then he let out a deep sigh, "No, nothing, it’s just too cold today, I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable."
"Are you sick?" She dried her hands then felt his forehead, but his body stiffened abruptly. She paused, then withdrew her hand, "Sorry, I almost forgot, you don’t like me touching you."
He remembered how in the past, whenever his wife touched him inadvertently, his body would react subconsciously, wanting to avoid it yet also forcing himself to stay, always resulting in stiffness.
There was both intimacy and a certain distance maintained between his wife and him, not as casual as with others.
Could it be because of that reason?
After the rice was done, he wiped his hands and then turned to look at his wife.
"Hmm?" She responded, about to chop vegetables, but he suddenly grasped her hand.
Then, he pressed her hand against his own forehead.
Yixuan’s eyes were as gentle as water, his voice very clear but also very warm.
"You see, Yixuan isn’t afraid."
He thought he had been somewhat hasty. He was not unaware of the flirtation between his elder brother and wife, but it had always been apparent before his eyes, and it was for this reason, he had become increasingly anxious.
His gaze fell on her lips, and he softly told her, "I don’t know when it started, but the image of the wife from the past has begun to blur, I can hardly remember it now. What I can see and remember now, is all of your goodness towards me, your tolerance, gentleness, and your smile, the way you looked when you gave me gifts."
He took out a wooden hairpin from his chest, this was the first thing the wife had ever given him, when things at home had not yet turned sour, and it was uniquely his.
"Do you still remember this?"
She was taken aback for a moment, then, Yixuan slowly stepped forward, the two of them already very close, now almost pressing together.
"I’ve always carried it with me; I once made a mistake. If life could start over, if I could go back to that moment, I’d rather stab myself a few times than, out of jealousy, make those unstable, uncontrollable actions that hurt you."