Chapter 418: You Really Are a Beast

Fang Hong's house was the kind of single-story place — just one floor, with a yard beside it used for cooking and storing odds and ends.

The door was wide open, so the temperature inside and outside was the same. Liu Tianxian didn't mind at first, but after sitting for a while she felt especially cold, and there was nothing for it but to bear it.

Luckily, once the neighbors had had their fill of staring, they drifted off in little clusters of three or five — mainly because it was time to cook dinner.

Of course they were still gossiping as they left.

"That boy Fang has luck on his side!"

"When he was little I thought he was a dimwit who'd never amount to anything — who'd have thought he'd snag a celebrity for a wife."

"I heard this celebrity's called Liu Yifei."

"Yes, yes, I've seen her on TV."

"Their boy's done well for himself — I hear he's running some big company out there, a proper boss."

"."

Talk like this spread slowly, confined to that one row of the village, and never reached the surrounding towns.

Because it's good news — good news never travels far; only bad news flies a thousand miles.

There's an old saying: good news never leaves the door, bad news travels a thousand miles. When you're doing well, no one talks about you; when you're doing badly, people are only too happy to gossip.

Their leaving was just as well — Xu Liyun didn't care for those people staring at her daughter-in-law like she was some national treasure.

But it was also mealtime. Cooking was done by Fang Hong's aunts and uncles — the whole clan pitched in to get the meal ready, while Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian sat and chatted with the uncles.

Nothing in particular — just family matters.

At dusk, the whole family crowded around a single Eight Immortals table; one table couldn't seat them all, so the women had to stand.

But Liu Tianxian and Fang Hong had to sit — the whole gathering was for the two of them.

Packed in two by two, it was still a bit of a squeeze.

The table was laden with dishes, most of them steamed — steamed dishes were the must-have fare for hosting guests around here.

"Nothing much to eat, please have a bit more." Fang Hong's eldest uncle urged Liu Tianxian.

The uncle had a swarthy, aged face, dressed plainly, with rough, calloused hands — he looked like an old farmer.

"Mm, you eat too." Liu Tianxian was polite.

The others, seeing the girl fair and fresh, felt a quiet gladness in their hearts — a blessing on the family.

The uncle asked Fang Hong, "Little Fang, how's business over there?"

"All right — not too good, not too bad. Just enough to get by." Fang Hong answered modestly.

"Take it slow, it'll pick up." The uncle said.

The meal was unremarkable. Generally they wouldn't ask Liu Tianxian much — getting her to marry in was already good enough; they wouldn't ask for more.

And there was a certain cautiousness about it too, lest Liu Tianxian be displeased and run off.

That's how it was — marrying a wife wasn't easy these days.

Everyone just ate and drank on their own. Liu Tianxian ate a little and put down her bowl and chopsticks: "You all take your time, I'm full."

"That's all you're eating?" Xu Liyun asked, concerned.

"I'm not very hungry — I had some things on the road." Liu Tianxian said and stood up.

Just as she turned, the uncle signaled Fang Hong to stop eating and go look after his wife.

Fang Hong was helpless — he hadn't eaten his fill yet — but there was nothing for it; he had to get up and go with Liu Tianxian. He understood their thinking: they treasured her to no end.

It was for his own good too — keep the bride sweet.

"You two go on, go to the room." The uncle said.

The other uncles and aunts also gestured for the two to go inside — standing around here wasn't proper.

The two had no choice but to go back into the bedroom. Now it was just the two of them, and Liu Tianxian seemed to let loose, stamping her feet in the room, bouncing along: "Your house is freezing!"

"Nothing for it, you'll have to put up with it." Fang Hong took both her hands, rubbed them between his palms, and breathed warm air on them.

"If I'd known it'd be like this, I should have come back with you in summer." Liu Tianxian said, a little regretful.

They'd originally said she'd come back mid-year, but it had been put off for several months — and now she'd come back in the coldest part of winter.

"Bear with it, bear with it and it'll pass." Fang Hong said.

"Mm!"

Liu Tianxian patted his cheek with her hand — it was Bingbing cold: "Aren't you cold?"

"Not cold, but my stomach's empty." Fang Hong sniffed — actually he was cold too.

"Hug me." Liu Tianxian smiled and opened her arms.

Fang Hong drew her into his arms, held her tight, and breathed in the fragrance of her hair.

Being held, Liu Tianxian felt a deep sense of security, warm inside. Here in this strange land, her only reliance was this man.

"Is it me causing you to not eat well?" Liu Tianxian said softly.

"If you can't eat well, how could I eat well? I have to look after your feelings." Fang Hong said.

"I just can't get used to the food." Liu Tianxian said.

"I understand, I understand — a pampered young lady, aren't you." Fang Hong said.

"I'm not pampered at all — I just haven't adjusted yet. Once I do, it'll be fine."

Liu Tianxian wouldn't admit it, and pulled away from him: "Right, go to the car and bring my luggage in — I've got some snacks in there."

Fang Hong went outside. Outside it had already gone dark — there weren't even any streetlights.

He opened the car's trunk, hauled out a big suitcase, and carried it into the room.

Liu Tianxian opened the suitcase — it was full of her clothes, shoes, and underthings. She took out a bag of snacks, tore it open, popped a piece into Fang Hong's mouth, and put one in her own.

Then she brought out chocolate, cheese balls, canned white fungus, and the like — while others ate dinner, they ate snacks.

"This room needs renovating." Liu Tianxian munched on a biscuit and looked around the interior — the white plaster on the walls was flaking in places, and the corner of the ceiling was blackened, probably from moisture.

It looked somewhat worn-down, clearly hadn't been tidied in a long time.

"What's the act for, we're not staying anyway." Fang Hong said.

"You're never coming back after this?" Liu Tianxian asked.

"Basically won't be back. In life I'm your man, in death I'm your ghost." Fang Hong was joking.

"Hahaha." Liu Tianxian laughed and gave him a light smack.

The two chatted like this over snacks, laughter breaking out from time to time.

Just as the two were chatting, that group of uncles and older cousins finished their meal, their voices drawing closer. Liu Tianxian clapped her hands, quickly stuffed the snacks into Fang Hong's pocket, then stood up.

"Fang, we're heading off now." An uncle appeared at the bedroom doorway, waving at the two of them.

"We'll see you out." Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian rose and walked the elders to the door.

The elders were quite gratified. There were no lights outside, so they had to feel their way in the dark — but it wasn't far, just within the same village.

It would've been fine if Liu Tianxian hadn't come out, but once she stepped out and saw the pitch-black darkness outside — in the city there were always lights, always some glow.

Once everyone had left, they shut the big door, the house fell quiet, and then it was time to get into bed and sleep.

That's just how the countryside is — work at sunrise, rest at sunset. Unless someone arranges a card game or going out, if not, you just lie around at home.

A tiny little room, barely big enough for two beds. Liu Tianxian surveyed the surroundings — one white wall had turned pitch-black, and large patches of plaster had peeled off the ceiling.

She had no idea whether the plaster would fall on her while sleeping here, and the furniture was terribly old too.

This was way too spartan — it felt like being transported back to the seventies or eighties.

"Xixi, the weather's cold, let Honghong sleep with you." Xu Liyun smoothed out the already-made bed and pulled back the thick quilt.

"Sleep with me?" Liu Tianxian was taken aback.

"It's cold, two people keep each other warm. We don't have that many rooms at home." Xu Liyun said it as if it were the most natural thing, secretly assuming the two had already slept together.

Even if they hadn't, tonight they'd sleep together — they'd come all this way, if not now, when?

Liu Tianxian had reason to suspect Xu Liyun had done it on purpose.

"You can get in bed to warm up for a bit, it'll be toasty in no time." Xu Liyun said and left.

Truth was, she was also afraid Liu Tianxian would refuse.

Liu Tianxian was alone in the room. She placed her hand on the bed and immediately felt a sheet of cold. She looked toward the wooden window — the wood was half-rotten, outside was pitch-black and she couldn't see a thing, she could only hear the wind howling, feeling as if the wind could blow right in.

Outside were farm fields, no shelter of any kind — that's just how it was.

In her whole life, she'd never stayed in a house this run-down.

"Come on, Feifei, soak your feet." Fang Hong came in carrying a basin of hot water and set it by the bed.

Then he squatted down and took off her shoes and socks.

Liu Tianxian didn't move, letting him take off her shoes and socks, enjoying his service. Spartan or not, this man was good to her.

"Sss, hot." The instant her foot touched the water, she pulled it back.

"It's fine, that's how it is when you first touch the water, take it slow and it'll be okay." Fang Hong held her small foot and gradually lowered it into the hot water.

Slowly it felt much better — not so hot, in fact rather comfortable.

Her feet were fair and tender, very pretty.

"You come too, soak together." Liu Tianxian said.

Fang Hong sat down beside her, snug against her, and also took off his shoes and socks. The moment his foot went into the water, Liu Tianxian felt a wave of cold from his foot, but it warmed up quickly.

The two's feet tangled in the basin. Fang Hong rubbed his foot against hers, hooking his big toe around hers.

"Stop it, you're splashing water everywhere." Liu Tianxian said.

Fang Hong wrapped his arms around her, then stared at her.

"Why are you staring at me?" Liu Tianxian said, slightly shy.

"I think you're especially pretty, I want to keep looking." Fang Hong said with a smile.

Liu Tianxian met his gaze, then lost the battle and couldn't help but laugh, punching him lightly: "Go pour out the water, it's gone cold."

"Got it!"

Fang Hong moved quickly — he dried both their feet, then ran out, flung the water outside, tossed the basin aside.

Liu Tianxian had just pulled back the quilt and lain down when Fang Hong came back, took off his jacket, and with a "boing" leapt onto the bed.

The bed let out an involuntary creak, as if about to collapse — clearly not sturdy.

"You want to die or what?" Liu Tianxian cursed at him.

"I don't want to die yet."

Fang Hong threw back the quilt and climbed in, enthusiastically wrapping his arms around her: "I want to hold you."

"Get off."

Liu Tianxian pushed him from under the covers.

But Fang Hong was shameless, and moved in to hold her again.

"Go away." Liu Tianxian pushed him away again: "Let me tell you, from here on up is off-limits — cross the line and you're an animal."

She drew a line between the two of them.

"Consider me an animal then." Fang Hong wrapped his arms around her again, this time holding tighter, his hands roaming up and down — so soft.

"Absolutely shameless." Liu Tianxian stopped resisting, letting the man caress her body.

The weather had been very cold, but she didn't feel cold — only hot, only warmth, feeling a burning passion.

"My face was gone long ago. You've seen me at my ugliest and most childish." Fang Hong breathed in her scent, his hands never stopping.

Soft, fragrant — wonderful.

For a while neither spoke. Fang Hong began to undress her — she was still wearing her trench coat, hadn't taken it off.

Liu Tianxian didn't refuse, cooperatively taking off her outer coat, then her sweater and pants, until she was left in just her thermal underwear.

When he had stripped her down to nearly nothing, Fang Hong was still full of passion, lying on top of her, looking at her and asking, "Are you cold?"

Liu Tianxian shook her head; instead, she felt her cheeks burning a little.

The two gazed at each other, affection in both their eyes, and the atmosphere grew somewhat ambiguous for a moment.

Liu Tianxian's eyes brimmed with tenderness. Cupping his face in both hands, she gently stroked him and said, "Hong, will you be good to me forever?"

"As always, never to part, never to leave." Fang Hong's hands hadn't finished yet, slowly pulling off her thermal leggings.

"If I have a bad temper, hit you and scold you, you still won't leave me?" Liu Tianxian cooperated.

"I don't know what's going on. All these years you've been hitting me and scolding me, yet I've only grown more attached to you." Fang Hong's tone was rich with affection.

Over the past few years, Liu Tianxian often hit him and scolded him too, but he had never gotten angry, and had never felt it was bad.

Liu Tianxian smiled gently and said, "But all these years, you've never once told me 'I love you.'"

"Is it that important?" Fang Hong had already pulled off her thermal leggings; only the very last layer remained.

He could feel her smooth, firm thighs.

"Very important." Liu Tianxian nodded.

Fang Hong pulled off the last layer, leaned down by her ear, and said softly, "I love you."

Liu Tianxian couldn't help closing her eyes, as if savoring it, as if relishing it. Her very soul seemed to tremble; she couldn't help tightly embracing the man, kissing his face and lips over and over.

After a while she frowned and opened her eyes: "What on earth have you been fumbling around for this whole time?"

"Can't find the entrance."

(End of chapter)