Free Web NovelChapter 71: Chapter 71: Doubt
Tang Yuanxiao looked at Su Li’s expression. Although she didn’t say anything, he could tell she was the one behind it all. Instead of being upset, he felt a sense of relief.
Seeing that Su Li didn’t want to talk, he didn’t press her. He simply said,
"If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. As long as you’re not hurt. It’s... it’s good that you can protect yourself."
After speaking, Tang Yuanxiao walked straight to the kitchen. Su Li watched his back, and two questions flashed through her mind again.
’Why didn’t Tang Yuanxiao fall for the villagers’ story and misunderstand me? Why did he trust that I wouldn’t act so predictably?’
Su Li couldn’t hold back any longer. She stepped forward, blocking Tang Yuanxiao as he came out with a bucket of water, and asked him directly.
"Tang Yuanxiao, why do you believe me? They sounded so convinced."
Tang Yuanxiao gave her a quizzical look. "You call that being convinced? That was just baseless speculation. How can anyone believe something so groundless, without any proof?"
He paused for a moment. "At first, when I heard them shouting, for a split second, I did wonder if you’d deliberately set this all up just to get a divorce."
"But... that thought passed in a flash. I knew you wouldn’t use such a stupid method."
With that, he carried the bucket past Su Li and walked over to the fool. Then, without any hesitation, he doused him with the water.
"Mama, it’s raining!" The bucket of cold water shocked the fool, and he immediately sat up.
"Su Li, turn around," Tang Yuanxiao said, glancing back at her. The fool was still naked.
Su Li was still in a daze. Hearing him, she mumbled, "Oh," and slowly turned around.
Tang Yuanxiao stared at the fool, who was sitting on the ground, still dazed and grinning foolishly at him. There wasn’t a trace of warmth in his eyes as his icy gaze swept over the fool’s two burly hands.
"So, it was these two hands..." he murmured, then ordered the fool, "Stuff your mouth with your clothes."
The fool may have been simple-minded, but his instincts were sharp. Sensing how terrifying Tang Yuanxiao was, he obediently picked up his clothes and frantically stuffed them into his mouth.
He didn’t stop until his mouth was completely full and couldn’t hold anything more.
"Very good." Tang Yuanxiao gave a slight smile, and in the next instant, he struck like lightning.
The fool didn’t even see Tang Yuanxiao move. In a single moment, accompanied by a sickening SNAP, both of the fool’s arms were broken, hanging limply and unnaturally at his sides.
With his mouth gagged by the clothes, he couldn’t scream, only letting out muffled whimpers.
His eyes bulged from the pain, nearly popping from their sockets. He stared at Tang Yuanxiao, his face a mask of terror, and tried desperately to scramble backward.
From that day forward, the fool would never forget Tang Yuanxiao. Afterward, the mere sound of Tang Yuanxiao’s voice would frighten him, and the sight of him would make him run. On the days Tang Yuanxiao came home, the fool would always be scared enough to wet his pants.
He even grew to fear Su Li and Mrs. Tang, and he never dared to pass by the Tang Family’s house again...
But that was all for later. At this moment, hearing the commotion behind her, Su Li hesitantly turned back around.
"Tang Yuanxiao, what did you do?"
"You don’t need to worry about it. Don’t turn around. I’ll throw him out."
"Throw him out?" Su Li asked, astonished.
"Mhm," Tang Yuanxiao answered quietly. "Qin Shanshan hurt you, and you got your revenge. As for the fool... I’ll teach him a lesson on your behalf."
His voice on the last sentence was so quiet it was almost inaudible. freёwebnovel.com
Tang Yuanxiao half-lifted, half-dragged the fool out like a dead dog. "He was bound to be a menace sooner or later. Someone should have taught him a lesson long ago."
No one ever found out exactly what Tang Yuanxiao did to the fool. All they knew was that after being dragged away, he was found that night at the foot of a cliff with both arms broken. It took him several months to recover. Afterward, his nasty habit of grabbing people and trying to take off their clothes was cured, and he never caused trouble again.
Su Li was the only witness to what had happened.
Watching Tang Yuanxiao’s retreating back, Su Li’s mind was a complete mess. She even started to wonder if he had been transmigrated!
After all, no matter how she looked at him, the Tang Yuanxiao of today was nothing like the one from her past life!
If the Tang Yuanxiao from her past life had also been this rational, why had he listened to rumors and misunderstood her then?
Su Li mulled it over and over but couldn’t make sense of it. The more she thought, the more conflicted she felt.
When Tang Yuanxiao returned, she couldn’t stop herself from pressing him again.
"Tang Yuanxiao, why do you believe me?"
Hearing the same question again, Tang Yuanxiao gave her a deep look and countered with a question of his own.
"Why shouldn’t I believe you? Su Li, don’t you think your question is a bit odd?"
Su Li shook her head. ’My question isn’t the strange part—he is!’
’Why does he believe me!’
’The entire village suspected me and accused me, exactly like in my past life. So why didn’t he believe them this time?’
Su Li was truly filled with doubt. Why would Tang Yuanxiao believe her now, when he hadn’t in her past life?
Filled with this question, Su Li looked up and studied Tang Yuanxiao seriously for the first time.
’It was the same face, the same eyes, the same man... and yet, he didn’t seem entirely the same.’
The way Su Li looked at Tang Yuanxiao began to slowly change.
Tang Yuanxiao didn’t get an answer. Seeing the look in her eyes, he couldn’t help but rub his face.
"Is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that? It’s like you’re seeing me for the first time."
Su Li shook her head and slowly averted her gaze. "It’s nothing."
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" Tang Yuanxiao asked, studying her expression.
"I’m fine. My thoughts are just a bit jumbled. I want to be alone for a bit," Su Li said, waving a hand dismissively as she walked toward her room.
She wanted to rest, to have a moment of peace, but she froze at the door to her room.
The room, which she had left clean and tidy, had been completely ransacked by Mrs. Tang. It was an utter mess, looking just as it had after Su Dan and the others had visited.
Su Li looked at the trashed room, her eyes falling on the bed where the fool had lain. An uncontrollable wave of bitterness and sorrow washed over her.
Her vision blurred with tears. Just as she tried to swallow the sob rising in her throat, she heard Tang Yuanxiao’s voice from behind her.
"The room’s a bit of a mess. It needs to be tidied up."
Tang Yuanxiao grabbed a stool from the side and placed it by Su Li’s feet. "You should sit and rest for a bit."
Su Li turned to look at him, but he just lowered his head and slipped sideways into the room.
Starting from the doorway, he began cleaning efficiently. He had been in her room before, and perhaps because of an excellent memory, he managed to put everything back exactly where it belonged.
Tang Yuanxiao worked quickly, and in just a short while, everything was back in its proper place.
With the room tidy again, Tang Yuanxiao turned his attention to the bed.
"This bedding is old anyway. We should replace it with a new set."
After saying that, Tang Yuanxiao glanced at Su Li, then immediately rolled up all the old bedding on the bed.
"I can do it myself..." Su Li started to say, but Tang Yuanxiao had already carried it all out.
"Just rest," Tang Yuanxiao said, setting the bundle of bedding aside. He turned and looked back at the bed, now covered only by a straw mat.
"We have a new set in the house. I’ll go find it."
With that, Tang Yuanxiao went off to find the new bedding. Su Li watched his retreating back and finally, slowly, sat down on the stool.
A moment later, Tang Yuanxiao returned with a new set of bedding.
"This set is brand new. I’ll change the lock for you in a bit, too. Then you’ll be able to lock the door when you leave, and you’ll be able to lock it from the inside."
Tang Yuanxiao looked disdainfully at the original wooden latch on the inside of the door. "This piece of wood... anyone could break it open in one go."
Su Li reached for the bedding in Tang Yuanxiao’s arms. "I’ll do it myself."
This time, Tang Yuanxiao didn’t argue and handed the bedding to her.
