SLIPPING (2)

"Won't you talk to me?" Chen Linyun spared a side-glance at Xue Jinxu one morning while taking a bite off his sandwich. They were eating breakfast together, but Xue Jinxu did not pay him any mind.

That night they had not gotten into a resolution. Chen Linyun managed to evade the situation by postponing the discussion. The wife reluctantly relented out of tiredness, but nevertheless, she had made her position clear. That night, Chen Linyun was forbidden to sleep with her.

"I don't want to see you, or be with you in the same place." Xue Jinxu said as she threw his pillow and a blanket at him.

"For real?" Chen Linyun's face was crumpled like a shrunken fruit. "Honey…" He wrapped his arms around her as he rubbed her arms.

"Get your hands off me."

The husband stiffened and nodded. "As you wish."

He picked up the pillow and blanket and left for the guest room.