Have No Fear, Hubby is Here! (Part 3)

Those words were like claws sinking into his mind. 

For her to compare him to a dog was just too much. The kind gentle girl was no more. At least, not for him. 

Huo Shiyu's eyes were not locked onto Xia Yanxi, but to the man that was carrying her. Seeing as the man was the epitome of elegance, not to mention having a face that was handsome, she failed to contain her emotions, jealousy seeping through her eyes. 

How lucky could she be? How could she find herself a husband that was not only more capable and dependent, but also more handsome than Bai Wenxuan! 

She curved her lips inward, biting them down with mild contempt. When she saw the injured, slightly bleeding Bai Wenxuan inside the room, she quickly ran in to tend to him, not forgetting to portray a worried look. 

"Brother Wenxuan? Are you alright?" her soft, baby-like voice rang, soothing the man. Her eyes started to narrow with tears. 

She had been fond of the man ever since she was little. Whether he still loved Xia Yanxi or not, Huo Shiyu wanted to hold him close. She must marry into the house of Bai. She must become a lady of the Bai household. 

Bai Wenxuan could not help but calm down when he saw just how worried and caring Huo Shiyu was. His rattled emotions were finally sorted, and he was composed. 

Although Huo Shiyu would never be the same as Xia Yanxi, she was still beautiful in her own way. If Xia Yanxi was the cold beauty, Huo Shiyu was the opposite; warm and kind. Her mother wanted no more than to have him as her son-in-law. With that expectation in mind, he could not afford to bring any ill to the young girl. 

Bai Wenxuan stood up and held Huo Shiyu in his embrace. He buried himself in her hair and whispered softly, "I'm alright. Now that you're here." 

***

Qiao Yanli went into the changing room and gently put Xia Yanxi down on a sofa. His eyes narrowed when he saw the wound, the bite mark that was "gifted" by Bai Wenxuan. He took the handkerchief from her hand and wiped the corner of her eyes.

"It's alright now. Everything is fine," he said softly. 

Xia Yanxi breathed in deeply. She lifted her face and brought her eyes to level with the man's. Instead of the sickening smell of cologne, she could finally smell the pleasant and refreshing smell that was Qiao Yanli himself. As she looked at him, the man that was reeking with maturity, she forced herself to remain calm, to show that she was strong, and said, "Thank you." 

It was inevitable. The two might be of man and wife, but they were never really husband and wife; close yet unfamiliar, of family yet strangers. 

Qiao Yanli was clever. He knew that the woman had just been assaulted by the man that was haunting her. It was only normal for her to feel repulsed by a member of the same gender. It did not matter to him. He would keep his distance to let the wounds in her heart heal. It would take a long time but he was not in a rush. They were married and he would have a lifetime to get to know her. He was confident, in her and himself. Someday, she would come to rely on him, and to trust him. 

Qiao Yanli pressed his long, slender fingers on her swollen lips. 

"Does it hurt?" he asked. His voice was low and carried a hint of longing. 

Xia Yanxi lowered her eyes. She saw the warmth behind the coldness in his eyes. Just when she had stopped crying, she could not control her feelings, and the waterworks continued. She knew that it was shameful behavior but she could not stop it. 

His hand retracted from her lips and slowly slid to her hair on her shoulders. He brushed against them, slowly and gently, before pulling her closer to him. His cold lips pressed against her cheeks, kissing away her piping hot tears. 

Xia Yanxi was stunned by his warm and tender actions. 

When she came to, her cheek heated up, reddening visibly. 

She pushed the man away and tried to stand up. Alas, her legs had fallen asleep and she came crashing down, tumbling onto the man. 

Qiao Yanli did not get to stand just yet. But when he saw how Xia Yanxi's legs were giving way, he shot to his feet and opened his arms to catch her. 

Thud. 

The two fell together onto the ground. She was on top of him and they were only a hair's width away from each other. Their breath mixed together as the temperature around them started to rise. Her hands were still on his shoulders and she tried to push herself up. She could not be bothered to cover that glowing face and ears of hers, as the priority was to first get away from him. Just when she thought she had the strength to stand, her legs gave way again, and this time, she fell onto him once more. 

Qiao Yanli groaned in pain as he wheezed out all the air in his lungs. His arms, strong yet gentle, held onto her waist to support her weight. 

"Mrs Qiao, do you not want me to celebrate Father's Day?"