She stamped her foot, walked up to Xue Rou, and said angrily, "Don't think that just because Grandpa rewarded you with a villa, you can climb over my head. Everything you own is just trash that I wouldn't even deign to look at."
"Especially that rustic woodsman. He doesn't measure up to even a single hair on Young Master Zhao's head. Once the two of them meet, you'll see just how vast the gap really is."
Xue Rou turned a deaf ear to these remarks, instead saying with complete composure, "First of all, I have no intention of competing with you, and whoever you marry has nothing to do with me."
"Secondly, I don't think Su Hao is inferior to anyone surnamed Zhao. You simply can't see other people's shining points, just as you currently fail to see your own worth."
Xue Aohan stared fixedly at Xue Rou, her eyes seemingly breathing fire. "Such audacity! How dare you speak to me like that?!"
"In the past, relying on Grandpa's favoritism, you repeatedly suppressed me. But because I didn't want to destroy our sisterly bond and leave Grandpa heartbroken, I exercised restraint and tolerated you everywhere," Xue Rou said, narrowing her eyes. "Now, I've decided I will no longer let myself be carved up like meat on a block. If you want to compete with me, then I'll play along to the very end and see who wins and who loses."
"Fine, you asked for it! I want to see how a mere sparrow like you compares to a phoenix like me!" Xue Aohan's eyes bulged with anger, the veins at her temples throbbing with every heavy breath she exhaled.
"Then let's wait and see!"
With that, Xue Rou turned on her heel and went to find Su Hao on her own.
Watching her retreating figure, Xue Aohan wore a dark and gloomy expression.
Xue Yi walked over, leaned close to her ear, and whispered a few words.
"Good."
Xue Aohan's eyes lit up, her gaze filled with bitter resentment.
"Bitch... I will make you pay with your life!"
Chapter 6: Sleeping in the Same Bed?
Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was time for dinner.
Elder Xue sat at the head of the table, his face glowing with health. There was not a single trace of his usual sickly appearance left about him.
However, happy as he was, he had not forgotten the main business at hand.
"Su Hao, although the eldest granddaughter was originally the one promised to you in marriage, that girl is simply too unappreciative. It was poor judgment on my part, so I can only have my youngest granddaughter marry you instead. I hope you won't mind!"
Hearing her grandfather say this, Xue Rou's expression flickered slightly before returning to normal.
Su Hao smiled and said, "Elder Xue, I don't think Xue Rou is the least bit inferior to Xue Aohan; in fact, she's much stronger."
"To be honest, if you really wanted to make me marry Xue Aohan instead of Xue Rou, I would have called off the engagement right then and there!"
Su Hao was speaking the absolute truth, but none of the people present believed him, taking it entirely as a gesture to save face for Xue Rou.
Xue Rou thought so too, and the look she cast toward Su Hao was tinged with a measure of gratitude and appreciation.
She hadn't expected her luck to be this good—not only had she stumbled upon a capable husband, but he was also so gentle and considerate.
"Haha, you truly live up to being a pupil of Gu Santong. You're righteous in your conduct and high in emotional intelligence."
By this time, Elder Xue was already half-drunk, but his happiness was genuine from the bottom of his heart. He poured himself another glass of wine.
Seeing this, Xue Er snatched the wine glass right out of Elder Xue's hand.
"Dad, happy as you are, you can't just drink as you please. Have you forgotten what the doctor instructed?"
Elder Xue pulled a long face and said with some displeasure, "I've lived to this ripe old age, yet I can't even do as I please? Am I supposed to carry regrets to my grave?"
Xue Er was left half-laughing and half-crying at these words. He wanted to persuade him further, but Elder Xue stubbornly picked up another nearby cup and poured himself another drink on his own initiative.
Su Hao watched Elder Xue closely for a moment, then raised a hand to stop him. "Elder Xue, Second Uncle Xue is right. You really shouldn't drink any more."
"Your complexion is somewhat swollen, and your forehead is unusually red. It doesn't look like a normal alcohol flush. Give me your hand, let me see what's going on."
Hearing that Su Hao wanted to take his pulse, Elder Xue repeatedly refused, saying, "No, no, no. This is just an old ailment, nothing worth looking at. The more you examine it, the more troublesome it gets."
Su Hao understood that the reason Elder Xue refused his diagnosis was because so many eyes were fixed on him at the moment. If he couldn't give a clear explanation later, or if he said something unpleasant, those people would inevitably nitpick.
Without wishing to rebuff Elder Xue's good intentions, Su Hao thought for a moment and said, "Fair enough. It's not really appropriate to discuss this at the dinner table. How about this, Elder Xue? When you have some free time later, I'll take a look at it for you."
In truth, he had already discerned that Elder Xue was suffering from liver cancer.
Moreover, the situation was not optimistic, and treating it would be extremely difficult!
What on earth were the members of the Xue family thinking? Why did they let Elder Xue eat meat and drink alcohol instead of sending him to the hospital for treatment?
"Alright, let's eat first. There will be plenty of time later," Elder Xue brushed it off.
Seeing that Elder Xue deliberately intended to conceal it, Su Hao didn't press the matter any further. After eating and drinking his fill with him, he and Xue Rou prepared to leave.
Before the two of them left, Elder Xue did not forget to instruct, "Remember to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau tomorrow to get your marriage certificate. Don't let an old man like me end up rejoicing over nothing!"
"Got it, Grandpa..."
Xue Rou's pretty face flushed slightly, her gaze darting away so she wouldn't have to look at Su Hao. Distractedly, she said to Shen Yue, "Mom, I leave Grandpa in the capable hands of you and Dad."
"You don't need to worry about that. Just go enjoy your world for two with Su Hao," Shen Yue said with a beaming smile, appearing thoroughly satisfied with the son-in-law her daughter had chosen.
"Keke, drive carefully tonight."
"Don't worry, Aunt Shen. As long as Rourou doesn't mess around in the car with her man, I—"
"Shut your trap!"
Before Song Keke could finish, her mouth was covered by Xue Rou, whose earlobes were burning red. Dragging and pulling her, Xue Rou hauled her into the car.
Amidst the playful bantering of the two young women, Shen Yue noticed the scratch marks on Song Keke's neck, and her expression turned somewhat grim.
It seemed that what Xue Rou had said about being ambushed on the road was true.
As for the culprits, nine times out of ten it was Xue Yi's household.
Seeing his wife standing there with a dark expression and refusing to move for a long time, Xue Er asked with some puzzlement, "What are you thinking about? Are you not satisfied with Su Hao?"
Hearing this, Shen Yue shot Xue Er a fierce glare.
"How could that be? Right now I just hate that I'm not young enough. Otherwise, a fine kid like Su Hao—I'd want to marry him myself! Why should I have let him go to waste on you?"
Xue Er gave an awkward laugh. "I also think the boy Su Hao is good. He knows how to protect our Rourou's dignity. I'm sure that after they get married, they'll live in harmony as a respectable couple."
"On that point, Su Hao does a much better job than you, her own father!" Shen Yue let out a cold snort. "Our daughter was stepped on right in her own face, yet you didn't have the guts to say a single word. You really are speechless!"
Xue Er lowered his head in a guilty silence.
Wasn't he the one who wanted to stand up for Xue Rou?
The crux of the matter was that he simply didn't possess the charm to make the old man dote on him the way Su Hao did!
………………
The night roads were brightly lit.
On the way, Song Keke suggested, "Rourou, it's still early. Why don't we go stroll around your company's neighborhood? The night view there is quite nice!"
Xue Rou knew that Song Keke wanted to give her and Su Hao more time to get along and understand each other.
Yet when she turned her head, she saw Su Hao leaning against the car window fast asleep, and she had no choice but to drop the idea.
"There's no rush for tonight. I can see he's pretty tired today, and he drank a good deal of alcohol besides. We should just head straight back so he can rest."
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, already starting to dote on him," Song Keke teased with a half-smile.
"I never took you for a career woman who's actually a traditional, domestic wife at heart."
"What are you talking about..."
Xue Rou stole a glance at Su Hao and, finding that he hadn't heard, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Actually, she was indeed the domestic, caring type of woman. If it weren't for the fact that her father struggled to shoulder responsibilities alone and her family's situation was hanging by a thread, she would never have wanted to thrust herself into the public eye and fight cutthroat battles outside.
"What? Are you embarrassed already? Then tonight, when the two of you share a bed, won't you pass out from shyness?"
"Wh—what sharing a bed? You—you're getting more and more out of hand!"
Song Keke continued her endless teasing, but Xue Rou had already conceded defeat.
"I'm not talking nonsense. Your apartment only has one bedroom fit to live in. If you two don't share a bed, what else are you going to do? Make him sleep in the wardrobe?"
"Isn't there a sofa? When the time comes, I'll give the master bedroom to him and sleep on the sofa myself," Xue Rou pouted.
"Alright, alright, stop talking. Su Hao is already asleep; don't wake him up."
Unable to withstand Song Keke's onslaught any longer, Xue Rou used Su Hao as an excuse to finally shut Song Keke up.
Fifteen minutes later, the three of them arrived at the single apartment.
Before parting ways, Song Keke lowered her voice and said to Xue Rou, "If you don't want to get pregnant and have a baby just yet, make sure you don't forget protection. Su Hao looks so strong, he might just hit the mark on the very first try."
"Shut your trap!"
With a burning hot face, Xue Rou hurriedly woke Su Hao, led him out of the car, and didn't even say goodbye to Song Keke.
Once inside, taking advantage of the moment Xue Rou went to pour some water, Su Hao took a stroll around the apartment.
What attracted him most was Xue Rou's boudoir, which was filled with a pink, girlish aesthetic and permeated with a subtle feminine fragrance.
Especially the open wardrobe, where various pairs of small undergarments hung, looking intensely alluring.
"She seems like such a quiet girl, yet her inner wear is so bold."
Su Hao clicked his tongue, his eyes sweeping past a black hollowed-out item on the pillow, and wondered, "What is this? An eye mask? It even has a milky scent!"
As he spoke, he slipped it over his eyes, finding the size to be a perfect fit.
"Ah! You, you, you... what are you doing?!"
Suddenly, a shriek rang out from behind Su Hao.
He pulled the eye mask down and looked at Xue Rou, whose face was so flushed she looked ready to drip blood, wearing a puzzled expression.
"Trying on an eye mask. What's wrong?"
Xue Rou's eye twitched. "You're using that as an eye mask?"
"What else?"
With a beet-red face, Xue Rou snatched the 'eye mask' right out of Su Hao's hand and stamped her foot in a frenzy of embarrassment and anger.
"This is personal underwear!!!"
Chapter 7: My Wife Is Busy Sleeping With Me
"Huh?"
Su Hao froze for a moment, looking first bewildered and then enlightened.
No wonder it smelled so milky; after all that fuss, it was actually intimate underwear.
"Well... forgive my shallow experience for mistaking an inner-use item for an outer-use one. My apologies."
"Let this be the last time!"
Pouting and humming, Xue Rou swiftly hid the small undergarment away.
"Strange, why does this apartment of yours only have one bed?" Su Hao changed the subject.
"I used to live alone, so I turned the second bedroom into a study. That's why there's only one bed..."
Xue Rou tapped her fingers together and whispered, "I'm sorry, the apartment I rented is a bit small. Just make do with it for tonight."
"It's fine, I can sleep on the sofa," Su Hao didn't mind.
During his years guarding the sea borders, he used to sleep right on top of corpses every day; having a sofa to sleep on was a heavenly blessing.
Xue Rou explained, "I meant that I'll sleep on the sofa, and you can take the bed."
"There's no reason to let my wife sleep on the sofa," Su Hao gestured, rejecting Xue Rou's proposal. "Got a towel? I'm going to take a shower."
"Yes, I'll get it for you."
Blushing, Xue Rou rummaged through a storage cabinet and fished out a brand-new towel along with a pair of disposable slippers.
"My wife is so obedient."
Su Hao patted Xue Rou on the head, but before he could step into the bathroom, the ringing of a mobile phone interrupted him.
Xue Rou glanced at the caller ID, and her expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Before Su Hao could ask what was going on, Xue Rou handed the phone over to him.
"Can you answer this call for me? Just say that you picked up the phone and don't know where the owner is."
Seeing the name 'Qian Duoduo' flashing on the screen, Su Hao seemed to understand something.
"Is this your suitor?"
Xue Rou gave a bitter smile. "Pretty much. He's been pestering me for half a year now like a plaster dog; you just can't shake him off."
"Fine. Seeing as my wife is so cute, I'll reluctantly do you this favor." Under Xue Rou's reproachful gaze, Su Hao pressed the answer button.
"Rourou, my brother is hosting a banquet tonight and I'm missing a female companion. Can you come with me?"
Just when Xue Rou expected Su Hao to help her lie, she heard Su Hao raise his voice.
"No can do, my wife is busy sleeping with me."
With this single, short sentence, Qian Duoduo on the other end of the line was blasted into a daze.
Not only him—Xue Rou was dumbfounded as well.
That's not how the script is supposed to go!
Shouldn't Su Hao be helping her cover up?
What kind of wild and ferocious talk was this?!
Before she could say anything, Qian Duoduo exploded on the other end of the line. "Who the hell are you calling your wife? What kind of nobody are you? How dare you answer Rourou's phone? Have you got a death wish?!"
"I have no interest in talking nonsense with you. Kindly stay away from my wife from now on. Thanks for your cooperation."
With that, Su Hao hung up the call.
Yet within seconds, Qian Duoduo called back.
This time, Su Hao didn't humor him at all. He answered the call and launched into a lecture, cursing Qian Duoduo from head to toe before hanging up.
"Qian Duoduo is very petty. If you damage his pride like this, he'll definitely cause you trouble later," Xue Rou worriedly said.
"When dealing with shameless people like that, you have to use these tactics. The more polite you are to them, the more they think they have a chance," Su Hao said dismissively.
"I'm the least afraid of trouble. If he dares to come looking for trouble, I'll make sure he learns what the consequences are for harassing my wife."
Thinking of Su Hao's martial prowess, Xue Rou felt her inner worries dissipate quite a bit.
"Don't go beating him to death, though. Qian Duoduo is the young master of the Qian family, and our company has quite close business ties with theirs. If he gets angry and cuts off our cooperation, it'll cause a huge problem for the company..."
"To forge iron, your own hammer must be hard. If your company's product quality is top-notch, who else is he going to buy from if not you?"
Su Hao waved his hand dismissively and said, "If he really gets so angry over failing to woo you that he terminates the cooperation, the one who should have a headache isn't you, but his own father. Raising a good-for-nothing playboy like that—will he dare to hand over the family business to him in the future?"
With that, Su Hao added, "Besides, your husband is no decoration. I can solve any problem for you. What's a tiny little business partnership?"
"Alright, alright, I know you're amazing," Xue Rou couldn't help but chuckle, urging him, "Hurry up and take a shower. Put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket when you're done, and I'll wash them for you."
"It's great having a diligent wife."
Happily, Su Hao walked into the bathroom to wash away the day's exhaustion.
When he came out, Xue Rou was browsing short videos, letting out gasps of surprise from time to time.
Su Hao walked over and took a closer look.
[Shocking news! The overseas top intelligence agency 'Omniscient Hall' breaks a major story: A biological company in the US is researching bat viruses and actually using human subjects for experiments!]
"So cruel..."
Even though the video was censored, Xue Rou still felt a bit nauseated after watching it.
"The Omniscient Hall hasn't even released the truly cruel parts yet." Su Hao sat down beside her, drying his damp hair with a towel.
"How do you know?"
Faced with Xue Rou's curiosity, Su Hao smiled. "I founded the Omniscient Hall. How could I not know?"
"Pfft~"
Seeing Su Hao talking nonsense with a straight face, Xue Rou couldn't help laughing out loud.
"I couldn't tell, you're quite the humorist."
"Still, you shouldn't go around spouting nonsense like that outside. After all, the Omniscient Hall gathers the world's top intelligence experts and possesses immense connections and authority. Even an unqualified intelligence operative expelled from the Omniscient Hall would be a top-tier intelligence tycoon back in the country, someone whose single word could decide a person's life or death."
"Talk is cheap, but listeners take it to heart. What would happen if people found out you were trying to freeload off the Omniscient Hall's reputation is unthinkable."
Su Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Is it really that exaggerated?"
"Not exaggerated at all. Last year, an intelligence operative from the Omniscient Hall came to Jinling, and the Jinling Chamber of Commerce set up a banquet of ten thousand tables just to host him. Every single person with any standing in Jinling went. I still remember that grand spectacle."
Xue Rou sighed in awe, adding, "I wonder when I'll ever become a big shot like that."
"Simple. I'll just make a call to the Omniscient Hall and have them let you join."
Su Hao's words made Xue Rou's expression turn strange.
"It looks like you really drank too much with Grandpa tonight; you're already talking nonsense."
"Sit here for a bit. Once I finish my shower, I'll make the bed for you so you can get a good rest."
Watching Xue Rou's retreating figure, Su Hao shrugged helplessly.
"These days, nobody believes you even when you tell the truth!"
He took out his phone and dialed a number.
The phone rang only once before the person on the other end eagerly picked it up.
"Oh, my goodness, my Brother Hao, you finally contacted me."
"It's been over half a year since our last call. If you hadn't given the strict order forbidding anyone in the Omniscient Hall from contacting you, our collective yearning would have blown your phone up."
"Brother Hao, please come back. I can't bear being this Hall Master for even a single day longer. Right now, I'm the only male in the entire Omniscient Hall; I even go to sleep feeling like someone's about to violate me. Do you understand that kind of..."
"Shut your mouth!"
Su Hao rubbed his temples, truly unable to handle this chatterbox.
"Did you find out about my background?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the tone of the person on the other end instantly turned solemn.
"We dug up some clues, but because someone deliberately covered up the information, it's not very detailed."
Su Hao was a man of few words: "Let's hear it."
"Back then, Immortal Master Gu went down the mountain in search of medicine and passed through Qili Village, where the entire village caught fire. Risking his life, he rescued an old man and a young boy from the flames—namely, Xue Kangning and you."
Su Hao was startled.
Because Xue Kangning was none other than Elder Xue.
"Why would I be with him?"
"Apologies, Brother Hao, we haven't been able to find the reason yet. Information back in those days was scarce, there were no surveillance cameras, and since the entire village was swallowed by the fire, practically no clues were left behind," came the apologetic voice from the other end.
"Don't worry, though. I'll immediately send people to make contact with Xue Kangning and extract the intelligence from his own mouth."
"I'll handle Xue Kangning's end personally. You go investigate other intelligence."
Su Hao ended the call, gazed out at the night scenery beyond the window, and a touched smile appeared on his face.
He finally understood: his master sending him down the mountain to fulfill the engagement was fake; finding out the truth, avenging his grievances, and fulfilling a long-cherished wish was the real goal.