WN:TRMSHADSW 27

If she had a man she liked, he would still let her be free.
Thinking this, he felt a bit of a heartache.

“From now on, don’t casually kiss other men.”
Jiang Heng warned harshly.

“Other men? Are you considered ‘other men’?”
Su Jin was puzzled. He was clearly her husband—they had a marriage certificate and he was even on her household register!

“I’ve got a marriage certificate with you, and I’m on your household register. Does that count as someone else?”
Jiang Heng suddenly understood, stopping his movements.

Of course—their marriage was officially settled. The certificate was already issued.
If she were to change partners later, it would be even more complicated for her.
So that made him the rightful husband. From now on, no matter who came looking for her, she would stay by his side.

Thinking this, he felt much better.
He told Su Jin plainly: he wasn’t anyone else; he was her partner.

Jiang Heng sat down heavily at the edge of the bed.
“You also need to remember—don’t do this in broad daylight.”

Su Jin got up and leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing over his neck.
“What do you call this?”

Jiang Heng straightened her shoulders, “Do I need to say it more clearly? Not in the daytime. Being seen by others would corrupt public morals.”

Su Jin murmured in protest, “Nowadays society allows young people to freely fall in love.”

Jiang Heng kept his back straight, unmoving like a mountain.
Today, he spoke so uprightly; yet, later, he would act differently.

“That still won’t do. No more of this in the future!”
He warned again, even more seriously.

Su Jin paid no attention to his words.
“Alright, alright. You said it twice already.”

Jiang Heng seemed casual, but he was carefully observing her every word and gesture.
Had he just been too rough?
He felt even more uneasy.
Would the little lady be in pain?

He looked at her, “Did it hurt just now?”

Su Jin paused, then covered her backside.
“Very much! You’re so mean!”

Jiang Heng panicked, remembering that when he struck, it looked harsh but he hadn’t actually used much force—just a light tap.

“You’re so sensitive. Did it really hurt?”
Su Jin immediately retorted, “How can you compare your strength with mine? Look at you, a big, strong man. I’m tiny! You may think it wasn’t much, but a single hit and I hurt for a long time!”

Jiang Heng fumbled, realizing she was right.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Su Jin nodded in satisfaction. Good—he admitted his mistake quickly.

His wife was delicate and weak, looking incapable, and the physical strength difference between men and women was huge. What he considered light force felt strong to her.

Jiang Heng lowered his head and took some medicinal oil from the bedside cabinet.
“Turn around!”

Su Jin looked puzzled. Jiang Heng, however, was blushing.
“Why turn around?”

He shook the bottle of oil, “You said it hurt, right? Come on, I’ll apply some medicine now.”

“No, no! I wasn’t really hurt. Why apply anything?”

Su Jin knew he hadn’t used much force; there was no way she was injured.
Jiang Heng assumed she felt embarrassed, since applying the oil required removing pants. She must be shy.

He “considerately” stepped outside, “If you really feel embarrassed, the oil is on the table. If you need help, call me.”
After saying that, he closed the door and stood by it like a wall.

Su Jin picked up the oil, “I wasn’t even hurt. Why would I need this?”

Yet, Su Jin was puzzled.
She had only kissed Jiang Heng on the chin—why was he so sensitive about it now?
Was it that he disliked her? But that couldn’t be. If he disliked her, he wouldn’t have saved her when she fell into the water.
So why was he like this?

Su Jin had clearly forgotten their verbal agreement that night and didn’t understand what was bothering Jiang Heng.
Whenever they were together, she even complained that he was as tight-lipped as if his mouth were stitched.

Su Jin flopped onto the bed, tossing the oil into the cabinet.
She didn’t need it anyway.

Still puzzled, she frowned in frustration on the bed.

Jiang Heng treated her well—his tone might have been stern, but he was very meticulous in small ways.
He certainly wasn’t cruel!
So why was he like this?

Thinking this, Su Jin fell asleep on the bed, letting out soft, cute snores. Her side profile made one forget the terrible environment around her.

Jiang Heng thought the same when he entered the room.
He stepped lightly, adjusted Su Jin’s position, and took the bedside fan to cool her down.

Su Jin slept for a long time, and the sky gradually darkened.

“Woof! Woof!”
A little black-faced puppy with floppy ears barked at the side of her bed.
Its brown, moist eyes looked clever, already adjusting to the new environment.
It knew its owner was lying on the bed.
Its tail wagged like a propeller as it barked cutely.

Su Jin opened her eyes and rubbed them.
Why did she hear a puppy? Had she missed having a dog?

She remembered her German Shepherd, Heibei, whom she had raised for over three months in the modern world. Later, it was cruelly killed. When she found it, it was barely alive.

“Plop~”
Su Jin’s eyes reddened unconsciously, tears sliding onto her hands.

“Woof! Woof!”
The tiny puppy’s innocent cries made Su Jin look down—and there it was: a little dog.

“Ah!”
Su Jin covered her mouth in delight. This was Heibei!
And it even looked remarkably like the one she raised in the modern world.

She jumped off the bed, hugged it, and carefully checked the fur pattern.
Indeed, even the small eyebrow-like markings were identical.

Overjoyed, Su Jin cried tears of happiness.
“It must be you, coming back for me, right?”

The puppy wagged its tail furiously, nuzzling her warmly.
Su Jin hurriedly wiped her tears and said, “From now on, you’ll be called Xiao Bei.”

Jiang Heng hid by the window, watching Su Jin hold and kiss the puppy.
It was clear she was very happy.

Su Jin quickly put on her shoes, hugged the puppy, and dashed out.
“Jiang Heng, did you bring this puppy?”
Though she already knew, she still asked. If not for him, how could she continue her bond with Heibei?

“Yeah. I went to the neighboring village. Their police dog gave birth, so I asked for one along the way.”

Su Jin spun in joy, “Thank you!”
Then she hugged the puppy and ran off to one side.

Earlier, Jiang Heng had run into Sister Ji when returning from the oil workshop at noon.
She told him about Su Jin wanting a dog today, and Jiang Heng had made a mental note.