The Prime Minister’s Little Wife

Chapter 60: Regret

In the room, Xu Zhizhi’s gaze lingered on Xiao Jingheng with an enigmatic expression.

Xiao Jingheng felt a chill run down his spine under her scrutiny and asked, “Zhizhi, what’s wrong?”

“Xiao Jingheng, you’re something else!” Xu Zhizhi’s smile grew brighter and brighter.

She had woken up to see Xiao Jingheng, so after washing her face, she hadn’t bothered to darken her skin again.

Her small face was fair with a rosy tint, but Xu Honghua, who had been in a rage, hadn’t noticed.

She had assumed Xu Zhizhi was still the same dark and skinny girl from before.

Xu Zhizhi smiled and said, “Have you always been like this? Wherever you go, you attract attention. If I had known you were such a sought-after peach blossom, I would never have agreed to marry you.”

“Zhizhi, what are you talking about…”

Xiao Jingheng instinctively took a step forward.

Although Xu Zhizhi’s smile was radiant, like a blooming flower, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something dangerous behind it.

This flower wasn’t a peony—it was more like a man-eating plant…

Xu Zhizhi continued to smile:

“Don’t you know? Xu Honghua is the village belle of Qili Village! Look at how determined she is to win you over, how eager she is! And she’s only met you once! Just one meeting, and she’s already head over heels! Tsk tsk… Didn’t your heart flutter when you saw that beautiful face of hers? You don’t even remember your past. Were there even more stunning women chasing after you back then?”

Xu Zhizhi had initially intended to tease him, but the more she spoke, the more she found herself getting angry.

The thought of this man’s noble status and the fact that Luocheng was filled with beautiful women made her increasingly uncomfortable. A fire burned in her heart.

Driven by a sudden boldness, she stood on her tiptoes, lifted the man’s chin, and snorted, “Look at you. Why do you have to be so handsome? All you do is attract attention…”

Before she could finish, Xiao Jingheng suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

The man’s flustered face suddenly revealed a sly smile.

“Zhizhi, you’re jealous.”

“Who’s jealous? I’m happy. From now on, you don’t have to work off your debt at my house. Go find someone beautiful and obedient. I wonder if there’s someone like that in your family.”

“There is indeed a gentle and stunningly beautiful woman in my family.”

Xu Zhizhi’s eyes widened, and she instantly bristled like an angry cat, wanting to slap him across the face.

“I knew it! You haven’t lost your memory, and yet you said you wanted to marry me? Go back, go back. If I stop you, my name isn’t Xu Zhizhi.”

“Ha ha ha ha!”

Xiao Jingheng suddenly burst into laughter, both amused and fascinated as he looked at the girl in his arms.

“You say you’re not jealous, but look how angry you are!”

He leaned down, his voice husky as he whispered in Xu Zhizhi’s ear, “Zhizhi, are you jealous? The person I’m talking about is you! You’re the only one for me!”

His gaze lingered on the girl’s exquisite face. At this moment, her skin was fair and tender, with a rosy glow that made him want to take a bite.

Before Xiao Jingheng could regain his senses, his lips had already landed on her cheek.

Xu Zhizhi’s face instantly turned bright red, and she jumped back three feet.

Without waiting for Xiao Jingheng to react, she bolted out the door.

Her face was red all the way to her neck, her heart pounding with a mix of anger, embarrassment, and some indescribable emotion.

Xiao Wu had just watched his cousin Honghua run off crying and had gleefully chased after her to see what was going on. But Xu Honghua ran too fast, and his short legs couldn’t keep up.

When he returned, he saw his sister standing there with a flushed face.

“Sister, are you sick? Why is your face so red?”

“No, I’m just tired from working. I came out to drink some water,” Xu Zhizhi said calmly.

Xiao Wu quickly scurried off to fetch water: “Sister, you’re tired. Take a break. I’ll get you some water.”

Xiao Jingheng, who had chased after her, heard Xu Zhizhi’s soft, sweet voice and looked at her stunningly beautiful face.

His heart softened, and his eyes unconsciously filled with affection.

He took the cup of water from Xiao Wu and brought it to Xu Zhizhi’s lips, his voice gentle as water: “Drink up.”

Xu Zhizhi didn’t fuss and drank the entire cup of water from his hand.

The deep affection and tenderness that naturally flowed from Xiao Jingheng’s eyes made Xu Zhizhi blush even more.

Looking at her profile, if it weren’t for Xiao Wu’s presence, Xiao Jingheng would have kissed her without a second thought.

The Xu Zhizhi he knew had always been this gentle and kind. She had become the most important part of his life, something he could never let go of.

A person’s excellence and upbringing couldn’t be hidden—they always showed in subtle ways.

As for the villagers saying she was arrogant and domineering, they simply didn’t know how to appreciate her, just like how people in Luocheng said he was a good-for-nothing playboy…

Meanwhile, Xu Honghua ran all the way home, crying as she went. She wouldn’t go to her uncle’s new house, where many workers would side with Xu Zhizhi.

She didn’t want anyone to know about Xu Zhizhi’s scandalous relationship with that man.

Her cousin from her aunt’s family had once said he liked her, but now she looked down on that honest and simple-minded cousin!

She needed to find a way to marry Xu Zhizhi off to her cousin. That way, Brother Xiao would be hers.

In the past, Xu Honghua would never have thought this way. She had believed Xu Zhizhi wasn’t good enough for her cousin.

She had once thought her cousin was a great match—his family was well-off, and they lived in town.

But now that she had found someone better, she decided to do a good deed and pair her cousin with Xu Zhizhi!

With this thought, Xu Honghua’s mood improved significantly.

The fourth daughter of the Xu family had married into a village two villages away, a day’s journey from Qili Village.

Aunt Xu’s husband had started as a traveling merchant but had gradually opened a shop in their town selling rice, oil, salt, and other groceries.

When Xu Dahu got married, Aunt Xu and her husband had brought their youngest son.

They had a horse-drawn carriage and had left after the meal.

The last time Xu Zhizhi’s family had started building their house, they had invited Aunt Xu’s family. Because of the long journey, they had stayed overnight after the meal.

The old Xu house was too run-down, so Aunt Xu’s family had stayed at Second Uncle and Third Uncle’s houses.

Aunt Xu had two sons and two daughters. Her husband and the two boys had stayed at Third Uncle’s house, while Aunt Xu and her two daughters had stayed at Second Uncle’s.

At that time, before meeting Xiao Jingheng, Xu Honghua had thought her cousin’s family was impressive—they lived in town, had a carriage, and owned a shop. She had been very enthusiastic toward her cousin.

Aunt Xu’s husband was surnamed Xie. Their eldest son, Xie Jiaqi, was seventeen, honest and straightforward, with delicate features resembling his mother’s.

Seeing Xu Honghua’s graceful and beautiful appearance and her warm demeanor, he had been completely smitten.

The two had been deeply infatuated with each other, almost to the point of secretly pledging their lives together.

Now, thinking back, Xu Honghua regretted it. How could she have been interested in such an ordinary cousin?

(End of Chapter)