Chapter 19: Kindness Unleashed the Beast, He Probably Thought She Enjoyed It

Chapter 19: Kindness Unleashed the Beast, He Probably Thought She Enjoyed It

The weather these past two days had been unusual; the room was like a sealed jar, unbearably stuffy.

Just like last night, her husband quickly made her feel uneasy.

She told him to turn off the lights, but he ignored her, refusing to comply.

He noticed the bruises and asked, "Where did those come from?"

"From your mouth."

Lin Yufan, faced with his probing, was at a loss for words and chose not to respond.

Zhao Zhiao quickly caught on, feeling a twinge of guilt, and became more careful. This only made Lin Yufan feel more uneasy.

But his guilt was short-lived; as soon as he got into the mood, he snapped Lin Yufan out of her reverie.

She was a mess, but he kept his robe neatly tied, playing the part of the hypocritical gentleman.

She tried to restrain him, but she was no match for his strength, her hands quivering. The room was sweltering, so hot that she began to hallucinate, feeling like she was on a giant white snake, tumbling into boiling water. She couldn't help herself, wishing she could wring his neck.

Finally, she relaxed. Remembering last night, she had laid down a towel, planning to wash it herself in the morning to keep the maids from prying.

A gust of wind blew in from behind, lifting the curtain and sneaking into the room.

He seized the moment, moving up to her lips. His breath hit her face, and she caught a familiar scent. Realizing the source of the scent, she turned away in disgust, refusing his kiss.

But he grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, and with a raised eyebrow, asked, "Your own, won't you taste it?"

"You brute!" she snapped.

As soon as her lips parted, his tongue darted in, dominating her mouth before he finally released her.

Lin Yufan tasted nothing but felt her lips go numb, nearly suffocated by his intensity.

Zhao Yunjie never kissed her like this. He was even worse than Zhao Yunjie, not daring to undress during intimacy, all show and no substance, pretending to be a macho man.

It was almost pitiful, really.

Feeling a pang of pity, her hand caressing the back of his neck softened.

But her gentleness unleashed the beast; he probably thought she was into it.

With just his skilled lips and tongue, as if naturally gifted, he set her ablaze, sending her over the edge.

Afterwards, Lin Yufan couldn't help but think, he hadn't even undressed; she was clearly shortchanged.

*

Lin Yufan was startled awake in the middle of the night.

A loud "bang" came from outside the window, and she sat up, unsure what had happened.

The curtains were billowing, and the wind howled in her ears.

Zhao Zhiao had already gotten out of bed to close the window.

"Why is there such strong wind?" she asked.

"It must be a typhoon."

Although Haicheng is by the sea, its unique location makes it less prone to typhoons.

"Go to sleep, nothing will happen." He always spoke without emotion.

Jinghua Building, a newly built Western-style mansion, can handle typhoons just fine.

Lin Yufan listened to the howling wind outside and couldn’t sleep at all. Zhao Zhiao slept very quietly, so she didn’t dare to move around.

She only dozed off as dawn approached.

When she woke up, it was already seven o’clock, and the pillow beside her was empty. Zhao Zhiao had already gotten up and gone out.

From the sound of it, the wind and rain hadn’t let up.

Lin Yufan got up and pulled open the curtains. The garden was a wreck—flowers and trees knocked over, some uprooted, with branches and leaves scattered everywhere.

Worried the wind might shatter the glass, she didn’t linger by the window. She only took the towel that had been soiled the previous night to the bathroom.

When she went in, she found the water was out.

As she fretted, Gui Xiang and a maid arrived with a full bucket of water.

"Miss Lin, the water and electricity are out everywhere. This typhoon is terrifying."

Lin Yufan asked, "Where did the water come from?"

"There’s a well in the back garden. We drew a few buckets for now."

After washing up and hanging the towel, Lin Yufan chose a light-colored qipao from the wardrobe. She slipped into the bathroom to change, avoiding Gui Xiang.

Gui Xiang tidied up the bed and came to comb Lin Yufan’s hair: "I heard them say that because of the typhoon today, ships can’t leave the port. Your husband’s departure might be delayed."

Lin Yufan had expected this. "How long will it be delayed?" she asked.

Gui Xiang wasn’t sure.

Lin Yufan hoped he’d leave soon. Only then could she move forward with her plans.

"Where is he?"

"Your husband is in the study talking with Shen Te."

Once she’d finished her makeup, Lin Yufan stepped out. Passing the study, she heard voices but didn’t interrupt and headed downstairs.

Wang Junyao stood at the kitchen door, sampling the freshly baked crab roe buns. Seeing Lin Yufan come downstairs, she smiled and walked over: "No wonder it felt so stifling last night—a typhoon was on its way. It was terrifying. I barely slept, worried the windows might shatter. Luckily, our windows are new. I saw many across the street had theirs blown out."

Lin Yufan also said, "I haven’t seen a typhoon this bad in years."

Every time a disaster like this strikes, someone suffers.

"Yes, the last time a typhoon hit, we hadn’t yet driven out the Japanese. Now that the wind has stopped, I wonder when the rain will stop. They say that even after the wind stops, the rain will continue for two or three days."

Lin Yufan was even more worried, not knowing how many days Zhao Zhiao would be delayed.

"It shouldn’t rain for two or three days, right?" she worried.

"We can’t control Heaven’s will. Luckily, we’ve got enough food at home, so skipping groceries for a couple of days won’t hurt. Come and have breakfast. I had the kitchen make crab roe buns. Come and try them."

The maid brought out a large plate of steaming crab roe buns and placed them on the table. The aroma was indeed enticing.

In addition to crab roe buns, there are also crab roe noodles, steamed crab with eggs...

Though both are part of the Zhao family, the Fifth Branch’s meals are far superior to the Second Branch’s.

Lin Yufan had not yet had a chance to sit down when she heard a noise from the staircase. Turning around, she saw Zhao Lixiang coming downstairs.

Wang Junyao glanced at her son and teased him with a hint of annoyance, "The sun must be rising from the west—you’re up so early!"

Zhao Lixiang had intended to get up early to see Zhao Zhiao off, but unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate.

He shook his head, looking completely defeated, and asked, "When’s this rain gonna stop?"

"It’s not gonna let up anytime soon."

Lin Yufan asked, "Do you still have to head to the newspaper office?"

Work was the least of his worries; Zhao Lixiang just wanted to get his annoying older brother out of the house as soon as possible.

He replied vaguely, "Probably. I’ll figure it out later."

Wang Junyao urged Lin Yufan to sit down and eat, while turning back to instruct, "Zhang Ma, take a plate of crab roe buns and a bowl of crab roe noodles to the study for the Eldest Master. Make sure there’s more broth and fewer noodles, and don’t forget to skip the cilantro."

Zhang Ma responded, "It’s already been taken care of."

Lin Yufan had a small bowl of egg yolk noodles and a small serving of steamed crab with eggs. She and Wang Junyao split half the crab roe buns.

The luggage Zhao Zhiao was to take with him had already been piled at the entrance last night, now standing out like a sore thumb.

She was just about to inquire when Zhao Zhiao would leave, but Zhao Lixiang, more anxious than her, had already asked, "How many days has my brother’s ship been delayed?"

"I heard it’s two days, maybe three—hard to say."

"That long?!"

Zhao Lixiang and Lin Yufan both sighed silently in their hearts.

Wang Junyao observed her son’s expression and couldn’t help but nag, "Your brother went to a lot of trouble to set up this internship for you. With work experience here, when you go to Hong Kong, you can say you have experience in Haicheng, and you won’t need to intern at the newspaper office there; you can directly work as an editor. You need to do a good job at work—don’t make your brother look bad. Showing up at work only at noon every day isn’t right."

Zhao Lixiang ate half a crab roe bun in one bite and remained silent.

Seeing her son completely ignoring her, Wang Junyao said as if talking to herself, "If you’re tired of my nagging, I’ll stop, okay?"

She only ever got tough with her son.

With others, she was always kind.

After eating his fill, Zhao Lixiang finally said casually, "Everyone shows up at noon—who’s gonna see me in the morning?"

Wang Junyao looked at Lin Yufan and laughed, "They say newspaper work is hectic, but I’ve never seen anyone so relaxed."

Lin Yufan knew Zhao Lixiang wasn’t telling the truth, but she didn’t expose him and just smiled, "It’s just an internship—getting the hang of the basics is enough."

"True," Wang Junyao sipped her noodle soup, "This soup is amazing—have some more."

After breakfast, the wind and rain outside started to let up.

But the power was still out.

Guests started showing up at the house one after another, all meeting with Zhao Zhiao in the study to discuss business.

By evening, Lin Yufan went to bed, but there were still guests in his study.

She woke up in the middle of the night, surrounded by complete darkness, with no moon or garden streetlights. She couldn’t see her hand in front of her face.

She felt around the side of the pillow, but no one was there.

Lin Yufan got up in the darkness and lit a candle, and saw it was already past four on her watch.

It seemed Zhao Zhiao had worked late and had slept in the study.

Around six in the morning, Lin Yufan was awakened by the sound of water in the bathroom.

The faucet had been left on all night, and it seemed the water had come back.

She got up to check the power, but there was still no electricity.

She stood up, rubbing her sore shoulders, hearing a noise at the door. Turning around, she saw Gui Xiang pushing the door open.

Gui Xiang handed her a newspaper eagerly and said, "Miss, take a look at this. Tie Long went out early to get it."

Lin Yufan took the Guangming Daily and walked to the window for light. Finally, she spotted her article in the corner of the fourth page.

Great!

She had mentally prepared herself; if it didn’t work out, she’d change her approach and try again, submitting to multiple newspapers and editors at the same time.

If her regular submissions didn’t make it, she’d stick to the original plan and send a complaint letter. She’d list the newspapers and editors who rejected her in the complaint letter. Eventually, some editors would be afraid to see their names in it and would have to publish her letter.

If the newspaper route didn’t work out, she’d send a complaint letter straight to the investigation team.

Once the investigation team started looking into it, Zhao Lijie and his brother wouldn’t get away.

Gui Xiang watched Lin Yufan’s expression and asked, surprised, "Miss, did it work?"

Lin Yufan put away the newspaper, "It’s published, but this is just the start."

Gui Xiang didn’t understand what the miss was up to, only knowing that this matter had to be kept secret.

*

Due to the power outage, the printing house used a generator to print last night. Zhao Lixiang went over to help keep an eye on things and didn’t return until the newspapers were out for sale.

He came home and fell asleep immediately, not knowing how many hours he slept. He woke up hungry, got up, and prepared to go downstairs to eat.

Passing by the study, he noticed the door was open. Zhao Lixiang tiptoed over, only to be called in by his brother.

"Zhao Lixiang, come in here!"

Glancing back into the room, he saw his brother sitting at the table eating noodles and reading the newspaper. Zhao Lixiang had to force a smile, "Brother, what's the matter?"

Zhao Zhiao glared at him and pointed to the photos on the table, "Is this your photography skill?"

Looking at the stack of photos on the table, the brides were all captured beautifully, while the grooms either had their eyes closed, only half their faces, or even just half an ear.

Zhao Lixiang tried hard to hold back his laughter but couldn't help it; he laughed a few times.

"You're still laughing?!"

Seeing his brother angry, Zhao Lixiang could only play innocent, "My skill is just like this, my hand shook, what could I do? I didn't do it on purpose."

"Listen to what you're saying, every sentence starts with 'I', two sentences and four 'I's. It seems there's no one else in your heart but yourself. Family, elder brother, they don't exist, do they?"

Faced with his elder brother's relentless fault-finding, Zhao Lixiang dared not argue back, "I'll take new photos for you another day."

"For us?" Zhao Zhiao's voice was not loud, but it carried a strong sense of authority.

Zhao Lixiang had to yield, "For you and my sister-in-law."

"It's good you remember she's your sister-in-law. Don't do such childish things again, and that night when you played music in the middle of the night, if I weren't in a good mood, I would have beaten you up!"

You were in a good mood?

Of course, you were in a good mood on your wedding night!

Zhao Zhiao stared at his brother's unpredictable face, scolding him with disappointment, "All you care about is frivolous romances, with no drive whatsoever..."

"How can you say I have no drive?"

Zhao Zhiao tapped the newspaper on the table, "For three consecutive days, I haven't seen your name in Guangming Daily."

"I took wedding leave for your ceremony!"

"What? You took wedding leave?" Zhao Zhiao's sarcasm was thick, "I took one day off for my wedding, not three days. How could you not write a single article?"

Zhao Lixiang swallowed hard, trying to defend himself, "I'm just an intern. They don't publish everything I write."

"That just proves you're not putting in enough effort. Look at this article, is it profound? A straightforward story, and you can't even write that?"

Zhao Lixiang glanced at the article his brother pointed to, the author was named Si Mu, whom he didn't know, but he could immediately fabricate, "That's the pen name of a renowned writer, how can I compare?"

"Which renowned writer?"

"..." Zhao Lixiang's eyes shifted, "How should I know? It's kept secret. Is this something a small intern like me can know?"

To show he was telling the truth, he added, "If you want to know, go find out yourself! This is edited by Qin Hai, don't you know him? Go ask him yourself."

Zhao Zhiao couldn't really go ask, so he changed the topic, "I still need to leave today. You should pay more attention to Mom and your sister-in-law at home. Next month when you all leave for Hong Kong, as the male member of the family, you need to take good care of them on the way."

Zhao Lixiang thought Zhao Zhiao would stay at home for a few more days, he was a bit surprised, "Yesterday there was a typhoon, isn't the port still shut today?"

"I have some matters to attend to in Nanjing, I'll go there first, then fly back to Hong Kong from Nanjing."

Zhao Lixiang held back his excitement and quickly agreed.

Downstairs, Lin Yufan and Wang Junyao reorganized Zhao Zhiao's luggage, some to go to Nanjing, most to be taken by the servants to Hong Kong by boat when the port opens in a couple of days.

Lin Yufan was also full of joy, she got what she wished for. Despite the severe typhoon, Zhao Zhiao was only delayed for a day.

Outside, the sun was out, servants were cleaning up fallen branches in the yard, electricians were repairing the circuits, everything was so beautiful.

Before leaving, Zhao Zhiao didn't speak to Lin Yufan, only instructed the butler, "Madam and your sister-in-law can buy whatever they wish, as for the second young master, starting this month, he's limited to spending his own salary. Also, ensure the safety of the household, everyone should minimize going out."

A few simple sentences, everything was clearly arranged.

Zhao Lixiang didn't care, if the family accountant withheld his allowance, his mother would provide it.

Lin Yufan also thought Zhao Zhiao's main point was to curb the second young master's expenses, while she was to "minimize going out."

Zhao Zhiao finally looked back at her, Lin Yufan had to politely say, "Take care on your journey."

He nodded slightly and got into the car.

Wang Junyao leaned over to remind Shen Te in the passenger seat, "When you return to Hong Kong, remember to send a telegram to report your safety."

Watching the car drive away from Jinghua Garden, Lin Yufan raised her hand to shield her forehead from the sun. For some reason, she felt a deep sense of relief.

*

Due to the typhoon, many tiles on the Second Branch's roof had been blown off and scattered.

Specialized workers were hired to gather the roof tiles, while the courtyard was filled with clothes and bedding drying in the sun.

The First Madam stood in the courtyard watching her son and daughter-in-law air out books, with Second Aunt also helping nearby.

Jian Suzhen came down from upstairs, followed by Sang Zi and Hong Yu carrying bed sheets to dry.

"Sister-in-law, could you have them fix our roof tiles first? I'm afraid it might rain again this afternoon and really soak everything in our room."

The First Madam looked at the sunny courtyard, "With such bright sunshine, where’s the rain supposed to come from? After they finish fixing the old lady's roof, they'll go to yours."

Jian Suzhen had no choice; on such a clear day, there was indeed no rush.

She muttered under her breath, "Ah, today’s the third day of the wedding return visit, and at this hour, there's still no movement. It seems our Fourth Madam has completely brushed us off."

The First Madam snorted, "Whether she’d return should’ve been confirmed yesterday, but she didn’t even bother to respond."

Second Aunt, being a bit more kind-hearted, tried to mediate, "Zhao Zhiao has returned to Hong Kong, hasn't he? With Lin Yufan alone, she definitely wouldn't return."

The First Madam pursed her lips, "Didn’t Zhao Zhiao leave in the middle of such a big typhoon? Did they return to the Lin family today?"

Jian Suzhen shook her head, "I don't know. Sister-in-law, you weren't there that day, so you didn't see the scene. Even a first wedding wasn’t as lavish as hers. To have such a luxurious moment in this lifetime is worth it."

Although the First Madam didn't attend, the family's First Master and Third Master took the children. When the children returned, they wouldn’t stop talking about it.

They exaggeratedly described how beautifully Fourth Aunt was dressed, how well she remarried, how grand the wedding was, and how even the mayor couldn't serve as the witness, and so on.

"No matter how grand it was, there are three concubines waiting for her back in Hong Kong. She’ll have her share of troubles," the First Madam said before going to instruct the servants to go out and inquire about when the electricity would be restored.

Jian Suzhen and Second Aunt exchanged glances. Second Aunt didn't say much, while Jian Suzhen couldn't help but sarcastically whisper, "Sister-in-law really can’t stand seeing others do well."

Second Aunt knew that whether it was the First Madam or the Third Madam, neither was someone to mess with, so it was better for her to avoid trouble.

*

In the following days, Lin Yufan, under the pen name "Si Mu," published four anti-Japanese war chronicles intermittently.

In fact, these stories came from her previous life when she wrote anti-Japanese war chronicles for magazines, based on real stories she gathered through interviews.

With some tweaks and embellishments, they became quite captivating.

After the four anti-Japanese war chronicles were published in Guangming Daily, they stirred up a bit of a sensation in Haicheng.

Because in recent years, few media outlets have mentioned the events during the anti-Japanese war, with the government and press focused on maintaining stability, this sudden series of anti-Japanese war chronicles brought back memories of the tough days fighting the Japanese.

Especially one story that touched the hearts of Haicheng residents and was widely circulated, which finally found its conclusion in the anti-Japanese war chronicles.

The story was about a Nationalist intelligence officer in the spring of 1945, the last year of the anti-Japanese war, who, on his deathbed, handed important intelligence to a young cigarette seller, asking her to deliver it to Ping'anli No. 54.

The young cigarette seller was named Xiao Wanping, only twelve years old. Xiao Wanping didn’t disappoint and delivered the intelligence to the destination, only to find Japanese spies waiting at Ping'anli No. 54.

It turned out a traitor had sold them out, revealing the information about Ping'anli No. 54 to the Japanese.

All the Nationalist intelligence officers at Ping'anli No. 54 were killed.

Xiao Wanping also disappeared from then on, and no one knew whether she was alive or dead. This incident came to light after the victory of the anti-Japanese war, deeply touching the hearts of all Haicheng residents.

Through the resistance chronicles written by Si Mu, everyone learned that after being arrested by the Japanese army, Xiao Wanping had her vocal cords burned by a hot iron rod during interrogation, leaving her mute.

Xiao Wanping didn’t know much and wasn’t of great interrogation value, but the Japanese still didn’t spare her. Just before Japan’s surrender, she was taken out and executed.

Though she was only twelve years old.

During the execution, a prison break happened to occur by the Axe Gang, and Xiao Wanping miraculously and in a daze escaped with a fellow inmate.

She sneaked back home, only to find it empty, with her parents and family gone.

With no other choice, Xiao Wanping followed her fellow inmate to Hong Kong, where she settled down. Now fifteen, she works as an ordinary laundry worker.

After Zhao Jingxiu finished reading the story of the cigarette-selling girl aloud, Wang Junyao and Liu Fang both quietly wiped away tears.

Wang Junyao sighed, “At least she’s still alive. I hope her family can find her soon and reunite.”

Liu Fang comforted, “Since she’s working in a laundry in Hong Kong, her family will surely look for her.”

Zhao Jingxiu put down the newspaper, “The paper says that in two days, the next story will reveal the traitor who betrayed the information about Ping’anli No. 54 to the Japanese.”

Wang Junyao asked curiously, “Is that traitor still alive?”

Zhao Jingxiu shook her head, “I’m not sure. We’ll know in two days.”

Hui Lan, who had been sitting in the back doing needlework, muttered under her breath, “If that person is still alive, shouldn’t they be cut into a thousand pieces?!”

Zhao Jingxiu exclaimed angrily, “At least they should be shot!”

Lin Yufan silently organized the English learning materials she had prepared for Zhao Jingxiu, staying silent on the matter.

After the new tea was cleared, the maid brought everyone coffee. Lin Yufan was about to take a sip when she heard Zhao Jingxiu say with admiration, “I heard from my second brother that the author Si Mu is a pen name of a famous writer.”

Lin Yufan almost choked on her coffee. Before she could respond, Wang Junyao asked, “Which famous writer’s pen name is it?”

“My second brother was being mysterious. He wouldn’t tell me, whispering with a secretive smile,” Zhao Jingxiu said.

Everyone exclaimed, “So it’s a famous writer! No wonder they know so much.”

Lin Yufan held back her laughter and chimed in, “Only a famous writer could pull that off.”

“Right. Anything a famous writer writes is bound to get attention.”

Lin Yufan was even more thrilled inside.

Meanwhile, at the Second Branch mansion, Zhao Mingjie had just returned from out of town. He had also read the report in Guangming Daily and was deeply suspicious.

That evening, Zhao Mingjie took the newspaper to his elder brother and asked for his opinion.

Zhao Lijie had already read the report. Though somewhat uneasy, he stayed defiant, “What do I think? Does it have anything to do with us? Are they going to arrest and execute us?”