I'll Raise Pigs to Support You - Chapter 25

Song Yugui was convinced she had coaxed her wife into a good mood before leaving. The other woman had remained gentle and soft-spoken, showing no signs of anger. So why… had she become so distant the moment she returned home?

She silently watched the woman calmly tidying up the house, her lips parting slightly but unsure of what to say.

Something felt off…

Over the past few days, she had grown accustomed to the little wife bouncing over to her the moment she returned, chattering away. Now, she wasn’t used to this—no words, no glances.

It was just like when she had first transmigrated into the book.

Song Yugui sat in the courtyard, frowning. Watching her wife walk back and forth without paying her any attention, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Xizhi.”

The hand holding the broom paused. Her legs moved faster than her brain, already about to step toward her, but she stopped herself just in time. The young woman stood still, biting her lip before replying softly, “Wife, do you have any orders for me?”

The words sounded strange—too formal.

Her frown deepened. Seeing that the other woman wasn’t coming over, she waved her hand. “I have something to say to you. Come closer.”

“Oh.”

Shen Xizhi lowered her eyes and obediently approached.

Then, without warning, her wrist was grabbed and pulled downward. Panic flashed across her face, but her body, helpless against the force, was tugged into Song Yugui’s lap. She was pulled into an intimate embrace, seated sideways against her.

Her delicate face instantly flushed as red as the morning sun, radiant and beautiful.

Song Yugui wrapped an arm around the woman’s slender, supple waist while pinching the bridge of her nose with her other hand, looking exasperated. “What’s wrong? You seem in a bad mood today.”

Shen Xizhi struggled slightly, but the grip around her waist was firm, leaving her no escape. Resigned to the intimate position, she lowered her head, unconsciously leaning closer into Song Yugui’s chest. Yet her voice remained deliberately calm. “Do I? You’re overthinking it, Wife.”

This form of address—she had almost grown used to it, but today it suddenly felt awkward, too distant.

“Just call me by my name. We’re not some wealthy family—no need for formalities.”

In marriages between men and women, it was common to address the husband as Husband, but they were both women. What was the point of such titles? The original owner of this body had been an idiot.

Shen Xizhi’s long, curled lashes veiled the emotions in her eyes. “It was Wife who ordered me to call you that. Naturally, I obey.”

“But now I’m telling you not to. Won’t you listen?”

Song Yugui tightened her grip on the waist.

Shen Xizhi paused, then shook her head slightly. She… was obedient.

But…

If she didn’t address her this way, what if one day her temper flared again and she used it as an excuse to pick on her?

The young woman had lived a hard life before. Anxiety gnawed at her as she glanced hesitantly at Song Yugui.

Song Yugui, seeing her silent despite the question, frowned even harder. What was going on?

“Did someone bully you? You don’t seem happy.”

Her head remained bowed, lips sealed. Not a word escaped, but her mind raced: Who else could bully me but you?

She sulked, unable to stop herself from recalling the past. Uncertainty churned inside her. She didn’t understand why Song Yugui had changed so drastically overnight—why she had suddenly… become kind to her.

She used to be so cruel and mean. Why had she changed?

Was there no reason?

And if there was no reason… could she just as suddenly revert?

Shen Xizhi’s heart trembled with fear. Unconsciously, her nails dug into her palms, leaving behind four crescent-shaped marks. How could she possibly guess that the soul inside this body had been replaced? All she felt was terror—so much that her eyes reddened.

Her beautiful deer-like eyes glistened with unshed tears as she lifted her head to gaze pitifully at Song Yugui.

Song Yugui, receiving no response, was about to snap at her when she saw that expression. Her heart instantly clenched.

Wait—was she really bullied?

Who? Who dared bully my wife?!

Song Yugui’s face darkened with fury. “Did someone bully you? Tell me, and I’ll make them pay!”

Since transmigrating to this ancient era, the first person she had met was Shen Xizhi. The first meal she ate was made by Shen Xizhi. The two of them relied on each other for survival—who dared lay a finger on her?

As long as Xizhi didn’t fall for the male lead in the future, didn’t chase after him, even if they divorced, Song Yugui would still protect her. No one was allowed to bully her!

Shen Xizhi was soft and delicate—clearly an easy target. Were these people heartless? How could they pick on such a young girl?!

Song Yugui seethed inwardly, cursing endlessly.

Until the woman in her arms shook her head lightly, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, like some pitiful, homeless little creature.

“N-no, no one bullied me.”

No one?

Song Yugui’s skeptical gaze lingered on her. She tightened her grip around the slender waist, pulling her even closer. Shen Xizhi instinctively reached to wrap her arms around Song Yugui’s neck but quickly caught herself, withdrawing her hand in a daze.

Her jade-like fingers hovered mid-air for a moment—a gesture too obvious for Song Yugui to miss.

If no one bullied you, why are you giving me the cold shoulder?

The thought alone infuriated her. She abruptly grabbed the young woman’s wrist and hooked it around her own neck.

Hmph. You don’t want to hug me? Too bad.

“If no one bullied you, why are you crying?”

Shen Xizhi was still staring blankly at her forcibly positioned hand. At the question, she pursed her lips and reflexively denied it. “I-I’m not crying.”

“Not crying? Then why are your eyes red? Like a little rabbit’s.”

Little rabbits also had red eyes.

Shen Xizhi, sensing her stern tone, pressed her lips together again, unwilling to speak.

See? This was what Song Yugui dreaded most—her shutting down completely. If she had any grievances, why not voice them? What if Song Yugui was willing to change?

But this silence? It was maddening.

Her face remained taut with frustration for a long while. Only when she noticed the tears dampening the other’s lashes did she force herself to soften, not wanting to frighten her further.

“Tell me, who upset you? Was it me?”

A vague premonition tugged at her—that the target of this cold shoulder was herself. Probably, she had done something to anger her.

Though she had no idea what.

Shen Xizhi, forced to cling to her neck, was now even closer. She didn’t want to say anything, but under the unrelenting pressure—the unspoken you’re not leaving until you talk—she hesitated for a long time before finally whispering, “W-will you always treat me like this?”

“What?”

Her voice was too soft. Song Yugui didn’t catch it.

“I said… will you always be this good to me?”

“Why is that… a question worth sulking over?”

Song Yugui froze.

She only had this one wife. If she didn’t treat her well, who else would she treat well? And was this even considered good?

Shen Xizhi, hearing her response, unhappily kicked her legs a little.

She wanted to say, You used to treat me horribly—I don’t dare believe you. But she… didn’t have the courage.

What if saying it made her angry?

No one liked hearing about their own flaws.

Shen Xizhi’s long lashes fluttered slightly. She repeated, just three words: “Will you?”

Song Yugui, stifled, nodded. “I don’t know why you’re suddenly asking this, but as long as I’m here, I’ll always treat you… the way I do now.”

She didn’t dare claim she had already started being good to the villainess. She hadn’t even bought her new clothes, while the villainess had made her a pair of shoes. The shame!

So she hesitated, not daring to use the word good, silently promising herself: At the very least, I won’t treat her worse than I do now. Once we have money, I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of.

“Will you lie to me?”

Still distrustful, she pressed further.

Song Yugui’s face darkened. Her grip around the slender waist tightened, and her voice was firm against the autumn wind: “No. I never lie.”

Shen Xizhi rested her head against Song Yugui’s chest, her thick lashes hiding her emotions.

Liar, she thought. You love lying. You always lie. Eight out of ten words from your mouth are lies.

But she couldn’t refute it. She couldn’t pull away from the warmth either. Instead, she clung tighter and tighter.

Song Yugui, seeing her become affectionate again, was still puzzled. “So you ignored me just because of this?”

Shen Xizhi kept her mouth shut, silently hugging her neck tighter, her soft body pressing closer.

Song Yugui was so exasperated she nearly jumped up, scolding her for being heartless—such a trivial matter, and she’d made such a fuss!

As the two remained locked in their standoff—one too afraid to lift her head, fearing she’d be scolded for overthinking, the other glaring down at her—a middle-aged woman’s voice suddenly cut in.

“Oh dear, oh dear! What am I seeing here? Broad daylight, right in the courtyard—have you no shame?”

Song Yugui: “…”

She looked up to see the woman, a hoe slung over her back, covering her eyes and scurrying away.

Shen Xizhi gasped, her face instantly burning crimson. She buried her head desperately against Song Yugui’s chest, as if trying to vanish entirely.