The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 40

40: Stormy Winds and Rain

“Right, I’ve known for a long time.”

“……”

Qi Ren instantly wished he could crawl into a hole and disappear.

The sins he’d committed while pretending to be a fool in the past couldn’t just be brushed off now.

“Hmph! I suppose I don’t really have the right to be angry. You had your reasons for pretending, but—” He paused, leaning forward to stare straight into Qi Ren’s eyes. “I asked you so many times, and you kept playing dumb. What, did you think I’d sell you out?”

“It’s not that…”

“Enough, no need to explain. We’ll settle this slowly when we get back.” He straightened up, turning his back to him. “Thanks for saving me today.”

“…You’re welcome.”

An awkward silence fell between them again. Qi Ren handed him the cloth again and asked, “Do you still want to wipe yourself down? You’ll catch a cold if you don’t dry off after the rain.”

The other man remained unmoved.

Qi Ren’s temper flared.

If you already understood my difficulties, why are you still acting like this? When you were suffering in the palace, wasn’t it me who helped you escape that hell? And now you’re turning against me?

Besides, you’re always thinking about how to run away—to escape the general’s residence. Did you really think I didn’t know?

“Fine, freeze then!” He snorted coldly, tossing the cloth back into the basin. The splashing water sprayed onto both of them.

Fu Yu’an didn’t know why he was so angry either. He’d already known the truth—if he was going to be mad, he should’ve been mad long ago. Why was he putting on this act now, making things difficult for him?

His emotions were in turmoil. One moment, he blamed Qi Ren for deliberately hiding the truth, and the next, he wondered if he was just being petty. But his pride wouldn’t let him apologize.

I’m not the one in the wrong here, he thought. If anyone should apologize, it’s him first!

Having settled the matter of fault in his mind, Fu Yu’an stopped agonizing over who was right or wrong. He set the basin aside and prepared to wipe off the mud and dust.

Halfway through removing his clothes, he suddenly remembered something and turned to glare at Qi Ren, who was sprawled arrogantly on the wooden bed. “Turn around!” he snapped.

Qi Ren rolled his eyes, got up, and moved to the other side of the bed with his back to him, thinking, As if I care to look at you!

He lay down in a huff, limbs splayed out to take up the entire bed, secretly waiting for Fu Yu’an to come begging later.

Have I been too lenient with him, making him think he can walk all over me?

Qi Ren suddenly recalled Xia Xiu’s remark about him being “a bully who fears the strong but preys on the weak.” He gritted his teeth and turned his head to watch Fu Yu’an wiping himself down.

Sigh… It must be because I’ve been too accommodating, letting him take advantage of my kindness!

No!

Qi Ren suddenly sat up, the bed creaking under his abrupt movement. Fu Yu’an turned in surprise, only to be startled by the predatory look in his eyes—as if he wanted to devour him whole.

That expression was both familiar and strange. The last time he’d seen it was at Prince Qing’s estate, when Qi Ren had pretended to be lucid and claimed not to know him.

“What are you doing?” Fu Yu’an instinctively backed away but forgot he was already against the wall. All he managed was to smear more dust on his back.

Qi Ren ran his tongue over his molars but didn’t answer. Instead, he strode forward and seized Fu Yu’an’s wrist.

The difference in strength was too great—resistance was futile.

A sense of foreboding surged in Fu Yu’an’s chest. The man before him now was nothing like the fool he’d once pretended to be. The sheer pressure radiating from him made it hard to breathe.

“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

“……”

Was this an apology or a threat? It had to be a threat!

Fu Yu’an didn’t dare refuse, afraid that Qi Ren might actually lose his temper and beat him up.

Men who led armies probably had little patience for repeated provocations.

Fine, fine. Maybe I should just give in. I’ll be leaving soon anyway—what’s the harm in letting him have this one?

After all, I’m the bigger person here!

With that thought, he parted his lips but hesitated, unable to form any words.

Qi Ren was just starting to wonder if he’d been too harsh when the man beneath him suddenly threw himself into his arms.

Bare skin pressed against bare skin, sending a strange sensation crawling through Qi Ren’s body. He stiffened instantly, shoving Fu Yu’an away in a flustered reflex.

Fu Yu’an hit the wall again, undoing all the effort he’d spent cleaning himself earlier. He winced in pain.

Qi Ren cleared his throat awkwardly, his gaze darting everywhere but at Fu Yu’an. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have lied to you. Can you forgive me?”

Fu Yu’an’s face burned red. The tense atmosphere had shifted into something far more ambiguous after that embrace.

“It’s… it’s fine. I shouldn’t have given you the cold shoulder. You had your reasons.”

Ah, he’s so understanding.

Qi Ren’s heart secretly set off fireworks. The more he looked at this unwanted, politically arranged wife of his, the more pleasing he found him.

He picked up the damp cloth from the basin and wrung it out. “Let me help you wipe your back. You’re covered in dust.”

Just as Fu Yu’an was about to refuse, rapid knocking erupted at the door, accompanied by a woman’s desperate wails.

It sounded like the farmer’s wife.

Why is she here?

The two exchanged a glance before opening the door.

The woman’s face was smeared with bl00d as she staggered forward, only to be seized by the man chasing after her. Another brutal slap sent her reeling.

Outside, thunder roared. Rain mixed with bl00d as it streamed down her face, her disheveled hair making her look terrifying.

Fu Yu’an quickly helped her up while Qi Ren stepped between them, eyeing the man warily in case he tried anything.

“My lord… my lord, please save me… save me, I beg you…”She clutched at Fu Yu’an’s sleeve, sobbing and pleading.

The man’s eyes burned with impatience. He reached out to grab her, but Qi Ren blocked him with a warning glare.

The old woman hobbled over and said, “I advise you to mind your own business! This is our family matter!”

Qi Ren sneered, “Deliberate assault lands you in jail! What, do you want me to drag you there myself?”

The man sized up the difference in their physiques and, convinced he could win, grew even more aggressive, reaching out to snatch the woman back.

With nothing but brute strength, he was no match for Qi Ren, a seasoned warrior, and was immediately pinned to the ground with his arm twisted behind his back.

Fu Yu’an was briefly astonished.

Damn, if that were used on me, my arm would probably snap!

The old woman shrieked and rushed forward in a panic to pull at him. Qi Ren dared not retaliate for fear of hurting her and could only endure her blows.

Fu Yu’an set the woman aside and pulled the old woman away, forcing her to calm down.

“What exactly is going on here? Why would you hit someone for no reason?” Fu Yu’an demanded.

At this, the old woman began wailing, plopping down on the ground and slapping her thighs as she cried, “Oh, my lords! You must uphold justice for us! This woman married into our family over a decade ago and hasn’t given us a single heir. Now that my son is getting older, she actually wants to run away! After all these years we’ve fed and housed her, this heartless wretch!”

As the saying goes, even the wisest judge can’t settle family disputes. The two men had never encountered such a situation before and were momentarily at a loss for how to handle it.

“But you can’t just beat someone! If you kill her, murder is punishable by death!”

“If we don’t beat her, will she listen? My lords, you don’t understand—back then, she begged us to take her in, swearing she’d work like an ox or a horse to repay us. Now that she’s grown wings, she needs to be disciplined!”