Chapter 3: Caught Cheating

Not far away, a man dressed in a dark red robe stood with a plain white belt accentuating his slender waist. The thin summer robe clung to his skin, revealing the subtle curves of his perky buttocks.

His jet-black hair was half-tied, half-draped. His sword-like eyebrows were raised, and his cherry lips were casually curved, adding a touch of allure. It wasn’t overtly seductive, but it had a captivating beauty of its own.

He leaned against the doorframe, his peach blossom eyes filled with a hint of casual amusement as his hair ribbon fluttered in the wind.

The peasant woman standing at the foot of the steps stared at him with wide eyes. She had a sturdy build and an honest face, but the words that came out of her mouth were full of lewdness.

Liu Changning had keen hearing, and despite the cicada’s chirping, she could hear every word of their conversation.

“My dear boy, let your sister touch you…” The peasant woman narrowed her eyes, focusing intently on his pale, jade-like fingertips hanging by his side. She swallowed hard and, seeing him unmoved, pleaded, “Just a little touch of your hand will do. It’s been days, and your sister has missed you so much!”

Pei Yuanshao raised an eyebrow and glanced discreetly at the woman under the old locust tree not far away. As a martial artist, he had good eyesight and noticed her hunched back and the tear stains on her face. It seemed she had been bullied again.

He casually brushed aside the loose strands of hair falling on his forehead, using the opportunity to hide the cold glint in his eyes.

The curve of his lips remained unchanged as he shifted his gaze back to the fawning peasant woman at the bottom of the steps, his peach blossom eyes gleaming.

With a mocking smile, he taunted, “Unable to resist after just a few days apart? I thought Sister Niu was different from those lusty commoners, but it turns out you’re just another vulgar woman…”

Li Daniu’s face paled slightly upon hearing those words.

After all, she wasn’t the only mistress of the Liu family’s debaucherous husband. If he no longer favored her…

She hurriedly stepped forward and reached out her rough, dark hand, intending to grab his sleeve, but the young man smoothly sidestepped her touch.

Li Daniu’s hand froze in mid-air, her face embarrassed. She forced a smile and quickly explained herself, “My dear Shao, how can those vulgar village women compare to your sister? Just ignore what I said earlier; I was momentarily confused. I’m willing to wait until the day you give yourself to me!”

Her swarthy face displayed the look of an infatuated woman.

Pei Yuanshao’s eyes narrowed slightly, his pupils darkening. His cherry lips curled up as he uttered a single word: “Good!”

Li Daniu stopped wringing her hands, her anxious expression replaced by a fawning and suggestive smile.

—

The wind rustled the leaves of the old banyan tree.

Liu Changning brushed aside her long bangs, her tea-colored eyes filled with disgust.

A female-dominated version of a philandering husband flirting with women.

But it turned out to be just an act, a way to swindle them.

Having cultivated the Heartless Dao for many years, she didn’t understand the ways of love between men and women. However, after living in the mortal world for a long time and being force-fed romance novels and Korean dramas by Wei San, even a blockhead like her could grasp the basics of love and affection.

A human heart is only the size of a fist, barely able to accommodate one person, let alone many.

If someone truly had multiple husbands or wives, concubines, or mistresses, it couldn’t be called loving others but loving oneself.

One life, one world, one couple – that’s how it should be from beginning to end.

As someone from a cultivation world devoid of emotions and desires, after watching so many films and dramas, she had developed a worldview that she wasn’t sure was right or wrong.

So, she found the behavior of casting a wide net and luring in admirers quite repulsive.

Liu Changning averted her gaze, not intending to listen further. She limped towards the door of her house.

“Changning! You’re back! I… I… I…” Li Daniu stammered, trying to explain herself frantically, but the woman from the Liu family ignored her completely.

She kept her head down as she passed by Pei Yuanshao, her long legs crossing the threshold. Her sharp, delicate face showed no sign of anger or joy.

Pei Yuanshao’s curled lips flattened slightly, a hint of confusion flashing in his inky eyes.

Her reaction today was unusually cold. They had been married for a month, and every time she caught him flirting with other women, she would secretly shed tears, looking dejected and heartbroken. But never had she been as indifferent as she was today.

Pei Yuanshao paused, speculating that perhaps she had reached the depths of despair and had a revelation.

The petite woman’s back quickly disappeared into the courtyard. Pei Yuanshao withdrew his probing gaze, a trace of self-mockery sliding across his lips.