Chapter Nine: Human Face, Beastly Heart

Since that beast has ill intentions towards you, why resort to self-harm with scissors? Proving your innocence does not require such extremes

No, no! The young lady shook her head like a rattle drum, repeatedly clarifying, "Because he has harassed me several times, whenever you are not around, I sew my clothes with needle and thread, and I keep scissors on hand just in case..."

Just as the moment arrived, Gao Qiu dashed forward in a swift step, snatching the scissors and throwing them heavily to the ground. Gao Shen, who had been in a daze, was jolted back to his senses by the loud clatter. Seeing that his younger brother was too preoccupied to care for him, he immediately prepared to make a run for it. However, just as he reached the door, he was grabbed by the collar.

Gao Qiu had just bid farewell to everyone and was preparing to return home when Xu San, with a shameless demeanor, insisted on accompanying him. Reluctantly, Gao Qiu had no choice but to agree. Xu San, being quite talkative, did not wait for Gao Qiu to ask much before he began to reveal the circumstances of everyone in the Longqing Society in great detail. In the end, still feeling unsatisfied, he said: "Second Brother, you have no idea. During the time you were away, our society lost three out of five matches, and everyone was quite embarrassed. Now that you have finally returned, I can finally set my heart at ease."

"Is your wife trying to seduce you?" Gao Qiu raised an eyebrow, his anger reaching a boiling point. He turned around and grabbed Gao Shen by the chest, cursing him furiously, "I heard everything clearly outside. It was obviously you who maliciously threatened Ying Niang and repeatedly harassed her. Now that the matter has come to light, you want to quibble. Are you even a man? Damn beast!"

Suddenly, a quarrel broke out nearby, one voice clearly belonging to a man, while the other was that of a woman. Gao Qiu barely steadied his mind and quietly entered the courtyard, only then could he clearly hear the voices of the two.

Outside, Gao Qiu could no longer contain himself. If he had previously been unaware of who the wild man Xu San was referring to, that name had now become all too clear. The beast who incessantly spoke of brotherhood was none other than Gao Shenzhang, the eldest son of the Gao family. Fueled by an anger capable of burning everything to ashes, he kicked open the door and stormed in, ablaze with fury.

The speaker was indifferent, but the listener took it to heart. This phrase struck Gao Qiu like a bolt from the blue. He was unsure of what he had vaguely agreed to with Xu San, and dragging his legs, which felt as heavy as lead, he finally reached his own doorstep. However, just before entering, he leaned against the wall and sat down.

"You, you despicable one, that was clearly you who stole it from my box!" Ying Niang's words were clearly tinged with a sob. "My husband will be back soon, and he will not let you off!"

He spat heavily at Gao Shen and suddenly threw this beastly person to the ground. "Gao Shen, you don't need to use such words to provoke me. I, a second-year student, don't need your concern. Ying Niang is marrying me, not you, so you have no right to meddle! From today on, I have no older brother like you, and you are not allowed to set foot here again!"

A Feng, my father-in-law has mentioned to me several times that three years without offspring is sufficient grounds for divorce. Yet you have consistently refused to share a bed with me. Today, I will offer you my pure body!

I, I... The first words her husband uttered were not accusations, leaving her momentarily speechless and dumbfounded. After a long while, she finally lowered her head and murmured, "Father taught me that a woman starving to death is a minor issue, but losing her virtue is a major one"

A series of rhetorical questions left Gao Qiu feeling utterly chilled. However, when he caught sight of the ring on his ring finger, his previously dazed gaze gradually regained clarity. It was he who chose to replace Li with Tao, and it was he who decided to keep Ying Niang. Everything else was the result of that previous fellow's misdeeds; what did it have to do with him? On the contrary, this detestable fellow had no connection to him at all; why should he accommodate him?

Upon witnessing this, Ying Niang could not help but exclaim in shock, while Gao Shen seemed to sense the impending danger and promptly threw himself to the ground. Almost simultaneously, the scissors veered off by a few centimeters, plunging deeply into the soil, with the handles on both sides still trembling slightly up and down.

With a thud, Gao Qiu nearly fell to the ground, blood gushing from his nose. He never expected that his efforts to cultivate feelings would lead to such a result. From his wife's perspective, Ying Niang's reasoning was quite sound; only the husband could prove whether or not he was the father. However, it was broad daylight!

Gao Qiu stepped back a few paces while speaking, then bent down to pick up the scissors from the ground. He lightly tapped it with his finger, and several droplets of blood quickly oozed out, which made him exceptionally pleased. He seemed unaware of what was behind him and did not notice that Gao Shen had struggled to crawl over the threshold, rolling in fear as he made his way into the courtyard. However, in the next moment, as if he had eyes on his back, Gao Qiu suddenly kicked the handle of the scissors, sending them flying towards Gao Shen's back like a shooting star, accompanied by a whistling sound.

Having learned from the lessons of today at https://www.hetushu.com, although he felt an itch in his feet from not playing football, Gao Qiu truly did not wish to get involved in this dirty game of cuju again. Seeing Xu San's enthusiasm, he did not want to dampen the other's spirits, so he merely responded with a faint "mm," having no intention of engaging further.

"Ying Niang, do not forget that your embroidered handkerchief is still in my possession. If you do not comply with me, I will hand it over to Lao Er and claim that it is a token of affection you gave to some outside man. What do you think the consequences will be? Do not think that Lao Er has truly reformed; he is merely tired of that lifestyle for the time being. Once he grows weary of you, he will surely seek out other women outside."

Gao Qiu was perplexed, feeling as if he were a monk unable to grasp the situation. However, he soon saw Ying Niang deftly using scissors to cut open the tightly sewn seams of her clothing. Following that, she loosened her garments, and in no time, a perfect figure was revealed before him. In an instant, he felt a surge of heat rush to his head, and his breathing became heavy.

Despite her disheveled hair, Ying Niang's attire remained intact, and her left hand tightly gripped a pair of scissors. Upon seeing her husband storm into the room in a fit of rage, her face turned completely pale, and the despair in her eyes was unmistakable. Uncertain where her courage came from, she suddenly thrust the scissors towards her own chest.

Why must you speak so harshly? I merely seek a bit of joy; as long as you do not speak of it, how would others know? Tsk tsk, with your figure and looks, you are far superior to my wife! Brother, of course, a wife can be shared; what difference is there between the wife of the second brother and mine? How could he disregard the bond of brotherhood?

"Then it's settled!" Gao Qiu said, reaching out to press his hand on his wife's shoulder, and spoke earnestly, "Ying Niang, there's no need to bring up the past. In the future, I will teach you a few self-defense techniques. If he dares to come again, you should teach him a good lesson! As a woman, you must not be too weak; otherwise, when something happens, you will only suffer losses. Remember, if anything happens, I will take care of it!" As a woman, you must not be too weak; otherwise, when something happens, you will only suffer losses. Remember, if anything happens, I will take care of it!"

"Nonsense!" Gao Qiu, upon hearing this phrase that was revered by countless patriarchs in ancient times as a profound truth, could not help but scornfully retort, "A woman's loss of virtue is often due to circumstances beyond her control, primarily because her family has failed to fulfill their duty of protection. Others have even less right to comment. If you have a pair of scissors, you should stab him; self-harm is nothing. Moreover, have you truly lost your virtue?"

Upon hearing her husband's words, Ying Niang, who had been feeling downcast, suddenly brightened up and nodded vigorously. After a moment, it seemed she thought of something important, and she insisted on pulling her husband into the house, firmly closing both the courtyard gate and the door.

"Elder brother, what did you just say to Miss Ying?" Gao Qiu, with his physique honed from years of rough living, easily overpowered Gao Shen's struggles. "It is said that one should not deceive a friend's wife, yet you, elder brother, are even trying to seduce my sister-in-law. Do you truly wish to place a green hat on me as your younger brother?"

As the situation unraveled, Gao Shensuo resorted to being unreasonable. "So what? You, a good-for-nothing, have no right to marry such a beautiful wife. Isn't it just because your father favored you and gave you more of the family fortune? You have no skills, no wealth, so why do you cling to Yingniang and refuse to let go? You can only kick a ball around; what are you worth? A grown man relying on Yingniang and the library to patch up a living—who is truly shameless, you or I?" You have no skills, no wealth, so why do you cling to Yingniang and refuse to let go? You can only kick a ball around; what are you worth? A grown man relying on Yingniang and the library to patch up a living—who is truly shameless, you or I?

Only after watching the other person's disheveled figure disappear from view did he feel the bloodthirsty impulse in his heart gradually being suppressed. Just a moment ago, he had indeed harbored murderous intent; had it not been for a fortunate misstep, there would likely be an additional corpse in the courtyard at this moment. He took a few steps forward and bent down to pick up the scissors, noticing Ying Niang staring at him in a daze at the door, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh

"Second brother, no, no, no, you misunderstood, let me explain, listen to my explanation!" Gao Shen never expected to be caught red-handed during this affair, and he hurriedly stammered in his defense, "This has nothing to do with me; it's all your wife's fault for using her looks to seduce me. I, I was momentarily bewitched, that's why..."

"English... English lady, what is this? What are you doing?"

"Get lost, remember what I said, from now on, Gao Qiu has nothing to do with you!" Gao Qiu said coldly, standing by the door

For three years, Gao Qiu had not touched his wife Ying Niang. If judged by modern logic, her infidelity was practically inevitable, and he had no reason to complain about being the substitute. Yet, why did he feel a pang of heartache? He should have regarded Ying Niang merely as a stand-in for Xiao Jing, so why did he experience such a profound sense of loss? In an instant, the words "divorce" suddenly emerged like a venomous snake, gnawing at his heart little by little. He should have regarded Ying Niang merely as a stand-in for Xiao Jing, so why did he experience such a profound sense of loss? In an instant, the words "divorce" suddenly emerged like a venomous snake, gnawing at his heart little by little.

Second brother, there is another matter that I find quite strange. You have never liked your wife, so why does it seem that you have changed your attitude recently? A few times when you were drinking, you mentioned that she was not virtuous and even said you wanted to divorce her. How is it that now you cherish her as if she were a treasure?