Mysyery

Chapter 3: Devotion (Part 1)

Chi Xiaoying returned home around seven in the evening. She had walked for nearly two hours, drenched like a drowned rat. She hurriedly immersed herself in a hot bath.

The rain continued to fall, seemingly endless. The bathroom lights spilled out, entangled with the curtain of rain.

Chi Xiaoyingunsteadily stood up from the bathtub, dried herself off, and blow-dried her hair. The chill from her body had disappeared, and her sprained foot no longer hurt, but it was replaced by a throbbing ache that seemed to seep out from her bones. This wasn't good— it felt like the onset of a cold.

Chi Xiaoying took a few cold medicine tablets from the medicine cabinet and swallowed them with warm water. Lacking the appetite to prepare a nutritious dinner, she simply made a bowl of instant noodles—Kang Shi Fu's spicy beef flavor, the perfect comfort food for a cold night.

When the noodles were ready, she stood by the stove and ate them greedily, breaking into a sweat from the heat. After washing the bowl, she habitually made her way around the rooms.

The house was too big, room after room, spanning two hundred square meters. It was so quiet that only her footsteps and breathing could be heard. The spotless floors, the silent walls, and the solitary woman—

This house felt too empty. When she was alone, she had to turn on all the lights to fill the space with light. Only before going to bed did she turn them off, one by one.

The bed was a spacious 1.8-meter double bed, with pink satin sheets and a comforter that felt like lying on a cloud. Usually, she slept on the right side, while Xuan Xiao slept on the left. When alone, she occupied only a small corner of the bed. Xuan Xiao usually came home late, so to avoid disturbing her, they each used their own blanket. But by morning, when she opened her eyes, Xuan Xiao would be nestled under her blanket, his hand resting on her chest, half-embracing her.

Before bed, Chi Xiaoyingsometimes read a book or watched a good TV series. Tonight, she couldn't watch anything. As the cold medicine began to take effect, waves of drowsiness overwhelmed her. Her eyelids drooped, and she struggled to get out of bed to turn off the light by the bed.

The vast space was soon swallowed by darkness.

Xuan Xiao was a competent husband. When he wasn’t on a business trip, he would at least make time to have breakfast with her at home. However, out of the 365 days in a year, he was away on business for about 200 of them. All the financial decisions for the household were entrusted to her, but she rarely had the opportunity to exercise that control. For big purchases like buying a house, a car, or major furniture and appliances, Xuan Xiao would always take care of everything well in advance. His clothing was purchased from a few select brand stores, and she didn’t need to worry about it—his taste in clothes was better than hers. All she needed to do was take good care of herself.