" Have you calmed down now?" asked Yu Dong delicately, she didn't know what to say to Fang Chi. The guy cried so badly that she was too stunned to continue staying mad at him, she brought him here to teach him a lesson but in the end, the brat taught her a good lesson! Instead of her scolding him and him admitting his fault, it turned out to be a session of her coaxing him! What a twist of turn, ah!
Fang Chi nodded, his eyes red and puffy like a little rabbit that got bullied. Yu Dong felt her heart ache for him but more than feeling sorry for him, she was more worried about herself. With him looking like this, she would have to most likely answer a lot of questions not only from Grandma Fang but also her husbands, after all, they were in the same league as Fang Chi and might feel a little upset seeing him like this, ah, looks like she got herself entangled in trouble again.
"I am fine," said Fang Chi as he sniffed and wiped his snot " I am sorry for crying all of a sudden, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed and-"
He had no excuses for the way he acted, like why exactly did he cry like that? Troubling his wife before even marrying her, what kind of stupid he was?
Yu Dong sighed and then led him to the stone water vat in the corner of the courtyard where she let him sit down " I am sorry, I should have tried to talk with you instead of getting angry" she wiped the tears that were hanging on those thick, black lashes and soothingly whispered, " I was angry because you let those stupid women-led you around by your nose . Do you think that I can't take those women?"
Fang Chi shook his head, he did not doubt Yu Dong's ability if she dares to do something then she was well prepared for the consequences of her actions as well.
" Then why did you apologize to them, hmm?" tipping his chin up, so that he was looking at her, she asked " You could have waited for me and then let me take care of the matter. Today, it was the women from the village but if there was someone else whom you don't know, will you let them lead you around by your nose as well?"
This was what Yu Dong was worried about, her husbands were emotional fools, when troubles come knocking they wouldn't hide behind her instead they would rush ahead of her and try to protect her.
Yu Dong didn't want them to protect her, she was more than capable of doing that on her own. What she was worried about was that she had so many enemies, if her husbands don't understand how to put themselves first instead of her, she was worried that they will get hurt severely one day.
Like Fang Chi, when he heard that the village elders were looking for an excuse to kick her out, instead of staying put in his home. He went to plead with those heartless women, despite knowing that his hands were tied and as a mer, he couldn't possibly do anything to those women but he still put her first and rushed out at the first chance but Yu Dong didn't want him to do that, she rubbed his cheek and wiped the tears streaks " I know you meant well, Fang Chi but to me, your safety is what matters the most. So, in the future no matter what happens, no matter what anyone tells you – you stay in your house and stay put and wait for me okay? I won't be hurt while facing the dangers but if my beloved gets hurt, it will hurt me a lot, you understand?"
" B..beloved?"Fang Chi stuttered, his entire face flushing like a red octopus as white fumes erupted out of his head.
Yu Dong smiled taking his hands in hers, she said " aren't you my beloved fiancé? Then be a good boy and promise me that you will put yourself first instead of me, alright?"
Fang Chi blinked and nodded a bit shyly. This was great! Yu Dong wasn't angry at him for embarrassing her but instead, she was angry at him for putting himself in danger! He bit his lip as he mumbled softly " I am sorry, I thought that you were angry because you thought that I embarrassed you"
Yu Dong's first reaction to his sudden confession was to freeze, then she frowned and then she flicked his forehead with her finger " You stupid boy, what goes on that head of yours?" She lightly chided him " No matter what happens, I will never find you embarrassing. If you are ever faced with a situation where you are humiliated or embarrassed, then it means that it is I, who failed to protect you and not you who failed to live up to my expectations, got it?"
' I will never find you embarrassing'
'If you ever feel embarrassed then it means I failed in protecting you'
Fang Chi felt his heart beat a little faster as all the blood in his body started to flow to his head. God, he was so stupid! Thinking that Yu Dong was a woman cut from the same cloth as Mu Yuxi!
Forget Mu Yuxi, she wasn't even the same as any other woman in the village! His freezing heart that was hanging in his throat throughout the day finally warmed up as it settled back in his chest. A small, shy smile decorated his face as he nodded " I got it!"
————
" Brother Fang, did wife scold you a lot?"
" Chi, was she too strict on you?"
" Don't worry Chi, I will have her thoroughly understand that she should be a bit more delicate with little mers like you"
Just as Yu Dong expected, her husbands were highly sympathetic towards Fang Chi, so sympathetic that they were glaring at her back.
'Ah, it stings. Those glares are stinging in my back!' moaned Yu Dong, she wanted to defend herself but then stopped herself just on time because those glares didn't look like she will be forgiven that easily.
And what was more even Xiao Hua was glaring at her, he stared at her for two whole minutes before he turned his head with a " humph"
Yu Dong: "……" excuse me? What was that?