My Multiple Identities Revealed After Marrying the Bigshot

Chapter 22: Chapter 22: What a Terrible Temper! Chapter 22: Chapter 22: What a Terrible Temper! Sweat trickled down his muscles, glinting under the sunlight.

Lu Youxi felt as if she were momentarily dazzled.

She thought to herself, in her past life, she was nearly 40 years old. By logic, she was more than a dozen years older than Zhou Shuyan. Hadn’t she seen it all before?

And yet, here she was, inexplicably mesmerized by the sheer beauty of someone as young as Zhou Shuyan. She felt it was utterly ridiculous.

But even knowing this, Lu Youxi couldn’t pull her gaze away.

Just as Lu Youxi was still staring in a daze, someone suddenly bumped into her.

She stumbled a few steps back from the impact and then heard a sweet, coquettish voice exclaim, “Brother Xu Mai!”

The bump jolted Lu Youxi back to her senses, and upon hearing that sugary voice, she involuntarily shivered a little.

She looked up and saw—it was Xiao Fen, a girl from the same village.

Two years older than her, she came from a family that wasn’t as gender-biased as the Lu Family.

In fact, even though Hexing Village wasn’t affluent, extreme cases of gender bias like in the Lu Family were relatively rare.

Xiao Fen had attended a “3+2” program—three years in vocational school followed by two years in a technical college. After graduating, she worked at a bubble tea shop in town.

Today, it seemed to be her day off, so she stayed home.

Lu Youxi noticed Xiao Fen holding two cups of bubble tea in her hands. Without waiting for an invitation, Xiao Fen strode into the yard and headed straight toward Zhou Shuyan.

“Brother Xu Mai, I brought bubble tea for you. It’s ice-cold and perfect for a hot day,” Xiao Fen chirped cheerfully as she walked to Zhou Shuyan, who was chopping firewood.

She saw Zhou Shuyan drenched in sweat, his physique glistening in the sunlight.

Her heartbeat sped up as she fixated on his firm chest, and then her eyes wandered down to his abs.

Everything about him seemed breathtakingly attractive. She couldn’t look away.

Suddenly inspired, Xiao Fen pulled some napkins bearing the bubble tea shop logo from her bag and reached out, trying to wipe Zhou Shuyan’s sweat. “Brother Xu Mai, you must be tired! Take a break and have some cold bubble tea,” she said eagerly.

But before Xiao Fen’s hand even touched him, Zhou Shuyan took a big step to the side, ax in hand, avoiding her entirely. Her outstretched hand was left awkwardly hovering in midair.

Xiao Fen: “…”

Zhou Shuyan’s face remained stone-cold, his lips pressed into their habitual stern line.

“Why didn’t you knock before coming in?” Zhou Shuyan asked in a cold, expressionless tone.

Xiao Fen froze for a moment before stammering a dry explanation, “Well, I saw the main gate was open…”
The village had always had a custom of leaving courtyard gates ajar, making it convenient for neighbors to visit without needing to shout at the door for someone to come and unlock it.

Although Zhou Shuyan wasn’t used to it at first, he had since adapted to the custom.

“Just because the gate is open doesn’t mean you can walk in uninvited,” Zhou Shuyan said icily. “Are you part of this household?”

Xiao Fen: “…”

“What gives you the right to enter without the homeowner’s permission?” he continued, his expression dark.

Xiao Fen pouted, feeling wronged, and then snapped angrily, “Xu Mai! I brought you cold bubble tea because it’s hot and I just got off work. Instead of being grateful, you’re scolding me?”

“I don’t drink this kind of stuff,” Zhou Shuyan responded bluntly. “I also don’t like women hovering around me. And I especially dislike people who are rude and barge into my home.”

“This isn’t even your home! This is Grandma Xu’s house! You’re just someone Grandma Xu took in. You don’t even know who you are!” Xiao Fen retorted, her frustration boiling over. “What’s there to be so proud of? What’s so great about you, anyway?”

After all, she didn’t even mind that he didn’t know his origins, and she had been willing to consider a future with him.

And yet, he had the nerve to treat her with disdain and act so cold toward her!

“Get out,” Zhou Shuyan said firmly, his expression unyielding, clearly unwilling to engage further with her.

“Xu Mai!” Xiao Fen yelled his name in frustration, her voice rising in anger.

Without another word, Zhou Shuyan set down the ax and grabbed Xiao Fen by the arm, pulling her toward the gate.

If Xiao Fen had been willing to leave on her own, he wouldn’t have needed to touch her at all, he thought irritably.

After dragging Xiao Fen all the way out, Zhou Shuyan’s face remained as cold as ever as he stated, “Remember what I just said. Don’t bother me again.”

“Xu Mai!” Xiao Fen shouted furiously, her voice brimming with indignation. And with Lu Youxi standing nearby, Xiao Fen felt even more humiliated.

She hadn’t expected Lu Youxi to show up looking for Xu Mai either.

Normally, Lu Youxi acted all high and mighty, as if nothing and no one in the village were worth her attention.

Plus, she was practically a college student at this point.

Who would’ve thought she’d also fall for Xu Mai’s face?

Zhou Shuyan’s lips twisted into a faint smirk of scorn, and he said coldly, “Don’t let me keep you.”

Even though Xiao Fen adored Zhou Shuyan’s face, she couldn’t bear his attitude toward her.

Especially not with Lu Youxi standing right there.

If Lu Youxi weren’t here, Xiao Fen might have swallowed her pride and stayed to argue with Zhou Shuyan a little longer.

After all, they say it’s easy for a bold woman to win over a reserved man.

In Xiao Fen’s eyes, aside from his handsome face, Zhou Shuyan had nothing going for him.

Her willingness to like him gave him a chance to have a stable home and life. He had no reason to reject her.

But with Lu Youxi present, Xiao Fen bit her lip in frustration. Feeling utterly humiliated, she stomped her foot twice and left in a huff.

Lu Youxi prided herself on being good at reading the room. Judging by Zhou Shuyan’s mood, it was clear he wasn’t in the best of spirits, and she inwardly lamented her bad timing. If only she had come two minutes earlier.

Thinking it best to avoid another awkward exchange, she decided to leave and not push her luck. She turned to go without saying a word.

“Where are you going?” Zhou Shuyan’s voice stopped her just as she turned away.

She instinctively doubted that he was speaking to her.

But at this moment, apart from Xiao Fen, only she remained.

It was even less likely he was talking to Xiao Fen, so Lu Youxi froze mid-step, stiffly turned back around, and looked at him, silently questioning with her gaze.

Xiao Fen, who had also heard his words, stopped and turned to look at Zhou Shuyan as well.

Seeing that he was staring at Lu Youxi, Xiao Fen’s attention shifted to her.

When did Lu Youxi and Zhou Shuyan become so familiar with each other?

Xiao Fen sneered inwardly. She hadn’t expected Lu Youxi to be so sneaky. She must have been quietly cozying up to Xu Mai all along.

Lu Youxi, noticing the way Zhou Shuyan was looking at her and confirming he was talking to her, replied awkwardly, “I just remembered I have something to do. I’ll come back another day.”

Zhou Shuyan raised an eyebrow. “If you won’t say it today, don’t bother saying it another day.”

Lu Youxi: “…”

What was wrong with his attitude?

“Come in,” Zhou Shuyan said after giving her a quick once-over. His gaze lingered for a moment on the parcel she was holding, and then he added again, “Come in.”

Lu Youxi didn’t dare look at Xiao Fen but could feel Xiao Fen’s intense, hostile gaze boring into her face as if she wanted her gone.

Summoning her courage, Lu Youxi walked past Xiao Fen without sparing her a glance. She repeated to herself silently, *If I don’t feel awkward, the awkwardness belongs to someone else.*
Under Xiao Fen’s piercing glare, Lu Youxi finally crossed the threshold into Grandma Xu’s house.