Chapter 110: The reality of their marriage

Since childhood, Xiang Huian only ever loved one person.

Liu Jinhai.

Their families knew each other well, so they quickly became childhood friends. Huian never failed to visit the Liu villa and would always run behind Jinhai to play with him.

Jinhai was an aloof and quiet boy. Huian was the one who always chatted with him while he sometimes would listen to her or quietly do his own work.

When she was around six, she started to have a crush on Jinhai. She never left his side. In school as well, she would always sit beside him, have lunch with him and play only with him.

He didn’t care that much and let her do as she pleased, which she took it as a sign of him liking her back as well.

Then next year, when they were seven, Liu Jing was born. His aloof nature changed. He was still a quiet boy but everybody knew how happy he was to have a little brother. He started taking care of him and spent all of his time with him, which didn’t sit well with Huian.

She got annoyed by his attention being taken away by Jing. Even though Jianyu was his cousin, they didn’t spend a lot of time together. So, she didn’t feel bothered by him.

One day out of sheer anger, she pinched Jing’s cheek very hard. He started crying and wailing. Jinhai saw the red mark on his cheek and glared at her menacingly.

“S-sorry brother Jinhai. I just pinched him a little bit. I didn’t know he would cry.”, Huian sobbed.

In return, Jinhai also pinched her cheek hard. Huian shrieked in pain. “Brother Jinhai! It hurts!”

“Now do you know how ‘little bit’ it was?”, He looked at her coldly, “Don’t ever hurt my brother again! Don’t think that I don’t know anything.”, his voice was so chilling that could rival up even an adult’s aura.

After that, she mellowed down a lot. She didn’t want Jinhai to hate her. But when they were nine, she hit and beat a girl at her school who confessed to Jinhai. She couldn’t see any other person trying to steal him away. But then she had to apologize when she was threatened to send to boarding school by Mother and Father Xiang.

With each passing day, her crush for Jinhai slowly evolved into love although he was always neutral towards her. Jing, after growing up a little, started to dislike Huian. Because he could see that his brother was not interested in her, yet she would always hover around him. So, he would play pranks on her to irritate her to avenge his brother. He would always bluntly state his dislike for her.

Then years passed by but she didn’t stop chasing after him. She confessed to him countless times but he always rejected her. Huian hoped that one day he would surely accept her. In high school and in University everywhere, girls would be jealous of her for being able to be so close to him. That made her proud and arrogant.

But she was not overconfident. She felt the threat from any socialite whom Jinhai met in parties or banquets. What if he fell for any other woman? The thought would always eat her mind.

Then on her twenty-fifth birthday, she confessed to him again thinking that he wouldn’t be able to reject her on her birthday.

But he did. He rejected her yet again.

And that was when she couldn’t wait anymore. She understood that he will never be hers. But she couldn’t let him go. She could never bear for him to be with some other girl. She became selfish. So, she went to Grandma Liu for help.

Grandma Liu had always liked Huian. She was of a reputable family like theirs and always wanted Jinhai to choose her.

So, they made their plan, not knowing that one day, they will be threatened by the very same plan, snatching away their sleep and peace.

Huian got what she wanted. They got married. That day, Huian was way over the moon. The years of her chasing him got to an end. Now, he was hers.

But the complete opposite awaited her on her wedding night.

She excitedly took a bath and changed into a sexy gown. She got out and waited for Jinhai.

Hours passed by but he didn’t come back. She nervously started pacing back and forth in the room. She called him a number of times but he didn’t pick up.

Finally, at four in the morning, he returned. He saw Huian but didn’t say anything. He just picked up his pillow and blanket and stuffed them on the couch.

“Jinhai. Where were you? I was waiting for you.”, she tried to go near him.

“Huian.”, he stepped back. “We need to talk and set some rules between us.”, he said with dead seriousness.

“Huh? R-rules? What rules?”, she was confused.

He looked straight at her and said, “Huian. Even though we are married now, you already know that I don’t like you the same way you like me. From our childhood until now, I have only ever looked at you as my friend. Nothing more, nothing less.”

She clutched her gown.

“So, you have to understand that without the feeling of love what a husband feels towards his wife, I cannot give you what you were hoping for tonight.”

She bit her lips hard.

“As a couple now, we should respect each other’s wishes and boundaries. I will give you the status of being Lady Liu, the next Madam of the Liu family. But, I will not have any physical relationship with you. We will not sleep together as in have sex, and you will never force me to have a child with you.”

She shockingly looked at him. She couldn’t believe her ears.

She finally made him hers…but at the same time, she did not?

“Circumstances made us marry, and indirectly you got what you always wished for. But I cannot force myself to love you. That will not only hurt me but also you. So, promise me Huian. That you will abide by what I just said.”

Tears threatened to fall but Huian controlled herself. At this time she couldn’t ask for more.

She weakly nodded. “Okay. We’ll do as you say.”