Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Chapter 213: Chapter 84: Congratulations, You Succeeded

Qin Mei didn’t deny it. She admitted it freely and asked, ”Did I succeed?”

”Congratulations, you succeeded.” Jie Jingchen’s hoarse voice was thick with desire. He stared intently at Qin Mei, as if his gaze could burn her to ashes.

Jie Jingchen leaned down and pressed his lips to her red ones in a hot, lingering kiss. Qin Mei instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, responding with equal passion.

They were like tinder and flint, and just as things were about to escalate, the corner of Jie Jingchen’s eye caught a smear of blood on the bedsheet. He froze, as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over him, instantly dousing the flames of passion that had just been lit.

”What’s wrong?” Qin Mei didn’t understand why he had suddenly stopped. Following his gaze, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning.

’This... could the timing be any worse?!’

’ARGH! I’m going to lose my mind.’

’Just when we were about to become a real husband and wife, my period decides to show up. This is just too much!’

Jie Jingchen’s expression was a mixture of dark and helpless. ”I remember...”

”It came early,” Qin Mei cut in, mortified. She pushed him away, grabbed the quilt, and ran toward the bathroom.

Jie Jingchen rolled onto his back, closing his eyes to calm his racing heart. After a long moment, he opened his eyes, sat up, and stripped the sheet from the bed. He silently put on a clean one, then picked up the quilt Qin Mei had dropped outside the bathroom and changed that out as well.

Half an hour later, they were lying flat on the bed. Qin Mei turned her head to gaze at Jie Jingchen’s profile and began guiltily, ”Um, I...”

’Starting a fire without putting it out... that’s not very decent of me,’ Qin Mei thought.

’Looks like I can’t just do this whenever I want. I’ll have to calculate my cycle first.’

”Go to sleep.” Jie Jingchen’s voice was stiff, a classic sign of sexual frustration. ’Can I blame her?’ he thought. ’No. If I blamed her for this, what would be the difference between me and an animal?’

Qin Mei opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything more. She closed her eyes, her mind filled with images of their kisses, making her blush and her heart race.

Before long, Qin Mei was asleep, but Jie Jingchen felt no trace of drowsiness. Listening to her steady breathing, he rolled onto his side and gazed at her serene sleeping face, which touched the softest spot in his heart. His dark eyes drifted downward, clearly seeing the suggestive marks on her collarbone. His gaze turned fiery, and his body grew hot and restless.

Jie Jingchen shot a resentful look at the sleeping Qin Mei. ’She sure knows how to pick a time to advance our relationship.’ He got up carefully and headed for the bathroom.

Jie Jingchen stayed in the bathroom for a long time. When he came out, he didn’t get back into bed, afraid that the fire he had worked so hard to extinguish would flare up again the moment he saw Qin Mei.

They had been sleeping in the same bed for nearly two months. Although he’d felt impulses before, he could always suppress them with willpower. But not today. Before they had crossed that line, it was one thing. After, his mindset and his body had completely changed. Especially his body—it was filled with an urge to surrender to its desires.

What Jie Jingchen overlooked, however, was that while he was nursing his back injury, even if his body reacted, his spirit was willing but his flesh was weak.

In the courtyard, under a tree, Jie Jinghun sat in a wicker chair, smoking.

”Third Brother,” Jie Jingchen called out, sitting down in the wicker chair beside him.

”Want one?” Jie Jinghun asked, blowing out a cloud of smoke as he offered the pack and matches to Jie Jingchen.

”I quit.” Jie Jingchen didn’t take them. He had learned to smoke before joining the army. After enlisting, he was always getting injured. The most serious time, he was bedridden for nearly three months. He kicked the habit after that injury.

”Good that you quit.” Jie Jinghun didn’t press him, tossing the pack and matches onto the stone table. ”That wife you married, you can tell just by looking at her she’s the type who wouldn’t want you smoking.”

In the moonlight, Jie Jingchen shot a sidelong glance at Jie Jinghun and said nonchalantly, ”Third Sister-in-law doesn’t like you smoking, either.”

Jie Jinghun’s expression stiffened. With the cigarette still dangling from his lips, he gave an elegant smile that didn’t reach his eyes. ”Ah, your third sister-in-law... sigh. She’s so cold and proud. Even if she doesn’t like me smoking, she’d never stop me.”

Jie Jingchen looked up at the night sky. The moonlight spilled down, illuminating his finely chiseled, bewitchingly handsome features. ”Third Sister-in-law is as cold as ice. Toward people she dislikes, she maintains a distance that keeps them a thousand miles away. Third Brother, you’ve been married for so many years. Can’t you melt that thousand-year frost of hers?”

Jie Jinghun gave Jie Jingchen a cold glare. He had opened up to this younger half-brother of his several times. A complex mix of emotions swirled in the depths of his eyes, and his voice was a low, almost inaudible rasp. ”They’re back.”

Jie Jingchen jolted. His amber eyes shone like stars, and a hint of teasing flashed in his gaze as he looked at Jie Jinghun, asking knowingly, ”Who is ’they’?”

”Jie Jingchen,” Jie Jinghun said, his voice laced with anger.

”Third Brother, are you afraid you’ll have lingering feelings for her, or are you afraid Third Sister-in-law will get back together with him?” Jie Jingchen asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

”It’s impossible for me to have any lingering feelings for her,” Jie Jinghun said with firm finality. His gaze sharpened, a dangerous light emanating from his dark eyes.

’A woman who betrayed our love... even if my feelings for her were deep, I could never forgive her.’

”Then you’re afraid Third Sister-in-law will get back together with him.” Jie Jingchen’s every word was a dagger to the heart.

Jie Jinghun bit down on his cigarette, a trace of pain flickering in his eyes. ’When faced with an old flame, I can control myself and not betray my marriage. But what about Shen Qing? Faced with the man she once loved so deeply, can she control herself?’

”Third Brother, you have too little confidence,” Jie Jingchen said, his tone bordering on mockery. ”The person in the thick of it is lost, while the onlooker sees clearly. Third Sister-in-law is a woman of good character. She wouldn’t abandon her marriage for an old flame, especially since you two have a daughter.”

Jie Jinghun’s face darkened, and he shot a sharp glare at Jie Jingchen. ”Jing Si, it’s easy for you to talk when you’re not the one getting burned. Don’t be so glib. Plenty of people are watching you like a hawk, and plenty of people want to destroy your marriage. Don’t be the one who falls into a trap, makes a mistake, hurts his wife, and ruins his marriage.”

Jie Jingchen watched Jie Jinghun through half-lidded amber eyes, his expression shifting in an instant. ”Can’t you wish me well for once?”

”You’re my brother. Of course, I wish you well.” Jie Jinghun spat the cigarette butt onto the ground and crushed it with his foot. ”Forget about outsiders; we have two right here in our own family. Second Sister-in-law wants to set you up with Teacher Lin, and Auntie wants to set you up with Cousin Wan’er. They’re constantly watching you and your wife, just waiting for you to have a fight so they can swoop in.”

Jie Jingchen’s thick brows knitted together, his expression turning icy. They were supposed to be talking about his third brother, but somehow, his brother had turned the conversation back on him.

Jie Jingchen’s tone was cold and mocking. ”Third Brother, didn’t you want to build a bathroom behind the house? Now that they’re back, you could go discuss moving the fence with them...”

”Jie Jingchen!” Jie Jinghun cut him off, rising to his feet in a fury.

’One is his old flame, the other is Shen Qing’s. Love had turned to hate. Was he out of his mind, to go discuss moving a fence with them?’

Jie Jinghun was so agitated he didn’t keep his voice down. He was normally so gentle and refined, with a mellow voice; it was rare to hear him shout. There were stirrings from the other rooms, but no lights came on. Then, the light in Mr. and Mrs. Xie’s room flicked on.

Mr. Xie came out, draping a jacket over his shoulders. He stood in the doorway, looking at the two brothers in the courtyard with a dark expression, his voice laced with authority. ”Jing San, Jing Si, what are you two doing?”

The corners of Jie Jingchen’s mouth curved into a smirk, a sly glint in his dark eyes. He said nothing.

Having disturbed their father, Jie Jinghun’s eyes flickered. Seeing Jing Si’s attitude, it was clear he had no intention of dealing with their father. Jing Si could be willful, but he couldn’t. He put on his usual gentle and refined smile. ”Dad, we were just chatting.”

’Chatting so excitedly?’ To prevent his sons from coming to blows, Mr. Xie pulled his jacket tighter and strode toward them. ”I’ll chat with you.”

Jie Jinghun froze, looking at Jie Jingchen, who was still sitting in the wicker chair.

Mr. Xie pushed Jie Jinghun aside, sat down in the wicker chair he had just vacated, crossed his legs, and looked at Jie Jingchen with great interest.

”It’s getting late, and I have work tomorrow. You two chat. I won’t keep you company.” Jie Jingchen flicked a piece of dust from his pant leg, then rose gracefully and walked away.