Chapter 28: Chapter 28
TangShi held her breath as the sound of the familiar and confident steps of YuZhi strolled in, her skin goose bumping all over at his presence. Even if she didn't like him, her body could still differentiate between him and others in the house like a weird sixth sense, his looming aura of being nearby. She sunk down under the sheets and closed her eyes tight. She wanted to be asleep before he came up tonight and now, she would have to pretend given it was early for him to be up here.
She lay as still as a statue as she listened to him wander into his study, right across from the bed, after he entered the room but he left the door open and didn't seem intent on settling in there to work. Not that he used it much anyway. He came back out a moment later, seemed to dump something like a file on the dresser, and then proceeded into the bathroom by walking past her side of the bed and shut the door.
TangShi peeked her head out and squinted at the glimmer of light under the bathroom door and it made her heart sink. The sound of the shower causing her to swallow heavily in dread. It could only mean he was getting ready for bed and had no intention of leaving again. He always showered last, no matter what, as he liked to be clean before going to sleep. She had thought, like always, he would come up here later as for now it wasn't even nine Pm yet and he was already washing in readiness. YuZhi never slept before eleven normally.
TangShi cursed him under her breath and turned on her side to will herself to sleep quickly and ended up staring at the smooth wall in front of her like a blank listless being. Her body tense and her heart hammering as she began to count the shadows that crisscrossed across the pale décor filtering from the window coverings. She flinched with every noise that came from the bathroom, well aware she was building herself up into a nervous mess. Counting the seconds until he came in here and feeling stupid that he affected her this much.
Today had been a weird one and his attitude seemed off, more moody than normal and had set her on edge. He had been testy at dinner, picking her apart while she ate and looking for things to criticise. He seemed to be all over her, nagging that she ate too little, then too fast, then too much, and it was oppressive as hell to eat like that. He bickered with her over dessert because he could. Unhappy with everything from how she held her spoon, to her clinking her water glass, and then coldly told her to leave when Rhea showed up to visit and have tea with the Lengs. His tone all evening had been snappish and harsh, and no one dared to mention it, not even grandfather who threw him questioning glances every so often. Rhea even stayed silent when she was chased away with a grim expression. It was like a major row was building between them for no apparent reason, just when she was beginning to think life here was settling into a routine she could deal with.
He had a bug in his ass, and she didn’t want to know why. She just wanted him to leave her alone, but him coming up at this hour could only spell trouble. Her gut said he was looking to find his torture toy to irritate her more. That his only reason for an early night was to carry on and have that row with her.
YuZhi didn't take long to shower and dress in light sleeping attire and headed out to the bedroom with damp hair and a towel draped around his shoulders casually. TangShi screwed her eyes shut and kept as still as possible to fool him into thinking she truly was asleep, but he didn't seem to care. He glanced towards the body in the huge bed and smirked to himself. He was not in the mood for her today at all and just the sight of her at dinner had pissed him off.
He normally wasn’t one to take his pissy feelings out on other people, but she was an easy target and today he couldn’t get over how much he hated being married to her. He had enough reminders all day.
He picked up the dryer and tended his hair as noisily as he could, knocking his brush on the counter, seemingly intent on bashing it repeatedly. Not concerned if the racket disturbed her, and then proceeded to turn on lamps around the space as he wandered and illuminated the room in an unnecessary way. TangShi honestly felt like he was purposely trying to wake or disturb her and fought the will to turn and glare at him. Instead, she held still, didn't move a muscle, and gritted her teeth in stubbornness as if she was sound asleep and so far into dreamland that his presence wasn't felt. Her fury rising with every bump and thud he made around her.
"I know you're awake. I can tell by how you're lying. After a few weeks in my bed, I know the difference." YuZhi pointed out with a blank expression and no kind of emotion to his words, while TangShi tensed and clenched her fists into balls under the sheets. Her anger spiking because he just admitted he was goading her.
She had no idea what was eating him today, but it was clear he was honing in for her and wouldn’t be happy until he had her bite back.
"How anyone could sleep with all that noise and storming around? Don't you know how to behave when someone is already in bed? You're so ignorant!" She turned around snappily, forgetting her act of being asleep and locked her eyes on his arrogant face. Her face pinched and her expression sour as dislike beamed his way. YuZhi only shrugged with one shoulder, seemingly pleased with her instant fury and relaxed his posture into a casual lounge.
"Why pretend then? Are you avoiding me?" He smirked, pulling off the towel from his shoulder and threw it across the bed into the hamper by the other corner with perfect aim. Missing her by inches. Acting like Mr Control and owning the bedroom, which annoyed her further. TangShi shook her head in disbelief at this man's manner, at a loss for words, and turned her back on him again.
"It's not like I have reason to not avoid you. You have been like a bear with a sore head from the minute you walked in and it seems I have somehow offended you!" She huffed to herself, her voice muffled as she pulled up the covers over her face and tried to settle back down into a comfortable position. She was going to ignore him and not show he was riling her. After all, she knew it's what he wanted.
"You're my wife. You should be waiting up to see if I need anything before bed... maybe take care of me a little. Tend to my mood….. or sleep elsewhere and leave me alone. Either is fine." YuZhi mocked, in a tight tone that barely disguised his underlying sarcasm and brimming bad temper. He was in a weirder mood tonight after she left the dinner table, unable to shake his irritation, and yet again, couldn't stop himself from seeking her out and trying to rile his little woman even though he told her to leave. It was becoming a really annoying urge that he didn't understand and had no control over. When she was there he wanted her gone, but when she was gone he needed to follow her and create conflict.
Two contracts fell through today and problems arose with the Lei collaboration that gave him a migraine and would take weeks to resolve. Dealing with TangShi’s father for three hours of his day reminded him of every reason he abhorred this forced fucking marriage. The man was unbearable. It drove home how sordid and shit this contract between their families was and how he was basically held hostage to produce an heir before he could get his life back. That he got no say in who the mother of his first born would be, when he would become a father, or how he wanted to live his own god damn life. He had never felt real resentment towards his position or family for this until today, and now he was simmering and hateful and looking to rage it out. She was to blame in his eyes and here he was.
"You sent me to bed ...To sleep! To get away from you!" TangShi turned on him once more, stating it as an accusation, blanching at his words. Never understanding this push and pull thing he did with her. Over these past weeks she really felt like sometimes he was warming to her, starting to accept their fate and give her a little breathing space. He improved, mellowed, and let her alone sometimes. Then other days, like today, that venom of their first encounter returned and he treated her like the enemy. She could feel his dislike and disdain for her like it was pulsing in the room between them and it wounded her to the core.