Dr. Qin stared in shock as the out-of-control Zhan Zeyi carried Tang Qiyue away. She then turned to look at Political Commissar Wu.
Political Commissar Wu had already suppressed his earlier excitement and returned to a stern expression. He patted Dr. Qin's shoulder.
"Little Qin, what were you saying to Little Tang just now? It looked like you were about to fight!"
Dr. Qin nearly coughed up blood from frustration. The scene clearly showed that she had been teased, not fighting.
If Tang Qiyue had been a man, she would definitely have fought back. But Tang Qiyue was a woman—and an extremely beautiful one.
"Political Commissar Wu, your wife is looking at you," Dr. Qin suddenly said.
Wu immediately turned around, his expression changing at once. Although he appeared strict and upright in public, he instantly lost composure when facing his wife.
He had been so excited earlier that he forgot Dr. Qin was a woman.
"Wife, you've worked hard. Are you tired? Let me take you home to rest."
His tone suddenly became extremely gentle.
Zheng Hongxia naturally knew her husband's character and didn't suspect anything improper between him and Dr. Qin. Still, she couldn't stand his overly attentive behavior.
"Hmph."
But thinking about the fisherwoman's situation, she focused on the serious matter first.
"This case is very serious. It must be treated as an example. He must be arrested and executed!"
She wasn't trying to be harsh. Recently, policies were strict about violent crimes, and attempted murder could carry the death penalty.
Political Commissar Wu nodded.
"You can handle the publicity work. I'll go off the island to contact the local police. Once the verdict is confirmed, we'll announce it in the fishing village."
The purpose was to shock the villagers.
The fishing village had many cruel traditions—sacrificing young girls to the sea god during storms, and men beating their wives without anyone intervening.
Because the village had long been isolated, it developed its own distorted logic.
This case would help them understand the authority of the law.
Zheng Hongxia was satisfied with Wu's cooperation.
But while they were discussing plans, chaos erupted in the fishing village.
The villagers could not accept the idea that a man could be imprisoned for beating his wife.
The village chief tried to explain their "traditional rules" to Political Commissar Wu, but he only received ideological education instead.
Soon the men began causing trouble.
Zhan Zeyi wasn't there, but Wu was not someone easily intimidated. He immediately ordered Hu Peng and his soldiers to bring troops.
Sometimes deterrence works better than reasoning.
Meanwhile, Zhan Zeyi carried Tang Qiyue all the way back home.
As soon as they left the fishing village courtyard, Tang Qiyue told him to put her down. She didn't want to become the center of attention for the villagers.
After they entered their house, Zhan Zeyi shut the door.
"Tang Qiyue," he said through clenched teeth, "I told you we weren't a fake couple, didn't I?"
Tang Qiyue had expected something like this.
"Yes, you did."
Zhan Zeyi snorted.
"Then what was that earlier? Do you like women?"
He was almost going crazy.
From the start, their marriage had felt strange to him. Especially when he once tried to break off the engagement—yet Tang Qiyue insisted on making the marriage real.
Tang Qiyue rubbed her nose, looking slightly guilty.
"Isn't Dr. Qin your confidante? Zheng Hongjuan told me that if I hadn't appeared, you two might have gotten married."
Zhan Zeyi froze.
His anger suddenly faded a lot.
"Impossible. I'm not that kind of despicable person."
He sat down and poured himself a cup of water from the thermos.
But when he raised the cup, he noticed Tang Qiyue's lips looked dry.
Without thinking, he handed the cup to her.
Before she could react, the rim of the cup was already against her lips.
Tang Qiyue tried to take it herself, but Zhan Zeyi grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap, still holding the cup for her.
They stared at each other.
Finally, unable to deal with his shamelessness, Tang Qiyue opened her mouth and drank the water.
After she finished, Zhan Zeyi drank the rest from the exact same spot where her lips had touched.
Their eyes remained locked the entire time.
Tang Qiyue suddenly felt her throat dry again, even though she had just drunk water.
Zhan Zeyi set the cup down and lifted her chin.
"You can only do that gesture to me," he said. "You're not allowed to do it to anyone else. Not even women."
The warmth of his fingers against her chin made her face heat up.
She tried to shake him off, but he pulled her closer and kissed her.
It wasn't a deep kiss like the ones at night—just a brief one.
Even in broad daylight, and even though Tang Qiyue had already accepted that their marriage was real, her heart still raced.
"The way you're acting," she said softly, placing her hands on his chest, "makes it seem like you've fallen in love with me."
Zhan Zeyi frowned.
"I'm your man. That means you belong to me. My woman can only be affectionate with me."
Tang Qiyue almost slapped him.
What a crude man!
Seeing her reaction, he quickly hugged her.
"Remember this. Since I married you, you're my wife. I'll love you properly. Tonight, I'll make sure you feel my love deeply—something you'll never forget!"
Tang Qiyue secretly rolled her eyes.
A man who always fails at the critical moment…
She'd be a fool to believe him.
If he's really capable, then prove it.
She had already prepared herself to live like a widow, but judging from Zhan Zeyi's appearance, he probably wasn't useless.
If she could enjoy the benefits without having children, she wouldn't mind.
But who was it that kept teasing her every night, leaving her frustrated?
After a long silence, Zhan Zeyi grew anxious.
"You don't believe me?"
Tang Qiyue comforted him lazily.
"No, I believe you. You're very capable—I know that. It's just that I'm the one who can't handle it."
Zhan Zeyi nearly transformed into a wolf on the spot to prove himself.
But then he suddenly remembered his mother-in-law's instructions.
He could only defend himself weakly.
"I'm very strong."