Tang Qiyue was genuinely afraid that Zhan Zeyi would actually carry out his threat.
"I'm not comfortable like this!"
After all, no one would feel comfortable being hoisted onto someone's shoulder.
Zhan Zeyi, however, had only been trying to scare her. He quickly set her down.
"Why are you back so soon? Didn't you say you'd be gone for two or three days?"
Tang Qiyue had been looking forward to some quiet time while he was away, so his early return surprised her.
Zhan Zeyi pointed toward the dock, where a wooden bucket rested.
Tang Qiyue noticed a group of people disembarking, each carrying large boxes. Among them, she saw a few familiar faces.
Zhan Zeyi's expression darkened as he noticed her staring.
"Saw someone you know?"
If he hadn't asked, Tang Qiyue might not have thought much of it—but now, she realized something was amiss.
"Is there really someone I know?" she asked, glancing at him.
Zhan Zeyi snorted coldly, grabbed her wrist, and started walking toward home. Along the way, people greeted him, and he nodded to all of them, his demeanor aloof and distant—completely different from his usual playful self.
Tang Qiyue felt a little unaccustomed to his change in behavior, but her emotions remained stable, hiding any inner turmoil.
Before they left the beach, someone ran up to them.
"Qiyue, it really is you!"
Tang Qiyue had assumed it was one of Zhan Zeyi's comrades, but looking up, she was shocked.
Zhan Zeyi observed silently. He had initially thought they were merely acquaintances, but seeing his normally composed wife shift from shock to delight irritated him.
"Brother Xu, what are you doing here?" Tang Qiyue exclaimed.
Bai Xu reached out to ruffle her hair, but missed when Zhan Zeyi pulled her behind him.
"Just talk—what's with the touching? Don't you know she's married?" Zhan Zeyi's icy tone froze Bai Xu in place.
Tang Qiyue quickly intervened.
"Zhan Zeyi, speak properly. Brother Xu is Uncle Wang's adopted son and my brother!"
Hearing this, Zhan Zeyi's face changed instantly. He had met Uncle Wang and knew he had pursued Tang Qiyue's mother.
"Oh dear, it's my brother-in-law! How embarrassing—I thought some scoundrel was after my wife!"
Bai Xu, too, looked slightly awkward.
"Qiyue, why didn't you write to tell me about your marriage? If I hadn't come back, and your parents hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known!"
Tang Qiyue smiled awkwardly. After her rebirth, she honestly hadn't remembered this. For Bai Xu, only a few months had passed; for Tang Qiyue, it had been a lifetime.
"The situation happened suddenly, and we couldn't contact you, so we didn't invite you back," she explained, though her words felt dry and unconvincing.
Bai Xu realized it was pointless to press further.
"Xiao Yuan came with me, too. The teacher vouched for him. I'll go get him!"
Tang Qiyue was shocked—her younger brother Tang Xiuyuan had come to the island. She had thought the money she gave him would be enough to cover his university life, never imagining he would arrive here.
Zhan Zeyi held her arm.
"What's the rush? He's already here. He's moving in and settling in. I'll take you to him once he's done."
Tang Qiyue had no choice but to wait.
Bai Xu, realizing his timing was a bit hasty, suggested, "We still need to sign in and clean up. We'll come find you after."
Tang Qiyue, aware of her disheveled, sandy appearance from beachcombing, thought it best to delay the meeting. She arranged a time and gave them her home address, then left with Zhan Zeyi.
Throughout the walk, she was lost in thought, while Zhan Zeyi, carrying a wooden bucket, looked increasingly unhappy.
At the front gate, Zhan Zeyi suddenly pushed it open with a loud noise, startling Tang Qiyue.
"Are you angry?" she asked cautiously.
Zhan Zeyi scoffed. "What? Shouldn't I be angry?"
Tang Qiyue's expression silently asked, Why?
Inside, he set the bucket next to the water vat, scooped water into a basin, washed his face, and flicked the droplets onto the ground—without drying off.
Tang Qiyue followed him, watching his odd series of actions. She finally gave up and went inside to change.
When she returned, Zhan Zeyi was pacing the yard.
"Did you tidy up the yard?" he asked.
Tang Qiyue nodded. She still felt sticky and needed a proper wash, but opted for a simple rinse to avoid using any high-tech gadgets while he was around.
Watching her, Zhan Zeyi felt a tightness in his chest and became irritable.
"Tang Qiyue, have you forgotten something?" he demanded, grabbing her arm.
With a thermos in one hand and a washbasin in the other, Tang Qiyue could only blink her large, watery eyes.
"Forgot what?"
She tried to recall but couldn't. Seeing his sour expression, she realized men could be as troublesome as women when angry.
Fortunately, Tang Qiyue knew the solution: coax him.
Deciding she couldn't endure the awkwardness any longer, she tiptoed, leaned close to Zhan Zeyi's lips, and murmured softly:
"Mmm~~~"