I Want You to Learn to Love Me

"Wake up! Wake up!"

A sharp pain shot through the tip of her nose, and only then did Jiang Xin slowly stir from the darkness.

She opened her eyes, muttering in utter confusion.

"Th-... Where is this? Wasn't I at home waiting for my hubby to come back?"

"Are you crazy?"

Ye Shu propped her up with one hand on her waist, sighing helplessly. "You fainted earlier because you got too emotional. This is an inn."

"An... an inn?"

Jiang Xin looked up blankly, only to see Xia Hanmo sitting half-upright beside her, her pretty face flushed crimson, head lowered, ears so red they looked ready to drip blood, not daring to say a word.

The memories from moments ago came flooding back like a tide.

She remembered. She remembered everything now.

She had whipped out the blood-stained bedsheet just to one-up that Xia Hanmo woman—and that heartless man had seen it all! Every last bit of it!

Her reputation. Her dignity. Gone.

She couldn't show her face in public anymore.

How was she supposed to hold her head up in front of that heartless man from now on?

At that thought, grief welled up in Jiang Xin's heart, tears glistening in her eyes as she wailed, "This place... is basically hell!"

Ye Shu: ".........."

Looking at his drama-queen of a foolish wife, he truly had no idea what to do with her.

"Alright, cut the theatrics. It's not like it's a big deal."

"No, it IS a big deal."

Jiang Xin shook her head tearfully, burying her face into his chest, sobbing, "I can't show my face anymore... waaah..."

The others: "........."

Seriously, wasn't this shameless woman just using this as an excuse to fish for sympathy from that heartless man?

Such heavy scheming!

Of course, Ye Shu wasn't about to indulge her.

He rummaged around on himself with his right hand, then pulled out a blood-stained bedsheet, waving it in front of Jiang Xin's eyes.

"Look here. What's this?"

"Th-... This is?"

Jiang Xin looked up, and her face instantly turned red.

Wasn't this the blood-stained sheet from her and that heartless man's first night? How did he have it? He must have picked it up earlier.

"Give it back!"

She quickly reached out to grab it, but Ye Shu dodged her nimbly.

Holding the sheet with one hand, he wagged the other at Jiang Xin with a grin. "Still going to throw a tantrum? Still going to hunt for mistresses?"

"No more, no more!" Jiang Xin agreed in a rush. "Just give it back to me!"

Hearing that, Ye Shu nodded in satisfaction and handed the sheet back to her. Jiang Xin carefully took it, tucked it close to her body, then lowered her head and fell silent, face red.

She looked exactly like Xia Hanmo beside her.

Clearly, after what had just happened, those two were too ashamed to show their faces for the time being.

"There we go, that's better~"

And just like that, he'd dealt with three women in a flash.

Ye Shu nodded with satisfaction.

This just proved he had a real talent for keeping the balance, didn't it? At this rate, sharing one big bed wasn't just a dream.

He turned around and looked toward the window sill.

There sat his last, most difficult, and most troublesome one: Liu Ruyi, the Demon Sect's Holy Maiden.

To be perfectly honest, he really didn't want to be tied to her.

That was exactly why he'd faked his own death to get away.

"What's this? From the look in your eyes, sounds like you're not exactly glad to see me?"

Liu Ruyi raised an eyebrow.

Ye Shu said nothing, because he truly didn't know how to face this woman.

"Is she really your wife?" Jiang Xin suddenly leaned in and whispered, since the way he acted didn't seem at all like an ordinary married couple.

"Yes." Ye Shu replied with complete calm. "With lanterns strung and celebration, properly wed, bowed to heaven and earth, drank the nuptial cup. When you and I first met, that bridal robe I wore—she hand-stitched it for me when I married her."

"Oh..."

Hearing that, Jiang Xin lowered her head, looking a bit dejected.

"You don't need to feel inferior." Ye Shu turned and gently ruffled her hair, chuckling. "Aren't you also my wife?"

"That doesn't count as formal at all." Jiang Xin pouted, but the upward curve at the corner of her lips already gave her away.

"You don't need to fight over any of this."

Seeing all the women gathered together, Ye Shu stood up. His gaze swept across everyone present, his tone steady and forceful.

"In my eyes, you are all the same."

"I know love isn't fair. I am your one and only, but you are not my one and only. But I'm sorry, that's just the reality, and I told you all long before."

Scummy.

That speech was scummy to the extreme.

But when he said those words, Ye Shu did so with a clear conscience.

Because as he'd said, before every relationship was established, he had informed each of them of his circumstances up front. There was no hiding, no deception.

The only person he'd truly wronged in his life was Lin Qingxue.

But that had involved factors beyond his control. So Ye Shu wasn't going to wallow in self-pity. Whatever responsibility he had to bear, he'd bear it. Whatever explanation he owed, he'd give it.

He was scummy.

But he was scummy openly, scummy with a clean conscience!

"Should I give you an award or something?"

Liu Ruyi, perched on the window sill, let out a jeering laugh. "Aren't you just so impressive?"

Ye Shu turned back at those words, looking at her calmly.

"Only you are different."

"I don't love you."

Click—

The moment those words left his mouth, Liu Ruyi's smile froze on her face. Her fingers tightened slightly as she glared coldly at Ye Shu. "What did you say?"

"I said, I don't love you."

Ye Shu repeated himself.

"Liu Ruyi, I am grateful to you. I pity you. I can spend a long time keeping you company. I can be your husband. But I do not love you."

"........."

Silence. A dead, suffocating silence.

The night was still.

The room was eerily quiet.

Everyone held their breath, staring at Ye Shu, their eyes filled with disbelief. Though they didn't know the full story, the fact that he'd unleashed the "I don't love you" technique meant this Liu Ruyi really did hold a heavy place in his heart.

The little beast curled up by the bed, its purple eyes full of confusion.

Could something this melodramatic really happen to the teacher as well?

What concerned the women even more was Liu Ruyi's reaction.

Facing such a ruthless speech from Ye Shu, what would she do?

"Is that so?"

In just a moment, Liu Ruyi had already recovered her previous calm, composed expression.

She raised her chin, looking down at Ye Shu from above. "Remember? You owe me two favors."

Ye Shu nodded. "Of course I remember."

"Good."

Liu Ruyi suddenly rose to her feet, her crimson bridal gown whipping wildly in the night breeze like a proud, defiant rose. "Ye Shu, even if your heart is a block of ice, I, Liu Ruyi, will melt it with warmth. Even if it's a stone, I will crack it open."

"Now, I want you to fulfill my second favor."

"I want you to learn to love me."

With that, her figure vanished into the darkness of the night, leaving only a red silhouette behind.