"How dare you kill over thirty people! Damn it, do you even have any regard for the law?" Back at the white apartment building, the female officer showed no mercy to Xiang Ri, who was feigning pitifulness before her.
"My dear wife, you must understand—those men were incredibly dangerous. If I hadn't taken them out, they would've killed your dear husband instead," Xiang Ri explained, trying to reason with her after failing to win her sympathy.
"Couldn't you have informed me first?" Tie Wan snorted lightly, clearly displeased with his unilateral actions.
"Well, back then, our relationship wasn't quite this... close, was it?" Xiang Ri spoke cautiously.
"Hmm?" The officer's nasal hum was drawn out, her tone tinged with menace. "You—had I not witnessed your unbelievable feats today, I wouldn't have suspected you were the culprit. Tell me, if I hadn't brought it up, were you planning to keep it from me forever?"
Xiang Ri instinctively lifted his right hand to scratch his nose but stopped when he remembered it was wrapped like a "bear paw." He grinned ruefully. "You wouldn't want your husband to be a murderer, right? I kept it from you because I didn't want to scare you."
"Then why not deny it? Don't you care about my feelings now?"
"You've already seen those three mercenaries I killed. What's the point of denying it? I might as well admit it. Besides, with a wife as clever as you, wouldn't you find the evidence in minutes? How could this 'Monkey King' ever escape the palm of your hand, oh great... Avalokitesvara?" Xiang Ri sneaked in a cheeky compliment.
"Stop with the nonsense!" Tie Wan snapped, her stern expression betrayed by the undeniable sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "This time, I'll let you off. But next time, you'd better inform me first—or else I'll have to arrest you!"
"Yes, yes, my wise and noble wife!" Xiang Ri clasped his hands in mock reverence, though the sight of his bulky "bear paw" made the gesture hilariously awkward.
"Don't celebrate too soon! I still have questions for you."
"Ask away, my lady. Your devoted husband shall answer truthfully and completely."
"Be serious!" Tie Wan's eyes widened. "I want to know—what's with your absurd strength? How can you punch through walls that thick?"
"That... I'm not entirely sure. It seems I've had it since birth," Xiang Ri replied, feigning a thoughtful look. In truth, he was well aware of the origins of his strength but knew he couldn't reveal the truth now.
"Really?" Though he appeared flawless in his answer, Tie Wan remained skeptical.
"What else could it be? Do you think I've mastered some mythical martial art or taken an elixir of ultimate vitality?" Xiang Ri countered.
"You scoundrel!" Tie Wan pouted, her tone half-chiding. "Why can't you act like a normal person for once?"
"Speaking of normal people..." Xiang Ri's expression turned mischievous, his smile suggestive. "I'm a perfectly normal man, after all. Wife, it's been quite a while, don't you think? Shouldn't we, you know... do something about that?"
Although Xiang Ri's words were veiled, the lecherous grin on his face gave away his improper thoughts. Tie Wan immediately felt her cheeks flush and her pulse quicken. Embarrassed and annoyed, she scolded him, "Do something about what? Let me tell you this—until that matter is resolved, don't even think about getting close to me!"
"Are you serious?" Xiang Ri howled exaggeratedly, shaking his injured hand. "I'm so gravely wounded, and you won't even comfort me? Don't you know it could improve blood circulation and speed up healing?"
Tie Wan ground her teeth in frustration, furious at his audacity. "Exactly because you're injured, it's out of the question!" She was about to continue when Xiang Ri suddenly let out a pained cry, clutching his "bear paw" and moaning in agony.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Tie Wan was startled and hurried to his side.
"You hit my hand," Xiang Ri groaned, trembling as though in unbearable pain.
"No... I didn't!" Tie Wan, flustered with worry, forgot whether she had accidentally touched his hand. She only recalled waving her arm—could it really have been that coincidental?
"I think the bone cracked again," Xiang Ri murmured dramatically, all the while extending his uninjured left hand toward her waist.
"Then we need to get to the hospital immediately!" Tie Wan exclaimed, pushing him aside. But upon seeing his sly, triumphant expression, with no trace of genuine pain, her temper flared. Raising her hand, she growled, "You scoundrel! Are you trying to get yourself killed? How dare you trick me!"
"Don't hit me, my dear wife!" Xiang Ri raised his "bear paw" high in surrender. "If you really injure it, my hand might end up useless!"
"Good! It'd save me the trouble of constantly catching it wandering to the wrong places!" Tie Wan's hand, poised in midair, ultimately didn't strike, though her voice remained sharp and menacing.
"How could that be? My hands never wander!" Seeing through his antics, Xiang Ri opted for a bold move, wrapping his arms around the officer. With injuries as "severe" as his, she surely wouldn't resort to domestic violence.
Tie Wan quickly jumped back a step, pointing an accusing finger at him as she shouted, "You're filthy! Covered in blood! I told you, don't touch me until you're clean!"
"Bathing?" Xiang Ri's eyes lit up as an idea struck him. He glanced mischievously at her. "You're not exactly clean either. Why don't we bathe together? I promise I won't do anything improper or let my hands wander!"
"Dream on!" Tie Wan refused to believe his empty assurances, though an undeniable flicker of temptation stirred within her heart.
"But, wife, look at my injured hand—it's so bad I can't even undress myself. Even if you won't join me, you could at least help me take off my clothes and scrub my back, right? Otherwise, how can I possibly get clean?" Xiang Ri pitifully displayed his "bear paw" for sympathy.
Despite herself, Tie Wan felt her resolve waver at the sight of his helpless expression. Biting her lip, she grudgingly agreed to help, but with conditions:
First, Xiang Ri wasn't allowed to strip completely—he had to leave on his underwear.
Second, he was forbidden from moving around or making any additional requests.
Third... she hadn't thought of yet, but she reserved the right to add one later.
With these rules laid out, Xiang Ri voiced a minor protest, expressing his dissatisfaction with her authoritarian stance. Tie Wan dismissed his complaints with a curt "Take it or leave it."
What she didn't realize, however, was that she'd already fallen into his trap. Xiang Ri's sly grin betrayed his confidence—once inside the bathroom, the balance of power would shift in his favor.
After filling the tub, Tie Wan turned to call him over, only to see him standing motionless. Annoyed, she snapped, "Why haven't you undressed yet?"
Xiang Ri shrugged. "If I could undress myself, would I still be standing here like a statue?" In truth, removing his clothes was entirely within his capability, even with one hand immobilized.
Tie Wan clenched her fists in frustration. It was obvious he was forcing her to help him undress! Damn it—he'd pay for this someday! But for now, begrudgingly, she stepped forward.
Carefully, she helped him remove his shirt. Fortunately, the loose sleeves made it easy to slide over his injured hand without causing discomfort.
When it came to his pants, however, she hesitated. The physiological response of a man was all too apparent, creating a conspicuous tent even through his loose-fitting leisure pants. If she pulled them down, leaving only his snug underwear, the sight would undoubtedly be... even more pronounced.
Damn it!
Her breath quickened as she yanked his pants down in one swift motion and hastily pushed him into the tub. The fleeting glimpse was brief but vivid enough to sear itself into her memory.
Without the pants to obscure the view, the contours beneath the snug fabric were unmistakable, even more so in their unabashed clarity.
Recalling their previous... closer encounter, Tie Wan felt her mind whirl and her body heat up. She dared not glance at Xiang Ri, now lounging in the tub.
"Wife!" he suddenly called out.
"Hm?" Tie Wan barely had time to respond before she felt herself lifted off her feet and unceremoniously plunged into the spacious tub beside him. Panic surged as she cried out, "What—what are you doing?"
"What do you think?" Xiang Ri grinned wickedly, pressing closer.
"You promised to behave!" Tie Wan instinctively backed away.
"Did I? I don't recall. You made those rules all by yourself, and I protested, but you ignored me. Now? Heh... don't worry, wife. I won't do anything. Really, I promise. At most, we'll just have a little... romantic swim together."