Chapter Fifty-Five: Ah, Ah, Ah!

Qin Mengxue watched in shock as the document that had been perfectly intact just a second before now fluttered from Xue Tian'ai's hands like snowflakes, her expression changing drastically. She glared at Xue Tian'ai in anger and demanded, "Xue Tian'ai, what are you doing?"

With an incredulous look on his face, Xue Tian'ai replied, "Wife, let's not even talk about you forbidding me from going shirtless and all that. Do you remember what you wrote in the last clause?"

"Of course I do! Without my permission, you can't force me to have sex with you! What's wrong with that?" Qin Mengxue retorted, still fuming.

"And?"

"And you can't force yourself on me, nor are you allowed to go out looking for prostitutes! What's wrong with that last part?"

"What's wrong? Come on, wife, you really have to ask? I'm a young man in the prime of my life. If you won't let me fulfill my husbandly duties with you, fine, but you also won't let me find anyone else? Are you trying to suffocate me?"

"You can handle it yourself!" Qin Mengxue said without a hint of embarrassment, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She believed that since Xue Tian'ai married her, he couldn't go around flirting with others. If people found out, it would be a huge blow to her pride. Besides, she didn't have any deep romantic feelings for him yet, so she also didn't want him to have sex with her.

Xue Tian'ai felt his eyelid twitch uncontrollably at her words. Did this woman really expect him to take care of it himself?

"No way! Absolutely not!" Xue Tian'ai waved his hands in protest.

"Even if you don't agree, you can't just tear it up! That document was something I painstakingly wrote late at night!" Qin Mengxue said, her voice tinged with grievance. She'd spent a long time writing and printing out that marriage contract, only to see it destroyed in a second by Xue Tian'ai. Her heart ached.

This bastard was just too much!

"Because that wasn't a contract at all—it was one-sided torture! I object!" Xue Tian'ai recalled the contents of the document and shivered. If he really had to live by those rules, he might as well be exiled to the Himalayas to battle a yeti.

"Objection overruled!" Qin Mengxue retorted, refusing to back down.

"You think you can just declare my objection invalid? I am a healthy, normal man with real needs! That so-called marriage contract of yours is an absolute tyranny! I won't have it!" Xue Tian'ai's tone was resolute.

"Besides, this is my home. With all these rules, are you trying to turn my house into a prison?"

Qin Mengxue was taken aback by Xue Tian'ai's attitude; she hadn't expected such a strong reaction from him.

"So what if it's your house? I'm your legal wife, so it's my home too!" she shot back, unmoved.

"Oh? So you do remember you're my wife. Shouldn't you be fulfilling some of your wifely duties, then?" Xue Tian'ai raised an eyebrow, stood up, and walked toward her with a mischievous grin.

As Xue Tian'ai suddenly approached, Qin Mengxue was startled. Her pupils shrank to pinpoints, and she cried out, "Xue Tian'ai, don't you dare!"

"I told you yesterday, even if I misbehave, I now have a license! Licensed driving—not illegal!" Xue Tian'ai continued his advance, eyes glinting with mischief, now standing right in front of her.

"I'm serious, don't try anything!" Qin Mengxue was truly panicking now, her hands flailing in a flustered defense.

Xue Tian'ai simply smiled, ignoring her futile gestures. He gently pushed her shoulder, and her soft body toppled backward, so that she lay stretched between two dining chairs.

Then Xue Tian'ai pressed down over her, gazing at her intently. "Wife, haven't you heard? When a girl says 'no,' she usually means the opposite."

Seeing Xue Tian'ai actually push her down and press himself over her, his face nearly touching hers, Qin Mengxue's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She looked utterly aggrieved and even pleaded, "No, Xue Tian'ai, this is the dining table, not the bed..."

"The dining table is for eating, isn't it? And now, I'm going to eat you—what's wrong with that?" Xue Tian'ai's wicked grin widened, his eyes glittering with a dangerous light.

"No, really, please don't." Qin Mengxue's shoulders trembled as she resisted.

"Ah, wife, you smell so good!" Xue Tian'ai seemed deaf to her pleas, lowering his head to nuzzle the stiffened nape of her neck, inhaling deeply.

"You... what nonsense are you saying all of a sudden?"

"Your hair is so soft, too. It feels so good to touch!" Xue Tian'ai gathered a loose strand, lifted it to his nose, and inhaled again. "Even your hair smells wonderful."

But before Qin Mengxue could say anything else, Xue Tian'ai lowered his head again, this time bringing his lips so close to her fair neck that he blew softly on her skin.

The sensation of his breath teasing her neck left Qin Mengxue feeling as if all her strength had drained away. Her pale cheeks were now ablaze with a rosy flush, and though she tried to push him away with both hands, her resistance was feeble.

"Wife, how about it—do you like it?" Xue Tian'ai whispered, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Xue Tian'ai, don't..." Qin Mengxue desperately tried to wriggle free from beneath him, but it was useless.

"I told you, when you say 'don't,' you really mean you do. So, today, just give in to me, will you?" Xue Tian'ai moved his face back into her view and slowly lowered his head.

Qin Mengxue was filled with regret. Why had she spoken so rashly just now? But seeing Xue Tian'ai's lips drawing closer, she closed her eyes tightly, as if resigning herself to fate, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Ah, to think my first time would be on a dining table. It's so unfair. But maybe this is what marriage means. Qin Mengxue let out a self-mocking smile inside, even as tears shimmered at the corners of her tightly shut eyes.

Xue Tian'ai, seeing her lying there as if surrendering herself to him, burst out laughing. He extended his thumb and gently wiped the corner of her mouth before standing up.

At his touch, a tremor ran through Qin Mengxue's entire body, as if she had been struck by lightning. But in the next instant, she felt the pressure on her body vanish, and Xue Tian'ai's presence retreat.

Qin Mengxue opened her watery eyes in confusion and saw Xue Tian'ai grinning down at her, triumphant.

"Wife, I was just wiping a bit of soup from your lips. What were you thinking about?" Xue Tian'ai waggled the thumb he'd just used to touch her mouth.

Seeing his teasing expression, the smear of soup on his thumb, and recalling her own reaction, Qin Mengxue was mortified. She wished the ground would swallow her whole.

Blushing fiercely, her eyes blazing, she glared at Xue Tian'ai. "Do you enjoy building your happiness on my suffering?"

Xue Tian'ai licked the soup from his thumb and feigned puzzlement. "Hmm? Wife, were you really suffering just now?"

Watching him lick his finger, Qin Mengxue's blush deepened. That had been from the ribs she’d eaten earlier, and now he'd licked it—wasn't that an indirect kiss?

"What do you think?" Though burning with shame and anger, Qin Mengxue put her hands on her hips and challenged him.

"I don't think you were suffering at all. People in pain don't blush and close their eyes, do they?"

His words hit her like a kettle of boiling water dumped over her head, making her skin prickle. The flush on her cheeks spread even further.

"Ah... ah... ah..." Qin Mengxue was so mortified she could barely speak, her delicate face burning, her little mouth agape.

"See, wife? Wasn't I right? Really, what were you thinking about? I just wanted to wipe some soup from your mouth." Xue Tian'ai looked at her with glee, his heart full of satisfaction for getting back at her over that marriage contract.

"Wife, were you thinking... oh my! You're not so innocent, are you?" Xue Tian'ai covered his mouth in mock horror.

"Xue Tian'ai, I'll kill you!" Qin Mengxue finally snapped. This man had completely stripped her of her dignity!

With that, she got to her feet and aimed a kick at him.

But Xue Tian'ai dodged lightly, sidestepping her attack with ease. As he moved, he teased, "Wife, don't you think this kind of thing increases interaction between husband and wife? Builds our relationship a little?"

"You call this interaction? You call this building a relationship?" Qin Mengxue, furious, swung a punch at him.

"Isn't this just like in the novels?" Xue Tian'ai dodged again, jumping aside.

"What kind of novel has such ridiculous scenes?" After two failed attacks, Qin Mengxue was on the verge of exploding. This bastard was using scenes from novels to tease her—why didn't he just die!

Xue Tian'ai chuckled. "There's a novel called 'The Supreme Urban Husband' with scenes just like this, and even more risqué ones. Want to try them out together, wife?"

"Supreme Husband? What a terrible title!"

"If you don't like the novel's scenes, we could always try some moves from those action films from Japan. I'm even more familiar with those—I’ve even filmed a few, you know. Piece of cake!"

"Go to hell!" Hearing him suggest trying out those Japanese action film scenarios, Qin Mengxue could barely contain her rage.

She might be inexperienced in love, but after so many years studying abroad, she certainly knew what those films were about. Now her own husband wanted to try out those scenes with her? Unforgivable!

Her rage made her breath come in short, furious bursts, her chest heaving like a pair of water balloons.

Without caring whether she could beat Xue Tian'ai or not, she lunged at him again.

Watching her charge, Xue Tian'ai quickly dodged to the side. "Wife, if you think those films are too much, let's just stick to the novel scenarios!"

But to Qin Mengxue, already furious, his words were like pouring oil on a blazing fire. Her anger soared to new heights.

She lunged again, and Xue Tian'ai had no choice but to keep dodging.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch him.

So the chase went on from the dining room to the living room, around the sofa and coffee table, until Qin Mengxue was exhausted, gasping for breath.

"Xue Tian'ai, if you're a man, stand still!" she demanded, one hand on her waist, the other pointing at him.

"Wife, do I look stupid to you? Stand still and wait for you to beat me up? Not a chance," he replied, staring her down.

"Xue Tian'ai, you bastard, scoundrel, pervert, shameless, filthy, lecherous—"

"Wife, can we get some new words, please..." Xue Tian'ai looked at her, exasperated. Was her vocabulary really that limited?

"Ah!" Qin Mengxue felt she was about to go mad from anger, but there was nothing she could do.

"Wife, is your tooth aching? All you do is go 'ah, ah, ah.'"

"Xue Tian'ai! If I don't beat you until your name is Xue Tian Dead, my surname isn't Qin!" Without further ado, she charged at him again.

"Wow, wife, you're really ruthless!" Xue Tian'ai dodged once more.

"Stand still, I promise not to kill you!"

"Not a chance!"

...

For a while, Qin Mengxue and Xue Tian'ai chased each other all over the villa, locked in another round of cat and mouse.

Neither of them realized that at this moment, they looked just like a pair of bickering lovers, flirting and fighting in the throes of young love.