The night on the island was shrouded in starlight. Wave after wave of tides crashed against the shore.
Jiang Beihuai gathered some dry branches and tossed them into the bonfire. The flames instantly shot up high, only to quickly subside.
After he came back, he remained silent, mechanically prodding the burning wood with a stick. The flickering firelight cast a dividing line on his well - defined nose.
Bai Wenxi timidly stole glances at him. In the silent stillness, her heart beat ever more rapidly. "Beihuai..."
Her delicate little hand tugged at the corner of Jiang Beihuai's clothes. "How about we have a chat?"
"I can tell you about my mental journey in the past few days. It's been quite a roller - coaster ride. I never expected the road ahead to be so perilous."
Jiang Beihuai pulled his clothes back, his tone as calm as still water. "Aren't you sleepy? I'll go find a banana leaf for you to lie on and take a nap."
Bai Wenxi watched as the clothes were snatched from her hand. The corners of her mouth immediately drooped, and she was too aggrieved to resist.
Jiang Beihuai knew her embarrassment but didn't come to her rescue. "There's a small hut in the center of the island, but unfortunately, its roof has collapsed. Moreover, the path leading there has been covered by vegetation. It's better to sleep here."
He stroked his chin, his words carrying a hidden meaning. "This shows that one should use their brains when doing things. One can't just act on a whim."
Bai Wenxi, of course, knew what he meant. He had been being sarcastic for so long just to annoy her. But thinking about mending their relationship, she endured the mockery.
"I'm not sleepy. I just want to sit next to you." Bai Wenxi's clear eyes were filled with pleading. "Can I watch the fire?"
Jiang Beihuai couldn't wait to hand the stick to her. "Sure. I'd be more than happy to have some help."
He wrapped his shirt tighter. "It's getting windy at night, but luckily I found a perfect wind - sheltered spot."
Jiang Beihuai pointed to the big trees on both sides. Their towering canopies pierced straight into the night. The lush and gnarled branches naturally formed a barrier.
Bai Wenxi stared in disbelief and angrily threw the stick on the ground. She never expected Jiang Beihuai to be so merciless.
"Make the fire burn brighter." Jiang Beihuai stretched and yawned. "I'll go find a banana leaf to lie on."
He excitedly ran into the dense forest. Soon, there came the rustling sounds.
Jiang Beihuai dragged back several huge banana leaves, his strong back straight. He spread the banana leaves beside the bonfire and lay down on his own.
He didn't even give Bai Wenxi a glance the whole time, as if sleeping had become the only thought dominating his mind at the moment.
He turned his back to Bai Wenxi, his limbs lazily sprawled on the leaves. The dancing flames cast a softly - contoured shadow under him.
Bai Wenxi held back the soreness in her nose and said nothing, constantly poking the soft sand.
Her original intention was just to prevent her husband from getting into trouble. She was ready to bear all the fear and darkness alone, but unexpectedly, she couldn't get Jiang Beihuai's understanding.
The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Her eyes were already red, but her remaining self - esteem made her stubbornly refuse to shed tears.
Bai Wenxi studied the patterns on her dress out of boredom. She looked up at the stars in the sky and recalled the memories of coming here for a painting trip.
Finally, she couldn't hold back and broke the ice. "Beihuai, are you asleep?"
Silence...
Bai Wenxi sobbed. Thinking about how she had been doted on since childhood and now was stranded here because of being framed, her plans completely disrupted.
Yao Chunmei had taken over her father's inheritance and greedily seized her real - estate properties.
The more she thought about it, the more depressed and uncomfortable she felt. She cried so hard that she could hardly catch her breath.
Jiang Beihuai turned over and let out a long sigh. He took out the crumpled tissue from his pants pocket.
He held it in front of Bai Wenxi's eyes. "Here, don't be picky. It's clean. I haven't used it. It's just been soaked in seawater."
Bai Wenxi slapped away his kind gesture. "I don't want your sympathy. Just go to sleep!"
Jiang Beihuai grabbed her chin with one hand and roughly wiped away her tears. "I can't sleep anymore. You've woken me up."
Bai Wenxi angrily kicked the sand at her feet, snatched the tissue, and threw it into the fire.
"Get out of here!"
Jiang Beihuai knew that the young lady was really angry. He secretly thought it was bad and quickly sat down to comfort her.
"Let's chat. Let's talk about your mental journey."
Jiang Beihuai put his arm around Bai Wenxi's shoulder, but she shrugged it off. Then he stretched out both arms and firmly hugged her slender waist.
"If you don't want to talk, just listen to me?" He nuzzled Bai Wenxi's neck like he was trying to please her. The warm breath he exhaled made her hair stand on end.
Actually, Bai Wenxi was quite curious about his childhood experiences, but out of courtesy, she never asked.
She felt like a little cat was scratching at her heart, but she had just thrown his tissue into the fire.
Bai Wenxi was too embarrassed to end the cold war on her own initiative, so she gritted her teeth and refused to give in.
Jiang Beihuai saw her stubborn face in the moonlight and gave her a way out. He murmured to himself, "Generally speaking, I wasn't as happy as you when I was a kid."
"I don't want to listen. I don't want to listen." Bai Wenxi covered her ears, hugged her knees, and curled herself into a ball.
Jiang Beihuai knew that it was hard for her to save face, so he didn't mind. He softly laughed. "Can I just talk to myself?"
"Although I was raised by my biological mother when I was a kid." Jiang Beihuai let out a self - mocking sneer. "To be honest, it would have been better if I didn't have such a mother."
When he brought up the old things again, there was no trace of nostalgia or regret in his emotions. He was as cold as if he was telling someone else's story.
"The reason I didn't go to college wasn't that I couldn't get in. It was because my mother took the tuition fees I had saved from part - time jobs in high school to gamble."
When he said this, there was a tiny crack in his hardened heart. "When I was a kid, I asked her where my father was."
Bai Wenxi couldn't hold back her curiosity and interrupted. "Did she say your father abandoned you and your mother?"
"No." Jiang Beihuai was speechless. Even now, he still thought it was absurd. "She said my father was dead. He was a hooligan and was beaten to death in a street fight."
"Okay..."
Bai Wenxi really couldn't understand why her mother - in - law had said that at that time.
After she married into the Jiang family, she had also overheard some gossips from the servants.
Her parents - in - law had met in a club and had an affair. But after she got pregnant, Uncle Jiang had wanted to take responsibility.
But in the end, she left with the baby in her womb, and Uncle Jiang never looked for them for some unknown reason.
"Maybe she hated Uncle Jiang to the core." Bai Wenxi guessed the thoughts of a woman who couldn't get the man she loved.
"Since she couldn't have him, her love turned into hatred. The more she loved him before, the more she belittled him later."
Actually, what Bai Wenxi was more interested in wasn't her mother - in - law's past love affairs but another question that had been buried in her heart for a long time.
Bai Wenxi said proudly, "It was you who wanted to chat with me."
"Yes, yes, yes. I can't sleep." The two long - gone dimples reappeared. Jiang Beihuai's eyes curved into a smile. "Please, talk to me to kill time."
"The night is long, and I can't sleep anyway. I'll just reluctantly chat with you."
Bai Wenxi opened her big, round eyes, looking a bit nervous. "Have you ever been involved with the underworld? The scars on your back are so hideous."