Jiang Beihuai scoffed. "I've seen plenty of gangsters bullying the poor. How could I ever hang out with them?"
He reached up and touched the scar on his shoulder. For a moment, his gaze softened. "This is my medal of honor."
"You've heard the gossips about me, haven't you?" Jiang Beihuai raised an eyebrow. His gentle eyes were like a pool that could drown someone.
Bai Wenxi thought for a while and decided to tell the truth. "There are quite a few rumors about you, and some of them are just absurd."
Jiang Beihuai let out a laugh. He picked up a burning stick. The hot sparks splashed onto his hand, but he didn't seem to feel the pain. He moved the stick closer to him.
The dancing flames were reflected in his deep, dark eyes. "There's no smoke without fire. Some of the things they say might not be false."
Bai Wenxi swallowed involuntarily. "Such as?"
Jiang Beihuai blew on the flame, and it went out. All that was left in his eyes was endless darkness.
"I was hot - tempered and belligerent when I was a teenager. I often quarreled with my mom. I also liked to get into conflicts with those hooligans. You want to know where those scars came from? They were left during my duels with those hooligans."
He might not have even realized that he was looking a bit dejected as he spoke.
Bai Wenxi shifted the banana leaf and moved closer to him. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to talk about it. Let's conserve our energy and take a nap."
Jiang Beihuai curled his lips mockingly. "What, are you scared of me?"
Bai Wenxi shook her head and placed her warm palm on his knee. "You fought with those people to protect your friends and your mom, right?"
Just as Jiang Beihuai was about to speak, Bai Wenxi covered his mouth with her hand. "You don't have to be insincere. I already know a lot about you."
"Did that girl Feifei tell you?" Jiang Beihuai gritted his teeth when he mentioned He Feifei.
He was a bit incredulous. "She added your contact information at our place that day. Have you been chatting privately?"
Bai Wenxi didn't think there was anything wrong. She nodded with a smile. "I was the one who reached out to her first. Actually, you don't have to put up a spiky shell to protect yourself from everyone."
She tapped the tip of her nose. "Although I already know a lot of things. Since you're willing to talk to me and give me an opportunity, I won't spoil the mood."
Bai Wenxi tilted her head playfully. Her eyelashes fluttered. "Let me give you a piece of advice. Don't try to scare me with lies in the future."
"Just be honest with me about your childhood. What good does it do you to make me afraid of you?"
Jiang Beihuai was speechless. He felt a bit embarrassed that his little scheme had been exposed.
He didn't deliberately try to scare Bai Wenxi for any purpose. It was just that there had been a strange atmosphere between them for some time.
He wasn't sure if Bai Wenxi loved him or not. Even his desire for her beauty had faded. But he was still affected by her every move.
Sometimes, Jiang Beihuai even envied the servants at home. That time on the balcony of the study, he saw Bai Wenxi worriedly treating Hong Fang's burn.
She gave Hong Fang a gentle smile with her kind eyes and applied medicine to her ulcerated wound with her slender hands.
At that moment, he thought, if it were him who got injured, would Wenxi take care of him so attentively?
There was no answer.
Bai Wenxi nestled her fluffy head in Jiang Beihuai's shoulder. He endured the itching on his skin and quietly sniffed the fragrance of her hair.
"Ah~~~"
Bai Wenxi yawned. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Jiang Beihuai supported the back of her neck with his hand. His sharp eyes gradually softened. "Tired, aren't you? It's very late. Go to sleep quickly."
Bai Wenxi blinked her eyes and nodded as if in a dream.
Jiang Beihuai leaned over and picked her up, laying her on the inner side, farther from the fire.
Bai Wenxi pouted and mumbled. "You're so mean. You're sleeping next to the fire. You won't be cold at night."
Jiang Beihuai pinched her nose and laughed at her pettiness. "I'm afraid you'll roll into the fire while sleeping at night."
"I'm doing this for your own good, and you don't even appreciate it. With me here, the wind can't get in. It won't be cold at all at night."
Bai Wenxi's nose felt sore from being pinched. She quickly scratched the back of his hand. "Okay, thank you. I misjudged you."
Jiang Beihuai watched as she reluctantly turned over. Then he lay down quietly, resting his head on his arm.
He knew that she was being herself on the island and showing a rare innocent side. Jiang Beihuai liked her relaxed nature, so he indulged her and didn't correct her.
They both closed their eyes and snuggled up in the banana leaves. On the lonely beach, the only sound was the crackling of the burning sticks.
They had a good night's sleep.
When Bai Wenxi woke up, the sky was already bright. The fire beside her was still burning brightly, and there were several new coconut shells in it.
She leaned over and took a look. She found that the coconut meat inside had been scooped out and filled with water. One of the coconut shells already had boiling water in it.
"Beihuai!"
Bai Wenxi ran bare - footed onto the beach. She put her hands around her mouth and shouted her husband's name loudly.
The echo of her shout drifted over the empty beach. There was no response from Jiang Beihuai. Bai Wenxi's heart sank.
She lifted her skirt and ran into the sea, letting the cold sea water soothe her anxious heart.
The higher she lifted her skirt, the farther she got from the shore.
The surging sea water was cold. She endured the cold and stood there for a while. Just as she was about to go back, she heard Jiang Beihuai's roar in the distance.
"Come back quickly! What are you doing?"
He dashed through the waves and ran to Bai Wenxi's side. He grabbed her wrist firmly.
His thin lips were pursed into a straight line, and the dimple on his cheek disappeared completely.
He was angry. Bai Wenxi had a bad feeling.
"Beihuai, did you misunderstand something?" Bai Wenxi's wrist bone hurt from being pinched. She explained timidly, "I just came out to look for you."
Jiang Beihuai's reason was almost burned away by his anger. "Look for me? Do you have to look for me in the sea?"
He was frustrated. "Why do you always do such dangerous things? Why can't you take good care of yourself?"
Bai Wenxi was dragged onto the beach staggeringly. She felt so wronged that she wanted to cry. "You're blaming me again. What did I do? I just wanted to find you."
"When I woke up, you were gone. I was so worried that I felt like my heart was on fire. I just wanted to stand in the sea to calm down. Is that not okay?"
Jiang Beihuai didn't believe her words at all. "You weren't trying to swim back, were you?"
Bai Wenxi was so angry that she grabbed a handful of sand and threw it at his calf. "Do you think I'm stupid? Where would I swim to? Do you think I want to drown on the way?"
This physical attack had no effect on Jiang Beihuai. He brushed off the remaining sand on his leg.
"It's because you have a history of doing dangerous things. I was so anxious because I was afraid you'd get into trouble again."