Her heart softened because of Xu Xiuwen’s gesture.
When she looked at him, her gaze became even gentler, full of love.
Seeing that neither of the sisters objected, Xu Xiuwen asked, “What song would you like to hear?”
An Shishi didn’t answer but looked over at An Shuishui.
Seeing this, An Shuishui spoke softly, “Brother-in-law, I’d like to hear you sing ‘Why Not’.”
Xu Xiuwen asked in surprise, “How do you know that song?”
“Sister told me about it.”
“Oh, I see. Alright, I’ll sing it then.”
“Brother-in-law’s singing must be amazing!”
Hearing her words, Xu Xiuwen smiled faintly.
This song, even without accompaniment, sounded beautiful when softly hummed.
After he finished humming, the room fell silent.
He turned to look and saw both sisters staring at him with wide eyes.
An Shishi’s eyes were full of sweet love, practically overflowing with affection.
An Shuishui, on the other hand, looked at him with admiration and a touch of excitement.
Xu Xiuwen chuckled and asked, “Shuishui, your brother-in-law didn’t sound terrible, right?”
An Shuishui immediately shook her head.
“Good.”
Xu Xiuwen reached out and gently patted An Shuishui’s head.
With just one song, the previously heavy atmosphere dissipated.
An Shishi suddenly said, “It’s getting late. Let’s go to sleep.”
As she spoke, she winked at Xu Xiuwen.
At this point, Xu Xiuwen had no desire to tease An Shuishui any further.
To him, as long as An Shuishui didn’t run away, she would eventually be his—there was no need to rush.
He frowned and said, “Let’s just leave it for now.”
“If we leave it, the next time you see Shuishui will be at least two months from now. Can you bear that? Don’t worry, go ahead.”
With that, An Shishi turned off the lights, and the room went dark again.
Xu Xiuwen hesitated.
An Shishi was right—if he missed this chance to get closer to An Shuishui, the next opportunity wouldn’t come for at least two months.
He was willing to continue getting closer to her, but he wasn’t sure how his sister-in-law felt.
He glanced down at An Shuishui.
She was lying there with her eyes open, but when she saw him look at her, she quickly covered her face with her hands.
Seeing this, Xu Xiuwen felt a surge of joy.
It seemed like An Shuishui wasn’t rejecting him.
Just as he was about to proceed, a loud noise suddenly broke the silence.
The sound came from Mother An’s room—there was yelling and the sound of things being smashed.
The noise was loud enough that both An Shishi and An Shuishui heard it too.
The two sisters got up immediately and rushed toward their mother’s room.
Xu Xiuwen quickly put on his shirt and pants and followed them.
By the time he reached Liu Ruo’s room, Liu Ruo was curled up in the corner of the wall.
An Shishi and An Shuishui climbed onto the bed, surrounding Liu Ruo and shielding her behind them.
Father An stood by the bed, looking down at Liu Ruo with lingering anger on his face.
A clear handprint marked Liu Ruo’s cheek.
Xu Xiuwen quickly understood the situation with a glance.
Father An had hit Liu Ruo.
An Shishi had previously told him that her father had a tendency for domestic violence, though she also mentioned that he had hit less frequently in recent years.
But on the very first day he returned, when Xu Xiuwen was still there, Father An had already struck Liu Ruo.
This suggested that, when Xu Xiuwen wasn’t around, Father An must not have refrained from violence either.
Xu Xiuwen couldn’t help but glance at Liu Ruo, a hint of pity in his eyes. Though he disapproved of Father An’s behavior, he was still An Shishi’s father.
He approached and greeted, “Hello, Uncle.”
Upon hearing the voice, Father An turned and looked at him coldly, asking, “You’re the man Shishi brought back?”
“Yes.”
Xu Xiuwen took the opportunity to study Father An.
Father An had sharp, hawk-like eyes, hiding a dangerous glint.
In just a glance, Xu Xiuwen could tell that this man was difficult to deal with.
At that moment, An Shishi suddenly confronted her father.
“You’ve been gone for so long, and the moment you come back, you hit my mom. What did she do wrong? Why do you think you have the right to treat her like that?”
Father An sneered coldly, “What do you mean ‘why’? I’m her husband. If I want to hit her, I’ll hit her. Who’s going to stop me?”
“Do you know that domestic violence is illegal?”
“Don’t think that because you’ve gone to school for a couple of days, you can scare me. If you’re so brave, have this worthless woman call the police. I want to see if they’ll actually arrest me!”
An Shishi’s anger flared.
“Fine, I’ll call the police right now!”
She pulled out her phone and started dialing.
Just as she was about to press the numbers, Liu Ruo suddenly reached out to stop her.
“Mom, let go! Let me call the police!”
Liu Ruo urged her not to.
Seeing her mother refuse to let her, An Shishi turned to Xu Xiuwen, saying, “Hubby, you call the police!”
At her words, everyone in the room turned their gaze to Xu Xiuwen.
He saw the pleading look in Liu Ruo’s eyes and the conflicted expression in An Shuishui’s.
After a brief hesitation, he said, “Shishi, don’t call the police. Let’s just talk things through.”
Father An’s eyes turned greedy when he saw his daughter take out the phone, but his anger surged as well when he realized she actually intended to call the police.
He couldn’t hold back anymore.
“I raised you with my own hands, paid for your education, and now you want to call the police on me? I’ll show you!”
As he spoke, he raised his hand to strike An Shishi.
But Xu Xiuwen couldn’t just stand by and watch An Shishi get hit.
It didn’t matter if it was Father An or anyone else—no one would lay a hand on his woman in front of him.
Without hesitation, Xu Xiuwen grabbed Father An’s arm.
Father An froze for a moment.
When he came to his senses, his face darkened even more.
He shouted at Xu Xiuwen, “You bastard, let go of me!”
Xu Xiuwen didn’t call the police because he didn’t want to blow things out of proportion. After all, Father An was An Shishi’s father. If he called the police and got Father An sent in, it wouldn’t look good either.
But Father An trying to resort to violence made Xu Xiuwen angry. He decided not to show Father An any respect this time.
He grabbed Father An’s hand firmly, refusing to let go. Father An struggled to free himself, assuming that Xu Xiuwen, a city man, wouldn’t have much strength. But to his surprise, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t break free.
Frustrated and provoked, Father An raised his other hand, aiming to slap Xu Xiuwen across the face. Xu Xiuwen stayed calm and caught his other hand as well.
Now both of Father An’s hands were restrained by Xu Xiuwen.
Since Father An had attempted to hit him, Xu Xiuwen didn’t hold back anymore. He pushed him forcefully, sending Father An tumbling to the ground.
To be pushed to the ground by his daughter’s man, and right in front of his wife and children—Father An felt utterly humiliated. His anger turned into uncontrollable rage.
As he prepared to get up and fight Xu Xiuwen, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Xu Xiuwen’s eyes. They were filled with a dangerous intensity.
But Father An was too consumed by his fury to calm down. Right beside him was a small stool. He cursed aloud, grabbed the stool, and charged at Xu Xiuwen.
“Don’t!” The mother and daughters cried out in alarm, their voices filled with fear.
To Xu Xiuwen, however, Father An’s actions only looked intimidating on the surface. He wasn’t the least bit threatened. Xu Xiuwen easily sidestepped the attack.
When Father An attempted to strike him again with the stool, Xu Xiuwen moved faster, grabbing his hand. Twisting it back, he pushed Father An toward the bed.
Father An’s legs hit the edge of the bed, and his upper body lost balance. His head struck the bed frame with a thud. Although the mattress cushioned the impact somewhat, it still left Father An momentarily dazed.
When he regained his senses, he tried to lunge at Xu Xiuwen again. This time, Xu Xiuwen grabbed his other hand and twisted it behind his back as well.
“You little bastard!” Father An cursed. “If you’ve got the guts, keep holding me down forever. Otherwise, I’ll make you pay!”
Hearing Father An continue to hurl insults, Xu Xiuwen turned to An Shishi and said, “Shishi, go get me two ropes.”
“Huh?” An Shishi froze.
“Hurry!” Xu Xiuwen’s tone grew sharper.
Hearing the displeasure in his voice, An Shishi panicked. She didn’t dare question his intentions and got up to look for ropes. But as she moved, she realized she hadn’t been home in a long time and didn’t know where to find any.
She turned to her mother, Liu Ruo. “Mom, do we have any ropes at home?”
Liu Ruo, stunned by how her son-in-law had subdued her husband, quickly understood why he needed ropes. But she didn’t answer.
An Shishi, seeing her mother remain silent, turned to her sister. “Shuishui, do you know if we have any ropes at home?”
An Shuishui nodded. “I do. I’ll get them for Brother-in-law.”
Father An realized why Xu Xiuwen wanted the rope and hurriedly shouted, “Shuishui, don’t you dare go!”
An Shuishui immediately froze.
“Shuishui, hurry and get it!” An Shishi urged again.
“I said, Shuishui, don’t you dare!”
An Shuishui looked at her father, then at her sister, torn between their commands and unsure of whom to listen to.
Xu Xiuwen suddenly turned to her, his voice gentle, completely at odds with the current situation. “Shuishui, Brother-in-law isn’t trying to hurt your dad. I just want to protect all of you. Can you help by getting the rope for me?”
Hearing his words, An Shuishui finally made up her mind. Without a word, she turned, got off the bed, and ran out of the room.
She soon returned, carrying two thick hemp ropes.
Xu Xiuwen checked the length and found them perfect for the job.
With his knee pressing firmly against Father An’s back, pinning him to the bed, Xu Xiuwen said to An Shishi, “Shishi, come over and tie his hands.”
An Shishi stepped forward, ready to help, but An Shuishui quickly interjected, “I’ll do it.”
She walked over to Xu Xiuwen, glancing at her subdued father. A trace of hesitation flickered in her eyes, but memories of how he had treated their mother and the sisters over the years quickly hardened her resolve.
Without further hesitation, she tied his hands decisively.
Xu Xiuwen watched her work, surprised by her thoroughness. Not only did she wrap the rope several times, but she also tied two secure knots.
Next came tying the legs.
Xu Xiuwen pressed his knee against the back of Father An’s knees, preventing him from kicking. An Shuishui tied his legs even faster than before.
Once both his hands and feet were securely bound, Xu Xiuwen finally released him.
But now, with his limbs tied, Father An could only wriggle around on the bed like a worm. His rage was uncontrollable, and his mouth didn’t stop spewing insults.
He cursed not just Xu Xiuwen but also his wife and daughters. The language was vile, filled with expletives. Some of it Xu Xiuwen couldn’t understand, but the tone alone made it clear they were obscene words.
Xu Xiuwen turned to An Shuishui again. “Shuishui, go get me a towel.”
This time, she acted without hesitation. As soon as he finished speaking, she ran out.
When she returned with a towel, Xu Xiuwen took it and stuffed it directly into Father An’s mouth, completely silencing him.
Now, Father An couldn’t move or speak. From beginning to end, his wife hadn’t uttered a word of objection, and his youngest daughter had been the main accomplice.
Seeing this, Father An glared at his wife and daughters with venomous hatred.
Noticing his expression, Xu Xiuwen let out a cold laugh and said, “Aunt Liu, let him cool off by himself tonight. You can sleep in our room.”
Liu Ruo was momentarily stunned but quickly nodded.
“Let’s go. Don’t stay here anymore,” Xu Xiuwen urged.
“Okay,” the three women answered in unison before leaving the room.
Xu Xiuwen glanced at Father An and warned coldly, “Behave yourself. I don’t want to hurt you, but don’t push me.”
After speaking, Xu Xiuwen turned off the light, left the room, and closed the door behind him.
Back in the sisters’ small room, Xu Xiuwen asked, “Aunt Liu, are you okay?”
Liu Ruo nodded but avoided his gaze. She felt deeply embarrassed about the events of the evening. What Father An had done was a shameful family matter, and now even her son-in-law had witnessed it. It made her feel uncomfortable.
But when she thought about it, if Xu Xiuwen hadn’t subdued Father An, she might have suffered even more tonight. A small sense of gratitude toward her son-in-law welled up in her heart.
An Shuishui, on the other hand, had grown used to her father’s dominance at home since she was a child. Seeing her brother-in-law easily subdue him made her realize for the first time that her father wasn’t as invincible as she’d always believed.
She didn’t feel that Xu Xiuwen had disrespected her father. After all, even she didn’t know how to respect him anymore. Given the circumstances, her brother-in-law’s restraint—neither hitting nor cursing—seemed remarkably composed and dignified to her.
That’s what An Shuishui thought.
An Shishi, however, had a different feeling. She felt deeply vindicated. Before she met Xu Xiuwen, if anyone had treated her father this way, she might have sided with her father, despite her dislike for him—because he was still her father, after all.
But since being with Xu Xiuwen, especially after becoming his woman, Xu Xiuwen had become her one and only man, more important to her than her father. Without hesitation, she would always stand by Xu Xiuwen’s side.
What’s more, Xu Xiuwen had done something she had never dared to do before. Every time her father got violent, she wished someone would stand up to him. But she had neither the courage nor the ability to do it herself.
Now, Xu Xiuwen had done it. It gave her an immense sense of security.
Seeing Liu Ruo remain silent, Xu Xiuwen asked again, “Aunt Liu?”
“Oh, I’m fine. Xiao Xu, thank you so much,” Liu Ruo replied, snapping out of her thoughts.
“It’s nothing. It’s what I should do.”
“I’m so embarrassed for you to see Shishi’s father like this. I hope you won’t blame Shishi for not telling you beforehand. She didn’t mean to hide it.”
Xu Xiuwen smiled. “Aunt Liu, why would I blame Shishi? Besides, she already told me.”
“Yes, Mom, I told him a long time ago,” An Shishi added.
Hearing this, Liu Ruo let out a sigh of relief.
An Shuishui suddenly said softly, “Thank you, Brother-in-law.”
Xu Xiuwen found it absurd.
In his father-in-law’s home, he had restrained and tied up his father-in-law, yet his father-in-law’s wife and daughters weren’t angry. Instead, they were all thanking him.
It showed just how unpopular Father An was in his own household.
How ridiculous.
Visit freewebnoveℓ.com for the best novel reading exp𝒆rience.