” you should have stopped me” Ye Liu who was on a shopping spree finally calmed down after he purchased so many things that Yu Dong could barely see her arms. In both of her arms, she was holding bags and more bags and more bags all the way until her shoulders, seeing her carrying so many bags in her hands, Ye Liu couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty – especially when he realised that he spent a total of two taels! So much money! He just spent it away like that! 

Yu Dong arched an eyebrow and said with a doting smile ” I can still afford to let you shop around a little, it’s not like you bought anything that’s useless for us right?”

That much was true even though Ye Liu went all shiny-eyed and rushed from one shop to another, he didn’t buy anything useless. Everything that he bought was for their family and Little bun, not a thing was purchased for himself, seeing him act like that Yu Dong warmth flooded in her system but at the same time, she felt sympathetic towards Ye Liu.  What kind of life did this young man live all his life, that he didn’t even stop to think about himself for a second? How can someone be so selfless despite having so much money in his hands?

” but still ” biting his lips, Ye Liu didn’t stop feeling guilty, he was supposed to be the one who controlled the finance of the house yet he divulged in the mortal pleasures and gave up a huge chunk of money just like that. Two silvers! Those two silvers were enough for them to thriftily spend two months with ease! And he just used that much money in a day, what was wrong with him? Wasn’t he going all spoiled and bratty because Yu Dong treated him nicely now? How could he do this? 

Yu Dong looked at the guilt-stricken Ye Liu and raised her hand to hold his wrist. Soft skin, warm, slightly calloused on the side of one hand where she holds the hoe. Ye Liu flinched ever so slightly, he didn’t know why her touch was affecting him so much, it wasn’t like this was his first time holding her hand but still – he couldn’t help it, his eyes slowly trailed the white china like skin and traced the blue veins of her hand as if softly caressing them with his thumb, he wanted to feel her surround him, and give him a little taste of hers, maybe let him worship her like a Goddess, as he savours the taste of her skin. Leaving a trail of his kisses on those blue veins… And that was enough he needed to put a stop to his fantasies because this was impolite, what was he thinking about in the middle of the market? 

” would you like to buy these silver hairpins for your mers?” before he could slowly and softly get out of his stupid fantasies, he heard a loud chuckle and all of his fantasies died down then and there, silver hairpins? What the hell? Who’s buying silver hairpins for who?

Surprised he looked up, and there he stood in a jewellery store with Yu Dong who was standing in front of the counter, as she pondered over the silver hairpins as if choosing which one of them she needed to buy. When did she bring him here? 

The shopkeeper looked at Ye Liu and smiled” your husband is rather good looking, why not use him as an example and choose the other two accordingly for your other husbands? I think it will be totally okay, all of these are suitable for young mers but you can still select which one you like the most”

Yu Dong raised her eyes and smiled at him before looking down at the hairpins, and he hurriedly grabbed her hand ” you don’t need to buy it, don’t… Don’t buy it there is no need”

Yu Dong looked at him in bewilderment before asking ” why? Don’t you think that you guys need hairpins? How long are you going to use hair ties? Hardly anyone in the village uses it nowadays “

Yu Dong was right, no one in the village used hair ties anymore not unless they were really too poor to afford it.  But still –

“It’s too expensive we don’t need it, we can still make do with hair ties,” said Ye Liu he didn’t want to burden Yu Dong too much, after all, she was the only one earning in their family and she had to take care of five mers all by herself. It wasn’t easy for her to, so how can he let her do these extra expenses? 

” it’s alright, I can still afford three silver hairpins, “said Yu Dong confidently, now that she has taken the responsibility, she needed to work hard and make sure that the three husbands of hers live a comfortable life ” lady boss, I will take these three hairpins “she added pointing. There was nothing special about these three hairpins, they were classy and simple with two hanging tassels and flowers in the centre and the top, however, in the centre of these flowers the gems inlaid were different. One had a white pearl while the other had a white pearl with paintings of blue flowers and the last one had a light violet pearl glittering with a bluish hue.

Similar yet different, in its own way – just like the three of them.

Ye Liu couldn’t help but speak uneasily ” you can choose something less expensive”

” it’s alright, these ones will suit you three the most,” said Yu Dong lightly then she paid three taels and had the shopkeeper pack the other two hairpins while she picked the one with blue pearl and smiled at Ye Liu ” come on crouch down, or might not be able to put it”

Ye Liu hesitated but still crouched enough to let Yu Dong place the hairpin in his hair after untying his hair and letting it cascade down like a waterfall. The inky black locks flowed down like a trickling stream and covered the two of them, hiding them from the prying eyes. Ye Liu blinked as he felt Yu Dong get closer to him to tie his hair with the hairpin. His skin tickled as he felt her warm breath skim on his face like a spring breeze and barely suppressed the shudder that was rising up his spine.

His knees nearly gave away but then Yu Dong pulled away with an innocent smile that was neither filled with disgust nor jeering and gushed” wow, you look like a real charmer now don’t you?”

And that was when he realised that the woman in front of him was no longer the same Yu Dong. This was his wife, yes but only in the body – not in soul. Because Yu Dong that prideful woman would never ask him to gently crouch down, she would never accept her flaws, she would never admit that she was weak compared to him…. And she would never smile at him like he was her whole world.