Chapter 15: Old Clothes Hide a Beautiful Face

Chapter 15: New Clothes Reveal Hidden Beauty

Despite having prepared himself mentally, Yan Fengan still froze for a second when he turned around.

As the saying goes, "Clothes make the man." Seeing Wen Xi's appearance at this moment, Yan Fengan deeply felt the truth of those words. Wen Xi's previous clothes had been tattered, worn, and ill-fitting, making him look unintentionally funny when worn.

The new clothes were tailored to his measurements, well-tailored, with appropriate length, and nicely showed off his waist. The green color was elegant yet not dull, making his usually drab look seem brighter.

Wen Xi blushed under his stare. He lowered his head, fidgeting with his cuffs, and stammered in a low voice, "How... how is it?"

Yan Fengan smiled and stepped forward: "The clothes are nice, and so are you."

Wen Xi was used to being a shrinking violet and couldn't take such blunt compliments. The blush crept all the way down to his neck, and he wished he could sink into the floor.

Yan Fengan gently pinched his chin, forcing him to look up, and spoke in a tone that was gentle but left no room for argument: "When you wear new clothes, you should show them off boldly. Don't keep shrinking your shoulders and lowering your head. With clothes this nice and well-fitting, nobody's going to laugh at you."

The old Yan Fengan would never have talked to him like that, nor looked at him with such gentle eyes.

The two had no choice but to look at each other. Wen Xi pulled his chin free from Yan Fengan's fingers and finally spoke the grievance he'd kept buried in his heart: "You used to love making fun of me and called me an ugly little duckling."

Wen Xi wasn't the type to get angry easily, and he'd long gotten used to people being mean to him. But whenever he thought of the things Yan Fengan had said and done, it felt like needles pricking his heart.

Yan Fengan had intended to compliment him, but instead had stirred up Wen Xi's painful memories. He slapped his own mouth: "This mouth of mine really talks a load of nonsense. Someone as good-looking as you, how could you ever be an ugly duckling?"

Aside from the classics, Yan Fengan also read other random books. In all his life, he'd never once seen the words "ugly duckling" in any book. He figured that word must have come from the person who'd taken over his body.

Stealing his body was bad enough, but then he went and bullied people too—what a piece of work.

"What I did before was wrong..." Don't take it to heart—Yan Fengan couldn't even bring himself to finish that empty promise.

The harm this body had done to Wen Xi was very real. He felt wronged, but wasn't Wen Xi just as innocent? Wen Xi might keep things to himself, but Yan Fengan couldn't pretend he didn't know. This marriage had been thrust upon Wen Xi in the first place. If he didn't make his position clear, Wen Xi would never be able to relax.

He figured Wen Xi wanted a promise more than some flimsy apology. He took Wen Xi's hand and said, "Just think of the Yan Fengan who bullied you as dead. You're my lawfully wedded husband. No matter how things were between us before, from now on, I'll take good care of you and live well with you."

With both hands held tightly, Wen Xi felt shy and awkward, but he didn't shrink away like he usually did. He bit his lip, his eyes red, staring straight at Yan Fengan, as if waiting to see what else he'd say.

Yan Fengan didn't look away either, and said seriously, "As long as I'm around, I won't let you suffer even a little bit of grievance or harm again."

Wen Xi's lips moved, a whole bunch of things he wanted to say got stuck in his throat, and all that came out was a single tear.

Yan Fengan could switch up his attitude too easily. He didn't know if he should trust him or not.

Even though a voice in his head kept telling him to stay level-headed, Yan Fengan's words still managed to spark a tiny bit of hope in Wen Xi's heart.

Ever since he married into the Yan family, Yan Fengan really hadn't let him suffer at all. Maybe he'd just keep being this nice from now on?

The tears on his cheek were wiped away by Yan Fengan, who said helplessly, "I say a few sweet things to cheer you up, and it makes you cry instead?"

Wen Xi sniffled and muttered softly, "That sounds nice, but what if you can't back it up?"

A gentleman's word is as good as gold. If he couldn't even do that, what kind of man would he be? Yan Fengan didn't want the mood between them to get so heavy. He glanced at the bamboo embroidery on his cuff and smiled, "If I don't keep my word, you can embroider turtles all over my clothes."

"Why?"

"If you don't keep your word, what else would you be but a lying turtle?"

Wen Xi laughed through his tears and shook his head: "I don't know how to embroider a turtle."

After a moment's hesitation, he turned and walked to the wooden bed, pulled out the shoes he'd hidden under the bed, and worked up the courage to hand them to Yan Fengan.

Yan Fengan's lips curved as he took the shoes: "I thought you'd decided not to give them to me."

Wen Xi didn't reply verbally, but thought to himself: I already made them, so of course I'd give them to you.

At this moment, Yan Fengan's mood was much like Wen Xi's when he received the new shoes. He couldn't wait to try them on and said happily, "Now I've got shoes made by my husband, so I don't have to bother anyone else in the family, and I don't have to be jealous of eldest brother and second brother anymore."

Maybe caught up in his happy mood, Wen Xi couldn't help but crack a small smile.

The young couple spent a good half hour trying on clothes. Just when He Jin and Li Wan were starting to wonder what was taking so long, the two in the bedroom finally came out.

The two of them, wearing matching new outfits, one was as refined as jade, the other delicate and pretty—they really looked good together.

He Jin's eyes brightened. He spun Wen Xi around and said, "See? What did I tell you? Xiaoxi looks so good in these clothes."

Chen Lanfang looked at the two of them, feeling a joy she couldn't put into words. She didn't need to say anything about her son's looks, but she hadn't expected Wen Xi to clean up this well either.

Maybe it was his timid, pathetic vibe that was too obvious, that made everyone overlook how he looked. When he first married into the Yan household, he was skinny and small, his face was so pale it looked almost gray, and he was always hunched over like a total pushover. Who would've bothered to care about how he looked?

Over the past month or so, with good food and drink at home, his health and complexion had improved a lot. Now his face had a healthy glow, and the red mole on his forehead stood out more than before. His features were actually quite striking up close—especially his eyes, round and clear. If he looked at you with tears in his eyes, even a heart of stone would melt.

But Wen Xi rarely looked people in the eye. Just like now, noticing everyone was staring at him, he shrank his neck again, feeling awkward.

You can't change a person's personality in a short time. It wasn't like he could suddenly become as outgoing and confident as the other two daughters-in-law. Chen Lanfang didn't push him too hard, figuring that with time, everything would get better.

After everyone had spent a while fussing over Wen Xi, He Jin's eyes lit up with an idea and he said, "I'm almost out of thread for my embroidery. Xiaoxi and Brother Yun are good friends—could you go to his place and buy some for me?"

Shen Yun's older brother is a peddler, and he sells all kinds of little household things. Wen Xi naturally wouldn't refuse such a small request.

Li Wan said, "The weather's pretty nice today. Third brother, if you're not busy, why don't you go out for a walk too?"

Yan Fengan was thinking the same thing. He took Wen Xi's hand and said, "I'll go with you."

The two didn't bother changing and went out together in their new clothes.

Once they were out of earshot, Chen Lanfang scolded playfully, "You two little devils, what are you scheming about in secret?"

Li Wan laughed, "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

He Jin said with a knowing look, "If we don't let our third brother and Xi Geer go out and show off, someone's probably been staring so hard their eyes are about to fall out."

Seeing Chen Lanfang look confused, Li Wan added, "These past few days, when Jin Geer and I went out, we've seen that guy near our house at least three times, all dressed up to the nines. Who knows who he's trying to impress."

He Jin curled his lips: "Isn't that right? His intentions are as plain as day. He really thinks our family is blind, deaf, and dumb."

Chen Lanfang's brow furrowed: "It was agreed when they got married that our two families would stay out of each other's way and live our own lives. What's wrong with that guy, coming to our house to make everyone uncomfortable?"

He Jin said sheepishly, "It's my fault for having a big mouth."

He told the whole story of running into Wen Liu at Aunt Zhang's place last time. Chen Lanfang scoffed after hearing it: "What's wrong with what you said? It's none of his business if other couples are happy together."

Li Wan said, "Exactly. That's why Jin Geer and I made up an excuse to get third brother and the others out of the house, so he'd give up that idea sooner and stop being such a nuisance."

Lately, Yan Fengan hadn't said a word about his past with Wen Liu, was considerate and thoughtful toward Wen Xi in every way, and wasn't distant and cold to his family anymore. He really did seem ready to settle down and live a quiet life.

But everyone in the family had seen how obsessed he was with Wen Liu back then. Who knew if that guy crooked his finger, whether he'd go running back again?

She and He Jin had deliberately sent the two of them out to buy things—it was both showing off and testing. If Yan Fengan really could act like Wen Liu didn't exist, then everyone could finally relax.

Li Wan obviously couldn't say all that in front of Chen Lanfang. A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship is different from a mother and son one, after all. If a daughter-in-law wants to get along with her mother-in-law, she first had to learn how to watch what she said. Otherwise, who knows how much trouble would stir up in the family.

The Shen and Wen families lived in the same direction, on the eastern edge of the village, some distance from the Yan household. Wen Xi and his party would have to walk a while to reach Shen Yun's home.

Being a scholar, Yan Fengan was a big name in the village, and with news of his injury and marriage spreading all over the community, everyone who saw him walking around now couldn't help watching him—especially when they saw the young man beside him, which really piqued their curiosity.

The men didn't dare stare directly at him, only glancing up to get a good look once the pair had walked a bit farther off.

Each of them thought to themselves, knowing the eldest Wen boy was handsome, but who would have thought the younger one could clean up so sharp too? How come they'd never noticed it before?

Wen Xi knew people were watching him. If Yan Fengan hadn't been holding his hand, he would've bolted right away instead of putting up with all those stares.

Seeing him cower like that again, Yan Fengan gently squeezed his hand and said, "Don't be afraid. Hold your head up high. If others want to look, let them stare all they want. And if it bothers you, just stare back at them."

With that, he fixed his gaze on a young man ahead.

That man had been looking at Wen Xi, but sensing Yan Fengan's expression, he realized his own rudeness and lowered his head as he walked a few steps forward. Once farther away, he turned back, gazing at the pair's retreating figures with a hint of melancholy and disappointment.

Wen Xi didn't notice, only whispering to Yan Fengan, "What if someone thinks I'm deliberately provoking them and starts a fight?"

Hearing this, Yan Fengan was caught between laughter and tears—who would strike someone over a mere glance? But since Wen Xi asked, he must have truly encountered such a situation before.

At that thought, Yan Fengan's smile faded. Though he wanted to change Wen Xi's timid nature, he wouldn't force him to do anything he disliked.

He reached out and pulled the young man closer to his chest: "Forget it. If you're really not used to it, just hide in my arms."

Wearing such eye-catching clothes was already conspicuous enough, and now he made such a gesture on top of it. Wen Xi thought to himself that although they were married, they weren't yet familiar enough for such intimacy. Blushing, he pushed the man away, took a deep breath, and slowly raised his head to face the road ahead.

The palm in his hand was slightly damp with sweat. Yan Fengan said nothing, only smiling softly as he held Wen Xi's hand and walked on in silence.

Just as Yan Fengan had said, once Wen Xi carried himself openly, the gazes falling on him actually lessened. It was also the first time he realized that the road he had walked countless times before was actually so wide.