Don't Make Things Difficult for a Widow

In the fifth year of my widowhood, thieves came to my house. It was an unremarkable night, and rain was pouring outside. I took my child out to the courtyard to bring in the laundry. When I opened the door again, several masked figures had appeared out of nowhere in my home. A flash of white lightning illuminated their masks. Some sat, some stood, all wearing amused smiles. I trembled all over, and smelled the strong stench of blood in the air. I'd heard there were demons who killed people for fun. These masked figures before me probably weren't human. Inside, the only one seated was a young man in black. He regarded me eagerly in the darkness for a long while, his eyes filled with undisguised desire. He pushed aside the subordinate reaching for a knife and said politely, "Hey, don't make things difficult for a widow." "The rain makes the roads slippery, and the mountain paths are hard to travel. Could we take shelter here for the night?" My body stiffened, and all I could do was nod. After that, they refused to leave. One night became another and then another, though the rain had long since stopped. I tried to escape several times, but they caught me and brought me back. He seemed to know my thoughts inside out. No matter what I did, he always saw it coming. At my wit's end, I brought out my husband's memorial tablet to show him, hoping to cool his ardor. Instead, he tossed me straight onto the bed. I struggled with all my might, but to no avail. "I have a husband." "I've seen the memorial tablet." "I have a child." "Good thing I don't." "...I'm sick. When I get angry, I kill people." "What a coincidence. I'm sick too. I especially like being killed." He forced me to marry him. After that, he really did turn over a new leaf and take up cooking. His only demand was that I never remove his mask. But one day, while he was asleep, I still secretly took off his mask. A chill ran over my entire body. I staggered back in terror as if I'd seen a ghost. It was the exact same face as my deceased husband. At some point, he had woken up. He stared at me, then gave a soft laugh. "Didn't I tell you not to take it off?" * After Shang Xinglan fell to the demonic path, he unexpectedly lost all his memories. He thought he'd never remember why he had become a demon in this life, until he happened to take shelter in a farmhouse. The woman of the house was a pretty little widow with a pitiful life. He fell in love at first sight and liked her terribly, but all she ever talked about was her beloved husband, which made him jealous. Then one day, the little widow shoved her beloved husband's memorial tablet in front of him. He froze as if struck by lightning. The words on it were perfectly clear: Shang Xinglan, husband of Chu Li. He remembered. Five years ago, his dear wife had pushed him off a cliff with her own hands. He'd been crippled at the bottom of the cliff and had wanted nothing more than to crawl back and kill her. That was why he'd fallen to the demonic path. ... [A note before reading] ... 1. This is not a powerful heroine or female-led wish-fulfillment story. The heroine has no ambitions and only wants to survive. She isn't a typical evil woman, so please give it a try only if you're comfortable with that. 2. Contains childbirth. The heroine loves her child. ... [Upcoming novel] ... Title: [After I Force My Master, He Seems to Enjoy It] Blurb: I have a master I've admired for a long time. His name is Jiang Min. He's a once-in-a-thousand-years Sword Immortal, on the verge of ascension. In name, he's my master, but in truth, I'm just an outer disciple responsible for cleaning his cave abode. When I was young, I was caught in a fire that left ugly scars covering half my face. The other disciples in the sect all disliked me. I was gloomy and ugly, so they excluded and bullied me. The only person who treated me kindly was Jiang Min. Whenever I cleaned his cave abode, he would prepare snacks for me, ask me about the weather outside, and chat with me about how my cultivation was going. I carefully nursed my love for Jiang Min, going to clean his cave abode every day. I privately thought that time was something special, just for the two of us. Until one day, I saw Jiang Min treating another disciple with exactly the same warmth, smiling at them just as he did at me. I watched coldly for a long time, then returned to my quarters and smashed things like a madwoman. When my strength finally gave out, only one thought remained in my mind. I had to have him. He was all I needed in this life. It seemed the heavens were on my side. Jiang Min actually failed his tribulation. I was the first to find him. I went to clean his cave abode every day before dawn. He raised his head, pale and weak, his face full of agony. The next moment, he fainted. My heart pounding wildly, I slowly walked toward him and touched his face for the first time. "Master, I'll take you somewhere. Is that all right?" No one knew where Jiang Min had gone. Only I knew he was in my little house, tied up with a ridiculous hemp rope. Jiang Min should have resented and hated me. But to my surprise, when he woke up, he trusted me just as he always had. "Zhizhi, I want some water..." "My whole body hurts." "This rope is such a nuisance." With a dark look in my eyes, I handed him a cup of drugged water. He drank it without hesitation. "I'm so hot. I feel awful." "Don't come any closer." "Don't..." The night passed, and Jiang Min finally understood his situation and guessed what I wanted. His ears turned red as he pulled my clothes back over my shoulder. "I'll take responsibility for you." I had truly never met anyone like him. He accepted everything without complaint. He even cooked and did laundry for me, and obediently shared my bed. Could he... be a little dim? Just then, a spirit medicine that could heal scars appeared in the cultivation world. I spent all my money to buy it and cured the scars on my face. Strangely, people began striking up conversations with me, inviting me to admire the moon and giving me presents. I came home late every day and rarely spoke to Jiang Min anymore. Until one day, I came home after going to the Lantern Festival with my friends. I stared in horror at a broken length of hemp rope on the floor. Jiang Min watched me silently as he slowly walked over and crushed the lantern in my hand. "Get on the bed." "Now." Theme: Perseverance leads to success