SWNOVELXO Chapter 52 - A Small Wooden Stick That Hurts but Doesn’t Injure
Chapter 52: A Small Wooden Stick That Hurts but Doesn’t Injure
Cao Shaoyang took the elevator straight to the third floor.
“I’m back, Xiao Ma!”
No one responded. He didn’t see her anywhere.
“Xiao Ma?”
“Xiao Ma?”
Even after calling out twice, there was still no reply.
Perplexed, he pushed open the door to Xiao Ma’s bedroom but didn’t find her there. He checked every room in the apartment, but she was nowhere to be found.
She must’ve gone out, Cao Shaoyang thought.
He picked up his phone and dialed Xiao Ma’s number. After four rings, the call connected.
“Xiao Ma, are you not home?”
Her voice came through the receiver.
“That’s right! The weather’s great today, so I found a beautiful spot to do some sketching outdoors.”
“Really? Xiao Ma, since when did you have the time or interest for sketching? You’ve never gone out for this before!”
A cheerful laugh came from the other end of the line.
“And whose fault do you think that is? In the past, Xiao Ma was too busy taking care of you to have any time for herself. Ever since I became your study companion, all my hobbies were put on hold.”
“But now that your college entrance exams are over, I’m finally free! What, am I not allowed to pursue my interests and have to stay home with you all day?”
Cao Shaoyang chuckled. “Of course not! It’s just that I’m not used to not seeing you when I come home, so I thought I’d call to check where you were.”
“Having hobbies is great, Xiao Ma. I fully support you!”
“Good! At least you’ve got some sense of gratitude.”
“Alright then, now that you know what I’m doing, I’m in the middle of a productive streak. The inspiration’s flowing!”
“If you’re bored, go hang out with your new friends. You don’t have to come home every day—just let me know you’re safe. Staying out overnight is fine too. It’s time for you to adapt to a new way of life.”
“Okay, I’m hanging up now. Bye-bye!”
“Bye-bye!”
After the call ended, Cao Shao Yang stared at the phone, feeling a little conflicted.
Since his exams ended, Xiao Ma had undergone a significant transformation.
She seemed freer, livelier, as if the three years of being his study companion had burdened her with too many restrictions. It was like she had been suffocated and was now finally breathing freely.
From her words, it was clear Xiao Ma already knew about the women in his life.
Having lived together for three years, she knew him well, just as he understood her. While she had changed noticeably, his own changes must have been even more apparent to her.
Especially since he had, quite literally, swapped his core.
It wasn’t hard for her to notice the signs of his involvement with other women, and her reaction had been telling.
Instead of being jealous or trying to stop him, Xiao Ma subtly encouraged him to explore outside relationships, implicitly accepting the idea of sharing him with others.
To be honest, this made Cao Shaoyang feel a bit smug.
After all, it wasn’t just luck but also his unique talents—and the system-enhanced titanium-alloy kidneys—that had allowed him to “overwhelm” Xiao Ma to the point of her conceding.
If he couldn’t even satisfy one person, any dreams of living a harmonious life with multiple partners would’ve been pure fantasy, and he’d have to pray to delay any brewing chaos.
He thought back to the past few days spent with Xiao Ma—a hedonistic, indulgent lifestyle of flipped days and nights, meals reliant on takeout, and whims dictating every action.
Even though he had consistently “recharged” Xiao Ma with energy and boosted her physical stamina, she had reached her limit after five days.
After all, not everyone can handle a life where every meal feels like an endless feast of milk and honey.
It was clear Xiao Ma couldn’t take it anymore, eventually kicking him out of the house altogether.
Perhaps it was at that point that Xiao Ma silently accepted the reality that she wouldn’t be the only woman in his life.
Cao Shaoyang couldn’t help but chuckle at the thought.
Could Xiao Ma’s decision to go sketching outdoors be more than just a simple outing? Was she intentionally avoiding him?
He felt like he might have uncovered the truth.
Since Xiao Ma wasn’t home, staying there alone didn’t seem appealing. With Aunt An Yu Wei still at work, he figured he might as well head back to Xin Chun Jiao’s place. As her top supporter, he could take the opportunity to guide her in perfecting her dance moves.
Rubbing his still-smooth chin, he mulled it over for a moment before clapping his hands decisively.
“That’s it!”
Today, he’d indulge himself in the role of a teacher.
Energetic, rhythmic music filled the room, punctuated by a playful exchange.
“Master, is this the right way to dance?”
“No, it’s not!”
“Then… is it like this?”
“Still wrong!”
“This is so hard… I can’t seem to find the feeling Master wants. Why don’t you give me a demonstration?”
Smack!
A thin wooden stick made a swift, intimate connection with Xin Chun Jiao’s round, firm backside.
She let out a stifled yelp of pain, furrowing her brows as she grabbed her stinging hip with both hands, furiously rubbing the spot.
“Ah~! Master, where did you even get this stick? It hurts so much!”
Cao Shaoyang held a long, thin, perfectly straight wooden stick in his hand, tapping it lightly against his palm.
“It’s supposed to hurt! If you don’t take your learning seriously and even dare to tease me, then of course you deserve a little punishment!”
“As for this stick…”
He smirked. “I spent over ten minutes searching in the flowerbed downstairs to find the perfect one, just for you. Long and straight, with the ideal amount of flexibility—it’s absolutely perfect. Thin enough to sting but not injure.”
“How does it feel?”