Miao Miaomiao glanced out the window, bit her lip, and made up her mind.
Behind the Shen family’s house was a natural large pond—very deep—belonging to the production brigade as a fishpond.
She knew that if she entered the water, it would be extremely dangerous.
But rather than staying inside to be devoured by others, she might as well take the plunge—perhaps she could still grasp a sliver of life.
She puffed her cheeks and took several deep breaths, then climbed out the window and, stepping on the wet, muddy slope, went down toward the water.
By her estimation, the edge of the pond should be relatively shallow. If she could wash there, it might even help ease the effects of the drug in her body.
Thinking so, she did just that.
Miao Miaomiao carefully placed one foot after another downward. Who would have known that at this moment her head grew even dizzier—the poison had already entered her bloodstream and fully taken effect.
“Ah—!”
Her foot slipped, and she fell straight into the pond.
“Glug—glug… help…”
Miao Miaomiao stretched out her arms, struggling desperately in the middle of the water.
But this was deep water. With nothing to rely on, she could only kick helplessly in the void, and soon she ran out of strength.
Could it be that she was going to die again so soon?
At that moment, a strong arm suddenly reached out from the water and wrapped around her. “Miss, are you all right?”
The man’s voice was blurry, his face blurry as well—only his scorching, firm chest told her that he was a powerfully built man.
Miao Miaomiao lost consciousness. By instinct, her small hands wrapped around his solid waist, pressing against his chest, listening to the pounding heartbeat.
Huo Qichuan finally dragged her ashore and gently patted her small face. “Miss… Miss? Are you all right? Can you hear me?”
But Miao Miaomiao was already completely submerged in the drug’s effects. After coughing up several mouthfuls of water, she continued clinging tightly to his waist, her small mouth constantly nibbling and licking against his chest.
The sensation felt so familiar—so familiar it was like déjà vu.
“Hng.” Huo Qichuan let out a muffled groan.
Seeing the woman in his arms behaving so boldly, something deep inside him suddenly stirred, sensitive and restless. Acting so uninhibited—could it be that she had been drugged?
Gritting his teeth, he repeatedly braced his hand against her audacious little head, stopping her from letting that reckless mouth probe further beneath his clothes.
Both of them were soaked through. Pressed together in their wet clothes, tangled and rubbing like this, it was hard not to invite misunderstanding.
Standing on the shore waiting for him, his comrade Dong Chengpeng chuckled. “Regimental Commander Huo, what a stroke of luck. Aren’t you still unmarried? Now a Lin Daiyu has fallen right out of the sky for you.”
Huo Qichuan shot him a cold glance and said, “Don’t misunderstand. She’s been drugged.”
Dong Chengpeng was momentarily at a loss for words, then quickly grew worried. “Then what should we do? We still have a mission. How about… leaving her here?”
Huo Qichuan frowned slightly, a hint of reluctance in his heart.
This woman had risked drowning to jump into the pond—she must have encountered enormous grievance or danger.
Otherwise, she would never have done this.
But they still had other tasks and couldn’t conveniently take her along.
If it weren’t for his sudden whim to enter the village to visit a fallen subordinate, he wouldn’t even have come to Qingshan Village today.
His home was right before his eyes, yet he had run into this troublesome situation at the last minute.
Truly difficult.
“Chengpeng, take her to the clinic.”
After a moment of thought, Huo Qichuan still decided to delay for this woman for one night, planning to stay at the village guesthouse and leave at dawn.
No sooner had he finished speaking than she climbed up his chest, her soft lips planting a kiss on his Adam’s apple. The moist, tender sensation made his whole body jolt.
Huo Qichuan felt that this scene was strangely familiar.
Seeing this, Dong Chengpeng shook his head and flatly refused. He had a tigress of a wife at home—he really didn’t dare take this risk. “Boss, I can’t. If my Manman finds out, she’ll kill me.”
He joked as he pushed the responsibility back at him. “You two already have skin-to-skin contact anyway. Why not just be a good man to the end and send her over yourself?”
“You—”
Huo Qichuan flushed at his words. He stuffed the cooling medicine he carried into her mouth, then lifted her into a princess carry. “Let’s go.”
After all, he couldn’t stand by and watch a female comrade die.
Seeing him give in, Dong Chengpeng followed along, grinning like a spectator enjoying the drama.
Don’t be fooled by how cold and aloof this Regimental Commander Huo usually looked, keeping everyone at arm’s length—deep down, he was warm-hearted and kind.
And he never made things difficult for a low-ranking soldier like him.
Truly a good officer, a good leader.
The three were just about to leave when several torches suddenly appeared in the darkness.
Huo Qichuan halted, his brows knitting together.
“Mom, look! She’s over there!”
With sharp eyes, Shen Cuiping immediately recognized Miao Miaomiao and pointed at her, shouting.
Qin Dafen followed her gaze, then frowned in confusion. “How did she run off? Where did Lu Lao San go?”
Earlier, as the Shen family sat around cracking melon seeds by the stove, they had suddenly heard a loud splash from the pond behind the house. Qin Dafen found it strange and called her children out to take a look—only to witness this scene. It was truly astonishing.
“Oh no, Mom, she ran away. Then the thing with Lu Lao San won’t work anymore. What should we do?” Shen Cuiping anxiously whispered into her ear.
Qin Dafen narrowed her eyes, malice flashing within. “Don’t panic. Let’s go up and see what’s going on, and deal with it as we go.”
She turned and instructed her eldest son, Shen Jianjun, who was walking in front. “Jianjun, hurry and stop them. Don’t let those people run off.”
“Yes, Mom.”
After hearing this, Shen Jianjun puffed as he ran forward, spreading his arms to block them. “Who are you people? How dare you kidnap my sister-in-law in the middle of the night? What exactly are you trying to do!”
Seeing the family arrive, Dong Chengpeng immediately relaxed and turned to Huo Qichuan. “Great, the girl’s family is here.”
Now they could finally hand her back and get away.
Huo Qichuan stared at the aggressive crowd, his expression cold and severe.
Dong Chengpeng spoke first, “Comrade, we saved your sister-in-law. Just now she jumped into the pond and nearly lost her life.”
Supporting Qin Dafen, Shen Cuiping stepped forward. In the torchlight, she finally saw the man holding Miao Miaomiao clearly.
Sharp brows, striking features, handsome face, tall and powerfully built—easily over 1.8 meters. So handsome!
The young girl shyly lowered her head, too embarrassed to look at him directly.
Qin Dafen, whose eyes were full of money, however, stared fixedly at Miao Miaomiao in the man’s arms. She was a valuable commodity that could be sold—she absolutely couldn’t be let go!
“Comrade, thank you so much for helping me find my daughter-in-law, hehehe…”
Without any shame, Qin Dafen reached out to grab her.
Huo Qichuan’s cold eyes fixed on her, an icy aura instantly radiating from his body.
He shifted slightly, avoiding her grasp.
Qin Dafen’s hand fell empty. She stared at him in disbelief. “Comrade, what do you mean by this?”
Even Dong Chengpeng turned his head in confusion. “Brother Huo, hand her over to them…”
As long as they handed her over, their task would be complete, and they wouldn’t have to delay their journey.
But Huo Qichuan refused.
“Auntie, do you know that your daughter-in-law has been drugged?”
He looked at them and spoke calmly.
“What?! Drugged? What’s going on?”
The eldest brother, Shen Jianjun, who was completely in the dark, turned back to look at his mother and sister, full of questions.
Qin Dafen and Shen Cuiping’s expressions instantly turned strange, and they began to stammer.
“Oh, well, comrade, about Daniu being drugged… we—we didn’t know anything about it. Maybe… maybe she took the medicine herself. Yes! She took it herself. See? She caused all this trouble, didn’t she?”
Qin Dafen spread her hands, putting on a helpless look.
“Yes, yes, that’s exactly it!”
Shen Cuiping echoed her, nodding repeatedly.
Hah—she took it herself?
Anyone with half a brain could see how unbelievable that was. What woman would drug herself with an aphrodisiac and then jump into a pond?
Huo Qichuan swept the Shen family with a hawk-like, piercing gaze and said, “In that case, I think it’s better to send this young lady to the county police station to file a report.”
“What?!”
At the mention of the police station, the Shen family’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. One never enters official doors alive nor leaves hell after death—this saying still held true in this era.
What they feared most was the police station.