Just as Shen Qiuqiu was figuring out how to threaten the two of them, a voice suddenly sounded outside — her man’s voice.
“Shen Qiuqiu! Shen Qiuqiu, where are you?”
Sun Yuming and Wang Lixia were scared out of their wits. Wang Lixia stammered, “It sounds like he’s coming this way. What do we do?”
Sun Yuming said, “Let’s go first. We’ll come back for the gold chain after he’s gone.”
Wang Lixia was clearly reluctant.
“But—”
“No ‘buts.’ No one will find it. If someone discovers the two of us, we’re finished.”
Village Chief Wang was one of the biggest figures in Qingshantun. His second son was the security team captain, his eldest son worked directly for the county government, and his third son was a soldier. The only one left was his fourth child, a daughter, whom he treasured like the apple of his eye. He had painstakingly chosen a teacher from the county for her.
Wang Lixia nodded. The two of them reluctantly crept out. Shen Qiuqiu let out a long breath, reached down, and picked up a gleaming gold bracelet.
The moment she stood up, she saw Gu Zhouye push the door open, his face full of anxiety.
“I woke up and you were gone. What’s wrong?”
Shen Qiuqiu hid her hand behind her back, feeling distinctly like a guilty thief.
“Nothing. Let’s go back.”
Gu Zhouye tried to take Shen Qiuqiu’s hand, but she pulled away. From his perspective, he had made her angry, she had run off somewhere to cry alone, and now that he’d found her, she wouldn’t even look at him.
At that moment, Gu Zhouye felt his heart shatter.
Shen Qiuqiu hurried home and, feeling thoroughly guilty, hid the bracelet. She let out a long breath. Gu Zhouye walked in and closed the door behind him.
He looked deeply at Shen Qiuqiu, his eyes carrying a hint of fragility.
Shen Qiuqiu’s heart raced with guilt. Gu Zhouye took off his coat and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Is there something you’re hiding from me?”
Shen Qiuqiu’s heart pounded wildly. She couldn’t help but glance at the small box where she had hidden the gold bracelet. She had heard that people from the old days were incredibly honest about returning lost items.
But Shen Qiuqiu would rather die than give it back.
Sun Yuming and Wang Lixia would surely figure out what had happened when they came back and couldn’t find it. Shen Qiuqiu’s heart thumped like a drum.
“No. Don’t overthink it.”
Gu Zhouye looked at Shen Qiuqiu. In the past, when his younger sister used to read Zhang Ailing’s romance novels, she would always tell him that when a person fell in love, their heart would feel a bittersweet ache.
Even though it hurt, being immersed in it made you feel complete.
Gu Zhouye took Shen Qiuqiu’s hand and examined it carefully.
Shen Qiuqiu felt as if she’d been struck by lightning. That was the same hand that had picked up the gold bracelet.
Gu Zhouye saw her trembling hand and felt even more pained. He brought her hand to his lips and gently kissed it.
Shen Qiuqiu was stunned.
Gu Zhouye was nervous too. He was a very reserved person — unless it was the right time for “that sort of thing,” he would never cross the line.
As for when was the right time and when wasn’t… that wasn’t for him to decide.
“Baby, trust me. That letter really meant nothing.”
This was the first time Gu Zhouye had called Shen Qiuqiu “baby.” Whenever Shen Qiuqiu was being playful, she could call him anything — baby, daddy, brother, your majesty, master…
And Gu Zhouye would always cover her mouth and work even harder.
Shen Qiuqiu let out a long breath, then smiled awkwardly.
Seeing Shen Qiuqiu’s reaction, Gu Zhouye understood.
“I know you’re angry with me. Let’s not be angry anymore, okay?”
Shen Qiuqiu laughed and wrapped her arms around Gu Zhouye.
“Well… you saw right through me, honey. You really have sharp eyes.”
Shen Qiuqiu let her guard down. Seeing her behaving so sweetly, Gu Zhouye breathed a long sigh of relief.
Then he asked another question.
“I thought I heard someone in the room earlier. Were you talking to someone?”
Shen Qiuqiu perked up instantly. She sat up cross-legged and began excitedly dishing the gossip to Gu Zhouye.
A working person’s greatest joy, aside from not having to go to work, was gossiping.
Shen Qiuqiu recounted every detail with great flair. Gu Zhouye frowned. As a man, he had never liked listening to gossip.
So he asked, “Does Wang Dahua know? Is their situation like Bai Xueying and Xiao Yi’s? Is she pregnant?”
Gu Zhouye took a deep breath and said thoughtfully, “No wonder I always thought those two seemed a bit off. Let me tell you — there are quite a few people in our brigade with secrets.”
Shen Qiuqiu’s eyes went wide.
She suddenly felt that this handsome villain was acting out of character — OOC. Seeing her expression, Gu Zhouye understood immediately. He cleared his throat lightly.
“I’m usually not interested in this kind of thing. But since you asked…”
The tips of Gu Zhouye’s ears turned bright red. Shen Qiuqiu excitedly pounced on him.
“Honey, you’re so cute!”
They fooled around all night. The next morning, Shen Qiuqiu was jolted awake by a piercing, miserable wail. She sprang out of bed like a rocket.
Gu Zhouye had already gone to get breakfast. He sneaked back in, his face barely hiding his excitement for gossip.
“It’s the two people you saw yesterday. They’ve been found out.”
Shen Qiuqiu quickly threw on her clothes and was about to rush over to watch the drama when Gu Zhouye pulled her back.
“It’s an all-out brawl right now. Several of the village women have pinned Wang Lixia down and are beating her. I heard Wang Dahua’s three brothers are all coming back.”
Shen Qiuqiu couldn’t help but laugh. She suddenly thought of those melodramatic novels she used to read.
The female lead gets bullied, and her three powerful brothers come to defend her. Everyone was the heroine of their own novel, it seemed.
“What about the adulterer?”
Gu Zhouye ate his steamed bun while dishing the gossip to Shen Qiuqiu.
“He’s holed up in a room, too afraid to come out. Finish your food first before you go watch the spectacle. It’s freezing outside.”
Shen Qiuqiu wasn’t worried about the two of them ratting her out. After all, that gold chain was of questionable origin. If it were discovered, they could go to prison.
After finishing her meal, Shen Qiuqiu hurried outside to watch the commotion.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw several stout, robust women holding Wang Lixia down on the ground. Wang Lixia’s shirt had been torn off, exposing her underwear. She was screaming like a stuck pig.
Wang Dahua was cursing Wang Lixia at the top of her lungs.
“You little brat! I treated you like a best friend, and you stab me in the back? I’ll tear your mouth apart!”
Wang Dahua reached her hand straight into Wang Lixia’s mouth.
Wang Lixia wailed and cried, “Help! Xueying! Xiao Yi! Save me!”
Meanwhile, Sun Yuming was trapped inside Bai Xueying’s clinic. Bai Xueying was off to the side, clutching her belly, not daring to step forward or even raise her voice.
Just as the situation descended into chaos, the village chief arrived with his three sons.
The moment Wang Dahua saw her father and brothers, she tearfully released Wang Lixia and ran to her father’s side.
“Dad, I don’t care! You have to stand up for me!”