“It’s me, Brother Liu. I’m Ying Huan,” Ying Huan said in a deliberately soft, coquettish voice.
Liu Ji’an stared at her for a long moment before finally remembering—she was the woman who had previously tried to move into his home.
His expression immediately turned cold. “May I ask what business this lady has with me?”
“Lady…”
The fake smile on Ying Huan’s face almost cracked.
“Brother Liu must be joking. I’m only twenty this year.”
Liu Ji’an let out an “oh” and continued, “Then I must have poor eyesight. Please leave quickly. My wife will be back soon.”
Seeing his indifferent attitude, Ying Huan assumed he was just playing hard to get.
She simply walked to the bedside and sat down, leaning her boneless body toward him.
“Brother Liu, don’t worry. Your wife won’t be back so soon. We have plenty of time.”
Liu Ji’an shook off her wandering hands and bluntly spat out a single word: “Get lost.”
“You really don’t understand romance,” Ying Huan said, not angry but smiling meaningfully. “But it doesn’t matter—you’ll understand soon enough.”
Before Liu Ji’an could respond, he suddenly sensed something wrong with his body. A wave of heat rose from his abdomen.
He had underestimated this woman.
“What did you do?” Liu Ji’an asked through gritted teeth.
Ying Huan smiled proudly. “There’s no man I can’t conquer. You’re no exception.”
When she got close to him earlier, she had already made her move.
Her fragrance could be inhaled without notice. No matter how strong a person was, they would lose themselves in it.
There was no cure except indulgence.
“Brother Liu, don’t resist. Look at me—am I not beautiful?”
Ying Huan’s hand traced across his brow, light and suggestive, like a lover’s touch.
Just as she was about to take the next step, Liu Ji’an suddenly grabbed her wrist.
With a sharp crack—it broke.
The man who had seemed dazed moments ago now had completely clear eyes.
“You think such tricks can scheme against me?”
“No… that’s impossible…”
Ying Huan panicked. She never expected her foolproof fragrance to have no effect on him.
There was no way she could succeed now.
She could only put on a pitiful act, claiming she had fallen in love with him at first sight.
Because he rejected her, she had no choice but to use such means—just so she could stay by his side every day, even as a concubine or servant.
In the past, many had tried to push beautiful women onto Liu Ji’an, using every possible method.
Even when he was unmarried, he had kept his purity.
Now that he had a wife, he was even more determined to remain faithful—otherwise, his wife might despise him.
At the thought of Shen Qingge possibly leaving him in disgust, Liu Ji’an’s gaze toward Ying Huan grew even colder.
He was no magnanimous gentleman.
If someone wronged him, he would repay it.
Liu Ji’an found the sachet of fragrance on Ying Huan and used it all on her.
He had heard that recently, aside from plotting against him, Ying Huan had been involved with several other men in the village.
Since they were all from the same village, he might as well help things along.
…
On the other side, Shen Qingge searched nearby with Wang Shi and Wen Shi for a long time but barely found any wild vegetables.
Even the grass here had been completely eaten.
Using the excuse of relieving herself, Shen Qingge separated from them.
She couldn’t act while under their watch.
Once she reached a place out of sight, she dug a small pit and poured in half a sack of soil-covered potatoes from her space.
She chose potatoes not only because they were versatile and easy to store—
but also because they had not yet been introduced to Dongyuan Kingdom.
Since no one had seen them before, it would be easier for her to explain.
“Elder Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, over here.”
Shen Qingge led Wang Shi and Wen Shi to the spot and dug the potatoes back out.
Wang Shi looked at the round objects in her hand and asked curiously, “What is this?”
Wen Shi was also curious. She had never seen such a thing before.
But judging from Shen Qingge’s expression, it seemed edible.
“This is called a potato,” Shen Qingge explained. “As long as it hasn’t turned green, it’s not poisonous. There are many ways to cook it. I can… tell you how to prepare it later.”
She had originally wanted to say she could cook it herself, but after a second thought, she gave up.
What if she somehow turned something harmless into something toxic?
Although Wang Shi and Wen Shi were still unsure, they trusted Shen Qingge and dug up all the potatoes to take back.
When they returned to their shelter, Shen Qingge carefully observed everyone’s expressions.
Everything seemed normal, as if nothing had happened.
When she entered the shelter, Liu Ji’an had already returned.
“What’s wrong with you?” Shen Qingge immediately noticed his pale complexion.
In truth, although Liu Ji’an had neutralized the fragrance Ying Huan used, the poison in his body had worsened because of it.
Shen Qingge: “…”
Again?!
This man just wouldn’t stop. She had already used so much medicine on him before.
Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
But what could she do? Liu Ji’an couldn’t die—he was currently her biggest and only buyer.
So she reluctantly treated him again, even as it pained her.
Liu Ji’an originally hadn’t planned to tell her, but since she asked, he didn’t hide it.
He exaggerated the story of how Ying Huan barged in and tried to drug him and ruin his purity.
In his version, he was a pitiful, innocent victim who resisted bravely.
“Wife, you didn’t see how terrifying that woman was. She suddenly lunged at me—I dodged instantly!”
“Luckily I was fast, or my purity would’ve been ruined. I was so scared, wife…”
Liu Ji’an kept leaning against Shen Qingge’s shoulder, looking utterly aggrieved.
Anyone who didn’t know better would think he had suffered greatly.
“Don’t call me ‘wife,’” Shen Qingge said, pushing his head away.
“Okay, wife.”
“…”
She asked again, “Where is Ying Huan?”
Liu Ji’an paused briefly, then shook his head without guilt. “How would I know where she went?”
“I firmly rejected her and drove her out… after that, I don’t know.”
Shen Qingge looked at him with a faint smile. “Really?”
Liu Ji’an immediately nodded. “Of—of course it’s true.”
If he hadn’t stuttered, she might have believed him.
Shen Qingge smiled meaningfully but didn’t expose him.
After giving Liu Ji’an an injection, Shen Qingge left the shelter to find Feng Shi.
When it came to settling accounts, Shen Qingge didn’t like to wait overnight.