Aunt Pei Luoying found a trustworthy and capable caregiver to look after Grandma, who was blind. Her careful and thoughtful actions clearly indicated her desire for Qin Shuyao to leave with Chen Qilan without any worries.
Qin Shuyao understood her efforts, so she proactively suggested going home to pack her luggage. That evening, a military jeep parked discreetly beneath the large tree at the village entrance. Qin Shuyao and Chen Qilan walked into the village, careful not to disturb the residents.
As soon as she pushed open the small courtyard gate, she heard a lively chorus of “baaing” sounds coming from the sheep pen, causing Qin Shuyao a moment of confusion.
After Grandma was hospitalized, Grandpa Shepherd had clearly sold all the sheep he considered his lifeblood. She rushed over to the pen and saw those familiar sheep pacing leisurely inside, with a bundle of half-wilted green grass lying in the corner!
“To pay for Grandma’s treatment, Grandpa was forced to sell the sheep, but he truly couldn’t bear to part with them. Uncle Liao went back to the village, inquired around, and bought the sheep back!”
Chen Qilan sounded regretful.
“But three of them had already been slaughtered…” “It doesn’t matter. It’s wonderful that we got these ones back. These sheep are Grandpa’s lifeblood!” Qin Shuyao leaned forward, touching the horn of a young ram, her voice softening slightly.
“These sheep aren’t afraid of you. Looks like you have some pull in the sheep world!” Chen Qilan tried to mimic Qin Shuyao’s movement to touch a sheep but missed. Damn it, these lambs were showing him no respect! “I always used to herd sheep with Grandpa when I was little… Hey, have you ever ridden a sheep?”
Qin Shuyao fetched water to wash her hands, chatting about her childhood memories while heading back inside to pack.
“There was one black goat that was very intelligent. When I got tired, I would lie across its back and it would carry me home. Later…” She paused, scratching her head, her eyes slightly confused. “Maybe because I was so young, my memory is fragmented, but I could never remember where the black goat went. When I asked Grandpa later, he said the black goat had been sold off!”
Although the village had electricity, power outages were frequent. Qin Shuyao found a candle and lit it. Chen Qilan leaned against the doorframe, watching Qin Shuyao’s beautiful profile in the dim candlelight, his expression complex.
“Grandpa said the black goat was disobedient and dropped me into a ditch while carrying me home, nearly killing me. He sold it in a fit of anger!” She chattered on for a while, but received no response from Chen Qilan. Qin Shuyao stopped packing and turned to look, noticing the man’s strange expression in the soft, yellow light.
He suddenly spoke, his voice slightly hoarse. “Is that how you got the scars on your back and your left ribs?” Qin Shuyao froze, instinctively clutching the area over the scar on her left ribs, like a startled rabbit. The scar was in an extremely hidden spot—how could Chen Qilan possibly know…?
Chen Qilan suddenly smiled suggestively. “That night…” The next second, Qin Shuyao’s cheeks flushed crimson, like the last trace of sunset across the sky, captivatingly alluring. She truly had been foolish; she had almost forgotten what happened that night!
Chen Qilan’s smile was intensely suggestive, as if he were savoring a memory. His sharp, eagle-like eyes were fixed directly on the spot where her scar was hidden.
Qin Shuyao was both ashamed and annoyed, desperate to say something to break the suffocatingly ambiguous atmosphere. People often make bigger fools of themselves when they are nervous and flustered, which was exactly what Qin Shuyao did next. “Is that so? I don’t remember.” The moment the words left her mouth, she wanted to slap herself.
Seeing the sudden deepening intensity in Chen Qilan’s eyes, Qin Shuyao turned to flee, but she failed. The man was like a predatory beast, trapping her, the foolish little prey, beneath his sharp claws. His gaze was burning and excited, and even his exhaled breath was scorching hot. “You resent me!” This was not a question, but a statement. Chen Qilan hooked Qin Shuyao’s chin, forcing her to look up at him.
“I didn’t try hard enough, which is why I didn’t leave a deep impression on you.” He apologized earnestly. “Yes, it’s all my fault. I will seriously correct it immediately!” Chen Qilan heavily emphasized the word “seriously.”
Soldiers are men of action. Chen Qilan leaned down to kiss the graceful curve of her collarbone. Qin Shuyao’s mind felt churned up, a complete blur. It wasn’t until a tingling pain shot through the spot where her rib scar lay that her consciousness abruptly snapped back. The next moment, she hurriedly pushed the man away, frantically pulling her clothes together as she backed up a few steps. Chen Qilan simply relaxed, lying back on the wooden bed, smiling warmly and suggestively, like a spring breeze…
“You… you…” Qin Shuyao’s voice trembled slightly. She stammered, “How can you face your sweetheart if you behave like this?” Chen Qilan spread his hands and grinned shamelessly. “But the deed is already done!” This reason left Qin Shuyao momentarily unable to argue. That night, she had been the one to initiate things!
She quickly fastened her shirt buttons, took several deep breaths, and then looked up at the man lying on her bed. “What happened was unavoidable and doesn’t count. If your sweetheart misunderstands because of this in the future, I will explain and clarify things for you!” Everything that happened moments ago felt like the reflection of the moon in the water, but now the dream was over. Qin Shuyao had regained her composure, her eyes distant and her tone cold.
The stark difference in her attitude made Chen Qilan laugh in exasperation. Did this heartless, fickle woman really treat him as nothing more than a tool to save her from the drug? He propped himself up on his elbow, half-lying on the bed, watching Qin Shuyao, whose back was turned as she packed.
“How would you explain it to her? Would you say you seduced me? Take all the blame onto yourself?”
Qin Shuyao gave a muffled “Mhm.” “Don’t worry. My marriage to you doesn’t mean I intend to cling to you forever. I told you, if the opportunity arises in the future, I will help you be with your sweetheart!”
She had finished packing her last few items, stood up straight, and turned to look at Chen Qilan seriously. “Perhaps in a few years, I might also meet a man I truly love and want to spend my life with. At that time, I ask that you also grant me that freedom!”
The lazy, wicked smile on Chen Qilan’s lips suddenly froze. He stared for a moment, then abruptly sat up, his eyes filled with hostility. “You have a man you like? Who is he? How do you want me to grant you that freedom?”
Qin Shuyao frowned and replied, “I don’t pry into your affairs, so please don’t interfere excessively with mine. Isn’t mutual respect better?” “No!”
Chen Qilan got off the bed and walked up to Qin Shuyao, looking down at her. “I like interfering in your affairs. From the smallest things, like what you eat and drink, to the biggest things, like your life and death—I intend to manage it all!” He snorted. “If you think that’s unfair, you can manage me too. You can dig to the bottom of things and find out who my sweetheart is!”
Qin Shuyao and Chen Qilan locked eyes. After a long moment, she looked away from the man’s intense gaze. “Do whatever you want. I won’t interfere with your freedom, anyway!”