Cheng Yun was furious when she heard his words. She rolled her eyes at him and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? I want you to get it for Duan Pengyue!”
Li Dafu had just breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that Cheng Yun wasn’t the one trying to have a baby, but his expression darkened again at her next words. “Get medicine for Duan Pengyue? He’s so young, what medicine does he need? The couple just got married and are still so young—having a child now would only hinder their future!”
Cheng Yun angrily pinched his arm and told Li Dafu what she had overheard Duan Pengyue saying at the dinner table about feeling weak.
After listening, Li Dafu fell silent.
The old couple exchanged a glance, both thinking of what Li Qinkuai had said when she ran back that night. Their worries deepened.
Finally, Li Dafu let out a deep sigh and said, “Let’s sleep for now. I heard there’s a man in the neighboring village who went to get medicine because he couldn’t perform, and his wife got pregnant afterward. I’ll go ask tomorrow if we can get some too.”
Cheng Yun nodded, sighed, and couldn’t help but complain, “What kind of mess is this?”
Meanwhile, in the other room, after Duan Pengyue finished his shower, he returned to find Li Qinkuai leaning against the bed, lost in thought.
He pulled open a drawer, took out an ointment, and sat down on the edge of the bed. Lifting the blanket, he said, “Let me take a look.”
Li Qinkuai was startled by his sudden move and quickly pulled the blanket back over herself, her face full of resistance. “No, I don’t want to. Tonight, you sleep properly and don’t think about any of that nonsense.”
Given Duan Pengyue’s unrestrained nature, if they did it again tonight, she’d surely be unable to get out of bed tomorrow. She absolutely couldn’t indulge him this time.
“I just want to apply some ointment for you. I bought it for you when I went to get the tickets today,” Duan Pengyue explained, showing her the medicine to prove his sincerity.
Li Qinkuai paused for a moment but shook her head in refusal. “No need. It doesn’t hurt much anymore. I’ll be fine after resting for a few days. Just lie down and sleep.”
She wasn’t fooled—applying ointment was just an excuse. Once he started, he’d end up taking her clothes off.
In her previous life, after marrying Duan Pengyue, Li Qinkuai had fallen for this trick more than once.
So when Duan Pengyue tried to play his little game, she saw right through it.
Seeing how insistent Li Qinkuai was, Duan Pengyue didn’t push further. He simply said, “If you’re still uncomfortable tomorrow, let me know, and I’ll apply the ointment for you.”
His only response was Li Qinkuai pulling the blanket over herself and turning her back to him to sleep.
……
Early the next morning, Duan Pengyue woke up feeling something soft and warm in his arms, with something heavy resting on his waist.
Looking down, he saw Li Qinkuai nestled against him, her thigh draped over his waist and her slender arms wrapped around his shoulders, using him as a pillow.
“Li Qinkuai?”
Duan Pengyue called her name softly, but she didn’t respond, sleeping soundly. Her beautiful eyes were closed, her long eyelashes like two small fans. Her nose was delicate, and her face seemed to have been crafted exactly to his liking, settling into his heart and refusing to leave. Especially her lips—rosy and soft-looking, tempting him to kiss them.
With that thought, Duan Pengyue leaned down and kissed her. He had only intended a brief peck.
But Li Qinkuai’s lips were as sweet as honey, and he couldn’t help but kiss her for a long time, until his body reacted in a way he couldn’t control. He stopped.
Gently moving Li Qinkuai’s arms and legs aside, Duan Pengyue got out of bed and went to take a cold shower.
Cheng Yun got up early in the morning. After preparing breakfast, she called everyone to eat.
Li Qinkuai woke up upon hearing her mother’s voice and turned to find the person beside her already gone.
Yawning, she walked out and, not seeing Duan Pengyue, asked in confusion, “Mom, where’s Duan Pengyue?”
“He took a shower early in the morning and rode his bicycle to the town’s educated youth office to handle the procedures for returning to the city.”
Li Qinkuai let out an “oh” but didn’t ask further, sitting down to eat breakfast.
After breakfast, Cheng Yun gave Li Dafu a look. Li Dafu nodded and took Li Qinfen out with him.
Li Qinkuai reached out to take the bowls to wash them, but Cheng Yun snatched them away, urging her, “Go back to sleep for a while. You might not get many chances to sleep in once you’re in the city with your in-laws. Who knows if they’ll let you sleep late? Take advantage of it now.”
The more she spoke, the more worried she became, her eyebrows furrowing.
Li Qinkuai instinctively replied, “They will let me sleep in.”
In her previous life, after marrying into the Duan family, she had no job and lacked ambition, sleeping in every day until nine or ten o’clock.
Although the Duan family looked down on her, they never criticized her for sleeping in to her face.
“How do you know?” Cheng Yun asked, puzzled.
Li Qinkuai quickly said, “Duan Pengyue told me.”
Cheng Yun nodded in relief. “Then it seems his family is decent enough. Qinkuai, if his family bullies you after you return to the city with Duan Pengyue, don’t hold back. Fight back. At worst, you can divorce Duan Pengyue and come back home.”
Li Qinkuai nodded. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m not the type to endure things silently. You don’t need to worry about me on that front.”
Cheng Yun said nothing more and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, thinking about what she could prepare for Li Qinkuai to take with her.
Li Qinkuai returned to her room, pondering how to legitimately take food from her space and store it without raising suspicion.
Lost in thought, she eventually fell asleep.
When Li Qinkuai woke up, Cheng Yun was no longer home. She could take advantage of this time to retrieve items from her space. After much consideration, she decided the old house at the foot of the mountain was the best place.
No one lived there, so leaving chickens and ducks there overnight would go completely unnoticed.
Li Qinkuai went to the old house, took out fifty catties of rice, thirty catties of sweet potatoes, ten chickens, five ducks, two geese, two catties of pork ribs, and five catties of pork from her space, hid them, and left.
Originally, she wanted to leave more, but a large amount of food would be too conspicuous and easily noticed by the villagers when consumed. Li Qinkuai didn’t dare to leave too much.
In the afternoon, Duan Pengyue returned, and Cheng Yun came back as well, holding two chickens in her hands.
Seeing them return, Li Qinkuai brought out the prepared lunch and called out, “Mom, Duan Pengyue, come eat first. I’ll pack some food to take to Dad and Big Brother.”
Cheng Yun waved her hand. “Just take some to your big brother. Your dad went to the neighboring village today.”
“What did he go there for?”
Li Qinkuai hadn’t heard about her father going to the neighboring village last night, nor had he mentioned it this morning. He usually would have said something.
“Some business,” Cheng Yun replied vaguely, unsure if the old man would find what he was looking for. It was better not to say anything now, in case he couldn’t find the medicine and ended up upsetting Li Qinkuai and Duan Pengyue.
“Oh, then you two eat first. I’ll take food to my brother.”
Li Qinkuai picked up the lunchbox and headed outside. Duan Pengyue walked over and took it from her. “I’ll take it to your brother. The sun is too strong. You should rest at home.”
“Alright, then go ahead. We’ll wait for you to come back before we eat,” Li Qinkuai replied.
Duan Pengyue gave a hum of acknowledgment and left.
Not long after he had gone, Li Dafu returned, his face clouded with worry.
Seeing him return empty-handed, Cheng Yun quickly pulled him aside and whispered, “Where’s the medicine? I told you to go get it from someone. Did you not find them?”
Li Dafu shook his head. “That person said the medicine is useless.”
Although Cheng Yun and Li Dafu spoke in hushed tones, Li Qinkuai clearly overheard the words “get medicine.” Worried, she walked over and asked, “Mom, Dad, is someone sick?”
Cheng Yun glanced at the anxious Li Qinkuai and sighed. “We’re not sick.”
“Then why are you getting medicine for no reason?” Li Qinkuai pressed, unconvinced.
“The medicine is for Duan Pengyue. Didn’t you say yesterday that Duan Pengyue was weak, and that night you said he wasn’t up to it? There happens to be a man in the neighboring village who used to have the same problem, but he got better after taking some medicine. So I asked your dad to go today and inquire about getting the medicine for Duan Pengyue. We can’t let this affect the rest of your lives together.”
Cheng Yun explained word by word, her heart growing even heavier.
To make matters worse, Li Dafu added, “But that medicine is useless.”
Li Qinkuai fell silent.
Duan Pengyue wasn’t up to it?
He was more than capable—almost too capable!
She paused for several seconds before finally explaining, “Mom, Dad, you’ve misunderstood. Duan Pengyue is perfectly fine. Don’t worry about it. I was just joking with him yesterday.”
“Really?” Cheng Yun asked, still skeptical.
Li Dafu also looked at her. “Don’t lie to us. This concerns your happiness for the rest of your life.”
“I’m really not lying to you, I swear! Oh, please don’t worry about this. Duan Pengyue and I have our own plans. Let’s eat first.”
Li Qinkuai pulled Cheng Yun and Li Dafu toward the table. After all, she couldn’t very well say that Duan Pengyue was so capable that she couldn’t handle it, could she?
Did she have no pride?
Cheng Yun and Li Dafu didn’t say anything more, but while Li Qinkuai was busy serving the food, they quietly whispered to each other. “Old man, how about you sneak a peek at Duan Pengyue tonight while he’s taking a bath?”
Li Dafu nodded in agreement. “Alright, I’ll do that.”
Deep down, the elderly couple believed that Li Qinkuai was simply too embarrassed to admit that Duan Pengyue wasn’t up to the task.
Little did they know that every word spoken by the three members of the Li family had been heard loud and clear by Duan Pengyue, who had just returned from delivering a meal and was standing right outside the door!