Qin Aiguo, the arsonist, twitched at his temple as his gaze swept across the courtyard.
Good. Although these two had luckily survived, their only shelter—the house they relied on for survival—had already been reduced to ruins.
With the weather getting colder by the day, he wanted to see how they would survive this winter.
Qin Aiguo put on a few hypocritical words of concern, then used the excuse that he still had work at home and returned next door.
Su Yun sneered silently.
A faint mocking smile also appeared on Xiao Yuan’s lips.
Su Yun walked back to his side and sat down. The clothes inside were still damp and uncomfortable to wear.
“I’m going to change.”
As she spoke, she took off the coat on her shoulders and began removing her wet clothes.
Seeing this, Xiao Yuan immediately turned his head away.
*Cough cough cough…*
He coughed awkwardly. “Did you manage to save the things earlier?”
“Mm…”
Su Yun had already stripped off her wet clothes and was putting on dry, worn ones.
Fortunately, she had been lucky. After asking Xiao Yuan to weave two bamboo baskets, she had stored everything inside them, which allowed her to quickly salvage her belongings when the fire started.
Behind her, faint rustling sounds continued. Thinking about what she was doing, Xiao Yuan’s ears turned red.
After changing, Su Yun placed the wet clothes aside to dry, then spread out the rescued old blanket and draped it over both of them.
“There’s still a while until dawn. We’ll figure things out after daylight.”
Their situation was extremely bad—any ordinary person would have already panicked.
But Su Yun did not.
She remained calm and composed, quietly waiting for dawn.
Xiao Yuan softly responded.
“Alright.”
The two sat shoulder to shoulder. To keep warm, Su Yun leaned a little closer to him.
By the time she was half asleep, her head had almost fallen onto his shoulder several times.
Xiao Yuan couldn’t sleep at all.
Seeing this, he slowly reached out and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, letting her lean on him.
“Sleep.”
“Hm?”
Su Yun struggled to open her eyes and glanced at him.
He said nothing.
But the faint curve of his tightly pressed lips revealed a subtle smile.
Was he smiling?
Her mind was hazy, and she didn’t think further. She simply leaned against his shoulder and fell asleep.
Xiao Yuan held her gently, completely without sleepiness.
Instead, his mind was filled only with plans for the future…
The next day.
Su Yun woke up with a stiff, aching neck.
At first she was still dazed, thinking she had pulled an all-nighter in her previous life, which was why her neck hurt so much.
“You’re awake.”
A low, hoarse voice sounded above her head, and she finally came to her senses.
This wasn’t an all-nighter.
And she was no longer a modern surgical director.
She had come to the 1970s, and last night her home had been burned down. She was now almost homeless.
“Mm…”
She rubbed her neck, and a large hand immediately came over.
“Does it hurt here?”
“Hm?”
She was a little confused—why did he suddenly seem like a different person?
Still, massage from someone else did feel better than doing it herself.
So she simply lay down and let him help knead her neck.
“My shoulders also hurt.”
“Here?”
“Yes, a little more to the right. Mm… a bit more pressure.”
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the massage, directing him casually.
Xiao Yuan responded softly with a “mm,” without complaint, following her instructions exactly.
His fingers were strong and the pressure just right. Su Yun gradually felt so comfortable that sleepiness crept back in.
At that moment, Wu Jiangtao pushed open the courtyard gate—now nothing more than a frame—and saw Su Yun lying on Xiao Yuan’s lap while Xiao Yuan gently massaged her shoulders and neck with a soft expression.
He couldn’t help but laugh.
This Old Xiao—he had previously said he wanted to find a way to send Su Yun away.
He even talked about not wanting to drag her down, saying he only wanted to use his remaining broken body to complete his final mission…
Now it seemed he had already abandoned that idea.
That’s right.
That’s how normal people should think.
Wu Jiangtao cleared his throat and walked forward with a smile.
“Old Xiao, sister-in-law, are you two alright?”
“I heard your house was burned this morning—are you injured?”
Someone had arrived, and Su Yun lifted her head from Xiao Yuan’s lap.
She smiled faintly upon seeing Wu Jiangtao.
He also smiled back.
Then turned to speak with Xiao Yuan.
Even though their house had burned down, their iron pot was still intact.
Su Yun planned to cook breakfast in the ruins.
“Sister-in-law, no need to cook. Pack up and come with me to our team.”
“To your team?”
Su Yun looked at Xiao Yuan in confusion.
Xiao Yuan explained.
“Old Wu’s uncle is the leader of the first production team. He helped apply for an empty house there so we can stay through the winter.”
Wu Jiangtao raised an eyebrow at Xiao Yuan, as if saying, “Not bad, you kid.”
Xiao Yuan remained calm.
Su Yun blinked. “So we’re leaving here?”
She felt a little regretful about not being able to stay next to the Qin family anymore.
But the place was no longer livable. If she wanted to deal with them, she needed to settle herself first.
“Alright.”
“We’ll eat after we move into the new place.”
She packed up the iron pot.
Wu Jiangtao called two members from the first team to help carry what little could still be used.
As they passed by, Qin Aiguo—who had not gone to work due to the fire—sat in his half-burned courtyard.
Seeing them, he stood up with a fake smile.
“Where are you going?”
“Don’t forget, your grain registration is still in our second team—in my hands.”
They could move to the first team, but their grain records could not go with them.
Wu Jiangtao frowned in anger.
He looked at Xiao Yuan.
Xiao Yuan signaled him not to act rashly.
Su Yun smiled lightly.
“Oh? Uncle Qin, thanks for reminding us.”
“Then please transfer our grain registration.”
She smiled at him openly, fearless.
Qin Aiguo opened his mouth.
Su Yun silently mouthed: “Otherwise I’ll go to the commune… or the county…”
*Bang!*
His hand slammed onto the table. Qin Aiguo stood up abruptly and stormed inside.
Soon after, Su Yun received two grain transfer documents stamped with the team seal.
With these, they could now earn work points in the first team.
Wu Jiangtao clicked his tongue, glancing at Xiao Yuan as if asking what leverage Su Yun had over Qin Aiguo.
Why was he so obedient?
Su Yun thanked Qin Aiguo with a smile, then led them onward.
After a few steps, a voice called from behind.
“Ah Yuan…”
Wu Jiangtao stopped and turned.
So did Su Yun.
Xiao Yuan said calmly, “Ignore it.”
The group continued walking.
“Ah Yuan!”
The voice again—this time more aggrieved.
“You’re just going to leave like this? You don’t even want your mother anymore?”