Cui Ling awkwardly and embarrassedly straightened her clothes and stood upright. “Village Head, I thought Master Xiao might be bored sitting here alone, so I came to keep him company.”
The village head could see through her little scheme immediately.
He waved dismissively. “Alright, alright. The master is busy and doesn’t have time for idle chatter. Why are you, a young girl, always running to a married man? Your brother’s calling you—go!”
Cui Ling reluctantly said “Oh,” lingering as she waved goodbye to Xiao Lingzhou. “Master, I’m leaving. Don’t forget to drink your tea.”
Xiao Lingzhou’s handsome face remained expressionless; he didn’t respond.
The village head, seeing she wasn’t taking the hint, wiped the sweat from his face and urged her, “Go, go! Your brother’s been shouting he’s hungry, and here you are, running to see Master Xiao instead of attending him first.”
His blunt words made Cui Ling’s cheeks flush.
Seeing that Xiao Lingzhou ignored her, she could only leave in embarrassment, kicking stones along the path in anger.
“Why does he look at Jiang Yu and not me? I’m no worse than her!”
“Wasn’t I the one who liked Xiao Lingzhou first? How come Jiang Yu surpassed me?”
She felt deeply resentful.
Even if Jiang Yu married Xiao Lingzhou, so what?
In the grand scheme, divorcing and remarrying was normal.
Moreover, Jiang Yu and Xiao Lingzhou had been married half a year with no signs of pregnancy.
No children would be grounds for dismissal.
Men valued heirs; she was sure Jiang Yu wouldn’t last long before being sent away.
If she showed herself more often to Xiao Lingzhou, displaying her kindness and gentleness, she might still have a chance.
With this hopeful thought, she straightened her back.
The village head watched Cui Ling’s retreating figure and shook his head, then turned to Xiao Lingzhou: “Cui Ling is just young and naïve, no ill intent. Don’t take her to heart.”
Xiao Lingzhou glanced at the chair Cui Ling had touched, his usually refined face showing clear distaste. “Could you bring me another chair?”
The village head, whose face was lined with years of life, blinked, then smiled knowingly: “Of course, of course. I just moved a chair from home that hasn’t been used. Master, if you don’t mind, we can swap it for you.”
To outsiders, they claimed to be distant relatives.
But the village head didn’t know Xiao Lingzhou’s true identity.
When his son had written, mentioning Xiao Lingzhou’s esteemed status and that he would stay in Zhangjia Village for months, he was told to treat him with utmost care.
Initially, the village head hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking: how important could he be?
Seeing him in person, he could only describe him as “incomprehensibly precious.”
Having lived over forty years, he had never seen anyone so astonishingly handsome.
At first, he even felt his house unworthy of Xiao Lingzhou’s presence.
Living under the same roof, he treated Xiao Lingzhou politely, fearful of slighting him.
Fortunately, Xiao Lingzhou appeared distant but was actually generous, allowing the village head to relax over time.
“Much obliged,” Xiao Lingzhou said gracefully in a scholar’s bow.
The village head raised his hand but didn’t touch him. “Master, you’re too polite. You’re helping with the bridge, something that wouldn’t normally concern you or Jiang Yu. We’re already very grateful.”
“Just call me if you need anything; I’ll go get the chair for you now.”
Xiao Lingzhou nodded.
As the village head walked off, Cui Ling appeared, carrying a few steamed buns with a face full of a flattering smile.
From a distance, her shy eyes stuck to Xiao Lingzhou. “It’s past noon, and Jiang Yu still hasn’t brought you lunch. That’s unacceptable.”
She offered the buns, cooing sweetly: “Ling’er thought Master must be hungry, so I saved a few buns for you first. Please have them to tide you over.”
Xiao Lingzhou glanced at her coldly and stepped past.
Cui Ling, having finally found a chance to speak, refused to let him go. Blocking his path, she stammered: “Master… do you dislike Ling’er, that’s why you won’t eat what I bring?”
Xiao Lingzhou lifted his eyelids slightly, voice cold: “Miss Cui, do you not understand human speech?”
Cui Ling’s face froze.
“I’m a married man. Don’t try those coquettish tricks on me.”
“Also, I don’t wish to hear a single bad word about my wife from you ever again.”
“Otherwise, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.”
His expression turned icy, no longer gentle, a frost-like chill radiating from him.
Cui Ling shivered under his stare, her limbs weakening, nearly collapsing.
Just as she struggled to remain standing, embarrassed and flustered, Jiang Yu’s voice chimed in:
“Xiao Lingzhou, why are you standing in the sun? Aren’t you worried about getting burned? And you didn’t even tell me where the food box is this morning. I had to look for it for ages, luckily it didn’t delay me delivering your lunch…”
A young woman in a light purple dress carried the food box gracefully, her fair face flushed slightly pink by the sun.
Reaching Xiao Lingzhou, she expertly used a handkerchief to wipe the few drops of sweat on his face.
Glancing casually, she noticed Cui Ling. “Oh, isn’t that Cui Ling? What are you doing here?”
She looked toward the group of half-naked men mixing mud and hammering stones.
With a teasing smile, she said, “Could it be your heart belongs to someone over there?”
Cui Ling’s eyes flickered; she clenched her hands and bit her lip, stealing a glance at Xiao Lingzhou, then timidly lowered her eyes.
“Y-you’re… you’re making things up. There’s nothing going on!”
Saying this, she ran off like she was fleeing.
“Running? Do I look that scary?” Jiang Yu muttered.
She had seen everything from behind a tree.
Cui Ling had been trying to get close to Xiao Lingzhou and clearly still coveted him.
Jiang Yu hadn’t exposed her because she had another idea to make some money.
Seeing Jiang Yu glance at the group of half-naked men, Xiao Lingzhou frowned and forcibly turned her head toward him.
His voice full of jealousy: “Your husband is right here, yet you dare look at other men?”
Jiang Yu patted her nose guiltily and linked her arm in his, defending herself: “Who said I was looking at them? I was just checking how the bridge is coming along.”
She deliberately changed the subject, turning the tables: “I haven’t asked what Cui Ling was doing here, yet you blame me first.”
Under the straw shelter, Xiao Lingzhou took the food box from her and placed it on the table, voice tinged with mock grievance: “You still think of me. If you didn’t come, your husband would belong to someone else.”
Jiang Yu opened the food box calmly: “It’s mine. No one can take it.”
If it can be taken away, it’s not something worth keeping.
That, she didn’t dare voice aloud.