“Stop!”
Su Qinghe rushed in and stood in front of Xiao Hanyuan.
Xiao Hanyuan staggered where he stood, raising those deep black eyes to stare fixedly at her. His eyes were bloodshot.
“Weren’t you the one who sent them here? Why pretend now?”
Su Qinghe: …
Great. Another misunderstanding.
Panting heavily, Su Qinghe glared at Wang San, the leader.
“What are you doing barging into my house and beating people up?!”
“Paying debts is only natural!” Wang San slammed the stick against the ground. “Twenty-five taels. Not a single coin less!”
“Twenty-five taels?” Su Qinghe frowned. “Didn’t I owe you twenty?”
“Twenty is the principal. The other five is interest!”
“I’ll repay it!” Su Qinghe gritted her teeth. “Give me one day. By this time tomorrow, I’ll pay you back.”
Wang San looked her up and down and sneered.
“With what?”
“I have my own ways.” Su Qinghe said coldly. “You just need to give me one day. I’ll naturally return the silver then. If you insist on causing trouble, I’ll report this to the authorities!”
Wang San’s eyes shifted thoughtfully. He tossed the stick onto the ground.
“I’ll give you one more chance. If you can’t produce the money by tomorrow, we’ll sell your husband to a brothel. Don’t blame me for being ruthless then.”
He left with the two thugs.
The courtyard finally fell silent.
Su Qinghe turned around and helped Xiao Hanyuan sit down.
The man’s face was deathly pale, blood staining the corner of his lips, yet he still stared at her stubbornly, the corners of his eyes red.
“I didn’t call them here,” Su Qinghe said.
Xiao Hanyuan sneered. “Really?”
“Really.” Su Qinghe picked up the basket on the ground. “Look, I went up the mountain and gathered wild vegetables. I even caught a fish.”
Xiao Hanyuan looked at the fish, his expression wavering slightly.
She was lazy and gluttonous, yet she actually managed to catch a fish?
Was this still the same Su Qinghe as before?
“How are you planning to repay the debt?” he asked after snapping back to himself. “Go gambling again?”
“I’m not stupid.” Su Qinghe squatted down so they were eye level. “I’ve turned over a new leaf. From now on, I won’t sink into that life anymore. I’ll never gamble again.”
Xiao Hanyuan replied flatly, “You’ve said that before.”
Su Qinghe raised two fingers dramatically.
“I swear. If I gamble again, may lightning strike me dead.”
Xiao Hanyuan: …
“I’m planning to sell some food in town tomorrow. Once I earn enough money, I’ll repay the debt,” Su Qinghe said.
Xiao Hanyuan stared at her silently for a long while.
What food could she possibly make?
He had always been the one cooking in this house.
“Focus on recovering.” Su Qinghe stood up. “I’ll go make dinner.”
With that, she carried the fish and basket into the kitchen.
Xiao Hanyuan sat where he was, watching her back, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly.
This woman…
Had she really changed?
In front of the stove.
Su Qinghe rolled up her sleeves and began preparing the fish.
Scaling it, gutting it, washing it clean.
She cut the fish into pieces, heated oil in the wok, and tossed in ginger slices until fragrant.
The fish hit the pan with a loud sizzle, and the aroma instantly exploded through the air.
She dug out several wild mountain peppers from her basket, chopped them up, and threw them into the wok.
The spicy, mouthwatering fragrance drifted into the courtyard.
Smelling the enticing scent, Xiao Hanyuan froze.
This woman… could cook?
Before, she never even touched the stove. Every day she only knew how to eat leftovers or mooch meals off the villagers.
So how had she suddenly…
A complicated look filled Xiao Hanyuan’s dark eyes.
Inside the kitchen, Su Qinghe washed another pot and brought water to a boil before pouring in the chestnuts.
After a while, once the chestnuts were cooked, she scooped them out, dumped the water, and reheated the wok with oil.
She added crushed rock sugar and stir-fried everything slowly over low heat.
The chestnuts rolled around in the pan, their shells slowly cracking open to reveal golden flesh.
The sweet caramel aroma mixed with the nutty fragrance of chestnuts, enough to make anyone drool.
Su Qinghe smiled with satisfaction before plating the fried fish and chestnuts and carrying them into the house.
“Dinner’s ready!”
Xiao Hanyuan looked at the fish dish. The flesh was white and tender, garnished with bright red chili peppers and green scallions. Just looking at it stimulated the appetite.
Then he looked at the chestnuts—plump and coated in a glossy layer of sugar.
If he hadn’t seen it himself, he would never have believed Su Qinghe made this.
“Come on, let me help you.” Su Qinghe quickly walked toward him.
“No need. I can walk.”
Xiao Hanyuan forced himself up and slowly made his way to the table.
He picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of fish into his mouth.
Fresh, tender, spicy, numbing.
The flavor exploded on his tongue, making him pause in shock.
How could it taste this good?
Su Qinghe peeled a chestnut and handed it to him.
“Try this.”
Xiao Hanyuan accepted it and took a bite.
The chestnut was soft, sweet, and fragrant, with a crisp caramel coating.
The taste… was incredible.
He looked at Su Qinghe with a complicated gaze.
“You…”
“What?” Su Qinghe popped another chestnut into her mouth. “Doesn’t it taste good?”
“It’s not that.” Xiao Hanyuan hesitated. “When did you learn how to cook?”
Su Qinghe’s heart tightened.
Crap. She slipped up.
Her mind raced.
“I… I already knew how. I was just too lazy to cook before.”
Xiao Hanyuan stared at her silently.
Feeling guilty, Su Qinghe lowered her head and continued peeling chestnuts.
Xiao Hanyuan withdrew his gaze and picked up another piece of fish.
This woman…
Really had changed.
But could a person truly become better in such a short time?
Gripping his chopsticks tightly, Xiao Hanyuan’s eyes darkened.
This was the best and fullest meal Xiao Hanyuan had eaten since losing his memory.
After dinner, he cleaned up the dishes and tidied the house as usual until everything was spotless.
Watching him carefully wash the bowls and chopsticks, Su Qinghe felt a little guilty.
“Your body still hasn’t recovered. I can handle these chores.”
“No need. These are things I should do,” Xiao Hanyuan replied calmly.
After thinking for a moment, Su Qinghe turned and went to brew his medicine.
The scent of herbs soon filled the kitchen once more.
Xiao Hanyuan sat by the bed, watching her busy figure with a complicated expression.
“Here, drink it while it’s hot.” Su Qinghe carried over the medicine bowl.
Xiao Hanyuan took it and drank it all in one go.
Night gradually deepened.
The oil lamp in the room was still lit, its bean-sized flame stretching their shadows long against the wall.
After finishing everything, Xiao Hanyuan picked up an old worn blanket and spread it on the floor as usual.
Just as he was about to lie down, Su Qinghe’s voice sounded from behind him.
“The floor’s cold. Sleep on the bed.”
Xiao Hanyuan’s body stiffened. A trace of vigilance and disgust flashed through his eyes.
Turning around, he looked at her coldly.
“No need.”
Instantly, memories belonging to the original owner surfaced in Su Qinghe’s mind.
Back then, the original Su Qinghe had used every trick possible to force him into sharing a bed with her. When Xiao Hanyuan refused, she would throw tantrums and cause scenes. In the end, she even drove him onto the floor and refused to give him blankets.
She had once declared: only when he agreed to consummate the marriage would she let him sleep on the bed.
And because of that, Xiao Hanyuan had been sleeping on the floor these past few days.
Su Qinghe rubbed her forehead.
What a disaster.
She sighed.
“Relax. I’m only asking you to sleep on the bed. I’m not planning anything else.”
“Besides, you’re basically a sick weakling right now. I’m not interested anyway.”
Xiao Hanyuan’s face instantly darkened.
This woman actually disliked him?
“If you want your illness to recover faster, then sleep on the bed,” Su Qinghe yawned lazily. “Hurry up and get over here. Don’t delay my sleep.”
After saying that, she climbed onto the bed herself and took the inner side.
Xiao Hanyuan stood there silently, his expression shifting. A lump of frustration stuck in his chest.
In the end, he pressed his lips together and quietly lay down on the outer side of the bed.
The wooden bed creaked softly beneath his movement.
As soon as he settled down, a pillow was shoved between them, forming a clear boundary line.
“Relax. I said I’m not interested in you, and I meant it. I won’t touch you.”
Su Qinghe spoke lazily before turning over and facing away from him.
The wooden bed groaned loudly beneath the shift of her weight.
Xiao Hanyuan: …
He stared at the pillow, then at her back, his entire body tense, fully prepared for her to pounce on him like a hungry wolf at any moment.
Yet one breath, two breaths…
All he heard beside him was steady, even breathing.
She had actually fallen asleep?
That quickly?
Could it be…
After getting sick, he really had become that unattractive?
Even that woman, whose mind used to be filled with filthy thoughts, was no longer interested in him?