“Now, Aunt Liu, you can’t just throw around accusations like that!”
Xu Mazi’s Wife was hanging laundry by the entrance when she cheerfully chimed in, “The Shen Family are respectable people. They’d never do something so disgraceful.”
Liu Yanshuang let out a mocking snort.
“The rest of the Shen Family may be respectable, but this one…”
Today was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Captain Su had promised her yesterday that if this worked out, the jade bracelet on her wrist would be hers.
Thinking of that, Liu Yanshuang deliberately dragged out her words and let her gaze travel meaningfully over Jiang Qingli from head to toe.
She did not continue speaking, but the derisive laugh squeezed from her nose was even more irritating than a direct insult.
Jiang Qingli tightened her grip on the fish, her fingernails nearly digging into its gills.
“What about me?”
She took a deep breath and suppressed the anger surging through her chest.
Arguing with someone like this would only make things worse.
The original owner might have been lazy and overweight, but she had never harmed anyone.
Thinking of the tragic way the original owner had died by smashing her head against a wall in the novel, Jiang Qingli felt a sharp ache in her heart.
If Liu Yanshuang had not spent her days spreading malicious gossip behind her back, the original owner’s reputation would never have become so terrible.
This vicious old woman had accepted benefits from Su Keqing and would do anything for profit.
In the novel, she had even been the one who drugged Shen Li, hoping to help Su Keqing climb into his bed and force a marriage by making the situation irreversible.
Unfortunately for them, even after all that, Shen Li had never spared Su Keqing a second glance.
It was both ridiculous and infuriating.
In this era, military marriages were heavily protected.
Interfering with a military marriage was considered a serious crime.
If rumors about her supposedly cheating reached the authorities, it could become a devastating accusation.
Jiang Qingli sneered inwardly.
Just to curry favor with Su Keqing, this woman was willing to commit such shameless acts.
She drew a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm.
Seeing Jiang Qingli talk back, Liu Yanshuang assumed she had been cornered and was desperately struggling.
Rather than backing down, she became even more smug.
“Heh, what respectable wife walks around wearing a man’s clothes? That shirt probably belongs to some wild man, doesn’t it?”
“You should stop talking already.”
Zhang Dazui, who was drawing water from the well nearby, finally could not hold back.
As he turned the winch and hauled up a bucket with a splash, he frowned and said, “If you didn’t see it happen yourself, you shouldn’t spread rumors…”
After speaking, he secretly glanced at Jiang Qingli.
To be honest, Zhang Dazui had never had a good impression of her.
Everyone in the compound knew she was lazy and gluttonous.
But over the past two days, he had personally watched her brew medicine for Shen Xiaohua, wipe away the girl’s sweat, and even get up in the middle of the night to check on her injuries.
What surprised him even more was that Jiang Qingli had brought him half a bowl of scrambled eggs with locust blossoms yesterday.
The fragrant aroma of the blossoms and the golden, fluffy eggs had stunned him after a single bite.
That kind of cooking skill was not something a woman who supposedly could not cook should possess.
Perhaps she was not nearly as terrible as everyone claimed.
“Go away, what does a grown man know?”
When Liu Yanshuang saw Zhang Dazui speaking up for Jiang Qingli, she immediately became furious.
Raising her voice sharply, she shouted, “What do you mean you didn’t see anything? Isn’t the shirt she’s wearing proof enough? Then you tell me, whose shirt is it?”
She lifted her chin smugly.
She had never seen Shen Li wear that shirt before.
Today, she was determined to completely ruin Jiang Qingli’s reputation.
Jiang Qingli had not expected Zhang Dazui to defend her, and a small warmth stirred in her heart.
It seemed not everyone in the courtyard was eager to kick someone when they were down.
Still, she was not someone who could be bullied easily.
Just as Liu Yanshuang was becoming increasingly outrageous and Jiang Qingli was preparing to retaliate, a cold, authoritative voice suddenly rang out behind her.
“It’s mine.”
Everyone turned around at once.
Standing in the morning sunlight was Shen Li.
Tall and straight-backed, he stood like an unsheathed blade. His military uniform was immaculate, and the five-pointed stars on his shoulder insignia gleamed with a cold light.
Behind him stood Zhang Zhiqiang from the Ordnance Department and two militia members.
At his side was a visibly pleased Su Keqing.
The moment she saw Jiang Qingli, a flicker passed through Su Keqing’s eyes.
In a sugary voice, she said, “Brother Shen, see? I wasn’t lying. While you’ve been away, Jiang Qingli has already gotten involved with Wang Dagou from Qingshui Tofu Shop. Xiaohua injured her leg, and she didn’t even care. She’s been running to the tofu shop every day from dawn until dusk. This morning she even came back wearing another man’s clothes…”
Bathed in sunlight, Jiang Qingli froze.
She had never expected the Male Lead to be this handsome.
Shen Li was tall and broad-shouldered, like a cold blade that had yet to be drawn from its sheath. Wrapped in a perfectly tailored green military uniform, his sharp shoulders looked as though they had been carved with a knife.
His skin was cool and fair, his jawline sharp and defined. His thin lips were pressed into a detached line, while his nose stood straight and proud like a mountain ridge.
The shadow cast by his brow made his narrow eyes seem even deeper, their dark pupils resembling frozen black jade devoid of warmth.
Most striking of all was the scar.
A faint brown scar ran diagonally from his cheekbone to his cheek, like the mark left by the claw of a wild beast.
It was not deep, yet it was enough to disrupt the flawless perfection of his face.
That single imperfection added a dangerous edge to his naturally cold and restrained aura.
When he lowered his eyes to look at someone, his long lashes partially concealed his gaze, while the scar appeared and disappeared beneath the shifting shadows of his brow ridge, like a sleeping beast finally baring its fangs.
Contradictory! Dangerous!
Irresistibly attractive!
After spending years surrounded by artificially enhanced pretty boys in the modern world, Jiang Qingli suddenly found herself face-to-face with a naturally handsome man.
For the first time in her life, she actually blushed.
This handsome man was hers.
Haha…
Originally, Jiang Qingli had planned to cling tightly to the Male Lead’s support.
The original owner had been pampered her entire life. In the countryside, she could neither carry heavy loads nor perform hard labor. If she relied solely on earning work points, she would probably starve to death sooner rather than later.
Her initial plan had been simple.
Stay close to Shen Li, find some clerical work in the military later, save some money after economic reforms begin, and live comfortably.
But over the past few days, Jiang Qingli had discovered that she was doing quite well on her own.
She had even started thinking that if Shen Li truly could not accept her in the end, they could simply divorce.
After all, according to the novel, the Male Lead supposedly had a cherished first love.
But now, she has completely changed her mind.
Since ancient times, beauty has captured hearts.
When she had read The Extraordinary Tale of the Empress back in her previous life, she had envied Wu Zetian immensely.
At first she thought she only liked handsome faces.
Later she realized she liked well-defined abs.
Then attractive Adam’s apples.
Then roguishly handsome men.
Then captivating voices.
But when all those traits appeared in a single person…
How was she supposed to control herself?
So overwhelmed by Shen Li’s appearance was that Jiang Qingli completely forgot she was currently in the middle of a scheme meant to frame her for infidelity.
Meanwhile, a single glance from Shen Li was enough to silence Su Keqing instantly.
He strode directly to Jiang Qingli’s side.
Reaching out, he adjusted the synthetic jacket around her shoulders.
His voice was not loud, yet every word landed with unmistakable force.
“This is a military casual uniform issued to me last year. What, do I need everyone’s permission before letting my wife wear my clothes?”
Jiang Qingli felt his warm fingers brush lightly against her neck.
Her heartbeat suddenly skipped.
He…Was he defending her?
She secretly raised her eyes and found herself meeting Shen Li’s deep gaze.
There seemed to be emotions hidden there that she could not quite decipher.
Good heavens!
What a dangerous man.
My poor little heart…