Jiang Changfeng noticed the surprise in Shen Yihuan’s eyes and explained,
“Chicken soup is nutritious. Drink a little more. You’re at home now, so relax. There’s no need to be so reserved.”
Although his expression remained impassive, his voice was remarkably gentle.
Jiang Lanxin let out a soft snort.
It wasn’t loud, but everyone at the table heard it clearly.
“What’s with you? Isn’t all this good food enough to keep your mouth shut?”
Liu Guiying shot her daughter a sharp glare.
Jiang Chunsheng also fixed her with a stern warning look.
Jiang Lanxin’s pupils contracted, and she instantly fell silent, not daring to utter another word.
Shen Yihuan quietly took it all in, lowered her eyes, and continued eating.
Dinner was unusually lavish.
There was steamed white rice, two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a pot of bone soup.
Liu Guiying was an excellent cook, and everything suited Shen Yihuan’s taste.
The only thing that surprised her was the appetites of the four Jiang men.
Especially Jiang Changfeng.
He devoured three large bowls of rice with astonishing speed and still looked as though he could eat more.
Before long, the entire table had been cleaned spotless.
When everyone was nearly finished, Liu Guiying spoke.
“Tomorrow we start transplanting the rice seedlings. No one is allowed to slack off. Yunfan, did you hear me?”
Being singled out didn’t embarrass Jiang Yunfan in the slightest.
Instead, he grinned.
“You said it loud enough, Mother. Of course I heard. Don’t worry—I promise I’ll get up early.”
Used to her second son’s carefree attitude, Liu Guiying rolled her eyes before turning to Shen Yihuan.
“Yihuan, you’ve only just recovered. Rest for one more day tomorrow. Lanxin, you’ll be cooking.”
Jiang Lanxin was clearly unhappy, but she didn’t object.
Shen Yihuan obediently nodded.
Better keep a low profile for now and observe the situation.
“Lancang will return to the academy tomorrow. Don’t neglect your studies.”
Liu Guiying continued giving instructions.
Jiang Canghai nodded seriously without saying a word.
He carried himself with the composure of a little adult.
Only then did Shen Yihuan realize that the Jiang family wasn’t an ordinary farming household.
At the very least, they were all literate and well-mannered.
And Jiang Canghai even attended school in town.
In ancient times, that alone was enough to place a family above ordinary peasants.
After dinner, everyone dispersed to attend to their own business.
Unsure what she should do, Shen Yihuan wandered into the courtyard for a walk while taking in her surroundings.
The main house had three rooms, with two side rooms on either side.
All were built from earthen bricks and tiled roofs, making it obvious the family was fairly well-off.
Beyond the courtyard, she could see numerous earthen and thatched houses scattered across the village.
Smoke curled lazily from cooking fires.
Chickens crowed.
Dogs barked.
The place was full of the warmth and bustle of everyday life.
After strolling around twice, darkness gradually fell.
She decided to return to her room to wash up and rest.
Somehow, Jiang Lanxin appeared beside her.
Without warning, she tossed out a single sentence.
“I hate you!”
Then she turned and ran off.
Shen Yihuan blinked in surprise, shook her head, and continued inside.
Jiang Changfeng was already waiting in the room.
Seeing her enter, he stood up.
“I’ve heated some water. Would you like to take a bath?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
She had broken into a sweat from the fever, and her body felt sticky and uncomfortable.
She really did need a bath.
Jiang Changfeng nodded silently and walked outside.
A short while later, he carried in a wooden bathtub.
Then he made several trips back and forth, carrying bucket after bucket of hot water.
Once the tub was about sixty percent full, he carried the empty bucket back out and thoughtfully closed the door behind him.
Shen Yihuan immediately locked the door.
After carefully checking that no one could peek inside…
She disappeared into her space.
There, she enjoyed a long, refreshing shower.
Afraid someone might notice something unusual, she deliberately used unscented shampoo and body wash.
Once she had thoroughly cleaned herself and made sure there was nothing suspicious…
She returned to the room.
To avoid arousing suspicion, she splashed the bathwater around for a while, pretending she had bathed there.
When enough time had passed, she finally opened the door.
Jiang Changfeng was sitting beneath the eaves.
Hearing the door open, he looked back.
Their eyes met.
“Um… I’m finished.”
Shen Yihuan felt awkward no matter what she did.
It was like staying in a stranger’s home.
Jiang Changfeng nodded, stood up, and silently carried away the bathwater.
She didn’t go back inside.
She figured he probably wanted to bathe as well, so she wandered into the courtyard and sat down.
Sigh…
Why did Heaven have to send me here at a time like this?
We’re neither strangers nor familiar with each other.
This is unbearably awkward.
Resting her chin on one hand, Shen Yihuan gazed absentmindedly at the night sky.
The stars here were breathtaking.
They glittered like countless diamonds, so close it felt as though she could pluck them right from the heavens.
She sat there for a while until the sound of splashing water drifted from one corner of the courtyard.
Curious, she turned to look.
Then she froze.
Jiang Changfeng had stripped off his shirt.
Tilting his head back slightly, he poured an entire bucket of water over himself.
Droplets streamed down his long neck.
They struck his prominent Adam’s apple…
Then crashed against his broad, muscular chest…
Before tracing the sharply defined ridges of his abs…
Finally disappearing beneath his perfectly sculpted V-line.
Shen Yihuan felt her cheeks grow hot.
Especially when Jiang Changfeng’s deep, bright black eyes looked directly at her.
She hurriedly turned her head away.
She looked at the sky.
She looked at the ground.
She looked anywhere but him.
Being caught red-handed made her heart pound wildly.
At the same time, she couldn’t help secretly thinking…
Who would’ve guessed my husband—at least in name—has such an incredible body?
He’s every bit as impressive as those handsome shower photos I saved on my phone and computer.
Tsk, tsk…
“See no evil…”
Amitabha…
I really wasn’t doing it on purpose.
He doesn’t think I was peeping, does he?
While her thoughts spiraled in every direction, footsteps sounded behind her.
She turned around.
Once again, she met Jiang Changfeng’s dark eyes.
For some reason, they seemed to burn with blazing intensity.
“Go back inside and rest. Your cold hasn’t fully recovered, and the wind is strong out here.”
Shen Yihuan nervously swallowed.
“…Okay.”
She followed a step behind him toward their room, her heart pounding louder with every step.
He’s not planning to consummate the marriage… is he?
What am I supposed to do if he is?
Fight him?
There’s no way I’d win.
Hide in my space?
Absolutely not.
Her space was her greatest advantage in surviving this world.
She could never let anyone discover its existence.
Her thoughts became a tangled mess.
Then—
Bang!
Jiang Changfeng shut the door behind them.
The sound jolted her back to reality.
Watching him stride toward her, she hurriedly raised a hand to stop him.
“Can… can we talk first?”
Something flickered across Jiang Changfeng’s eyes, but he stopped.
Was she…
Afraid?
He noticed that although she was trying to appear calm, her legs were trembling ever so slightly.
Instead of approaching further, he changed direction and sat down at the table.
“All right.”
Shen Yihuan quietly breathed a sigh of relief before slowly taking the seat opposite him.
“Jiang Changfeng… I know you probably weren’t willing to enter this marriage either.”
“How about this?”
“Let’s make three agreements.”
She offered him an ingratiating smile, doing her best to show she meant no harm.
Jiang Changfeng looked at her strangely.
“What makes you think I wasn’t willing?”
“A marriage arranged by our parents and a matchmaker is perfectly proper.”
“Our meeting and marriage may have happened in an unusual way…”
“But from the moment I pulled you out of the river, I had already decided to take responsibility for you.”
“I wasn’t unwilling.”
“On the contrary…”
“I’m very happy.”
Judging from his tone, Shen Yihuan suddenly had a bad feeling.
From the sound of it…
He actually seemed quite pleased with their marriage.