Chapter 31

Chen Erzhuang’s eyes lit up when he saw the suddenly appearing beauty, his two blackened eyes gleaming. “That brat Dawei was right—gotta squat at the back, or you won’t get your hands on the beauty.”

Bai Jiaojiao flashed a bright smile.

Chen Erzhuang’s face was covered in bruises—courtesy of Father Xiao. His grin looked downright creepy. He reached out to grab her.

But before he could touch Bai Jiaojiao, she raised the axe and swung it down hard.

“Come on! I’m not afraid of you!”

Startled, Chen Erzhuang scrambled to dodge. “You crazy?!”

“You’re the crazy one! Lurking outside someone’s back door!” Bai Jiaojiao shouted, swinging the axe again. Chen Erzhuang fell and rolled away in terror.

Seeing that he was scared enough, Bai Jiaojiao put down the heavy axe and turned to pick up Xiao Yueyue. But right then, Chen Dawei stepped in from behind and blocked her path, chuckling creepily.

“Beauty looks even better all wet from the rain.”

Bai Jiaojiao’s face turned pale. She took two steps back and ran in the opposite direction.

But her body was far too weak to outrun an adult man. After swinging that axe, she had almost no strength left. Her running was barely faster than a jog. She was caught instantly.

“Hurry up,” Chen Dazhuang urged, worried about getting caught.

Chen Erzhuang glanced toward the back door, uneasy. “That Xiao Yueyue girl is gone.”

“So what? That dumb kid’s even more useless than her mom. What can she do?” Chen Dawei didn’t care at all. “Come on. If someone sees us, we’re screwed.”

Hearing that, Bai Jiaojiao tried to scream, but they stuffed a rag into her mouth. The two men quickly tied her up and started dragging her toward the mountain.

The rain was falling steadily now. Any evidence they left behind would be quickly washed away.

Bai Jiaojiao struggled at first, but quickly stopped. Her body was too weak—if she wasted any more energy, she might not have enough left when she needed it most. She had to conserve her strength and wait for a chance to escape.

If she’d started the day at full power, swinging that axe and struggling had left her with maybe half her stamina.

They took her up a small mountain slope. No one was around. Ahead, there was a cliff.

Clearly, the two of them had planned this.

Bai Jiaojiao suddenly guessed how Xiao’s mother might have gotten into trouble in the original novel. She’d asked Father Xiao about their routines—when he was out, he’d usually leave Xiao’s mother and Xiao Yueyue at home.

This time, maybe it was her warning that kept the parents together. Xiao’s mother had gotten clingier, and Father Xiao brought her everywhere.

Otherwise, the one at home today would have been Xiao’s mother…

She had been too naive. Even with warnings, she hadn’t prevented it.

“This city girl is really something. Smooth skin, so delicate—good taste, man,” Chen Erzhuang praised.

“That bastard Xiao Zhou wants to find someone to teach us a lesson? He’s even more annoying than his dad. I’ll just sleep with his wife. Let’s see him walk around with a green hat on his head.”

Chen Dazhuang untied all of Bai Jiaojiao’s restraints. He wasn’t afraid of her running off.

Bai Jiaojiao scooted back, reaching the cliff edge as the two scumbags closed in.

“Don’t fight it, girl. Be good, and we’ll send you back later,” one sneered.
“Careful—falling off that cliff might kill you,” the other added.

The two men quickly began stripping off their clothes.

Bai Jiaojiao felt so disgusted she could throw up. Without hesitation, she decided to jump.

Maybe if she jumped, she’d return to the modern world!

She hadn’t dared to try before, but now—now she wanted to.

Just as she was about to leap off the edge, a voice rang out in the distance.

“Wife, don’t!” Xiao Zhou came rushing up the slope with a group of people. Seeing her teetering on the edge, his pupils shrank, and he sprinted up the mountain.

Someone in the group recognized the two thugs and shouted angrily, “I knew it. Why else would Xiao Zhou pay so much to get someone to teach you a lesson? You’re filth—lower than pigs!”

The two thugs were cowards—only brave when no one was looking. Seeing people approaching, they scrambled to put their clothes on and ran.

Bai Jiaojiao let out a breath of relief and quickly straightened her clothes. Xiao Zhou reached her soon after.

No wonder he was the story’s big villain—while the others had taken fifteen minutes to climb the slope, he’d made it in just a few.

She was about to speak when she was pulled into a tight hug.

Xiao Zhou’s body trembled violently.

He had almost lost her—forever.

The others quietly looked away and were about to chase after the two criminals when Bai Jiaojiao stopped them.

“The rain’s getting heavier. There might be a mudslide. Let’s leave now.”

“Uh…” The group hesitated and looked at Xiao Zhou. There hadn’t been a mudslide in decades, and they were worried he’d take back their reward if they gave up too soon.

They also really wanted to beat the two bastards who tried to assault someone else’s wife.

“Let’s go down for now. They’ll come back to the village eventually,” Xiao Zhou said, his voice steadier.

With his word, everyone left the mountain.

Bai Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief. A bamboo rain hat was gently placed over her head—it was Xiao Zhou’s. He then scooped her up.

“I can walk,” she whispered.

But he just held her tighter. His voice was low and shaking, “Let me hold you.”

He sounded like he was crying.

Bai Jiaojiao reached up to peek at him from under the brim, but his chin rested right there—she couldn’t see anything unless she took off the hat completely.

“Jiaojiao, don’t move,” his voice rasped again.

For once, she felt like being rebellious. Xiao Zhou had been too gentle lately—the image of the cold villain in her mind had begun to fade.

And besides…

“I don’t want you to get wet either,” she said softly, lifting her own bamboo hat to cover both of them.

That gave her the perfect excuse to look at his face.

His hair was damp, rain trailing down his face. A drop ran along his strong jawline. Though he looked disheveled, it made him even more alluring.

His deep black eyes, normally cold and intimidating, were tinged red at the corners, soft and fragile. And he was looking at her—only her—his gaze filled with unspoken love.

“Jiaojiao, why are you so good to me?” His voice cracked. “You just…” almost died.

Bai Jiaojiao didn’t dare admit she’d been trying to see if he cried—or that she’d been admiring his face. Her fingers brushed lightly across his cheek.

“I don’t want you to catch a cold.”

Xiao Zhou lowered his head and suddenly kissed her.

His arms shifted from holding her with both hands to just one. The other hand gripped the rim of the rain hat and pressed against her nape.

Bai Jiaojiao pressed against his shoulder, but it was more like playing hard to get. Her resistance only made him deepen the kiss.

Right before she passed out, her last thought was—

I have to train! I need to become a superwoman!