Chapter 33: Threats

After the thief was caught, the crowd dispersed, and the middle-aged woman left as well.

Li Luo’s eyes flicked toward Qin Xinyi, who was standing not far away, and she let out a quiet snort before heading toward home.

Qin Xinyi snapped out of her daze and jogged after Li Luo. “Hey, don’t walk away! When Grandpa and Grandma come over later, you have to tell them clearly who you were eating with.”

Li Luo didn’t respond. Qin Xinyi reached out to grab her.

Li Luo said coldly, “Let go!”

“No!”

Li Luo was ready to teach her a lesson. After all, Qin Mian had said that if necessary, she could take action.

“Luo Luo.”

Li Luo looked up, and Qin Jun appeared carrying Grandma Qin. She restrained her anger and smiled sweetly. “Mom, what a coincidence! Out shopping at this hour?”

Qin Xinyi scowled. “Stop pretending! You better explain about eating with those men.”

Grandma Qin cut straight to the point. “Luo Luo, what’s going on? A-Jun said you were eating with a group of men.”

Li Luo denied it. “I don’t know why he would say that.”

Qin Jun was incredulous. She was brazenly denying what he had seen with his own eyes.

Qin Xinyi, furious, said, “Are you trying to get away with it? Grandma, I also saw her paying for the drinks—Maotai! All with our family’s money. Li Xiao-shen, don’t you realize? Uncle works all year, it’s not easy to earn a salary. You can’t just do this!” She alternated between soft pleading and harsh scolding.

Li Luo remained calm. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Qin Xinyi, exasperated, started to speak again.

Grandma Qin interrupted. “Enough. Let’s all go home.” She left first, tired of watching them bicker.

Li Luo followed.

Qin Jun reached out to stop her, but before he could say anything, she shouted, startling him so that he immediately withdrew his hand.

Grandma Qin slowed her pace, thinking she had misheard. “Luo Luo, this place is quite far from home. Do you really run over here every day?”

“Not every day, but often. I also know a shortcut home from here.”

The two chatted briefly, and Qin Jun offered to drive Grandma Qin.

It was getting late, and Grandma Qin wanted to get home to cook. She rode with Qin Jun and reminded Li Luo to stay with Qin Xinyi.

Li Luo readily agreed.

Once the grandparents were out of sight, Qin Xinyi tried to persuade Li Luo to return the money she had spent on the meal. “Li—”

Li Luo ran off immediately.

Qin Xinyi tried every method—pleading, demanding—but failed. She swore, chasing after Li Luo, “You fatso! Using my uncle’s money to act rich, shameless! Country bumpkin, miserly!”

Li Luo reached her limit and shouted back, unrestrained: “Did I eat your rice? You stupid girl who can’t even memorize a text! I’m shameless because I have the face for it. You have a face and still want more—double the thick skin! I’m a country girl; you’re a hick!”

Qin Xinyi was furious and ran faster, trying to catch Li Luo, but she wasn’t used to running and soon became exhausted, slowing down.

Li Luo maintained a steady distance and only shook off her pursuer when she turned onto the main road near her home.

Once home, she passed the kitchen.

Grandma Qin was cooking while Qin Jun tended the fire.

Li Luo greeted them briefly before heading to her room. Sweaty from running, she grabbed a change of clothes and took a shower. While drying off, Qin Xinyi pounded on the door. “Who’s in there? Hurry up! I need to use the bathroom!”

Grandma Qin scolded, “Your aunt is showering! Can’t you wait a moment? Young girls shouldn’t be so impatient—people will laugh at you.”

“In broad daylight, who showers—”

Li Luo opened the door and walked out.

Qin Xinyi paused mid-complaint, noticing Li Luo’s outfit: a white T-shirt and blue pants with a white stripe at the hem. It looked familiar. “Are you wearing Uncle’s clothes? Don’t you have your own?”

Li Luo replied, “I’m not wearing your clothes. Mind your own business.” She weighed around 150 pounds, and Qin Mian’s old clothes fit her perfectly.

Besides, the outfit wasn’t current—it seemed to be a middle school uniform. Only the pant legs were slightly long and needed rolling, but otherwise it fit well.

“Enough talking, let’s eat,” Grandma Qin said, standing at the door to call Grandpa Qin.

Li Luo busily served rice and set the dishes.

Qin Jun suddenly approached, lowering his voice to warn her. “I hope today doesn’t happen again. Otherwise, I’ll tell Uncle, and you’ll regret it.”

Li Luo tilted her head sharply. Qin Jun instinctively lowered his eyes. Their gazes met.

Qin Jun froze. The girl had a delicate oval face, refined features, and sparkling eyes. Dressed in a school uniform, she looked like a student. Was she really the same chubby girl from before?

He stammered, “You—”

“What about me? If you want to tell your uncle, go ahead. No need to threaten me here; I’m not afraid.” Li Luo pushed him. “Keep your distance—men and women shouldn’t mix like this.”

Qin Jun’s face flushed red and white.

Li Luo finished setting the table, and Grandma Qin called Grandpa Qin back.

After dinner, she cleaned the table and kitchen, then grabbed a jump rope and began skipping in the yard. Sweat quickly soaked her clothes. Grandpa Qin, sitting in the yard, watching her for a while, finally said, “Luo Luo, aren’t you tired doing this every day?”

Li Luo, panting, said, “Yes, but I want a good figure.”

Grandpa Qin said, “You’re not fat. Just by looking at your face, you seem pretty slim.”

Grandma Qin chimed in, “I told you not to lose weight, but you didn’t listen. If you lose all the fat on your cheeks, you’ll have a widow’s face.”

“Bah!” Grandpa Qin: “Nonsense!”

Li Luo laughed at their exchange, paused to catch her breath. Grandpa Qin was right—bah indeed! A woman losing fat in her face wouldn’t kill a man; that would be ridiculous. But if losing weight truly meant losing all her facial fat, she wouldn’t do it.

Li Luo continued jumping. The whooshing sound of the rope annoyed Qin Xinyi inside the house. “So noisy! How can I do math homework? I came here for peace, but it’s worse than school.”

Hearing this, Li Luo moved to the front gate to skip.

Grandpa Qin scolded Qin Xinyi for being rude and not speaking properly.

Qin Xinyi snorted, and later, stuck on a problem, she went to Qin Jun. He studied it for a while. “I haven’t learned this. Ask Liu Qian; she’s a teacher and should know.”

Qin Xinyi went to Liu Qian.

Liu Qian didn’t know either. Grandma Qin remembered a nearby college student who came home every weekend and planned to bring Qin Xinyi to ask her. Li Luo stepped forward and glanced at the problem. “I can do it.”

“You?” Qin Xinyi scoffed. “Don’t just add confusion.”

Grandma Qin said, “You really can?”

Li Luo said, “It’s such a simple problem; I really can’t not know.” She pointed out the key part of the question, explained step by step, and even calculated the answer mentally. Then she added, “This is the dumbest method. There are several simpler ways, but your brain probably can’t handle them. I used the simplest way—go finish it quickly.”

Qin Xinyi: “…” Damn fatso! All this just to call her stupid!