Chapter 48 : Slippery Tongue

The atmosphere in the backyard became oddly tense. Yanxing was pressed against the wall, his expression initially stunned but soon forming a smile as he looked at the audacious woman in front of him with a meaningful gaze.

Liang Qingqing felt her ears burn under his gaze and tried to distract herself by instructing Liang Junqiang, “Second Brother, later tell Mother that I went to the conference with Yanxing to see the excitement and ask them to hurry up.”

“Huh? I can’t lie,” Liang Junqiang’s face immediately changed upon hearing he had to say such things in front of Ma Xiuzhi. The axe in his hand finally fell, as he knew that if Mother found out he was lying, he might end up with the axe on his head!

Upon hearing this, Liang Qingqing pursed her lips, lifted her chin and said with conviction, “I don’t care, you have to help me. Besides, weren’t you hiding it quite well?”

Hiding what? Liang Junqiang was momentarily confused but then realized that he was able to keep it under wraps because no one at home had asked about their relationship. Thus, there was no need for lying.

“Sis, aren’t you making things difficult for me? Can’t you both just go to the conference now?” Liang Junqiang’s face looked worse than if he were crying, his handsome features scrunched up in distress.

Liang Qingqing hesitated but still insisted, “We have something to discuss.”

Just then, there was a call from outside urging them to hurry, “I can’t guarantee how long I can keep this under wraps.”

“Thanks Second Brother, you’re the best,” Liang Qingqing sweetly and shamelessly coaxed him, which melted the last bit of his irritation. He quickly left the backyard and even thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

Soon, voices from outside were urging them to hurry and not miss out on the excitement.

“Why haven’t I seen them leave?”

“Ha ha ha, probably you didn’t notice, Mother. Let’s hurry too, or we won’t get good seats.”

“Really? The chairs inside haven’t been taken, so they must have forgotten to grab them. Please help carry them.”

“Alright.”

As Liang Junqiang had said, he truly couldn’t lie. His words were stammered and Liang Qingqing’s heart was on edge, almost scared to death but fortunately, Ma Xiuzhi didn’t catch on.

Once the noise outside quieted down, Liang Qingqing let out a heavy sigh of relief.

But when she turned around and met Yanxing’s smiling eyes, her heart tensed up again. Her hand, resting on his chest, unconsciously tried to pull back but the next second, a large hand covered her waist, pulling her back firmly.

“Why did you let go now that there’s no one around? Earlier, when someone was close, you held on tightly,” the man said, his eyes filled with a mix of leisure and amusement, teasing her without reserve.

As soon as he finished speaking, a pair of slender white arms wrapped around his neck, their skin touching, warm and slightly sticky from the summer sweat.

“Who said I was going to let go?” Liang Qingqing blinked her beautiful eyes, pretending to be innocent and wronged, her voice intentionally soft and sweet. She hummed, “You wronged me, and you need to apologize.”

Yanxing, unable to resist her cute demeanor, showed a hint of indulgence in his eyes and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

The speed at which he admitted fault was astonishing, and Liang Qingqing was very pleased. She clung to him like a soft, boneless doll, muttering, “You’ve given me everything. Do I have any other choice but to forgive you?”

“If I had known that giving you these things would make you like this… I would have given them to you long ago.” Yanxing’s fingers gently stroked her waist, his usually sharp features softened with an uncharacteristic tenderness. His tall, strong frame made her seem even more delicate and obedient.

“You make it sound like I’m greedy,” Liang Qingqing hid in his neck, a hint of guilt flashing in her eyes, not daring to let him see.

Yanxing laughed softly, “It’s fine to be a little greedy. I like it too.”

Even though she knew he probably wasn’t referring to her, Liang Qingqing’s heart skipped a beat. She composed herself and lightly bit his Adam’s apple, “Hmph, you’re the little money-lover.”

A hissing sound came from her ear as he tightened his grip around her, his hand giving her rear a firm but not overly harsh pat. His voice was husky as he said, “Behave yourself.”

At first, she was embarrassed and annoyed by Yanxing’s actions. But then she seemed to recall something, casting a sideways glance downward. Her face flushed a deep red, and she stammered, “You…”

She tried to speak but couldn’t get the words out.

Yanxing’s expression shifted slightly, showing an uncomfortable side. He had always been relatively modest until he met her. It was as if an unknown switch had been flipped, and he was becoming increasingly like a young man full of vigor.

Taking a deep breath, he deliberately snapped at her with gritted teeth, “Is a man’s Adam’s apple something you can just bite?”

To his surprise, she wasn’t at all afraid. Instead, she asked with a serious face, “Then where can you bite?”

Yanxing was momentarily speechless. He pressed his lips together, then suddenly bent down and kissed her lips, mumbling indistinctly, “Here.”

Before he could pull away, she bit him lightly on the lips, causing a slight sting.

She actually dared to bite.

“You said it could be bitten,” Liang Qingqing said as she bit him, then turned around and blocked out his subsequent words. Fortunately, Yanxing understood the principle of giving a sweet after a slap and immediately began kissing her lips multiple times, smiling and saying, “I didn’t use much force.”

“I know,” Yanxing, now lacking any temper, rubbed her head and then reluctantly released his hold. “Alright, it’s about time. We should head to the conference.”

Liang Qingqing nodded and followed him into the kitchen.

“I’ve taken the stuff. If you need money, just ask me,” Liang Qingqing said casually as she swung the wooden box in her hand. Then she pretended to be troubled and rubbed her forehead, saying, “Ah, since I’m your girlfriend, I’ll keep it safe for you.”

“Thank you for your hard work, girlfriend,” Yanxing said with a heated gaze, clearly indulgent.

Hearing the term “girlfriend” from Yanxing made Liang Qingqing blush deeply. After managing to suppress her embarrassment, she took a deep breath and sincerely thanked him, “Before, it was my family giving me the confidence not to work. Now, it’s you giving me the confidence. Thank you.”

Yanxing smiled, “Because in the future, I’ll also be your family.”

“You smooth talker, dreaming big,” Liang Qingqing’s initial feelings of gratitude and sentiment were instantly dispelled. She shot Yanxing a look and then went back to her room to hide the wooden box in a discreet corner. They quickly headed toward the village entrance.

Liang Qingqing was overjoyed at the thought of not having to work, bouncing happily along the way. However, she was also pondering what legitimate excuse she could use to avoid working. She couldn’t just tell her family she was being supported by her partner, could she?

Soon enough, a perfectly suitable excuse presented itself.

When they arrived at the village entrance, the small square was already packed with people, with every household dragging their families along, chattering away.

Some people noticed the two of them arriving alone and seemed to have caught onto something, whispering and gossiping among themselves.

Liang Qingqing pretended not to see or hear anything. Her gaze swept across the crowd, searching for her family’s figures. Yanxing, standing beside her, glanced coolly at the gossiping crowd with a cold, intimidating look.

Before long, the area quieted down.

“Qingqing, over here.”

Hearing the call, Liang Qingqing looked up and saw Ma Xiuzhi standing in a central spot, waving vigorously at her. Having found them, Liang Qingqing and Yanxing squeezed through the crowd, sweating profusely, and finally sat down.

“Junqiang said you were already here. Why did you just arrive now?” Ma Xiuzhi scanned Liang Junqiang, who was sitting not far away, with suspicion. The latter was staring down at his fingers, pretending not to hear.

Liang Qingqing’s face showed a hint of annoyance as she pulled out the excuse she had prepared. “My hat was blown away by the wind, and Yanxing had to help me retrieve it, which wasted some time. Otherwise, we would have been able to sit closer to the front!”

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuzhi instinctively glanced at the straw hat on Liang Qingqing’s head. Seeing that the edges were indeed dirty, her suspicion gradually faded and she nodded in understanding.

At this moment, the squad leader appeared on stage with a loudspeaker.

“Everyone, quiet down. The conference is about to start.” As soon as Xie Qingbao spoke, the noisy chatter in the crowd immediately subsided.

“Comrades, good afternoon. Today, we are here to hold the first science popularization conference of Daping Village!”

Although everyone didn’t quite understand what a science popularization conference was, they knew that when the leader was speaking, it was time to clap. So, everyone clapped enthusiastically, and the applause grew louder and louder.

Xie Qingbao’s face was as red as a ripe tomato, whether from heat or excitement. His hand holding the loudspeaker even trembled a little.

“Due to the heavy rains we had recently, there were many casualties. Therefore, the country government and hospitals decided to hold this science popularization conference to educate everyone! In the future, we’ll be able to help each other in emergencies!”

“The science popularization conference will be held in rotation at various towns and villages, and our village is the first stop! Here, on behalf of all the people of Daping Village, I extend a sincere welcome to the leaders and guests attending this conference!”

Another round of applause followed.

Liang Qingqing joined in the clapping with the crowd. This was her first time attending such a conference in this era, and she couldn’t help but feel curious and distracted, so she didn’t notice anything amiss. It wasn’t until the leaders finished speaking and the science popularization portion officially began, with explanations and demonstrations, that the reality hit her.

On the stage, doctors and nurses were demonstrating how to assist someone who was unconscious or choking using a rudimentary dummy.

“First, check the patient’s condition and ensure that their airway is clear. Check their breathing and pulse. If there are problems, perform CPR and artificial respiration as needed…”

“Life is precious. During such critical times, don’t think about anything else. Even if it’s someone of the opposite sex, you must help! Otherwise, if you don’t help others now, they won’t help you in the future!”

As the crowd watched the doctors perform mouth-to-mouth on the dummy, everyone instinctively glanced towards Liang Qingqing and Yanxing.