“Later, I’ll personally visit Director Tian’s house with a gift to thank her for worrying so much about our relationship.”

Bai Yichen’s voice was calm, but his words carried a sharp edge. After all, these people had barged in to witness a spectacle. If he hadn’t acted quickly, the situation could have escalated disastrously.

The crowd’s demeanor shifted almost immediately. Some couldn’t hold back and replaced their stern faces with smiles. After all, a pound of sugar wasn’t something just anyone could afford to give.

It was clear to everyone that Bai Yichen wasn’t just handsome—he was also tactful. Who would gossip when their mouths were full of sweet sugar? The promise of a gift quickly softened the crowd’s judgment. If they were about to get free sugar, what reason did they have to care about someone else’s business?

“Alright,” Bai Yichen said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Tomorrow, as promised, you’ll receive your gifts. Now, if there’s nothing else, kindly leave.”

His cold demeanor, combined with an air of authority, was half a warning and half an invitation to leave.

The villagers, enticed by the promise of sugar, didn’t linger. They quickly shuffled out, afraid that overstaying might jeopardize their prize.

“Hey, what are you dragging me for?”

Even Tian Zhengying, the Women’s Director, found herself pulled away by the villagers. In a time when food and resources were scarce, a pound of sugar was an irresistible bribe. No one wanted her presence to jeopardize their share.

Once everyone was gone, only three people remained in the room: Bai Yichen, An Xin, and Zhang Fan.

Zhang Fan, unwilling to let things rest, pressed on.

“An Xin, explain yourself! You always said you loved me. Now you’re treating me like a brother and saying you love this man? What’s going on?”

He and An Xin used to be classmates. He had been smitten with An Xin’s beauty during their school days. Over time, their relationship blossomed into a romance. Even when An Xin returned to the village to farm and became ostracized by the villagers, Zhang Fan remained devoted to her. Now, as he approached his college graduation, he believed their love had only grown stronger.

Yesterday, An Xin had even invited him to meet her in the village for a date. How had things spiraled into this mess?

An Xin struggled to contain her irritation. She sized up Zhang Fan—thin as a reed, with neither the strength nor the charisma of a real man. A proper man should have broad shoulders, a muscular build, and—wait a minute—why was she even thinking about this?

She closed her eyes briefly, then decided to cut things off cleanly.

“Zhang Fan, I’ve thought it over. What we had was just friendship from school. I’ve realized that I love Bai Yichen. Look at us now—after what’s happened, would you still want me?”

Her words struck like a hammer. Zhang Fan’s face turned beet red, his normally gentle features twisting into a mask of anger and humiliation. He raised his hand, intending to slap her.

“You…!”

How dare she! Not only had this woman deceived him, but now she was mocking him outright. Even a mild-mannered scholar like him couldn’t endure such disgrace.

The sound of the wind as he swung his hand echoed in An Xin’s ears. She stood motionless, resigned to the slap.

Go ahead, she thought. After this, we’ll be even, and the original owner’s lingering feelings can finally be put to rest.

But deep down, she marveled at the original An Xin’s poor taste in men. Zhang Fan didn’t just look weak—he actually had the audacity to hit a woman.

Yet just as Zhang Fan’s hand was about to land on her face, a larger, stronger hand intercepted it.

“Ugh!”

An Xin opened her eyes to see Bai Yichen standing before her. His muscular arm gripped Zhang Fan’s wrist with ease, the veins bulging under his tanned skin. The display of strength made her feel an unexpected sense of security.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Zhang Fan demanded, his voice full of frustration.

Bai Yichen’s reply was cold and unyielding. “What kind of man raises a hand against a woman? If you’re angry, take it out on me. After all, this situation is partly my responsibility.”

With a firm motion, Bai Yichen released Zhang Fan’s hand, causing the weaker man to stumble backward. Zhang Fan barely managed to steady himself, glaring at Bai Yichen and An Xin in turn.

“You two… You’re disgusting!” he spat, his voice trembling with rage.

Then he stormed out, leaving the room in tense silence.

An Xin was the first to speak, her voice hesitant. “Um…”

Bai Yichen interrupted her, his tone serious. “Clean yourself up and go home. I’ll come to your house later to formally propose.”

He turned to leave without waiting for a response.

“Wait!” An Xin called after him, unsure of what to say. “You don’t have to do this…”

But Bai Yichen was already gone. She sighed and sank into a chair, overwhelmed by everything that had happened. She needed to figure out her next steps—and how to use that mysterious portable warehouse she’d been granted.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared in the doorway: a girl with a braided pigtail, wearing a pink floral top and gray pants.

“An Xin! How did it go?”

“Go? What are you talking about?”

The girl was Dongmei, An Xin’s childhood friend and closest confidante. Seeing An Xin’s confusion, Dongmei grabbed a chair and began speaking rapidly.

“Didn’t you say you’d come up with a way to get Zhang Fan to marry you? You told me to spread the word so everyone would catch you two together. Wasn’t that the plan?”

An Xin: “…”

Holy crap. She finally pieced it all together. The original An Xin had set this whole fiasco in motion, effectively staging her own scandal. And now she, the new An Xin, was left to deal with the fallout.

She couldn’t help but think of Bai Yichen’s chiseled profile and shivered.

What a mess. She had dug this pit herself—and now she was the one buried in it.