Chapter 30: What Exactly Do You Like About Me?  

Shen Jiaojiao took a bite of the candied hawthorn.  

The sugar coating was crisp, the hawthorn was sweet and tangy, and the taste was incredibly authentic.  

Delicious.  

She bit off another piece, then held out the remaining skewer toward Xu Mo’s mouth, signaling for him to take a bite as well.  

Xu Mo quickly shook his head.  

There were so many people watching—he was too embarrassed to eat it.  

Shen Jiaojiao teased him: “You just called me your wife. What are you afraid of?”  

“I… That was out of necessity. If I didn’t call you that, it wouldn’t have been good for your reputation.”  

“Then say it again, let me hear it. You sounded really nice when you called me ‘wife.’”  

“Shen Jiaojiao! You… be serious.”  

Shen Jiaojiao stopped teasing him and didn’t insist that he eat.  

Xu Mo just stood there quietly, waiting for Shen Jiaojiao to finish her candied hawthorn.  

In fact, he had heard everything those people said in the hospital lobby earlier.  

He had also seen how fiercely Shen Jiaojiao defended him, looking both adorable and fierce at the same time.  

At that moment, he had almost fallen into an illusion—  

That Shen Jiaojiao really liked him.  

Not as a joke, not on a whim, and certainly not as part of some scheme with Fang Qinghe to mess with him.  

A small part of him felt happy about it.  

But he had also taken in the ridicule from those around them.  

And they weren’t wrong.  

He was just a country bumpkin from the countryside, completely unworthy of a city girl like her.  

By all logic, their paths should never have crossed.  

But now, their fates were already intertwined.  

So, Xu Mo silently made a vow—he had to work even harder to be worthy of Shen Jiaojiao. He had to give her a good life.  

Even though he felt inferior, he would never give up, and he would never blame fate. He would rely on his own abilities to make Shen Jiaojiao the happiest woman in the village.  

“Shen Jiaojiao, I want to ask you something.”  

Xu Mo couldn’t hold it in any longer and finally spoke.  

“What exactly do you like about me?”

Shen Jiaojiao had just finished eating the candied hawthorn.  

She pursed her lips, deep in thought.  

Pinching her chin with her fingers, she spoke seriously: “Hmm… You’re really good in bed.”  

Xu Mo: “…” He shouldn’t have asked.  

Shen Jiaojiao always managed to say something earth-shattering, constantly testing the limits of his mental endurance.  

His ears turned red as he ignored her, preparing to push the cart forward.  

“Third Brother, are you mad? Do you think I’m being too shameless? If so, should I change?”  

Shen Jiaojiao playfully teased Xu Mo, clinging to his side and acting coquettishly.  

She just loved seeing Xu Mo blush, his heart race, yet be completely helpless against her.  

He was simply too cute.  

“I’m not mad. Don’t pull on my clothes—we need to go back.”  

“Oh? Since you’re not mad, does that mean you actually like me complimenting you like that?”  

Xu Mo: “…”  

What was he supposed to do with this troublemaker?  

Just then, Liu Xiaolan appeared, followed closely by two Public Security officers.  

“Jiaojiao, what did the doctor say? Is it serious?”  

Liu Xiaolan hurried over and crouched down to inspect Shen Jiaojiao’s neatly bandaged ankle.  

“Aunt, don’t worry. The doctor said the bone wasn’t injured, just the flesh. A few days of rest and I’ll be fine.”  

Only then did Liu Xiaolan breathe a sigh of relief.  

She stood up and gently patted Shen Jiaojiao’s small face. “You lost so much blood, your face is completely pale. That damned Fang Qinghe—I swear I could take a hoe and bash his head in.”  

Then, she turned her gaze to Xu Mo. “Oh, right, Old Third, did you get the doctor to write a note to buy bones? Jiaojiao hurt her foot—she needs bone broth to recover.”  

“The doctor said the bone wasn’t injured, so he couldn’t give us a note.”  

Liu Xiaolan was frustrated.  

“She lost so much blood! I even saw the bone underneath—it was as pale as a ghost! And he calls that ‘not injured’? Can he even do his job? No, I have to go talk to him. My Jiaojiao is delicate and weak—if she doesn’t eat something nourishing, how will she recover?”  

Shen Jiaojiao: “…” Was it really that serious?  

As she spoke, Liu Xiaolan turned and stormed toward the hospital.

Xu Mo stopped her.  

“Mother, there are Public Security officers here. Don’t make a scene.”  

It was only then that Liu Xiaolan seemed to remember the presence of the Public Security officers. She immediately toned down her reaction.  

“You two must be Shen Jiaojiao and Xu Mo, correct?” One of the Public Security officers asked.  

Both Shen Jiaojiao and Xu Mo nodded simultaneously.  

“Alright, come with us to the Public Security Bureau to give a statement.”  

Upon arriving at the Public Security Bureau, they saw that Fang Qinghe had already regained consciousness.  

His face was even more swollen than before—calling him a pig’s head would have been an insult to pigs.  

Mother Fang was at his side, fussing over him, pouring tea and offering water, crying out in endless distress.  

The moment she saw Shen Jiaojiao and Xu Mo enter, she exploded with fury.  

“Comrades, these two ganged up to beat my son into this state! You must bring justice for us! Arrest them and send them to labor reform!”  

“You old hag, looking for another fight, are you?!”  

Liu Xiaolan strode in right behind them.  

She and Mother Fang had already argued once at the Public Security Bureau earlier. If it weren’t for the fear of being sent to labor reform, they might have already come to blows right then and there.  

“Enough! Quiet down!”  

The Public Security officer roared.  

The room instantly fell silent.  

“Shen Jiaojiao, recount what happened in the woods again.”  

This time, Shen Jiaojiao gave a detailed account of what had transpired between her and Fang Qinghe.  

The Public Security officer recorded everything and then turned to Xu Mo.

The Public Security officer looked at Xu Mo.  

“Xu Mo, why were you in the woods? And why did you beat him so badly? Explain in detail.”  

Xu Mo pressed his lips together before answering: “Shen Jiaojiao is my fiancée. She had brought me water in the fields earlier and was on her way back. Then, I saw Fang Qinghe following her.  

I felt uneasy, so I followed them.  

That’s when I heard him say he wanted to violate Shen Jiaojiao.  

She’s just a young girl—there was no way she could fight off Fang Qinghe. She ran as fast as she could, and he chased after her. I blocked his way, and we got into a fight.”  

The Public Security officer glanced between the two of them.  

“But Fang Qinghe claims that he had no intention of harming Shen Jiaojiao. He says he just wanted to talk to her, but she got scared and ran, and that’s how she accidentally got caught in the hunting trap.”  

Xu Mo’s eyes narrowed, a cold, dangerous glint flashing through them.  

As expected, Fang Qinghe wasn’t going to admit to anything so easily.  

Shen Jiaojiao knew it too—without more witnesses, there was no way to convict Fang Qinghe.  

After all, words alone weren’t enough evidence.  

Most ordinary villagers would crack under interrogation by the Public Security officers—they were too timid and afraid of the authorities.  

But Fang Qinghe was different.  

He was a shameless scoundrel. A reincarnator.  

His skin was thick, and he had no fear of the Public Security’s questioning. That’s why he could lie so easily, without blinking an eye.  

“Comrade, he followed me into the woods. His home isn’t even in that direction—doesn’t that prove his intentions weren’t pure?”  

“She was the one who seduced my son into following her!”  

Liu Xiaolan snapped: “You—!”  

“If you two don’t stop arguing, I’ll lock you both up!” The Public Security officer barked.