Chapter 17: Gossip

---

The sunlight was warm and charming, and the workers’ housing compound of the machinery factory was orderly and neat. Inside the courtyard, green trees stood in tidy rows, their leaves rustling softly in the gentle breeze.

Xu Ruyan carried a gift and followed closely behind Li Haoxuan’s quick steps, wearing a polite smile on her face. Looking at the neatly arranged row houses, she couldn’t help but compare them with the large, cluttered courtyard where she lived.

The old courtyard’s houses were dilapidated and messy, with unauthorized sheds scattered everywhere. Dirty water flowed through the yard, and compared to the respectable workers’ housing compound, hers felt shabby in every way.

The two places were worlds apart.

Clutching the gift tightly, Xu Ruyan silently made up her mind that she would definitely escape the cramped and difficult life of the old courtyard.

In the center of the workers’ compound stood a thick locust tree, its lush branches spreading wide like a giant umbrella, casting a large shaded area.

It was just past ten in the morning, and many people liked to gather here to prepare vegetables, picking ingredients while chatting about everyday matters.

Xu Ruyan and Li Haoxuan were both good-looking. As they approached from a distance, everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to them. The hands picking vegetables slowed involuntarily, and people whispered and exchanged curious glances.

“Whose kid is that?” someone squinted and asked, curious about the newcomers.

An auntie with a slightly plump figure stood up upon hearing this, stretched her neck to look, and after recognizing them, sat back down. “That’s Li Yanhong’s youngest son.”

“Oh, it’s him! Why is he here? I thought he was close to Shen Nanqing from the Shen family. Who’s this girl?”

At that moment, an auntie in a faded floral short-sleeved blouse smiled mysteriously. “I know about this. I heard those two had a falling out.”

She was famous in the workers’ compound for loving gossip. Wherever there was excitement, she was sure to be there.

“No way! Li Yanhong always said their relationship was good, and she made it sound like the marriage was almost set. How could it just break off? She wouldn’t do that!”

Everyone shook their heads, unsure.

When the two drew closer, the floral-shirt auntie got bold and smiled, asking directly, “Xiaoxuan, you’re here! Why isn’t Nanqing with you? Who’s this girl?”

Xu Ruyan was right there, and this auntie was definitely stirring the pot.

Her smile stiffened for a moment but quickly returned to a gentle, innocent look. Softly, she said, “Hello, aunties, I’m Xiaoxuan’s girlfriend. We were originally going to come with Nanqing, but the troupe suddenly scheduled me for a performance, so Xiaoxuan waited for me and was delayed a few days.”

Li Haoxuan looked at Xu Ruyan in confusion. He remembered she had appeared on stage far less frequently lately—why was she lying?

He was about to say something when his sleeve was tugged. Looking down, he met Xu Ruyan’s watery, pleading eyes and smiled: “Aunties, we’ll head home first.”

Everyone pretended not to notice the couple’s glance at each other and waved with smiles. “Go ahead, go ahead! Once the marriage is settled, don’t forget to invite us to the wedding sweets!”

After the two walked away, the crowd’s chatter resumed.

“I’m telling you, that girl isn’t just pretty—her voice is really nice, soft and gentle.”

“Exactly! That’s the kind of wife you want. Shen Nanqing might be prettier, but her temper is terrible. Marrying her would be like marrying a goddess… but a demanding one.”

Everyone chimed in, guessing that Li Haoxuan couldn’t stand Shen Nanqing’s temper and had dumped her.

Suddenly, a loud “clang” rang out as a vegetable basket fell heavily to the ground. Someone said, “I think Nanqing is pretty good. They say she has a bad temper, but have you actually seen it with your own eyes?”

---

The person speaking was the same auntie who had called Shen Nanqing home for dinner that day.

She continued, “Everyone remembers that one year, my kid was playing mischievously by the pond and accidentally fell in. It was Nanqing who jumped in and saved him.”

“She’s that kind of person—yes, a bit delicate. But if you say she has a bad temper, I just don’t believe it.”

Hearing this, some people subconsciously lowered their heads.

Suddenly, the big gossip-loving auntie seemed to remember something and said, “I just recalled, it used to be Li Yanhong who always told people that Nanqing had a violent temper, and Xiaoxuan always had to coax her.”

“They grew up together, so everyone thought their fights were just childish play, didn’t pay much attention. But hearing it so often, people just accepted that Nanqing had a bad temper.”

After that, no one said much. They quietly finished picking their vegetables and carried their small stools home, thinking to keep their own children away from Li Yanhong in the future.

Originally, the Li family lived in a rented room, but as soon as the back-row apartment block was completed, they immediately moved in without delay.

Li Gaoyi was the workshop team leader. His home had three rooms and a living room. Though the living room was not large, it had good lighting. A sturdy solid wood square table stood in the center, surrounded by four matching chairs, stable and solid.

A wooden cabinet in the corner had a warm color, with tightly fitting doors, but the old locks on top looked particularly out of place.

Xu Ruyan casually glanced around the room and picked up a glass water jug on the table. She tilted it slightly and poured a glass of cool boiled water.

“You haven’t had any water all morning, you must be thirsty.” She handed the white porcelain cup to Li Haoxuan, her natural posture making it seem as if she were the lady of the house.

It was very hot, and Li Haoxuan was indeed thirsty. After a few gulps, he finished the entire glass of water.

“Why did you say that downstairs just now?” He put down the cup and pulled out a chair to sit.

Xu Ruyan poured herself a glass of water, sipped it timidly, and said embarrassedly, “I… I was just jealous. They knew I’m your girlfriend, but still deliberately brought up Nanqing. I got jealous.”

As she spoke, her eyes seemed to hold a pool of spring water, hiding unabashed love inside.

Li Haoxuan, caught in that burning gaze, suddenly felt his heart flutter as if tickled lightly by a feather, an unbearable itch.

He stood up with a scrape of the chair against the floor, grabbed Xu Ruyan’s hand, and without saying much, pulled her into his room.

As soon as the door opened, a faint musty smell hit their noses. Without caring, he embraced her and turned to press her against the door.

At twenty, blood was rushing fiercely through his veins. Soft kisses and whispers filled the room, weaving an atmosphere thick with intimacy. Lost in each other, they were reluctant to part.

After work, Li Guifen hurried home without delay. There were still four mouths to feed at home, and if she was late, her mother-in-law would surely scold her.

She was momentarily stunned when she saw peach pastries and canned fruit on the table. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone else.

Her gaze swept over the locked cabinet, and her eyes darkened. Quietly, she walked to the table.

From a hemp rope to kraft paper, then wrapping two peach pastries in a handkerchief and slipping them into her pocket, she did it smoothly, clearly a practiced thief.

As Li Guifen restored the packaging, a sudden noise of a door opening startled her. She looked up and saw a woman coming out of Li Haoxuan’s room.

Her lips were unnaturally flushed red, her cheeks glowing with a rosy flush. Li Guifen was no inexperienced girl—she understood immediately and smiled meaningfully.