Chapter 20 – There’s Always a Strange Feeling

Yi An’an froze for a moment, then quickly pushed the man away. “Forget it, I’ll go ask myself!”

So much time had passed—Yan Dabao and Chen Sisi must be over by now!

Yi An’an hurried away.

Zhan Nan Hui watched her leave, then lowered his head and looked at his own hand.

They were all women’s bodies, so why did this one feel so different?

Now, whenever he touched Yi An’an, his whole body tensed up. Sometimes he didn’t even need to touch her—just looking at her slender neck, her dark hair, her fair skin, and that vivid, alluring little face—there was always a strange feeling stirring in his chest and stomach.

Zhan Nan Hui aggressively hacked at the pigweed. No, he couldn’t keep going on like this!

Standing in front of the Yan family’s house, Yi An’an raised her hand and knocked on the door.

Fortunately, it was Village Chief Yan who answered.

He hadn’t expected to see Yi An’an. He asked coldly, “What do you want?”

“Has anyone found this person named Tang A’ren?” Yi An’an asked.

“You’re something else. Even Secretary Lü from the commune listens to you now, huh?” Village Chief Yan said impatiently. “It’s just a name. Where am I supposed to find him?”

“He’s a zhiqing (sent-down youth). All the zhiqing are registered—he shouldn’t be that hard to find,” Yi An’an said.

“Oh, so you know he’s a zhiqing, not a local. We’ve got thirteen villages in this commune. You sure he’s even from here?” Village Chief Yan asked coldly.

Yi An’an paused. She really wasn’t sure.

In her past life, her daughter had been pushed into the water by Chen Sisi. It was this man named Tang A’ren who had rescued her. Although her daughter later died because she didn’t receive timely treatment, Yi An’an had always felt grateful to this zhiqing.

Back then, she was in no position to help anyone. But one day in the city, she had run into someone who had been stationed in the countryside with Tang A’ren and learned that because Tang A’ren had no known parents, he couldn’t fill out the forms to return to the city for a job. He was forced to live as a farmer for life, eventually marrying a mentally disabled woman and fathering two mentally disabled children. In the end, he was beaten and cursed by his own son until he took his own life by hanging himself at home.

In this life, she wouldn’t have a daughter with Yan Dabao, but she still wanted to repay the debt she owed Tang A’ren.

“For this year’s college entrance exam registration—was there anyone named Tang A’ren who signed up?” Yi An’an asked again.

She didn’t know whether Tang A’ren had signed up, but any zhiqing would jump at this chance to return to the city. Surely he would’ve gone to the commune to register. That’s why she’d asked Village Chief Yan to look into it.

“We’ve got four or five hundred people signed up just in our commune. You want me to check every single one of them?” Village Chief Yan grumbled. “What’s Tang A’ren to you? Your man?”

Yi An’an looked at his lecherous face and had to fight the urge to slap the old creep.

In her previous life, when she was living in the Yan household, she had to be constantly on guard against him. But after years of clashing with him, she had learned all his secrets.

“Village Chief Yan, you’re my elder, and I respect you. But if you won’t help me, I’ll just go talk to your wife. Maybe I’ll mention that five yuan you gave my stepmother,” Yi An’an said with a cold smile.

Village Chief Yan’s gaze darkened.

He had an affair with Wang Guihua, and Wang Guihua didn’t sleep with him for free—he gave her five yuan a month, which Yi Daping then used to try to curry favor with the future daughter-in-law who hadn’t even married in yet!

“I’m giving you three days,” Yi An’an said softly. “You’d better give me an answer.”

Three days. That was the deadline for registration. Yi An’an wanted to help Tang A’ren register—maybe it would change his fate.

“You—” Village Chief Yan was furious but could only watch her leave.

“Dad, wasn’t that little fox from the Yi family? What’d she want with you?” Yan Dabao had just walked Chen Sisi home and caught a glimpse of Yi An’an’s back, so he rushed forward to ask.

“Nothing!” Village Chief Yan snapped, then glanced at his son. “The exam’s coming. Why are you running around? Why aren’t you home studying?”

Yan Dabao scratched his head. “Dad, I don’t even understand those books. Studying is pointless!”

Village Chief Yan pulled out his smoking pipe and smacked his son with it. “You little punk! If you don’t study hard, how will you get into college?”

Yan Dabao clung to a sliver of hope. “Dad, do you think this new policy’s for real? What if it’s just a bluff? Maybe you could go talk to someone in the county—try to get me into the county vocational school or something?”

Village Chief Yan said coldly, “Even for vocational school, you have to take the test now. The old ways don’t work anymore. Don’t count on luck. If you don’t pass, you’re not going anywhere. Get back to studying—stop running around!”

Yan Dabao sighed and had no choice but to go back to his books.

Village Chief Yan thought for a moment, then quickly headed out.

He wanted to see just who this Tang A’ren was.

After running around all day, Yi An’an was truly exhausted. As soon as she lay down, she fell into a deep sleep.

Zhan Nan Hui wanted to ask about Tang A’ren too, but when he saw how tired Yi An’an looked, he went to cook dinner himself.

When the food was ready, he called out twice from outside. When she didn’t respond, he went into the room.

“Dinner’s ready,” he said softly.

Yi An’an didn’t move.

Zhan Nan Hui frowned. After thinking for a second, he bent over, trying to get closer and call again—but just then, the woman suddenly turned over and her hands landed on his shoulders.

Zhan Nan Hui froze, staring at her snow-white face. Her breath brushed across his forehead, tingling and hot—it sent a shiver down his spine.

He was about to remove her hands when she suddenly, half-asleep, reached up and pinched his earlobe, kneading it twice.

Zhan Nan Hui had never known his earlobes were so sensitive. Instantly, a jolt like electricity ran through his entire body. His legs stiffened, his face tightened, and the veins in his neck bulged uncontrollably.

“Yi An’an!” he called out sternly. “Let go!”

Half asleep, Yi An’an only heard someone telling her to move her hand. Still in a daze, she instinctively tugged at whatever she was holding.

Zhan Nan Hui had just reached up to knock her hand away when she suddenly yanked his ear, pulling him downward. He lost his balance and fell right on top of her.

His gaze darkened. Just as he was about to get up, he looked down and saw her wide, round eyes staring at him.

Zhan Nan Hui’s face flushed red. For a moment, he didn’t know how to explain.

Right now, he was lying on top of Yi An’an—and she still had his ear in her hand.