The two shared a brief gaze before Qin Zheng was the first to look away.

Lin Zhao, smiling, said to Qin Zheng, “With those cloths, Sister Ah Zheng can make a nice set of clothes!”

The women at the table also teased her, “Could it be that the strategist aimed to win the cloth just to make new clothes for you?”

Qin Zheng thought to herself that even if Chu Chengji wanted to get cloth for her to make new clothes, he wouldn’t necessarily choose this method.

After all, in some sense, his action had diminished Lin Yao’s prestige.

Seeing Qin Zheng frowning without saying anything, Aunt Lu chimed in, “Madam is shy, don’t tease her too much!”

The teasing voices gradually died down.

The men were still cheering, but in a corner, a scruffy old man at the same table as the old doctor had a somber expression.

He whispered, “The village chief and his sister have honest hearts, but that couple—they have deep thoughts.

Look at them, one stabilizing the village chief, the other appeasing the young lady, winning over people’s hearts effortlessly. I’m afraid if they take over Qi Yun Village someday, no one will utter a word.”

He had been a close aide to Lin Yao’s father.

After Lin Yao’s father’s death, the second in command took over, and he was beaten and had a leg broken while protecting Lin Yao and his sister.

Since then, he had to walk with a cane, and his temper had grown increasingly sullen.

The old doctor said, “You overthink things. They have no relation to Qi Yun Village, yet several times they have saved us from danger. The village chief is no longer a naive youngster; he knows what’s what. Stop worrying.”

The scruffy old man glared at the doctor, “I see you’ve been bribed with that purple brush!”

The old doctor, usually mild-mannered, now huffed angrily, “I shouldn’t be drinking with you! Haven’t I followed the old village chief all my life too?”

A look of sorrow flashed across the scruffy old man’s wrinkled face, “I fear the repeat of what happened between the old village chief and He Laoizhi.”

The old doctor, usually seen as indifferent, now spoke insightfully, “He Laozhi seized power just for this tiny bit of land in Qi Yun Village. Look around, within a month, the strategist has expanded our influence many times over. With such skills, would he only focus on this little piece of land?”

The scruffy old man’s eyes, cloudy with age, looked terrifying, “You’re still speaking for that outsider? He’s leveraging Qi Yun Village’s power. Without us, could he achieve this?”

The old doctor shook his head, “Old friend, you’re being narrow-minded!”

With that, he left in a huff.

The scruffy old man stared at Chu Chengji and Lin Yao, who were surrounded by people.

His face tightened, making his cheekbones more prominent, giving him a sharp and malicious look.

Chu Chengji seemed to sense something and looked over, only to see the scruffy old man gnawing on a whole chicken with his dry, dark hands.

His eating manner didn’t seem sloppy but rather had a sinister vibe, like a ghost gnawing on bones.

Chu Chengji’s brows furrowed slightly.

As the banquet neared its end, people began to leave. Qin Zheng, carrying a small bag of fireflies, walked back with Chu Chengji.

On the main road, there were still many people walking home together, so they behaved properly, not even holding hands on the smooth, flagstone-paved path.

Without the bright lights of the main kitchen, the firefly bag hanging from Qin Zheng’s waist became more noticeable.

Several young women, guessing that Chu Chengji had caught the fireflies for her, giggled and glanced back at them as they parted ways at the fork in the road.

Qin Zheng felt uneasy and said, “Look, playing with children’s things really makes people laugh at us.”

Chu Chengji glanced at her, and with his long arms, he reached out and pulled the bag down, his tone indifferent. “Don’t like it? Then I’ll release them.”

He made a motion as if to untie the string on the bag.

Qin Zheng quickly snatched it back, “Once you give something, there’s no reason to take it back.”

Chu Chengji looked down at her. Her angry and embarrassed expression was incredibly alluring in the moonlight.

His gaze fell on her rosy lips, and countless thoughts surged in his mind, which he forcefully suppressed.

He looked away and said, “Being two-faced is not a good habit.”

Qin Zheng glared at him, feeling both angry and embarrassed.

She had never met someone so clueless about romance.

Hugging the firefly bag, she strode forward, leaving Chu Chengji far behind.

Chu Chengji watched her angry silhouette and stood at the fork in the road, saying softly, “You’re going the wrong way.”

His voice was gentle and pleasant in the night.

Qin Zheng, caught in her own embarrassed and angry mood, heard him and froze as if turned to stone.

Why did he have to embarrass her at such a moment?

She looked around, the night was pitch black, and with the weak moonlight, she could barely see clearly.

It was her first time walking this path at night, and it seemed different from the daytime.

Qin Zheng stood there for a few seconds, then resignedly turned back.

When she reached Chu Chengji and was about to take the side path, he naturally took her hand, “I remembered wrong. This is the way home.”

Qin Zheng: “…”

How had she never noticed how infuriating this man could be?

She tried to pull her hand away but couldn’t. Grinding her teeth, she said, “Let go!”

Chu Chengji, with a perfectly serious tone, said, “Don’t make a fuss, we’re going home.”

Qin Zheng wanted to hit him, but knowing she couldn’t win, she replied stiffly, “I can walk on my own!”

Chu Chengji calmly said, “You’re bad with directions.”

Qin Zheng had never seen someone so good at twisting the truth.

She stared at him, speechless, “…You clearly tricked me!”

Chu Chengji remained calm and mild, “If you remembered the way, you wouldn’t have been tricked.”

Qin Zheng: “…”

Was this a master of sophistry from a thousand years ago?

She looked at him, wide-eyed, for a few seconds and couldn’t help but ask, “Do you even have a sense of shame?”

Chu Chengji glanced at her, “You can feel and see for yourself.”

Qin Zheng found herself in a miserable situation, realizing not only could she not out-argue Chu Chengji, but she also couldn’t outdo him in being shameless.

She protested, “Who acts like you do?”

“How do I act?” Chu Chengji responded with unexpected patience, staring at her as if he were an eager student waiting for the teacher to give an answer.

For some reason, Qin Zheng suddenly thought of modern-day quarrels between couples.

Usually, it was the girl asking such a question. How did it get reversed in her case?

Qin Zheng took a deep breath and told herself that this whole situation was caused by her being momentarily capricious and speaking in contradictions.

She sighed, feeling defeated, “Let’s just drop it.”

She vowed to herself that if she ever got capricious with him again, she’d write her name backwards!

But Chu Chengji clearly didn’t want to drop the matter so easily.

After Qin Zheng spoke, he suddenly tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her into his embrace.

He held her, pressing his palm against her back through her long hair, closing his eyes, and trying to suppress the agitation that had been building up since the banquet. “I’m sorry.”

He knew she had intentionally praised Lin Yao in the woods, but he couldn’t help wanting her to openly acknowledge his own merits.

This was so childish, childish enough that he didn’t want to admit it was something he had done just a moment ago.

Chu Chengji’s sudden, earnest apology dissipated Qin Zheng’s annoyance.

She sighed and brought up a serious matter. “Why did you go compete in archery after the leader did? Win or lose, it will give people something to talk about.”

Chu Chengji slightly pulled back, looking at her with half-closed eyes for a while before asking an unrelated question, “Did you watch me compete with him?”

Qin Zheng, not understanding his train of thought, nodded. “I watched.”

Her eyes showed no other emotion, as if the competition was no different from watching two bulls fight.

Chu Chengji was silent for a moment before taking her hand again, saying only, “Let’s go home.”

Qin Zheng, remembering how he had attracted attention at the archery field, couldn’t help but mutter, “Your three arrows were indeed excellent, but if it weren’t for Lin Yao’s broad-mindedness, today’s actions could easily cause friction…”

Chu Chengji suddenly stopped, causing Qin Zheng to almost bump into his back.

Just as she was about to ask what was wrong, Chu Chengji turned around.

Without a word, he began to knead her face like dough.

After he felt satisfied, he said, “If I can’t handle such things, there’s no point in planning for the future.”

Qin Zheng, holding her face that he had kneaded painfully, said, “But don’t just knead my face whenever you feel like it…”

Chu Chengji looked down at her and, with a slight smirk, rubbed her face again. “You always know how to irritate people.”