Chapter 11 A False Alarm

Lin Anran quickly stepped forward, blocking Aunt Wang’s way, and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Aunt Wang, but I can’t accept the eggs. Please take them back!”

Aunt Wang, hearing that she refused, said, “How can that be?” Lin Anran saw that she wasn’t leaving, so she quickly added, “You can leave them in the kitchen instead!”

Aunt Wang looked at the now-beautiful Lin Anran and smiled warmly. “I was worried your husband might give the eggs to that widow and you’d lose out, so I thought I’d leave them in your room for safekeeping.”

Lin Anran responded, “Thank you, Aunt Wang. I’ll put the eggs away in the kitchen later.” Aunt Wang didn’t think much more of it and said, “Alright, I have something to do, I’ll be going first.”

Lin Anran’s tense heart finally relaxed. She went to the kitchen and placed the eggs in a safe spot.

—

Hearing someone arrive, Leng Feng immediately rose and hid in a dark corner. Being in someone else’s house, and a married woman’s room at that, he didn’t want any mishaps. Listening until the visitor left, and then hearing the door close, he relaxed slightly, pressed on his abdomen, and lay back down. Previously, he had been too focused on hiding to feel the pain, but now the wound had opened again, soaking the thick gauze in fresh blood. He groaned in pain.

—

Lin Anran closed the door and thought about the crops and livestock in her space—she hadn’t checked in days. Were they starving? She entered the space and saw the crops were fully ripened—wheat, rice, beans. Because she had harvested them earlier this year, the fish in the pond had grown bigger thanks to feed she provided. The sweet potato vines had grown a lot; she used her mind to provide some additional care. The cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens were noisy from hunger. She fed them using her powers and moved them to a grass-filled area. She used her mind to milk the cows, processed the milk into tablets, and after finishing, left the space.

Seeing Aunt Wang had just left, Lin Anran went to the main room to check on Leng Feng. She pushed the door open and saw him lying on the bed, eyes tightly shut. She stepped forward and said, “Let me check your wound.”

Leng Feng opened his eyes slightly and nodded. With his consent, Lin Anran loosened his clothes and looked at the blood-soaked gauze. She scolded him lightly, “What happened? It’s bleeding again.”

Seeing her anxious, he said, “I… just got a little panicked just now…” Lin Anran understood immediately, disinfected the wound, and carefully re-bandaged it in a smooth, practiced motion. A strand of hair brushed his skin, sending a strange thrill through him. He struggled to avoid looking at her graceful neck and shoulders. Coughing awkwardly, he tried to cover his embarrassment.

Lin Anran, seeing him cough, worried it might be an infection or fever, hurriedly touched his forehead and hesitated, “Your forehead isn’t hot… you should be fine!” She then checked his pulse; his heart rate was fast, around 110. She muttered, “That’s strange… the forehead isn’t hot, but the heart rate is so high. There’s no thermometer now… did I make a mistake?”

Focused entirely on tending to him, she didn’t notice the heated gaze coming from his body. Leng Feng had thought it was just a routine dressing change, but the careful movements made his body heat up uncontrollably, his eyes following her. He quickly closed them, but still saw the silhouette of her delicate figure. Unable to resist, he grabbed Lin Anran and said, “Anran, I like you!”

He pressed her head and kissed her passionately, savoring the taste of her lips. Lin Anran was shocked by the sudden kiss and tried to break free, but it felt like being trapped. Frustrated, she struggled with all her strength and slapped him hard with a “smack!”

Leng Feng immediately came to his senses and said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I…”

Lin Anran shot him a look, said nothing, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her with a “bang.” She had expected a gentleman, not a wolf. She felt some regret.

Leng Feng, watching her leave, wanted to slap himself and muttered, “I’m no human.”

—

Meanwhile, Gao Ershan followed Chen Yan to her house. As they walked, Aunt Liu said, “Hey, where are you going? You have a wife and yet still wandering around. Always looking at what others have, ashamed of nothing!”

Gao Ershan, a little angry at her words, replied, “None of your business, you meddling woman.”

Chen Yan, listening to the scolding, felt a little upset. If her husband hadn’t passed away, she’d still be living alone and struggling. As a woman with no one to help, life would be hard. She smiled at Gao Ershan, “Come on, let them talk. We can’t control their mouths anyway! Let them say whatever they want.”

“Mm,” Gao Ershan agreed, but felt that something was off.

Entering the house, Chen Yan quickly brought out the breakfast she had prepared: pancakes and a bit of pickled vegetables. “You must be hungry, eat quickly!”

Gao Ershan, seeing her acting like a perfect wife, felt warmth in his eyes and lowered his head to eat. Chen Yan watched him, taking in his strong back and the curve of his Adam’s apple with her enchanting eyes.

She stepped forward, hugged his waist, and leaned against his back. “Ershan, will you marry me?”

Gao Ershan hesitated for a moment, put down his bowl, held her waist, kissed her cherry lips, caressed her ample chest, and moved downward, fondling her full hips, pressing her beneath him. “I will…”

Chen Yan actively reciprocated. After a moment of pleasure, she leaned on his shoulder, soft as water. “Whether what you say is true or not, I like it.”

Gao Ershan lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, exhaling rings of smoke, staring into the distance. Chen Yan, silently in his arms, felt his presence and enjoyed the moment.

Suddenly, a voice outside the door said, “Chen Yan, are you home? Let me borrow your sieve.” Then the person walked into the yard.

The two were startled. Gao Ershan said, “That’s my mother,” and quickly got dressed. Chen Yan responded, “Mother, the sieve is in the kitchen, you can get it there.”

“Sorry to bother you,” she said, heading indoors…

The two listened quietly, holding their breaths as she entered. Chen Yan quickly opened the wardrobe to hide Gao Ershan, signaling him to stay silent. Just as they settled, his mother had entered…