Chapter 20: Harsh

Qin Xinyi refused to back down.
“You recite it then! If you can’t, let’s see how you plan to twist your head off!”

Li Luo replied calmly,
“Tomorrow. It’s late, and I don’t want to make noise disturbing other people’s sleep.”

Qin Xinyi nearly exploded with rage. Was she implying she was noisy? Damn fat pig!

Fine, just wait.
Tomorrow, I’ll make you look bad!

Qin Mian ordered Qin Xinyi to turn off the lights and rest.
“Chat during the day, study hard at night. Don’t form bad habits.”

Qin Xinyi stomped her feet furiously. Her little uncle had changed.

Before, he had been attentive and caring.
Now he was strict and harsh.

The person who once granted her every request now ignored her.

She asked for the same whitening cream Li Luo used, but he told her such a thing didn’t exist.

When she pressed him about why Li Luo had turned fair, he snapped impatiently, “I don’t know.”

Li Luo secretly gloated. Serves her right!

Later, when they entered the room, Qin Mian took out the paper bag she had placed in the wardrobe. She thought it was pastries.
“I’m not eating.”

“It’s not pastries,” Qin Mian replied.

Puzzled, Li Luo opened it to find a red dress with a doll collar, a white slip underneath to prevent exposure, and a pair of black leather shoes.

The shoes were fine.

But the dress? The childish style was something she wouldn’t have worn even at fifteen.

Still, for his sake she said,
“I’ll try it on. Just don’t know if it’ll fit.”

She carried the clothes into the bathroom, showered, and changed.

To her surprise, the size was perfect.

The length was just right too, falling below the knees and covering most of the fat on her legs.

Unfortunately, without a mirror, she couldn’t see the full effect.

After drying her hair, she stepped out, ready to dazzle him.

“How do I look?”

Qin Mian glanced up. Though she was plump, her figure was proportionate, and there was even a faint waistline.

Not like the first time he’d seen her, when her obesity made her look completely out of proportion.

“It’s okay,” he said, and looked away.

There was a dressing mirror on the wardrobe door. Li Luo stood before it—and nearly fainted.

Her round figure, thick arms, and massive legs were unbearable to look at. Terrified, she stumbled back and plopped onto the bed.

“This is ‘okay’? My god, it’s blinding! Too blinding! Horrible! I have to lose weight, I absolutely must!”

Muttering, she quickly changed back into her old clothes.

Though it was hot to wear a coat in May, at least it made her sweat.

Sweating burned calories too, so it helped with weight loss.

Qin Mian: … She’d been fat for over ten years. Why was she suddenly being so harsh on herself?

And wasn’t she already a hundred times better than before?

Li Luo changed back, then pulled out a thin quilt from the wardrobe.
“Let’s each use our own blanket. That way you won’t have to worry about me taking advantage of you.”

Qin Mian: … Who was it just now saying she wanted to give him ten sons? He held back a sigh.
“If the family sees, it won’t look good.”

“Don’t worry. Father and Mother won’t come into our room.”

He reached out to turn off the light, speaking in a displeased tone.
“It’s late, go to sleep. Don’t wander off tomorrow during the birthday banquet. And wear normal clothes. It’s summer here already—if you dress like it’s still spring, people will think you’re crazy and don’t know hot from cold.”

Li Luo muttered under her breath,
“You were fine just a moment ago, why blow up like you ate gunpowder? Just because I didn’t praise your new clothes? So petty. Fine, I’ll wear them. Anyway, if people say I look ugly, you’ll be embarrassed too.”

The room fell silent.

She shut her mouth and carefully slipped under her blanket.

Moonlight streamed through the window, faint but enough for her to make out the outline of his face.

So handsome!

But like this, if someone passed by under the eaves tomorrow morning, they’d see the two of them sleeping separately.

That would only make Qin Xinyi look down on her even more, and give Liu Qian reason to think she had a chance.

She needed to draw the curtains, to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.

At dawn, the courtyard was already bustling.

Li Luo was woken by the noise. When she checked the clock, it was already eight. Her body was used to waking at five or five-thirty, but last night she’d slept so soundly with Qin Mian that she overslept.

He was gone, leaving her alone in the room.

She put on the new dress, paired it with white socks and the new shoes. She tied up her hair, but the single ponytail at the back of her head looked bare.

So she sewed a large red bow with a scrap of cloth and tied it in her hair as decoration.

Bracing herself, she stepped outside—just in time to meet Qin Mian’s gaze as he greeted guests in the courtyard.

Today’s sunshine was bright. His handsome features seemed wrapped in a soft golden glow, his brows and eyes carrying a faint coldness that kept others at a distance.

Grandma Qin noticed his gaze, then looked toward Li Luo. Her eyes lit up.
“Luoluo looks so beautiful today!”

Plump figure, fair skin—truly lovable.

Li Luo thought bitterly: If I hadn’t seen myself in the mirror, you might’ve tricked me into believing that.

Beaming, Grandma Qin introduced her to the relatives.
“This is my younger daughter-in-law, Luoluo. Her marriage to A Mian was arranged by my late husband years ago. They just got their marriage certificate and haven’t had time for the banquet yet. Luoluo, these are your Aunt Hu and Uncle. Their eldest is also studying medicine like A Mian, working in a provincial hospital, and his partner is a nurse.”

Her aunt and uncle puffed up proudly.

Following Grandma Qin’s cue, Li Luo greeted them politely.

Aunt Hu, whose name was Hu Caifeng, asked bluntly,
“No wedding banquet, and just moving in like this—won’t the neighbors gossip?”

Grandma Qin looked a little embarrassed.

Li Luo smiled and answered,
“A Mian’s work is too busy to make time for a banquet. People will always talk, but we’re legally married, which is far more proper than throwing a banquet without a certificate.”

Grandma Qin quickly agreed,
“That’s right, the marriage certificate is more important than a banquet.”

“When do you plan to have children?”

Li Luo answered generously,
“No plans yet. We’ll let nature take its course. By the way, Aunt, do you have any grandchildren?”

The question immediately shifted attention back.

Hu Caifeng beamed,
“Of course! They’re already old enough to run errands. I was going to bring them along, actually…”

…

Meanwhile, Qin Xinyi spotted Li Luo. Her eyes widened, and she nudged Qin Jun beside her.
“Brother, look at that fat pig. All dressed up today, she almost looks decent.”

Qin Jun didn’t even bother to glance. Based on past experience, how pretty could she possibly get? He was busy greeting newly arrived relatives.

After excusing herself from Grandma Qin, Li Luo slipped back into the room, picked up her small cloth bag and the money she’d made from selling goods yesterday, then quietly left when no one was watching.

On her way out, she grabbed a bowl of peanuts, a bottle of liquor, and a chicken from the kitchen, and ran to the recycling yard.
“Uncle, look what I brought you!”

The scrap collector uncle’s eyes lit up.
“Girl, you finally came! This morning those four fellows gave me the payment for the goods, and I didn’t dare do anything with it, afraid it’d get lost. Here, take it quick!” He shoved the money into her hands. “Also, three young men want to place orders. Each one wants three crates. They said when they pay, they want to give it directly to you. You’ll need to write me a delivery note.”

Li Luo was thrilled. Already more orders? Business was going great!

She agreed at once, set aside the uncle’s delivery fee, and handed him the food.

The old man chuckled happily.
“You’re so generous! Bringing me wine and meat like this. Makes me embarrassed to take your delivery fee.”

“Business is business. The fee is your wage. The food is just my gift.”

She took the money.

“You’re not going to count it?” he asked.

“Use people you trust, don’t suspect them. I believe you. Eat slowly—I’ll go fetch the delivery slip.”

She walked off.

Only after walking some distance did she finally count the money.

It was all correct.

At the soap factory, she first settled yesterday morning’s seven crates and the three she’d picked up in the afternoon.
“The earlier accounts are cleared. Also, give me a delivery note for nine more crates.”

The manager accepted the money, stunned.
“Who on earth are you selling to? The demand’s huge!”

At this rate, the year’s worth of stockpile would be cleared in less than a month.

Li Luo shot back,
“Do you think I’d tell you?”

The manager: …