Chapter 15: Catching an adulterer in bed

Lin Anran casually opened the door and saw Gao Ershan glaring, with Chen Yan following behind. She looked at his angry expression and said, “Ershan, you’re back! Why are you so mad?”

Gao Ershan ignored her words, pushing past Lin Anran who was standing in the middle. “Move aside,” he barked, rushing straight to the main room. He kicked the door open violently, and seeing the curtains inside, he tore them down in a rage. Like a mad dog, he shouted, “Come out right now! If I find you, I’ll kill you!”

Gao Ershan frantically opened the cabinets, crawled on the floor to check under the bed, and even peeked behind the doors. Lin Anran watched his frenzied behavior, afraid to breathe, worried he might discover the hidden person. Her mind raced, trying to figure out where Leng Feng was hiding. The windows were closed, so jumping out wasn’t an option. Suddenly, she noticed Leng Feng clinging to the ceiling beam. Shocked, she froze and lowered her head, thinking quickly about how to get Gao Ershan to leave.

Gao Ershan continued his frantic search. Chen Yan had initially come to watch the chaos, but seeing nothing, she felt disappointed. A layer of dust fell on them, causing them all to cough—after all, the house was made of mud bricks, and some dust from the ceiling was normal. Lin Anran gave Leng Feng a subtle signal to stay low. She then addressed Gao Ershan calmly: “Ershan, there’s no one here. Don’t listen to someone spreading nonsense.”

Gao Ershan gave her a cold glare, trying to find any clue on her, then stormed outside to check other areas. Chen Yan followed him out. Lin Anran also glanced at Leng Feng on the ceiling, then went outside with them.

Gao Ershan arrived at the wood storage room, heard some movement, and kicked the door open. He wanted to see who the supposed “adulterer” was. A small black cat, startled, leapt onto the window and escaped. Gao Ershan finally exhaled in relief, slumping on the door sill, glaring at Chen Yan. “It’s all your imagination! Who told you to meddle in my family affairs?”

Chen Yan, scolded like that, left with tears in her eyes, giving Lin Anran one last hateful glare. Gao Ershan started to call after her but stopped midway. Lin Anran watched Chen Yan leave, feeling a surge of joy, as if she had avenged the original owner.

After Chen Yan left, Gao Ershan looked at Lin Anran standing nearby, smiling sheepishly. He realized she had slimmed down significantly and her skin looked soft and delicate, almost as if pricking her would draw water. His throat tightened, his Adam’s apple moved, and he unbuttoned the top button of his collar. Seeing her in a fitted outfit, accentuating her curves, he felt an inexplicable attraction. Feeling a bit unsettled, he muttered, “I’m going to the shop,” and left the house in a rush.

Lin Anran, seeing him leave so suddenly, found Gao Ershan’s behavior today rather bewildering. She immediately thought of the “real person” on the ceiling beam and quickly secured the main door, bolting it. She rushed to the main room and pushed open the door—seeing the curtains had already been torn off by Gao Ershan. Her eyes landed on Leng Feng, lounging lazily, his long, lean body fully visible.

Pretending to be angry, she sat on a nearby stool and said, “You startled me just now. How’s your injury healing?”

Leng Feng caught the hidden meaning in her words—she wanted him to leave once his injury was healed. He frowned and looked at her intently. “Much better. But I’m not sure if climbing onto the ceiling earlier made it worse,” he said meaningfully.

Lin Anran, seeing the reason in his words, stepped closer. “Let me see.” She reached to lift his clothing, but a strong arm immediately wrapped around her chest. She struggled to step back but was held tightly, so she stopped resisting. Somewhat annoyed, she said, “Let me go first, I just want to check your wound.”

Leng Feng’s voice, soft as a gentle breeze, flowed into her heart. Lin Anran looked at his earnest face and said, “No need. From your expression, it looks mostly healed.”

He responded softly, “Pretty much. I should be going now.” Lin Anran fell silent, feeling a mixture of reluctance and the desire to keep him close. Leng Feng, noticing her quietness, sat up and held her gently. “Think about what I said. I’m serious. I didn’t lie to you.”

Seeing his sincere eyes, Lin Anran didn’t know how to respond. After a moment, she said softly, “Okay. I believe you.”

Leng Feng, pleased by her trust, sniffed slightly and said, “Get me some water. I need to clean up.”

Lin Anran left the room and went to the kitchen, lighting a fire to boil water. She placed the water bucket on the well stand in the yard and struggled to draw water, beads of sweat forming on her face. Suddenly, the bucket felt light. She turned and saw Leng Feng behind her, effortlessly pumping water from the well. In the afternoon sunlight, his whole body glistened, tall and imposing yet graceful, handsome and captivating. Lin Anran found herself momentarily entranced, frozen in admiration.

He smiled and said, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Anran quickly hid her infatuation and said, “Nothing… I just… I was worried your injury hasn’t healed yet.”

Feeling embarrassed, she went to the kitchen, fetched the boiled hot water, and poured it into a basin. Leng Feng returned to the room, carried the water inside, poured it into a basin, grabbed a towel from the rope, removed his shirt, and began wiping down his body. Lin Anran turned away, avoiding looking at him, and stepped out of the main room. Clearly, things were getting out of hand. She gently closed the door, thinking about how to make Gao Ershan divorce her and how to find a job. Even though she now had some space, leaving the things there unused forever would raise suspicion.

She went into the kitchen, entered her personal space, stored the food with her mind, replanted the crops, sold the livestock, and watched as the fish and shrimp in the river grew bigger. The poultry also grew, and she collected the eggs using her powers. She gathered some of the grain and then stepped out of her space.

Meanwhile, Gao Ershan felt that Lin Anran had been acting differently recently, sensing something unusual all afternoon. He looked at the almost empty street, took the keys, locked up the shop, and headed home. He thought he wanted to see what Lin Anran was up to at home; he had truly neglected her before.

When he arrived at the house, he saw the door bolted. Thinking he wouldn’t knock, he decided to climb into the yard to see what was going on. He scaled the wall, climbed over the courtyard fence, and jumped down into the yard, landing near the main room where Lin Anran was.

Carefully, he moved forward, extending his hands and feet cautiously, and gently pushed the door…