Chapter 3: Picking Up a Wild Man

Wei Qihong was taken aback, as he had never seen Xia Li not come over to chat a bit more.

What happened to her? Was she being bullied by her family?

It was a good opportunity for him to comfort her and casually bring up the matter he was curious about.

He quickly followed after her, calling, “Xiao Li!”

Xia Li turned back, puzzled.

Wei Qihong raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly at her, believing himself to be quite elegant and handsome.

Walking alongside her, he spoke with concern, “Xiao Li, I’ve heard about your family situation these days. Your aunt is really out of line; you’re still young, how could she introduce you to someone like that?”

“I mean, a pure, kind, and hardworking girl like you deserves the best. This marriage matter cannot be taken lightly.”

Xia Li looked up, her soft braids falling over her shoulders, her youthful face as pure as snow, and her beautiful eyes shimmering like water.

“Do you really think so?”

Wei Qihong met her gaze, feeling a stir in his heart, realizing that Xia Li seemed to have become even more beautiful after not seeing her for a while…

He softened his tone further, “Of course, Xiao Li, you should have a bit more confidence. I’ve always thought…”

“Looks like you have good taste.” The girl smiled.

Instead of showing the shy and self-deprecating expression he expected, she raised an eyebrow and looked utterly confident.

With a playful tone, she said, “I think so too. I mean, a young, beautiful, smart, hardworking person like me can match with anyone. Tsk, I’m really too perfect.”

Even crossing over to another world was something she managed to do, isn’t that impressive for Xia Li?

It’s never wrong to boast a bit about oneself.

“…”

This left Wei Qihong at a loss, with all his comforting words stuck in his throat.

Xia Li was an orphan, and her uncle and aunt lived next to the Wei family. She often came over to help with work when she was younger, so they had grown up together.

Her uncle and aunt were tough, often scolding and berating Xia Li, making her feel wronged.

The little girl had no parents to rely on and didn’t dare to speak up. So Wei Qihong was well aware of her usually gentle and timid demeanor.

What happened today?

Could it be that she was stimulated by the marriage proposal?

He adjusted his glasses, glancing at the girl with a mix of surprise and awkwardness, then forced a smile to change the subject.

“Y-yeah.”

“Right, Xiao Li, I just remembered something when I saw you…”

Wei Qihong deliberately lowered his voice, pretending to suddenly recall something:

“Didn’t you mention that there’s an old bowl left by Uncle Xia at your place? You wanted me to take a look?”

“I’ve been so busy these days that I just remembered. Um… can I come to your house later to check on that bowl?”

Xia Li exclaimed softly.

Thinking it over, she turned her head slightly, a faint smile forming at the corners of her lips, “Oh, you mean that one! Sure, but it’s too late today, so let’s do it tomorrow.”

Wei Qihong had actually come specifically to see Xia Li and check out that bowl.

He felt a bit anxious.

He wanted to know if that bowl was indeed the old antique that Uncle Xia had hidden away, as he had heard.

Since Xia Li said that, he could only respond reluctantly, “Okay, then, I’ll help you take a look tomorrow.”

“However, I hope it’s not too serious. Xiao Li, don’t take it to heart; you don’t need to be too nervous, haha,” he said with a feigned laugh.

Xia Li gave him an amused glance, her expression calm as she carried her small wooden bucket and walked away.

Wei Qihong was indeed the male lead, quite good at putting on an act.

He was also quite ruthless.

In the original plot, after he took the original host’s old porcelain bowl for appraisal and confirmed it was a genuine antique, he secretly found a few ordinary old bowls that looked identical to swap with the original host, regretfully telling her it was all in vain, saying that it was just an ordinary porcelain bowl with no value.

He then kept the real porcelain bowl hidden without her knowing and later sold it for a hefty price on the black market, which became one of his earliest sources of capital accumulation.

The poor original host, who had always been struggling financially, remained completely in the dark.

She had no idea that many years later, the priceless porcelain bowl shown on television in prison was the very one she had given away with her own hands.

Xia Li chose not to expose the male lead’s little schemes and hummed a cheerful tune as she approached the small river.

It was now evening.

As dusk fell, the last rays of twilight reflected on the river’s surface, and she could vaguely see a few fish darting swiftly among the water plants in the shallow area by the bank.

The old times had their advantages; the water was clear and vibrant with life.

It wasn’t that no one had tried to fish in this river, but due to strict fishing bans, while fishing with a pole or spear was acceptable, using nets would lead to severe penalties.

The small river flowed from the reservoir, with few fish and rapid currents. If one couldn’t use nets, it would be a waste of effort, so not many people were willing to come.

Xia Li had already settled on the bank, observing where the fish were most active.

She sprinkled some fish feed, causing a stir in the water.

Xia Li stood up and, quick as lightning, thrust her spear!

Suddenly, there was a heavy thud behind her, startling her so much that she jerked and accidentally flung the spear into the water.

Turning around to look.

The branches and leaves of the tree behind her were still swaying gently, and beneath it lay a person sprawled on the ground.

A man.

He was tall, lying there with his eyes closed, looking as if he were dead.

Xia Li was shocked for a moment, then cautiously approached.

In the dim blue twilight, she could see that the man’s clothes were tattered, with several gaping wounds, looking like he had escaped from some disaster.

It was now autumn, and he was dressed in only a thin shirt and pants, dirty and ragged, with dark stains of blood all over.

His face was also covered in dust and mud, with a layer of stubble.

His features were somewhat striking, tall and upright, with long eyelashes that lay still, making him look completely motionless.

Such a body… she still couldn’t tell if he was alive or dead, or where he had fallen from.

Should she call the police?

But the police station was in town, and that was quite a distance away.

Xia Li looked up at the tall tree above, observed it for a moment, then bent down to poke the man’s waist.

“Hey, brother, are you alive or dead? Give me a sign…”

The muscles in the man’s waist twitched, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

Just like that, he locked eyes with Xia Li.