Chapter 16  

Shen Qingran’s eyes widened abruptly, utterly distracted by the kiss. His hands pressed against Xue Feifeng’s chest, yet he dared not push with any real force.  

Xue Feifeng had one hand gripping his chin while the other held Shen Qingran’s hand tightly, never letting go since he had caught up.  

If Shen Qingran pushed, wouldn’t Xue Feifeng—without his crutch—end up falling hard?  

Ugh, Xue Feifeng was truly wicked—kissing him while using him as a crutch at the same time.  

Shen Qingran held his breath, his face flushing crimson, the color spreading across his entire face.  

Stay calm! Xue Feifeng was kissing his wife! This has nothing to do with me!  

He heard Xue Feifeng speak beside his ear, his voice deep and sensual, coupled with his strikingly handsome face so close. Shen Qingran’s heartstrings felt as though they were being trampled by a herd of oxen—chaotic, faster and faster, his mouth dry, his heart pounding so hard it might leap out of his throat.  

Who would still dare feel thirsty now?  

Shen Qingran swallowed, his thoughts in disarray. Only after a moment did he finally make out Xue Feifeng’s question: “Still thirsty?”  

“……” Shen Qingran was baffled.  

Was this… how you quenched thirst?  

Suddenly, Shen Qingran recalled the idiom “help each other in adversity”—when the spring dries up, two fish moisten each other with their own saliva.  

There was precedent, a documented method.  

So, in his urgency, was Xue Feifeng emulating this idiom?  

Then he and Xue Feifeng must truly be destitute, reduced to such means to help each other through hardship. A trace of melancholy flickered in Shen Qingran’s eyes, the sorrow of a poor couple struggling through life.  

Xue Feifeng had acted on impulse, doing something even he hadn’t expected. Outwardly strong but inwardly uncertain, he watched Shen Qingran’s reaction closely and caught a fleeting sadness in his eyes.  

What kind of reaction was this?  

Did he feel upset after being kissed? Was he still thinking of someone else?  

The reason for his impulse was now impossible to trace. Xue Feifeng had kissed him, and that was that—he didn’t want to overanalyze it. The only thing that mattered was taking responsibility for Shen Qingran.  

But first, Shen Qingran had to be willing.  

Shen Qingran pulled his hand free and wrote in Xue Feifeng’s palm: “I’ll work hard from now on.”  

That wasn’t what Xue Feifeng wanted to hear. “Don’t force yourself.”  

Shen Qingran lowered his head and wrote again: “Don’t do this again.”  

If this kept happening, he wouldn’t be able to continue pretending to be a woman with a clear conscience—he’d feel like he was taking advantage of Xue Feifeng’s masculine charms.  

Hearing Shen Qingran say these words so seriously almost confirmed Xue Feifeng’s suspicions. A surge of frustration rose in him. Gazing at Shen Qingran’s slender, fair nape, he asked in a low voice, “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”  

Shen Qingran’s lashes trembled slightly before he shook his head—no. If Xue Feifeng learned the truth, he’d surely get angry and kick him out.  

What a shameless parasite he was—just a few words from Xue Feifeng and he’d already forgotten his resolve.  

Xue Feifeng took a deep breath. That guilty look—he really wanted to tear off Shen Qingran’s disguise and spank him right then and there. But if Shen Qingran wasn’t willing to confess, Xue Feifeng wouldn’t force him. What if he pushed too hard and this thin-skinned man ran away from home again?  

Who cared whose child it was? Shen Qingran was his. Digging too deep would only bring more trouble than it was worth.  

As if afraid he wouldn’t follow through, Shen Qingran wrote in Xue Feifeng’s palm once more: “I’ll work.”  

Xue Feifeng’s expression was indescribable. He couldn’t imagine Shen Qingran suddenly developing a passion for farming—old habits died hard. Besides, if Shen Qingran had a sudden change of heart, what else could the reason be…  

His gaze lingered on Shen Qingran’s retreating figure.

Only four words came to his mind.  

“A mother is strong.”  

Xue Feifeng felt a pang in his stomach, but he knew everything had to be taken slowly.  

……  

Shen Qingran was utterly exhausted today, drenched as if he had been fished out of water. The mountain wind blew, and the rough sweat-soaked clothes clung to his skin, itching and stinging, while the cold air seeped through.  

He scratched his arm, where pale, delicate skin was now covered in red patches.  

He couldn’t walk anymore. He really wanted a hot bath.  

Xue Feifeng had offered countless times to carry him home, but Shen Qingran refused every time.  

How could he let a man with a limp carry him? Shen Qingran wouldn’t allow it, but he also couldn’t walk any further. During breaks, he would sit on the ground, panting, and massage Xue Feifeng’s thighs.  

It was all his fault—acting on impulse. Xue Feifeng had just gotten home before rushing out to chase after him. He must be even more exhausted.  

His soft, boneless fingers circled from the knees down to the calves, the pressure uneven and erratic, like a kitten pawing at a ball of yarn. A tingling itch crept up Xue Feifeng’s thighs, and his breathing grew heavier. He grabbed Shen Qingran’s mischievous fingers. “Qingran, don’t.”  

Shen Qingran looked up at him anxiously, sweat-dampened hair sticking to his flushed cheeks. He brushed Xue Feifeng’s hand away and lightly traced on his thigh: *Does it hurt?*  

Still writing? Xue Feifeng’s thigh muscles tensed. “It doesn’t hurt. Just rest. I’m used to it—I don’t feel tired.”  

Shen Qingran blew gently on Xue Feifeng’s knee, his heart aching. The muscles were stiff—he must have been enduring it for a long time. Shen Qingran remembered the sharp, throbbing pain of leg cramps while swimming and empathized deeply.  

The weak puffs of air couldn’t even penetrate the coarse fabric, let alone compare to the biting mountain wind. But to Xue Feifeng, it felt as if they blew straight into his chest, igniting a fire.  

He thought Shen Qingran must still have too much energy if he had the strength to torment him like this!  

Xue Feifeng abruptly stood up. “No more breaks. Let’s hurry home.”  

At those words, all the little expressions on Shen Qingran’s face vanished, leaving only deep resentment.  

Xue Feifeng grabbed his arm and hauled him up. “Let’s go.”  

Shen Qingran trailed behind listlessly, like a lazy cat whose toy had been snatched away and was now ordered to catch ten mice.  

……  

The stove still held some warmth, and the food in the pot was slightly warm. Xue Feifeng had left in such a hurry that he hadn’t put out the fire, leaving a thick layer of burnt rice at the bottom.  

Shen Qingran took a few bites before insisting on a bath. Too lazy to heat water himself, he was pushed back into a chair by Xue Feifeng, who went to prepare hot water.  

Casually, Xue Feifeng asked, “How’s the injury on your stomach?”  

Shen Qingran’s eyes flickered—this was the question that had nearly driven them apart. If Xue Feifeng insisted on seeing it, then fine, he’d show him.  

He covered Xue Feifeng’s eyes with one hand, peeking through his fingers to confirm they were obediently closed before letting go. Turning around, he untied his outer robe, bunching the fabric tightly above his ribs to ensure only his lower abdomen was exposed, leaving no gaps elsewhere.  

Then he turned back and nudged Xue Feifeng’s boot—*You can look now.*  

The moment Xue Feifeng opened his eyes, he saw the bruise on Shen Qingran’s abdomen. Without proper treatment during the long journey and constant friction from rough fabric, the overly delicate skin had been rubbed raw. The purplish-blue bruise was streaked with blood, swollen into a lump. There was another bruise on his back—it seemed he was always getting hurt.

Xue Feifeng suppressed his surging anger as he looked at Shen Qingran’s indifferent expression. He ended up scolding him along with the others, “It’s this serious—why didn’t you let me apply the medicine back in the cave?”

Shen Qingran, caught in the tail end of his anger, stammered and pulled his clothes back on, taking a step back.

But Xue Feifeng grabbed his clothes. As Shen Qingran retreated, the neatly folded fabric loosened, revealing a wide expanse of his chest that would be visible to anyone who glanced down.

Shen Qingran hastily covered himself.

Xue Feifeng kept a stern face. “Don’t move, or the clothes will stick to your wounds again.”

His tone softened slightly, no longer daring to show displeasure. “I was just worried about you. Come get the medicine after your bath.”

While applying the medicine, Xue Feifeng asked again who had hurt him. Afraid of dragging the matter of his “cousin” into it, Shen Qingran claimed he couldn’t remember, saying the troublemakers had already been beaten to a pulp by a passing hero, so it was best to let it go.

Xue Feifeng believed Chang Bai wouldn’t have held back, but it still didn’t feel like enough. Just as he was considering going back that night to teach them another lesson, Shen Qingran seemed to sense his thoughts and tugged at his sleeve, demanding a promise not to stir up more trouble.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t let him apply the medicine.

Even the usually stubborn Xue Feifeng had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

Shen Qingran vaguely felt he had mastered some kind of extraordinary technique.

……

Before leaving the mountains, Shen Qingran had wanted to show off his farming skills to Xue Feifeng. The next morning, he announced he was heading to the sugarcane field.

Xue Feifeng disagreed. “Stay home and rest these days. The sugarcane buyers are coming tomorrow—this little bit of work won’t make a difference.”

But Shen Qingran insisted. After shamelessly following Xue Feifeng home, he felt he should at least show some sincerity.

Xue Feifeng had no choice but to accompany him. When he saw Shen Qingran bending down to lift the bundled sugarcane leaves, he quickly stopped him. “Careful, they’ll cut your hands. Let me do it.”

Shen Qingran looked at him with a bright smile, waiting for praise.

Xue Feifeng suddenly understood and exaggeratedly praised him a few times. Flushed with excitement, Shen Qingran immediately grabbed three bundles of sugarcane leaves at once, like a child who had eaten three bowls of rice after being praised for finishing his meal.

Xue Feifeng regretted his words. “Don’t let them rub against your wounds—put them down. We have a donkey cart at home. Wait here, and I’ll go fetch it.”

Just then, a donkey cart appeared slowly on the distant mountain path, laboriously carrying several large chests. A middle-aged couple drove the cart, followed by a young man and woman—likely siblings.

“Hey, who’s that?” The villagers in the field looked up. “Haven’t seen them before.”

“Didn’t Sun Lao Er sell his sugarcane field? After moving out a while ago, he sold the house too. The other day, I saw him at the village head’s place finalizing the deal. These must be the new folks moving in—oh, a family of four.”

“That girl’s quite pretty. Isn’t your eldest son looking for a wife? This one seems like a good match…” For newcomers, marriage was a quick way to integrate into Li Family Village.

“Get lost! It’s better to know someone’s background. Some girls might have pretty faces but can’t lift a finger—and they come with endless demands.”

Shen Qingran ignored the veiled insults directed at him. His full attention was fixed on the donkey cart, so much so that he didn’t even notice Xue Feifeng returning.

That’s the female lead!

The female lead whose family moved here to escape hardship!

Shen Qingran’s heart raced with excitement, nearly biting his finger in agitation until tears welled up in his eyes.

The female lead is here—can seedless watermelons be far behind?

He carefully verified the identities of this family based on his impressions from the novel.  

Everything matched!  

The female lead looked pale and fragile, and Shen Qingran knew it was because she had just been injured—she had hit her head, and her soul had been replaced by a modern person. As for her seemingly decent older brother standing beside her, though he studied the classics, he was no good. Displeased with how crowded the donkey cart was, he had “accidentally” pushed his sister off when they passed a steep slope.  

Tears of excitement welled up in Shen Qingran’s eyes as a hundred plans to strike up a conversation with the female lead instantly flooded his mind. Each plan was flawless. Gritting his teeth, he accidentally bit his own finger too hard and quickly rubbed it against his stomach to ease the pain.  

Xue Feifeng stood nearby, waiting for Shen Qingran’s attention—but none came.  

It was just another donkey cart. Theirs at home was newer, so why was Shen Qingran staring at someone else’s?  

With the critical vigilance of a general inspecting his troops, Xue Feifeng scrutinized the donkey cart that had stolen Shen Qingran’s focus.  

At a glance, his expression darkened.  

The scholar on the cart appeared refined and scholarly, but Xue Feifeng, with his sharp eye for character, saw right through his selfish nature—when he got off, he didn’t spare a thought for his sister still on the cart. He leapt down carelessly, causing the cart to sway violently and sending his sister tumbling to the ground.  

Xue Feifeng observed Shen Qingran’s reaction from the corner of his eye.  

Shen Qingran had never shown interest in village affairs before. Now, here was an outsider—handsome in appearance but beastly at heart, likely having deceived countless naive young girls…  

Yet Shen Qingran was acting completely out of character, as if he had known the man for lifetimes. His hand even unconsciously touched his stomach, filled with nervous anticipation.  

Xue Feifeng stepped in front of Shen Qingran with a domineering yet subtle motion, blocking his view.  

“Do you know him?”