Chapter 13

“You… you all… wuwuwu~”

The delicate little white lotus finally crumbled—unable to retort, she turned her face away and began crying. Zhao Jian rushed to comfort her.

The self-important Qian Zhijun stepped forward and scolded,
“Wang Xinxin, what’s wrong with you lately? Can’t you act more ladylike? And stop throwing around the word ‘breakup’ every time something happens. I’m tired of hearing it even if you’re not. Don’t act like this again—I don’t like it. Now go apologize to Rourou.”

“Apologize, my ass. I said I’m breaking off the engagement and I mean it. Get lost.”

Wang Xinxin stomped hard on his foot, then grabbed Qin Yi’an and marched away, pushing through the crowd of onlookers and leaving the drama behind.

Qin Yi’an freed one hand to wave at her parents, who were waiting outside.

“Mom, Dad, go ahead and head back to the guesthouse. I’ve got to stop by the little courtyard to take care of a few things. Don’t wait up—I’ll be busy all day.”

“Wait a second.”

Xia Xiulan hurried over, pulled out five large-denomination bills and a stack of ration tickets from her pocket, and stuffed them into Qin Yi’an’s hands. With a tone that screamed generosity and confidence, she said,
“Spend freely. If it’s not enough, Mom’s got more—just come to me. Take your time, no rush. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Before Qin Yi’an could even think to refuse, she grabbed her husband and walked off. Smiling, she said to him,
“This kid’s friend seems pretty decent—good-hearted too.”

“Yeah, she’s a good one,” Qin Jiaguo nodded cheerfully.
“Come on, Xiulan, let’s go check out the department store. I want to get our daughter a wristwatch—something practical so she can keep track of time.”

“Great idea! Let’s find a pretty one,” Xia Xiulan said excitedly, walking toward the county department store.
“Whatever others have, my daughter’s got to have too.”

Watching the two walk away arm in arm, Wang Xinxin held onto Qin Yi’an’s wrist and smiled, truly happy for her friend.

“Yi’an, your real parents seem to really care about you. You don’t have to suffer or be mistreated anymore—I’m honestly happy for you.”

“Mm. I’m heading back to the little courtyard. Where are you going?” Qin Yi’an tucked the money and tickets into her storage space, though she winced a little—clearly still not used to this kind of affection.

“I’m going back too.”

Wang Xinxin looked down at the tofu pudding in her hands, her mood dimming. She touched her short hair and asked quietly,
“Yi’an, do you think I don’t look like a proper woman?”

Qin Yi’an turned to face her, looked into her eyes, and answered sincerely:

“You’re great. The short hair makes you look clean and capable. You’re kind, and that tofu pudding smells amazing. Don’t listen to those brainless cowards—who gets that scared watching an execution, then gags at tofu? That’s just weak. Mentally and physically. Guys like that aren’t worth your time—probably got kidney issues too.”

“Qian Zhijun and the others are just insecure. They belittle you to feel better about themselves. That guy is painfully average and way too self-confident. He doesn’t deserve you. You’re amazing.”

“Really?” Wang Xinxin had heard too many people say she was too rough, too much like a man. She’d started to believe them.

“Really. The most important thing is to be yourself. Look at how you shut those people up the other day. And today? While a bunch of grown men were throwing up in fear, you were still standing strong. That shows how smart, strong, and resilient you are. You’re seriously impressive.” Qin Yi’an nodded toward a pale-faced man nearby who was still recovering and muttered in her mind, Sorry, bro.

Pale-faced man: Excuse me, but was that necessary?!

“Mm, you’re right.” Wang Xinxin nodded furiously, completely absorbed in what Yi’an said.
“And everything I said earlier—I meant it. You just confirmed it for me. That arranged engagement? I’m ending it. Immediately.”

She glanced at the listless male comrade nearby and felt a surge of confidence. She clung to Qin Yi’an’s words like a lifeline. Her mood lifted. She pulled out a lunchbox from her bag and handed it over.

“Yi’an, want some tofu pudding? I made it myself.”

“Absolutely! I’ve been drooling over it. Smells amazing.”
Qin Yi’an took the container happily, sat down nearby, and opened it without hesitation. She dug in with big bites.
“This is incredible. The tofu is soft, the chili oil is fragrant and spicy—your cooking is seriously good!”

Seeing her friend truly enjoying the food, Wang Xinxin grinned from ear to ear and sat down to eat her own portion.

“If you like it, I’ll bring you more next time. I made a big batch this morning—there’s plenty at home. I’ll even bottle up some chili oil and send it to you in Beijing. Just let me know when you run out and I’ll mail more. This recipe’s been in my family for generations. My grandpa used to sell tofu pudding—he made enough money to move our family from the village to the county and build a life here. Seeing you enjoy it makes me feel like I’m honoring his legacy.”

Qin Yi’an nodded so fast it was a blur—her mouth too busy eating to speak. Honestly, she’d had tofu pudding more times than she could count, but this? This was hands-down the best she’d ever tasted. Wang Xinxin’s skills were top-tier. Qian Zhijun really had no idea what he was throwing away.

Not far off, one of the still-nauseated male comrades saw the red-and-white tofu pudding in their hands. Just as he was starting to feel better, his stomach turned again, and he leaned over to vomit while whispering to his companion:

“Tell me, aren’t those two women intense? Eating tofu pudding at an execution site? That’s… wild. I can’t take it—ugh!”

His companion gave him a hard slap on the back.
“Stop talking. Just puke. Don’t go around calling women ‘too much’ just because you’re soft. Honestly, being tough is better than being a doormat.”

“Ease up or I’ll puke on your shoes…” the man mumbled, head down as he retched.

Meanwhile, Qin Yi’an and Wang Xinxin happily finished their tofu pudding. After cleaning up, they linked arms and strolled home.

At the front gate, they parted ways—Wang Xinxin heading inside to talk to her parents about breaking off the engagement.

Qin Yi’an entered the courtyard, ready to… ahem, “handle official business”