Chapter 49

The relationship between him and Lin Xiuzhi was naturally innocent, and they did not have much contact. Apart from helping when necessary, Lu Chen believed that there were no unspeakable secrets between him and Lin Xiuzhi.

To him, Lin Xiuzhi was just someone he interacted with more than other strangers in the brigade.

But why did she say that?

Could it be that she really encountered some big trouble and that’s why she made a slip of the tongue? Or was it intentional?

From what Lu Chen knew about Lin Xiuzhi, it was unlikely to be a slip of the tongue. She was meticulous and patient. It was impossible for her to say something so wildly inappropriate by accident.

So, does that mean she said that on purpose?

Why did she do that? What was her goal?

For a moment, Lu Chen felt a mix of emotions, and his mind kept running through all of this.

Seeing him frown in silence, Meng Yinyin, with her tearful eyes, peeked at him and then with a pitiful expression asked, “Why did she say that? Have you figured it out?”

In her heart, she was almost dying from anxiety. She really wanted to shake Lu Chen’s shoulders and ask him about his feelings toward Lin Xiuzhi, but she didn’t dare to ask.

Her emotions were very complicated. On one hand, she wanted Lu Chen to admit that there was something going on between him and Lin Xiuzhi. If he did, she could break up with him openly and wouldn’t have to worry about him showing his true face and getting locked up later.

But on the other hand, she really didn’t want to hear Lu Chen say that he truly liked Lin Xiuzhi.

Because if that were true, it would mean that Lu Chen was only using her as a cover, being indecisive, and a complete liar who didn’t really like her. Both she and her brother had been deceived by his false appearance!

If that was the case, it would be so embarrassing!

So no matter how she thought about it, Meng Yinyin felt uneasy. She just stared at Lu Chen, waiting for his answer.

She would decide based on what he said.

Taking a deep breath, Meng Yinyin fixed her gaze on Lu Chen.

Lu Chen came to his senses and noticed the nervous look on Meng Yinyin’s face. He immediately tried to reassure her.

“There’s nothing between me and her. She just helped me once, so I promised that if she ever needed anything, I would help her.”

After saying that, Lu Chen fell silent and quietly looked at Meng Yinyin.

He thought he had explained things clearly, but Meng Yinyin’s eyes were still wide open, and her expression was filled with confusion, as if asking: “Is that it? Is this the end?”

As Lu Chen had expected, Meng Yinyin was indeed shocked and extremely curious.

She wasn’t sure if what Lu Chen said was true, but his response was certainly something she hadn’t expected.

So, he was concerned about Lin Xiuzhi because she helped him in the past?

But what exactly did she help with? How did she help? When did this happen?

Perhaps it was just a dream, but Meng Yinyin couldn’t shake the suspicion. She needed to figure out the specifics and details to judge whether Lu Chen was lying or making up a story.

After all, everyone in the book said that Lu Chen liked Lin Xiuzhi.

Meng Yinyin pouted.

“How did she help you? Is it inconvenient for you to say? Or are you just unwilling to tell me?”

Meng Yinyin asked this on purpose. Since they were already at this point, whether she could continue being with Lu Chen depended on his answer. So, she didn’t bother to act and waited for him to explain, asking directly instead.

She didn’t believe that after she asked like this, Lu Chen wouldn’t tell her the details!

Sure enough, when Meng Yinyin asked so directly, Lu Chen hesitated. A brief flash of discomfort crossed his eyes, and for the first time, he didn’t answer her question directly but awkwardly changed the subject.

“It’s getting late, maybe… let’s talk about it tomorrow. You should rest now.”

Meng Yinyin’s eyes widened, and without thinking, she said, “You’re guilty!”

Lu Chen explained, “I’m not.”

“Then why won’t you tell me the truth now? Why drag it until tomorrow? I know what you’re thinking, you’re planning to find another excuse tonight, right?”

Lu Chen: “…”

He knew Meng Yinyin had a rich imagination, but at this moment, he couldn’t help feeling helpless.

“Really, I’m not. I just…”

He didn’t know how to explain it, or rather, he was too embarrassed to say it.

Because that past wasn’t something Lu Chen was proud of. In fact, it could even be considered humiliating. He didn’t want to reveal this embarrassing side of himself to Meng Yinyin.

Lu Chen didn’t care about what others thought of him, but he did care about how Meng Yinyin viewed him. He didn’t want his image in front of her to become worse.

But Meng Yinyin was determined to get to the bottom of it, so she wouldn’t let this opportunity slip by. She kept pressing.

“If there’s nothing, then just tell me. Otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to believe that you and Lin Xiuzhi really have an unspoken relationship. In that case, let’s break up!”

“No!”

Lu Chen’s sudden outburst startled Meng Yinyin.

She looked over and saw Lu Chen frowning deeply, his expression very serious, even a little accusatory, as if Meng Yinyin had said something unforgivable.

Meng Yinyin felt a little guilty under his gaze, but quickly recovered and retorted confidently.

“It’s you who’s hiding the truth from me, not my fault…”

Seeing that Meng Yinyin was determined to know about the past, Lu Chen remained silent for a moment before finally giving in.

But before explaining the past, he couldn’t help but emphasize one thing to Meng Yinyin.

“After you hear it, you can’t laugh at me…”

Huh? What does that mean?

What does “don’t laugh at me” mean?

Meng Yinyin was confused by Lu Chen’s words.

But quickly, she replied, “Don’t worry, I’m not like that. I definitely won’t laugh at you!”

Seeing her practically swearing, Lu Chen pursed his lips and slowly began to tell her how he and Lin Xiuzhi developed their “helping” relationship.

Actually, it wasn’t that complicated.

When Lu Chen was young, although his grandmother took care of him, life was still very difficult. Lu Dashan and his wife were already unhappy about him eating without contributing, and perhaps because of their guilt—since Lu Chen’s existence constantly reminded them of the compensation they took for Lu Tian’s death—they couldn’t bear it and once secretly tried to abandon Lu Chen.

Unfortunately, Lu Chen’s luck was quite good, and with his strong sense of direction, there was no way to leave him stranded outside.

When Lu Dashan and Jiang Guihua saw their first plan fail, they came up with another idea. They decided to abandon Lu Chen in the mountains. Since he could find his way back outside, would he be able to find his way in the mountains?

The mountain was full of trees and looked similar everywhere, and with no one around to ask for directions, Lu Chen, a child under ten years old, would likely never come out.

So, Lu Dashan found an excuse to take Lu Chen up the mountain. While he wasn’t paying attention, Lu Chen was left abandoned there. However, whether it was truly divine intervention or not, Lu Chen was saved.

The person who saved him was, of course, Lin Xiuzhi. At that time, she was already fifteen or sixteen years old, a young woman. She was picking herbs with her family when she happened to find him.

It was a rather awkward situation when she found him, as Lu Chen had fallen into a trap hole. The hole had been home to countless animals, and the bottom was filled with layers of thick animal droppings—so much so that calling it a manure pit would be an understatement.

So, not only was Lu Chen saved, but he was also rescued from the manure pit by Lin Xiuzhi.

…

After hearing Lu Chen’s explanation, Meng Yinyin remained silent for three seconds. Then, her lips couldn’t help but curl into a smile, but when her eyes met Lu Chen’s resentful gaze, her smile froze. It turned into a forced expression that clearly showed she was trying not to laugh.

It was obvious that she was struggling to hold it in.

Lu Chen glanced at her a few times before sighing helplessly.

“Fine, go ahead and laugh.”

He couldn’t hold it in anymore; holding back would likely cause a problem!

With his permission, Meng Yinyin no longer held back and burst into laughter.

Just minutes ago, she had been crying uncontrollably, but now, the story of Lu Chen falling into the manure pit had made her laugh so much that a big bubble of snot appeared from her nose.

When she saw the bubble, the smile on her face instantly froze.

Lu Chen couldn’t hold back anymore either. Her changing expressions were too cute, and he started laughing as well.

Meng Yinyin blushed from his laughter, but she knew she was the one who had embarrassed herself, so she shot him an angry glare to express her displeasure.

But once both of them started laughing, the previously tense atmosphere suddenly dissipated.

As the atmosphere relaxed, Meng Yinyin’s tone became much lighter.

She asked Lu Chen, “So, Lin Xiuzhi was really just your savior, wasn’t she?”

Lu Chen nodded.

“Mm.”

Of course, the more accurate way to put it was that she had just lent him a helping hand to get out earlier. He had already planned to use the animal droppings in the pit to climb out, but it would have been difficult. However, it didn’t mean it was impossible.

Nonetheless, Lin Xiuzhi did help him, and Lu Chen was someone who appreciated kindness. So, over time, whenever Lin Xiuzhi needed help, he would do his best to assist her.

Meng Yinyin, still processing the shock of what she had heard, had one more question.

“So, you don’t like her, do you?”

Lu Chen looked at her seriously.

“Of course, I don’t like her!”

The person he liked was only Meng Yinyin, and no one else.

“Then, is there a possibility that Lin Xiuzhi likes you?”

Lu Chen’s response was firm again.

“Impossible. Lin Xiuzhi has a good relationship with Dou Zhengrong. She wouldn’t like anyone other than him.”

Although what Lu Chen said was true, his apparent understanding of Lin Xiuzhi’s feelings made Meng Yinyin a bit jealous, and she couldn’t help but retort.

“Then what about what happened this afternoon? I don’t believe you didn’t understand what she meant. When she spoke, it didn’t sound like she had no feelings for you.”

Meng Yinyin swore she wasn’t trying to be sarcastic, but she couldn’t resist. Lin Xiuzhi’s behavior this afternoon had been too irritating!

Lu Chen, hearing this, fell silent for a moment before replying, “I’ll ask her about it and clarify things.”

Meng Yinyin’s eyes widened.

“When?”

Seeing the sparkle in her eyes, Lu Chen immediately replied.

“Tomorrow.”

First thing tomorrow morning, he would go to the Dou’s family house.