Chapter 23.1

By the time they got home, it was completely dark.

Along the way, Li Nianqiu had composed herself so well that by the time they arrived at the Zhou house, there was no trace left of her earlier tears. She calmed the worried Li Xiangdong, explaining that she had accidentally fallen down a slope on her way back, which also explained the man’s coat she was wearing.

“Wen Yue, thank you,” Li Nianqiu said, patting her sister’s head. Her gaze was full of gratitude. “It’s getting late. I’ll take Xiangdong home first and come by tomorrow.”

Wen Yue quickly stopped them, “You haven’t had dinner yet. Stay and have a meal with us. We still have dumplings. After eating, you can go home, take a bath, and get a good night’s sleep.”

After such a scare, it was best to rest early.

Li Nianqiu declined, smiling at Wen Yue before leaving the Zhou house with Li Xiangdong. She felt they had already troubled Wen Yue enough for one day, and staying for dinner would be too much. She wasn’t thick-skinned enough to impose further.

Li Nianqiu couldn’t bear to think of what might have happened if Wen Yue hadn’t arrived in time with help. Though she didn’t show her emotions outwardly, she would remember this event deeply and find a way to repay this kindness in the future.

Wen Yue couldn’t convince Li Nianqiu, so she reluctantly agreed, “Then you two should go back with Grandma Fang and the others. It’s on the way anyway.”

“Okay.” Li Nianqiu finally agreed.

Wen Yue watched them walk out of the courtyard and disappear into the night. She breathed a sigh of relief, but her tension quickly returned as she looked up sharply, “What about that guy? Did you kill him?”

At the time, her focus had been entirely on Li Nianqiu, ignoring the man completely, only knowing that Zhou Yao had beaten him severely.

“He’s not dead,” Zhou Yao said, raising an eyebrow at Wen Yue’s expression. “You look a little disappointed.”

Wen Yue denied it, saying that killing someone would land them in jail and that a scumbag like that wasn’t worth it. She pouted, feeling dejected. “I just think people like that are disgusting. Will he cause trouble for Nianqiu later? If he spreads what happened, Nianqiu’s reputation in the village will be ruined…”

She hadn’t figured out a solution and was very worried.

“He won’t dare,” Zhou Yao replied. Seeing Wen Yue still upset, he clicked his tongue and gently tapped her furrowed brow with his long fingers. “If you’re really worried, we’ll just take the initiative.”

Wen Yue blinked in confusion, tilting her head up to look at him. “How do we take the initiative?”

Zhou Yao called her silly. “We’ll say that last night, while we were out for a walk, we saw your friend being robbed by Fang Qiang, so we stepped in to help.”

Wen Yue blinked, “Will that work?”

“It will.” Zhou Yao nodded confidently, smiling, “Leave it to me. Stop worrying, okay? Your eyebrows are practically knitting together. It’s really ugly.” He smoothed out Wen Yue’s furrowed brows, his tone gentle despite his words.

Wen Yue swatted his hand away, “I’m going to take a bath.”

She huffed, leaving Zhou Yao with a proud back.

Zhou Yao rubbed the back of his hand where she had hit him, watching her retreating figure with a smile. But thinking about the night’s events, his smile stiffened. He frowned, resolving that he would never let Wen Yue go out alone again.

Especially at night—it was too dangerous.

…

The next afternoon, Li Nianqiu finished her chores and brought her sister to visit Wen Yue. Her expression was completely normal, showing no signs of the previous night’s nightmare, and she sincerely thanked Wen Yue.

Li Nianqiu had wanted to bring something as a token of gratitude.

But she had no money, and there was nothing valuable at home. She could only keep this kindness in her heart, planning to repay it in the future when she was able.

“Is your husband not at home?” Li Nianqiu’s tone was still calm, her gaze gentle. “Since he’s not here, I’ll thank you on his behalf. After all, you two are a couple. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Wen Yue blushed slightly every time she heard such comments. She led the sisters inside. “He went to Grandma Fang’s house. Come in and sit.”

“Are you making clothes?” Li Nianqiu immediately noticed the sewing machine by the window and smiled. “You actually have a sewing machine? Zhou Yao bought it for you, right? He’s quite generous with you. That puts my mind at ease. I was worried he might bully you.”

After all, Zhou Yao had a bad reputation in the village. They didn’t interact much, and the only information about him came from village gossip.

People said Zhou Yao was lazy, had a bad temper, liked to fight, and was hard to get along with. But from their limited interactions, Li Nianqiu’s impression had changed.

At least he was willing to spend money on Wen Yue. He didn’t seem to have ever hurt her. Most importantly, he had saved her last night. Compared to someone like Fang Qiang, Zhou Yao was not a delinquent at all, just a bit unconventional.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be bullied. I have quite a temper,” Wen Yue said seriously. “I’m learning to make clothes. I’m practicing on his clothes first before making my own.”

Li Nianqiu chuckled, “That’s great. By the way, did you understand the books you borrowed from me? If there’s anything you don’t get, just ask me, and I’ll explain it to you.”

Worried that Wen Yue might doubt her abilities, Li Nianqiu added, “I always did well in school, and I’ve taught classmates before. I know these points thoroughly.”

“No need, I got it all.” Wen Yue knew Li Nianqiu was a good student.

The novel described how she used to tutor classmates for money, and she was quite successful at it. Her business acumen was impressive!

Li Nianqiu was surprised. “You got it all?”

Wen Yue nodded, “Yeah, more or less.” After all, she had graduated from college in her previous life. Her grades might not match the protagonist’s, but getting into college shouldn’t be a problem.

“Let me test you then?” Li Nianqiu raised an eyebrow, testing her.

Wen Yue agreed confidently, “Sure, go ahead.”

Li Nianqiu started with some simple questions, and hearing Wen Yue answer them all correctly piqued her interest. She gradually increased the difficulty, her expression growing more surprised, as if she had discovered something rare.