The village elder raised a hand, signaling everyone to quiet down, and spoke, “Since you’re claiming Zhou Song hit you, Zhou Xiaofu, why don’t you tell us why he’d want to do that?”

Zhou Xiaofu figured it was likely because of that wretched Shen Qingzhu that Zhou Song had laid a hand on him—after all, he’d defended that guy twice before. But knowing the reason didn’t mean he could say it out loud; after all, he’d been the one who harbored ill intentions toward Shen Qingzhu. If people found out, he’d clearly be in the wrong. So, instead, he blurted, “How would I know? I was just coming over to East Village to hang out with some friends when I ran into him, and he suddenly went crazy and attacked me!”

Seeing that he hadn’t mentioned Shen Qingzhu, Zhou Song withdrew his gaze from him. If Zhou Xiaofu had really dared to say it, he’d have kicked him back into unconsciousness on the spot.

“Zhou Xiaofu, you’re really good at making stuff up. If you can’t think of a decent excuse, just keep your mouth shut!” Lin Erzhu immediately mocked him when he couldn’t come up with a convincing story.

The village elder was clearly not convinced either. “Zhou Xiaofu, if you’re going to sling baseless accusations like this, there’s no way to address this issue.”

“Why can’t it be addressed?!” Hu Lan protested, sounding desperate. “My son already said Zhou Song was the one who attacked him! He’s been beaten up this badly, so why would he lie? Village elder, you can’t be biased!”

Her son had gone out and returned looking like this. No matter what, someone had to be held accountable!

Hearing this, the village elder’s face darkened. He had overseen the village fairly for years, always resolving matters impartially, never taking sides. Being openly accused of favoritism by a woman naturally soured his mood.

Zhou Dashan, who had a bit more sense, noticed the elder’s expression and quickly intervened, “Village elder, she’s just a woman and doesn’t understand. Please don’t take her words to heart.”

The village elder raised his hand, having lost patience with them. “Fine. I’m not biased. If your son can provide proof, I’ll make sure Zhou Song gives you a proper explanation. But if he can’t, and it turns out he’s falsely accusing someone, shouldn’t he also face consequences?”

“Hey, just saying, we all saw Zhou Xiaofu when he was found, and Zhou Song was busy carrying water. We pulled him over to help, and we’re all willing to vouch for him!” The middle-aged man spoke up, with the others nodding in agreement.

“Well said, Uncle Li!” Lin Erzhu gave him a thumbs-up.

The village elder turned back to the Zhou family trio. “So, how about you? Witnesses or evidence—let’s see it!”

“I…” Hu Lan faltered, unable to provide anything. She turned to her son, who was equally at a loss for words.

Zhou Dashan crouched beside them, “Tell me the truth, what happened when you got hit? What exactly was the situation? Speak up and tell the village elder!”

Zhou Xiaofu, cornered by his parents, was filled with frustration. Yes, Zhou Song had indeed hit him, but the cause was unspeakable. And with things blown up this much, he had no proof to support his story, so no one would believe him no matter what he said.

Moreover, Zhou Song was glaring at him from the side, his gaze cold enough to freeze him to his core. Zhou Xiaofu was genuinely terrified. Zhou Song’s strikes were ruthless. He might not act now with everyone around, but who’s to say he wouldn’t seek revenge later?

After stammering for a long time, unable to form a coherent response, the village elder finally lost his patience. “Zhou Xiaofu, you were attacked and wronged. If you told the truth, I’d certainly seek justice for you. But your story is filled with lies and baseless accusations, and you haven’t spoken a word of truth. I have no desire to handle this any further. Besides, Shen Xiaolang mentioned hearing you hurling insults. Whoever hit you, it was likely your own fault. Just accept it and consider it a stroke of bad luck.”

“How can you say that, village elder? This isn’t right at all!” Hu Lan scanned the crowd, her eyes landing on Shen Qingzhu. Pointing at him, she shouted, “He said he heard my son cursing, but isn’t that just his word without proof? And he was the one who found my son, so who’s to say he wasn’t involved? Maybe… maybe he was meeting a lover in secret and was seen by my son, and his lover beat him up!”

At this point, Hu Lan didn’t care who took the blame, as long as someone did. Even if it wasn’t Zhou Song, it could be someone else. Shen Qingzhu used to be a young master, surely he had some money. Her son couldn’t just be beaten for nothing.

The moment she spoke, Zhou Song’s head whipped around to glare at her, his expression menacing as he took a step forward. But someone held him back.

Lin Erzhu leaned in and whispered, “Don’t act rashly. If you cause trouble for Shen Xiaolang, it’ll only make things worse.”

Only a few of them knew about his proposal; if he overreacted here, it might start some unwanted rumors.

Though anger clouded Zhou Song’s judgment for a moment, he paused, looked over at Shen Qingzhu, and saw him shaking his head in disapproval. Zhou Song had no choice but to stifle his anger.

“What nonsense are you spouting!” The village elder was infuriated by Hu Lan’s baseless accusations. “He’s an unmarried Kun Ze—do you have any idea how harmful your words are to his reputation?!”

Hu Lan flinched under the elder’s outburst, pursing her lips as she avoided his gaze, then directly demanded of Shen Qingzhu, “Then tell me, what happened? Is my son’s injury connected to you?!”

Her voice was loud and sharp. Shen Qingzhu seemed taken aback, his face pale, and he shook his head frantically. “I… I don’t know. When I got there, he was already lying on the ground. I really have no idea…”

Under the mounting pressure, he suddenly rolled his eyes and collapsed backward.

Wu Lanshu, standing beside him, quickly caught him, easing him down to sit with him resting on her. “Qingzhu, Qingzhu, what’s wrong?”

The moment Shen Qingzhu fell, Zhou Song’s face drained of color, and he rushed over, hands trembling with worry. But as he crouched down beside him, he noticed Shen Qingzhu opening one eye and winking at him.

Zhou Song’s eyes widened in surprise, then relief washed over him as his heart settled.

As Shen Qingzhu pretended to have fainted, the whole crowd, including the village elder, was thrown into a panic. The situation was already chaotic; they didn’t need another complication.

Not noticing the little act, Lin Erzhu genuinely thought Shen Qingzhu had passed out and anxiously hovered by his side.

With a look of “grief-stricken fury,” Wu Lanshu turned to Hu Lan and snapped, “Hu Lan! Our Qingzhu hasn’t even fully recovered, and now you’ve upset him to the point of fainting. If anything happens to him, I won’t forgive you! I’ll take this to the town magistrate if I have to!”

“Report to the magistrate?” To village folk, those words struck a deep chord of fear. Hu Lan fell silent, her boldness diminishing instantly. She’d had no idea Shen Qingzhu’s health was so fragile!

Without sparing her another glance, Wu Lanshu clutched Zhou Song’s arm, “Zhou Song, could you come with me to get the cart? We’ll take Qingzhu to town to see a proper doctor. If anything happens to him, I won’t be able to go on!”

A few tears even slid down her face as she wiped them away with her sleeve.

“Yes, yes, Zhou Song, hurry up and take him to town. Don’t worry about any improprieties—his health comes first!” the village elder urged.

Without further word, Zhou Song lifted Shen Qingzhu into his arms and headed out the door. He moved quickly, and everyone assumed it was out of concern, not noticing his ears turning a deep shade of red.

Once they left, the village elder glanced back at Hu Lan and Zhou Xiaofu, irritation plain on his face. “Enough. Go home and take care of his injuries. Let this be a lesson—maybe next time, watch that temper.”

Zhou Dashan forced a smile and turned to glare at his wife. The fool! They’d had a solid case and she’d turned it into a mess!

Hu Lan didn’t dare say a word, just holding her son in silence.

Meanwhile, Zhou Song had already returned home with Shen Qingzhu, carrying him all the way to his room before setting him down.

As he let go of Shen Qingzhu’s warm body and faint orchid scent, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of loss.

Shen Qingzhu stood steady on his feet, noticed Zhou Song’s still-flushed ears, and chuckled to himself without comment.

Wu Lanshu entered after securing the courtyard gate and, seeing the two of them, smiled and said, “Now that we’re out of there, I doubt they’ll cause more trouble. That scoundrel got his just desserts, and Hu Lan dared to frighten Qingzhu. She probably won’t say much now.”

“Aunt, you did a great job acting. You really shut them up.” Shen Qingzhu didn’t forget to compliment her.

The whole plan was something they’d discussed in advance. If Zhou Xiaofu woke up and started accusing them, they had their solution ready.

Wu Lanshu waved her hand with a laugh, “Ah, I’ve seen my fair share.”

The tricks of wealthy ladies and young misses were far craftier than anything uneducated villagers could come up with. When it came down to it, handling these simple country folk was child’s play.

Zhou Song, not knowing it was all a setup, had been genuinely frightened when Shen Qingzhu fainted. Even now, he felt uneasy. “Are you really okay?”

“Don’t worry; I’m fine,” Shen Qingzhu said with a soft smile, seeing Zhou Song’s concern. “It seems I acted convincingly enough for even you to believe it.”

Zhou Song lowered his gaze, saying nothing. He had just been too worried to think straight.

Wu Lanshu looked at the two of them and said, “I’ll hitch the cart in the back. You two keep talking.”

As she stepped outside, Zhou Song asked, “If you’re not really ill, do we still need to go to town?”

“Of course,” Shen Qingzhu raised an eyebrow at him. “The worse my ‘illness’ appears, the more scared they’ll be. They’ll be too afraid to cause trouble, and they might even worry about Aunt Wu seeking revenge.”

Zhou Song thought it over and agreed; given the stubborn nature of those people, this was the best way to keep them in check, making them swallow this bitter pill.

However, even if they dared to cause more trouble in the future, he wasn’t afraid. Though he lacked Kun Ze’s intelligence and tact, he was straightforward. If they kept stirring things up, he’d just keep beating up Zhou Xiaofu each time. Let’s see if Hu Lan, who treated her son like a precious treasure, could handle that.

As he stayed silent, Shen Qingzhu looked up at him, a hint of his usual smile fading as he asked softly, “No matter what, they are still your family. By toying with them like this, do you feel…?”

“Not at all.” Before he could finish, Zhou Song replied, “They… don’t really count as my family.”

Seeing the man’s lowered gaze, Shen Qingzhu remained silent for a moment. Since coming to the village, he had heard bits and pieces about Zhou Song’s background. Zhou Song might not mind it now, but once upon a time, he had probably felt hurt.

Reaching out, he placed his hand on Zhou Song’s head, giving it a gentle pat, saying nothing.

Zhou Song froze slightly, not daring to lift his head, afraid he might disrupt that comforting hand.

Shen Qingzhu watched his obedient demeanor, his eyes crinkling in a smile. He ruffled Zhou Song’s hair once more, then before pulling his hand away, gave his red-tipped ear a small pinch.

Zhou Song’s whole body stiffened, his ears burning even hotter, and he kept his eyes lowered.

Only when Aunt Wu returned with the cart did that subtle atmosphere between them dissipate.

Zhou Song hurried outside, practically fleeing to prepare the cart, while Shen Qingzhu laughed behind him.