Chapter 3: A Life-or-Death Question

Yuan Lingling couldn’t control the fear surging in her heart.

The moment she locked eyes with Shen Caisheng, she felt as if a venomous snake had wrapped around her throat.

She didn’t want to be locked up!

“T-That… Xie Guanglian said he was planning to repay the money he owed us,” Yuan Lingling stammered, her mind racing to come up with the perfect excuse.

“Yuan Lingling,” Xie Guanglian barely had time to feel scared. This crazy woman—when did he ever owe her money?

“What are you talking—”

Yuan Lingling didn’t give him a chance to speak. She immediately cut him off.

“A few days ago, you said your eldest brother was about to be promoted to director, so all the family’s money was used to secure his position. You said your rice bowl at home was so clean it could be used as a mirror.”

“Last month, you said your eldest brother used the money meant to buy you a job to curry favor with his superiors, and you were so angry you smashed Uncle Xie’s radio.”

“And then—”

Xie Guanglian looked at her like he had just seen a ghost.

So what?

Wasn’t she the one who felt bad and insisted on giving him money?

Yuan Lingling put on a troubled expression, then showed a hint of disdain before hesitantly pulling out a few sheets of paper from her coat pocket. Her fair, delicate fingers trembled slightly.

“Second Brother Xie, here are the IOUs. We all live on Hongmin Road, so we won’t charge you interest. I’m not great at calculations, so you and Caisheng can work it out.” With that, she shoved the notes into Shen Caisheng’s hands without giving Xie Guanglian a chance to object.

Their fingers brushed briefly, and Shen Caisheng noticed how cold her hands were. He glanced at her, but before he could say anything, she quickly averted her gaze like a guilty thief.

“I’m going to cook,” she blurted out, then bolted as if a wild dog were chasing her.

Watching her retreating figure, Shen Caisheng finally lowered his gaze to the stack of papers. The IOUs were crisp and well-preserved—ten or so in total, listing debts ranging from three to forty yuan. He flipped through them one by one, his face unreadable.

“Caisheng, this… this…”

Xie Guanglian swallowed hard. Could he say that he had only made those promises to make Yuan Lingling happy?

Back then, she had confidently told him he wouldn’t have to pay the money back or even bother writing IOUs. But who could have guessed that she had kept them all?

Shen Caisheng gripped the stack of IOUs and looked up. His next words nearly made Xie Guanglian jump.

“The total is 228 yuan and 65 cents. Pay up.”

“What?! How could it be that much?” Xie Guanglian’s voice cracked. That stupid woman—there was no way she had given him that much money!

Shen Caisheng let out a quiet chuckle, sending a chill down Xie Guanglian’s spine.

“You really don’t know how much you borrowed? You think I’d scam you over such a small amount?”

Small amount? 228 yuan was a small amount?

If it was so little, why didn’t he just forget about it?!

But Xie Guanglian had been afraid of Shen Caisheng since childhood. They weren’t so much friends as he was just Shen Caisheng’s lackey. Later, when Shen Caisheng stopped needing a lackey, he had simply cut him off. Still, that fear never went away.

“O-Of course not,” Xie Guanglian forced a smile, though he was cursing inwardly. “It’s just… I’m a bit short on cash right now. Could you give me a couple more days?”

Forget two days—even if he had two hundred days, he couldn’t come up with that much money. But dragging it out was better than paying right away.

“Two days,” Shen Caisheng said flatly. “If I don’t see the money then, I’ll go to your eldest brother’s workplace and ask him for it.”

His expression didn’t change at all as he glanced toward the chimney of his house, where smoke was rising. “I don’t think your brother wants to see me.”

Who the hell would want to see you? Xie Guanglian thought bitterly.

Shen Caisheng had always been difficult to get along with. If you didn’t provoke him, he simply ignored you. But once he was angry, no one would have it easy.

Originally, Xie Guanglian had hoped to take advantage of the situation. Instead, he found himself owing over 200 yuan. He was unwilling to accept it.

He wanted to negotiate further, but Shen Caisheng quickly shut him down.

“Stop bothering my wife. Anyone who doesn’t know better might think she’s your wife.”

A chill ran down Xie Guanglian’s spine. He shut his mouth instantly. He only dared to move after Shen Caisheng closed the courtyard gate. Wiping away nonexistent sweat from his forehead, he suddenly felt furious at himself for being so spineless.

“Damn it!”

Frustrated, he spun around and kicked a nearby tree.

“Ah—” A sharp pain shot through his foot. He gasped, clenching his teeth to suppress a scream. He crouched down, clutching his injured foot, his face contorted in pain.

Damn it!

One day, he’d chop this tree down for firewood!

Limping away, he saw his younger sister, Xie Aihe, peeking out from the courtyard gate.

“Second Brother, what happened? Why are you limping? Don’t tell me Yuan Lingling refused to give you the money. I knew it—she looks down on you!”

Xie Aihe was Xie Guanglian’s third sister. She had never gotten along with Yuan Lingling. Now that Yuan Lingling had married the man she once liked, her resentment had only deepened.

When she found out that Yuan Lingling was secretly involved with her second brother, she had felt a twisted sense of pleasure. She hoped Yuan Lingling would divorce Shen Caisheng and marry Xie Guanglian instead—then she’d finally have the chance to torment her!

But recently, Yuan Lingling seemed to be slipping out of Xie Guanglian’s control. Seeing her brother like this, she was certain he had suffered humiliation at Yuan Lingling’s hands.

What a useless man.

She thought so but didn’t say it out loud. However, her emotions were written all over her face, and Xie Guanglian saw them clearly.

His expression darkened. His tone was sharp. “Can’t you see I hurt my foot? Get out of the way!”

Xie Aihe was yelled at for no reason, leaving her momentarily at a loss. But soon, she felt a surge of irritation—why take out his frustration on her just because he was feeling useless?

She concealed the disdain in her eyes, put on a smile, and stepped forward to support him. “What happened? Don’t tell me you got beaten up by that Shen Caisheng?”

Xie Aihe knew that her second brother despised being compared to Shen Caisheng the most. Seizing on this, she made sure to mention him in front of Xie Guanglian every day—it never failed to provoke his anger.

Sure enough, just as she expected, the moment Shen Caisheng’s name was mentioned, Xie Guanglian flared up like a lit firecracker.

“Him? As if I’d let him lay a hand on me!”

“Could it be Yuan Lingling instead?” Xie Aihe knew Xie Guanglian well. If he had really been beaten up, he would be making a huge scene and thinking of ways to take revenge. Since he hadn’t said anything, it was likely that he had tripped and fallen on his own but was too embarrassed to admit it.

Looking at him now, it was clear that his visit to Yuan Lingling hadn’t gone well either.

Thinking about how the relationship between her second brother and Yuan Lingling had worsened recently, Xie Aihe started to worry. Would things still go according to plan?

As she was deep in thought, Xie Guanglian suddenly spoke, “Little sister, can you lend me some money?”

Xie Aihe immediately became alert. She let go of his hand as if avoiding the plague and stepped back, her tone turning cold. “Why do you need money?”

He spent his days idling at home, and now he had the audacity to ask his younger sister for money? Did he have no shame?

Xie Guanglian was indeed a bit of a troublemaker, but he wasn’t stupid. He could see how much his sister despised him.

But the more she disliked him, the more he couldn’t reveal the truth.

Getting Xie Aihe to help him pay off his debt was out of the question. He had thought that even a little bit of money would help, but seeing her reaction now, she clearly wouldn’t give him a single cent.

Losing patience, Xie Guanglian snapped, “Enough nonsense, just say whether you’re lending it or not.”

Xie Aihe’s eyes flickered before she suddenly put on a distressed expression. She stomped her foot and said anxiously, “Oh no, I didn’t dare tell Mom and Dad, but a few days ago, I accidentally broke a glass panel at the supply and marketing cooperative. Second Brother, please don’t tell Mom, Dad, or Big Brother.”

She lowered her head apologetically. “I had to pay for the damages, so I don’t have any spare money now.”

If it had been before, Xie Guanglian would have immediately worried for her. But this time, he simply glanced at her brand-new dress and said nothing to comfort her.

His little sister was a miser. Since their parents favored their eldest brother and rarely gave money to the younger siblings, Xie Guanglian had always understood that. Growing up, he had often shared his own money with Xie Aihe, believing that they were the closest among the siblings.

But ever since his little sister and their mother had tricked the family into securing her a job at the supply and marketing cooperative, Xie Guanglian had realized something—his sister had never truly regarded him as family.

Xie Aihe was short, and at this moment, as she held onto Xie Guanglian, she almost seemed to be hanging onto him. Yet, she remained oblivious.

Xie Guanglian pulled his hand away and said coldly, “Got it.” With that, he ignored her and returned to his room.

He had already seen through his little sister. But what he couldn’t understand was why Yuan Lingling had suddenly changed.

No, if it was a sudden change, those notes wouldn’t have been kept so well.

That woman was deceiving him!

—

“Achoo!” Yuan Lingling sneezed just as she finished rinsing the rice, turning to the side slightly.

She wondered who was speaking ill of her. Now, she had to wash the rice again.

The water tank was nearly empty, leaving only a shallow layer at the bottom. Yuan Lingling had to bend down to scoop some water, but as she did, she instinctively placed her left hand over her stomach, remembering that she was carrying two babies.

Just then, Shen Caisheng entered the kitchen and saw this scene.

Yuan Lingling’s sleeves were rolled up to her mid-forearm, revealing her fair skin, which had turned slightly red from the cold water. She was bent awkwardly, and as she straightened up, she nearly dropped the ladle.

Seeing this, he quickly stepped forward to help.

“This…”

Yuan Lingling, having finished rinsing the rice again, noticed Shen Caisheng still standing nearby. Feeling a bit awkward, she hesitated before asking, “Can you teach me?”

Shen Caisheng was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, he asked, “You don’t know how to cook?”

Yuan Lingling nodded.

It wasn’t that she had never cooked before. The original owner of this body never had the chance to learn properly, and whatever she made was barely edible. Her grandmother, afraid she would sneak food, kept everything locked away.

As for herself, she actually had decent cooking skills, but she had never used a large stove to steam rice before. If it were just for her, she wouldn’t mind if it turned out too soft or too hard. But what if Shen Caisheng was dissatisfied with her cooking?

Seeing his lips pressed into a thin line, Yuan Lingling’s heart tightened. Was he upset because she couldn’t cook?

“Start the fire,” Shen Caisheng instructed, rolling up his sleeves. His strong hands effortlessly lifted the bowl of rinsed rice. He skillfully rinsed the rice again, added cold water to the pot, and lit the stove beside the cabinet. He then chopped off a fist-sized piece of meat and threw it into the pot before preparing the side ingredients.

His movements were swift and precise, flowing seamlessly together. Yuan Lingling watched in awe.

As he finished prepping the ingredients, he turned to see Yuan Lingling struggling with a piece of firewood as thick as her forearm. Without hesitation, he took it from her hands and snapped it into several pieces with a few crisp sounds, tossing them at her feet.

Yuan Lingling swallowed involuntarily. She had a feeling that if she made one wrong move, she might end up like that pile of broken firewood.

She focused on tending the fire, pretending to be engrossed in her task, when Shen Caisheng suddenly spoke.

“If you don’t know how to cook, what do you eat when I’m not home?”

They had been married for some time but had never shared a meal at the same table.

Each time Shen Caisheng came back, he would leave her some money and bring back a few ingredients, but he never stayed to eat with her.

The original owner had invited him before, but he always brushed it off, saying he was too busy.

Because of this, Yuan Lingling hadn’t known that he could cook, and he had never tasted her cooking either.

Shen Caisheng had never given it much thought.

He had once completed an extremely dangerous mission and, exhausted, had gone to a noodle shop outside the brewery for a meal. Who would have thought that just as he picked up his bowl, Yuan Lingling would have the audacity to slip something into it and then follow him home?

Shen Caisheng had known about her. The whole neighborhood did. Everyone knew her life at home was tough.

Back then, he had been furious about being set up.

But at the time, he had needed a marriage to conceal his identity. And he had assumed he would spend his life walking on the edge of danger. Since Yuan Lingling wanted to escape her family so badly, he had helped her.

But now… the mission was over.

He recalled what his superior had told him before the mission ended. His gaze shifted back to the woman before him.

The firelight cast a warm glow on her small face, making her look flushed. She stared intently at the firewood, her delicate features soft and peaceful. For the first time in a long while, Shen Caisheng felt a rare moment of tranquility.

Would she be willing to go with him to such a remote place?

If not, their divorce would leave her in an even worse situation than before.

“I ate…”

Yuan Lingling had no choice but to answer since she could feel Shen Caisheng’s unrelenting gaze on her.

But just as she opened her mouth, Shen Caisheng spoke at the same time. “You and the Xie family… do you have any other intentions?”

Yuan Lingling froze, feeling as if the world had turned upside down.

This was a deadly question!

Her mouth opened and closed, her tongue tying itself in knots. It took a while before she finally found her voice.

“I don’t…” She wanted to explain, but even she felt it sounded weak. She looked at him pitifully. “Did someone say something to you?”