Chapter 19 : Tired

Liang Qingqing was no exception. Following the sound, she looked toward the front right and saw Ding Aijia deliberately straightening her back, looking at her with a face full of glee while crossing her arms.

This morning, Ding Aijia had failed to get the better of her with words, and now she had come looking for trouble!

Seeing this, Liang Qingqing didn’t hide her disdain and rolled her eyes dramatically at Ding Aijia.

Don’t think she hadn’t noticed that Ding Aijia, before the captain yelled at her, had also been wilted and lifeless. Clearly, they were equally matched; it was just that Ding Aijia had been lucky not to be spotted by the captain. Not only did she not hide her joy, but now she even had the nerve to come and mock her!

To deal with such people, the most effective way was to use their own methods against them. So, Liang Qingqing scoffed and, mimicking Ding Aijia’s tone, said “Some people are so coarse, destined for a life of hardship, but they haven’t made any significant contributions to the team. I think it would be better for them to find a man and get married sooner, but who would even want to marry her?”

These words hit Ding Aijia right in the gut, and she was so furious that she almost spat out blood.

Marriage at her age was already considered late. A girl who was twenty-four and still unmarried was quite rare. A few years ago, when she had just moved to the countryside, a bunch of young men had pursued her, each one saying they wanted to marry her. But she, proud and confident because of her education, was set on returning to the city and wasn’t willing to marry a rural man!

Later, she fell for Su Jinchuan, another educated youth, and was even less inclined to settle. However, the affection was one-sided; Su Jinchuan didn’t like her, and there was nothing she could do but drag it out, hoping he would eventually see her worth and they could live happily ever after.

But it’s false to say that you become less anxious as you get older.

Though she was from the city, her family was not well-off, and she relied solely on her own labor to earn a living. After so many years of exposure to wind and sun, her originally fair skin had turned sallow. She was always hungry and cold, and her body had become thin. The village old ladies whispered behind her back that her small backside meant she wouldn’t bear a son, and anyone who married her would be unlucky!

The reality confirmed this; in recent years, not only were there no men, but not even a single male mosquito was around her!

But Liang Qingqing was different. Although her reputation was so bad that no one in the village would dare marry her, her looks meant that she was never short of admirers. If not for the intervention of elders, those young and strong men who didn’t know how to live properly would probably have already fought to marry her.

Ding Aijia took several deep breaths to force down the anger and pointed at Liang Qingqing, exasperated. “Liang Qingqing, why is your mouth so venomous? You’re cursing me to not get married!”

“Thanks for the compliment. Your mouth isn’t exactly clean either.”

Liang Qingqing didn’t understand why Ding Aijia was targeting her so specifically, but she followed the principle of “if someone doesn’t offend me, I won’t offend them; if someone offends me, I will retaliate.” Since Ding Aijia was already pushing her, she wasn’t going to hold back, as the saying goes, “Endure for a moment, and it will make you grit your teeth; retreat a step, and the more you think, the angrier you become.” She never begrudged herself!

“Whether one can get married or not is unrelated to others’ opinions; it depends on one’s own conditions.”

After speaking, she paused for two seconds, carefully sizing up Ding Aijia from top to bottom. Then, with a smirk, she asked, “Ding Aijia, do you think you can get married?”

The movement was slight, but it was highly insulting.

Although no one answered Liang Qingqing’s question aloud, the answer was obvious to everyone.

Ding Aijia couldn’t get married!

Ding Aijia felt a chill run down her spine as Liang Qingqing stared at her. She noticed that many people were covering their mouths and laughing, and she felt like a joke being watched by everyone. Both her pride and face were lost completely. Now that she was on stage, she couldn’t find a way to step down gracefully. Now that she was being framed, she had no way to step down. 

The more she thought about it, the more embarrassed she felt. Ding Aijia let out a shriek and lunged at Liang Qingqing. Ding Aixia screamed and rushed directly towards Liang Qingqing, “Who praised you? You shameless wench, today I’ll teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents!”

Liang Qingqing’s sarcastic attitude completely enraged Ding Aijia. She rushed forward quickly, and just as her hand was about to land on Liang Qingqing’s face, a figure suddenly appeared in between of them in the blink of an eye.

The sudden change shocked the crowd watching the show.

“Why are you fighting again?!”

“Ding Aijia started the trouble with her mouth, and now, when she can’t win the argument, she resorts to violence. What has no manners!”

“If you ask me, Liang Qingqing is not a good person either. You can’t say anything about someone being unable to get married. Oh well, stop watching, and stop the fight.”

Ding Aijia’s slap landed on the newcomer’s neck. She didn’t hold back, but intentionally made her nails dig in, and soon, a few long red marks appeared on the tanned skin.

“Fan Yanxing! Are you okay?”

Liang Qingqing suddenly scream and abruptly pushed Ding Aijia, who was still in a daze. She anxiously examined the injury on Fan Yanxing’s neck, her pale fingers gingerly moving across the area, as if afraid to cause him any pain.

“I—I’m fine,” Fan Yanxing said, downplaying the situation. What could happen from just a woman grabbing him? It was Ding Aijia who…

Once he was certain Ding Aijia no longer posed a threat, FanYanxing relaxed his vigilant gaze and turned his attention to Liang Qingqing. He quickly assessed her, noting that she didn’t seem to be injured, and he sighed with relief. The itchiness on his neck made his ears flush red, and he awkwardly reached out to stop her from crossing any boundaries.

Liang Qingqing knew that FanYanxing was fine, and her series of touches were intentional, meant to seize the chance to tease him. Clearly, it worked well look at him, not only is he blushing, but his gaze is also wandering.

It was similar to how he reacted the last time she jumped on him in anger after being mocked for being chased by a dog. He was the same way…

Tsk, who would have thought that a tall guy nearly 1.9 meters tall would be so innocent? Just a bit of physical contact and he’s this shy. Imagine if there was a kiss or something more…

With that thought, Liang Qingqing’s lips involuntarily curved into a smile. Seeing how flustered he was, she decided to let him off for now; there were others she needed to deal with!

With this in mind, Liang Qingqing suddenly turned her head and glared at the instigator. “Ding Aijia, are you out of your mind? If you have a problem with me, deal with me directly. Why are you hitting others?”

“…” She was aiming at me, okay! Who knew Fan Yanxing would suddenly step in!

Realizing that Fan Yanxing usually had good relations with the village and commune leaders and seemed to have significant connections, Ding Aijia’s hand started to tremble with anxiety. She nervously apologized, “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to. I wanted to hit Liang Qingqing, that wretched girl. I didn’t expect… Ah!”

Before she could finish, Ding Aijia felt a tightness on her scalp as she was dragged backward by her hair for two or three meters. Turning her head, she met Ma Xiuzhi’s furious eyes and felt a rush of fear, immediately averting her gaze.

“Who are you calling a wretched girl? Since when does an outsider like you have the right to discipline my daughter?” Ma Xiuzhi’s chest heaved with rage, her eyes bloodshot as she glared fiercely at Ding Aijia.

It seemed like she might devour Ding Aijia whole at any moment.

She truly hadn’t expected anyone would dare to lay hands on Qingqing right under her nose!

“I wouldn’t even dare hit her myself,” Ma Xiuzhi said, while pushing Ding Aijia to the ground. “And now you, calling my daughter a wretched girl? You just go and hit people without a second thought? ”

As she spoke, Ma Xiuzhi mounted Ding Aijia and, without another word, slapped her twice.

Rural women, having worked from a young age, are incredibly strong. Ding Aijia was no match for her, and the two slaps quickly left her cheeks swollen and red.

“Mom!” Wang Xiaomei and Huang Shumin rushed over upon hearing the commotion and were stunned by the sight before them.

Was this really their usually cheerful mother-in-law?

“Perfect timing. Come help tear this wretched girl’s mouth off; how dare she bully your younger sister!” Ma Xiuzhi grabbed Ding Aijia by the hair and turned to her two daughters-in-law, urging them to help.

Wang Xiaomei hesitated for a moment. She was kind-hearted and rarely had conflicts with others. At this moment, she couldn’t bring herself to hit someone. However, Huang Shumin, standing beside her, rolled up her sleeves and jumped in, grabbing and kicking Ding Aijia, using every method she knew in a fight.

“Ugh, daring to bully our family, you must be tired of living.” This was a good opportunity to show loyalty to her family, and Huang Shumin wasn’t stupid she naturally jumped in to help!

Seeing this scene, Wang Xiaomei gritted her teeth and joined in as well.

“Ah, help! Village Chief, someone’s fighting and killing here!”

Ding Aijia knew all too well that if Ma Xiuzhi and the others continued to beat her, considering the Liang family’s protective nature, she’d either end up dead or severely beaten. And with everyone in the village being related in some twisted way, no one would come to help her, the outsider.

But the village chief was different; he was an official and might actually do something to save her.

Ding Aijia’s mind raced as she desperately covered her face and frantically sought help from the village chief, deeply regretting provoking Liang Qingqing, who seemed to have a few mad dogs in her family!

“What’s going on? Fighting and brawling is illegal. Stop it now!” Village Chief Xie Qingbao had no idea that his single comment about Liang Qingqing could cause such a huge uproar. Seeing the scene unfold, he felt a throbbing pain in his head.

Liang Qingqing, who had been cheering from the sidelines, quickly stepped forward as the village chief arrived. With a sad face, she said, “Village Chief, you need to make this right! It was Ding Aijia who started it. If it weren’t for Fan Yanxing, I’d probably be in the hospital right now!”

“……” Look at this mouth! With Ding Aijia’s build, she could barely knock Liang Qingqing into the hospital with a slap? Even if she killed him, he wouldn’t believe it!

“Get out of the way.”

“Okay.” Liang Qingqing obediently moved aside, giving the village chief space, while Ding Aijia lost another handful of hair.

“Liang Family’s eldest, is the second one around? Are the eldest and second sons of the Liang family here? Hurry and pull your mother and wife apart!” Since the fighters were all “fierce” women, Xie Qingbao didn’t dare step in himself and could only call for help.

Fortunately, it was still early in the workday, and since the commotion had started, everyone gathered back around.

“Oh, this is so disgraceful among fellow villagers. It’s ugly to fight. If you have issues, talk them out. Stop fighting already.”

Though it sounded like advice, it was clear that they were eager to grab some melon seeds and join the fun.

“Mom! Xiaomei!” The first to arrive was Liang Shuqiang, the eldest of the Liang family. Seeing Wang Xiaomei, who was disheveled and hitting people, his eyes widened in disbelief at the scene before him.

Despite his shock, he managed to keep a bit of composure and quickly stepped in to separate them.

Next to arrive were Liang Xueyong and Liang Junqiang, who each pulled their own wives away, leaving Ding Aijia, who was beaten and bruised, sobbing and covering her face.

“What’s going on? Why is everyone gathered here not working? Do you not want your work points?” The village head and village committee members arrived upon hearing about the incident. Seeing it was a fight among women, they were immediately overwhelmed.

What’s going on lately? Are the villagers and the educated youth planning to quit? Why is there a fight every day!

First Xu Qiao and Wu Xiuli, now Ding Aijia and… Liang family women.

After understanding the situation, the village head and village committee members looked at Liang Qingqing, standing among the Liang family. This troublemaker from the village had actually started working?

Seeing the village leaders arriving, Ding Aijia straightened up and, covering her face, pointed angrily at the Liang family, shouting, “I’m going to the police station to report this, and have the police arrest all of you!”

Hearing the words “police station,” Ma Xiuzhi, who had been driven to anger, finally calmed down. Looking at Ding Aijia’s pig-like face, she felt a pang of anxiety. She remembered that last year, two ruffians from the neighboring commune had fought and received several years of prison time.

If they really got arrested, their family would be done for!

She didn’t regret teaching Ding Aijia a lesson today; it was something she, as a mother, had to do. However, she couldn’t let her two daughters-in-law be dragged into this.

“It’s all my fault…” Ma Xiuzhi was about to take the blame for everything when Liang Qingqing grabbed her hand. Confused, she looked up to see her daughter shaking her head.

Strangely, seeing her daughter’s look made Ma Xiuzhi feel a sense of reliable comfort. She opened her mouth but ended up closing it again.

Liang Qingqing took a few steps forward, put her hands on her hips, and raised her voice, “Alright, let’s go. Once we get to the police station, we’ll each tell our side. First, you defamed me in the pumpkin field this morning, which is slander. Second, you came over and attacked me, injuring Fan Yanxing, which is intentional injury.”

“Witnesses.” She pointed to the onlookers.

“Evidence.” She pointed to the injury on FanYanxing’s neck.

“Everything is here! But you’re the one who will end up in jail!”

Liang Qingqing had a loud voice and spoke assertively. Moreover, seeing that she wasn’t at all afraid of going to the police station, most of the villagers, who were illiterate and couldn’t read a single character, were genuinely intimidated by her.

Even Ding Aijia, who had been loudly demanding to go to the police station, lost her arrogance. Her eyes darted around, and she realized that even if they ended up at the police station, it would likely be deemed mutual fighting, and no one would come out on top. This was not what she wanted!

While she was anxiously contemplating, Liang Qingqing delivered another blow.

“My mother and sisters-in-law acted in self-defense. You were the one who started the fight. I’m so weak that I couldn’t possibly be your match. They were only protecting our family, which is called self-defense! The police might even commend them!”

Upon hearing this, Ma Xiuzhi, Wang Xiaomei, and Huang Shumin exchanged glances. What’s this about self-defense? The police not only wouldn’t arrest them but might even praise them?

“Let’s go, let’s go! We’re going to the police station right now. I want to see who gets judged!” Liang Qingqing said, stepping forward to pull Ding Aijia up from the ground.

Hearing that she might end up worse off by going to the police station, Ding Aijia refused, pulling away from Liang Qingqing’s grasp and shouting, “Don’t touch me. I’m not going. Just consider it my bad luck today!”

“That won’t do. How can it be your bad luck? Clearly, it’s my bad luck. It’s my first day working, and I’ve been working diligently. Yet, you keep stirring up trouble. Did I offend you somewhere?” Liang Qingqing couldn’t understand this and asked straightforwardly.

Ding Aijia avoided Liang Qingqing’s gaze and, naturally, wouldn’t admit she had targeted Liang Qingqing deliberately. However, she subconsciously glanced towards Su Jinchuan’s direction.

Liang Qingqing, keenly noticing this, followed Ding Aijia’s line of sight and saw Su Jinchuan’s figure.

“……” Another one enchanted by the main character’s charm.

“Are you working properly?” Ding Aijia didn’t speak, but Xie Qingbao couldn’t help interjecting.

“Yes, the team leader can testify for me about this, right, QinYanxing?” Liang Qingqing was completely unperturbed by the situation, her expression open and confident, standing firm in her stance.

Suddenly being brought into the spotlight, QinYanxing, who had been standing aside watching, quickly nodded, “Yes, this morning, Comrade Liang was indeed very diligent in her work and did not slack off.”

“!?” Shocked by QinYanxing’s confirmation, Xie Qingbao, who had been criticizing Liang Qingqing as a negative example, was stunned. He hadn’t expected Liang Qingqing to genuinely reform, and now he realized he might have wronged her.

“Please, Captain, help us resolve this matter and accompany us to the county police station to seek justice. I can’t let Ding Aijia bully me for nothing!”

Although this was true, everyone looked at Liang Qingqing, who was unharmed, and then at Ding Aijia, who was bruised and swollen, and they silently took a step back.

Due to his earlier guilt about unreasonably reprimanding Liang Qingqing, Xie Qingbao was just about to agree when a sharp voice of opposition rang out.

“What’s all this fuss about going to the police station? If it gets out of hand, our village will definitely face criticism, and it will be hard for us to stand out in the commune in the future! Everyone, get back to work now—do you not want to be the advanced team this year?” Village Chief Xie Qingbao face turned red with anger as he pointed at Liang Qingqing and scolded her.

“Liang Qingqing, don’t think that working one day makes you exceptional. If you have the capability, keep it up! And you always lazy and domineering in the village, dragging down the collective, and now you’re still not considering the village’s collective honor, wanting to stir things up outside the village? Are you trying to cause trouble? This is just nonsense!”

“Village Chief…” Liang Qingqing pursed her lips, feeling a bit aggrieved. Seeing her distress, Fan Yanxing, who was standing next to her, was about to say something to help her when he couldn’t help but twitch his lips.

“Village Chief, it was Ding Aijia who threatened to call the police!”

What was he worried about? In this world, could anyone really make Liang Qingqing suffer? With this thought, Fan Yanxing smiled faintly and rested his fist on his lips. After noticing the mischievous glint in her fox-like eyes, he felt completely reassured.

Ding Aijia, who had been trying to hold back her laughter despite the pain in her face when Xie Qingbao reprimanded Liang Qingqing, found her smile frozen in place the moment Liang Qingqing complained.

Damn Liang Qingqing, actually reporting her!

“So it turns out Ding Aijia was the one ruining the collective honor! I think you young people have issues. Why are you looking for trouble? You started by hitting someone’s daughter, and the beating you got afterwards was well-deserved. We’re all villagers; can’t we sit down and resolve things peacefully? Don’t you understand that harmony brings prosperity?”

“And as for the Liang family, it’s embarrassing to fight at your age. But considering the circumstances, we’ll let this matter go. However, anyone who dares to fight in the future will be severely punished!”

“Disperse now, get back to work, and if anyone dares to slack off, don’t expect any work points. 16 points!”

When the last statement was made, everyone realized that the village chief was trying to downplay the issue, turning a big problem into a small one and a small problem into nothing. No one had objections to this; in fact, they were pleased, as the incident had nothing to do with them, and everyone was still hoping to make an effort to be recognized as an outstanding collective this year, so they could get more rewards.

But if the issue went to the county, they would definitely lose their chance! So, everyone followed Xie Qingbao’s lead and agreed.

“Disperse, disperse, get back to work!”

“We’re all from the same village; just turn a blind eye and let it go. Don’t let any more trouble start.”

Ding Aijia realized that, given the situation, no matter how angry she was, the beating she received had been for nothing. Moreover, even if she had a thousand more chances, she wouldn’t dare to pursue it further. If it delayed the village’s chance to win an award, she, as an outsider, would be overwhelmed by the villagers’ disapproval and would find it impossible to stay in the village.

Thinking about this, Ding Aijia bit her lip in frustration, glared fiercely at everyone from the Liang family, and then left. She needed to hurry to the village doctor to get some medicine. Although the beating wasn’t too severe, she couldn’t afford to have scars on her face; otherwise, she would be even less likely to find a marriage partner!

Noticing that Ding Aijia was heading in the opposite direction of where work was supposed to start, Liang Qingqing quickly reported to Xie Qingbao, “Captain, Ding Aijia is skipping work. You should deduct her work points!”

Ding Aijia almost tripped and fell flat on her face upon hearing this.

Xie Qingbao: “…”

“I know. It’s not time for work yet. If she’s skipping, we’ll handle it accordingly. Don’t worry about it!”

After reminding them to get back to work, Xie Qingbao walked away, hands behind his back, heading further into the village. He had a lot more tasks to handle and couldn’t waste time here.

“Qingqing, are you alright? If it weren’t for Fan Yanxing coming to tell me in time, I wouldn’t have known you were being bullied.” With most people having left, Ma Xiuzhi quickly grabbed Liang Qingqing’s hand and inspected her from top to bottom.

“It turns out it was Fan Yanxing who reported it.”

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing’s eyes flickered, her tone elongated, and her gaze settled on Fan Yanxing. “I’m fine, thank you, Mother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, and… Fan Yanxing.”

Her voice was gentle, losing all traces of the earlier firmness.

Fan Yanxing felt uncomfortable under her gaze, cleared his throat, and said, “No need to thank me. It was just a small effort.”

As soon as Ding Aijia and Liang Qingqing began to clash, FanYanxing sensed something was wrong. But being a man and an outsider, he knew that if he intervened, it would certainly attract unwanted attention and impact Liang Qingqing’s reputation more than anyone else’s. This was something he’d learned from the gossip about Su Jinchuan helping Xu Qiao in public.

So he didn’t hesitate and immediately went to inform Ma Xiuzhi, who had just left the village. When they returned, they saw Ding Aijia attacking Liang Qingqing. At that moment, without thinking, his body reacted faster than his mind, and he stepped in to take a slap for her.

It wasn’t very painful, but he still vividly remembered the sensation of Liang Qingqing’s fingertips brushing over the wound afterward—stimulating and itchy…

“It’s good you’re alright. We’re all family; there’s no need to be formal.”

Ma Xiuzhi waved her hand, then turned to Fan Yanxing with heartfelt gratitude. “Fan Yanxing, you must come to our home for a meal sometime. I’ll have Junqiang come and invite you.”

Interrupted from his thoughts, Fan Yanxing suddenly came back to his senses. He withdrew his gaze from Liang Qingqing, rubbed his palm nervously as if afraid his inner thoughts would be revealed. He lowered his eyes and instinctively declined, “Auntie, it’s really not necessary. I couldn’t possibly…”

Ma Xiuzhi was firm in her response, “The one who should feel embarrassed is actually me and Xueyong . Last time you saved Qingqing, we should have done this but didn’t get the chance. This time, we are truly grateful, so don’t be polite.”

“Your aunt is right. Just consider it a favor ,” Liang Xueyong added.

“Yes, Fan Yanxing, just accept it,” Liang Qingqing also invited.

Liang Junqiang stepped forward and put his arm around Fan Yanxing’s shoulder. “Yanxing, just give us a chance to thank you properly.”

Seeing this, Fan Yanxing realized that if he continued to decline, the matter would drag on indefinitely. He could only nod in agreement.

“Qingqing, if you encounter something like this again, you must come and tell us first. Don’t rush in on your own. With your small frame, one punch could knock you down. Your elder sisters-in-law care about you, otherwise, they wouldn’t have joined in teaching Ding Aijia a lesson. Do you understand?”

Ma Xiuzhi pulled Liang Qingqing’s hand and gave her a meaningful look. Liang Qingqing quickly understood and bowed sincerely to Wang Xiaomei and Huang Shumin. “Thank you, Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law. I’ll always remember your kindness!”

“We’re all family. As your sisters-in-law, it’s only natural that we protect you.”

“Oh, what are you saying? Didn’t you already thank us before?”

Wang Xiaomei and Huang Shumin helped Liang Qingqing up. Although it wasn’t entirely sincere, they were somewhat comforted by the gratitude and the fact that no further issues arose. Wang Xiaomei, in particular, had been married into the Liang family for many years and had never heard such a genuine thank you from Liang Qingqing before. Her feelings were mixed, and it even felt somewhat like a bittersweet reward.

Huang Shumin was more relieved that her assistance had not gone to waste and had earned her mother-in-law and sister-in-law’s appreciation.

Seeing the atmosphere between the sisters-in-law more harmonious than ever, Ma Xiuzhi felt a sense of satisfaction but also couldn’t help but worry, “Did you really go along with Ding Aijia to make trouble? I was almost scared to death.”

“Oh, I didn’t really want to go. I was just trying to scare Ding Aijia. Who knew she’d be so timid?” Liang Qingqing wasn’t foolish; who would actually want to go to the police station for no reason?

Ma Xiuzhi nearly laughed with frustration. “So, all that talk about crimes was just made up?”

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t know that much.” Liang Qingqing scratched her forehead awkwardly. Defamation and intentional injury were real crimes, but she wasn’t a law expert and didn’t know when the punishments for these crimes were officially implemented in China. She was hesitant to admit her ignorance.

If it turned out that these crimes weren’t officially punishable yet, she would have been exposed.

“You’ve got quite a nerve, making up stories and acting so confident in front of everyone. Luckily, no one called you out this time, but if you meet someone who knows their stuff next time, what will you do if they expose you?”

“Next time, you mustn’t do this again.”

“Alright, alright,” Liang Qingqing quickly agreed, though it was unclear whether she actually listened.

Ma Xiuzhi sighed, unsure how to handle Liang Qingqing but thinking that being clever was better than being foolish.

“Fan Yanxing, since your worksite is near ours, please take Qingqing with you. I’m worried Ding Aijia might be hiding somewhere and causing trouble.”

“Sure, Auntie, don’t worry.”

With Fan Yanxing’s assurance, Ma Xiuzhi was finally relieved and directed everyone to their respective work sites. Soon, only Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing remained in the empty area.

“Do you want to go back and apply some medicine? You’re bleeding,” Liang Qingqing broke the silence, her voice soft with concern.

Fan Yanxing instinctively covered his neck. “No need to apply medicine; it’ll be fine soon. It’s almost time to start work. Let’s go, or we’ll be late and lose work points.”

He led the way, and Liang Qingqing quickly followed.

“Your actions when you came to save me were so fast and impressive. If it weren’t for you, that slap would have definitely landed on my face. FanYanxing, you’re really a good person,” Liang Qingqing said, her hands behind her back, her face showing admiration, her eyes fixed on him, not missing any of his reactions.

What man doesn’t have a hero complex deep down? With a beauty like her showering praise and adoration, how could FanYanxing not feel flattered?

But as often happens, the ideal is beautiful, while reality can be harsh.

Fan Yanxing did not behave as Liang Qingqing had expected. Instead, he simply nodded calmly and continued walking. After they had walked a few meters and she had not kept up, he reminded her, “Come on.”

“…” Liang Qingqing’s lips twitched. She encouraged herself and hurried to catch up with his pace.

“Fan Yanxing, look how blue the sky is over there.”

“Yes, it’s quite blue.”

“Fan Yanxing, what do you usually do in your free time?”

“Not much to do.”

The conversation quickly fizzled out.

It was clear that Fan Yanxing, a man who had been single for years in the book, was quite difficult to flirt with!

Liang Qingqing’s enthusiasm took a hit. She pursed her lips and decided to stay quiet. Instead of forcing awkward conversation, she figured it was better to wait until she had a good topic to bring up. She didn’t want him to find talking to her boring and undo her previous efforts.

While Liang Qingqing was struggling with her thoughts, she didn’t notice that FanYanxing had been walking in sync with her for several minutes.

The summer breeze was warm, brushing against their faces, leaving an almost imperceptible blush.

Before long, they arrived at their destination. Fan Yanxing pointed to a nearby pumpkin field and said, “We’ve arrived. I’m going to start working now.”

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing adjusted her hat and smiled brightly. “Okay, go ahead.”

After FanYanxing took a few steps forward, she called out to him and, lowering her voice with a touch of mystery, said, “I’ll be waiting for you at the bamboo grove behind the youth station after work.”

“Is there something you need to tell me now? It’s fine to say it now.”

Fan Yanxing raised an eyebrow, his instincts telling him that Liang Qingqing had some ulterior motive, but he couldn’t figure out what it was after pondering for a while.

Liang Qingqing gave him a playful glance. “What’s the rush? I have something to give you, so make sure you come. Don’t forget!”

Without waiting for Fan Yanxing to respond, she quickly trotted off toward the pumpkin field, her braid swaying in the air, looking both playful and cute.

Fan Yanxing watched her lively figure, his lips curling into a slight smile before abruptly frowning. He scratched his neck, puzzled.

Was it just his impression, or had Liang Qingqing’s attitude towards him changed dramatically since he went to the Liang family this morning? It was as if her view of him had shifted from being a stranger to someone close, in just a few minutes.

Even though her opinion of him should have improved after the soda incident, it didn’t seem like it would change so drastically. Moreover, she had rejected his so-called “affection” and clearly stated that they could be friends, not lovers.

But her actions today didn’t seem like someone who wanted to just be friends; they were unusually warm.

Could it be that Liang Qingqing suddenly had a change of heart after her aunt’s advice and wanted to thank him for not leaving her alone in the cornfield but instead rescuing her? If so, had she really put away her previous hostility?

Fan Yanxing couldn’t think of any other reason for her odd behavior. In fact, he was more puzzled by his own reaction. Despite having no particularly happy events lately, he found himself smiling uncontrollably and his heart racing, especially when he saw Liang Qingqing.

After pondering for a long time and being unable to resolve the confusion, FanYanxing took a deep breath and finally attributed everything to the recent frequent interactions with Liang Qingqing.

“Yanxing, I know you’re close to Liang’s second son, but you don’t have to get beaten up for his sister. Tsk, Ding Aijia really went hard on you. If she had hit Liang Qingqing’s delicate face, it would have been a mess,” Hong Wei greeted Fan Yanxing immediately upon his arrival and clicked his tongue upon seeing the scratches on his neck.

“Of course. When the older brother isn’t around, it’s my job as a friend to step in and protect,” Fan Yanxing said, picking up a hoe and starting to work.

“Yeah, that’s the way. But at that time, I didn’t know what was happening. I thought you were Liang Qingqing’s partner. If her older brother had been there, he probably wouldn’t have run faster than you.”

The loud noise of rocks being smashed drowned out Hong Wei’s words. FanYanxing didn’t hear clearly and tilted his head, raising an eyebrow to indicate that he didn’t catch that. But Hong Wei, knowing that Fan Yanxing disliked jokes about him and female colleagues, quickly shook his head and waved his hand. “Nothing, nothing.”

The afternoon sun was intense, and everyone’s enthusiasm for work was noticeably lower than before.