Chapter 47 : Against the Wall

The sun remained scorching and Liang Qingqing sat under the shade of a tree, pressing her still-tingling lips together. She looked up at the nearby land, which was gradually being filled with greenery. What seemed like an incredibly difficult task to her was done with ease by him, as if threading a needle.

Fan Yanxing, despite being a young master who had enjoyed a privileged life since childhood, handled farm work with surprising ease. How did he become so adept at it in just a few years in the countryside? And his strength was remarkable too…

Thinking about the pain from his pinch on her waist, Liang Qingqing felt her cheeks flush again. It was as if a curious kitten was scratching at her heart and she couldn’t help but ask her question directly.

“When I was little, I lived with my sister at my grandpa’s house for a few years. In the army, young recruits are often bullied. You can’t survive without some strength. If you have strength, farm work becomes much easier.”

Fan Yanxing turned back and smiled at her. Although he brushed over those experiences, Liang Qingqing knew that the reality of it was likely not as carefree as it sounded.

“Well, it seems I’ll never be good at farm work.” Liang Qingqing sighed lightly. Her little bit of strength seemed insufficient no matter where she applied it. Her voice wasn’t loud, but he still heard it.

“It’s okay if you’re not good at it. I’ll support you.”

Liang Qingqing looked up abruptly, meeting Fan Yanxing’s serious gaze. The sunlight bathed him in a soft glow, his long legs stretched out casually, and his hands held a few vegetable seedlings.

Seeing her silent for a long time, Fan Yanxing took a few confident steps closer, his tone nonchalant but carrying an underlying accusation, “Are you backing out now?”

His casual tone was tinged with a hint of reproach. Liang Qingqing cleared her throat, her gaze drifting. She knew that if someone else had said that, it would have sounded like empty rhetoric.

“I’m quite difficult to support. Can you really afford it?” Liang Qingqing arched her neck, her eyes wide and fierce as if urging him to reconsider. Her willful demeanor nearly melted his heart.

“If I can’t support my wife, what kind of man am I?” Fan Yanxing casually bent down, lifting his eyelids to look at her. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips as he poked her cheek with his finger. When she turned her head away in distaste, his smile deepened and he said, with a tone of affection that he had been planning, “Starting tomorrow, don’t come to work. Spend my money as you like, so you don’t have to hide and cry again.”

His words were straightforward and clear, the breeze carrying them into her ears, making them feel warm and ticklish. Liang Qingqing’s breath quickened, the warmth spreading from her ears to her cheeks. Her eyelashes fluttered, and her fingers nervously twisted together.

His words were like a heavy blow to her heart, a mix of shock and emotion. Combined with what he had said before the kiss, she understood clearly that Fan Yanxing was not joking, he was serious about keeping his promises. From now on, he would take care of her.

Was she moved? Absolutely.

Every action and word from this man seemed especially sincere, always inadvertently striking at the softest spot in her heart. She wasn’t made of stone,how could she remain unmoved?

But even though she felt a fleeting spark of emotion, the idea of liking him seemed still distant.

A rare hint of confusion flickered in Liang Qingqing’s eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but ended up with a vexed pout, “Who’s your wife? Shameless!”

After that outburst, she recalled another of his comments and puffed her cheeks in annoyance, retorting, “You’re the one who hides and cries. I don’t.”

“Pretending not to know,” Fan Yanxing raised an eyebrow with a look of accusation, his voice softening as if he had carefully considered his words before speaking, “Who else could it be? It’s just a matter of time.”

“I’ll give you your things after I finish working.”

Without waiting for her response, Fan Yanxing turned and went back to planting the seedlings. His movement was momentarily halted as he dug the soil, but it was just for an imperceptible instant before he returned to his usual rhythm. His tall figure hunched slightly, casting a small shadow on the brown earth.

Watching his back, Liang Qingqing bit her lip. Clearly, this was the result she had longed for, so why couldn’t she be happy?

A sense of guilt gradually surfaced in her heart. Fan Yanxing must think she feels the same way about him and that’s why he treats her so well. But the truth was, she didn’t like him at all, and every interaction had been purposeful.

Liang Qingqing squeezed her palms and slowly lowered her eyelashes.

No matter what, she had chosen this path and she had to walk it through.

Was the future going to be bright and beautiful? She suddenly felt uncertain.

—

After Fan Yanxing finished his work, the two of them walked down the mountain path towards the village, one in front of the other. By this time, Liang Qingqing had adjusted her emotions, her face lit up with a radiant smile, occasionally glancing back at him.

On the way, they encountered Liang Junqiang.

“Second Brother.” Liang Qingqing spotted him first and quickly waved, “What are you doing here?”

Hearing the call, Liang Junqiang looked up to see the two of them. He first glanced at Fan Yanxing and then shifted his gaze to Liang Qingqing. He realized that Fan Yanxing’s vigorous work today was to help his little sister!

Tsk tsk, he hadn’t expected Fan Yanxing to have such awareness. This was the attitude a suitor should have! Back when he hadn’t married Shumin yet, he had also worked hard to finish his tasks early so he could help her. With the company of a warm and gentle woman, work became enjoyable and didn’t feel tiring at all!

Liang Junqiang was unaware that Fan Yanxing and Liang Qingqing had already established their relationship. Seeing him so attentive to his sister, he nodded in satisfaction, giving Fan Yanxing an appreciative look before replying, “I hadn’t seen you at home for a while, so I went to ask Qin Zhen and learned that you hadn’t finished your work. I decided to come help you.”

“Turns out… it was a wasted trip.”

Teased by her own older brother, Liang Qingqing fidgeted with the stray strands of hair by her ear and awkwardly explained with a dry laugh, “Fan Yanxing happened to pass by and helped me out.”

Passed by?

That excuse was rather flimsy. The two work locations were on opposite sides, it was almost impossible for him to just “pass by.”

Fan Yanxing’s lips curled into a shallow smile as he cast an amused glance at Liang Qingqing. With a confident tone, he agreed, “Yes, I was passing by.”

“Heh.” Liang Junqiang watched their back-and-forth with an expression of disbelief, rolling his eyes in frustration. He felt like he was suffering in the heat for no reason, “Let’s hurry back then. We’ll just tell everyone we ran into each other on the way.”

The three of them had no objections to this. After all, they had all agreed not to reveal Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing’s relationship to the family just yet. It was better to keep this little secret for a while longer, at least until Fan Yanxing moved back to the youth point.

They hurried back to Liang’s house. After having a quick meal, they barely had time to rest before they were awakened by the village chief with a loudspeaker, calling everyone to gather at the village square with their benches for a science popularization meeting.

Liang Qingqing, exhausted from the morning’s work, groggily got up, planning to splash some cold water on her face in the kitchen before heading out. The others were busy moving benches in the main room, so no one noticed the figure that followed her into the kitchen.

With a creak, the kitchen door was gently closed. Liang Qingqing heard the noise and turned around to find a square wooden box in front of her, secured with a lock. The key dangled from the visitor’s slender, long index finger, swaying enticingly.

Liang Qingqing looked up abruptly and met Fan Yanxing’s smiling eyes. The sunlight filtering into his pupils gave him an especially focused and tender look. He leaned down slightly, stuffing the box into her arms.

His sudden action left her no choice but to accept it.

Once she had the box securely in her arms, he took her other hand and quickly slid the keyring onto her ring finger.

The placement was somewhat ambiguous, carrying a meaning that made one ponder. Liang Qingqing instinctively tried to pull back but he firmly held her hand, making it impossible for her to break free.

Their palms were pressed closely together. She looked up but couldn’t see the expression in his eyes and her throat felt a bit dry.

After a moment, Fan Yanxing lazily squinted at her, his eyes fixed intently and said with a faint smile, “It’s all yours.”

Then, his expression suddenly became serious and he lowered his voice, as if revealing a secret known only to the two of them “Including me.”

At these words, Liang Qingqing involuntarily held her breath, her fingertips curling around the wooden box. The air around them seemed to still and she could clearly hear her own heart pounding rapidly.

She opened her mouth to respond but didn’t have the chance before Ma Xiuzhi’s voice called from outside, “Qingqing, are you ready? Hurry up and come out.”

“I didn’t see my little sister in the room. I saw her heading to the kitchen earlier.”

Then came the sound of footsteps, seemingly approaching the kitchen.

Fan Yanxing promptly loosened his grip, intending to create some distance between them, but at that moment, Liang Qingqing suddenly tightened her hold on his hand.

With a creak, the kitchen door was pushed open again. Ma Xiuzhi stood at the doorway, glanced around, but saw no one. She frowned in confusion and said, “There’s no one here.”

With that, she turned and left.

At this time in the backyard, three pairs of eyes stared at each other and no one spoke for a long time.

Liang Junqiang opened his mouth wide and almost screamed out. He didn’t know whether to chop down with the axe in his hand or not, so he could only freeze in midair. His eyes unconsciously looked at his little sister’s knees resting between Fan Yanxing’s long legs, and the hand pressing on Fan Yanxing’s chest.

Although I don’t want to admit it, no matter how you look at this scene, it seems like Qingqing is forcing herself on him!

Moreover, he witnessed the whole process, so he was not wronged.

Just now, as soon as the door connecting the kitchen to the backyard was opened, he saw with his own eyes his younger sister dragging Yanxing out, and then pushing him against the wall. If she hadn’t noticed that he was there, they would probably have kissed him by now!

“Second brother? Why are you here again? Put down the axe first!”

“……” Hearing the impatience and disdain in Liang Qingqing’s tone, Liang Junqiang found himself at a loss for words. It wasn’t like he wanted this to happen! Who would have thought that just coming over to chop some wood before the meeting would lead to this situation?

Moreover, why should Yanxing get to take advantage of his sister? He was about to question it, but then he realized, it seemed like his sister was the one taking advantage of someone else. His anger dissipated, even turning into a bit of sympathy.

With Qingqing’s temper, he’d probably end up being a henpecked husband in the future!