“Eat, eat.” A flush spread across Lin Aiyun’s face. Ignoring his demand to call him by name, she stuffed a piece of stir-fried eggs with chili into his mouth to shut him up.
Xiao Cheng, for once, listened and didn’t speak again until the meal was over.
“I have some business to take care of—I’ll probably be a few more days before we can go back. If you get bored, feel free to walk around the village, but don’t go to remote places. I’ve had Dongzi find someone to keep you company.” Xiao Cheng set down his chopsticks and looked at her with gentle instructions.
“Alright. Go take care of your things. I’ll be fine on my own—I don’t really need company.” Every household had a full day’s worth of chores these days; she’d feel bad troubling others.
Seeing her hesitation, Xiao Cheng chuckled: “Don’t worry—I paid them.”
“…” Even if he had money, that wasn’t how you used it.
“You’re new here. If something happens, it won’t be about the money anymore.” In Xiao Cheng’s eyes, anything money could solve wasn’t a real problem—quick, convenient, and hassle-free. Besides, money was the one thing he had plenty of.
Since he’d put it that way, Lin Aiyun had no reason to refuse and nodded in agreement.
“Here, have some later.” Xiao Cheng pulled a handful of peanut candies from his pocket like a magician, wrapped in a clean handkerchief. They looked sweet and crunchy.
“Where did you get these?” Lin Aiyun’s eyes widened in surprise. Before she could react, he’d pressed the bundle into her hands. His slightly rough fingertips brushed against her palm—just a few seconds, but the heat lingered.
Xiao Cheng picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth, his eyes narrowing with a smile: “Sweet?”
She bit into it, and a rich, sweet flavor spread across her tongue. She nodded in satisfaction, but the moment she said “Yes,” a soft warmth pressed against her lips—not as wild as the night before, but restrained, a brief, gentle suction before pulling away.
“Definitely sweet.” Xiao Cheng’s brows lifted in triumph, his smile clear and handsome. He’d been scheming all morning and finally succeeded—well, succeeded with his mouth. Of course he was happy.
Lin Aiyun bit her lower lip in shock and looked around. At some point, Zhou Jin and Guan Ju had vanished, leaving only the two of them in the kitchen.
“Xiao Cheng, how could you?” It was broad daylight, in a public space! Anyone could walk in at any moment. Wasn’t he afraid of being seen and gossiped about?
Her soft, mumbling voice was full of complaint and accusation—but to him, it sounded like sweet coaxing.
For no reason, he wanted to tease her.
“How could I what? Tell me—I’ll change.” His gaze dropped to her parted, pink lips.
“It’s just that you can’t suddenly, suddenly…” She stammered, and just as the words were about to come out, he silenced her again. Taking advantage of the fact that both her hands were full of peanut candies, leaving her helpless, he teased her relentlessly.
Gentle touches became entangled kisses.
He was considerate enough to reach out and hold the candies for her, his other hand firmly gripping the back of her neck, leaving no escape.
The room was silent. Lin Aiyun could even hear the sounds of their intimacy—sultry and secret, stirring her nerves. He didn’t stop until he’d tasted every trace of peanut sweetness from her lips.
“Suddenly like this?” Xiao Cheng said, then couldn’t resist pecking her now-reddened lips again.
She was at a loss for words with him. Knowing that the more she protested, the more he’d play along, she huffed and busied herself with wrapping up the candies, folding the handkerchief carefully to keep them from falling out, then tucked them into her pocket.
“Are you angry?” Seizing the moment, Xiao Cheng caught her fingers and held them in his palm.
She still said nothing, letting him hold her hand.
Even without a response, the answer was obvious.
Xiao Cheng had never sweet-talked anyone, let alone coaxed a girl. Now he was truly stumped. If only he hadn’t teased her—now he was stuck in no-man’s-land, unable to go forward or back. It was agonizing.
But he couldn’t not make it right. He’d finally gotten this far—there was no way he’d let her slip away. Definitely not.
After a long pause, he cleared his throat, tugged her hand, and softened his voice, a little awkwardly: “It’s my first time dating—I have no experience. If I upset you, can you forgive me this once? I’ll try not to do it again.”
At that, Lin Aiyun’s lips twitched upward despite herself—but she held it in, acting magnanimous as she shot him a look, signaling him to continue.
Xiao Cheng racked his brain. He figured relationships could follow the same rules as business—find the root cause and fix it at the source.
“I won’t kiss you here again.”
“You can’t do it outside either. What would people think if they saw?” Lin Aiyun couldn’t help correcting him.
That meant: no outside, but inside was fair game.
Xiao Cheng, ever good at picking up key points, filed that away and nodded in agreement.
They chatted a while longer before Xiao Cheng left with Zhou Jin, heading toward the factory up in the mountains. Soon enough, the person Dongzi had arranged arrived—a girl about her age, wearing a blue floral top with two braids, her smile pure and bright.
“My name is Ma Xiulan. Everyone calls me Xiaolan—you can too, Miss Lin.”
Catching her cheerful energy, Lin Aiyun smiled warmly: “We’re about the same age—just call me by my name.”
“Oh, I don’t know if that’s proper…” Ma Xiulan hesitated, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to get the words out. Lin Aiyun took the initiative and linked arms with her: “What’s improper about it? Just call me Aiyun.”
After much hesitation, unable to resist Lin Aiyun’s expectant eyes, she tried tentatively: “Aiyun?”
“Let’s go—take me around the village. I haven’t seen it yet.” Lin Aiyun nodded and stepped forward.
Ma Xiulan blinked. Her father had given her two pieces of dried meat this morning and sent her off to attend to the honored guest. Meat to eat and no field work—she’d been overjoyed. But she’d still had her doubts. She’d heard the village elders gossiping at the entrance: the richer the rich folks, the stranger their tempers—they weren’t afraid to kill or set fires.
But after spending some time with Lin Aiyun, she felt those gossipy women were just talking nonsense. She was nothing like they’d said—easy to talk to, gentle, and warm.
“This way.” Ma Xiulan caught up to Lin Aiyun, and the two walked into the village together, chatting and laughing.
—
Stepping over mottled moss and lichen, they walked deep into the forest. Tall trees stood in irregular rows, their trunks thick and straight. Speckles of sunlight filtered through layers of leaves.
Knee-high wild grasses swayed in the breeze, their rustling mingling with the chirping of unknown insects. Following a narrow path for about half an hour, they finally came upon row upon row of brand-new factory buildings.
The last time he’d been here, they’d only just taken shape. Now they looked proper and complete.
The slightly damp air carried the distinct smell of a pig farm—strong enough to be detected from far away. Xiao Cheng frowned, pulled out his cigarette case, and lit one. His eyes narrowed out of habit as he struck the match against the box. The blue flame flickered in his pupils for a moment before he shook it out.
He took the cigarette from his lips, and a wisp of white smoke slowly rose, blurring his cool features.
“Have one.” The cigarette pack arced through the air and landed in Zhou Jin’s hand. He didn’t refuse, turning his head to light one for himself.
Xiao Cheng withdrew his gaze and began walking around the factory grounds. He finally stopped back at the main entrance, tapping the ash from his cigarette with a flick of his fingers. He bit down lightly on the filter, his brows carrying a hint of hidden emotion.
When it was nearly finished, he stubbed it out and tossed it into the trash can by the door. The guards, seeing that they were finally about to come in, exchanged relieved glances. The boss didn’t visit often—and when he did, he inspected everything. If anything was amiss, they’d all be chewed out. Fortunately, it seemed everything was in order.
The pig farm was fairly large, with dozens of pens, as well as offices and dormitories for staff on duty.
Under the guard’s guidance, Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin walked to an office. After the guard left, Zhou Jin knocked. The door opened quickly, and the three of them left through a back exit, walking a few dozen meters before reaching their real destination.
It was an unremarkable pig pen, but it was kept very clean. A few pink piglets were curled up in the corner, fast asleep.
After lifting several layers of thick straw and removing wooden planks, a deep tunnel appeared. Xiao Cheng jumped down first, followed by Zhou Jin. Once they were inside, the man who’d stayed behind restored everything to its original state and began feeding the piglets, his movements natural and practiced.
After walking about ten meters through the tunnel, they came to a fork with two paths. Xiao Cheng took the left one and soon reached a door. He knocked three times, and the door opened to reveal a small room.
There wasn’t much furniture, but plenty of people—six burly men standing in two neat rows, their voices in unison: “Brother Cheng!”
“Mm.” Xiao Cheng nodded, then frowned and touched his forehead—his hand came away covered in dust and grime.
This really wasn’t a place for humans.
But soon enough, this place would no longer be needed, and those who’d been away from home for so long could finally go back.
Xiao Cheng looked at the two rows of men before him, his eyes flickering.
Suddenly, a man jumped out from a seemingly ordinary cabinet, holding a wooden crate.
“Brother Cheng, you’re finally here!”
Seeing Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin, the man grinned from ear to ear and raised an eyebrow proudly: “Take a look—this foreign stuff is something else. The quality and performance are way beyond anything domestic tech can match.”
Xiao Cheng caught the object Dongzi tossed over, hefting it in his hand. It was heavy—solid. He stepped into the cabinet, pressed a switch, and revealed a hidden warehouse, packed from floor to ceiling with wooden crates. The sight was staggering.
“That Tian guy actually had us move all this at once—either he’s got a lot of nerve or he’s just stupid.” Dongzi snorted, patting the surface of a crate. Seeing Xiao Cheng remain silent, he grinned and added: “Now he’s got nothing—bet he’s crying somewhere.”
The trick of a double-cross was dirty, but as they said, all’s fair in war. From the moment Tian Chengfu handed those goods over to Xiao Cheng, he should have prepared for the worst.
“Well done.” Moving such a large quantity of goods safely and quietly was worth praise.
“Thanks, Brother Cheng. Oh, Comrade Shi came by early this morning to take a look—praised me up and down too.” Dongzi puffed out his chest and grinned. Thinking of something but not daring to ask Xiao Cheng, he pulled Zhou Jin, who was about to follow for inspection, aside and whispered, waggling his eyebrows: “Hey, didn’t the sister-in-law come along for fun?”
Zhou Jin looked at him like he was an idiot. What was there to have fun with here?
Reading Zhou Jin’s expression, Dongzi got his answer. Glancing around and seeing Xiao Cheng was far enough away, he leaned in with a sly grin: “The power went out last night, didn’t it?”
Only a few places in the village had electricity. Zhou Jin’s room didn’t, so he had no idea if the power had gone out. Seeing Dongzi bring it up, he nodded vaguely, curious where this was going.
“Well, if the power’s out and you need to get up at night, you need light. So I went to deliver a kerosene lamp to Brother Cheng.” Dongzi clapped his hands and raised an eyebrow: “And guess what? I found him and the sister-in-law in the same room!”
Zhou Jin had already known about this from the kitchen earlier, so his expression showed little surprise.
“Hey, what’s with that look?” Dongzi pouted in disappointment. Talking to this block of wood was pointless.
Zhou Jin paused for a moment, then offered a word of advice: “Don’t spread this around. If Brother Cheng finds out…”
“Relax. I haven’t told anyone but you.” Dongzi waved his hand. He wasn’t stupid—he wouldn’t do something that self-destructive. If Zhou Jin weren’t one of the few trusted brothers by Xiao Cheng’s side, he wouldn’t have said anything either.
After a moment of silence, Dongzi couldn’t help asking: “So when this is all over, is he taking the sister-in-law back to the capital too?”
“Don’t know.”
Dongzi: “…”
“Stay away from me from now on. You’re like a clam that won’t open up—boring as hell.” Dongzi rolled his eyes, shrugged, and jogged to catch up with Xiao Cheng ahead.
Zhou Jin stood still for a few seconds, his lips moving as if to say something, but in the end, no words came out.
—
Changzhu Village truly lived up to its name—green bamboo grew everywhere, along the roadsides and across the hills. Through winter’s cold and summer’s heat, they stayed evergreen year-round. Their leaves glistened like crystalline emeralds in the sunlight, each with its own unique charm.
But where there was bamboo, there were bound to be mosquitoes and bugs.
Lin Aiyun stood by the roadside. They hadn’t been out long, and she already had to stop every now and then to scratch. She’d tried crushing mint leaves and rubbing them on her skin, but it hadn’t helped much.
Her exposed ankles were dotted with four or five red welts—the mosquitoes’ handiwork. Her neck and hands hadn’t been spared either.
Even her cheek had a big red bump, already slightly swollen.
“How come the mosquitoes all go after you, Aiyun? Why don’t they bite me?” Ma Xiulan, standing beside her, rolled up her sleeves in frustration—but not a single mosquito came near.
Lin Aiyun laughed at her gesture: “Put your sleeves down. It’s a good thing they’re not biting you.”
“But it’s a bad thing that they’re all biting you!” Ma Xiulan pouted. Then, thinking of something, she grabbed Lin Aiyun’s hand and ran ahead. “The village doctor lives up ahead. He definitely has something to stop the itching.”
They turned down two small paths and saw a rammed-earth house surrounded by a bamboo fence. The tall slats blocked some of the view, but the familiar scent of medicinal herbs wafted into Lin Aiyun’s nose.
“Uncle Wang! Uncle Wang!”
In the countryside, people didn’t lock their doors, but they didn’t barge in either. Ma Xiulan stood at the entrance and called out twice. Soon, a voice answered.
“Coming! Who is it?” Wang Yongxiang came out of the house and peered outside. Recognizing the visitor, he broke into a smile: “Oh, it’s Xiulan, the third daughter of the Ma family! What brings you here? Come in, come in.”
“Uncle Wang, my friend’s been bitten to bits by mosquitoes. I came to get some ointment for her.” Ma Xiulan didn’t stand on ceremony and led Lin Aiyun into the yard. But the yard was covered in sun-drying herbs, leaving barely any room to stand—they could only squeeze in where there was space.
Wang Yongxiang was the only doctor for several surrounding villages. He usually had plenty of patients and made frequent house calls. They were lucky today—he wasn’t out on a visit.
“Let me see.” At that, Wang Yongxiang finally turned his attention to Lin Aiyun. He’d noticed her the moment she walked in—she was unfamiliar. If she were from the village, he would have recognized her. And with such striking features, she’d be hard to forget.
So she must be an outsider.
He recalled hearing that the pig farm boss had brought a woman along to inspect the site. This must be her.
Noticing his gaze, Lin Aiyun assumed he was surprised that someone would come to a doctor for mosquito bites in this day and age. She smiled awkwardly, held up her hand to show the bites on her skin, and said with a wry smile: “It’s mainly because there are so many bites—they’re red and itchy, and I just can’t stand it anymore.”
“I’ll give you some ointment to repel mosquitoes and relieve itching. Put a layer on the bites—it’ll help a lot.” Wang Yongxiang glanced at her and, seeing the severity, nodded.
Lin Aiyun let out a breath of relief and smiled: “Thank you so much—how much is it?”
She had some change from when she’d left the house yesterday. It should be enough, even if the bills were crumpled from being soaked in the river—who would refuse money just because it looked worn?
“No charge.” Wang Yongxiang waved his hand.
“Huh?” Lin Aiyun’s tone betrayed her disbelief.
Ma Xiulan, standing nearby, scratched her nose, took the ointment from Wang Yongxiang, and whispered: “Uncle Wang is a kind man. He’s not charging you—it’s out of respect for Boss Xiao.”
At that, Lin Aiyun understood. She didn’t insist further, thanked him, and left with Ma Xiulan.
Holding the small box in her hand, she felt the truth of the saying: good deeds bring good rewards. This time, she was reaping the benefits of Xiao Cheng’s kindness.
But she had no idea this was only the beginning. Somehow word had spread—she’d only walked a couple of streets through the village, and she’d already been handed piles of gifts: homegrown crops, wild fruits picked from the mountains, fresh fish caught from the river…
The overwhelming warmth and generosity genuinely “scared” Lin Aiyun. Before she’d even finished her tour, she’d “fled” back.
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