Meng Jingwei took a few steps back, quietly watching the man who was once noble and ethereal, aloof from worldly affairs, now chopping wood like an ordinary person.
Yet, no matter what, she could feel a distinguished aura emanating from him that ordinary people lacked.
Unaccountably, Meng Jingwei was touched.
A man who was willing to fight for her, who had saved her without regard for his own life; who came to her home and condescended to chop wood and wash dishes for her.
What reason did she have to be pretentious and refuse?
Especially at that moment in the kitchen, when Qing Muye offered her ten billion as betrothal gifts, ten villas, and 'leaving with nothing' if she cheated in marriage!
While these words might not be kept, the willingness to marry her and spend ten billion as bride price was already an unimaginable astronomical sum.
Meng Jingwei wasn't so conceited as to believe her worth was ten billion.
"Qing Muye?"
She called out.
The man stopped, resting the axe on the ground, his elbows propped on the end of the axe handle, one hand on his hip, and turned back to her, sweating profusely, "What is it?"
Seeing his flushed face and the fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Meng Jingwei walked forward, took out tissues from her pocket, and thoughtfully wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The sudden gesture caught the man off guard.
With a smile in his eyes, "A'wei, are you feeling sorry for me?"
At this moment, he savored it.
Meng Jingwei pursed her lips, clutching the tissue, her bright eyes fixed on the man before her. Seeing his chest heaving from exhaustion due to chopping wood, she was even more moved.
"Qing Muye, let's... date."
A man willing to give up everything to be with her, it would be a shame not to cherish him.
As soon as she spoke, the smile on Qing Muye's face vanished.
His sword-like eyebrows, slanting upwards, furrowed slightly, and his gaze suddenly cleared, "You, really?"
"What's wrong, you don't want to?"
Meng Jingwei was bewildered.
She had just proposed dating him, and his reaction, his expression, what did it mean?
"Yes, of course. But..."
He paused, drawing out the end of his sentence.
"But what?"
"After agreeing, there's no room for you to go back on your word." The man reached out and pinched her delicate cheek. "You need to think clearly."
Meng Jingwei gently pursed her red lips, smiled knowingly, and nodded, "Mm, I won't regret it."
Qing Muye's handsome face finally broke into a smile. Overjoyed, he tossed the axe aside, then pulled Meng Jingwei into his arms.
Overcome with emotion, he released Meng Jingwei and leaned in to kiss her lips.
The kiss was passionate and wild, but realizing they were at Meng Jingwei's home, he immediately released her.
"But... when can we get married?"
As he spoke, Qing Muye remembered their previous agreement and added, "A secret marriage isn't bad either."
"We'll see."
Meng Jingwei tiptoed and lightly kissed Qing Muye's lips, then turned to leave.
Only then did she discover Han Junyan, Tang Si, and Lu Yanming lined up at the doorway, staring intently at the two of them.
Meng Jingwei's face instantly turned crimson.
What was going on?
She had finally taken the initiative to confess, only to have all of them witness it.
When did her guard become so low?
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... That's too much. You two haven't finished all morning."
"Exactly. Muye, with his 'fancy moves,' knows how to win a girl's heart."
"Jingwei, have you really thought this through?"
Tang Si, Lu Yanming, and Han Junyan each spoke a sentence.
Qing Muye's brothers were naturally happy for him, but Han Junyan's heart sank to the bottom.
"You guys have fun, I'll go with my mom to see what delicious food we can prepare for you at noon."
After she finished speaking, she darted into the courtyard.
Qing Muye watched her 'hasty retreat' in embarrassment, unable to suppress a smile.
After a while, he withdrew his gaze, nudged the axe with his foot, caught it barehanded, and continued chopping wood.
...
At this time, Han Yu, as if guided by a whim, drove to the town, bought a box of chilblain cream, and drove back.
When he arrived at Meng Jingwei's door, Lu Yanming and the others were standing by the entrance chatting.
"Han Yu, where have you been all morning?"
Finally seeing Han Yu, Tang Si questioned him.
"Just looking around."
Han Yu did not walk further but stood by the roadside and took out his phone, "I'm going to make a call."
As this call was being 'made,' he disappeared from the entrance.
Carrying a box of chilblain cream, he skirted around Meng Jingwei's house and went to the riverbank.
However, Cheng Xiaorui was nowhere to be seen by the river.
He followed the small slope upwards, walked for a distance, and saw a few houses, but he didn't know which one was Cheng Xiaorui's home.
Han Yu stood in place, looking down at the box of chilblain cream in his hand, and smiled helplessly.
When did he start doing such silly things for a girl he had never met?
Perhaps, out of a police officer's sense of justice, he couldn't bear to see others in distress.
Han Yu didn't bother to look for her anymore and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, after taking just two steps, he suddenly heard a wailing voice, "Wuwu... Don't hit me, wuwu... Don't hit me, wuwu..."
Hearing the sound, Han Yu's expression turned cold, and he immediately turned back and followed the sound.
He walked to a house on the east side and, standing at the door, saw the fierce-looking woman from before vigorously whipping the girl's legs with a thin bamboo stick.
The girl knelt on the ground, not daring to escape.
"You've gotten bold! I just asked you to make lunch, and you told me your hand hurts? I'm so angry! I raised you, this useless thing, all these years, you're good for nothing and lazy all day, what can you do?!"
The woman put one hand on her hip and the other holding the bamboo stick, deliberately hitting the girl's hand with it again, "Hurts? I'll make it hurt. A few hits and it won't hurt anymore."
"Ah, don't hit me, wuwu... I was wrong... I'll cook, I'll cook. Wuwu..." Cheng Xiaorui sobbed, her voice choked with tears, in extreme pain.
"Stop!"
Han Yu's angry shout made him stride in, "What are you doing?"
Hearing the voice, the woman and Cheng Xiaorui looked over.
Cheng Xiaorui's eyes were red and tear-filled, exuding a fragile air, like Lin Daiyu, pitiful and heart-wrenching.
The woman, on the other hand, held the bamboo stick and pointed at Han Yu, "Who are you? Is it your business to meddle in my family's affairs?"
Han Yu stood tall and said sternly, "Domestic violence, anyone can intervene."
"You're that Meng family girl's friend, right? Humph, you're just like the Meng family couple, always butting into other people's business. If it weren't for Meng Jingwei and her parents, this little brat would have already gotten married. I'm so annoyed by people like you, chasing mice while carrying cats. Get out!"
From the woman's words, he could tell how much she disliked Cheng Xiaorui.
And the girl was only seventeen or eighteen years old, and she was already being told to get married!
Han Yu took out his police ID, "I'm a police officer. Do you think I can or cannot intervene?"
"You... you're a police officer?"
The woman stared at the police ID Han Yu took out. Her arrogant demeanor instantly disappeared, and she pursed her lips, smiling sheepishly, "Hehe, this girl is disobedient, so I'm just teaching her a lesson."