The small room was sweltering in the heat.
Su Xiaoqi wasn't someone who feared the heat, but being cornered by Shen Yun against the bedpost, she couldn't advance or retreat.
Shen Yun's hot breath occasionally brushed against her face.
The air she inhaled was entirely Shen Yun's scent.
Her heart trembled, her cheeks flushed, and she felt a pang of panic.
She shifted to move sideways, only to see Shen Yun lean in with a smile, blocking her path.
As she moved closer, it didn't look like she was escaping, but rather throwing herself into his arms.
Heh, what a situation.
Su Xiaoqi had her temper too.
She had long sensed that Shen Yun treated her differently.
He was always teasing her without reason.
But when it came to actually doing something, he never did.
However, his willpower was truly strong.
Every time she saw him, he seemed on the verge of desire.
But as long as she voiced her refusal, he could always stop himself at the crucial moment.
And then he would finish with a cold shower.
Su Xiaoqi pursed her lips, seeing no way to escape by wriggling left and right.
Shen Yun, like a cat playing with a mouse, was toying with her.
Unhappy, she pouted. She decided to stop running. She raised her hands and circled his neck, pressing her forehead against his chin, her voice soft and alluring:
"What does husband want me to consider for him?"
She didn't want to imitate the original host's speech anymore.
In modern times, she wasn't from Bashu and didn't speak the dialect very well.
It was quite tiring to imitate Su Xiaoqi's accent.
Shen Yun looked at the enlarged face before him. Her skin was fair and delicate, as charming as ever.
Because she was hanging from his neck, her posture perfectly accentuated her figure.
Her graceful curves were exceptionally alluring.
Without thinking, he raised his hand and embraced her slender waist.
He dared not use too much force, fearing he might accidentally snap it if he exerted too much strength.
"Mmm..." Su Xiaoqi was ticklish. The moment his hand touched her, she reacted.
She twisted her waist, trying to break free.
How could Shen Yun let her have her way?
He held her body tightly with both hands, his eyes half-closed as he searched for her delicate lips.
It was an action repeated countless times, but as Shen Yun's skill improved,
Su Xiaoqi quickly succumbed.
It was an indescribable feeling.
Her rational mind told her that her relationship with Shen Yun was merely a transaction.
It wasn't even much of a transaction.
Because she was just a substitute.
The original host was gone.
Their engagement should have long since become invalid.
It was just that the circumstances at the time did not permit it.
But when the time was right in the future, she would definitely choose to leave him.
She couldn't get too absorbed; she absolutely must not fall in love with him.
Su Xiaoqi secretly admonished herself, while being guided by Shen Yun like a rudderless sailboat, tumbling and submitting amidst the giant waves.
Again and again, her heart pounded with such intensity that she forgot to breathe.
Shen Yun whispered softly:
"Silly girl, don't forget to breathe."
Su Xiaoqi jolted awake, and at the same time, she heard a dispassionate mechanical voice in her mind:
"Beep, congratulations on your upgrade."
Ah, level thirteen!
Su Xiaoqi was eager to enter and see what changes level thirteen would bring to her space. She pushed Shen Yun away forcefully, saying she was going to sleep.
Then, she wrapped herself in the thin quilt and rolled inside, entering the space on her own.
The mist had dispersed a little more, and her farmland was now seven mu wide.
The pond had expanded to seven fen, but there were no changes in aquaculture.
However, new crop varieties were available for unlocking—corn.
She felt a surge of happiness.
Both potatoes and corn were unheard of in this era.
But they were both high-yield, easy-to-cultivate grain crops.
She wanted to plant more of them, striving to stock up on more grain before the next famine described in the book.
At the same time, she wanted to cultivate them to a point where they could be planted outside the space.
She believed that heaven granting her this space must have had a purpose.
She couldn't just focus on making money for herself.
With these hopeful visions, Su Xiaoqi drifted off to sleep.
Leaving Shen Yun to ponder the words he had heard from Su Xiaoqi about "corn, potatoes, and focusing on making money."
The next day, Su Xiaoqi had to go to change Zhao Liushun's dressing, so she had to ask Shen Yun to take Zhao Xiaozhu and Shen Xiaomei to the city.
She, along with Zhao Ye, went to the old Zhao family residence.
Before even entering the courtyard, she heard a commotion inside.
Su Xiaoqi frowned, tightening her grip on the food basket she carried.
Zhao Ye made a gesture, telling Su Xiaoqi that it was often like this here.
From his initial panic, he had now grown accustomed to it.
Su Xiaoqi managed to understand Zhao Ye's sign language with great difficulty.
She couldn't help but say: "Actually, there's nothing wrong with your throat. You should be able to speak.
Try speaking next time; you might be able to say something."
Zhao Ye's eyes lit up at her words. He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
Su Xiaoqi shook her head. She was becoming more certain that Zhao Ye's throat was likely affected by a fright he had as a child.
He had no physiological defect.
Instead, it was a self-imposed psychological suggestion that he couldn't speak.
Over time, he genuinely lost the ability to speak.
Zhao Ye listened to Su Xiaoqi's clear and pleasant voice, his eyes wide as he looked at her.
It was as if he wanted to burn her face into his very soul.
Su Xiaoqi noticed his gaze but didn't think too much of it. She even looked up to carefully examine Zhao Ye.
Only then did she realize that he, no longer skin and bones, was actually quite handsome.
His skin was tanned, his features sharp and defined, and his countenance carried an inexplicable nobility.
Su Xiaoqi narrowed her eyes.
For some reason, on Zhao Ye's face, she detected the word "noble."
"Damn it, you went to school and got educated just to listen to that nagging woman and break your legs, lying around at home.
Why aren't you lazy to death? You're old enough and still don't have a wife, forcing me to serve you here..."
Qian Shi's signature booming voice from the courtyard pierced through the courtyard gate.
Su Xiaoqi hurried to knock on the door.
Second Aunt Wu Shi came to open the door.
Upon seeing Su Xiaoqi, a smile spread across her honest face.
Then, with an anxious look, she turned to pull Qian Shi, who had her back to the door.
She quietly reminded her to stop cursing.
"What are you stopping me for? I will curse. They are all bad people.
When there are benefits, they don't think of our family.
But when there's trouble, they know to dump it here."
"Sister-in-law, please stop, please stop," Wu Shi tugged at her again.
She also quietly told her that Su Xiaoqi had arrived.
"Hmph, ungrateful wretch, you actually have the audacity to come here."
Qian Shi turned and saw Su Xiaoqi. Not only did she not stop, but she cursed even more fiercely.
Su Xiaoqi knew that the previous incident had deeply offended Qian Shi.
But there was no other way.
She couldn't possibly agree to all her unreasonable demands just because she was afraid of her getting angry.
Sometimes, when one needs to refuse, one must refuse.
Constant agreement is not a good thing.
Qian Shi, caught up in her cursing, didn't care what Su Xiaoqi was thinking.
"I have to receive a batch of bitter buckwheat soon. Since Eldest Aunt dislikes me so much.
Then I won't dare to dry it here anymore."
Hearing this, Qian Shi's expression immediately changed. She grabbed Su Xiaoqi's sleeve and shouted:
"What? Say that again."
Su Xiaoqi pulled her sleeve out of Qian Shi's greasy hand and repeated herself.
Qian Shi's heart immediately sank. She ceased her verbal assault and stopped her angry scolding.
Su Xiaoqi's ears finally found some peace. She walked towards the dimmest side room of the old Zhao family residence.
The door was ajar. There were no windows inside, and it was so dark that she couldn't see what was happening.
The boundless darkness made a bad premonition suddenly surge within her.
She immediately quickened her pace towards the door, letting out a cry before even pushing it open.
Good heavens, what had she seen...