《A Rough Man and His Beautiful Wife》 Chapter 1 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In July, the scorching sun was roasting the ground, like a huge furnace. The flowers and plants on the street seemed to have been ravaged by someone. All of them had their heads lowered and seemed lifeless. During this humid season, even if one laid on the bed like a turtle without moving, one would be drenched in sweat in less than five minutes. In a small old building, Jiang Ju stood by the window and looked at the construction site outside the window with a straight face. Two days ago, the workers at the construction site had broken her air conditioner. At that time, they said that they would compensate her with a new one, but she still didn¡¯t see any new air conditioner. It was unknown who contracted this construction site, but the people at the construction site were all short-haired and wore dark work clothes. None of them were old. They were all in their thirties. She had gone there yesterday and pretended to be calm as she questioned them. However, the person got impatient after she asked a few questions. He crossed his tanned and muscular arms in front of his chest and looked at her with an impassive expression. She was so frightened that she hurriedly ran home. Now, the cheapest air conditioner cost two thousand yuan. No matter how timid she was, she couldn¡¯t let this money go to waste. When her parents passed away, she had just graduated from high school. The accident happened suddenly, and her parents only left this old house for her. The university she got into was out of town, and the tuition fees were expensive. She couldn¡¯t afford it, so she could only give up on studying in exchange for living in this house. Her parents had built this house a few years ago. It had a total of three floors and nine rooms. Each room was rented for four to five hundred yuan, and she could collect more than three thousand yuan every month. It was enough for her to live on her own. The third floor was different from the lower two floors. There were only two slightly larger suites. She stayed in one of them herself. The other one was a few hundred yuan more expensive than the others, so no one had rented it. She had saved a few thousand yuan previously, but she had used it to buy a computer some time ago. It was only the middle of July, but she only had less than a thousand yuan left in savings. It was noon now, and even the wind blowing from the small electric fan hanging by the bed was hot. She had already eaten two ice creams. If she ate any more, she was afraid that she would catch a cold and her stomach would hurt. There was someone selling watermelons in the alley, but he only sold them by the whole. A big watermelon weighed more than ten pounds and cost thirty to forty yuan. She couldn¡¯t finish it herself, nor could she afford to buy it. Knock knock knock. She was wondering if she should make a bowl of noodles for lunch when there was a knock on the door. The person outside was knocking on the door very heavily and loudly, startling Jiang Ju. She tiptoed to the door and looked out through the peephole. The person outside was too tall. Even on her tiptoes, Jiang Ju could only see his chest, which was as sturdy as a wall. His abs were firm and glowing. She hesitated and didn¡¯t dare to open the door. ¡°Is there anyone in the room? I¡¯m here to fix the air conditioner.¡± Du Xi knocked on the door again. When he heard that there was still no movement in the room, he leaned against the door frame and lit a cigarette. He had been busy at the construction site all morning and was feeling dizzy from the sun. At this moment, his jacket was already drenched in sweat. It was uncomfortable to wear it, so he took it off and tied it around his waist. He had seen the owner of the house on the first day he contracted the construction site. She was delicate, gentle, and endearing. She was as fair as the snow in his hometown. She was also petite, probably only reaching his shoulders. At that time, he was puzzled. What era was this? Were there still people who couldn¡¯t eat their fill? The cigarette in his hand burned out, but the person inside still didn¡¯t move or make a sound. If he hadn¡¯t seen her standing at the window and looking at the construction site just now, he would have thought that there was no one in the room. There was no time to dawdle with her. He raised his hand and was about to knock on the door again. Before his hand landed, there was sudden movement inside. The person inside tiptoed and opened the door a small crack. A pair of dark eyes were sizing him up from the crack. Du Xi frowned and clicked his tongue impatiently. He was too familiar with the other party¡¯s cautious gaze. His neighbor had a puppy before, and every time he saw him, he looked very wary. ¡°I¡¯m from the construction site in front. I¡¯m here to fix your air conditioner.¡± He raised the toolbox in his hand and let her size him up. Jiang Ju¡¯s face tensed up. The first thing she saw was a light scar from his left eyebrow to the middle of his temple. It was a stark contrast to his bronze skin. His deep eye sockets, broad eyebrows, straight nose, and plump lips. Coupled with his slightly impatient gaze, he looked indescribably intimidating. In short, anyone who saw him had to admit that he had a handsome appearancea€| but he only felt that he was very fierce. Chapter 2 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Usually, she would never dare to be alone in a room with such a person. However, the summer heat was really unbearable. She couldn¡¯t spend the next three months like this. After hesitating for a moment, she couldn¡¯t stand the heat anymore, so she finally took a few steps back and let him in. ¡°Where is the air conditioner?¡± The moment Du Xi entered the room, he felt that the room was stuffy and hot, even hotter than outside. Even his breath was hot, and even more sweat flowed down his body. Large beads of sweat flowed down his narrow waist and fell to the floor as he walked, causing Jiang Ju to frown. She was slightly obsessed with cleanliness. Looking at the sweat on the floor, she had the urge to mop it up. However, she couldn¡¯t show it in front of him. She could only endure the discomfort and raise her hand to point at the window. ¡°It¡¯s there.¡± Du Xi climbed out of the window to take a look and returned with a body full of sweat. This time, even the navy blue shorts he was wearing were soaked and looked even darker. When he saw the girl standing on the spot obediently and fiddling with her fingers, he was amused. She was probably very timid. ¡°Is there water? I¡¯m thirsty.¡± After Du Xi wiped the sweat off his face, he looked up at her. When Jiang Ju heard him talking to her, she froze and it took her a long time to react. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡¯ll pour you a cup.¡± She went to pour a cup of water and handed it to him. The man drank it all in one gulp and looked at her with a dissatisfied expression. Then, she poured him a few more cups of water. After a few glasses of water, he finally stopped looking at her. He pointed at the air conditioner outside the window. ¡°This air conditioner has been used for too long and needs to be scrapped. Our actions just made it scrapped a few months in advance. How about this? I¡¯ll compensate you with a thousand yuan! Add some money yourself and buy a new one.¡± It was only on account of her good looks that he was willing to compensate so much. If it was a burly man, he could at most fork out two to three hundred yuan and dismiss him. Jiang Ju lowered her head and thought about how even the cheapest air conditioner on the market cost two thousand yuan. She didn¡¯t have enough money now. If she wanted to buy it, she would have to wait until the beginning of next month to collect the rent. Half a month was neither long nor short, but it was very hot now. She was afraid of the heat and definitely couldn¡¯t hold on for that long. ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me money. Just repair it.¡± Du Xi pursed his lips and his mind wandered when he heard that this little girl¡¯s voice was as delicate and soft as her appearance. Since his body was covered in mud and sweat, he was too embarrassed to sit on the light-colored sofa, so he sat on the floor. ¡°Your air conditioner is useless even if it¡¯s repaired now. Even if it¡¯s repaired now, it won¡¯t last until this summer. Why don¡¯t you buy a new one? I¡¯ll help you install it.¡± Jiang Ju¡¯s attitude was firm. She shook her head. Looking at the sweat on her face and her conflicted look, Du Xi smiled and asked her, ¡°Are you short of money? You can¡¯t afford to buy a new one?¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t answer, but the amount of sweat on her face increased, and she looked even more nervous. Du Xi understood and stood up. He dusted his pants as he said, ¡°How about this? Wait for me at home. I¡¯ll get you a new one.¡± He worked in construction and interior renovation, so he had many suppliers who worked with him and could buy all kinds of electrical appliances much cheaper than other people could. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and sized up Jiang Ju as he asked her in a low voice, ¡°How old are you?¡± Jiang Ju froze for a moment before saying, ¡°21.¡± ¡°Have you been in a relationship before?¡± ¡°N¡­ no.¡± After getting the answer he wanted, Du Xi left without looking back. He returned very quickly with a brand new air conditioner on his shoulder. He carried it effortlessly as he walked. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t expect him to buy the air conditioner so quickly. She was too embarrassed to continue eating the noodles. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can continue eating,¡± Du Xi glanced at her and raised his chin at the noodles on the table as he said. Jiang Ju said politely, ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat together?¡± ¡°Du Xi¡¯s froze before saying, ¡°That¡¯s fine too. I happen to be hungry.¡± Jiang Ju was speechless. After being stunned for a full minute, she turned around and went to the kitchen. Thinking of that person¡¯s muscular physique, she cooked a large pot of noodles and even added in the remaining two eggs in the fridge. There were not any big bowls at home, so she could only bring the pot out. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s eat first.¡± She walked to the window and looked at the man who was removing the old air conditioner. Seeing that Du Xi was covered in sweat, she hesitated for a moment before taking a bottle of soda from the fridge. Then, she went into the bathroom and brought him an unused towel. Chapter 3 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Du Xi didn¡¯t stand on ceremony. He drank the soda that Jiang Ju handed him in one gulp. He then went to the bathroom to wash his face. After he wiped his sweat with a towel, he picked up his chopsticks to eat. He picked up the noodles with his chopsticks and sent them into his mouth. The large pot of noodles was finished by him in less than five minutes. After eating, Du Xi didn¡¯t rest. After installing the air conditioner, he left in a hurry, as if there was something urgent. He took the old air conditioner with him. Jiang Ju stood at the door and watched as he strode away. After hesitating for a long time, she didn¡¯t dare to ask him to leave the old air conditioner for her. Although the old air conditioner couldn¡¯t be used anymore, it could still be sold for dozens of yuan. It was enough for her to buy food for two to three days. With the new air conditioner, Jiang Ju finally didn¡¯t have to endure the sweltering heat anymore. She felt very comfortable both physically and mentally. Even cleaning up the dirty floor was no longer that unbearable. There was barely any food left in the fridge. After the sun set, the temperature outside also dropped. She carried her canvas tote and left with a hundred yuan in her wallet. She wanted to use this hundred yuan to buy a week¡¯s worth of groceries. Although it was enough, she wouldn¡¯t be able to eat anything good. She bought a few pounds of cheap vegetables and two pounds of eggs. When she paid the bill, she saw that the instant noodles on the shelf were at a discount. She silently placed a few bags in the shopping cart. When she returned home, she saw a man standing in front of her house. She stopped in her tracks and felt a little nervous as she slowly walked over. There were a few luggage bags of different sizes beside Du Xi¡¯s feet. When Du Xi heard Jiang Ju, he turned to look at her. ¡°Landlady, I want to rent a room.¡± Jiang Ju tightened her grip on the canvas bag and slowly walked over. Then, she opened the door and placed the things in her hand into the room before turning around to come out. ¡°The rooms downstairs have all been rented out. There¡¯s only one room left on the third floor. This room is slightly larger than the others and is slightly more expensive. It¡¯s 800 yuan a month, and you have to pay two month¡¯s worth of rent in deposit.¡± That room was even larger than the one she lived in herself, and it had all the household appliances. Before summer, she even saved up money to install an air conditioner inside. Originally, she planned to rent it for a thousand yuan, but no one was willing to rent it even after a long time, so she could only lower the rent by two hundred yuan. Du Xi nodded. The room on the third floor was more than twice the size of the rooms on the first and second floors and the rent wasn¡¯t expensive. Seeing that he agreed, Jiang Ju found the key and opened the door to let him in to take a look. She cleaned the room every week, so there was no dust in the room at all, and the decoration was simple yet cozy. ¡°Pay the rent on the first of every month and pay for the water and electricity bill yourself,¡± Jiang Ju said in a soft voice. Du Xi turned to look at her and took out a cigarette from his pocket. He was so tall that he had to lower his head to see her petite figure. When he saw her fair and flawless face, Du Xi felt an inexplicable feeling in his heart. He wanted to reach out and pinch her. He took out a pile of crumpled cash from his pocket and stuffed it into her arms. ¡°Count this money and see how long I can rent for.¡± Jiang Ju was speechless when the large ball of crumpled money was stuffed into her arms. Then, Jiang Ju lowered her head and smoothed out the crumpled money one by one. Her fair and slender fingers brushed across the dirty paper money. When Du Xi saw this, he felt even more tantalized. The little girl was wearing a grayish-white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of light blue tight jeans. They outlined her exquisite figure and her sexy waist, which aroused him. The sweat on his body fell to the ground like broken beads due to his titillated sensation. He picked up a towel beside him and wiped it on his body. ¡°There¡¯s a total of 2,200 yuan here. Coupled with the money you spent to buy the new air conditioner, it¡¯s enough for five months of rent and a month of deposit.¡± Du Xi replied calmly, ¡°The air conditioner is compensation for you. It¡¯s not included in here.¡± After he put on his clothes, he looked over. The young lady¡¯s face was slightly flushed, and her eyes were wandering. She didn¡¯t dare to look at him at all. He looked down at his well-developed abs and thin waist with a smile. The young lady was so bashful. ¡°No need. The new air conditioner is very expensive. Let¡¯s do five months. How abouta€| I don¡¯t rent it to you?¡± Jiang Ju pretended to be calm as she said. Then, she raised her head and looked at Du Xi cautiously, since she was afraid that he would lose his temper. ¡°That¡¯s fine too. The air conditioner is 1,200 yuan, so I¡¯ll rent for a quarter first. The 200 yuan will be the utility fee. I¡¯ll pay you more if it¡¯s not enough.¡± As Jiang Ju held the money in her hand, she hesitated for a moment. In the end, she took out two red banknotes and handed them to Du Xi. ¡°The new tenant will be exempted from the utility bill for a month.¡± Du Xi said, ¡°Then use it for next month. Just accept it. Won¡¯t you lose money if you rent the place out like this?¡± Du Xi frowned at her. He really didn¡¯t know how she became a landlady with her meek personality. Wouldn¡¯t she be taken advantage of by other tenants? Chapter 4 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations His tone subconsciously became more serious. Jiang Ju trembled in fear and stole a glance at him before hurriedly taking the money back. He glared at her at every turn. He was really too intimidating. She hoped that he would take the initiative to pay the rent on time in the future. Otherwise, she probably wouldn¡¯t dare to take the initiative to ask for it. 800 yuan wasn¡¯t a small sum. It was almost as much as her monthly grocery shopping fee. She still wanted to save money to open a shop, so she couldn¡¯t let the rent be delayed. ¡°Give me your identity card. I want to register it.¡± Du Xi sat on the sofa with his legs on the coffee table. He looked at her with a smile as he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring it.¡± He clearly didn¡¯t want to give it to her, so Jiang Ju didn¡¯t ask further. She turned around and returned to her room. He wanted to chat some more, but he didn¡¯t expect her to turn around and leave. He just wanted to tease her, but when he saw how timid she was, he couldn¡¯t bear to. If he even did so much as raise his voice, she would shrink into a ball like a frightened hedgehog. Fair enough. She was young and delicate, so her personality was probably quite docile. Light footsteps sounded as a certain timid little girl had returned. Du Xi smirked and looked in the door¡¯s direction from the corner of his eye as Jiang Ju brought the contract over and asked him to sign it. Du Xi was no longer in the mood to tease her. He had been busy all day and was covered in sweat, so he wanted to go in and take a cold shower to wash away the sticky feeling on his body. His handwriting was as rough and unruly as himself. Jiang Ju stared at it for a long time, but he really couldn¡¯t tell his name. ¡°Jiang Ju? This name is quite interesting.¡± On the other side, there was her signature. Du Xi saw it at a glance. As the old saying went, names were reflective of people. She seemed so gentle and demure, and her name reflected it. Jiang Ju had never liked small talk. When she heard this, she only nodded and left him a copy of the contract before walking out. She had forgotten to close the door, and Du Xi couldn¡¯t be bothered to close it. In any case, there were only the two of them on the third floor. As a man, he wasn¡¯t afraid of her peeping. Besides, she didn¡¯t have the guts to do so anyway. Du Xi stood up and stretched his muscles. As he took off his clothes, he walked to the bathroom. In the next few days, he was busy at the construction site. Du Xi went out early and returned late every day, so he didn¡¯t see Jiang Ju for a few days. When he didn¡¯t see her, he felt that his mundane life was lacking something and he couldn¡¯t suppress the urge to see her. Thus, one hot afternoon, he rode a motorcycle back from the other side of the city. The motorcycle was borrowed from a child at the construction site. The modified motorcycle¡¯s roar was ear-piercing and intense. When it parked downstairs, it startled the surrounding residents. The hot weather made it easy to get tired, so at this moment, most of the residents who didn¡¯t work were taking an afternoon nap. After coming back to their senses from the shock, they opened the window to curse, but when they saw the muscular Du Xi, they silently retracted their heads from the window. This man was tanned and looked very intimidtaing. It was obvious that he wasn¡¯t someone ordinary people like them could afford to offend. If they really got into a conflict with him on impulse, they might get injured. He had already parked his motorcycle downstairs and stopped making disruptive noises anyway, so they let it be. Du Xi was holding a watermelon that weighed more than twenty pounds. He leaned her back against the wall and knocked on the door without revealing his head. Hearing the knock, Jiang Ju walked to the door and looked out through the peephole, but there was no one outside. She was puzzled and a little afraid, so she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound and hid behind the door without moving. She only opened the door a crack when the person outside spoke impatiently. ¡°Young lady, you¡¯re quite vigiliant. You know that you can¡¯t open the door to strangers that easily.¡± His head and face were covered in sweat, and the short-sleeved shirt on his body was drenched. His body blocked the door and he tried to enter. Jiang Ju hesitated for a few seconds before letting him in. She had no choice. Even if she didn¡¯t let him in, her small body wouldn¡¯t be able to block his muscular body. After Du Xi carried the watermelon into the kitchen, he found a fruit knife to split the watermelon into two and cut one half into pieces. ¡°It¡¯s hot, so eat the watermelon to ward off the heat. I still have something on at the construction site, so I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Jiang Ju stared blankly at the cut watermelon on the table. She didn¡¯t react until a while after the door was closed. What did he mean? The sun was scorching outside, so he rushed back all sweaty just to send her a watermelon? When she thought of the half watermelon frozen in the fridge, she felt vexed. She had finally finished half of the watermelon she bought yesterday morning. She would have to eat the remaining half over the next two days. In addition to the one he had sent over, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to finish it even if she only ate watermelon all day long. It was too wasteful. If she had known that someone would send watermelon to her, she wouldn¡¯t have bought watermelon and would have saved more than twenty yuan. Chapter 5 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Du Xi rushed back to the construction site. He had many people under him and had contracted a few plots of land. They were not close, so he had to go back and forth often. There was a problem with the crane at the construction site. A few days ago, a worker was trapped on it and couldn¡¯t come down. He had been repairing it for a few days, but failed to repair it and delayed the original schedule. Fortunately, he could get the workers here to help at other construction sites. Otherwise, everyone would have to starve this month. When he saw him return, Tang San, who was resting, called out to him, ¡°Brother Du, didn¡¯t you buy a watermelon just now? Where did it go?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you to finish such a huge watermelon so quickly. Could it be¡­ you gave it to a girl?¡± Before Du Xi could speak, Liu Qiang, who was beside him, laughed maliciously. ¡°Stop guessing. Brother Du is not the kind of man who knows how to be gentle with women. How can he send a watermelon to a woman in such hot weather? Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°The woman from the previous project department pestered the construction site for so long, but Brother Du couldn¡¯t even be bothered with her. In my opinion, Brother Du is inferior to me in this aspect. If it were me, even if I didn¡¯t like her, I wouldn¡¯t have rejected her so coldly. You guys see that little girl crying her heart out. I felt heartbroken.¡± ¡°None of you men are good!¡± Tang San said in imitation. After saying that, he reached out and patted Liu Qiang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Stop dreaming. It¡¯s impossible for a young lady to ignore Brother Du and chase after you.¡± Liu Qiang rolled his eyes at him. ¡°What? Why can¡¯t you let me dream? Besides, what¡¯s so special about Brother Du? We both have two arms and two legs. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m inferior to him!¡± When Tang San heard this, he chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about anything else. Let¡¯s talk about that body part. There¡¯s a huge difference between yours and Brother Du¡¯s. That girl is smart, so of course she¡¯s considering her lifelong ¡®happiness¡¯.¡± The few of them had known each other for a long time and were already familiar with each other, so the two of them had no scruples in front of Du Xi and joked without restraint. Du Xi naturally did not mind. He sat at the side and prepared tools while planning to repair the machine later. Looking at his muscular muscles, Tang San lamented regretfully, ¡°If only I was a little girl. I want to be with Brother Du too. I want to be doted on by him too~¡± Liu Qiang kicked his butt hard and laughed loudly. ¡°Forget it. You¡¯re too ugly. Brother Du won¡¯t like you. Besides, you¡¯re as thin as a chick. Under Brother Du, you won¡¯t even be able to last a single round.¡± Tang San retorted, ¡°As if you¡¯re not ugly? Did you forget about the time the girl from the Project Department called you Uncle¡± Liu Qiang glared at Tang San angrily. Then, he rolled up his sleeves and was about to beat him up. ¡°Stop fooling around and get to work.¡± Du Xi stopped them at the right time and left with his things. Tang San hurriedly put on his coat and chased after him. As he chased, he shouted, ¡°Brother Du, how about you come with us today? A few dancers came to the nearby bar. Each of them is sexier than the last.¡± ¡°When the time comes, I¡¯ll find you the most beautiful one. She¡¯ll definitely serve you well.¡± Du Xi turned around and looked at him with an impassive expression. ¡°I think you¡¯re still not tired enough.¡± He had been so busy at the construction site recently that he didn¡¯t even have time to eat. How could he have time to go out and have fun? Besides, he knew Tang San and the others¡¯ taste too well. Those vulgar women were not as gorgeous as that landlady. Du Xi walked in front, while Tang San and Liu Qiang muttered behind him, ¡°Does Brother Du have some secret illness in that area? Why doesn¡¯t he go out to play every time?¡± He wasn¡¯t averse to drinking, but when it came to women, he never looked interested. Therefore, the two of them guessed that he either had a secret illness or didn¡¯t like women at all. Liu Qiang glared at him. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Have you never seen Brother Du take a shower? It¡¯s impossible for him to have a secret illness. Besides, what level are those women we found? Can they catch Brother Du¡¯s eye?¡± Brother Du rarely lost his temper with them, but the two of them were still afraid of him from the bottom of their hearts. They were always afraid of making him unhappy. If they really angered him, the two of them would lose their jobs. After Tang San was glared at by him, he scratched his head guiltily. ¡°I was just joking!¡± He only dared to joke with Brother Du because Brother Du was in a good mood recently. Usually, he did not dare to. He had a low education level, so if he got fired, he could only farm in his hometown. It was Du Xi who gave him a job in this big city. Du Xi walked further and further away. The two of them stopped joking and hurriedly chased after him. Chapter 6 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When Du Xi returned home that night, he was about to open the door when the door opposite him was suddenly opened from the inside. Jiang Ju was wearing a nightgown that reached her calves and holding more than half a watermelon in her arms, as if she had something to say to him. ¡°What? It¡¯s not delicious?¡± Du Xi frowned. It had been more than half a day, so why was there still so much watermelon left? He was usually around burly men at the construction site. In addition, everyone usually did physical work, so in hot weather, they had to replenish a large amount of water. Each of them could eat one large watermelon at a time. Jiang Ju shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s quite delicious. It¡¯s just too big, so I can¡¯t finish it.¡± Du Xi sized her up and gritted his teeth. He had miscalculated. The young lady was so young. It was indeed difficult for her to finish such a big watermelon in one go. ¡°My hands are dirty. Help me bring them in.¡± His hands were just an excuse. Usually, he wasn¡¯t sick after eating dirty food. He just wanted to stay with the young lady for a while longer. The little girl had probably fallen asleep just now and only woke up when she heard his footsteps. Her big round eyes were looking at him with a hint of timidity and confusion. Strange, it had only been half a day since they last met, but why did he feel that the little girl had become prettier? ¡°If you have nothing to do, help me cut the watermelon. I¡¯m going to take a shower. I¡¯m covered in sweat.¡± After he finished speaking, he turned around and went to the bathroom without waiting for her reply. Jiang Ju stayed in the living room alone. She didn¡¯t know if she should put the watermelon down and leave, or listen to him and cut the watermelon. After hesitating for a while, she heard the sound of running water from the bathroom. In the end, she carried the watermelon to the kitchen. Seeing that he had bought a new air conditioner for her, she decided to help cut it. She had nothing to do anyway. Du Xi took a shower quickly. When he put on his clothes and came out, Jiang Ju had just peeled off the watermelon skin and had yet to start cutting it, but he didn¡¯t intend to help. He leaned against the kitchen door frame with a cigarette in his mouth as he looked at her lazily. ¡°Are you really 21 years old? You look like a minor.¡± Jiang Ju looked up at him and nodded. Many people said that she looked like a child, so she was no longer surprised by this sort of remark. Du Xi stared at her directly and didn¡¯t hide the emotions in his eyes at all. The little girl had her head lowered as she cut melons, so he was more impudent. ¡°What about you? How old are you?¡± Jiang Ju felt a little uncomfortable when she felt his burning gaze, so she had no choice but to ask. Du Xi said, ¡°I¡¯m 31 years old, ten years older than you. When Jiang Ju heard this, she paused and looked up at him before quickly lowering her head. He didn¡¯t look 31 years old. Perhaps it was because his skin was dark, so he looked younger than his age. The first time they met, she thought that he was five to six years older than her. Du Xi noticed the surprise in her eyes and threw away the cigarette butt in his hand. Then, he walked forward and bent down slightly to look at the little girl as he slowly asked her, ¡°Why don¡¯t you dare to look at me? I don¡¯t eat people.¡± Their postures were too ambiguous, and they were so close. Jiang Ju got a whiff of a masculine scent. He had just taken a shower, so he didn¡¯t smell bad. It was just that his scent gave off a domineering feeling. Jiang Ju lowered her head. Not knowing where to put her hand, she tousled the hair on her forehead awkwardly. Avoiding the other party¡¯s probing gaze, she said, ¡°The watermelon is cut. I¡­ I¡¯m going back now.¡± When he saw that the little girl¡¯s face was getting redder and redder, even surpassing that of a ripe watermelon, Du Xi¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he immediately felt his mouth go dry. This kind of heat couldn¡¯t be relieved no matter how many watermelons he ate. Jiang Ju took a step back and turned to leave. However, the kitchen was narrow to begin with. Du Xi was tall and didn¡¯t move at all, so Jiang Ju became a little anxious and looked up at him. Suddenly, her gaze met his. The dim yellow light above her head reflected his bright and charming eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she instinctively shrank back. The small space was so quiet that their breathing could be heard clearly. The two of them stood there without saying a word for a while. Just as Jiang Ju was about to leave, Du Xi suddenly took a step forward. His arms were wide and his figure was muscular, so he blocked her in the corner like a wall. ¡°It¡¯s too late¡­ I¡¯m going back now!¡± Jiang Ju walked around him in a panic, and in the man¡¯s eyes, it looked like she was fleeing. As Du Xi laid on the bed, he stared at the ceiling above him. He thought of the pleasant scent he had just smelled on the girl and chuckled. Chapter 7 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The next day, the food at home was almost gone. In the morning, Jiang Ju finished the last egg in the fridge. By noon, there was really nothing else, so Jiang Ju prepared to go out to buy groceries. As soon as she pushed open the door, she bumped into Du Xi, who had returned. She glanced at him and left quickly with her head lowered. Du Xi raised his eyebrows slightly. He treated this young lady quite well, right? He had never lost his temper with her. Why did she look terrified every time she saw him? From the window in the corridor, he saw her take out a hat and mask from her bag after she left and cover herself up tightly. He looked up at the fiery red sun hanging above his head as he muttered, ¡°How finicky.¡± He threw the packed lunch into the fridge and hurriedly chased after her. Before Jiang Ju could walk far, the roar of a motorcycle came from behind, startling her. She was about to frown when the instigator stopped the motorcycle steadily in front of her. Looking at the man sitting on the motorcycle with a domineering expression, she cursed silently: ¡°God, can you send a kind person to beat up this arrogant man?¡± He was already in his thirties, but he was still riding a modified motorcycle on the streets. How childish and annoying. If he rode such a motorcycle every day, he would be arrested by the traffic police one day. Then, who would pay his rent? Du Xi lost his temper and called out to her, ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± He patted the back seat and gestured for Jiang Ju to sit. This motorcycle was very high and reached Jiang Ju¡¯s waist. It was even shining under the sunlight. Thinking of the loud sound of it driving on the road, Jiang Ju subconsciously took two steps back with an unwilling look on her face. ¡°No need¡­ I¡¯ll be there in a few steps.¡± Du Xi said, ¡°Cut the crap. Where are you going?¡± Jiang Ju said, ¡°The supermarket in front.¡± Du Xi looked over. Under the scorching sun, there was a huge billboard less than 200 meters in front: Xinhua Supermarket. Du Xi gritted his teeth and parked the car at the side. ¡°Then let¡¯s go together. I¡¯ll help you carry your things.¡± Jiang Ju, who only left with a hundred yuan, said, ¡°¡­No need¡­¡± She just had a hundred yuan. She wouldn¡¯t be able to buy much even if she spent it all, so she could carry them all herself. Du Xi didn¡¯t mind her rejection at all. After parking the car by the roadside, he took the lead and walked in front. It seemed that he insisted on going with her, so Jiang Ju didn¡¯t say anything else. She pursed her lips and followed behind him. When they arrived at the supermarket, Du Xi pulled the largest shopping cart and pushed it forward. Behind him was Jiang Ju, who looked very dejected. Seeing him stride to the fresh meat section and throw two large boxes of freshly cut beef into the shopping cart without looking at the price, Jiang Ju silently clenched the corner of her shirt. If she had known that he bought things so lavishly, she wouldn¡¯t have let him follow her no matter what. The hundred yuan in her pocket wasn¡¯t even enough to pay for these two boxes of beef. To avoid embarrassment when paying the bill, Jiang Ju decided to tell the truth. Du Xi walked to the pork stall again and was about to reach out to take a box of pork belly when someone grabbed the corner of his shirt from behind. He turned around and looked at Jiang Ju in confusion. Jiang Ju was standing behind him with a pitiful look as she held a bill in her hand and said meekly, ¡°Don¡¯t take too much. I only brought a hundred yuan.¡± When Du Xi saw her timid look, he poked her nose gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I have money. I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± He was a man. Would he need a young lady to spend money when bringing her out to the supermarket? Although his tone wasn¡¯t too pleasant, his actions were doting. Jiang Ju froze for a moment before silently retracting her hand. Forget it, she would go to the market again next time. When Du Xi bought things, he didn¡¯t look at the price. As long as it was something he liked, he would throw double portions into the shopping cart. After the two of them shopped in the supermarket for half an hour, the shopping cart was filled to the brim. When Du Xi paid, he even suggested to the staff that they change to a larger batch of shopping carts. Looking at the things that filled up four big shopping bags, Jiang Ju complained inwardly, ¡°This shopping cart is already big enough. He¡¯s the one who bought too many things. When Du Xi was paying the bill just now, she watched from the side. These things cost more than a thousand yuan, which was almost equivalent to her monthly food bill. Seeing how effortlessly he carried two shopping bags in each hand, Jiang Ju silently looked down at her hands and wondered if she had been eating too little. If she had eaten more, she might not have been underweight for years. Chapter 8 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When they reached the third floor, Du Xi walked straight to Jiang Ju¡¯s door. He raised his chin and gestured for her to open the door for him. He looked like he wanted to give all these things to her, shocking Jiang Ju so much that she was speechless. He chose the best and most expensive things that cost a total of more than a thousand yuan. If she bought them at the market at the same price, they would be enough to last her a month, but she would probably finish them in half a month. She had just received the rent and didn¡¯t want to spend it so quickly. ¡°Youa€| should bring these things back to your place. My fridge is already full. There¡¯s no room.¡± Du Xi was ten years older than her, so he could tell what she was thinking at a glance. Didn¡¯t she just feel that the two of them weren¡¯t familiar with each other and was embarrassed to accept his things? He insisted on giving them to her. He insisted that she accept these things today no matter what. ¡°Open the door first and put as much as you can. If it can¡¯t fit, I¡¯ll take it back.¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, Du Xi frowned. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Don¡¯t dawdle. Hurry up and open the door and put the things in. Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± At the mention of eating, Jiang Ju remembered that when Du Xi came back, he was carrying a box of food. However, Du Xi seemed to have forgotten about it now and had no intention of going back to eat. Jiang Ju quietly looked up at him, but when she saw the amusement in his eyes, she blushed. The other party¡¯s attitude was firm and there was no room for negotiation. Jiang Ju could only take out her key and open the door, allowing him to swagger in, as if he was in his own house. When she went out, she forgot to turn off the air conditioner, so when she entered and was blown by the cold wind, she couldn¡¯t help but sneeze a few times. Du Xi placed the things on the coffee table and raised the temperature of the air conditioner by a few degrees. ¡°Turn off the air conditioner the next time you go out. If you suffer the heat and chill too intermittently, you might catch a cold.¡± Jiang Ju agreed and went to the bathroom to wash her hands. When she came out, she saw that Du Xi had already brought everything into the kitchen. She started to feel nervous again. The fridge was already empty. If he opened it, wouldn¡¯t he know that she was lying just now? Seeing him walk towards the fridge, Jiang Ju subconsciously shouted, ¡°Wait!¡± Du Xi stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her. Jiang Ju said, ¡°I can clean up myself. You¡¯re sweating, so you should go back and take a shower first.¡± Du Xi didn¡¯t work today, and the clothes he was wearing were newly changed in the morning. The sweat was also from the scorching sun when the two of them had just left the house. If it were any other time, he would definitely be too lazy to change his clothes. However, now that he was standing in Jiang Ju¡¯s place, his nose was filled with her pleasant scent. He suddenly felt that it was very necessary to take a shower. If she wanted him to take a shower, so be it. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. However, did this young lady have to be so nervous? From the sweat on her forehead, one would think that it was raining outside. ¡°I¡¯ll go later. I¡¯ll help you put these things in first.¡± With that, he reached out to open the fridge. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t know how to refuse, and her heart was in her throat. From the corner of Du Xi¡¯s eye, he saw Jiang Ju¡¯s worried expression. Du Xi understood and stopped opening the door. ¡°I¡¯m sweating all over, so I¡¯ll go back and take a shower first. I¡¯ll help you put them away later.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he could see the child in front of him heave a sigh of relief. Seeing her relieved expression, Du Xi almost laughed out loud. As expected of a child. She couldn¡¯t hide anything on her mind. This was good too. He could read her mind easily and didn¡¯t have to guess. Seeing that Du Xi had returned to his place, Jiang Ju quickly returned to the kitchen, put the things in the shopping bag into the fridge, and started to make lunch. It was past lunchtime, so she planned to cook two simple dishes. As for whether Du Xi would like them, that wasn¡¯t her concern. Just as the rice was cooked, Du Xi returned drenched. The sweat that had not been dried dripped from his chin to his chest. He held a black vest in his hand and leaned against the kitchen door. His expression was aloof, like that of a lion that was sunbathing after eating its fill. Jiang Ju glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw that he was naked. She felt so bashful that she didn¡¯t dare to raise her head. Her back was facing him and her gaze was fixed on the washed vegetables in front of her. Du Xi said, ¡°Do you know how to sew clothes? My vest became frayed, so please help sew it.¡± In this situation, Jiang Ju couldn¡¯t say no, so she could only agree. After all, she wasn¡¯t as composed as Du Xi. She couldn¡¯t accept a naked man wandering around her house. Chapter 9 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations She lowered her head and walked out. When she took the clothes from him, she accidentally touched his fingertips. As if her fingers had been burned, she quickly retracted her hand. Du Xi looked at her as he rubbed his index finger and thumb with relish. ¡°Why are you so afraid of me? I won¡¯t eat you.¡± However, Jiang Ju didn¡¯t relax because of his joke. Although she knew that the other party didn¡¯t have any ill intentions, the passion in Du Xi¡¯s eyes still made her anxious and uneasy. Seeing the child in front of him turn around and run, Du Xi laughed. Although she was short-legged, she ran quite quickly. She was so frightened by mere a joke. He felt that his voice was quite gentle when he spoke to her, so why was she so afraid of him? With a low laugh, Du Xi turned around and entered the kitchen. When he saw the vegetables that Jiang Ju had washed, he took out pork ribs and chicken from the fridge. Since he had time today, he would personally cook to nourish the child¡¯s body so that she wouldn¡¯t be as thin as a chick. She was so scrawny that it seemed like a mere breeze was enough to make her fall. Jiang Ju, who had hidden in her room, sewed up the vest, but she was in no hurry to go out. Instead, she pressed her ear against the door and listened to the sounds outside. The living room was very quiet, and the man seemed to be gone. She sat back on the bed and looked down at the vest in her hand. She was at a loss. She had never made any decisions since she was young. It had always been her parents who planned everything for her. Ever since her parents passed away, she was like a kite with a broken string that floated aimlessly all day long. The owner of this vest barged into her lonesome world with unreasonable dominance. She wanted to reject him, but she didn¡¯t dare to. She wanted to expel him, but she didn¡¯t have the courage to. She could only let him join her life. She couldn¡¯t say what she felt, but she couldn¡¯t stop thinking about him. She sat in the room in a daze for a long time. It was only when Du Xi came over and knocked on the door that she came back to her senses. The moment she opened the door, she smelled an aroma. Jiang Ju¡¯s eyes lit up and she felt much more energetic. Although she knew how to cook herself, she only knew how to cook some simple dishes. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had eaten such a delicious meal. Du Xi took the wrinkled vest from her hand and patted her head, as if he was rewarding her. ¡°Why are you standing there? Hurry up and eat.¡± When Jiang Ju walked over and saw two sets of cutlery neatly placed on the table, she was overcome with an indescribable emotion. Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, Du Xi gently pushed her back to the chair, picked up the chopsticks on the table, and stuffed them into her hand. ¡°Eat quickly. It¡¯ll get cold later.¡± Knowing that Jiang Ju was shy, Du Xi didn¡¯t look at her again after saying this. He sat down on the other side and ate. Jiang Ju looked at him, who was eating with his head lowered, and her originally tense mood eased up substantially. She picked up a piece of pork ribs and took a bite. When the taste of caramel spread throughout her mouth, her eyes lit up. The food tasted extremely delicious. Jiang Ju, who had been starving for half a day, had a huge appetite. She ate two bowls of rice in a row and only put down her chopsticks when her stomach was stuffed. Her stomach was so stuffed that she even had to hold onto a chair to get up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll clean up the table later.¡± Du Xi had only eaten a bowl of rice. Afraid that she would feel uncomfortable, he left the table and sat on the sofa in advance. Now, he was watching a movie on the sofa leisurely. From the corner of his eye, he saw her putting down her bowl and chopsticks, so he turned his head and beckoned her. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t understand what he meant, so she blinked her big eyes in confusion as she walked in his direction. Du Xi was enamored with her adorable expression. His well-defined fingers knocked on the coffee table again and again as he thought about when he could pinch her little face. He felt tantalized, but when he saw Jiang Ju¡¯s confused expression, he suppressed his urge. He handed the phone to her and said, ¡°Add me on WeChat.¡± ¡°A few days ago, when the two of them signed the contract, he saw her phone number on the contract, so he didn¡¯t specifically ask her for her contact number. When he tried to call her, he was told that this number was no longer in service.¡± She had probably printed this contract in batches in the past and had yet to change the phone number. Jiang Ju blinked her big innocent eyes and said slowly, ¡°I¡¯ll leave my phone number with you. I don¡¯t have WeChat.¡± Du Xi frowned in belief and said, ¡°You¡¯re in your early 20s, but you don¡¯t use WeChat? Now, not to mention someone in their 20s, even 60-year-olds used WeChat. It was too ridiculous for her to say that she didn¡¯t use it. Chapter 10 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Really.¡± Jiang Ju said softly. After her parents passed away, she didn¡¯t have any friends or family she needed to contact often. As time passed, she stopped using WeChat. In the end, she even forgot the login password and never used it again. Du Xi believed her now, but he felt that only being able to call her wasn¡¯t enough. He extended his hand and said, ¡°Lend me your phone.¡± She didn¡¯t use her phone that much, so she didn¡¯t know where she had put it. She went into the bedroom and looked around, but couldn¡¯t find it. ¡°I don¡¯t know where it went.¡± Du Xi raised his eyebrows slightly and said, ¡°Call yourself.¡± After Jiang Ju called the number, a few seconds later, a weak ringing came from under the coffee table. Du Xi bent down and looked under the coffee table, but he didn¡¯t see the phone. Then, he pulled out the carpet. A black phone was under the carpet. Because it was an incoming call, it was vibrating non-stop. There was a lot of dust on it. It was obvious that it had been here for a long time, but she didn¡¯t think of looking for it. She didn¡¯t use WeChat and rarely used her phone. She spent all her time alone in her small room. She was still in her youth, but she lived like an old woman in her seventies or eighties. Du Xi downloaded WeChat for her again and registered a new account. After Du Xi added her as a friend, he returned her phone to her. ¡°Video call me when you¡¯re bored. If I don¡¯t pick up, it¡¯s because there¡¯s no signal at the construction site. Just call me then.¡± Jiang Ju held her phone, but didn¡¯t respond. She had been alone for a long time and wasn¡¯t used to maintaining contact with others. Moreover, Du Xi didn¡¯t look like someone who had the patience to chat with her, so she didn¡¯t intend to listen to him. Seeing him carry the leftovers to the kitchen, Jiang Ju remembered the four big bags of things he had bought for her. She entered the room to take the rent, then she walked to the kitchen slowly. Standing at the kitchen door, she hesitated for a long time. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to say the words at the tip of her tongue. Du Xi could tell that she wanted to say something but hesitated, so he asked her, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jiang Ju nodded at him and took out a neat stack of money from her pocket. ¡°Herea€| is the money for the groceries.¡± Du Xi stood beside the faucet as he looked down at her. Her hand was very small, so when she held the bills in her fair palm, the contrast was quite eye-catching. This child really refused to accept favors at all. They ate the food together, but she actually wanted to return the money to him. ¡°Take the money back. After all, we ate the food together. There¡¯s a lot of work at the construction site these days, and I might not have time to work, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you to cook.¡± Jiang Ju was stunned. She looked up at him and asked tentatively, ¡°You¡¯re going to come over to eat with me?¡± She thought that it was just for today. If they ate together every day in the future, it wouldn¡¯t be good for her if other people found out. ¡°I won¡¯t come over often. I¡¯ll be busy at the construction site. I might not even be able to come back for a single meal a week.¡± Du Xi wanted to nod, but when he saw her troubled expression, as if she was afraid that he would cling to her, he changed the topic. He would only eat one meal after buying so many things, so she should give him the money all the more. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t say anything, but her eyes expressed her intentions. Du Xi sighed softly and thought about what excuse he should find to make this child accept the things willingly and stop mentioning giving him money. A thousand yuan was really nothing to him, who owned more than half of the construction sites in this city. However, it was probably not a small sum of money for the child in front of him. She looked serious and persistent, so he didn¡¯t dare to refuse anymore. ¡°Why don¡¯t we do this? I¡¯m usually busy with work and don¡¯t have time to clean up the house. If you have time, go over and help me clean up. Treat this money as your salary, okay?¡± Jiang Ju looked at him with a tense expression, as if he was a fool. This money was even more than his monthly rent. With this money, why didn¡¯t he rent a better place? Why did he choose an old building like hers to rent? Outside the small building, there was a construction site and there were loud noises every morning. The environment here wasn¡¯t very good either. ¡°If you don¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll take it that you agree.¡± Jiang Ju pursed her lips and lowered her head. She didn¡¯t know how to refuse, so she returned half the money to him. She frowned slightly, as if telling him that accepting half the money was her bottom line. Otherwise, she would reject his suggestion. Chapter 11 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Du Xi looked at her and said with a chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re young, but you¡¯re quite stubborn. Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± He accepted the money and raised his chin slightly towards the sofa in the living room. ¡°The kitchen is dirty, so sit outside.¡± With that, he turned around and lowered his head to wash the dishes. He was still in her home, so Jiang Ju was too embarrassed to return to the bedroom. She sat on the sofa with her back straight, like she was in class. The sound of running water and the slight collision of bowls and chopsticks came from the kitchen. Jiang Ju¡¯s ears twitched and she couldn¡¯t help but turn back to look. Ever since she was young, she had only seen her mother busy in the kitchen. Her father was very conservative and upheld the traditional roles of husband and wife. Jiang Ju hadn¡¯t interacted with many members of the opposite sex. Other than her father, she had only interacted with male classmates from school. After she stopped attending school, Du Xi was the only man. After cleaning up the kitchen, Du Xi came out. When he saw Jiang Ju staring at him with her big and dazed eyes, he took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth as he walked towards Jiang Ju. He had already walked in front of her, but she was still in a daze. Du Xi wondered what she was thinking about that made her so engrossed. Du Xi bent down and poked her face with his finger. The soft touch was exactly as he had imagined. Suddenly, When Jiang Ju came back to her senses, she realized that Du Xi was very close to her. A masculine scent surged into her nose. It wasn¡¯t unpleasant, but it made her feel a little dizzy. She subconsciously leaned back and turned her face to the side to avoid looking at Du Xi. ¡°I¡¯m going to the construction site now. Remember to cook for yourself tonight.¡± His tone was very intimate, as if the two of them had been dating for a long time. Jiang Ju glanced at him and saw that he was waiting for her answer, so she slowly responded. Although she didn¡¯t speak, the fact that she responded to him was already a good start. Du Xi smiled and stroked her hair before leaving the room. After the door was closed, Jiang Ju, who was sitting stiffly on the sofa, slowly raised her head and stared at the closed door for a full minute before she came back to her senses. The hair on her head was still warm from his touch. Her face was so flushed that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, so she planned to go to the bathroom to wash her face. She kept exhaling, but she couldn¡¯t calm her racing heart. She trembled slightly as she turned on the tap. Crack! Swoosh! Amidst her nervousness, she used all her strength to turn the tap. The tap, which had been on the verge of breaking down half a year ago, finally completed its final mission gloriously on this scorching afternoon. It was completely broken. Jiang Ju, who was instantly drenched, was caught off guard and froze for two seconds. Then, she hurriedly took a towel to block the tap. She finally blocked the water, but her clothes were completely drenched. The tap was still dripping with water. She found a wash basin and placed it under the tap to catch it. Then, she went to change into dry clothes. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to blow dry her drenched hair. She only used a towel to wiped it. After it stopped dripping, she let it dry naturally. The tap was completely useless now, so she had to buy a new one as soon as possible. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to wash her face. The money in her pocket was also drenched. She took them out and carefully laid them on the table one by one. Then, she returned to her room and took out a new bill. Before she went out, she walked to the window and looked out. The sun was very strong outside, making the entire space seem distorted. When she opened the window a crack, she immediately felt a wave of heat. She quickly closed the window and decided to go out to buy a tap after the sun went down. Despite liking quietude, she felt unaccustomed to the silence when sitting on the sofa. She suddenly felt that the house was quite lonesome. It was as if ever since that domineering man barged in, this room started to seem very empty. Although she was young, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t understand the world. When she sensed that her peaceful life, which had lasted for four to five years, might be disrupted by that man, she was enveloped by a sense of helplessness and confusion. Jiang Ju curled up on the sofa with her arms around her knees and her head buried in her legs. She didn¡¯t know what to do. When her parents were around, they made decisions for her, big and small. Even the clothes and shoes she wore were all chosen by her parents. Renting out the house her parents had left behind was the first decision she had made alone after her parents left. This seemed like a simple decision, but she had hesitated for two years. She originally thought that she would spend the next few decades without any unexpected incidents. Although she was lonely, she had a sense of freedom. However, she didn¡¯t expect that someone would appear halfway and ruin her original plan. Chapter 12 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Amidst her panic, she had no idea how to deal with it. She tossed and turned. She felt uncomfortable lying down or sitting down. In the end, she simply hid in the closet. When Du Xi returned from the construction site, it was already dark. When he returned to the rented house, it was already past nine in the evening. He had been busy for the entire day and was covered in mud and sweat. The moment he entered, he quickly took off his clothes and went to the bathroom to take a shower. After drenching his hair, he poured some shampoo on it and rubbed it a few times. After foam formed, he turned on the tap to wash it off, but he realized that there was no water. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but curse. Then, he pulled a towel and tied it around his waist before walking out with foam all over his head. As soon as he opened the door, he met Jiang Ju, who had returned from the roof. The moment their gazes met, they laughed at the same time. He was exasperated by Jiang Ju turning off the water, while Jiang Ju was amused by his funny look. ¡°Are you toying with me? You turned off the water while I¡¯m showering.¡± Jiang Ju lowered her head with a smile. When she heard this, she shook her head repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I didn¡¯t know you were showering.¡± The water pipes on every floor were shared. If she wanted to install a new tap, she had to turn off the water. She didn¡¯t know that he was already back. She thought that he was still working at the construction site, so she didn¡¯t inform him in advance. ¡°I¡¯ll turn on the water. Go wash up first. If others see you like this¡­¡± His upper body was naked, and there was only a towel wrapped around his lower body. There were still water droplets in the gully of his abs that were flowing down his waist. Jiang Ju was too embarrassed to look at him. When she spoke, she deliberately looked upward, but was amused by his foamy hair again. His current appearance was really different from his usual intimidating appearance. He actually looked cute. ¡°No need. Which part is broken? I¡¯ll fix it for you first.¡± Jiang Ju was stunned and subconsciously looked into his eyes as she asked, ¡°How do you know that something is broken?¡± Du Xi just glanced at her and didn¡¯t say anything. However, from his expression, he seemed to be asking her, ¡°Are you stupid?¡± He took the lead in walking into her room. As he walked, he said, ¡°If you didn¡¯t want to repair something, did you turn off the water because you were bored?¡± Jiang Ju was speechless. He made sense. ¡°The water pipe burst?¡± Du Xi asked. Without waiting for Jiang Ju¡¯s answer, he walked towards the bathroom. ¡°The tap is broken. I¡¯ve already bought a new one and plan to change it.¡± As Jiang Ju explained, Du Xi had already entered the bathroom. When he saw the toolbox on the ground, he turned around and sized up the child standing at the door. ¡°You have a lot of tools. Do you even know how to use so many tools?¡± Jiang Ju, who had tried for a long time but couldn¡¯t turn off the tap, shook his head silently. Du Xi noticed that Jiang Ju¡¯s originally fair hand was already a little red. He gritted his teeth as he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to call me if you need any help? What is your mouth for? Don¡¯t you know how to look for me?¡± These days, Jiang Ju¡¯s obvious avoidance of him made him a little unhappy. ¡°What¡¯s there to be shy about? It¡¯s impossible for a person to live forever without troubling others. Are you afraid of owing others a favor? You don¡¯t have to return the favor.¡± His displeasure was obvious, and his tone was very domineering. After being glanced at by him, Jiang Ju felt as if she had done something wrong, although she didn¡¯t know what she had done wrong. As Jiang Ju looked at him, her heart raced. ¡°Got it.¡± As expected, the man¡¯s expression relaxed a little. ¡°Be good.¡± After these days of interaction, Du Xi realized that this child had shielded herself tightly and trapped herself in her own world. She rarely interacted with the outside world, let alone form a bond with anyone. That wouldn¡¯t do. Du Xi wanted to scare her, so he didn¡¯t use any tools. In front of her, he removed the broken tap with his bare hands and installed a new one in one go. Jiang Ju watched with shock and worry written all over her face. The tap was half-inlaid in the wall, and only a switch was revealed. When she was trying to fix it just now, she accidentally broke the exposed tap. There was only a little tube left, but Du Xi actually forcefully twisted it off. Jiang Ju was a little worried about her safety and planned to stay away from him in the future, to avoid making him angry. Looking at the child¡¯s widened eyes, Du Xi knew that he had gone overboard. He cursed himself. Why was a grown man like him giving a child a hard time? After fixing the tap, he went to the roof to turn on the water. After coming down, he checked the tap, which wasn¡¯t leaking. Then, he raised his chin at Jiang Ju and said, ¡°Help me get my pants from the sofa. I¡¯m going to take a shower. Chapter 13 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations In just a short while, more than half of the foam on Du Xi¡¯s head had dissipated. The muffled feeling on his head made him very uncomfortable. Du Xi was too lazy to go back, so he planned to wash his hair here. Jiang Ju wanted to refuse, but the man closed the bathroom¡¯s door and didn¡¯t give her a chance to speak at all. When the sound of running water came from the bathroom, her face turned red as she stood at the door. After she covered her ears and ran out, she stood outside the door for two minutes before trembling as she went to help get his pants. Du Xi showered very quickly. When Jiang Ju brought his pants back, the sound of water in the bathroom had already stopped. Hearing the commotion at the door, he opened the door and bumped into Jiang Ju, who was holding his pants with her eyes closed. Then, he took his pants away and changed his clothes in the bathroom without even closing the door. When she didn¡¯t hear the sound of the door closing, Jiang Ju was so frightened that she turned around and ran. She sat down on the sofa and wished she could bury her head in the ground so that she wouldn¡¯t have to hear the sound of clothes rubbing against each other coming from the bathroom. She didn¡¯t dare to move, since she was afraid that she would see something she shouldn¡¯t. Du Xi, who had changed into his pants, walked out. When he saw her frightened expression, he sneered. ¡°Why is your face so red? Did you peek at me when I was showering?¡± Jiang Ju was enraged that he actually blamed her, but she couldn¡¯t say the words on the tip of her tongue. She blushed profusely. He was the one who didn¡¯t close the door when changing his clothes, yet he blamed her. How shameless! After Du Xi wiped his body with a towel, he placed it on his shoulder. Then, he reached out and poked the tip of Jiang Ju¡¯s nose. ¡°What are you made of? Why do you like to blush so much?¡± When Jiang Ju stole a glance at him, his muscular chest came into view. She was so frightened that she hurriedly closed her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a sense of warmth approaching her. Du Xi¡¯s body was getting closer and closer, so much so that she didn¡¯t dare to breathe. Just as she felt that a warm breath was about to touch her lips, Du Xi suddenly left with a chuckle and said, ¡°I won¡¯t scare you anymore.¡± Jiang Ju opened her eyes and said angrily, ¡°How can you bully me like this?¡± Du Xi didn¡¯t expect her to speak. He froze for a moment before smiling. ¡°Bully? Young lady, don¡¯t slander me. Did I do anything to you?¡± Jiang Ju couldn¡¯t win against him in an argument, so she only glared at him. Du Xi stroked Jiang Ju¡¯s hair with a smile as he said, ¡°Is there anything to eat? I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°The workload at the construction site was heavy. At around five o¡¯clock, he ate two big bowls of rice. After such a short while, he was hungry again. Usually, he would just buy some instant noodles or packaged lunch to eat, but recently, he suddenly didn¡¯t want to make do anymore. ¡°Nothing much. There are still some leftovers.¡± Jiang Ju sounded very guilty. Because he said that he might come back for dinner in the future, she specifically made an extra portion for one person when she cooked. She didn¡¯t see him after the meal, so she originally planned to eat the remaining rice tomorrow morning. Although Du Xi didn¡¯t know the inside story, Jiang Ju couldn¡¯t help but blush when she was suddenly asked. Du Xi only said that he might come back for dinner, but she cared so much about it, as if she really wanted him to eat with her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m going to eat now. Are you hungry? Do you want to eat together?¡± As he spoke, he walked to the kitchen. When he opened the rice cooker, he smiled and turned around to ask her, ¡°You¡¯ve cooked so much. Your appetite is quite good today.¡± This big pot of rice would have been enough for her to eat for at least two days. He clearly guessed why she cooked so much, but he still teased her. Jiang Ju was so embarrassed that she was about to cry. She stood in the living room with tears glistening in her eyes. When Du Xi looked at her, his heart skipped a beat. This girl was so f*cking seductive. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she was too timid, he would have banged her now. He put down the bowl and beckoned to Jiang Ju. ¡°Are you unhappy? Come here, let me take a look.¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t want to go over, but when she saw his domineering gaze, she couldn¡¯t help but walk over. Seeing her aggrieved expression, Du Xi stroked her soft hair and asked, ¡°You crybaby, why do you cry so often? Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll bring you to a fun place tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going!¡± Her soft voice was mixed with sobs, making Du Xi¡¯s lower body tense up. The child was young, but her voice was so seductive. ¡°Do you see that high shelf outside? You can see half the city from up there. Do you want to go up and take a look?¡± Every time he was in a bad mood, he would stand on it. When the wind blew, most of the frustration in his heart would dissipate. ¡°From above, people look like the size of ants. Aren¡¯t you afraid of people? You won¡¯t be afraid if you go up and take a look.¡± Chapter 14 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations His coaxing tone made Jiang Ju¡¯s heart skip a beat. How did he know that she was afraid of strangers? She whispered, ¡°But it¡¯s so high. How can I go up?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an elevator upstairs. You can take the elevator up.¡± Although they still had to walk for a while after getting off the elevator, Du Xi still didn¡¯t say anything when he saw that she had finally relented. Jiang Ju was conflicted. Although she didn¡¯t like noisy places, she was still a girl in her early twenties, so she yearned to see a scenery she had never seen before. Other than buying groceries, she hadn¡¯t gone out for a long time. Now that her interest was piqued by Du Xi, she was a little tempted. Afraid that she would have too many concerns and give up in the end, Du Xi decided for her directly, ¡°Get up early tomorrow. I¡¯ll pick you up. Let¡¯s go together.¡± He had seen the weather forecast. Tomorrow, the temperature would be high. He would come over in the morning to bring her around and then send her back to prevent her from getting a heatstroke. Jiang Ju was still hesitating, so she didn¡¯t expect Du Xi to make the decision for her it so domineeringly. She was a little stunned. Looking at the smile on Du Xi¡¯s face, she felt as if he had set her up. After it was confirmed, Du Xi grabbed Jiang Ju¡¯s sleeve and carried her to the dining table. Despite her saying that she had already eaten, he stuffed half a bowl of rice into her mouth. After dinner, it was already ten o¡¯clock at night. Usually, Jiang Ju would be asleep at this time, but seeing that Du Xi still had no intention of leaving, she was too embarrassed to chase him away. She could only force herself to stay awake and sit on the sofa to watch a boring variety show. This month, the temperature was high, and the air conditioner was on for almost the entire day. In addition, she watched television often, so she could already think of the exorbitant electricity bill she would need to pay next time. She didn¡¯t know if the remaining money would be enough after she paid the electricity bill, so she had to spend it sparingly. The variety show playing on television was a very popular skit competition recently. Listening to the laughter coming from it, Jiang Ju was confused about what they were laughing about. Over the years, crosstalk and skits had become more and more boring. She remembered watching the Spring Festival Gala with her parents when she was young. Almost every one of them made her laugh until her stomach hurt. She tried her best to keep her eyes wide open and stare at the television, but she couldn¡¯t resist the sleepiness. She stole a glance at the man beside her. Du Xi leaned against the sofa lazily, as if he didn¡¯t notice that she was so sleepy that she was about to fall asleep. He had no intention of leaving. In the end, Jiang Ju could barely keep her eyes open anymore. After a long time, she called out to him in a soft voice, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m a little sleepy.¡± After sitting there for more than half an hour, the young lady finally took the initiative to speak. Du Xi felt that he hadn¡¯t wasted his time. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you have something to say, you have to say it. Otherwise, no one will be able to guess your thoughts. Do you plan to continue to suffer in silence in the future?¡± The child didn¡¯t even dare to refuse. If she really met someone who made things difficult for her in the future, she could only suffer in silence! He was actually a little sleepy as well, but with her personality, if he didn¡¯t force her, she would never take the initiative to speak! Just like now, the usually submissive child finally spoke up when she was forced into a corner. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t that he actually stayed to let her learn to take the initiative to express her thoughts and wishes. As she stared at his serious gaze, her heart raced. When Du Xi left, he leaned close to Jiang Ju¡¯s ear and happily reminded her to wake up early tomorrow. When he saw that fair ear instantly flushed, he laughed and went out, leaving Jiang Ju sitting alone on the sofa with a flushed face. With something on her mind, Jiang Ju tossed and turned, unable to sleep. When she finally fell asleep, the alarm clock that she had set rang. Seeing that it was time to get up, she got up and went to the bathroom to wash up. When she saw the two huge dark circles under her eyes, she was shocked. Ever since she stopped attending school, she rarely suffered insomnia, and she hadn¡¯t had dark circles for a long time. Today, she had two huge dark circles, which startled her. After washing up, she heard a knock on the door. She hesitated in the room for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t make up her mind to open the door for him. Du Xi, who was waiting outside the door, was getting impatient. He knocked twice more, but seeing that she still didn¡¯t react, he went straight to the roof. There was no sound outside the door, so Jiang Ju thought that he had probably left. Jiang Ju heaved a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to turn around and go to the kitchen to make something to eat, she heard a sound from the window balcony. She turned around and was shocked by the man who suddenly appeared. She didn¡¯t even notice that the tissue in her hand had fallen to the ground. She only stared blankly at the man approaching her. Chapter 15 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°You¡¯re quite good at applying what you¡¯ve learned. I just taught you to learn how to reject people last night, but you¡¯re already rejecting me?¡± Jiang Ju looked at him and then at the swaying curtains. She couldn¡¯t even bring herself to speak anymore. She stammered as he took two steps back. She wanted to explain that she didn¡¯t open the door for him because she didn¡¯t look good today and was too embarrassed to see anyone. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to say it out loud no matter how hard she tried. When Du Xi walked to her and noticed the dark circles under her eyes, his eyes lit up and he said with a chuckle, ¡°What, you¡¯ve decided to become a woman of few words now?¡± He was so close that his breath landed on her face when he spoke. Jiang Ju felt a little dizzy. She had never met such a person before. He was so domineering that even his breathing carried the invasiveness unique to men. His breath was filled with the faint smell of tobacco. Jiang Ju, who had always hated the smell of cigarettes, actually felt that the smell wasn¡¯t that bad anymore. The little girl clearly wasn¡¯t in a good state, so Du Xi couldn¡¯t bear to bring her out anymore and he canceled today¡¯s activity. ¡°Since you didn¡¯t sleep well, let¡¯s go there on another day. You haven¡¯t had breakfast yet, right? Go to my place and have a bite, then come back to catch up on your sleep.¡± As soon as Du Xi finished speaking, Jiang Ju felt her wrist being held by him and she was pulled out of the door. The man¡¯s warmth emanated from her wrist. It was scorching. Du Xi¡¯s breakfast, tomato egg noodles, was relatively simple. Although it was simple, the noodles he cooked looked, smelled, and tasted delicious. Jiang Ju, who was originally not very hungry, started to feel her stomach growl. Du Xi rarely ate breakfast. Even if he was hungry, he would only go out and find a breakfast stall to take a bite. Having breakfast outside was around ten yuan. He was too lazy to spend more than half an hour making breakfast. Moreover, compared to noodles, he preferred rice. Therefore, he specifically made this pot of noodles for Jiang Ju. The two of them sat opposite each other. Jiang Ju picked up her chopsticks and took small bites of noodles. Du Xi, who was sitting opposite her, also picked up his chopsticks, but he had no intention of eating. ¡°I forgot to buy eggs at the supermarket last time. Remember to remind me next time. Eat more eggs and meat to supplement protein, so you can gain weight. You¡¯re too thin.¡± He watched Jiang Ju, who was taking small bites of food, and suddenly thought of the little wild cat he had encountered on the way. It was also like this, chewing and swallowing slowly. ¡°Make a list of what you like and don¡¯t like to eat, then send it to me on WeChat. I¡¯ll know what to cook for you in the future.¡± As Du Xi spoke, Jiang Ju looked up at him and subconsciously said, ¡°I eat anything available.¡± When she was young, she didn¡¯t like to eat vegetables. Later on, her father would fill an entire bowl of vegetables for her and tell her that she wasn¡¯t allowed to eat anything else unless she finished it. Therefore, later on, she began to gradually accept eating vegetables. Although her father was worried that she didn¡¯t get enough nutrition and did so for her own good, he seemed to have always made decisions for her in such a domineering and unquestionable manner. Du Xi smiled at her in relief. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re not picky. This way, you won¡¯t lack nutrition. Even if you¡¯re willing to eat anything, there must be something you like to eat in particular, right? Write it down for me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to write so many. Just write ten dishes that you like to eat. I want to see them when I get off work tonight.¡± If he said one or two, Jiang Ju would have thought of it on the spot, but he said ten dishes. She thought about it, but really couldn¡¯t think of that many. Her family¡¯s conditions were average. Usually, her family would eat the cheapest vegetables. She had grown up eating those cheap vegetables. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be anxious. There are still more than ten hours. You can take your time to think about it.¡± Since he had said so, Jiang Ju could only nod. Seeing that she had finished an entire bowl of noodles, Du Xi washed the dishes in the kitchen. Before he left, he told her to help him tidy up the room. Yesterday, he said that he would pay her to tidy up his room when she was free, so Jiang Ju was already mentally prepared. After Jiang Ju went home, she took out her gloves and apron. Then, she started cleaning. He had only lived here for two days, so there was no dust in the room at all. However, Jiang Ju still cleaned the room from the inside out. After she swept the floor, it was the bathroom¡¯s turn. She looked at the clothes that had been casually thrown on the washing machine. The blue underwear on the top was especially eye-catching. Chapter 16 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Jiang Ju originally didn¡¯t want to interfere, but when he thought about how that person had been so busy these past few days that he couldn¡¯t even eat, she could only find a clothes rack, then frown as she placed his underwear and clothes into the washing machine. After adding the detergent, she pressed the wash button and let it spin on its own. That person could take the clothes out to dry when he returned. She stood in the living room as she looked at the spotless room that she had cleaned. She was very satisfied. A wise person had once said that the tidiness of the house would affect one¡¯s mood. Looking at the clean room put her in a good mood. After returning to her home, she started cleaning again. Although the room wasn¡¯t big, it was quite troublesome to clean. It took a full two hours to clean it up completely. After cleaning for half a day, her body was sore, and she didn¡¯t have much of an appetite. She took a shower and returned to her room to sleep. She slept until the afternoon. When she woke up again, it was already night outside. Light shone in through the window, and only then did the originally dark room light up a little. Jiang Ju felt dizzy and her nose was blocked by something, so it was difficult for her to breathe. After sleeping, not only did the soreness in her body not lessen, but it even became worse. The cup of warm water that she had poured before she slept had become a little cold after being blown by the air conditioner for so long. Jiang Ju felt better after drinking it, but her head hurt even more and she felt weak all over. Although she knew that she might be sick, she didn¡¯t have the strength to get up. After trying to get up for a minute, she still fell into the blanket and continued to sleep. In her delirious state, she felt a pair of warm hands gently touching her forehead. Before she could feel anything else, the hand pulled away. She struggled to open her eyes, but she could only see a blurry figure. Her throat was so swollen that she couldn¡¯t speak. She groaned in discomfort. She, who was sick, looked even more childish than usual. Her dark eyes were misty, and she moaned pitifully. After Du Xi left, he returned in less than five minutes. When he returned, he had a cup of warm water and a box of cold medicine. He placed the water and medicine at the head of the bed and gently patted Jiang Ju¡¯s burning hand. Jiang Ju¡¯s eyelids were heavy. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t open her eyes. She could only listen to his guidance and open her mouth to take the medicine. In the end, she spat it out because the pill was too big. After the sugar coat on the pill was drenched by the hot water, the bitter part inside was revealed. She shook her head with her eyes closed. No matter how Du Xi coaxed her, she refused to open her mouth again. Du Xi coaxed her patiently for a few minutes, but she still refused to take the medicine. In the end, he ran out of patience. He forcefully opened Jiang Ju¡¯s mouth with his hand and stuffed the medicine in. Afraid that she would spit out the medicine again, he pressed the spoon against her tongue and fed her the medicine in the simplest yet roughest way. Even though her consciousness was blurred, Jiang Ju could still taste the bitterness in her mouth. She sobbed softly, and tears flowed down her eyelashes. She already had a pitiful appearance, so now that her face was flushed from the fever, and tears were hanging from her thick eyelashes, she looked extremely pitiful. Du Xi couldn¡¯t bear to watch, but he didn¡¯t regret what he had just done. After all, there was no other way. After the medicine took effect, Jiang Ju¡¯s cries gradually weakened and she slowly fell asleep again. When she opened her eyes again, it was already the latter half of the night. There was only one bedside lamp in the room, and the temperature of the air conditioner had been raised by a few degrees. After she woke up, she didn¡¯t feel that cold anymore. Du Xi was still sitting beside him. He had his head lowered as he fiddled with his phone. His eyebrows were furrowed, as if he was a little irritated. Afraid that he would be frightened if she suddenly spoke, Jiang Ju didn¡¯t speak. Instead, she waited for him to put away his phone before coughing lightly. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Do you feel better?¡± Du Xi looked up when he heard the voice. Seeing that she was awake, he walked to the side and turned on the light. Jiang Ju nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m much better.¡± Although she still felt a little uncomfortable, she was much better than before she went to bed. She was still a little dispirited. Du Xi was still worried, so he took the thermometer and stuffed it under her armpit. Jiang Ju obediently clamped it and waited for him to sit down before asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Du Xi frowned as he said, ¡°You have a 38.5 degrees fever.¡± He didn¡¯t look happy. Chapter 17 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations She thought that she had only caught a cold, but she didn¡¯t expect her fever to reach 38.5 degrees. Although Jiang Ju was petite, she was in decent health. It had been a long time since she had been sick. For some reason, this illness came quickly and fiercely. ¡°Give me your house key. Otherwise, if anything happens next time, I¡¯ll have to climb in through the window.¡± After Jiang Ju heard him finish speaking, she realized that the window glass had been smashed. Now, there was a breeze outside, and the curtains flapped with the wind. She noticed that the curtains flapped with the wind just now, but she just thought that the window wasn¡¯t closed. She didn¡¯t expect that Du Xi broke the window to get in. The last time the window was open, he had jumped in directly. This time, the window was closed, so he smashed the window with a punch. Therefore, it didn¡¯t seem to matter if he was given the key or not. ¡°There¡¯s a spare key in the drawer under the television cabinet. Take it.¡± Jiang Ju had just woken up, so her voice sounded still a little weak. She looked at the cup on the bedside table and sat up to get it. Du Xi asked, ¡°You want to drink water? This water is cold already, so I¡¯ll get you another cup.¡± Du Xi took the cup and strode away. When he returned, not only was he holding a cup of warm water, but he was also holding a bowl of egg and lean meat porridge in his other hand. ¡°You must be hungry after sleeping for so long, right? Get up and eat something.¡± Patients who needed someone else¡¯s care had no right to decide what they wanted, so Jiang Ju could only do whatever he said. After she took the cup and took a sip, she hissed and frowned. For some reason, her mouth hurt when it touched the water. Jiang Ju¡¯s eyes were filled with tears and she only dared to move when she felt the pain lessen. Du Xi took the cup and reached out to pinch Jiang Ju¡¯s chin, gesturing for her to open her mouth. After a careful inspection, he realized that the little girl¡¯s mouth had been scratched. He was a little vexed and thought to himself that he had already been very careful just now, so why did he still hurt her? He held Jiang Ju¡¯s chin and sized her up for a long time without any intention of letting go. Jiang Ju, who had been forced to raise her chin, was a little tired, so she tapped his hand gently. After being let go, she rubbed her chin and secretly looked up at him. Although she didn¡¯t know why her mouth was torn, her intuition told her that the culprit was definitely this man in front of her. Du Xi was surprisingly quiet tonight. After he let go of her, he silently took the bowl out. When he took it back, the bowl had already become warm. He held the bowl and placed a spoonful beside her mouth. Jiang Ju turned her head and said in embarrassment, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can eat it myself.¡± She was already an adult, so how could she have the cheek to let others feed her? Seeing that she could move freely, Du Xi didn¡¯t force her anymore and handed the bowl to her. ¡°After you recover, you don¡¯t have to go to my place to clean up anymore. You¡¯re so young, so take care of your health.¡± Du Xi had long noticed that she was weak, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be this weak. She had only cleaned for a few hours, but she was actually so tired that she had a high fever. If he had known that this would happen, he never would have let her clean his room no matter what. As Jiang Ju ate the porridge, she carefully sized him up. In the end, she couldn¡¯t bear to see him take all the blame, so she took the initiative to say, ¡°It¡¯s not because I cleaned your room for you. It¡¯s probably because the tap broke last time and I was drenched while the air conditioner was on. In addition, after I shower, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to blow dry my hair these few days, so I might have caught a cold.¡± Jiang Ju¡¯s voice was soft, but Du Xi, who had been paying attention to him, could still hear her clearly. When he heard her say that she hadn¡¯t dried her hair in the past few days while showering, which caused her to catch a cold, his expression became even uglier. ¡°You keep the air conditioner on all day long, yet you didn¡¯t dry your hair after showering?¡± The thought that it wasn¡¯t a coincidence, but the consequence of her often doing this, made Du Xi even angrier and he couldn¡¯t control his volume when he spoke. Coupled with the fact that he was already quite intimidating, Jiang Ju was so frightened that she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. Her hands trembled and she almost dropped the bowl she was holding. She looked down and stared blankly at her hand, which was holding the spoon. She didn¡¯t know what to say. She hadn¡¯t been sick in a long time, so she didn¡¯t pay much attention. Moreover, she didn¡¯t know that she might catch a cold if she didn¡¯t blow dry her hair. If she knew, she wouldn¡¯t have slacked off. Although she knew that Du Xi was concerned about her, she was the one who was suffering because she was sick, but he still reprimanded her so fiercely. Jiang Ju felt even more aggrieved. Chapter 18 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After Du Xi blurted out everything, only then did he realize that the child in front of him was still sick, and his words had frightened her greatly. He gritted his teeth and wished he could slap himself. She was still so young, so it was normal for her to have a lack of common sense. She was still feeling uncomfortable, so why was he losing his temper at her? He was already in his thirties, so why was he giving a brat a hard time? How shameful. After taking a deep breath, he moved the chair closer to the bed and reached out to wipe the tears from the corner of Jiang Ju¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to cry. If you cry again, I¡¯ll do you.¡± She was crying too miserably, so he was helpless and could only use the simplest and crudest method to make her stop. As expected, as soon as he said that, Jiang Ju immediately stopped sobbing and pursed her lips, afraid that she would make a sound. Seeing her nervous expression, Du Xi was unhappy again. Didn¡¯t she have any decision-making abilities? If he told her not to cry, she wouldn¡¯t cry anymore. He wasn¡¯t a human trafficker, so how come this child was so afraid of him? He rubbed his tongue against the back of his teeth and took the bowl from her hand. Then, he scooped a spoonful of porridge and fed it to her. ¡°I was too loud just now. I¡¯m sorry. I was just anxious when I saw that you were sick.¡± Jiang Ju took the spoon with the porridge and nodded. She wasn¡¯t a child, so she naturally knew that he meant well, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel wronged. After all, she was just a young lady, so she would feel wronged after being reprimanded. Knowing that she was in a bad mood, Du Xi left after feeding her the porridge. He didn¡¯t return after he left. Jiang Ju laid there for another hour before she regained some strength and got up from the bed. The living room and kitchen were dark, and there was no longer the figure who was usually busy there. Jiang Ju bit her lip in dejection. She curled up on the sofa and wrapped herself in a blanket, revealing only her small head. She paid attention to the movements in the corridor at all times. Every minute sound made her look over with anticipation. However, no matter how much she looked forward to it this time, the person who appeared in front of her so often didn¡¯t appear again. She had just recovered from her serious illness and was exhausted, so she couldn¡¯t wait too long and could only return to her room with the blanket. She stood by the window as she stared at the broken glass in a daze. Seeing how broken the window was, she didn¡¯t dare to sleep. The small building was surrounded by construction sites and there were many workers from other places living nearby. Although she didn¡¯t want to be too paranoid, after living alone for so many years, she was vigilant. Although her house was already very old, there was no guarantee that no one would target her, who was at home alone and weak. Even if there were no one who had designs on her, if snakes and rats sneaked in from the window, she would still be helpless. Most importantly, what if those things waited for her to fall asleep, then climbed into bed to bite her? Just the thought of it gave her goosebumps. She rubbed her arms and carried the pillow to the living room. She probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep soundly tonight, so she planned to sit in the living room and watch television. If anyone or anything else broke in through the window and made a sound, she could escape from the living room immediately. There were quite a few people living in this building, so if she ran out and shouted for help, everyone would probably help her. Her vivid imagination ran wild and scared herself. However, at this moment, she heard a commotion from the door. She subconsciously buried her head in the blanket and trembled uncontrollably. The moment Du Xi entered, he heard a sound coming from the living room. After he changed his shoes and walked in from the entrance, he saw a small lump trembling on the sofa. He walked over and lifted a corner of the blanket. When he saw the person inside staring at him with vigilance, his heart suddenly ached. He deliberately lowered his voice and said gently, ¡°Why are you wrapped up like a dumpling?¡± Seeing that it was him, Jiang Ju¡¯s originally vigilant eyes became filled with shyness. She felt extremely embarrassed. In order not to see Du Xi laughing at her later, she decided to hide under the blanket and refuse to go out. Seeing that she only revealed her eyes without speaking, Du Xi walked over and squatted down to Jiang Ju¡¯s eye level. Then, he reached out to her and looked at her as he said, ¡°Stop hiding. Come out and see what I bought for you.¡± When she heard that there was something good, Jiang Ju¡¯s dark eyes lit up. Jiang Ju looked at Du Xi¡¯s slightly rough hands and hesitated for a moment before slowly putting down the blanket on her head. Du Xi¡¯s outstretched hand was left hanging in the air, but he didn¡¯t think too much about it and simply retracted his hand. He sat down beside her and secretly snickered when he saw her curled up under the blanket. Chapter 19 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After his gaze shifted, he noticed that she wasn¡¯t wearing socks and her fair feet were exposed. Du Xi frowned and took off his short-sleeved shirt to wrap around her feet. ¡°The temperature difference between morning and night is big, so remember to wear socks.¡± Jiang Ju nodded blankly. All her attention was on the big teddy bear on the coffee table. In the huge packaging, a brown bear was compressed into a ball, but it was almost as tall as her before she even opened it. She wondered how big it would be when she opened it. ¡°My attitude wasn¡¯t good just now. Is this enough compensation to you?¡± Jiang Ju wasn¡¯t paying attention to his words. She turned around, her eyes sparkling, and her tone was very excited as she asked,¡±You bought this for me, right? Are you really going to give it to me?¡± He didn¡¯t expect the young lady he couldn¡¯t coax just now to be won over so easily by a teddy bear. Du Xi didn¡¯t know if it was because she was easy to satisfy or that he wasn¡¯t capable enough. He actually couldn¡¯t even compare to a teddy bear. He leaned against the sofa and supported his head with his hand as he chuckled in exasperation. He was a living person, but her mind was preoccupied with that doll that couldn¡¯t breathe or speak. Du Xi felt a little embarrassed. Jiang Ju got up slightly and placed the doll between the two of them. Then, she carefully tore open the packaging. After the compressed teddy bear came into contact with the air, it gradually returned to its original appearance. Soon, a brown bear more than 1.8 meters tall appeared in front of her. Because its limbs were too long, it couldn¡¯t completely fit on the sofa. The lower half of the teddy bear¡¯s body was still hanging on the ground. Jiang Ju¡¯s eyes flickered with surprise. With just one look, Du Xi could tell how happy she was now. While hugging the cute teddy bear, Jiang Ju felt that most of the negative emotions in her heart had dissipated. She looked at Du Xi with a smile. ¡°Thank you. I like this gift very much.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a teddy bear. Is there a need to be so happy?¡± Du Xi looked at her with a smile. He was happy too, but he still teased, ¡°You¡¯re so easy to coax.¡± Jiang Ju pouted and revealed a girlish expression for the first time. ¡°You¡¯re already a man in your thirties. What do you know?¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna spank you,¡± Du Xi deliberately lowered his voice and said. Then, he reached out and pulled the teddy bear to the side. ¡°Hurry up and sleep. It¡¯s already so late. This bear can¡¯t run, so you can play with it tomorrow.¡± After recovering from her illness, Jiang Ju was still a little flushed, so she couldn¡¯t stay up late. It wasn¡¯t easy for her fever to subside. Seeing that the child had recovered a little, he didn¡¯t want to see her listless and weak appearance again. At the mention of sleep, Jiang Ju thought of her glassless window, and the joy of receiving the gift instantly dissipated. She bit her lip and said hesitantly, ¡°Do you know how to repair windows?¡± It didn¡¯t cost much to change the glass of a window, but the most expensive thing now was labor and transportation. If he didn¡¯t know how to do it, she could only use her remaining living expenses and hire someone to repair it. Du Xi stood up and picked up the teddy bear as he said, ¡°Of course I know how to. There¡¯s nothing in this world that I can¡¯t do. Even if you want a castle, I can let you stay in it next week. Do you believe me?¡± He was in the renovation industry to begin with, so this wasn¡¯t a problem. The two of them had known each other for so long, so why was this little girl still unaware? ¡°From now on, as long as I¡¯m around, you can look for me directly if anything in your family is broken. If it can¡¯t be repaired, I¡¯ll compensate you with my life, okay?¡± Du Xi carried the child onto the sofa into the second bedroom and laid her bedding. Then, he said to her, ¡°Sleep early. I¡¯ll be outside, so there¡¯s no need to be afraid.¡± Jiang Ju nodded dazedly, but didn¡¯t know how he had guessed that she was afraid. Du Xi watched as she got into bed and couldn¡¯t help but reach out to caress her hair. ¡°Be good.¡± After walking out of the second bedroom, Du Xi closed the door. However, he couldn¡¯t suppress the smile on his face. As long as the child had something on her mind, it would be written all over her face. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have eyes, so how could he not understand? After working at the construction site for an entire day and taking care of her for the entire night, Du Xi was really a little sleepy. After lying on the sofa, he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep. A little more than two hours later, the morning sunlight shone in through the window. After Du Xi opened his eyes, he looked at his phone and saw that it was only five o¡¯clock. The sky brightened early in the summer. If it was winter, it would still be dark outside. After going to the bathroom to wash his face, he walked out. When he returned, he had a brand new glass window on his shoulder and some steaming wontons in his hand. Chapter 20 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Jiang Ju, who was sleeping in the second bedroom, was still asleep. It was unknown if it was because of what Du Xi had said before she slept, but she had the most peaceful sleep in months. Du Xi put the window aside and quickly ate the wontons before walking into the kitchen. When he bought the wontons at the morning market, he wanted to buy a serving for Jiang Ju, but he was afraid that the wonton outside wasn¡¯t sanitary, so he didn¡¯t buy it. He washed the rice skillfully and cooked other dishes while waiting for the rice to be cooked. He cut up the asparagus and lean meat. He prepared to cook when the child woke up. This way, she could eat warm food. After he was done, he sat on the sofa. As soon as the phone¡¯s network was turned on, an overwhelming amount of messages flooded in. Beep beep beep beep beep. It chimed for more than ten minutes. There had been a lot of things going on at the construction site recently. He was busy day and night every day. A few construction sites were urged to finish construction as soon as possible. He was so busy that he wished he could create a few clones of himself. He had been busy at the construction site for the entire day yesterday. At night, he had planned to stay in a small hotel near the construction site for the night, but for some reason, while lying on the bed in the small hotel, he felt uneasy and rushed back from the other side of the city. Even after he knocked on the door for five minutes, no one came out to open the door and her phone was also switched off, so he knew that something must have happened. When he came in through the broken window, as expected, the child was nestled under the blanket and her body was burning. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t come back too late. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t know how high the child¡¯s fever would have been. If his high fever didn¡¯t subside, it might turn into viral pneumonia. As expected, a child in her early twenties couldn¡¯t live on her own. It had only been a few days, but she already had two problems. He sat on the sofa as he replied to WeChat messages for more than half an hour. The people at the construction site couldn¡¯t wait anymore and started to call him to urge him. Du Xi glanced at the second bedroom, then took his phone to the bathroom. Before he picked up the phone, he closed the bathroom door. After taking the call, he entered the second bedroom and took Jiang Ju¡¯s temperature. After confirming that her temperature was fine, he left a small note for her by the bed before rushing to the construction site. When Jiang Ju heard the door close, she slowly opened her eyes. She got up and saw the note on the bedside table. After picking it up and reading it, she was stunned and didn¡¯t come back to her senses for a long time. Du Xi had been really busy recently. He was so busy that he didn¡¯t even have time to repair the window, so he handed this matter to a worker at the construction site. Worried that Jiang Ju would be afraid of strangers, he sent a WeChat message in advance and asked her to sit in his room for a while. The worker who came to repair the window took the time to rush over during the lunch break. Repairing a window wasn¡¯t difficult for construction workers like them. It only took him seven to eight minutes to change the window. Before entering to repair the window, he had specifically put on shoe covers and laid dust sheets on the floor, so that when Jiang Ju returned home, there was no dust in the room. The newly changed window looked very bright when the sun shone in. It was many times cleaner than the old window. Jiang Ju picked up her phone to ask about the price of the window. She would give Du Xi the money when she got better. However, she stared at his profile picture in a daze for a long time but still couldn¡¯t organize her words. She decided to give up. The two of them met often anyway, so she would think about it when the time came. However, she didn¡¯t expect that Du Xi would leave for more than a month. She didn¡¯t see him on the third floor for more than a month. He was so busy that he didn¡¯t even have time to call. He only sent her a few WeChat messages occasionally to ask if she had eaten and slept well. Without Du Xi in her life, Jiang Ju returned to her previous lonesome days. Other than occasionally going out to buy groceries, she stayed at home. At the beginning of the month, after collecting the rent, she planned to go out and buy a week¡¯s worth of groceries. At the same time, she would save a portion of the rent. As soon as she walked out of the small building, he bumped into Du Xi, who she hadn¡¯t seen for more than a month. After more than a month of exposure to the wind and sun, Du Xi¡¯s tan skin had become even darker. Other than his white teeth, everything else seemed pitch-dark. His hair had also grown longer and was tied into a messy braid. There was also stubble on his face. He looked a little disheveled and tired. Jiang Ju wanted to ask him why he hadn¡¯t returned home for so long, but on second thought, the two of them were just neighbors after all, so she didn¡¯t have the appropriate identity to ask. When they made eye contact, Jiang Ju didn¡¯t know whether to stand there or leave. Not knowing where to go next, she blushed and stood rooted to the ground. Chapter 21 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I haven¡¯t been home for only a month, but why have you become so thin? Did you not eat properly?¡± Seeing that she didn¡¯t react even after a long time, Du Xi walked forward and scratched her nose with his dirty hand. A gray mark was left on the tip of her nose. Du Xi noticed that Jiang Ju was frowning. Jiang Ju was too delicate, so delicate that he always had the urge to tease her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot that my hands are still dirty.¡± He apologized, but there was no guilt in his eyes. His face was filled with ridicule. Jiang Ju bit her lip and resisted the urge to beat him up. She wanted to reach out and wipe the dust off her nose, but she was afraid that her hands would get dirty, so she turned around and ran back to the third floor. As Du Xi stood at the staircase, he couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he saw her anxious expression. After washing away the dust on her nose, Jiang Ju walked out of the bathroom. When she saw the man leaning against the door frame lazily, her heart skipped a beat. His body was covered in mud, but fortunately, he wasn¡¯t sitting on the sofa. Otherwise, she would have to wash the sofa again. Du Xi raised his chin at her. ¡°Help me get a change of clothes. I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Jiang Ju stared at him with her big eyes for a long time in an attempt to make him take back his words, but Du Xi pretended not to see and swaggered into her bathroom. Du Xi could take a shower at his place too?! Why didn¡¯t he go back and take a shower at his place?! She complained inwardly, but she didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. Soon, the sound of running water came from the bathroom. She could only obediently go next door and find a set of clothes for him. She placed the clothes and pants on the chair at the bathroom door, then reached out and knocked on the door. ¡°I left the clothes at the door for you.¡± After a minute, there was still no movement in the bathroom. She didn¡¯t wait any longer and turned to leave. It was getting late, so if she dawdled any longer, the woman who sold groceries would close the stall and she wouldn¡¯t be able to buy anything. When Du Xi came out of the shower, he didn¡¯t see anyone in the room, so he knew that she must have gone out again. After he dried himself and changed his clothes, he didn¡¯t go out to look for her. Instead, he leaned against the sofa lazily and turned on the television. The advertisement for a sales building was playing on the television. As Du Xi watched, he had a plan. Due to his work, he had been traveling around all these years without a permanent place to stay. Without a place to settle down, he had not bought a house yet, but things were different now. He had met a girl he liked and wanted to stay by her side. He wiped his wet hair with a towel and began to consider if there were any suitable houses in the neighborhoods that had been built recently. Before he could make a decision, Jiang Ju returned home with the groceries she had bought. He looked at the entrance and pretended to be angry as he said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get me my underwear? Not wearing any underwear is very uncomfortable.¡± Jiang Ju¡¯s expression tensed up and she bit her lower lip as she tried her best to maintain her composure. She didn¡¯t bring his underwear on purpose. How could a young lady like her have the cheek to bring that kind of thing for him? He clearly knew why, but he still asked on purpose. How shameless! She didn¡¯t answer him. After changing into her slippers, she took the groceries to the kitchen. Du Xi followed her and leaned against the kitchen door frame as he sized her up. ¡°Little kid, guess if I¡¯m naked down there now?¡± Just as Du Xi finished speaking, the plate in Jiang Ju¡¯s hand fell to the ground and shattered. Jiang Ju subconsciously bent down to pick up the porcelain fragments, but Du Xi walked forward and stopped her. ¡°Go get the broom. Don¡¯t pick it up with your hand.¡± Jiang Ju turned around and ran to the bathroom. When she returned, Du Xi had already picked up the larger pieces, and there were only some ceramic fragments left on the ground. Du Xi took the broom and swept the fragments into the trash can. ¡°Why don¡¯t you have any common sense? Don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t pick up broken shreds with your hands? What if you hurt your hands?¡± ¡°If you hadn¡¯t suddenly said something scary, the plate wouldn¡¯t have broken,¡± Jiang Ju pouted and said angrily. Du Xi didn¡¯t expect her to retort, so he suddenly approached Jiang Ju and trapped her in a corner, then said, ¡°You¡¯re still retorting? If you retort again, I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± The closer he got, the redder Jiang Ju¡¯s face became. Knowing that he was capable of doing so, Jiang Ju panicked and was at a loss as to what to do. In her twenty years of life, this was the first time someone had threatened to kiss her. Although she didn¡¯t feel disgusted by what Du Xi said, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel a little afraid and flustered. Seeing that she was frightened, Du Xi took two steps back and rubbed her head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I was just joking with you. Look at how scared you are.¡± Chapter 22 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Jiang Ju still didn¡¯t speak, but she raised her head and stared at Du Xi for two minutes. Then, she turned around and left the kitchen without a word. She was very flustered now and her remaining rationality wasn¡¯t enough for her to sort out what had just happened. She wanted to be alone for a while. After she calmed down, she would think about what to do next. As Jiang Ju returned to her bedroom, Du Xi stared at her back silently from behind. As he leaned against the kitchen door frame with a cigarette between his fingers, he began to regret not kissing the child while she was distracted. Seeing such an adorable girl hanging in front of him every day, but he couldn¡¯t touch her, Du Xi¡¯s remaining patience was about to run out. He didn¡¯t want things to drag on anymore. In the few days that the two of them had not seen each other, Du Xi had been so busy that besides working, he only had time to sleep and eat every day, but before he slept and the moment he opened his eyes, the first person he thought of was her. Every time he wanted to take things further, he would see the child¡¯s flustered gaze. He couldn¡¯t bear to scare her, so he always told himself to wait. After the cigarette in his hand burned out, Du Xi extinguished it before throwing it into the trash can. After smoking a cigarette, he made up his mind. He would wait a little longer, since he had a lot of time to deal with her anyway. He didn¡¯t find it troublesome, nor did he feel fed up. If Du Xi knew that his decision would prevent him from seeing the girl for seven months, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have made such a decision. Instead, he would have told her about his feelings. However, he didn¡¯t have the ability to foresee the future, so at this moment, he was busy in the kitchen. Jiang Ju hid in the closet again and stayed inside for more than half an hour. She only moved when she smelled the aroma of food wafting into the bedroom from the living room. However, when she thought of the undisguised desire in Du Xi¡¯s eyes and the inexplicable ambiguous atmosphere between the two of them, she didn¡¯t have the courage to walk out of the bedroom. She was a very stubborn child, so even though she was hungry, she still didn¡¯t walk out of the bedroom. In the end, Du Xi couldn¡¯t help but stand at the door and say in the gentlest voice that if she continued to hide inside, he didn¡¯t mind compensating her with a new bedroom door tomorrow. Only then did she walk out unwillingly. After the door opened from the inside, a pair of dark eyes were revealed first. Her furrowed eyebrows expressed her owner¡¯s displeasure. The tip of Du Xi¡¯s tongue rubbed against the back of his teeth, and he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of lust. This time, he didn¡¯t want to let this coward in front of him off easily. He reached out and pinched her face hard. He deliberately used a little more strength, and as expected, a red mark instantly appeared on Jiang Ju¡¯s face. He snorted and said, ¡°This is punishment for you, a coward who only knows how to escape.¡± Jiang Ju, whose face was suddenly pinched, froze on the spot. Other than the pain on her face, she could also feel the warmth of his rough fingers on her face. It was burning. After her face was pinched quite forcefully, her first reaction wasn¡¯t anger, but shyness. The man¡¯s hands were a little rough, and there was a thin layer of calluses on his fingertips. Compared to her tender face, the feeling was completely different. For the first time, she realized the difference between a man and a woman appeared. One was hard, and the other was soft. Just the thought of it made her blush. Du Xi didn¡¯t know what she was thinking as he carried her to the dining table. After she sat down, he handed her a pair of chopsticks and raised his chin to gesture for her to eat the blueberry yam in front of her. ¡°Try it. I learned how to make it since the internet says that young ladies like to eat sweet desserts.¡± As Jiang Ju looked at him, she reached out to pick up a piece of yam with blueberry jam. After tasting it, she picked up another piece and sent it to Du Xi¡¯s bowl. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. You should try it too.¡± After Jiang Ju finished speaking, she looked up at him and pursed her lips into an imperceptible smile. Du Xi replied, ¡°I don¡¯t like sweet things. You should eat more of it if you like it.¡± Although Du Xi said that, he still picked up the yam in his bowl and ate it. Then, he picked up a piece for her and placed it in the bowl. ¡°Eating yam is beneficial for your health, especially your lungs and stomach. Eat quickly. After you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll bring you out to play.¡± Today, he had paid the burly men at the construction site. As soon as they got off work, they took the money and went out to have fun. No one remembered to look for him. The last time he said that he would bring her to the vantage point to view the scenery, the plan fell through, but bringing her to the amusement park for a ride on the Ferris wheel would be just as fun. Chapter 23 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It was almost dark outside. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t want to go out, but she couldn¡¯t refuse, so she could only nod. After dinner, Du Xi pushed her into the bedroom for her to change her clothes and leave the task of washing the dishes to him. After Du Xi washed the bowls and chopsticks, Jiang Ju still hadn¡¯t come out. After he knocked on the door impatiently, Jiang Ju opened the door slowly. He glanced around and saw that the clothes Jiang Ju was wearing were still the ones she wore for dinner. Jiang Ju hadn¡¯t changed at all, so Du Xi asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you changed yet?¡± This was the first time the two of them would go out together, so why wasn¡¯t she willing to change her clothes? Although she looked good in anything, Du Xi was still unwilling for her to wear sportswear on their first date. Jiang Ju pursed her lips and reached out to grab the corner of her shirt before saying, ¡°It¡¯s already nighttime. No one will notice me, right?¡± Since no one would notice, there was no need for her to change her clothes. It was quite troublesome. Du Xi looked at her resentfully and wondered why this child was so insensitive. He couldn¡¯t help but walk straight to the closet and planned to pick out a beautiful outfit for her. After he opened the closet door, he fell silent. The child¡¯s closet was filled with the most basic clothes. Her clothes were either black, white, or gray. None of them were unique. ¡°Then don¡¯t change. Let¡¯s go.¡± When they went out later, he would buy her some new clothes. He wondered why a young lady like her only bought old-fashioned clothes that didn¡¯t accentuate her beauty at all. She lived a life without any desires. Be it food, clothing, accommodation, or transportation, she had an attitude of getting by. However, it was precisely because of this that she didn¡¯t reject him, who disrupted her life, so intensely. Before leaving, Jiang Ju took a mask from the shoe cabinet and even turned to ask him if he wanted one. Even though it was nighttime, the temperature outside was still very high. Du Xi couldn¡¯t stand the humid feeling of wearing a mask, so he waved his hand to reject her offer. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t force him. She took the key and left the neighborhood. After leaving the neighborhood, she was about to put on her mask when she was stopped by Du Xi. ¡°There¡¯s no one around. Wear it when there¡¯s someone around later.¡± After she put on the mask, he could only see her big eyes and couldn¡¯t the other half of her face, so he objected. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t want to argue with him over such a small matter, so she put her mask back into her pocket. The two of them walked on the path slowly. The small building they lived in was in an urban village, not far from the commercial street. From the commercial street, they could reach the largest amusement park in the city in about half an hour. The Ferris wheel there was said to be the tallest in the country. Du Xi bought her a glass of fruit juice on the commercial street before taking a taxi to the amusement park. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the tight management downtown, I would have taken you there on a motorcycle.¡± Jiang Ju took a big sip of fruit juice. When she heard Du Xi¡¯s words before she could swallow it, she was so startled that she almost spat out the fruit juice in her mouth. After swallowing it, she shook her head repeatedly. ¡°No need, no need. I¡¯m not used to riding a motorcycle.¡± She wasn¡¯t used to riding a motorcycle, but she was more worried that she would be caught by the city police. After all, his motorcycle was too eye-catching on the road. The roar was so loud that no one who passed by didn¡¯t hate it. She was worried that she would get implicated and beaten up if Du Xi angered the passersby. Du Xi smiled and stroked her hair as he said, ¡°You¡¯re just timid. Actually, riding a motorcycle is very relaxing. Otherwise, why would so many rich rich kids choose to ride a motorcycle instead of driving their luxury cars?¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t say anything else, but she couldn¡¯t help but complain inwardly that even if she wanted to take a motorcycle for a ride, she definitely wouldn¡¯t take a motorcycle that was as loud as thunder. Her inner thoughts were completely reflected on her face and Du Xi saw it clearly. As he looked at the tip of Jiang Ju¡¯s exquisite nose, he thought to himself that she was much more outgoing than the first time they met. Now, not only did she dare to speak, but she also dared to ridicule him inwardly. This was a good start. It proved that she had finally come out of her shell and was willing to see the scenery of this world. Thinking of the arrival of the day she completely accepted him, Du Xi felt excited. He really liked her. He liked her so much that he was willing to grow old with her and protect her in this chaotic world. Even when she didn¡¯t like talking to him, he wanted to stay by her side, let alone when she fell for him in the future. He hesitated beside her for a long time. Just as he was about to put his arm around Jiang Ju¡¯s shoulder, the taxi stopped at the entrance of the amusement park. Chapter 24 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Hello, we¡¯re here.¡± The driver reminded them and disrupted the fantasy in Du Xi¡¯s mind. After Du Xi paid, he got out of the car with Jiang Ju. Standing at the entrance of the amusement park, Jiang Ju looked up at the towering Ferris wheel. The excitement in her eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden. After graduating from primary school, she had never come to an amusement park again. Her parents said that if she had the money, she might as well buy a few more exam practice sets to do. She was no longer a primary school student and had to prioritize her studies. After Du Xi bought the ticket, when he walked back, he saw her frozen on the spot in a daze. He reached out and poked her slightly puffed-up cheeks as he said, ¡°Stop daydreaming. Hurry up and go in to play. I¡¯ll accompany you to whatever you want to play today.¡± The amusement park was open 24 hours a day. Even if she wanted to play all night, he was willing to accompany her. In this amusement park, an adult ticket cost 888 yuan, and if they bought something to eat or drink inside, it would cost more than a thousand yuan per person. Jiang Ju just received the rent and had some money left over from last month, so she could afford the ticket fee, but she had never thought of coming here to play. ¡°It¡¯s so expensive. Forget ita€|¡± Du Xi stroked her hair and said with a chuckle, ¡°Young lady, I¡¯ve already bought both tickets. If you don¡¯t go and play, this thousand yuan will go down the drain.¡± They had already arrived at the amusement park, but she was still hesitating and dawdling. No matter what, he had to let her in to play today. He was definitely going to the Ferris wheel. If she didn¡¯t want to be carried up in public and embarrass herself, she had to follow him up obediently. Du Xi didn¡¯t give Jiang Ju a chance to refuse again. He pulled her hand and held it while leading her inside. After entering the park, he let go and smiled happily as he said, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you can still retreat now. Hurry up and see what you want to play. Have as much fun as you can, so the money isn¡¯t wasted.¡± Jiang Ju could only follow behind him obediently and slowly wander around the amusement park. When they passed by a small path, there was a girl in a princess dress selling balloons at the intersection. When she saw the two of them walking over, she smiled and went up to them. ¡°Sir, please buy a balloon for your child.¡± Du Xi was speechless and exasperated. Where did the amusement park hire such an insensible salesperson from? Seeing Du Xi¡¯s livid expression, Jiang Ju looked at the princess and then at Du Xi again. Then, she suppressed her smile as she pulled Du Xi away. After walking for a distance, Jiang Ju let go of Du Xi¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Du Xi was originally extremely angry, but when he saw her laugh, his anger instantly dissipated by more than half. ¡°Why are you pulling me away? I want to ask her how can I have a daughter in her twenties?!¡± Jiang Ju smiled and looked at him innocently as she said, ¡°I was afraid that you would beat her up in a fit of anger.¡± Du Xi was so exasperated that he laughed. He reached out and scratched the tip of her nose as he said, ¡°Hurry up and put on your mask. If I encounter someone else who says that I look like your father, I probably won¡¯t be able to help but beat that person up.¡± For the sake of convenience, Jiang Ju pulled her mask to her chin, but now that she heard Du Xi¡¯s words, she reached out to pull her mask up again. ¡°Forget it, finish the fruit juice first before putting it on.¡± Seeing that she was so obedient, Du Xi couldn¡¯t stay angry anymore. He asked her to stay there and wait for him, then he went back. Jiang Ju pricked up her ears and could vaguely hear him say in a low voice. ¡°Pick the most expensive one for me. I¡¯m giving it to my daughter.¡± This time, Jiang Ju couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She laughed so hard that she couldn¡¯t straighten her back. After Du Xi paid, he turned around and saw this scene. His heart raced and he froze on the spot, unsure of what to do. He was afraid that if he moved, he would disturb her. It was rare for him to see her laugh so happily, so he wanted to watch a little longer. Seeing that he didn¡¯t come over, Jiang Ju slowly stopped laughing and put her mask back on. Du Xi felt a little disappointed, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He walked over and tied the balloon in his hand to her wrist. Looking at her slender wrist, Du Xi couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she would be carried by the balloon if he tied a few more balloons to her. This wouldn¡¯t do. She was still a little too thin. Her face looked exquisite and small, but had some baby fat. Out of her entire body, her face had the most flesh. Du Xi planned to feed Jiang Ju until she was chubby in the future. Jiang Ju looked up at the balloon floating in the air. Her fluttering eyelashes and big doe-eyes were extremely endearing to Du Xi. She was simply too cute. Chapter 25 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Du Xi seemed to have guessed what she was thinking. Before she could speak, he explained, ¡°Children play with small balloons, and older children play with big balloons. Your balloon is the largest in the entire amusement park. Are you happy?¡± This kind of balloon could be sold for five or ten yuan at most outside, but in the amusement park, it could be sold for 50 to 100 yuan. Therefore, other than parents who brought their children here, people rarely bought it. Du Xi bought it because he felt that Jiang Ju was still a child, so she probably liked things that children liked. ¡°Let¡¯s take the Ferris wheel first. We¡¯ll play the other ones after we come down.¡± His main purpose for bringing her here was to take the Ferris wheel. There were many tourists in the amusement park, so they had to hurry up and take the Ferris wheel, lest they couldn¡¯t get a spot in line later. On the way to the Ferris wheel, there were many stalls selling trinkets and toys on the street. Du Xi, who usually didn¡¯t even bother to look at these things, bought them one by one. Before they reached the Ferris wheel, Jiang Ju¡¯s hands, neck, hands, and head were all carrying things. In the end, a staff member couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and gave them a cloth bag to put these things in. Jiang Ju was gloomy the entire way and didn¡¯t speak. It was only when they reached the Ferris wheel and received the envious gazes of countless children that she said hesitantly, ¡°Can I take some of these things down?¡± She was wearing the headbands of two small animals and two shining garlands, so she was very eye-catching. There was also the gemstone necklace on her neck. It was weird and uncomfortable to wear around her neck. With so many things on her, she looked like a flower fairy. Du Xi didn¡¯t know what she was thinking. He felt that Jiang Ju looked cute in this outfit. She was as adorable as an elf. Although he didn¡¯t watch cartoons, he felt that even the princess in cartoons might not be as beautiful as her. Although he liked to see her wearing these things, since Jiang Ju didn¡¯t like them, he wouldn¡¯t force her. He had bought them to make her happy, so if she didn¡¯t like them, she didn¡¯t have to wear them. Since he agreed, Jiang Ju quickly took off all her accessories, leaving only a headband on her head. After everything was put into the bag, the bag was bulging, as if it was about to burst. As Du Xi carried the bag, he wondered if he should ask the staff for another bag. Before he could ask for another bag, the Ferris wheel stopped. He grabbed Jiang Ju¡¯s hand and brought her onto the Ferris wheel. Jiang Ju leaned to the side and watched as the Ferris wheel gradually rose and revealed the night view of the city. There were many tall buildings outside. Although it was time to get off work, many office buildings were still lit and there was heavy traffic on the express road Jiang Ju was mesmerized. The last time he came to take the Ferris wheel, there weren¡¯t so many tall buildings outside. He didn¡¯t expect that after a few years, this city would undergo such a tremendous change. Jiang Ju was enthralled by the sight. Du Xi sat opposite her and didn¡¯t disturb her. It was only when the Ferris wheel started to turn down that he squatted in front of Jiang Ju. ¡°If you haven¡¯t seen enough, let¡¯s sit in here for another round, okay?¡± Jiang Ju shook his head. ¡°One time is enough. It¡¯s meaningless to see the same scene too many times.¡± As Du Xi stood up and looked down at her, a discreet emotion flashed across his eyes. After the two of them sat on the Ferris wheel, Du Xi pulled Jiang Ju to sit on the carousel. The people sitting on the carousel were all children, so Jiang Ju kept waving her hand to reject Du Xi¡¯s suggestion. The parents of those children were taking photos of the children around the carousel, so it would be strange for an adult like her to sit on it. Du Xi couldn¡¯t care less. Everyone had bought tickets to enter, so if those brats could play, his child could play too. After being carried up by Du Xi, Jiang Ju¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. As she looked at the twenty-plus parents around them who were raising their phones to take photos of the carousel, she wanted to disappear from this world. She decided that she would never come to the amusement park again. Today¡¯s embarrassment was enough for her to feel humiliated for twenty years. After sitting on the carousel for a round with a flushed face, Jiang Ju hurriedly went down when the carousel finally stopped. Chapter 26 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Du Xi didn¡¯t let her. He pressed Jiang Ju down and pointed at the people around her. ¡°Look, a few adults are playing with you. Don¡¯t be shy. Sit for another round. I was so focused on you just now that I forgot to take a few photos for you.¡± That¡¯s right, a few young ladies in their twenties had just sat on the carousel. At this moment, their faces were filled with smiles as they asked their boyfriends or best friends beside them to take photos for them. When she saw their relaxed expressions, the blush on Jiang Ju¡¯s face finally faded a little, but she still refused to sit again. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. Let¡¯s sit at the side for a while.¡± There was an artificial lake beside the carousel and there were a few rows of wooden stools by the lake. Jiang Ju tugged at Du Xi¡¯s sleeve. If she didn¡¯t take the initiative to say that she wanted to rest for a while, who knew what else he would make her play? Instead of being bossed around, it was better to take the initiative to arrange things herself. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he wanted to accompany Jiang Ju, Du Xi probably wouldn¡¯t have come to a boring place like the amusement park in his life. There was nothing he was interested in here, so he naturally agreed to Jiang Ju¡¯s suggestion to rest. There were some colorful light balls hanging on the trees by the lake, and the lights were relatively dim. There were no entertainment facilities, so the children didn¡¯t like to play there. This place was relatively quieter than other places. Several wooden bridges crossed the artificial lake, and a few small pavilions were scattered in the middle of the lake. When they walked along the small bridge, they could see one or two couples sitting in the pavilion. Jiang Ju quickened her pace and didn¡¯t dare to take another look. She quickly walked past them and walked to an empty pavilion while looking straight ahead. Du Xi followed behind her calmly and his footsteps were not fast as he maintained a distance of about half a meter from her. Every time they passed by a pavilion with a young couple snuggling inside, Jiang Ju would hurriedly lower her head and rush past. Du Xi smiled in amusement. Just seeing the young couples leaning against each other made her react so intensely. If she encountered people kissing, wouldn¡¯t she be so frightened that she went home? Jiang Ju couldn¡¯t be bothered to guess Du Xi¡¯s thoughts. She walked faster and faster, and in the end, she couldn¡¯t help but start to jog. It was only when she ran into the pavilion that she stopped and panted heavily. Du Xi slowly followed behind. When she sat down, he leaned against the pillar with a lazy expression. Seeing that Jiang Ju was sitting there obediently without saying a word, he took out his phone and turned on the camera to take photos of her. The sound of the shutter wasn¡¯t turned off, and the flash was bright, so Jiang Ju looked up, and her tense expression conveyed his current emotions very well. After Du Xi walked forward, he bent down and shone the light on his face, then he said slowly in a magnetic voice, ¡°Child, help me take a look. Do I have wrinkles on my face?¡± Jiang Ju looked at his face seriously. A few seconds later, she shook his head. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Since there are no wrinkles, what was that woman thinking just now? Why did she treat me as your father? Do I look very old?¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t expect him to still be brooding over the blunder just now. She looked at his face seriously, then quickly lowered her head and pursed her lips without saying anything. She was too embarrassed to say her true thoughts. His skin was dark, and he was tall and burly. In addition, he looked very intimidating when he didn¡¯t smile, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that he was seen as her father. Silence meant tacit agreement. Du Xi clicked his tongue and thought to himself, ¡°This won¡¯t do. Although he was ten years older than her, he was only in his early thirties now. If he was treated as her father on the road, wouldn¡¯t people say that he was her grandfather in another ten to twenty years?¡± Although he, a man, didn¡¯t know how to put on makeup, he should probably buy a jar of moisturizing cream. In the future, he would apply a thick layer of cream on his face every day. Perhaps his skin would become smoother. He was thinking about how he should take good care of himself from now on when he heard the child¡¯s gentle voice. He froze for a moment, then he couldn¡¯t help but laugh arrogantly. ¡°You have good taste. Other than being slightly tan, I really can¡¯t find any other flaws on my face.¡± Since the child thought he was handsome, there was no need for him to take care of himself anymore. In any case, he didn¡¯t need to show off to others. Jiang Ju was speechless. She said that she wasn¡¯t ugly, but she didn¡¯t say that she was handsome to the point of perfection. Du Xi assumed that when Jiang Ju said that he wasn¡¯t ugly, she was praising him for being handsome, so Jiang Ju shut her mouth since she couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. She didn¡¯t speak, and Du Xi didn¡¯t force her. He sat beside her as he flipped through the previous photos and sent the one he thought was the best to her WeChat. ¡°If there¡¯s a chance, put up a photo of me in your home. That way, even if a thief comes in, he will be frightened away when he sees my figure.¡± Chapter 27 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Not to mention anything else, just based on his body and his intimidating look when he wasn¡¯t smiling, she didn¡¯t believe that any thief wouldn¡¯t be afraid when they saw him. Moreover, he had his own selfish motives. If other men saw his photo at the young lady¡¯s house, they probably wouldn¡¯t dare to enter. Jiang Ju didn¡¯t bring her phone with her when she left, so she didn¡¯t know what photo Du Xi had sent her. If she knew, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed no matter what. Du Xi didn¡¯t show her the photo. After seeing that she agreed, he sent the photo to Tang San and instructed him to print out two copies. One was a meter long and the other was twenty centimeters long. Tang San was puzzled and sent the message: ¡°Brother Du, why did you take a photo of yourself? Do you plan to leave it in your room for yourself to admire? He could understand if Du Xi wanted him to print some photos of beautiful celebrities. Even Tang San had photos of two female celebrities by his bed. However, this was the first time he had heard of someone printing his own photos. Du Xi replied: You have so many questions. If I tell you to print them, just do it. Send them to me tomorrow! Tang San was speechless. Du Xi had such a bad temper. He wondered if it was because Du Xi didn¡¯t have a sex life. Tang San replied: Got it. I¡¯ll send them to you tomorrow. After putting down his phone, Tang San went to gossip with Liu Qiang. He turned around and went to the lower bunk. He, who had worked all day but had yet to shower, was covered in sweat and reeked of body odor. It wasn¡¯t easy for Liu Qiang to hold back from kicking him off the bed. ¡°Damn it, you don¡¯t shower even on such a hot day. Do you know how much you stink? With how nasty you are, no wonder you can¡¯t find a girl who¡¯s willing to be with you! I despise you!¡± Tang San said, ¡°Damn it. Let¡¯s not mock each other, okay? Aren¡¯t you the same?! You took a shower, but I don¡¯t see any little girl willing to be with you! Besides, I was planning to take a shower later, but after you said that, I won¡¯t go anymore. I¡¯ll suffocate you to death!¡± Tang San had been alone for many years, and Liu Qiang¡¯s luck with the opposite sex wasn¡¯t much better. The two of them should have comforted each other, but Liu Qiang actually used this matter to mock him. If not for the fact that the two of them had known each other for many years, he would have fought this scumbag. The more Tang San spoke, the darker Liu Qiang¡¯s expression became. When Tang San finished speaking, Liu Qiang kicked Tang San¡¯s butt. ¡°Someone like you can forget about getting a wife for the rest of your life!¡± Tang San rolled his eyes at him in disdain. ¡°If someone like me can¡¯t find a wife, then someone like you can¡¯t find a wife either! Isn¡¯t it just a shower? Why are you acting so high and mighty?!¡± They were both bachelors who couldn¡¯t find wives. Who was nobler than the other? Besides, they didn¡¯t have spouses anyway. So what if they didn¡¯t shower?! The two of them chatted for a long time before Tang San remembered that he had forgotten something important. He wanted to sit on the lower bunk, but he was afraid that Liu Qiang would kick him, so he could only take a stool and sit on the ground. He beckoned Liu Qiang secretively as he said, ¡°Come closer. I¡¯ll tell you a secret. Brother Du sent me a WeChat message just now and asked me to print two copies of a photo of himself. It¡¯s this photo.¡± Tang San handed the phone to him. ¡°I admit that Brother Du has a good figure, but he doesn¡¯t have to be so narcissistic. Why would he print his own photo? Does he want to hang them at home to admire himself?¡± Liu Qiang glanced at the screen, then he retracted his gaze. They were both men, but how could their figures be so different? Damn, no wonder people said that the difference between people was greater than the difference between humans and pigs. Tang San said, ¡°Are you an idiot? Brother Du is basically at the construction site every day. How can he have the time to admire his own photos at home? I reckon that this photo will most likely be given to a young lady!¡± Liu Qiang asked, ¡°What young lady? Does Brother Du actually have a girlfriend? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± Tang San said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Brother Du rarely pays attention to any woman. How can he suddenly have a girlfriend? How strange.¡± Liu Qiang said, ¡°I just remembered. Two days ago, Brother Du asked Liu Cheng to repair a young lady¡¯s window. Although Liu Cheng didn¡¯t see her, when he came back, he said that from the decorations in the house, it¡¯s obvious that the lady is young.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Tang San¡¯s incredulous expression. Tang San couldn¡¯t help but curse. ¡°Why did you only tell me such important information now?!¡± Liu Qiang shrugged with a righteous expression. ¡°Oh please, this is Brother Du¡¯s secret. How would I dare to spread it? What if he found out that I told others about him and fired me? I still have to save enough money to buy a house here.¡± Chapter 28 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Tang San returned to his upper bunk in embarrassment. Not long after, he stuck his head down again and chuckled at Liu Qiang. ¡°Why don¡¯t we find time to see what Brother Du¡¯s girlfriend looks like?¡± Liu Qiang pursed his lips and looked at him as if he was looking at a retard. ¡°Are you able to withstand a beating? If you can, go ahead.¡± A straight man who had been single for 31 years had finally fallen in love with a woman. If things were ruined by this idiot, Brother Du would probably beat him up. Tang San thought that Liu Qiang would agree to his suggestion, but he didn¡¯t expect to hear this. He gritted his teeth and cursed fiercely, ¡°Coward!¡± Tang San only had gossip on his mind and had completely forgotten what Du Xi had told him. At work the next day, he saw Du Xi walking towards him. He closed his eyes and thought to himself, ¡°Oh no.¡± Then, he turned around and shouted as he slipped away, ¡°Brother Du, my bad. I¡¯ll print the photos for you now. Don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll get the photos back for you within half an hour!¡± He immediately ran and didn¡¯t wait for Du Xi¡¯s answer. He was afraid that he would be caught and beaten up by Du Xi if he was a step slower. After running for a distance, he turned around and ran back. ¡°By the way, Brother Du, help me save a portion for dinner tonight. Don¡¯t let those bastards eat it all.¡± Du Xi was explaining today¡¯s work arrangements to the people below. When he saw Tang San return and shout at him from the door, he was so angry that he picked up the shovel beside him and threw it at him. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Tang San ran away with a cheeky smile. Du Xi looked at the shovel that had been thrown out and kicked the person beside him. ¡°Stop smiling. You only know how to smile. Hurry up and get it back.¡± The child who had been kicked seemed to be in his teens. He wasn¡¯t angry. He jogged to pick up the shovel and handed it to Du Xi with a fawning expression. ¡°Brother Du, when can you return my motorcycle to me? I haven¡¯t touched it for too long. My hands are itching.¡± Du Xi had no intention of returning the motorcycle he had borrowed. With a cigarette in his mouth, he kicked the child¡¯s butt again. ¡°Why is a little brat like you riding a motorcycle?!¡± Dong Bowen was speechless. ¡°Brother, I saved up for half a year to buy that motorcycle. It¡¯s more important to me than my life. Be merciful and return it to me, okay?¡± Du Xi glanced at him with a menacing look in his eyes as he warned, ¡°When you get your driver¡¯s license, I¡¯ll return the motorcycle to you.¡± He had picked this brat up from under the bridge one winter. At that time, seeing that he was pitiful, Du Xi asked him to follow him to do some odd jobs at the construction site. After working for more than half a year, he spent the salary he was given all on a lousy motorcycle. At first, Du Xi thought that since he earned it himself, so what if he bought a motorcycle? He couldn¡¯t control what he bought. However, he found out later that this brat didn¡¯t have a motorcycle driver¡¯s license at all. How dare he ride a bicycle out on the streets without a driver¡¯s license? This little brat was really stubborn! If he didn¡¯t confiscate his motorcycle, should he watch as something happened to him and then regret it? Dong Bowen looked aggrieved. He wanted to get his driver¡¯s license as soon as possible, but he was illiterate. During this period of time, he had been learning in order to get his driver¡¯s license, but learning wasn¡¯t that easy. Whenever he looked at the messy words on the computer, he had a headache. If he really relied on self-learning to get his driver¡¯s license, he would probably become a white-bearded old man. If he had known earlier, he would have found a teacher to teach him how to read first. Seeing that he didn¡¯t speak, Du Xi kicked him away. ¡°Hurry up and get to work. If you delay any longer, I¡¯ll smash your lousy motorcycle.¡± When he heard that he was going to smash the car, Dong Bowen was so frightened that he was about to cry. He turned around and ran. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll go work now. Don¡¯t smash the motorcycle, understand? That motorcycle is more important than my life!¡± The construction site was empty, so his shout spread far, making the men working in the distance laugh loudly. Du Xi lit his cigarette and cursed, ¡°Little brat, a mere motorcycle is more important than your life? Is your life that worthless?¡± Afraid that he would be beaten up if he was too slow, at the entrance of the shop, Tang San kept urging the shopkeeper to print it for him first. Finally, the shopkeeper pitied him and agreed to put down what he was doing and print for him first. Chapter 29 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations When he returned with the wrapped photos, it was just past twelve o¡¯clock. He placed the photos in front of Du Xi and said proudly, ¡°Brother Du, I promised you that I would finish it in half an hour. It only took me twenty minutes, so I¡¯m efficient, right? The money for printing the photo and the fare for the round trip is a total of 350 yuan. You can transfer the money to me by WeChat.¡± Du Xi glanced at him with a spurious smile. ¡°Tang San, I haven¡¯t seen you for only a day, but you¡¯ve become much bolder. You actually dare to lie to me now.¡± Seeing that his lie had been exposed, Tang San smiled at Du Xi with a guilty expression. ¡°Hehe, Brother Du, you¡¯re really smart. I didn¡¯t spend that much money printing the photos. In addition, I passed by a BBQ restaurant just now and couldn¡¯t help but go in to eat, so it¡¯s a total of 350 yuan.¡± When he went out, he had yet to eat breakfast. After working for the morning, his stomach was already growling. When he came back, he passed by a BBQ restaurant. The aroma that wafted out enticed him and he couldn¡¯t help but go in to eat. Du Xi couldn¡¯t stand to see his wretched expression and kicked him away. Tang San ran out. After closing the door, he finally heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Brother Du should start a relationship and find a woman to control his bad temper.¡± Just as he finished speaking, a WeChat notification sounded on his phone. He opened it and immediately smiled. Although Brother Du had a bad temper, he was still very magnanimous to people like them. With this thousand yuan, he could go out and drink a few more times. After dinner, Jiang Ju looked at the man standing in front of her with a one-meter-long photo. Her expression was indescribable and she had mixed feelings. Du Xi immediately understood when he saw her expression. He leaned against the door frame as he stared at her with a malicious smile on his face and said, ¡°Young lady, I told you yesterday that I wanted to print the photo for you, and you agreed. Now that I¡¯ve spent so much money to print the photo and frame it for you, you¡¯re not allowed to go back on your word.¡± It was already midnight when the two of them returned yesterday. Jiang Ju washed up briefly before falling asleep on the bed. When she woke up in the morning, she had completely forgotten about this matter and had not even looked at WeChat. Therefore, she never expected that Du Xi would give him a photo of himself with his upper body naked. His skin was tan and shiny, his shoulders were broad, and his waist was narrow. There were also a few faint scars on his chest muscles. He looked very fierce, like an untamed beast. Not to mention a thief, even if the devil came, he would probably be stunned and wouldn¡¯t be able to tell if he was a friend or foe. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there. Hurry up and find a good place to hang this photo. If you don¡¯t choose, I¡¯ll hang it above your bed.¡± As Du Xi used the gentlest tone to say the most terrifying threat, Jiang Ju was so frightened that her entire body trembled. If this photo was hung above her bed, not to mention whether it would scare others, wouldn¡¯t she be the most frightened one? Would she even be able to sleep well? She pursed her lips tightly. She knew that Du Xi was a man of his word, so she had no choice but to point in the direction of the second bedroom. ¡°Just hang it in the second bedroom. I don¡¯t go over often, so I won¡¯t be frightened by it easily.¡± Du Xi was speechless. The reason he printed it out was to let her see his handsome face and good figure every day. If he put it into the second bedroom now, how could she see it every day? ¡°The second bedroom isn¡¯t a good location. Let¡¯s hang it in the living room. The bad guys will see it the moment they enter, so it¡¯s safer.¡± Du Xi made up his mind. With the big photo in the living room, it would be redundant to place the small photo in the living room. Du Xi¡¯s eyes darted around before he set his sights on the door of Jiang Ju¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Put this small one at the head of your bed. If you have nothing to do, look at it more often to bolster your courage.¡± He made the decision directly. Jiang Ju glared at him in an attempt to express her dissatisfaction, but in the end, she didn¡¯t have the courage to speak. She could only watch helplessly as he placed the photo at the head of the bed. The large photo hanging in the living room could be seen from the sofa. Therefore, Jiang Ju wandered around the living room for a long time but didn¡¯t dare to go to the sofa. After Du Xi came out of the kitchen, he placed the soup on the coffee table before asking her to come over. ¡°I know you¡¯ve eaten, so come over and drink some soup.¡± It wasn¡¯t long after Jiang Ju ate, so her stomach was already bulging and she could no longer eat anything else. She stood on the spot, since she didn¡¯t want to go over. Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, Du Xi walked over and carried her to the sofa to sit down. ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to feed you personally, you can drink it yourself with a spoon.¡± Chapter 30 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Jiang Ju frowned, but didn¡¯t dare to protest loudly. She could only complain softly, ¡°I already said that I¡¯m full, but you still insist on forcing me to drink soup. How can there be such a domineering and unreasonable person in this world?¡± Du Xi said, ¡°Child, although I¡¯m ten years older than you, I¡¯m not old enough to be deaf. If you want to complain about me next time, try your best to pick times when I¡¯m not around. Otherwise, don¡¯t cry when you¡¯re beaten up.¡± Jiang Ju was drinking the soup in small sips. When she heard this, she froze and looked at him in surprise. With a stunned expression, she asked, ¡°I spoke in such a soft voice, yet you still heard me?¡± ¡°Yes, people scold me behind my back often, so I¡¯ve mastered super hearing skills. Impressive, right?¡± Jiang Ju was speechless. Was this something to be proud of? Jiang Ju tried her best to drink half a bowl of soup, but couldn¡¯t. She secretly touched her bloated stomach and burped. Seeing that the child was indeed full, Du Xi naturally wouldn¡¯t force her to finish the soup. He reached out and brought the soup in front of him. Then, he opened his mouth and drank it all in one gulp. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that he was drinking alcohol. She had long known that he ate quickly, but she still felt unaccustomed to it when she saw him. However, Jiang Ju was no longer as awkward as before. After drinking, she couldn¡¯t leave directly, but whenever she looked up, she would see the huge photo on the wall. She could only lower her head and play with her fingers. Du Xi had no intention of leaving after eating. He tapped his fingers on the coffee table to attract Jiang Ju¡¯s attention, then he asked her, ¡°Don¡¯t you like the headbands I bought for you? Why aren¡¯t you wearing them?¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t say anything, so Du Xi raised his chin and said, ¡°Go find one to wear. I want to see it.¡± Jiang Ju fiddled with his fingers, but didn¡¯t move. She was embarrassed by his gaze, so she explained softly, ¡°It¡¯s too small. If I wear it for too long, my head will hurt.¡± The ears on the headband were very heavy. If she didn¡¯t want the ears to fall off, she had to tighten the headband. Jiang Ju had only worn it for slightly more than three hours yesterday, but her head still hurt. Du Xi had never worn these things before, so of course he didn¡¯t know that they would cause headaches. Now that he heard her say it, he grabbed Jiang Ju¡¯s wrist and pulled her to his side. Before Jiang Ju could react, she felt their legs pressed against each other. Just as she was about to get up and move away, she was blocked by a long and strong leg. The man¡¯s leg was pressed against her calf, and his intense masculine aura made her feel suffocated. The heat from her wrist and the pressure on her calf made her unable to move. Before she could speak, Du Xi¡¯s broad chest gradually approached. She wanted to retreat, but a pair of large hands grabbed her slender neck from behind. ¡°Be good. Let me see where you¡¯re hurt.¡± A low and magnetic voice sounded above her head. As he spoke, the smell of mint assaulted her. It was quite refreshing. Jiang Ju blushed slightly as she turned her head slightly and allowed Du Xi¡¯s rough hands to carefully brush away the stray hair beside her ear. As he got closer, Du Xi could smell the faint scent of shampoo from her hair and the fragrance of her body. ¡°Are you a fairy? Why do you smell so good?¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t answer him, but Du Xi didn¡¯t care. He carefully brushed her hair away. There was a thumb-sized red mark behind her ear that was very eye-catching on her fair skin. Du Xi rubbed the tip of his tongue against his back teeth as he thought to himself, ¡°Why is this child¡¯s skin so tender? Even a headband can even make her skin so red. How can I make love to her in the future?¡± In the future, if he accidentally lost control of his strength and other people saw the traces left on her body, wouldn¡¯t they think that he was a domestic abuser? ¡°It¡¯s red from the pressure. I should be fine now. It¡¯ll go away in two days.¡± The red mark was too eye-catching. Du Xi¡¯s throat went dry and he didn¡¯t dare to look at it anymore. After saying that, he looked away. After he let go of her, Jiang Ju immediately moved to the side and sat on the sofa. His expression was tense, like that of a primary school student listening to a teacher¡¯s lecture. Neither of them spoke. After a few minutes of silence, Jiang Ju carefully raised her head to look at Du Xi. After he looked over, she quickly retracted her gaze, but couldn¡¯t help but look up at him again a few seconds later. After Jiang Ju glanced at him warily six to seven times, Du Xi couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and leaned towards her. ¡°Why are you acting so sneaky? If you want to look at me, just look at me openly.¡± Jiang Ju raised her head and stared at him blankly. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your leg is still pressing on my leg. My leg is going numb.¡± Chapter 31 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Of course, Du Xi knew. He was deliberately pressing her down and not letting go. He wanted to see how long she could hold it in before speaking. He moved his leg away and reached out to scratch the tip of Jiang Ju¡¯s nose as he said, ¡°In the future, be bolder and say whatever you want to say. There¡¯s no need to be so wary. I¡¯m not a demon. As if I can eat you?¡± Although she knew that he couldn¡¯t eat her and that what he did was to train her to be brave enough to express her thoughts, she was used to being a loner. Her personality and habits couldn¡¯t be changed so easily. She wanted to speak more, but she really didn¡¯t know how to start. She was so introverted, so it was hard for him to be so patient with her. He even gave her guidance again and again. ¡°There¡¯s still half a watermelon left in the fridge at home. Should I cut it for you to eat?¡± Du Xi asked. Jiang Ju just had rice and soup, so how could there be room for watermelon in her stomach? She stole a glance at Du Xi¡¯s flat stomach and was puzzled. Where were the three bowls of rice and two and a half bowls of soup he had eaten? If she ate so much rice, her stomach would probably be full by now. Du Xi saw through her confusion at a glance, but he acted as if he misunderstood her. He raised his eyebrows at her as he asked, ¡°You¡¯ve never seen it before, right? Do you want to touch it?¡± ¡°Huh? Touch what?¡± Jiang Ju was stunned for a moment. When she saw Du Xi¡¯s ambiguous expression, she realized what was going on and blushed. ¡°What¡¯s there to be shy about? Haven¡¯t you learned biology before? It¡¯s normal for the opposite sex to attract each other. It¡¯s also normal for people to be curious about what they don¡¯t have.¡± As Du Xi spoke, he lifted his clothes for Jiang Ju to touch. Jiang Ju was frightened by his sudden action and immediately jumped up from the sofa as she stammered that she was going to bed. Du Xi glanced at the time on his phone and saw that it was only past nine o¡¯clock, so he leaned against the sofa with a smile on his face and asked, ¡°Are you lying to me? When have you ever gone to bed so early?¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t say anything, but her neck turned red to her earlobes and she froze on the spot. She couldn¡¯t stay or leave. There was only nervousness on her face, and she didn¡¯t look tired at all. Du Xi snorted and called her over. ¡°Do you like playing building blocks? I have a box with more than a thousand pieces. Do you want to try it?¡± During this period of time, he had noticed that there was a small building block at the head of her bed. It wasn¡¯t even the size of a cup. She must have played with it for many years, since the color had already faded slightly. Blocks with more than a thousand pieces? Jiang Ju¡¯s interest was piqued when she heard that. She forgot everything that had just happened and couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps closer to him. She nodded seriously and said, ¡°Yes, yes, I want to try.¡± No matter how much she liked to stay at home, she would be bored after so many years. Other than watching anime, she liked to play with blocks the most. The one at home was given to her by her parents when she was in primary school. In the past few years, she had pieced the puzzle and dismantled it over and over again. The color had already faded, and the granules were a little damaged. ¡°If you want to play, cut a plate of watermelons for me. Then, I¡¯ll let you play with the building blocks.¡± Jiang Ju froze for a moment before she remembered and asked, ¡°A set with more than a thousand pieces should be very expensive, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pirated version, so it¡¯s very cheap. It¡¯s only about a month¡¯s worth of water and electricity bill.¡± Afraid that he would regret it, Jiang Ju hurriedly said, ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to pay the water and electricity bill next month.¡± Du Xi didn¡¯t decline. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go to my place to get the building blocks, then cut the watermelon for me.¡± He stood up and grabbed Jiang Ju¡¯s wrist before bringing her out. Jiang Ju followed him into his house. When she saw the building blocks he took out when she was cutting watermelons in the kitchen, she was stunned. ¡°Lego?¡± No matter how stupid she was, she knew that the building blocks of this brand were not cheap. They were several times more expensive than ordinary building blocks. His monthly utilities added up to about a hundred yuan in total. It wasn¡¯t a problem to buy a pirated building block, but the box in his hand was equivalent to half a year¡¯s worth of utility bills. He had spent a lot of money on the amusement park tickets last time, so this time, Jiang Ju was too embarrassed to accept the building blocks. ¡°This is too expensive. I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± After Jiang Ju finished speaking, she lowered her head and continued to cut the watermelon. As Du Xi stared at her pursed lips from the side, he felt that her expression carried a unique stubbornness. He leaned against the kitchen door frame. After a moment of silence, he continued, ¡°What should I do? I don¡¯t like to play with these things, so I can only throw them away. Sigh, what a pity.¡± Chapter 32 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After saying that, he was about to walk towards the trash can when Jiang Ju hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t throw it away. I¡¯ll buy it, okay?¡± It was quite expensive, so it would be a pity to throw it away. Du Xi felt that he would be angered to death by this child sooner or later. Did he spend so much effort to find a Lego set just to sell it to her? What was wrong with this child? He gritted his teeth and threw the Lego to the side. When Jiang Ju revealed a pained expression, he went forward and hugged her waist while forcing her to look up at him. ¡°Young lady, are you really stupid or are you playing dumb? I¡¯ve been following you around for so many days because I don¡¯t just want to be your neighbor. Sometimes, I really want to ask you, can you really not tell that I like you, or are you deliberately going against me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to beat around the bush with you anymore. I like you. I want to be with you and marry you. If you¡¯re willing, give me a response. Don¡¯t make me keep up this one-sided performance. If you¡¯re unwillinga€| there¡¯s no such option. You have to be willing.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say sweet nothings, but I¡¯ll only tell you one thing. If you get together with me, I¡¯ll give you all my money in the future.¡± He stared at her with blatant desire. His tone was no longer frivolous and flippant. It was the first time Jiang Ju had seen him so serious and sincere. His voice was low and magnetic, and it was so gentle that Jiang Ju was mesmerized. This was the first time Jiang Ju experienced such passionate emotion. It was like the summer sun. It melted her frozen inner world that had been frozen for a long time, and it was like a storm that assaulted her, making her unable to breathe. Jiang Ju was a little afraid, but she didn¡¯t know what she was afraid of. She only felt her entire body tremble uncontrollably. She stared at him in a daze for three full minutes. It was only when Du Xi could no longer hold it in that he lowered his head and said beside her ear, ¡°Why are you in a daze? Say something.¡± Jiang Ju came back to her senses and felt the heat from the large palm on her waist. She opened her mouth, but couldn¡¯t say the words at the tip of her tongue. In the end, she said, ¡°Okay.¡± After scaring her and seeing that she was obedient now, Du Xi took his hand away from her waist and was about to turn around to give Jiang Ju the Lego when he saw her run away like a frightened cat. He didn¡¯t expect someone as petite as her to be so fast. Du Xi gritted his teeth as he stared at the open door for a few seconds. Then he smiled. The little girl¡¯s legs were not long, but she ran quite quickly. If he had known that she would escape, he would have closed the door when he came over just now so that she had nowhere to retreat or escape. Knowing that it required time for her to process and accept what he had just said, Du Xi didn¡¯t follow her. He sat on the sofa and ate the watermelon that Jiang Ju had cut for him. Originally, he wanted to coax the child the next day, but something suddenly happened at the construction site. He rushed over when he received the call and could only put the matter of coaxing the child aside for now. He thought that he could settle the matter in the morning, but he didn¡¯t expect to work for four days straight. On the afternoon of the fifth day, he returned to the building in a stained shirt. Recalling the look of disdain on the child¡¯s face every time she saw his dirty appearance, Du Xi turned around from her door and returned to his house to take a shower. After changing his clothes, he came out and knocked on the child¡¯s door for two minutes, but no one responded. He opened the door with his key and searched all the rooms, but he didn¡¯t see the child. Thinking that she had gone to the market, he took out his phone and called the child, but she didn¡¯t pick up. Thinking that she didn¡¯t usually bring her phone with her when she went out, Du Xi waited patiently. He waited until five to six in the afternoon. Looking at the sky darkening outside the window, Du Xi realized that something was wrong. If she had gone to the market, how could she not be back after so long? It had been almost four hours since he returned, but she had yet to return home. Worried that something had happened to her, he went out to look for her. When he went downstairs, he met a white-haired woman at the staircase. Just as he was about to walk out, he was stopped by the woman. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re also a tenant of this building, right? Come over. I have something to tell you.¡± Du Xi was extremely anxious, so how could he have the time to listen to her instructions? He turned to leave, but was stopped by the old lady. Chapter 33 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The old lady was 78 years old this year, so what kind of scene hadn¡¯t she experienced before? In this world, no one or thing was a threat to her. Thus, when she faced Du Xi, whose expression was ashen, she looked at him impatiently without any fear. ¡°Young man, I won¡¯t waste that much of your time. I¡¯ll tell you one thing¡ªJiang Jiang, your previous landlord, went on a long trip. In the future, just give me your rent. Pay it once per month, like when she was still around. Remember to give me the money at the beginning of every month.¡± The old lady turned to leave after giving her instructions, but Du Xi hurriedly blocked her way. ¡°What? I just wanted to send you a message. I didn¡¯t waste much of your time. Are you going to hit me? Why are you so hot-tempered? If you keep this up, you won¡¯t get a wife in the future!¡± As the old lady looked at the burly man with a livid expression, she gritted her teeth. She was so angry that her entire body was trembling. A mere child actually dared to glare at her. How insolent! Facing the old lady¡¯s curse, Du Xi took a deep breath to calm himself down and tried not to look so scary. ¡°You just said that the landlord went out, but where did she go? Did she say how long she would be gone for?¡± Seeing that he had no ill intentions and only wanted to ask her a question, the old lady wasn¡¯t that angry. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me either, so I¡¯m not sure. But since she asked me to collect the money, it shouldn¡¯t be for long.¡± The old lady didn¡¯t tell Du Xi that she came to collect the money not to help Jiang Ju, but to get back the money the little girl had borrowed from her. Before the little girl left, she borrowed a sum of money from her and said that she would return it to her with the monthly rent. She was originally a little hesitant about lending such a large sum of money, but when she saw the little girl finally muster up the courage to walk out of her small room, she couldn¡¯t help but be generous. The young lady¡¯s parents had passed away early on, leaving her alone. She had no relatives or friends, and she hadn¡¯t even finished school. On one hand, she felt that she was pitiful, and on the other hand, she had watched her grow up and believed in her character. There was no use for an old lady like her to keep this money, so she simply lent it out. After Du Xi heard this, he clenched his fists and ran upstairs. ¡°Young man, there¡¯s no hurry. It¡¯s not time to pay the rent yet¡­¡± Before the old lady could finish speaking, Du Xi had already run away. Looking at the dust that was stirred up by his actions and fluttering in the air, the old lady lamented helplessly, ¡°Why are children nowadays so rash? They¡¯re not levelheaded at all.¡± ¡°This young man is quite handsome. However, he has a bad temper and an impatient personality. I¡¯m afraid finding a wife will be a problem for him in the future!¡± After the old lady finished speaking, she left slowly with her walking stick. Du Xi returned to the third floor and went straight to Jiang Ju¡¯s bedroom. When he saw that more than half of her clothes had been taken from her wardrobe, he was so angry that his fingers cracked. Seven months passed in the blink of an eye. The weather suddenly changed from the humidity where people had to wear short-sleeved shirts to the chilliness where people had to wear a down jacket. However, Du Xi wasn¡¯t among these people. He waited aimlessly for seven months, and every day felt like a year. There was no news of Jiang Ju at all. Since Du Xi couldn¡¯t find her, his temper became more and more irritable. Tang San and Liu Qiang were walking on eggshells in front of him, since they were afraid that they would make him flip out. In the crowded dormitory, Tang San sat up from under the blanket and kicked the person who was lying beside him and writing something. ¡°Sigh, what do you think happened to Brother Du for the past half a year? He looks so angry all day long, as if someone stole 1.8 million bucks from him and escaped with the money.¡± ¡°The last time we went out to have fun, I found him a university student who had just graduated from school. That young lady was very beautiful, but not only did he kick her out of bed, but he even gave me a few kicks. I¡¯m a 21st-century Lu Dongbin!¡± Du Xi didn¡¯t show any mercy at all and kicked him until he couldn¡¯t get out of bed for a few days. During the few days he was in bed, he could only take leave, so he lost more than a thousand yuan in salary. Now that he thought about it, he felt that he had suffered a huge loss. After Liu Qiang finished calculating, he put away the notebook and pen and kicked Tang San¡¯s butt before rolling his eyes at him. ¡°Get lost. If you don¡¯t shut your mouth again, don¡¯t blame me for kicking you into the river to drown you.¡± Not only did Tang San come to snatch his blanket, but he also had such an arrogant attitude. Tang San was really asking for a beating. Chapter 34 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Just work obediently. Don¡¯t ask about Brother Du¡¯s gossip every day. He¡¯s a few years older than you. You don¡¯t need to worry about him?¡± ¡°Also, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. Don¡¯t try to set Brother Du up with a woman when you go out to play in the future. Otherwise, if he kicks you again, don¡¯t beg me to apply ointment on your butt.¡± This brat¡¯s mouth was as loose as an old lady¡¯s pants. He had the guts to say anything. If he didn¡¯t change his ways, he would suffer because of this foul mouth sooner or later. Tang San lamented helplessly, ¡°Do you think I want to meddle in other people¡¯s business? But Brother Du looks so sulky every day. Can you stand it?¡± Thinking of Du Xi¡¯s state in the past six months, Liu Qiang couldn¡¯t say anything. That man had been holding back his anger and had nowhere to vent it every day. Other than the week when he returned home for the new year, they barely had time to rest. During winter, some people froze to death outside when the wind blew and snow fell, but they had to bite the bullet and work at the construction site. He felt that his ears were about to freeze off. If not for his thick skin and the ear bags, his ears would have frozen off long ago. ¡°We have to accept it. Let¡¯s not ask too much about Brother Du. Remember those who went to ask out of good intentions? Which one of them wasn¡¯t kicked back?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just sit back and continue enduring the torture. I specifically went to the city today to buy two barrels of 50 percent alcohol white wine and asked that group of fools to drink with Brother Du. When they make Brother Du happy, we¡¯ll take this opportunity to ask him what¡¯s wrong. When Brother Du finishes two pounds of high-grade white wine, I don¡¯t believe he¡¯ll still remain sober. At that time, won¡¯t he have to tell us everything we want to know?¡± Liu Qiang was speechless. ¡°You¡¯re really crazy. If you make this group of people drunk, are you gonna work all by yourself tomorrow?¡± Tang San pursed his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I told them that the main purpose is to coax Brother Du to drink. If they take turns toasting Brother Du, how can they not get Brother Du drunk?¡± After Tang San said that, the room fell into silence. Liu Qiang rolled his eyes at him and the meaningful look in his eyes was obvious: ¡°Idiot, don¡¯t you know what Brother Du¡¯s alcohol tolerance is?¡± Tang San looked at the time and urged him, ¡°Hurry up and take a look. I think it¡¯s about time.¡± After saying that, he lifted the blanket and the cold wind blew into the blanket. Liu Qiang, who was only wearing a thermal shirt and pants, shivered from the cold. ¡°Do you want to die?! If you dare to crawl into my bed and snatch my blanket again, I¡¯ll hack you to death with my pickaxe.¡± Tang San scrambled off the bed. As he put on his clothes, he muttered softly, ¡°If that stupid tall guy¡¯s son didn¡¯t sleepwalk and make my bed collapse, do you think I would be willing to sleep with you?!¡± Bullsh*t. It had been a few days since Tang San¡¯s bed had been crushed, but not only had Tang San refused to find a wooden board to repair it, but he even crawled into his bed every day. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Tang San had treated him to a few drinks a while ago, Tang San would have been kicked out countless times already. Liu Qiang put on his clothes unwillingly and was pulled out of the door by Tang San. He regretted it the moment he took a step out of the door. The cold wind outside was biting, and it was so cold that his entire body was trembling. He wanted to turn around and return to the room, but was stopped by Tang San. ¡°We¡¯re already out. Hurry up and go. It¡¯s just a few steps, so how cold can it be?¡± Liu Qiang wished he could beat Tang San to death. The weather was so cold, yet Tang San kept causing trouble. ¡°If you don¡¯t buy me a bottle of moisturizer tomorrow, I¡¯ll spit and pee into your lunch box.¡± Tang San shouted, ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re so disgusting!¡± Liu Qiang said, ¡°Hehe, no matter how disgusting I am, I¡¯m better than you.¡± Tang San said, ¡°No, we¡¯re equally disgusting.¡± When the two of them walked to the door of Du Xi¡¯s room, they saw that it was quiet inside. Other than Du Xi himself, there was no one else. Tang San glanced at Liu Qiang. Upon seeing Tang San¡¯s threatening look, he scratched his head and said, ¡°Brother Du, where did they go?¡± Du Xi said, ¡°They¡¯re barbecuing in the back.¡± Tang San shouted in exasperation, ¡°Damn it! My twenty pounds of wine!¡± He had called them over to let them get Brother Du drunk, but they were enjoying the wine without getting the job done. When this matter was over, he would make these bastards spit out the wine they drank. Upon hearing that he was the one who got the wine, Du Xi glanced at him and sneered. ¡°How unexpected. You actually spent a lot of money to buy so much wine back.¡± Tang San was someone who usually wouldn¡¯t even let others take the slightest advantage of him. What was wrong with him today? Chapter 35 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Tang San rubbed his nose and laughed awkwardly. How could he have the nerve to tell Brother Du that the wine was bought for the purpose of getting him drunk? He found a small stool and sat down. Then, he sighed as he said to Du Xi, ¡°Brother, we¡¯ve been with you for so many years and have always treated you as our biological brother. Don¡¯t hide anything from us. Tell us what¡¯s troubling you and we¡¯ll think of a way to get through it together! It¡¯s better than holding it in!¡± Seeing that he was acting up again, Du Xi couldn¡¯t even be bothered to look at him. His gaze was fixed on his phone as he said, ¡°Can you stop nagging? Why are you blabbering so much nonsense?¡± Seeing that Tang San was blabbering on even though he was ignoring him, Du Xi lit a cigarette and said aloofly, ¡°If you¡¯re too idle, I¡¯ll arrange more work for you after work tomorrow night.¡± His words made the chattering Tang San stop. Tang San held back the words that were about to come out of his mouth and didn¡¯t dare to speak again. He could only place all his hopes on Liu Qiang. Tang San looked at Liu Qiang with anticipation in an attempt to obtain his help. However, not only did Liu Qiang not help him, but he even rolled his eyes at him. Tang San was speechless. So he was the one who was too nosy? The two of them had discussed it just now, but now that Liu Qiang saw that Brother Du seemed displeased, Liu Qiang decisively abandoned him. When he saw Du Xi¡¯s meaningful expression, Tang San wiped away his nonexistent tears and squeezed out an awkward smile. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting late, so I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Brother, go to bed early!¡± After he finished speaking, he pulled Liu Qiang and was about to get up to leave when he accidentally tripped over the table leg and brought down a box on the table. He wanted to reach out to pick it up, but his hand was slapped to the side by Du Xi. As he stood at the side in a daze, he felt a little wronged. Wasn¡¯t it just a broken box? How could it be more important than their many years of brotherhood? It wasn¡¯t anything valuable, so why was he so nervous? Fortunately, he had a good balance. Otherwise, he might have really been knocked to the ground by Du Xi. Du Xi ignored him and bent down to pick up the scattered things back into the box. Tang San stood up straight and was about to leave when he turned around and accidentally saw Du Xi¡¯s phone at the head of the bed. The screen was lit, and a photo was enlarged. He saw the person on the screen clearly. In the dark night, the little girl looked like an elf who had accidentally entered the mortal world. She had rosy lips, clear eyes, and fair skin. As she sat quietly on the wooden chair, her appearance was adorable. No matter how he looked at the photo, she looked familiar, but he couldn¡¯t remember where he had seen her before. Just as he was about to ask, he was kicked out by Du Xi. ¡°You incompetent fool. Get lost quickly.¡± Tang San felt wronged. Although he was a little gossipy sometimes, he was usually quite reliable. He watched helplessly as the door was slammed shut. Then, he shook his head and pulled Liu Qiang to the backyard. ¡°Let¡¯s go over quickly. Otherwise, those bastards will eat all the skewers.¡± Halfway there, he suddenly stopped and slapped his forehead hard. ¡°I remember now. I finally remember where I saw that young lady before.¡± ¡­ In March in Longjiang City, the snow had just melted. The old trees on the street had yet to sprout, and everywhere still appeared desolate. The northernmost village in Longjiang City, Dawn Village, was the most remote and backward village in the entire city. After entering from the town, there was only one mountain path that could accommodate two people passing through at the same time. The snow had turned into water and was mixed with the soil on the mountain path. It was a waste of time and effort to go to the village at this time, and if there was nothing especially important, the villagers wouldn¡¯t leave the village. On a good day, it would take nearly four to five hours to walk back to the village from the town. In this sort of weather, it would take even longer. When Du Xi arrived at the town, it was just past eight in the morning. When he reached the entrance of Dawn Village, the sun was about to set and the sky was gradually darkening. He didn¡¯t enter the village. Instead, he walked around the side path. On the right side of the hill, there were a few red brick bungalows. They were his destination. After he climbed up the hill, a flat ground hundreds of square meters wide was revealed. The five-star red flag erected in the middle of the flat ground showed that this was a village school. A few steps forward, he saw a dilapidated mud house with the door closed. It was quiet, and there was only a wisp of green smoke floating into the sky, indicating that this place was inhabited. Chapter 36 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations At the thought of the little brat hiding in this remote place after hearing his confession, Du Xi was furious. He was handsome and rich. It wasn¡¯t embarrassing for her to be with him, so why did she hide so far away? After he leaned against a big tree in the courtyard and lit the cigarette in his mouth, his gaze landed on the small mud house with green smoke floating from it. He thought about whether he should beat up that cowardly yet bold child when he saw her later, or hug her and coax her first. Before he could think of what to do later, the swaying door suddenly creaked and was pushed open from the inside. Jiang Ju poured the dirty water in the bucket into the courtyard. When she turned around, she accidentally saw a figure under the tree in the courtyard. Night had already fallen outside, so she looked over under the dim light in the house. About ten meters away from her, a man had a cigarette in his mouth. There was a mysterious look in his eyes. When he saw her, he strode over. He was wearing a pair of military boots that were covered in mud at this moment. He walked towards her step by step. His military boots stepped on the mud, and when he passed by the waterhole, they caused a splash. It also stirred up waves in her heart. How long had it been since she last saw him? After seven months and three days, he seemed to have become fairer and thinner. Du Xi walked in front of her and sized her up twice. Then, he threw the cigarette in his mouth into the puddle and watched as it was extinguished. He snorted as he said, ¡°You¡¯ve grown up. You even learned to run away from home.¡± A person like her who was usually so obsessed with cleanliness actually lived in such a muddy place for more than seven months. He didn¡¯t know if he should say that she had high endurance or that she was stupid. ¡°Why are you here?¡± It was still windy outside. In less than two minutes after Jiang Ju walked out the door, her face was frozen. She clenched the handle of the bucket and moved to the side as she said, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Come in and talk.¡± Du Xi didn¡¯t respond to her. After entering, he inserted the latch on the door. A brick bed occupied more than half of the small house that was more than ten square meters. There was also a small desk and a stove in the remaining place. Other than the suitcase in the corner, there was no other furnishing. It was obvious that someone cleaned the room often. Although it was dilapidated, it wasn¡¯t dirty at all. There was only one stool in the room, and Du Xi sat on it. Jiang Ju hesitated for a moment before placing the bucket on the ground and sitting by the fire bed. Du Xi looked at Jiang Ju, whose gentle countenance made her look like a newly married wife. Although she looked docile, Du Xi knew that under this child¡¯s docile and meek appearance, there was a very stubborn and resilient soul. He was thirsty from the journey, so he stood up and poured himself a glass of water to drink. The sound of him putting down the cup startled Jiang Ju. Du Xi narrowed his eyes at her. She was clearly a coward, so when she ran away without a word back then, where did she get her courage from? Neither of them took the initiative to speak. They sat quietly for a few minutes. The strange silence filled the entire hut with awkwardness. Du Xi took out a cigarette and lit it. Halfway through smoking, he heard Jiang Ju¡¯s suppressed cough. Then, he narrowed his eyes and stood up. When the light in front of her was suddenly blocked by a dark shadow, Jiang Ju looked up, but before she could speak, a mouthful of smoke was blown into her face. She was caught off guard and subconsciously took a deep breath. The strong smell of tobacco rushed into her nose, causing her to hold her nose and feel the urge to cough. When Du Xi bent down, his masculine scent instantly enveloped Jiang Ju. Her chin was grasped, and a mouthful of smoke wafted towards her mouth. When Jiang Ju, who had never smoked before, suddenly inhaled the strong smell of tobacco, she wanted to cough, but she couldn¡¯t. Her face flushed, and her eyes welled up with tears. She struggled a few times but failed. Then, she ran out of oxygen and all her strength disappeared. She could only let his hand grip her waist tightly. When Jiang Ju¡¯s breathing was so weak that it was almost gone, Du Xi let go of her waist and stood by the bed as he looked down at her, who was limp on the bed. When she breathed in the air again, Jiang Ju¡¯s flushed face recovered a little. She subconsciously retreated, then grabbed the pillow beside her and hugged it with a vigilant and wary expression. Du Xi had wanted to let her off just like that. They had just reunited, so he shouldn¡¯t bully her too harshly. However, when he saw her guarded expression, his throat tightened. He pulled her over and flipped her over to lie on the bed. Then, he mercilessly slapped her tight buttocks. Chapter 37 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The sudden pain from her butt stunned Jiang Ju for a few seconds. After Du Xi stopped, she felt angry and frustrated, and her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. She felt so aggrieved that her eyes welled up with tears. Jiang Ju had a reserved personality and didn¡¯t like to speak. When she was crying, she didn¡¯t make a sound either. She just lowered her head and pursed her lips with a pitiful look. Du Xi stood in front of her and watched her cry for a while. Then, he smiled and scratched the tip of her nose. ¡°Is it worth crying over? I haven¡¯t even cried yet, but you¡¯re already crying.¡± Jiang Ju held back her tears and looked up at him. After lowering her head again, her tears flowed even more profusely. The moment he entered, he kissed her forcefully and spanked her without explanation. He even said that she was overreacting. Of course she would have a reaction! It hurt so much! Her resentful gaze made Du Xi smile. This child was still so cute even after seven months apart. He sat down on the brick bed and reached out to dust his pants. Then, he pulled the crying child into his arms. Jiang Ju was still crying, but Du Xi¡¯s sudden action frightened her so much that her tears stopped and crystal tears hung on her fair face. Du Xi¡¯s rough fingers brushed away the tears on her face as he threatened in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to cry. If you cry again, I¡¯ll do you.¡± Jiang Ju tried her best, but she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears and hiccuped. After stopping, she took a deep breath, and her eyes were filled with resentment. Du Xi reached out and covered her eyes. His other hand, which was on her waist, scratched it. After making the child in his arms tremble, he smiled happily. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± ¡°You heartless little thing. Back then, you ran away from home without saying a word. You definitely didn¡¯t miss me, but I missed you very much. I missed you every day and night¡­¡± This was the first time Jiang Ju had heard such mushy words. Her face flushed with embarrassment as she hid in his arms. She didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. When he lowered his head and saw that her ears were red, Du Xi couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and bite her earlobe. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°When are you planning to go home? You¡¯ve been in this lousy place for more than half a year. You¡¯re probably sick of this place now, right? If you don¡¯t go back, I¡¯ll tear down your lousy building.¡± Jiang Ju reached out her slender fingers and grabbed the corner of his shirt as she pleaded softly, ¡°No, where will I live in the future if you tear it down?¡± Not only did she have nowhere to live, but she also lost her only source of income. If she wanted to survive in the future, she could only go out and work. However, she didn¡¯t have a beautiful educational background or any professional skills. Even if she went out to find a job, which company would want her? ¡°I won¡¯t tear it down, but you have to tell me the exact time you¡¯ll go back, right?¡± Hearing that there was still room for negotiation, Jiang Ju bit her lip and looked up at him as she asked tentatively, ¡°Can we wait another year?¡± When he heard this, the smile on the man¡¯s face instantly disappeared and he frowned. Jiang Ju was so frightened that she quickly lowered her head and said, ¡°If a year is too long, can it be half a year?¡± She actually didn¡¯t plan to go back so quickly, but she didn¡¯t know how to reject him. From his attitude, she knew that she had no right to bargain. Seeing that the dissatisfied expression on his face still didn¡¯t show any signs of loosening, she hesitated for a moment and continued, ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to go back as soon as possible, but when I came, I told the village chief that I would wait until the new teacher came.¡± Although the village chief couldn¡¯t stop her if she insisted on going back, she didn¡¯t want to go back on her word. Du Xi sighed softly as he stared at the furry little head leaning on his chest. Then, he reached out and patted her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say to you. This place is so dilapidated, but you¡¯re actually prepared to stay here for another year before leaving.¡± In fact, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know what to say. He just didn¡¯t want to ruin the child¡¯s enthusiasm. In his opinion, staying in the wilderness for a year was a foolish act. Other than her, no sane person would want to come to this remote village. Therefore, there was no next teacher. It was probably just the village chief¡¯s excuse to keep her here. However, what Du Xi really cared about wasn¡¯t the environment here, but that she was a young lady living alone in this unfamiliar place, so he was worried about her. Chapter 38 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although it was said that the villagers were simple-minded and honest, no one could guarantee that everyone here was a good person. If someone with evil intentions approached her, wouldn¡¯t she be at the mercy of others? Jiang Ju wanted to say something, but she held back. Actually, she came here on impulse back then. Now that she thought about it, she felt that she wasn¡¯t shrewd enough. However, she had already made a promise, so it was useless to say anything now. Seeing that she was silent, Du Xi clicked his tongue and pinched her chin to force her to look up at him. ¡°Stop hiding. In order to see you, I haven¡¯t eaten for the entire day. Do you have anything to eat? Bring it to me.¡± Du Xi made up his mind not to argue with her about this anymore. Afraid that she would feel uncomfortable, he changed the topic. Jiang Ju moved and got off his body. After resting for a few seconds, Jiang Ju moved to a corner and said, ¡°There¡¯s still some potatoes left. Is that okay?¡± Looking at the dozen or so potatoes the size of an egg by Jiang Ju¡¯s feet, Du Xi was completely speechless. He was a burly man. Even if he ate all ten of such small potatoes, he would only be 30% full. ¡°Is that all? Is there nothing else?¡± Jiang Ju said, ¡°There are also three sweet potatoes.¡± Looking at her three slender fingers, Du Xi sighed helplessly. No wonder she had lost so much weight. It turned out that she could only eat these things every day in this lousy place. These things were not even enough for a single meal for him, but would probably last her a few days. ¡°Wait for me at home. I¡¯ll go buy some food from the villagers.¡± He walked out. As soon as he finished speaking, he closed the door and walked out. Jiang Ju stood in a corner as she stared at the three sweet potatoes in her hand. After thinking about it, she buried them in the fire pit. She didn¡¯t just eat sweet potatoes. It was just that the roads in the village hadn¡¯t been easy to walk recently, and seeing that these sweet potatoes were probably enough to last her for a few days, she didn¡¯t go out to buy food again. If she had known that he would be back today, she would have gone into the village to buy some vegetables and meat. Du Xi was very quick. Before the sweet potatoes that Jiang Ju had placed in the fire pit were roasted, he returned with a bag of rice, a bag of vegetables, and a large plate of pork ribs. Before he even entered the door, his deep voice sounded first. ¡°Light the fire. I¡¯ll cook meat and stew pork ribs for you today!¡± Jiang Ju didn¡¯t move. After he entered, Jiang Ju said, ¡°There¡¯s not that much water at home.¡± She had already used up the last bit of water before he came. Du Xi was speechless. This sort of life was really too pitiful. Not only didn¡¯t Jiang Ju get to eat well, but Jiang Ju didn¡¯t even have enough water. He gritted his teeth in exasperation. In the end, he couldn¡¯t help but reach out and pat Jiang Ju¡¯s head. ¡°You child, if I didn¡¯t come today, were you really planning to stay here and starve to death?¡± Touching her aching head, Jiang Ju looked up at him aggrievedly and said, ¡°There¡¯s still a full pot of hot water in the pot.¡± If she was alone, that hot water would be enough for her to drink for at least two days. Moreover, even if there was really no more water, she could go down and fetch water. How could someone with hands and feet die of thirst and hunger? Everything she was thinking was shown on her face, so Du Xi didn¡¯t need to guess to know what she was thinking. He put the things back and stood in front of her to ask, ¡°Where do you usually go to get water?¡± Jiang Ju replied, ¡°At the village entrance, there¡¯s a well there.¡± Upon hearing this, Du Xi carried the bucket out the door. After Jiang Ju walked to the door and saw his slightly angry look, she pursed her lips and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Hearing a soft laugh, Du Xi, who was about to go down the slope, stopped in his tracks and suddenly turned to look at her. Catching amusement in her eyes, he gritted his teeth, put down the bucket, and quickly walked back. Then, he pressed her against the door and kissed her passionately. The pitiful weathered door creaked under his heavy pressure. The moment the door fell to the ground, the sound startled Jiang Ju. She subconsciously gritted her teeth and Du Xi let out a muffled groan. When the taste of blood spread in his mouth, Du Xi took half a step back and distanced himself from the child. As he looked at the panicked little girl and felt the slight pain on the tip of his tongue, he smiled. This little girl had sharp teeth. She looked timid, but when he really angered her, she bit him hard. Chapter 39 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It had been many years since he had been injured, so he didn¡¯t expect to be injured by her today. Although he had lost a little blood, he had to admit that her aggressive look was even more alluring. It had been many years since he had been injured, so he didn¡¯t expect to be injured by her today. Although he had lost a little blood, he had to admit that her aggressive look was even more alluring. Satisfied, he went to fetch water, leaving Jiang Ju alone with her arms crossed as she stared blankly at the broken door. The night wind was strong in the mountains. How could she sleep if the door was broken? After touching her numb lips, she stared at the broken door for five minutes. In the end, she moved her numb legs and sat back on the bed stiffly. Only now did she realize that she had already been forcefully kissed twice by him in such a short period of time. She had yet to agree to what he had said last time, so how could he do this? He was reallya€| too much of a bully. When she thought about how her heart raced when she was surrounded by his unique masculine scent, she felt suffocated. She was in a daze for a while. When she heard footsteps outside the door, she frowned and quickly got into bed. When Du Xi entered, he didn¡¯t see the child, so after putting the water away, he turned around to look. The blanket on the bed was arched into a small hill, and it was obvious that there was someone inside. The child was slow-witted, and only now did she feel embarrassed. Du Xi smiled silently, but didn¡¯t pull her out. After adding water to the pot and adding firewood for the water to boil slowly, he took the tools he had borrowed from the village to repair the door. If he lived here himself, it didn¡¯t matter if the door was broken or not, since there were tiles on it and walls around it anyway. He could make do for the night. However, there was a child. If the door wasn¡¯t fixed, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep the entire night. Bang! Bang! The sound of something hitting the bed could be heard. Jiang Ju couldn¡¯t help but feel curious, so she quietly lifted the blanket to a corner and moved towards the bed with it. Then, she quietly looked up. The man had his head lowered with a focused and serious expression on his face. He held a small wooden board in his hand as he nailed the door shut. His nose was straight, his jawline was smooth, while his side profile was chiseled and handsome. Jiang Ju was enthralled by the sight. When the water in the pot boiled, Du Xi had just finished repairing the door and stood up. When he looked up to see a pair of slightly bashful eyes, he gritted his teeth and his throat tightened. He hadn¡¯t felt it before he kissed her, but after kissing her, he felt that this young lady was very seductive. He suddenly recalled a sentence that Tang San often said when they were chatting in the past. ¡°Woman! You successfully attracted my attention! An hour and a half later, the steaming pork ribs were ready. Jiang Ju, who hadn¡¯t eaten meat for almost a month, felt ravenous just by smelling it. She wanted to act indifferent, but her body¡¯s subconscious reaction betrayed her. Jiang Ju said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not that hungry. I just feel that it¡¯s a pity.¡± Usually, when she was alone, three sweet potatoes were enough to last her a day. Now that they were burned into charcoal, her heart ached. Seeing that she seemed a little unhappy, Du Xi reached out and carried her on his thigh, so that the two of them sat on the small stool together. Jiang Ju wasn¡¯t used to the two of them being so close. After she struggled for a while, the big hand on her waist pinched her as Du Xi said in a warning tone. ¡°Young lady, don¡¯t you know that you can¡¯t move around when you¡¯re sitting on a man?¡± He had already tried his best to endure it, but this little girl was still tantalizing him. As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ju stopped moving and her clear eyes stared straight at him. The hand on her waist secretly tightened, and Du Xi smiled. ¡°As expected, people will become very stupid when facing the person they like. You¡¯ve never been in a relationship, so how would you know this?¡± Chapter 40 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It was nighttime, and there were no lights in the room, so Du Xi didn¡¯t tease her anymore. He carried her to the bed and placed dinner on the bed table. Not only were there stewed soft ribs for dinner, but there were also sausages made by the villagers and sour beans that had been stored for the winter. It was very appetizing. However, even though she had an appetite, Jiang Ju, who had eaten very little every day for the past half a year, still couldn¡¯t eat that much. In the past, she could only eat two bowls of rice at most. Now, no matter how hard she tried, she could only eat one bowl and was so full that she even started to burp. Her stomach was bloated, and she really couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She placed a pillow behind her waist and leaned against the bed while looking at Du Xi¡¯s large palms. Those hands were rougher than they were half a year ago. Perhaps it was because he did physical work often, but there were many cracks on his hands, and they looked very painful. Du Xi didn¡¯t mind her gaze. He scooped half a bowl of soup and brought it to her as he said, ¡°Drink some soup to warm up.¡± Jiang Ju felt uncomfortable, but didn¡¯t have the strength to resist. She could only pick up the soup and drink it in small mouthfuls. After drinking it, she was completely unable to move anymore and collapsed beside the bed. When Du Xi reached out, she didn¡¯t have the strength to resist. Du Xi was eating the pork ribs with one hand and slowly rubbing her abdomen with the other. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t notice the disdain in the child¡¯s eyes, but he just pretended not to see it. This place was dirty and dark, but she could tolerate it for more than seven months. Before cooking, he even specifically washed his hands, but she still despised him for being dirty. Jiang Ju frowned slightly. She was really worried that his greasy hands would touch her. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she had eaten too much and couldn¡¯t move at all, she definitely would have avoided his hands. She had lived in this village for so long that her mysophobia was much less intense than before. Now, she could turn a blind eye to dirt and dust, but she really couldn¡¯t tolerate these greasy hands. After Du Xi rubbed her stomach for more than twenty minutes, all the pork ribs in the pot were eaten. Du Xi got up and went to clean up the table. After everything was done, he returned and stood by the bed. He looked at her, who had hidden under the blanket again, and asked, ¡°Do you want to shower or wash your feet?¡± Jiang Ju looked at him in confusion. Thinking that he was asking about her, she said blankly, ¡°I¡¯ve already washed up.¡± She didn¡¯t go out often, and it was extremely cold here these few days, so she took a shower early in the morning every day. The water she splashed out when he entered the courtyard was what was left after she took a shower. As Du Xi looked at her fair and tender face, he clicked his tongue and said, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you. Even if you don¡¯t shower for a month, you¡¯d still smell good.¡± Jiang Ju blushed and hid under the blanket as she said in a muffled voice, ¡°Do whatever you want! You can shower wherever you want!¡± Du Xi nodded with a smile. Then, he took the bucket and clothes before he went out and the sound of the door closing could be heard. The small hill on the bed moved, and a fair face poked out from under the blanket. Her facial features were all scrunched up. There was only one bed and a blanket in her small house, but it seemed like he had no intention of going to the village to stay overnight. He would definitely stay under her blanket at night. From the time she could remember, she had always slept alone. Now that there was suddenly someone else, and it was a burly man, how could she sleep? Moreover, her blanket was a single blanket that was short and narrow. How could the two of them share it together? She was so worried that she was about to cry when she heard the door creak. When Du Xi entered after showering, she was so frightened that she hurriedly crawled under the blanket. Du Xi entered with a chilly breeze. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to get on the bed. Instead, he went to the fire pit to warm himself up. Jiang Ju pricked up her ears to listen to his movements. The room was pitch-black and she couldn¡¯t see anything, so her ears were much more sensitive than during the day. She could clearly hear Du Xi¡¯s every movement and every step he took as he approached. She heard him get up, blow out the candle, walk to the bed, take off his shoes, and turn over. The blanket on her body was lifted, and the chilly breeze assaulted her. Then, she felt a sense of warmth again. His warm chest was pressed against her body, and every time she breathed, the heat would be bounced back by his chest. She was afraid of heat in the first place, so the burning fire and warm bed in the room made the temperature in the room just right. Now that she was in his arms, and the heat from the man¡¯s body kept emanating, she was already so hot that a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.