Chapter 14: Crafting Another Deadly Scheme

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Yan Ziyue couldn’t help but sigh. She still hadn’t managed to win Xiao Heshuo over.

Of course.

After all she had done to hurt him in the past, how could he forgive her so easily?

It was only natural that he hated what she had done.

Still, it was a little heartbreaking.

She took a few deep breaths, tilting her head back to look at the sky, trying to calm her emotions.

Yan Ziyue, it’s alright, it’s alright. It’s just that Xiao Heshuo dislikes this kind of behavior from you.

You’ve hurt him so many times before—what’s there to be sad about?

“Come on!” she encouraged herself with a cheering gesture, slowly pulling herself together. “I can do this!”

“I will definitely make things right with Xiao Heshuo.”

She believed that as long as she persisted and stopped making foolish mistakes, one day in the future, she would be able to mend things with him.

Comforted by her own words, Yan Ziyue no longer felt disheartened.

She quickly packed up the items in her basket and was surprised to find some wood ear mushrooms inside.

“Wood ear mushrooms!”

She looked at them in astonishment, her spirits lifting instantly. When had Xiao Heshuo picked these? Surely, he must have thought she wanted them and secretly gathered them for her.

He was so good to her!

She smiled warmly as she packed away the mushrooms, then skinned and salted a dead rabbit, hanging it from the kitchen beam.

Seeing that it was time for lunch, she soaked the wood ear mushrooms in water and took down a piece of pork with a good mix of fat and lean meat from the beam, preparing to make braised pork.

Meanwhile, back at the youth work compound, Xu Lecheng had become the subject of ridicule and scorn among the villagers.

“Hey, isn’t that Hu Ergou’s brother, Xu Lecheng?”

“If Zhang Qingqing is pregnant, whose child is it? Yours or Hu Ergou’s? Maybe neither of you even knows whose it is.”

“Haha, I see a green patch on Xu Lecheng’s head, but he doesn’t seem to care.”

Xu Lecheng clenched his fists, his face pale and expression grim.

As he tried to return to his room, the youth team leader stopped him, clearly displeased.

“I didn’t want to come looking for you, just to avoid being overwhelmed by your stench,” he said coldly.

“I just received a call from above. They already know about the things you’ve been doing in the village and have put a mark on your file.”

“Also, don’t think about going back.”

The team leader had always despised Xu Lecheng.

He was a master of deceit and trickery, constantly flirting with village girls and doing all sorts of despicable things.

Now he deserved this fate.

“What!?” Xu Lecheng was shocked and furious. “How did they find out about these things? Did someone report me?”

The team leader sneered, “I don’t have time to report you; I’m busy studying.”

“As for whether others reported you… even if they did, you only have yourself to blame!”

“Who told you to offend so many people?”

Some youths in the team were close to certain village girls, even nearly engaged.

Xu Lecheng had shamelessly interfered, claiming it was all about free love.

Now that this mess had happened, it was no surprise those people seized the opportunity to report him.

Xu Lecheng’s face turned ashen as he staggered back.

It was over.

If there was a mark on his file, his life was finished.

No organization would want him.

Even if he tried to do business, the relevant departments would block him.

How had it come to this?

At that moment, he overheard villagers talking about the Yan family.

“In my opinion, Yan Zhuangshi and Zhang Juhua, mother and daughter, are really clever. By clinging to Xu Lecheng, a city man, they can become city folk themselves and enjoy city privileges.”

“Wow! Now that you say it, I finally understand why the Yan family hasn’t insisted on Zhang Qingqing and Xu Lecheng divorcing despite all the trouble—it’s all about the city status.”

Xu Lecheng listened with burning resentment.

He was usually the one scheming against others, but this time, Zhang Qingqing’s family had outwitted him!

He wouldn’t let this go easily.

However, he needed to figure out how to make Zhang Qingqing willingly divorce him and bear all the disgrace.

“Captain,” a young man wearing glasses approached the team leader, “I’ll be returning in seven or eight days. Is there anything you want me to bring back for you?”

His arrival sparked a sinister idea in Xu Lecheng’s mind—now he wouldn’t have to worry about Zhang Qingqing continuing to bother him!

The team leader smiled and said, “I have a letter from home and some local items. Please help me bring them back.”

“Please tell my parents that I’m doing well here; they shouldn’t worry.”

The young man patted his shoulder, “Don’t worry, I’ll deliver both the items and the message.”

“Captain, when you apply next time, I believe your request will be approved.”

As they talked and walked away, neither noticed the veiled glare in Xu Lecheng’s eyes.

…

At Xiao Heshuo’s home.

He sat silently at the table, eating without once looking at Yan Ziyue across from him.

Yan Ziyue was still worried about him.

“Are you really feeling alright? There’s nowhere uncomfortable?”

“If you don’t want to tell me, I’ll ask the village chief to come over.”

Xiao Heshuo repeatedly insisted he was fine.

“I’m just a little tired; you don’t need to worry.”

Hearing this, Yan Ziyue served him plenty of meat and wood ear mushrooms.

“Eat more.”

“Thanks for picking the wood ear mushrooms for me; I really like them.”

Only then did Xiao Heshuo look up at her.

Yan Ziyue’s smile blossomed like a flower as she slipped over to sit beside him.

“Please stay and talk with me more, alright?”

Xiao Heshuo truly had no way to refuse her and nodded.

“Alright.”

Yan Ziyue was overjoyed.

“After we finish eating, will you teach me to read?”

Xiao Heshuo agreed and gave her some meat.

“Eat more meat; don’t just eat the mushrooms.”

“There’s no shortage of meat at home.”

Yan Ziyue wanted to lean closer to him but worried she might annoy him, so she sat obediently.

“My husband is so great; he definitely won’t lack meat.”

A faint smile flickered in Xiao Heshuo’s dark eyes.

“You…”

Before he could finish, Zhang Juhua’s voice came from outside.

“Ziyue, I need to talk to you.”

Both Xiao Heshuo and Yan Ziyue’s expressions turned cold.

“Husband, I’ll go see what Zhang Juhua wants,” Yan Ziyue said, putting down her chopsticks and standing.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Xiao Heshuo also put down his chopsticks.

“I’ll go with you, just in case she tries to do something to harm you.”

Hearing this, Yan Ziyue clung to his arm playfully.

“My husband is so good to me.”

Xiao Heshuo’s features softened as he stroked her head.

“Let’s go.”

The couple reached the gate and saw Zhang Juhua standing there.

Her forehead was bandaged, faint traces of fresh blood visible.

Her face bore many lingering scars, making her look considerably less attractive.

“Ziyue,” Zhang Juhua, clearly afraid of Xiao Heshuo, forced a smile.

“Your sister and Xu Lecheng are planning a wedding banquet. I wanted to invite you to come home and help out.”

“Do you have some free time lately?”