"Nian Nian, don't be upset." Once the crowd had dispersed, Su Yu finally dared to inch closer to Liu Niannian.
"Nian Nian, those people are just a bunch of unreasonable bumpkins who don't know anything. Don't stoop to their level," Su Yu said indignantly.
What's wrong with only earning three work points?
Do they even understand?
Isn't it obvious? All professions are lowly, only studying is noble.
He was an educated youth—a scholar! It made perfect sense that he wasn't cut out for manual labor in the countryside. Why should that be held against him?
A bunch of illiterate farmers who couldn't even read a word had the audacity to look down on him? They truly had no taste.
Liu Niannian looked up at the man in front of her, Su Yu, dressed in a once-white shirt now faded and wrinkled. A trace of disgust flickered in her eyes.
She truly couldn't understand—what did her dear cousin Xie Jiaojiao see in this guy?
His looks? Mediocre at best.
Poor and arrogant, completely useless in a crisis.
Skinny and weak, earning so few work points that he couldn't even fill his belly.
If it weren't for Jiaojiao supporting him, would Su Yu even have the luxury to hug his books and wax poetic?
Still, it was Xie Jiaojiao's bad taste that benefited her. After all, most of Jiaojiao's money ended up in Su Yu's hands—and eventually trickled down to her.
Liu Niannian put on a face of admiration, pretending to sympathize with Su Yu.
"Comrade Su, the villagers really shouldn't have spoken to you that way. You're a high school graduate. You're nothing like those farmers who've spent their whole lives buried in the mud."
"Nian Nian, you're the only one who truly understands me."
Su Yu was instantly comforted, his eyes lighting up.
Basking in his adoration, Liu Niannian felt secretly smug.
Did you see that, Xie Jiaojiao?
The man you chase so eagerly—I couldn't care less.
We're both daughters of the Xie family. I'm no worse than you!
Thinking of her cousin, Liu Niannian put on a worried expression.
"Comrade Su, we'd better go check on Jiaojiao. I'm afraid the others might give her a hard time. If something really happens to her, how will I ever explain it to Aunt and Uncle?"
As she spoke, her voice caught in her throat, her shoulders trembling as if on the verge of tears.
A beauty in distress—of course Su Yu felt pity. But he was confident in Xie Jiaojiao's love for him.
"Don't worry, Nian Nian," he said earnestly. "I'm sure Jiang Xiu got it wrong. Comrade Xie would never be involved with that fool Jiang Ye from the landlord's family."
Xie Jiaojiao—beautiful but brainless—was hopelessly in love with him. With a gem like himself right in front of her, how could she possibly look at another man?
Inside the small cabin, a low, repressed groan echoed.
Xie Jiaojiao's mind was blank. Exhausted, she slumped against Jiang Ye's shoulder.
Her soft, shallow breaths fluttered like dandelion seeds against the sweat-soaked skin of his neck, tickling him and stoking a fire deep within. Something that had just quieted now began to stir again.
Jiang Ye frowned and said in a cold voice, "Get up. Get dressed. People will be here soon."
Otherwise, he wouldn't have let her go so easily.
As he looked at her fair, smooth back, his eyes darkened again.
How was this girl raised?
Too damn tempting.
The icy tone jolted Xie Jiaojiao back to her senses.
She felt like she'd just woken from a terrifying dream.
In the dream, she had given up a comfortable city life for so-called "true love" and came to the poverty-stricken countryside.
On her first day, she was set up by Jiang Xiu—the team leader's daughter who also liked Su Yu—and lost her virginity to the roughest man in the village from a disgraced landlord family.
After that, she tried to live peacefully with Jiang Ye. But a certain event caused a rift between them. Encouraged by her cousin Liu Niannian, she chose to keep chasing her dream of love.
She spent money and bought tickets for Su Yu. In return, he used her money to please Liu Niannian.
A year later, when the college entrance exams resumed, Su Yu and Liu Niannian both got into university and returned to the city.
Meanwhile, she was notorious—branded unfaithful, married but still chasing Su Yu. People avoided her like the plague. In the end, she was targeted by human traffickers and fell off a cliff on the way to being sold as a shared wife in the mountains.
Then… she woke up.
Xie Jiaojiao was still lost in thought when outside commotion drifted in again. Jiang Ye, raising an eyebrow, added a crude remark:
"What's wrong? Not satisfied yet? Be good, get dressed first. I'll take care of you later."
Swoosh—
Xie Jiaojiao's face turned bright red.
He—he… how could he say that?!
Not daring to waste time, she scrambled off of Jiang Ye. But in her haste, her body—still sore from their affair—gave out, and her knees buckled. Fortunately, Jiang Ye reacted quickly and caught her before she hit the ground.
"Stand properly."
His gruff command made her flinch. She ducked her head and didn't dare look up, her soft white toes curling involuntarily.
Truth be told, even though they'd already been intimate, Xie Jiaojiao still felt like Jiang Ye was a stranger.
In her memories, shortly after this moment, Jiang Xiu would barge in with the others to catch them in the act. Then, somehow, she was taken back to the commune by Liu Niannian.
Later, Jiang Ye came to her, offering to take responsibility. But because of the rumors and pressure, she married him.
After that incident, their relationship turned cold, and she kept her distance. Focused entirely on Su Yu, she never found out what happened to Jiang Ye.
Jiang Ye was tall—about 1.91 meters. Next to him, the 1.6-meter Xie Jiaojiao looked like a delicate porcelain doll—small, soft, and pitiful.
But Jiang Ye knew better. This little thing may be petite, but she was built just right.
His gaze swept over her full chest, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
He tugged her messy clothes up and muttered in a hoarse voice, "Not putting it on? Want me to dress you?"
"No!" Xie Jiaojiao snapped out of her thoughts and glared at him.
But when her eyes met Jiang Ye's sharp, fierce gaze, she immediately looked down like a frightened rabbit.
Jiang Ye misread that look.
"I know. I'm just a rough, crude man. Not your type. I'm no sissy-faced scholar like that Su Yu."
The mention of Su Yu gave Xie Jiaojiao a sudden burst of courage. She looked up defiantly.
"I don't like that type anymore!"
"Oh? He couldn't satisfy you, so now you want someone like me?" Jiang Ye teased.
"You—you…" she stammered, eyes wide.
Of course Jiang Ye knew she wasn't a virgin anymore. He was only teasing her to see her flustered reaction.
But when he saw the hurt flash in her eyes, he backed off.
"Alright, I'm joking. Hurry up and get dressed. Unless you want the whole village to see you like this?"
"Humph!" Xie Jiaojiao huffed, displeased by his vulgar behavior.
She scolded him, "Turn around!"
Jiang Ye gave a low whistle, amused by her demand. So unnecessary, he thought. She was so passionate just now—I've already seen everything.
Still, grumbling internally, he obediently turned around.
The rustling of clothes filled the room. Soon, Xie Jiaojiao had tidied herself and walked up to him with an air of defiance.
She lifted her chin and said proudly, "Yeah. I do like your type now."
Her mother was from the south and had a soft Wu dialect. Even when angry, her voice had a coquettish lilt. Falling into Jiang Ye's ears, it was an entirely different kind of seduction.
Before he could respond—
Bang!
With a loud crash, the old door burst open. The lock had long since vanished.