"Still mad, my little queen?"

"If I don’t come to you, you won’t come to me. You’re really stubborn, aren’t you?"

"You're just taking advantage of my affection for you!"

Yuan Lingling sat by the stove, carefully peeling the ash-covered sweet potato, ensuring the soft, fragrant flesh stayed clean, ignoring the man chattering beside her.

As she peeled off a piece, she noticed a large hand reaching out from the corner of her eye. Yuan Lingling leaned to the side, barely avoiding the touch.

"You!" The man seemed to reconsider, his anger flaring but then quickly suppressed. "I was wrong to lose my temper last time..."

He kept talking, but Yuan Lingling ignored him. She leaned in to smell it, and as she took a bite, the soft, sweet flavour made her squint in satisfaction.

At last, she got to taste it!

After eating half the sweet potato, the burning in her stomach eased, and she finally had the mood to glance at the man still chattering beside her.

The man had peach blossom eyes, a slightly hooked nose, and wore the popular side-parted hairstyle from Hong Kong and Taiwan. He was somewhat handsome, but his thin lips reminded Yuan Lingling of the heartless, fickle men described in books.

Seeing her glance, the man’s peach blossom eyes curved, and he hunched slightly, flattering, "I’m just anxious. Look, Gou Dan and the others went to Yangcheng and became bosses overnight, but I’m still stuck. Don’t you think I’d have some thoughts about that?"

Yuan Lingling kept nibbling the sweet potato, lowering her head in silence.

Thoughts? What could someone like Xie Guanglian possibly be thinking? Yuan Lingling thought he’d rather be a useless man who just waits for food and clothes to be handed to him.

She stayed silent, and Xie Guanglian couldn’t tell if she was still angry or just unwilling to give him money.

It wasn’t like this before. Xie Guanglian felt a hint of impatience but still scooted his stool closer to Yuan Lingling.

"Lingling, come with me to Yangcheng," he said, his tone condescending, as if he were doing her a favor.

Xie Guanglian raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at her with disdain, the smugness at the corners of his mouth unmistakable, as if certain Yuan Lingling would be grateful.

"Shen Caisheng’s coming back today. Let me think about it," Yuan Lingling finally said, just before Xie Guanglian lost his patience.

At this, Xie Guanglian’s eager expression froze.

He tugged at his lips, stood up, and wrapped his coat around him. "Why didn’t you say so earlier? It wouldn’t be good if he saw me. I’ll leave now. Come find me when he’s not around." Panic was evident, but he still tried to sway Yuan Lingling, "I really want to work hard with you!"

As he spoke, he was already at the kitchen door, looking like he wished he had a motor on his legs.

"Tsk! Coward." With her ears finally clear, Yuan Lingling dug out another roasted sweet potato from the fire.

The sweet potato’s aroma lingered. As she took a bite, she sighed.

Where else would you find such authentic roasted sweet potatoes in the future?

After eating her fill, Yuan Lingling wiped her hands and touched her round belly, her hand sliding down unconsciously. Only then did she seriously consider the mess in her life.

If nothing unexpected happened, she already had two little ones in her belly, and their father was still who knows where, fooling around.

It was also because the original owner was too naive, thinking that by climbing into Shen Caisheng’s bed, she could get a good man who would focus on the family without parents to control him. After the fantasy was shattered, she threw herself into Xie Guanglian’s pit of fire.

She thought Xie Guanglian truly loved her, even willing to turn against his good friend for her.

Little did she know that the relationship between the two had already faded, and Xie Guanglian came to her for her money, or more accurately, for the Shen family’s money.

Yuan Lingling had a strained relationship with Shen Caisheng, but he never shortchanged her financially.

However, this couldn’t be entirely blamed on her. She had been raised with the belief that she should marry a good man to support her family. Yet, the suitors her family introduced were either much older men with stable government jobs or wealthy but physically impaired men.

To this day, her family still believes that marrying Shen Caisheng, who was never home, was a lucky break for her.

Unfortunately, this girl was too prideful and didn’t want to tell others outside that her relationship with Shen Caisheng was bad. In reality, except for that one attempt to seduce him, Shen Caisheng had never touched her.

Yuan Lingling furiously rubbed her face. Now, those things were not the main point; the main point was the mess she was in now!

In the original book, she became entangled with Xie Guanglian. Worried about what people would say, she initially didn’t agree to go to Yangcheng with him, which infuriated Xie Guanglian.

It was during this anger that she almost gave herself to Xie Guanglian. They were messing around when they discovered that she was pregnant, and that’s when they stopped.

With the child, both came to their senses. He didn’t want to raise another man’s child, and she hoped her child could have a healthy family. She also hoped that Shen Caisheng would change his mind for the sake of the child.

Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. Even with the child, the two of them still had no feelings for each other and quarrelled every day.

As it happened, Xie Guanglian wanted to go to Yangcheng to make a living but lacked the capital, so he came to find her again.

Xie Guanglian’s sudden reappearance became her spiritual salvation.

By the time the child was about to be born, Shen Caisheng had matured and was willing to be a good father. But by then, she had truly changed her heart and was insisting on a divorce.

Even with a child, she still wanted a divorce. No one could make sense of her actions, and everyone took turns trying to persuade her. Perhaps due to postpartum depression, she spiralled deeper into depression. Under Xie Guanglian’s instigation, she used the child as a bargaining chip and accidentally pushed the child into a pond.

After the incident, she disappeared. No one knew where she went until the end of the story, when she reappeared, but she had completely lost her mind.

As soon as she entered a room, she would hide in a corner, trembling.

This description was exactly the same as Yuan Lingling’s behaviour when she was in an enclosed space.

If she guessed correctly, she must have been locked up by the insane antagonist.

The thought of being locked in a dark room for twenty years gave Yuan Lingling goosebumps all over.

She’d rather be killed now and put out of her misery.

Xie Guanglian was inhuman, and Shen Caisheng wasn’t a good person either.

So not only should she not go to Yangcheng with Xie Guanglian, but she also needed to divorce Shen Caisheng openly.

Unfortunately, divorce was frowned upon in those days. If the Yuan family found out, they definitely wouldn’t agree, and even if they did, she’d have no place to call home.

Then she would have to consider her living arrangements after the divorce, such as food, shelter, and transportation.

Maybe she should still go to Yangcheng with Xie Guanglian? At least she could find a way to make a living.

Wait, no. If she went to Yangcheng, why did she have to go with Xie Guanglian? Couldn’t she act on her own without a man?

It seems that the most important thing now is to have money.

But where could she get the money?

After swallowing the last bite of sweet potato, Yuan Lingling was so worried that she forgot to wipe her hands. She rested her chin in her hands and stared at the still-warm ashes in the stove, lost in thought.

If it weren’t for the two children in her belly, she could just leave and not worry about anything, since the two of them hadn’t even registered their marriage.

But in this era, getting pregnant before marriage was a big deal. Moreover, if Shen Caisheng found out that she was pregnant with his child, he might not let her go. So the divorce would have to be handled with care.

She could delay, but the nearly two-month-old baby in her belly couldn’t wait any longer.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice the noise outside until a dark figure appeared in front of her. Yuan Lingling trembled, jumped up from the stool, but accidentally hit the leg and stumbled backwards.

Thinking of the baby, her heart raced. Fortunately, the wall was behind her, and in her panic, she leaned against it.

It had been days since she arrived, and this was the first time Yuan Lingling saw her husband, the infamous villain Shen Caisheng from the book.

He, too, was startled by her sudden movement. He raised his hands slightly, as if to steady her.

"Cluck, cluck..."

From the sack in Shen Caisheng’s hand, a hen poked its head out, its eyes darting around as if sizing up the two humans.

"Why the sudden scare?"

Seeing she was fine, Shen Caisheng looked away, set the hen by the firewood, and turned to sort through the rest.

Half a basket of eggs, a slab of pork belly, rice, noodles, flour...

He’d brought back a good haul.

"Nothing," Yuan Lingling said, her heart still racing. That incident had cranked up her fear of him from a five to a seven.

"You startled me, appearing out of nowhere."

Meeting his dark gaze, Yuan Lingling quickly looked away, losing the calm she’d shown in front of Xie Guanglian.

It couldn’t be helped; Yuan Lingling’s claustrophobia was severe. Just imagining being locked in a dark room by him for twenty years made her hands shake.

After a moment, seeing his attention on the pile of items, Yuan Lingling dared a quick glance.

Like most book villains, he was tall, handsome, with a sharp profile that could’ve been carved by a master.

Despite his striking looks, Yuan Lingling felt no attraction to the infamous villain.

"Why’s the door open? Did someone stop by?"

His calm voice, cold as a winter breeze, sent a chill through her.

Outside, snow was still falling, blanketing the ground. Xie Guanglian had just left, and his tracks were fresh. It wasn’t hard to guess what Shen Caisheng meant.

Yuan Lingling looked away, feigning calm. She rubbed her hands together and ladled hot water from the pot. As her hands sank into the warm water, it spread through her, easing her fear of him a little.

"It was Xie Guanglian."

She explained softly, "He said he's going to Yangcheng and wanted to borrow some money from us. I thought you two didn't interact much usually, so I didn't agree. What do you think if he comes again next time?"

The weather was too cold, and the small ladle of water cooled quickly. Pouring the water into the slop bucket, Yuan Lingling turned to help, only to see that Shen Caisheng had already tidied the cabinet neatly, even arranging the bowls inside in order.

With a clang, the last bowl was placed with its pattern facing outward. He casually replied, "No need, his family has money."

She hummed in reply, but Shen Caisheng’s cold gaze turned back to her.

Yuan Lingling's breath caught, and hearing his words, it felt as if all the blood in her body had frozen.

"Does he often come to see you?" Shen Caisheng asked.

Before Yuan Lingling took over the body, it was indeed the case.

Xie Guanglian would come to see her predecessor almost every day, not because he truly loved her, but because her predecessor was easy to deceive.

Initially, her predecessor was interested in Shen Caisheng not only because he had no parents but also for a very important reason—he was wealthy.

Not just her predecessor, but many eligible girls in the vicinity wanted to marry him once they knew of his existence.

Everyone said that Shen Caisheng’s name was well-chosen, as he lived up to it. His greatest advantage was just like his name—making money. Shen Caisheng had been lucky with money since he was a child. While others might trip and fall, he’d find cash on the ground.

Over the years, his family had thrived the most.

It was said that the Shen family used to be a poor household, known for being dirt poor in the area. But ever since Shen Caisheng was born, the family gradually began to thrive.

However, if making money were really that simple, Yuan Lingling would have changed her name to Yuan Youcai (meaning ‘Yuan Has Wealth’).

Yuan Lingling couldn’t speak for the past, but according to the book’s description, before the reform and opening up, many people made their fortunes through black market dealings. As the villain of the story, how could Shen Caisheng not be involved in such activities?

In fact, Yuan Lingling suspected that his current claim of being in the transportation business might actually be a cover for black market trading.

He was wealthy and not stingy, so he naturally gave a lot to her predecessor.

However, most of the money in her predecessor’s hands was either taken by her family or given to Xie Guanglian. Now, Yuan Lingling only had just a few bucks left, otherwise, she wouldn’t be stuck in the kitchen eating roasted sweet potatoes.

Her thoughts raced, but Yuan Lingling’s reaction only took a few seconds.

“No, he comes occasionally, always talking about money. I thought he was well-dressed, so I didn’t expect him to be so strapped for cash.” Yuan Lingling wasn’t sure how much Shen Caisheng knew, but it was true that her predecessor had given away money, so she had to provide an explanation.

“I lent him some money a few times before, so as not to appear stingy. But he keeps coming back, and now he even asks me for travel money when he goes on trips. If his family is wealthy, why is he like this?”

As she spoke, Yuan Lingling even puffed her cheeks in frustration. By the time she realized it, Shen Caisheng’s gaze was already fixed on her.

She quickly straightened her face. Shen Caisheng’s eyes were too intense, as if they could see right through a person. But this was her old habit, and no matter how many times she tried to correct it, it didn’t change. She decided to let it be, as she couldn’t pretend to be her predecessor in every situation.

She wasn’t sure if Shen Caisheng had noticed something, but he kept staring at her.

“Is… there something on my face?” Yuan Lingling’s heart pounded as she reached up to touch her face.

Shen Caisheng’s gaze shifted downward to the side of her nose and said, “There’s a bit of dust.”

Yuan Lingling reacted after a moment and quickly wiped her face with her hand. After two months of care, her hands were much fairer than before, though she was still just skin and bones.

“Instead of lending money to others, you should keep it for yourself and eat more.”

After saying this, Shen Caisheng felt it was unnecessary and changed the subject. “Keep the hen for eggs. We’ll make a stew for dinner.”

He wanted to say more, but the gossip from the neighbours flashed through his mind, and he ultimately didn’t speak further.

Yuan Lingling saw it as a warning. She didn’t dare to retort, nor was it necessary. She silently nodded and then casually picked up the hen that was still clucking nearby. Yuan Lingling was surprised—it was quite heavy.

She had grown up in the city and had never kept such animals. Did Shen Caisheng mean for her to keep chickens? In this freezing weather, they couldn’t keep them in the yard, could they? What if the chickens froze to death?

Just as she was about to ask, Shen Caisheng walked past her wordlessly and expressionless and went straight outside.

Yuan Lingling pouted. She didn’t want to go out and feel the pressure he brought, so she continued to huddle on the stool, basking in the stove’s faint warmth.

But not long after, a series of clattering sounds came from outside. Yuan Lingling stepped to the door and saw Shen Caisheng working with a stack of wooden planks he had found somewhere.

His slender fingers pinched the ink line and gave it a light flick, leaving a thin black line on the wooden board. Following the line, he sawed the board apart, then nails and hammers came into play. In no time, small pieces of wood were pieced together by him.

"Do you need my help?" After admiring for a while, Yuan Lingling finally stepped forward. Standing around doing nothing wasn't helpful, even though she had no idea what he was doing.

To her surprise, Shen Caisheng didn't even lift his eyelids. "No, you take care of your own things."

Take care of her own things? What did she have to do?

In the few days since she arrived in this world, the most she had done was sleep and eat. Thinking of this, Yuan Lingling couldn't help but yawn again.

Pregnant women tend to be sleepy, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Seeing that Shen Caisheng had no intention of speaking further, Yuan Lingling simply went back to her room to catch up on sleep.

Having just eaten her fill, as soon as she lay down on the heated bed, she felt drowsiness take over and knew nothing more, with the clattering sounds outside becoming a lullaby.

When she woke up two hours later, she half-opened her eyes and listened carefully, hearing no movement. Only then did Yuan Lingling slowly get out from under the quilt. She didn't see Shen Caisheng in either the inner room or the living room, and she breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

Opening the door to the living room, a chilly breeze swept in, and Yuan Lingling nearly stepped back inside. But out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of half a head outside the courtyard, and a wave of irritation washed over her—it was Xie Guanglian, as persistent as ever.

Climbing over the courtyard wall, how bold!

Xie Guanglian obviously saw Yuan Lingling too, waving frantically at her. His silly look made Yuan Lingling want to smack him with a shovel.

Yuan Lingling didn't want to deal with him, but she felt that dragging it on wasn't the solution. It was better to just cut ties outright.

Still groggy from just waking up, she pulled her hands into her sleeves, opened the door to the living room, and quickly walked toward the edge of the courtyard.

As she moved, she caught a glimpse of the locked gate to the courtyard out of the corner of her eye. Yuan Lingling's steps halted. She turned her head and looked around—had Shen Caisheng not gone out?

Wasn't this cramping her style?

But since she had already walked into the courtyard, it would seem odd not to respond to Xie Guanglian now.

"Lingling, what's going on? I've been waiting here for you for so long."

Outside the courtyard, someone had planted an osmanthus tree. This tree wasn't particularly cold-resistant, and it was rare in the north. But this one was growing quite well, already taller than the courtyard wall, making it a perfect aid for thieves.