Chapter 4

"What are you doing, climbing over my wall? What would people think if they saw?" If Shen Caisheng found out she was being unfaithful to him, he would surely go mad. Who could tolerate their wife cheating on them, even if it was just in form?

"Shen Caisheng just came back. Are you looking for him? I'll go get him for you." Yuan Lingling called out nervously.

Hearing Yuan Lingling speak to him in such an unfriendly tone, Xie Guanglian was briefly taken aback. But upon hearing the latter part, he realized she was joking. It was freezing, and she showed no concern for him. No wonder Shen Caisheng, who could have his wife and child warm on the heated bed, was always out and about.

"Don't try to fool me. I saw him leave, but why did he climb over the wall instead of using the door?"

Hearing this, Yuan Lingling breathed a sigh of relief. She thought to herself, wasn't it to guard against you, sneaky one? She adjusted her sleeves and asked, "What do you want from me?"

Xie Guanglian was at a loss for words. What else could he want? He had seen Shen Caisheng return with so many things in his hands. Shen Caisheng himself was never home—could this woman eat all that by herself? Wasn't she afraid of overeating?

But he couldn't say it outright. Normally, he didn't even have to say anything, and this woman would deliver the good stuff to him. What was going on today?

He put on a smile and said, "I just missed you. Even a moment without you makes me feel uneasy."

Yuan Lingling inwardly rolled her eyes. Did this guy think he was being affectionate? With his cowardly demeanour, the original host must have been truly desperate for affection.

"What should we do?" Yuan Lingling sighed, pretending to be sorrowful. "I was planning to let you go to Yangcheng first, and I'd join you after some time. But if you can't stand being apart from me, what should we do?"

"Why?" Xie Guanglian didn't understand her meaning. Why did they have to separate and then go together?

If it weren’t for her, how would he ever afford to go to Yangcheng?

He’d heard Yangcheng was a place where land cost a fortune, and everything was pricier than in the capital. How could he manage without money?

Yuan Lingling had no idea what he was thinking, so she kept up her act.

"It’s all Shen Caisheng’s fault," she said, as usual, venting her frustration with him. "I don’t know if he heard some gossip outside, but when he came back, he asked me if someone had been here. He told me to hold onto all the money from now on, and if I ran out, he’d send me back to my parents."

Seeing him deep in thought, Yuan Lingling kept spinning her tale. "I was thinking, Brother Guanglian, why don’t you head to Yangcheng first and find a place to stay? In the meantime, I’ll try to squeeze more money out of Shen Caisheng, and once I have enough, I’ll come find you in Yangcheng. Sound good?"

Yuan Lingling lowered her eyes, looking anxious. "I’m worried that if he finds out, it could hurt you."

Every word seemed to be for Xie Guanglian’s benefit, and though his heart wasn’t stone, his greed outweighed any gratitude.

"So, could you... lend me some money for the trip..." Xie Guanglian couldn’t bear to leave empty-handed, so he pretended to be poor.

Yuan Lingling looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. "What can I do? Shen Caisheng might’ve figured something out. He interrogates me if I’m even a penny short. Not just the money, but even the stuff he brought back today—he made it clear I’m not to give it to anyone. Otherwise, I’d have given you that hen to make soup. He must know something, or else..."

As Xie Guanglian listened, he cursed Shen Caisheng a thousand times in his mind.

He won’t eat it himself, and he won’t let me have it either.

Sooner or later, I’ll sleep with this foolish woman and cuckold him!

"Let’s not take anything, Brother Guanglian. Let’s run away now. Don’t worry, even if we end up begging, I’ll never leave you."

Xie Guanglian, who’d been feeling smug, suddenly shuddered at her words. His foot slipped as he tried to step onto another branch, and he tumbled down.

Thud!

Yuan Lingling’s mouth twitched. That had to hurt.

"Brother Guanglian, are you okay?" Yuan Lingling called out half-heartedly before slowly opening the gate. Watching Xie Guanglian struggle to rise from the snow, Yuan Lingling nearly laughed out loud.

But she still looked slightly anxious on her face. "Brother Guanglian, you don’t have to be so touched. When the time comes, I’ll stick by you through thick and thin."

Xie Guanglian didn’t want to share any sorrows; he only wanted to enjoy the good life. "Lingling, you’ve really moved me. How could I ever let you suffer? Let’s do as you said. I’ll go to Yangcheng first, and when you get the money from Shen Caisheng, come find me."

He didn’t forget to add, "We’ll make the money and pay him back."

"Brother Guanglian, you’re such a good man," Yuan Lingling lied sweetly. "Then it’s settled. Make sure to tell your aunt and the others not to come looking for me. You know Shen Caisheng’s no fool." She was too lazy to deal with them.

Xie Guanglian thought to himself, if he’s not a fool, then who is? If he weren’t a fool, how could he have fallen for a woman like you? If he weren’t a fool, how could he not know his own woman was cuckolding him?

While mentally complaining, Xie Guanglian also knew the power of his own mother and younger sister. The two of them probably thought the entire Shen family belonged to them.

"I know, don’t worry," Xie Guanglian said, even feeling a bit melancholy. "Later, I’ll have to scrounge up some travel money. You know, at home, everything goes to my eldest brother first."

As he said this, Xie Guanglian kept his eyes on Yuan Lingling, and only when he saw her usual look of heartache did he feel somewhat reassured.

Yuan Lingling pretended to be anxious on the surface, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Maybe I should grab some money for you. Take it and go. If he finds out, I’ll just follow you. Let him keep his precious money!"

At first, the kitchen was dimly lit, and Xie Guanglian couldn’t see clearly. But now, seeing Yuan Lingling’s big, teary eyes, her small face flushed with anger, and her beauty against the snowy backdrop, Xie Guanglian’s heart skipped a beat.

He thought, if this woman behaves herself, he might not be against living with her in Yangcheng.

"Lingling, you’re gorgeous."

As if possessed, Xie Guanglian reached out to touch Yuan Lingling’s face, but unexpectedly, Yuan Lingling stepped aside, avoiding him.

His hand froze in mid-air, and just as he was about to feel annoyed, his gaze shifted behind Yuan Lingling, and he suddenly froze in place.

Yuan Lingling followed his gaze, her fingers trembling slightly. "You... you’re back."

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