Luo Caixia, growing increasingly agitated and embarrassed by the questioning, stared at Zhou Huai'an with red-rimmed eyes. "It was all my wishful thinking. Please, stop asking. It's always been me being sentimental and mistaken. I thought... I thought that because you often helped my family with work when you were home, it meant you liked me."

"I thought you bought things for my mom because you were interested in me! I thought you taught me how to write because you fancied me. But it turns out it was all just my own delusion.

I won't ever think that way again!"

With that, she covered her face, tears streaming down, and ran off sobbing.

Lin Xiaoxiao observed the scene with a touch of admiration. She had to admit, Luo Caixia had some skill—those final lines were crafted to push Zhou Huai'an onto the moral high ground49, putting him in a difficult position and creating friction.

And, honestly, wasn't there some truth to it? If he wasn't interested, why had he gone out of his way to be so attentive to her family? Helping with farm work, buying gifts, even teaching her to write—weren't those the very actions that could easily be misinterpreted as romantic interest?

It's no wonder she saw it as leading her on.

Zhou Huai'an frowned, his gaze turning to Sun Qiuxiang. "Auntie Qiuxiang, you probably still remember when I was little, I went to the mountains to collect sheep dung and fell off a cliff. It was Wang Ying who saved me, carried me back on her back."

Sun Qiuxiang, still trying to process the earlier drama, nodded hurriedly. "Yes, yes, I remember.

You were covered in blood back then; we all thought you might not make it."

As the words left her mouth, a sudden clarity dawned on her. So, perhaps all those things Zhou Huai'an did were simply to repay Wang Ying for saving his life?

Good heavens! If that was the case, then wasn't the girl, Luo Caixia, spreading rumors? She never actually took care of Zhou Huai'an back then, and those military sneakers she claimed to have bought for him... that might not be true either.

The more Sun Qiuxiang thought about it, the clearer it became. A smile spread across her face. "I always said, you two grew up together, and you've never been the flighty type. How could you possibly do something as heartless as messing around and then abandoning someone?"

Zhou Huai'an corrected her sternly, "Auntie Qiuxiang, there was no 'messing around,' and certainly no 'abandoning.' Our relationship has always been purely (qīngbái: pure, clean, aboveboard)."

Sun Qiuxiang nodded dismissively. "Yes, yes, of course. I believe you. Well, you all carry on. I haven't fed my chickens yet; I need to get back to that."

She was already thinking about how to quickly share this news with everyone. Who would have thought that Luo Caixia, a girl who seemed so honest and simple, could do something like this?

After Sun Qiuxiang left, Wang Fenglan felt somewhat uneasy. She looked at Zhou Huai'an with displeasure. "Huai'an, you must consider Caixia's position. She is, after all, a young woman. If Sun Qiuxiang spreads this around, how will Caixia face anyone?"

Zhou Huai'an seemed genuinely puzzled. "I was merely stating the facts. If a mistake is being made, it needs to be corrected promptly, before it deepens and causes more harm."

Lin Xiaoxiao, who was in excellent spirits, nearly laughed out loud hearing Zhou Huai'an's blunt, arguably straightforward reasoning.

Not daring to say more, and now more afraid that Luo Caixia might turn around and implicate Zhou Changyun, Wang Fenglan pulled a long face and retreated back into Zhou Xiaoli's room.

Zhou Huai'an's eyes swept over the scene: Niu Chunying still clutching a rolling pin, Zhou Jianhua hanging his head in dejection, and Lin Xiaoxiao standing off to the side.

Knowing Lin Xiaoxiao as he did, she definitely wouldn't have willingly come over to chat with these near-strangers.

"What happened here?" he asked.

Niu Chunying made no effort to defend her child. "This little rascal tied firecrackers to the cat's tail to scare Xiaoxiao."

She even gestured with the rolling pin. "I really feel like beating this brat within an inch of his life."

Zhou Huai'an's face darkened as he looked at Zhou Jianhua. He didn't raise his voice, but the sharp intensity of his gaze made the boy shrink back. "Apologize. Now!" he demanded, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

With red-rimmed eyes, Zhou Jianhua shuffled towards Lin Xiaoxiao. He didn't fully understand everything that had just happened with the adults, but he knew one thing clearly: Second Uncle would protect Lin Xiaoxiao, but he wouldn't protect Auntie Caixia.

He stammered for a moment before finally choking out, "I'm sorry, Second... Second Aunt."

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't simply accept the apology. A fifteen-year-old was hardly a young child. "Like I said before," her voice was cool, "if you have a problem with me, take it up with me directly.

Tormenting a small animal? What did it ever do to you? That is a living creature. You need to apologize to me properly."

Having said her piece, she turned and walked back to the well to continue washing clothes, ignoring Zhou Jianhua, who stood there flushed with a mixture of shame and anger.

Niu Chunying whacked Zhou Jianhua again with the rolling pin. "What are you standing around for? Go find that cat and bring it back right now!"

Lin Xiaoxiao felt remarkably lighthearted as she did the laundry. Her good mood likely stemmed from the fact that she liked Zhou Huai'an, and now it was clear that there was nothing between him and Luo Caixia.

She appreciated his physique, but she also liked the man himself.

When it came to people and things she liked, Lin Xiaoxiao believed in (zhǔdòng chūjī: taking the initiative, (zhǔdòng: proactive) (chūjī: to attack, to strike)), never hiding her feelings or intentions.

Her recent awkwardness and hesitation had all been because of the unresolved shadow of Luo Caixia.

After all, her marriage to Zhou Huai'an had initially been without any emotional foundation.

What if he still held a torch for Luo Caixia? Wouldn't her own affection then seem(gāngà: awkward, embarrassing)?

A world for two becomes far too crowded with three people in it.

So now, with that weight lifted, Lin Xiaoxiao felt wonderful, scrubbing the clothes with renewed vigor.

Zhou Huai'an stood in the courtyard, watching Lin Xiaoxiao vigorously scrub the clothes. It was obvious she wasn't skilled at using the washboard; she applied force awkwardly, almost as if she were venting some strong emotion, scrubbing with an angry intensity.

He rubbed his nose, unable to decipher why Lin Xiaoxiao seemed angry. Perhaps it was better to just stay quiet and head back inside.

After finishing the laundry, hanging it on the line, and putting away the basin, Lin Xiaoxiao returned to their room. She found Zhou Huai'an standing by the kang (heated bed), meticulously folding his army overcoat. She found it curious—was it really necessary to fold clothes with such precision, creating such sharp (léngjiǎo: edges and corners), even in the privacy of one's own home?

A new enamel mug sat on the three-drawer desk. Everything else was exactly as it had been. It seemed Zhou Huai'an had been occupied solely with folding clothes the entire time.

Noticing that Lin Xiaoxiao didn't seem angry, Zhou Huai'an pointed to the enamel mug on the desk. "That's for you," he said.

Lin Xiaoxiao didn't stand on ceremony. She walked over, picked up the mug, and warmed her hands with its comforting heat. She hadn't expected the water from the well to be so piercingly cold; the joints in her fingers were still stiff and almost numb.

Cupping the warm mug, she asked curiously, "Did you really not know before that Caixia liked you?"

Zhou Huai'an shook his head. "No, I didn't."

He genuinely seemed perplexed. How could everyone around him know about something he himself was completely unaware of?

Lin Xiaoxiao was now certain—he was a real block of wood. "You grew up together. She's so beautiful. Are you telling me you never once liked her?" she pressed.

Zhou Huai'an shook his head again. His thoughts seemed to turn inward. "Before joining the army," he began, his tone measured, "my focus was solely on studying. After enlisting, I dedicated myself to improving my skills. The training was demanding, and I spent several years on the front lines. When your life could end at any moment, there isn't much room in your mind for other things."

Lin Xiaoxiao found this hard to believe. "All these years," she asked, leaning slightly forward, "has there ever been anyone else? Someone from the song and dance troupe? Or a nurse at the hospital?" In her mind, those were the only types of women he would have encountered.

Zhou Huai'an, seemingly embarrassed by this line of questioning, the tips of his ears turning faintly pink, simply answered, "No."

Lin Xiaoxiao rather enjoyed seeing him like this—so (mùnè: wooden, awkward, slow-spoken)—so different from the (lěngjìng ruìzhì: calm and (ruìzhì: wise, astute)) man he presented to the outside world. When it came to matters of the heart, he transformed completely.

It was a side of him she quite liked.

The corners of her eyes curved into a smile as she lifted the lid of the mug and took a sip of the water—sweetened with sugar.

Zhou Huai'an didn't understand what Lin Xiaoxiao was smiling about. He only felt that the room had suddenly grown rather warm and wondered if he should perhaps go outside for a walk.

Just then, a shout came from outside: "Quick! Someone come! Wang Ying's daughter, Caixia—she's drunk pesticide!"