Lin Xiaoxiao stopped and stared suspiciously at the rustling cornfield. What if a wild boar charges out? she thought. I'm no match for that. She immediately turned and sprinted back the way she came.

After running a distance, she slowed down. Something felt off. If it were a wild boar, it would have burst out by now. Why was there still no movement behind her? After a moment's thought, she ducked into a small grove of trees beside the path.

Crouching behind a thicket of weeds, she watched the road.

A few minutes later, someone walked past. To Lin Xiaoxiao's astonishment, it was Li Guohao. He was straightening his clothes as he hurried in the direction of the residential compound.

So, the movement in the cornfield had been caused by a person?

Instantly, a scandalous rural romance unfolded in her mind, starring Li Guohao and Luo Caixia.

Lin Xiaoxiao was stunned. Those two have some nerve!

She couldn't head home now. If some busybody saw her and Li Guohao returning to the compound one after the other, they might spread nasty rumors about her. Deciding it was best to avoid that, she headed straight to work instead.

She waited until Li Guohao was long out of sight before emerging from the grove. The sky was fully light now, and people were already on the road, carrying hoes to the fields.

She arrived at the medical station early. She first stopped by the night watchman's lodge to get the office key.

As she turned with the key in hand, she saw Luo Caixia walking briskly out, carrying a vegetable basket.

Lin Xiaoxiao was puzzled. Was it not Luo Caixia with Li Guohao in the cornfield? Otherwise, how could she be heading out again so soon, looking perfectly calm as if nothing had happened?

The watchman saw Luo Caixia and greeted her cheerfully. "Out already? What's for lunch today?"

Luo Caixia glanced at Lin Xiaoxiao but answered with a smile, "Hand-pulled noodle soup with fish. I'm going to look for some wild eggs."

The old man praised her warmly. "Ever since you arrived, our meals have improved so much!

You can even find wild eggs."

Luo Caixia smiled modestly. "I've just been lucky. I can't chat now, Uncle—I got up late today and need to hurry."

She walked quickly away without acknowledging Lin Xiaoxiao.

But Lin Xiaoxiao kept her eyes on Luo Caixia. The dark gloom between her brows seemed lighter today, and she looked more energetic. Was it the result of her morning exercise?

After Luo Caixia left, Lin Xiaoxiao asked the watchman, "She gets up pretty early every day."

The watchman nodded. "She does. That girl is very hardworking. She goes out around this time every day to find little treats to improve our meals. The other day, she even caught a hog badger."

Lin Xiaoxiao responded vaguely, "That's quite impressive."

Her intuition told her it was Luo Caixia with Li Guohao. But the watchman said she had just left—so she must have climbed over the wall earlier.

Besides, for a young woman to catch a hog badger... Luo Caixia clearly had some skills.

From running back from the grove without getting winded, to heading out calmly right after, to catching a badger with her bare hands—Luo Caixia was clearly capable.

At lunchtime, Lin Xiaoxiao decided there was no point going home to an empty house. She tidied her desk slowly, locked the drawers, and headed out.

To her surprise, Zhou Huai'an was already back, washing clothes in the yard.

Lin Xiaoxiao's sharp eyes noticed her underwear from yesterday—which she hadn't had time to wash—in the basin of clean laundry. She hurried over, scolding him playfully. "Hey! You shouldn't be washing these! What if someone sees? They'll talk."

Though she was usually bold and unbothered, she didn't want Zhou Huai'an subjected to gossip again. A man's reputation outside mattered, and she wanted to protect his.

From what she'd learned living here, a man washing clothes—especially underwear—for a woman meant he was henpecked, stripped of all masculine dignity.

So, she thought Zhou Huai'an could at least do it inside.

Zhou Huai'an wasn't as shrewd as Lin Xiaoxiao. He simply found it convenient to wash clothes near the water faucet. Seeing her rush over, he asked, "What would you like for lunch? I'll cook after I finish hanging these."

Lin Xiaoxiao looked at him strangely, then reached out to feel his forehead. "Are you feeling okay? What's going on?"

This was almost too nice.

Zhou Huai'an didn't answer. He rinsed the last two items, wrung them out, and went to hang them up. Lately, in his spare moments, he'd been thinking about how to make Lin Xiaoxiao want to stay.

He was a man of few words. He couldn't sweet-talk her like Zhong Zhiguo advised.

Besides, Lin Xiaoxiao was the one who said all the charming things. He never knew what to say.

So he decided to show her through actions—to treat her so well she would want to stay. If possible, he wanted to live like this for the rest of his life, maybe with two children someday.

Lin Xiaoxiao quickly helped him hang the laundry, discreetly placing her underwear beneath a shirt where it wouldn't be seen.

She'd never been shy about hanging underwear in the sun before. But in this world, seeing how other women hid theirs, she suddenly felt a sense of shame about displaying hers openly.

Zhou Huai'an cooked rice and stir-fried peppers with eggs—filling the air with that familiar, pungent smoke that made them both cough.

But neither complained.

As she enjoyed the flavorful meal, Lin Xiaoxiao couldn't help muttering, "It's so strange. When you cook, no one says a thing."

Zhou Huai'an placed more eggs into her bowl. "You didn't sleep well last night, did you? Your eyes are red."

With an immediate pout, Lin Xiaoxiao exaggerated her distress. "I didn't. I don't know why, but I can't sleep without you beside me."

Zhou Huai'an considered this seriously. "I'll be very busy for the next few nights. If I can't make it back, I'll ask Xiaoling to stay with you."

Lin Xiaoxiao seized the chance to ask, "Is it about that ghost activity people are talking about?"

Zhou Huai'an knew Zhou Xiaoling must have told her. He nodded. "Yes, but I can't share the details."

Lin Xiaoxiao's eyes curved into smiles. "Don't worry, I understand the rules. Just... make sure you protect yourself. No more getting hurt, okay? I'd be really upset."

The honeyed, persuasive words flowed effortlessly.

She paused, then remembered Luo Caixia. She shared her suspicions with Zhou Huai'an: "You really need to look into Luo Caixia—and Li Guohao. Who knows what else they're involved in besides their affair."

Zhou Huai'an listened silently for a long moment. "We'll send someone to investigate. You be careful too. Don't act impulsively, no matter what you find."

Lin Xiaoxiao nodded, her mouth full of rice. "Don't worry, Zhou Huai'an. I'm clever. But you don't have to be so serious during the day. You're not like this at night... in bed."

Zhou Huai'an choked slightly, his ears turning red.

Lin Xiaoxiao pressed her advantage. She put down her bowl and chopsticks, using her index fingers to push the corners of her mouth into a smile. "You should do this. Come on, smile for me."