Living like a widow? My rough neighbor is coaxing me to have a baby every night.

Li Xiaotao's heart sank. At this critical juncture, Xu Yuecheng was nowhere to be found?

The young man with the buzz cut was named Yang Dong, and he was tilting his head to look at Li Xiaotao.

He slapped the wrench against his palm, a playful glint in his eyes.

This woman is really hot.

Her fierceness in her eyes and her figure were completely different from the timid and hesitant female workers in the factory.

"Hey little sister, if you really have an emergency, you can come to me too." Yang Dong took half a step forward, grinning, "It'll be good for me in the team too."

Li Xiaotao had no time for banter with him. The tens of thousands of kilograms of melons were still hanging in the air, and if anything went wrong, she would really lose face in the village.

"Can you mobilize the convoy?" Li Xiaotao asked in a cold tone.

Yang Dong choked, then awkwardly rubbed his nose: "Well...that's not possible. But even though Captain Xu isn't here, our Captain Qin is. Qin Rushan, ever heard of him? He's the top dog here."

"Qin Rushan?" Li Xiaotao's eyes lit up.

She knew that name all too well.

Isn't this the ruthless Qin Rushan who married Li Xianglian, the divorced woman from Xiahe Village?!

Where is he?

"It's in that red brick courtyard over there," Yang Dong pointed behind him. "They just moved into their new house yesterday, and they're probably drinking in their own yard right now."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at Li Xiaotao a couple more times.

He thought to himself: If this woman didn't have that kind of relationship with Xu Yuecheng, he would definitely pursue her.

But even if he had the guts, he wouldn't dare to poach Xu's man right now.

"Okay, then you lead the way," Li Xiaotao decided immediately.

"Hey, you've got quite the nerve." Yang Dong tucked the wrench into his belt, not bothered at all. "Alright, seeing how anxious you are, I'll make a trip. Brother Qin is in the backyard, I'll go get him."

After saying that, Yang Dong turned around and ran towards the backyard, glancing back at the same time as he ran.

Wow, that waistline is absolutely amazing.

……

The backyard, Qin Rushan's new residence.

Under the pomegranate tree in the courtyard, an eight-immortal table was set out to its fullest.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Qin Rushan, Li Xianglian, and Wei Donghai were drinking merrily.

"Old Qin, your courtyard is really nice, a quiet oasis in the hustle and bustle." Wei Donghai picked up some peanuts with his chopsticks, his eyes full of admiration. "Your sister-in-law's cooking skills are also impeccable, this braised pork is authentic."

"That's right." Qin Rushan held his wine glass in his hand, looking smug. "Don't you know whose wife she is?"

But his gaze didn't linger on Wei Donghai for long; instead, it shifted and landed on Li Xianglian's face across from him.

Li Xianglian was peeling an orange, but her eyes were fixed on Wei Donghai.

She was sizing her up.

Is this the high branch that Aunt Hua wants to climb?

Judging by his physique and demeanor, he is indeed a man of great talent.

Although his face was a bit dark, he looked dignified and upright in that police uniform.

If Aunt Hua's daughter really marries him, it's hard to say whether she'll be able to handle his aura.

Her scrutiny had a significant impact, but in Qin Rushan's eyes, it took on a completely different meaning.

What are you looking at, woman?

They're practically glued to Lao Wei!

Qin Rushan's long-simmering jealousy was suddenly kicked over with a "thud".

The sour smell hit me right in the head, and even the Wuliangye liquor in my hand didn't smell good anymore.

Without making a sound, he stretched out his foot and gently kicked Li Xianglian under the table.

Li Xianglian snapped out of her daze and looked at Qin Rushan with a blank expression: "What's wrong, Brother Shan? Do you want more wine?"

"I'm not drinking anymore."

Qin Rushan slammed his wine glass on the table with a loud "bang," saying, "Old Wei still has to go back to the bureau to report on his work. Drinking too much will cause problems."

Wei Donghai was taken aback, glancing at the sun just past noon outside: "Hey? I'm not in a hurry, I haven't had my fill of drinking yet..."

"I said you have something to say, and that means you have something to say." Qin Rushan's eyes shot over like knives, filled with the words "Get lost."

Wei Donghai was a shrewd man. His eyes darted around, and he noticed Qin Rushan's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot. Then he looked at Li Xianglian, who looked completely innocent, and instantly understood what was going on.

Well, I guess I've become a third wheel.

"Ahem! Right, right, right!" Wei Donghai slapped his thigh and stood up. "I just remembered, the files at the bureau haven't been returned yet. Sister-in-law, thank you for your hospitality today. I'll treat you two to a state-run restaurant another day!"

"They're leaving already?" Li Xianglian was still a little taken aback. "We haven't finished eating yet..."

"I'm full! Really full!" Wei Donghai grabbed his hat and pulled it over his head, winking at Qin Rushan. "Old Qin, no need to see me off, I can walk myself!"

After saying that, he slipped out of the big iron gate as if he were fleeing.

The courtyard fell silent again.

Li Xianglian didn't think much of it, assuming that he really had something on his mind.

She quickly cleared away the leftover food on the table, stacked the plates and bowls together, and carried them to the kitchen.

As soon as I entered the kitchen and put the bowls and chopsticks into the basin of water, a tall shadow loomed over me from behind.

"Clang!"

The kitchen door was slammed shut by a large hand, making the window frame tremble.

Li Xianglian was startled. As soon as she turned around, she was surrounded by two strong arms and pinned to the edge of the stove.

Qin Rushan was like a lion whose territory had been invaded, exuding a dangerous aura.

He braced himself on the edge of the stove with both hands, trapping Li Xianglian between his chest and the stove. In his deep black eyes, two flames burned brightly.

"Shan... Brother Shan?" Li Xianglian, still holding a dishcloth, felt a little flustered by his posture. "What are you doing? The dishes haven't been washed yet..."

"Wash the dishes?" Qin Rushan sneered, leaning forward and breathing hot air directly onto her forehead. "You still have the mind to wash the dishes? Li Xianglian, you've really grown some guts."

"What...what happened to me?" Li Xianglian looked bewildered, blinking her big eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Qin Rushan reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze. "While we were eating, where were your eyes looking? Huh? Did Old Wei have something on his face? Or is he more handsome than me?"

Li Xianglian was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and almost laughed in anger.

"You..." She pushed against his hard, iron-like chest, "How can you be like this? You're even jealous of your brother?"

"Jealous?"

Qin Rushan snorted through his nose, his tone so sour it could make your teeth ache. "I'm a former reconnaissance soldier! Don't try to fool me! In the last half hour, you glanced at him at least twenty times! You only glanced at me three times! And that was just while you were picking up some food! Tell me, are you eyeing that pretty boy?"

Wei Donghai's dark red face was nowhere near the description of a "pretty boy," but in Qin Rushan's eyes now, even a boar would be a handsome threat if his wife looked at him a few more times.

"I'm innocent!" Li Xianglian cried, both amused and exasperated. She threw the dishcloth into the water, splashing a small droplet. "Was I looking at people? I was looking at a matchmaker!"

"Meeting a matchmaker?" Qin Rushan frowned, his hand gripping her chin loosening slightly. "Meeting what kind of matchmaker?"

"It's all thanks to Aunt Hua next door!"

Li Xianglian glared at him reproachfully and explained irritably, "When we were buying meat today, she kept me talking for ages, insisting that I ask about Brother Wei. She wants to introduce her 'flower girl from the machinery factory' to him. I was just doing her a favor, thinking I'd check him out first, see what kind of person Brother Wei is, and whether he's suitable for marriage!"

She stuck out her finger and poked Qin Rushan's hard pectoral muscles: "What are you thinking? I've married you, given you my body, how could I possibly be interested in someone else? Do you think I'm that kind of fickle woman?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Rushan's tense body instantly relaxed, and the fierce glint in his eyes disappeared, replaced by an undisguised embarrassment and secret delight.

It turns out she was acting as a matchmaker for someone else.

That scared the hell out of me.

But he still had to maintain his tough-guy image and refused to back down easily.

He coughed lightly, grabbed her fingers that were poking around in her chest, and bit them. "Really? You're not lying to me?"

Why would I lie to you? Why would I waste my time and energy going out of my way to bother others?

Li Xianglian rolled her eyes at him and tried to pull her hand back. "Get out of my way, don't delay my work. This table is greasy, it'll attract flies if we don't wash it."

Qin Rushan didn't let go; instead, he hugged the person even tighter.

He lowered his head, his stubble brushing against her fair neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Why wash the dishes? I'm not washing them." Qin Rushan's voice became low and hoarse, with a hint of roguishness. "That was a misunderstanding, but I was really scared. You have to make it up to me."

"You... in broad daylight!" Li Xianglian's face flushed, and feeling the change in the man's body, her body went weak. "Last night... wasn't it just last night..."

"Last night was last night."

Qin Rushan took her earlobe into his mouth and mumbled indistinctly, "Who told you to keep staring at other men? Even if it was to play matchmaker, it's not allowed. From now on, your eyes can only revolve around me."

The temperature in the kitchen suddenly rose, and an ambiguous atmosphere flowed through the narrow space.

Just as Qin Rushan's hand slipped under Li Xianglian's clothes, preparing to administer "family discipline," a series of urgent shouts suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Brother Qin! Brother Qin!"

Yang Dong's loud voice boomed in the courtyard, startling Li Xianglian so much that she almost fell to the ground.

Qin Rushan froze, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

He took a deep breath, pulled Li Xianglian's clothes up, and gritted his teeth as he yelled at the door:

"Are you trying to call back my soul?! Who's blind?!"