After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

Lin Qingqing placed the last large bowl upside down on the dish rack. Gu Qiangying stood at the door, his white shirt gleaming in the dim kerosene lamp light.

"Third Brother, why aren't you asleep yet?" Lin Qingqing dried her hands and tried to squeeze past him.

Gu Qiangying didn't move, looking down at her. His eyes behind his glasses were unfathomable. "Did your second brother beg you to kiss him in the cave?"

Lin Qingqing stumbled and almost bumped into the door frame, her face flushing instantly.

She didn't say anything, and lowered her head, trying to walk around it.

"Looks like they've kissed." Gu Qiangying's voice was unhurried, with a hint of coldness. "The second son's life was well spent. Qingqing, showing favoritism isn't a good habit."

"I did that to save him, he was bleeding so much..." Lin Qingqing hurriedly explained.

"I know. Saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda."

Gu Qiangying reached out and brushed the stray hairs behind her ear, his fingertips brushing against her earlobe, causing a slight tremor. "Go to sleep, your older brother is waiting for you in the room."

Lin Qingqing fled in panic.

There was no light in the east room, but moonlight seeped in through the window cracks and spilled onto the earthen bed.

Qin Lie was already lying down, uncovered, his upper body bare, his bronze muscles resembling hard rocks in the moonlight. Hearing the noise, he sat up and patted the spot next to him.

"come over."

Lin Qingqing walked over and climbed along the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) to the inside. The kang was covered with a clean straw mat, which carried a faint scent of grass and wood.

Qin Lie reached out and pulled her into his arms.

His chest was hard, and even through his thin vest, Lin Qingqing could feel his alarmingly high body temperature.

"You must be exhausted?" Qin Lie placed his large hand on her lower back, rubbing it intermittently.

Lin Qingqing buried her face in the crook of his neck and mumbled a reply, "It's alright. It's just that Second Brother is quite badly injured, and I'm a little scared."

"The second son is tough; he won't die." Qin Lie rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice low. "But you, you're getting bolder and bolder. You dare to crawl into a place like that? What would I do if it collapsed?"

"I didn't think that much about it at the time," Lin Qingqing muttered softly.

Qin Lie didn't say anything more, but tightened his grip on her arm even more.

The room was quiet, except for the sounds of Li Dongye and Jiang He fighting over the blankets coming from the west room next door, and the occasional muffled groans from Xiao Yong. In this poorly soundproofed mud-brick house, every tiny sound was exceptionally clear.

"Brother, did you often encounter things like this when you were in the army?" Lin Qingqing suddenly asked. She knew very little about Qin Lie's past, only that he had served in the army, had made meritorious contributions, and that the scars on his body were his medals.

Qin Lie was silent for a moment, then said, "Pretty much. Disaster relief, missions, drills, you name it."

"When was the most dangerous time you've ever been?"

"In the south, in the woods. I was knocked unconscious by a bomb and buried in the ground for half a day." Qin Lie's tone was very calm, as if he were telling someone else's story. "When I woke up, there were dead people all around me. The old sergeant who brought me out had a broken leg, but he still carried me out of the minefield."

Lin Qingqing's heart pounded with fear. She reached out and touched a rough, uneven scar on his shoulder. "Is it here?"

"No, that was a wild boar scratch." Qin Lie grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest. "It's here. Shrapnel grazed past, just a centimeter away from going through."

Lin Qingqing's fingers twitched slightly as she felt the strong heartbeat, and her heart melted completely.

She tilted her head back, leaned over, and kissed him on the chin. "Big brother, don't let yourself get hurt again."

Qin Lie rolled over and pinned her beneath him, his breathing becoming heavy. "Qingqing, you're seducing me."

Lin Qingqing didn't dodge. She wrapped her arms around his neck and, remembering what happened in J City, hesitated for a moment before saying, "Big brother, when Fourth Brother took me to J City, I met quite a few people."

Qin Lie stopped what he was doing, propped himself up, and looked at her. "Who did you see?"

"I didn't specifically meet anyone, just his family." Lin Qingqing knew Qin Lie had wanted to ask for a long time, so she recalled the details of those few days, "Fourth Brother's surname is Mu, and he has two other brothers."

Qin Lie's hands, which were braced on the kang mat, tightened suddenly. "Mu?"

"Yes, Mu Yunqi." Lin Qingqing nodded. "He has an older brother and a youngest child."

Qin Lie didn't answer immediately; in the moonlight, his features appeared particularly hard and unyielding. After a long while, he asked in a low voice, "What's that older brother's name?"

Lin Qingqing frowned and thought for a long time. "I can't remember. I've only seen it twice."

Qin Lie didn't press further, but his face remained tense, clearly indicating that he had thought of something.

He pressed down again, silencing Lin Qingqing.

"Big brother... um..." Lin Qingqing was breathless from the kiss, her hands weakly pushing against his shoulders.

Qin Lie released her lips, his hand tracing down her neck, leaving dark red marks on her delicate skin. His hand slipped inside her clothes, his rough palms roaming around her waist, sending shivers down her spine.

"Don't think about those things anymore." Qin Lie's voice was terribly hoarse. "You're only allowed to look at me now."

Lin Qingqing's vest was pushed up to her chest, a chill washing over her, only to be quickly replaced by Qin Lie's body heat. She could feel the changes in his body; that mountain-like pressure made her a little flustered, yet she couldn't help wanting more.

"What did Fourth Brother teach you?" Qin Lie suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked up at her.

Lin Qingqing was stunned. "What?"

"Did he teach you anything?" Qin Lie pinched her chin, his fingertips applying slight pressure. "He said you were his wife."

Lin Qingqing blushed so deeply it seemed like her face was about to bleed. Recalling Li Dongye's outrageous behavior, she was so ashamed she wanted to disappear into a crack. "Fourth Brother... he just can't keep his mouth shut."

"Tell me," Qin Lie commanded.

"What are you saying...?"

"Say what you were thinking about," Qin Lie leaned down and whispered in her ear, "What did Fourth Brother tell you to call him?"

Lin Qingqing bit her lip, refusing to speak no matter what.

Qin Lie wasn't in a hurry, but his actions became even more excessive, specifically targeting sensitive areas for torture.

"Call me...husband." Lin Qingqing finally couldn't take it anymore, her voice trembling with obvious sobs.

Qin Lie paused, continuing his actions while pressing for answers.

"Who is your husband?"

"You...Big brother, you are..." Lin Qingqing closed her eyes, enduring the force that was like a storm.

"Speak louder."

Lin Qingqing clung to his shoulders, her fingernails leaving white marks on the scars on his back. She cried out, her voice trembling with sobs, "You're my husband... Qin Lie... you are..."

The west room next door.

Li Dongye lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He listened to the noises coming from the other side of the wall and turned over in frustration.

"Damn, is Big Brother not planning to let us sleep here?" he muttered under his breath.

Jiang He, his voice muffled from under the covers, said, "You deserve it. Who told you to take my sister to J City and provoke those people? If my older brother knew about your messy affairs, he'd tear you apart."

"What's wrong with my little troubles?" Li Dongye sneered. "But you, Jiang Xiaowu, if your pigs dare to squeal in the middle of the night again, I'll slaughter them to nourish Qingqing."

"You dare!" Jiang He abruptly threw off the covers and sat up, his handsome face filled with malice. "Try moving."

"Alright, shut up, all of you." Xiao Yong spoke up in a muffled voice from the other side. His leg was still hurting, and he was even more annoyed. "If you make any more noise, you can all go sleep in the pigsty."

The room was quiet for a moment, but the noise from next door grew louder and louder.

Lin Qingqing's suppressed sobs were like a thin thread, igniting the passions of the men in the room.