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

Lin Qingqing gasped in pain, and tears streamed down her face even more fiercely.

The smell of blood filled their mouths.

The smell of blood seemed to ignite a more primal, wilder instinct within Qin Lie. The crimson in his eyes surged even more intensely, and the hand gripping her waist tightened as if he wanted to meld her into his very bones.

Just then, Wang Dazui's scream came from outside the bushes.

"Oh no! A snake! There's a snake!"

Then came a cacophony of screams from several women and the sound of footsteps as they fled.

"Run! Run!"

"That scared me to death! Where did that snake come from?!"

Sun Erniang's cursing voice was also mixed in: "A mere snake has scared you all like this! Useless things! Are you still going to dig up the bamboo shoots or not?"

"I'm not digging anymore, it's bad luck!"

The footsteps outside the bushes gradually faded into the distance, along with the few risqué jokes that followed, which were also carried away by the wind.

Lin Qingqing felt as if all her bones had been removed, and she leaned limply against the rock wall.

She was panting heavily, her chest heaving. Her oversized military coat slipped down to one shoulder, revealing a section of her fair collarbone, still bearing the marks of moss she had just rubbed against. Against that dazzlingly white skin, it looked exceptionally alluring.

Qin Lie did not back away.

He rested one hand on her ear, his tall figure like a mountain, completely blocking out the light.

The man's kiss was fierce, with a hint of punishment in it. His wolf-like eyes were still fixed on her swollen, red lips, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"What are you afraid of?"

His voice was terribly hoarse, as if he had a handful of sand in his mouth, making one's eardrums itch.

Lin Qingqing was both ashamed and angry, with tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall. She raised her hand to wipe her mouth, but Qin Lie grabbed her wrist.

"We're about to be discovered... and you still..." She sniffed, her voice soft and tearful, accusingly saying, "You're a madman."

Qin Lie chuckled and rubbed his thumb against the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist, the rough calluses making her shudder.

"If I were truly insane, what I just did wouldn't have been as simple as just kissing you."

His gaze swept down her neckline without restraint, carrying a meaningful meaning.

Lin Qingqing's face flushed, and she hurriedly wrapped her military coat tightly around herself, turning herself into a dumpling, leaving only her wet eyes peeking out as she glared at him.

"Alright, stop glaring. If you keep glaring, I'll do it to you right here." Qin Lie released his grip, bent down to pick up the basket from the ground, and casually tucked the wood-chopping knife behind his waist. "Let's go, before those gossipy women go far, let's take another route."

Upon hearing that they were leaving, Lin Qingqing's legs started to cramp again. The fright she'd just experienced made her legs feel like they were walking on cotton.

Qin Lie took two steps, then turned back and saw her still pressed against the rock, frowning: "Your legs are weak?"

Lin Qingqing bit her lip and remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Qin Lie clicked his tongue, didn't waste any words, took two steps back, turned around and half-squatted down in front of her: "Get on."

"No...no!" Lin Qingqing waved her hands frantically, "What if someone sees us..."

"There's not a soul in sight here, what a load of crap," Qin Lie urged impatiently. "Hurry up, it's getting dark."

Lin Qingqing looked at the man's broad, muscular back, the result of years of heavy labor, the muscle lines clearly visible through his sweat-soaked shirt. She hesitated for two seconds, then obediently lay down on him.

Qin Lie supported her knees with both hands and easily stood up.

In that instant, Lin Qingqing clearly felt the warmth of the man's hand, burning her flesh through the fabric of his pants. She stiffened, her hands loosely resting on his shoulders, trying to minimize physical contact.

"Hold on tight, or I won't be responsible if you fall." Qin Lie jerked her around, startling Lin Qingqing, who quickly clung to his neck.

The man's lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile as he strode into the depths of the bamboo forest.

The original plan was to take the narrow path trodden out by the herb gatherers, bypass the main road, and go directly down the hillside behind the village. That way, they could avoid Sun Erniang and her group.

But people are not as good as heaven.

The two had just reached the entrance of the path when Qin Lie stopped.

Last night's torrential rain was so intense that a landslide occurred on the mountainside ahead, completely blocking the already narrow path with a large expanse of yellow mud mixed with broken trees and rocks. Not even a wild boar could get through, let alone a person.

"Damn it," Qin Lie cursed under his breath.

Lin Qingqing peeked out and her heart sank: "The road... is blocked?"

"Hmm." Qin Lie put her down, looking at the pile of mud in front of him with a somewhat gloomy expression.

"What should we do?" Lin Qingqing anxiously grabbed his sleeve. "If we take the main road, we'll definitely run into them!"

Qin Lie turned around and glanced at her.

The little woman turned pale with fright, and her pitiful appearance only made people want to bully her even more.

"So what if we bumped into each other?" Qin Lie reached out and turned up the collar of her military coat to cover most of her face, his tone revealing a ruthless and unruly edge. "What law did I break by taking you down the mountain?"

"But..." Lin Qingqing wanted to say something, but Qin Lie silenced her with a look.

"Hiding like this only makes you look guilty." Qin Lie grabbed her wrist tightly, his grip so strong it left no room for refusal. "Follow me, lower your head, and don't say a word."

His hands were large and dry, with calluses all over them, yet they inexplicably gave people a sense of calm.

Lin Qingqing's heart pounded, but she knew there was no other way to go. She could only let him lead her like a frightened quail, forcing herself to walk towards the main road.

The wind in the bamboo forest was damp, making the bamboo leaves rustle.

With each step she took, Lin Qingqing's heart tightened.

After turning the last bend, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

Enemy road is narrow.

Sun Erniang and her group hadn't gone far. The rain had just stopped, and fresh wood ear mushrooms were sprouting from the rotten wood by the roadside. These women, greedy for small gains, were diligently picking them, their backsides sticking out.

Hearing footsteps, the group turned around at the same time.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

Lin Qingqing instinctively tried to hide behind Qin Lie, but Qin Lie held her hand tightly, preventing her from retreating even half a step.

Sun Erniang was still holding a black fungus in her hand. Her triangular eyes, painted with cheap eyeliner, swept over the two men and finally settled on their clasped hands.

Then, her gaze swept over Lin Qingqing from head to toe, as if hooked.

Her hair was a mess, as if she had just crawled out of bed; she was wearing a man's overcoat, the hem of which was still covered in mud; most importantly, the collar was not properly covered, and with Lin Qingqing's movements, a glaring purplish-red tinge on the side of her neck was faintly visible.

Those are the marks that anyone who's been there will understand.

"Ouch--"

Sun Erniang tossed the wood ear mushrooms in her hand into the basket, patted the mud off her hands, and said in a sarcastic, drawn-out tone, "Who do we have here, making such a commotion? It turns out to be Boss Qin and our Qingqing."

Wang Dazui and two other village women also came over, their eyes gleaming with excitement, like flies that had caught a whiff of blood.

"Brother Qin, it was raining so hard last night, where did you guys... find shelter from the rain?" Wang Dazui grinned, his eyes glancing at Lin Qingqing's neck. "Look how tired Qingqing is, she can barely walk, and you have to hold her hand."

The color drained from Lin Qingqing's face instantly. She bit her lip hard, her nails digging into her palms.

This kind of judgmental scrutiny is even more unbearable than being directly insulted. In this village where gossip can be deadly, her current state is the biggest evidence of her crime.

Qin Lie stood expressionless in front of Lin Qingqing, his tall figure like a wall, blocking out those sticky and disgusting gazes.

"Keep your mouths shut." He spoke coldly, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling aura. "If your tongues are too long, I don't mind trimming them for you."

Several village women shrank back in fear at his fierce gaze. Qin Lie was notoriously difficult to deal with in the village; he was a ruthless character who dared to take action.

But Sun Erniang, relying on her superior numbers and the fact that it was broad daylight, became a little bolder.