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

She curled her lip, waving the tattered handkerchief in her hand, and sneered, "Brother Qin, don't try to scare us. We're just showing concern for our neighbors. You know, a lone man and a lone woman spent the night in those deep mountains and forests, changed their clothes, and got a few bruises on their bodies, can't we even ask them a few questions?"

She emphasized the words "suffered injuries" and stared intently at Lin Qingqing's neck.

"Yeah, that's right," Wang Dazui chimed in, mustering his courage. "Qingqing, what happened to that on your neck? Did you get bitten by some poisonous insect? Should we ask your second aunt to take a look?"

After saying that, the women let out a knowing, snickering laugh.

The laughter pierced Lin Qingqing's ears like needles.

Shame overwhelmed her like a tidal wave. She felt as if she had been stripped naked and thrown into the street, all her fig leaves ruthlessly torn away by these women.

"No...it's not what you think..." she tried to explain, her voice trembling, but the words came out weak and powerless.

"If not that, then what was it?" Sun Erniang took a step closer, a malicious smile on her face. "Could it be that you two were just chatting under the covers in that cave? I say, Lin Qingqing, you usually act like a virtuous and chaste woman, but you're quite the player behind the scenes. Are you planning to sleep with all five of the Qin brothers one by one?"

That's a really harsh statement.

Lin Qingqing trembled with rage, tears finally streaming down her face: "You're lying! You...you're making false accusations!"

"I'm talking nonsense?" Sun Erniang pointed to the hickeys on her neck. "Then tell me, where did this mark come from? A mosquito bite? I bet it was a male mosquito bite!"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

The laughter around them became even more unrestrained.

Lin Qingqing felt dizzy and her vision blurred. It was all over. As soon as those women came down the mountain, the whole village would know she was a "shameless slut" in less than half a day.

Just when she was so desperate that she could barely stand, a large hand suddenly grabbed her waist.

Qin Lie's murderous aura surged instantly.

Without saying another word, he stepped forward and kicked the withered tree, about the size of a bowl, in front of Sun Erniang.

A crisp "snap" sounded.

The withered tree snapped in response, falling to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust that landed right at Sun Erniang's feet.

The laughter stopped abruptly.

Sun Erniang screamed in fright and fell to the ground with a thud, her face deathly pale. The other women were even more frightened and retreated repeatedly, not daring to breathe.

Qin Lie stared down at Sun Erniang, who was sprawled on the ground, his eyes looking like he wanted to devour her.

"I'll say it again."

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, "Lin Qingqing is a member of the Qin family. Whether I touch her or sleep with her is our Qin family's business. It's none of your business to gossip."

These words were extremely domineering, and they directly confirmed a certain relationship.

Lin Qingqing looked up at him abruptly, her eyes filled with shock. How could he... how could he say that?

After saying that, he didn't even glance at the few terrified women, but picked Lin Qingqing up in his arms and strode over there.

Even after walking quite a distance, Lin Qingqing could still hear the rapid beating of her own heart.

She nestled in Qin Lie's arms, burying her face in his hard chest, her tears soaking his clothes.

"How...how could you say that..." she complained, her voice trembling with tears. "Now everyone knows..."

Qin Lie glanced down at her, but didn't stop walking.

"If you know, you know."

His voice was cold and hard, yet it carried an inexplicable sense of reassurance. "Instead of letting them speculate and make things up, I'd rather just admit it. In this village, as long as you're a member of the Qin family, no one dares to touch you."

Lin Qingqing bit her lip, feeling a mix of emotions.

She knew Qin Lie was protecting her, but the way he looked just now was really fierce, and also... captivating.

A mountain breeze swept by, carrying away the commotion from before.

Qin Lie carried her steadily, the muddy mountain path beneath his feet feeling as smooth as flat ground.

"Don't cry."

Feeling the person in his arms still sobbing, Qin Lie frowned slightly in annoyance, but his tone softened a bit, "If you cry again, I'll throw you down."

Lin Qingqing was so frightened that she quickly stopped crying, but her shoulders were still twitching.

Qin Lie sighed, freed one hand, and clumsily patted her back twice.

"Where did that energy go? Weren't you quite assertive when you were teasing me?"

Lin Qingqing buried her face even deeper and said in a muffled voice, "Their insults were so awful..."

"They can say whatever they want," Qin Lie sneered. "When we get home, I'll have my second son deal with them. That kid's a bastard, and these women aren't afraid of him."

Hearing the words "go home" calmed Lin Qingqing down a little.

Yes, no matter what happens outside, that dilapidated yet warm courtyard is where she now finds refuge.

only……

She secretly glanced up at Qin Lie's resolute chin.

After today's events, the unspoken understanding between her and Qin Lie has been completely broken. How is she supposed to face him in this family from now on? And... what will her other brothers do if they find out?

Thinking of the always smiling but scheming third brother Gu Qiangying, and the youngest brother Jiang He with a frighteningly strong possessiveness, Lin Qingqing felt her scalp tingle.

Qin Lie seemed to sense her unease and tightened his grip on her arm.

"Don't think about useless things," he whispered in her ear. "If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. You're my woman, and in this house, no one dares to give you a hard time."

Lin Qingqing's heart skipped a beat.

She is his woman...

These words were like a brand, burning her heart with a tremor.

The two remained silent the entire way, and Qin Lie only put her down when they were almost at the village entrance.

It was midday, and smoke was billowing from the village chimneys. There weren't many people on the road; everyone had gone home for lunch.

But Lin Qingqing knew that this was just the calm before the storm.

Sun Erniang's mouth is more effective than the village loudspeaker. What just happened will probably spread throughout the entire Qingshan Village in no time, and it will definitely be embellished and made even more unbearable.

"Let's go."

Qin Lie took her hand again, this time their fingers intertwined, the grip so tight it was as if he was afraid she would run away.

"Stand up straight and walk with your back straight," he said in a deep voice. "We're not stealing or robbing, what are we afraid of?"

Lin Qingqing took a deep breath and looked at the tall, mountain-like man beside her. The fear in her heart miraculously dissipated a lot.

She gripped his hand tightly in return and nodded gently.

"Um."

"Go gather herbs for the third brother, and then we'll head back."

"Um."

……

Meanwhile, on the mountain road behind them.

It took Sun Erniang a long time to get up from the ground. She patted the dirt off her thighs, and her face, painted with red lips, was twisted into a somewhat ferocious expression.

"You, Qin Lie, dare to scare me with a used woman!" She spat viciously. "A member of the Qin family? Bah! I think she's just a worthless slut who's been ridden by ten thousand men!"

Wang Dazui leaned closer, looking still shaken: "Second Aunt, should we... still talk? Boss Qin's look just now was really scary."

"Speak! Why won't you speak!" A wicked glint flashed in Sun Erniang's eyes. "No matter how good Qin Lie is at fighting, can he silence the entire village? I want to see if the Qin family can still live in peace if this gets to that old hag Li's ears!"

She gave a cold laugh, picked up the basket, and hurried down the mountain.

"Let's go, let's go to the Li family and give that old hag a heads-up! This time, we're in for a good show!"