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

She was wearing a thin floral shirt, buttoned up tightly, but because of the exertion just now, the collar was slightly open, revealing a small patch of fair skin that rose and fell with her heavy breathing.

That shovel strike was the strongest she had ever used in her life.

"No...don't come any closer!"

Lin Qingqing cried out, her voice soft yet sharp. Holding the shovel, she resembled a cornered rabbit, revealing her not-so-sharp baby teeth.

Qin Lie was stunned for a moment.

He never expected that this delicate girl, who usually wouldn't even dare to watch a chicken being killed and would cry for half a day if she got a cut on her finger, would actually dare to rush out and hit someone.

"Well done."

A bloodthirsty smile curled at the corner of Qin Lie's lips, and the ferocity in his eyes erupted completely.

Since she dared to make a move, why should he have any scruples?

Qin Lie roared, like a tiger unleashed from its cage, and turned to charge into the crowd.

This time, he didn't hold back.

Every punch landed squarely, every kick pierced the heart.

Those Li family relatives who had been so arrogant just moments before were now like pigs and sheep waiting to be slaughtered, being beaten by Qin Lie until they cried for their parents and were left crying for their teeth on the ground.

Lin Qingqing was also busy.

She stood guard at the entrance to the main room, and if anyone dared to approach, she would close her eyes and swing a shovel. Although there was no particular method, her reckless attitude scared away the two hooligans who wanted to ambush her.

In less than five minutes, a pile of people lay on the ground in front of the Qin family's gate, their cries of agony echoing throughout.

Li Ergou dragged his broken leg into the crowd. Qin Lie casually threw away the half-staff he had snatched, walked up to Li Ergou, and stepped on his good leg.

"Ah—!" A pig-like scream echoed through the night sky.

Qin Lie bent down, his face, stained with blood, looking particularly ferocious in the torchlight: "Go back and tell your deadbeat brother that if he misses his wife, he can climb up here to find her himself. As for you..."

He stomped his foot hard: "If you dare to make a move on her again, next time it won't be her leg that gets broken, it'll be the middle one."

Li Ergou rolled his eyes in pain and begged for mercy repeatedly, "No... I won't dare again... I'll never dare again..."

"roll."

Qin Lie uttered a single word.

As if granted a pardon, the group helped each other and scrambled away from the Qin family compound, not daring to utter a single harsh word.

When the villagers who had come to watch the spectacle realized there was no more excitement, they all dispersed sheepishly, afraid of incurring Qin Lie's wrath.

The surroundings finally quieted down.

All that remained were the tireless chirping of cicadas in the distance and the heavy breathing of the two people in the courtyard.

Qin Lie turned around and looked at Lin Qingqing.

She remained in the position of holding the shovel, her hands stiff, her knuckles white. The heavy shovel was far too heavy for her, and when she loosened her grip, it fell to the ground with a thud.

Lin Qingqing's legs went weak, and she slid down.

Qin Lie reacted quickly, taking two steps forward and scooping the person up in his arms.

The man's embrace was burning hot, carrying a strong smell of sweat and a faint scent of blood. His hard muscles felt like stones, yet they gave Lin Qingqing an unprecedented sense of security.

"Waaah..."

As the fierceness from before dissipated, a wave of grievance and lingering fear washed over her. Lin Qingqing buried her face in Qin Lie's chest, tears streaming down her face like a broken string of pearls, quickly soaking the skin on his chest.

Qin Lie's body stiffened.

He had killed wolves, fought, and bled without batting an eye, but the damp heat on his chest now made his heart race.

He raised his hand, wanting to pat her back, but was afraid that the calluses on his hands would scratch her delicate skin. His hand hovered in mid-air for a long time, and in the end, he just clumsily rubbed the back of her head.

"Why are you crying?"

Qin Lie's voice was terribly hoarse, and his chest vibrated slightly as he spoke. "Weren't you quite capable just now? I was afraid you'd kill someone with that shovel strike."

Lin Qingqing sobbed, raised her head, her peach blossom eyes were red and swollen, and tears still clung to her eyelashes, like a bullied kitten.

"I...I'm afraid they'll beat you up..." Her voice was nasal and incredibly soft. "There are so many of them..."

Qin Lie's Adam's apple bobbed suddenly.

He looked down at the woman in his arms. In the moonlight, her face was glowing white, and because she had been crying, the tip of her nose and the corners of her eyes were tinged with pink. Her pitiful yet alluring appearance was simply irresistible to him.

"I'm tough as nails, I can't be killed." Qin Lie said gruffly, but his big hand uncontrollably slid down her back to her waist and pressed her closer to his chest with a little force.

Lin Qingqing felt a little pain from his tightness, but she didn't want to struggle at all. Instead, she reached out and carefully wrapped her arms around his strong waist.

"Qin Lie..."

"Um?"

"You're bleeding." She stretched out a finger and gently poked a bruise on the corner of his mouth.

"This little injury is nothing." Qin Lie tilted his head nonchalantly, but then bit her fingertip.

Lin Qingqing was startled and tried to shrink back, but he held on tightly.

His rough tongue rolled over her fingertips, sending a tingling electric current through her, running from her fingertips all the way to her tailbone.

"Ah..." she cried out softly, her body going limp like water.

Qin Lie opened his mouth, looking at the faint teeth marks around her fingertips, his eyes dark and frightening. He suddenly chuckled softly, the vibrations in his chest transmitting to her.

"Lin Qingqing".

"Um……"

"That shovel strike just now, that was fucking beautifully filmed."

Lin Qingqing was taken aback, not expecting him to praise her like that. She blinked, looking at the man's usually cold and hard face, which now had a touch of roguishness, and suddenly couldn't help but burst out laughing.

That smile, like pear blossoms in the rain, was incredibly alluring.

He suddenly bent down, picked Lin Qingqing up in his arms, and strode into the house.

"Qin Lie! What are you doing!" Lin Qingqing exclaimed, instinctively hugging his neck tightly.

"Do what you're supposed to do."

Qin Lie kicked open the door, threw her onto the bed, and then covered her with his tall body, casting her entirely in his shadow.

"Didn't you just say you were afraid I'd get beaten to death?"

He rested one hand on her ear, and with the other hand he pinched her delicate chin, his fingertips caressing her smooth skin. His voice was deep and husky, carrying a strong sense of aggression.

"Now I'll let you check whether I'm dead or not."

The room was dark, and the man's heavy breathing, mixed with a strong scent of male hormones, pressed down on the room.

Lin Qingqing's heart pounded like thunder. She felt like a lamb that had been dragged back to the wolf's den, with nowhere to escape.

"No...the door isn't closed yet..." Her voice trembled as she made a last-ditch effort.

"That broken door, let whoever wants to look at it look at it."

Qin Lie lowered his head, his burning lips brushing against her earlobe, and said viciously, "I'm going to let the whole village know who you are."

Outside the window, the moon shyly hid behind the clouds.

The mud-covered shovel lay silently on the ground in the yard, witnessing this absurd night that began with violence and ended with romance.