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

Just as Qin Lie's burning hot hand was about to slip inside her clothes, and Lin Qingqing was feeling dizzy from the overwhelming masculine scent—

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, the two flimsy wooden doors were kicked open from the outside, the doors slamming against the earthen wall and sending dust flying from the roof.

"Big brother! I'm back! This journey was fucking unlucky. The car broke down halfway, and I carried about a hundred pounds of stuff for ten miles..."

A rough, loud voice rolled into the room like thunder, accompanied by heavy footsteps, and the sultry night wind from outside also rushed in.

The two people on the bed froze instantly.

Qin Lie reacted quickly, swiftly pulling the large, mischievous hand away from Lin Qingqing's waist and wrapping the blanket around her, leaving only her fluffy head exposed.

He sat up, his tall frame blocking the front of the bed, his long legs hanging casually over the edge, completely obscuring his body.

Lin Qingqing was so frightened that her soul almost flew away. Her face turned as red as a freshly cooked shrimp, and she didn't even dare to breathe.

A burly man, as dark as an iron tower, stood at the entrance.

Xiao Yong threw the heavy sack on his shoulder to the ground with a loud thud. He wiped the sweat from his face, his large, round eyes scanning the dimly lit room before finally settling on the bedside.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Yong was stunned.

The room was dark, bathed in pale moonlight. His elder brother, Qin Lie, sat on the edge of the bed, his clothes disheveled, two buttons undone at the collar revealing a large expanse of his muscular chest, which was still heaving violently, clearly from physical labor. From the bulging blankets on the bed, a pair of watery, timid peach blossom eyes peeked out, staring at him in fear.

There was an indescribable smell in the air.

Although Xiao Yong is a rough man and not as smart as Lao San, that doesn't mean he's stupid.

He scratched his stubble-like short hair, his gaze shifting between Qin Lie and Lin Qingqing, his throat dry: "Big brother,...did I come back at the wrong time?"

Qin Lie's cold, hard face showed no embarrassment at being caught in the act. He slowly adjusted his open collar, his voice as deep as the water at the bottom of a well: "Knowing it's not the right time, why don't you go wash your face?"

Xiao Yong chuckled, instantly forgetting his embarrassment. He strode in, the floorboards creaking under his feet.

"Why bother washing your face? We're brothers, why bother with that?" Xiao Yong plopped down next to the square table with a missing leg propped up by bricks, grabbed a large jar of cold boiled water, gulped it down, wiped his mouth, and then stared intently at the bed with his bright eyes.

"What's wrong, Qingqing? Your face is so red, do you have a fever?"

Lin Qingqing felt exposed by his direct gaze and could only bury her face in the blanket, her voice barely audible: "Second...Second Brother is back."

The way he called him "Second Brother" was so soft and sweet, with a lingering nasal tone, that it made Xiao Yong's bones melt.

"Hey! I'm back!" Xiao Yong answered loudly, grinning and showing off his white teeth, his simple and honest demeanor revealing an undisguised excitement.

He stood up and, as if showing off a treasure, began to untie the ropes of the burlap sacks on the ground. "On this trip to the provincial capital, the factory gave me a lot of coupons. I figured we were short of everything at home, so I exchanged them all. Brother, I brought you two bottles of good wine, and also..."

He rummaged through the sack for a long time, his calloused hands clumsily searching, and finally carefully took out a small item wrapped in a red handkerchief.

Xiao Yong strode to the bedside, completely ignoring Qin Lie's fiery eyes, and handed the handkerchief to Lin Qingqing as if he were going to rip out her heart.

"My dear Qingqing, this is for you!"

Lin Qingqing was stunned for a moment, then stretched out a snow-white arm from under the covers, hesitating and not daring to take it.

She glanced at Qin Lie subconsciously.

Qin Lie's face darkened, and he didn't say anything, only letting out a snort from his nostrils, which was considered tacit approval.

Lin Qingqing then reached out and took it, her fingertips inevitably brushing against Xiao Yong's palm. The touch felt like a red-hot iron, burning her fingers and causing her to recoil. Xiao Yong's hands were incredibly rough, covered in calluses and scars from years of blacksmithing, and his palms were frighteningly hot.

Upon being touched, Xiao Yong reacted as if he had been electrocuted; the fearless and reckless man's ears actually turned red.

Lin Qingqing lifted the handkerchief, and inside lay a silver bracelet.

The design was actually quite old-fashioned—a solid, round bar with a not-so-fine plum blossom pattern engraved on it. But in the rural areas of the 1980s, this was definitely a respectable and substantial gift. The silver gleamed softly in the moonlight, making the red handkerchief appear even more vibrant.

"This... is too valuable, I can't accept it." Lin Qingqing was startled and quickly wrapped her handkerchief around her handkerchief, trying to push it back. In these times when even basic necessities were a problem, this bracelet would probably cost Xiao Yong several months' worth of allowance.

"Expensive my foot!" Xiao Yong snapped, his loud voice making Lin Qingqing's ears ring. "Just take it! What would a grown man like me keep this for? To wear as a headband?"

As he spoke, regardless of whether Lin Qingqing was willing or not, he grabbed Lin Qingqing's slender wrist with his large, fan-like hand.

"Second Brother..." Lin Qingqing exclaimed, trying to struggle, but her strength was like an ant trying to shake a tree in front of Xiao Yong.

Xiao Yong's grip was frighteningly strong, yet he held her wrist with surprising care, as if afraid of crushing her arm, which resembled a lotus root. He roughly took the bracelet and forcefully slipped it onto Lin Qingqing's wrist.

The bracelet felt a little cold, which gave Lin Qingqing goosebumps.

"Tsk, I knew this size would be perfect."

Xiao Yong watched as the silver bracelet swayed gently on her slender white wrist, the contrast between black and white, rough and delicate, creating a strong visual impact.

He grinned with satisfaction, his fingers lingeringly caressing the back of her hand a couple of times. The calluses on his fingertips scraped away, making Lin Qingqing's skin sting, yet also bringing an indescribable tingling sensation.

"Beautiful." Xiao Yong stared at her hands, his Adam's apple bobbing, his eyes gleaming. "Damn, they're beautiful."

"Have you seen enough?"

A sinister voice came from above.

Qin Lie stood up at some point, his tall figure casting a shadow that separated Xiao Yong and Lin Qingqing.

He reached out and snatched Lin Qingqing's wrist from Xiao Yong's grasp, tucking it back into the blanket with a forceful and domineering gesture.

Xiao Yong's hand went empty; the delicate, soft touch vanished, leaving him feeling empty inside. He looked up at Qin Lie with some displeasure: "Big brother, what are you doing? Can't I even put a bracelet on a girl's wrist?"

Qin Lie gave him a cold glance, his eyes sharp as knives: "You just got back and you're covered in sweat. Don't piss people off. Go boil some water and wash off all that mud."

Xiao Yong sniffed, indeed smelling the sour odor on himself. He glanced at Lin Qingqing, who was huddled under the covers with only her eyes showing, and chuckled, "Alright, whatever you say, big brother. You rest, little sister. Second brother will go make you something delicious. There are still two pounds of pork belly in this sack; we're having a feast tonight!"

After saying that, he didn't care about Qin Lie's attitude, turned around, humming an unknown tune, and went to the main room with the sack.

Once the boisterous figure disappeared through the doorway, the room fell silent again.

Qin Lie turned around, his gaze falling on Lin Qingqing's wrist adorned with a silver bracelet. The bracelet was barely visible at the edge of the blanket, quite glaring.

"You like it?" Qin Lie suddenly asked, his voice a little strained.

Lin Qingqing's heart skipped a beat. She knew Qin Lie's tone all too well; it was the calm before the storm. She quickly shook her head: "No...it's not what I wanted, it's my second brother..."