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

Qin Lie stormed in, carrying two freshly hunted pheasants, his face contorted with rage. Hearing the screams and strange noises inside, he assumed it was a snake or some other wild animal and didn't have time to think much of it.

However, the sight before him made him freeze in place.

The narrow, cramped space was filled with moisture.

The broken pipe was still spraying water tirelessly.

Lin Qingqing was huddled naked in the corner. Her entire body was covered in white foam, streaks left by the water. Her wet hair clung to her cheeks, and her terrified peach blossom eyes were wide open, like a helpless young animal.

The visual impact of that instant was ten thousand times more scorching than the sun just now.

Qin Lie's pupils suddenly contracted, and his mind went blank as if something had exploded.

But he reacted extremely quickly.

Almost instantly, he turned around abruptly, his back to Lin Qingqing. His broad back acted like a wall, completely blocking any possible view from the outside.

"Get dressed!"

His voice was terribly hoarse, as if he had a mouthful of sand in it.

Lin Qingqing finally came to her senses, trembling with shame, tears welling up instantly: "The pipe... the pipe is broken... the water won't stop..."

The water was still bubbling. Qin Lie took a deep breath, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

At a time like this, going out is not an option, and staying here is even worse.

"Get out of the way."

He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and, relying on his memory of the directions, reached behind him with his hand.

The valve for that pipe was on the bamboo pole behind Lin Qingqing.

Lin Qingqing was standing right next to the bamboo pole, with nowhere to retreat.

Qin Lie's large hand reached out, radiating scorching heat.

Because he couldn't see, he made two grasping motions in the air with his hands.

For the first time, I touched warm, smooth skin. It was her shoulder. Smooth, soft, with the feel of soapy water.

Lin Qingqing trembled and let out a very soft sob.

Qin Lie's hand recoiled as if burned. His Adam's apple bobbed violently, and his breathing instantly became heavy. That masculine aura fermented in the small space, making it hard to breathe.

"Don't move."

His voice was even hoarseer, carrying a hint of suppressed irritability.

The second time, he tried to avoid her body and groped his way down the bamboo pole.

This time, his arm inevitably brushed against her chest. Although there was a layer of air between them, the faint warmth made them both feel as if they had been electrocuted.

Lin Qingqing bit her lip hard, her face flushed red, her hands covering her chest, and she curled up into a ball.

Qin Lie finally found the valve.

He twisted it hard.

"Sizzle—"

The sound of water stopped abruptly.

The world fell silent instantly.

All that remained were the sounds of their breathing rising and falling, and the "drip-drip" of water droplets falling down the straw curtain.

Qin Lie's muscles were taut to the extreme. His black vest was soaked by the splashed water and clung to his back, outlining the rock-hard lines of his back.

He didn't dare open his eyes, nor did he dare turn around.

His nose was filled with that damned soapy scent, mixed with the unique fragrance of a young girl, which pierced his bones like a hook.

"Are you dressed?" he asked.

"No... my clothes are wet..." Lin Qingqing said, her voice trembling with tears. The water had sprayed everywhere, and the clean clothes on the stool next to her were now completely soaked.

Qin Lie swore.

He ripped off his vest without even looking at it and threw it behind him.

"Cover it up."

The vest, still warm and smelling of sweat, was draped over Lin Qingqing's head.

Lin Qingqing hurriedly put on the vest. The vest was so big it was like a skirt, just covering her vital parts, but not her pair of fair thighs.

"Okay...okay."

As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Lie rushed out as if a ghost was chasing him, flung open the straw curtain.

The air outside was a little cooler, but the fire in Qin Lie's heart burned even brighter.

He stood in the courtyard, his chest heaving violently. The scene from just now was branded into his mind, impossible to shake off.

White.

It's fucking white.

He looked down at his hand; the sensation of touching her skin seemed to still linger on his fingertips, a tingling, itchy feeling that went straight to his heart.

"Hold."

Qin Lie cursed under his breath, strode to the hand pump, grabbed the bucket of cold water that Lin Qingqing had just filled, and without thinking, poured it over his head.

"Splash—!"

The icy well water poured down my head, soaking my entire body.

Water droplets dripped down his resolute chin, flowed over the hideous scar, and mingled into his waistband.

But this coolness couldn't suppress the internal heat at all.

Just then, the courtyard gate was kicked open.

"Brother! It's unbearably hot today! My blacksmith shop is practically a furnace!"

With that booming voice, a man as tall as an iron tower walked in.

The second son, Xiao Yong.

He was shirtless, revealing his muscular, dark skin. A dirty towel hung around his neck, and he was carrying a heavy iron hammer that weighed dozens of kilograms, as if he were carrying a fire poker.

As soon as Xiao Yong entered, he saw Qin Lie standing by the well, soaking wet, his pants clinging to his legs, looking quite disheveled.

"Hey! Big brother, what happened to you? Did you fall into the well?"

Xiao Yong threw the hammer to the ground with a loud thud, and the ground trembled.

Just as he was about to walk over, his nose suddenly twitched.

In addition to the smell of soil and sweat, there was also a faint fragrance in the air.

That smells like soap.

These grown men never use this stuff; they always use soap or soapberry.

Xiao Yong paused for a moment, his big, round eyes darting around before his gaze fell on the straw curtain in the corner that was still dripping with water, and then he looked at the tightly closed door of the east room.

Finally, his gaze returned to Qin Lie, his eyes becoming somewhat strange, carrying a hint of knowing but not saying it, and a trace of barely perceptible excitement.

"Big brother." Xiao Yong grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile somewhat meaningful, "This weather... is indeed quite hot."