Times have changed, and people are no longer the same.
Su Xiaoqi despised scumbags like Su Jiamo and avoided him like the plague, so how could she get close to him?
As Su Jiamo rubbed his hands and lunged, she pushed him away with all her might without a second thought.
Su Jiamo’s hands met empty air. At first, he didn’t take it to heart.
This woman was adept at playing hard to get; he was used to it.
He kept calling her "little sister," "darling," and "sweetheart."
Su Xiaoqi was annoyed by his persistence. When he lunged again, she aimed a kick at his groin.
Before she could land the kick, Su Xiaoqi’s right leg suddenly cramped, and her left foot lost its balance.
She silently encouraged herself, "Don't fall, don't fall," and then she spectacularly tumbled down.
"Hahaha, my darling sweetheart, I knew you'd play this trick on me."
Su Jiamo thought Su Xiaoqi was just teasing him. He eagerly reached out to catch her, pulling her into his embrace, and leaned in for a kiss.
Disgusted, Su Xiaoqi staggered away from his arms, unable to stand steadily. "Let go of me..." Her peach blossom eyes glared at him, fierce and unyielding.
Su Jiamo paused for a moment, then held Su Xiaoqi even tighter.
"No, I won't. You haven't come to see me for so many days; I've missed you terribly. Fortunately, Miss Zhao played matchmaker for us."
Su Xiaoqi was quite strong, but she was no match for Su Jiamo. After struggling for a long time, she couldn't break free and ended up twisting her waist.
Just as she desperately opened her mouth to cry for help, Su Jiamo covered her mouth and whispered in her ear,
"Good sister, it doesn't matter if you call out, but you might be thrown into the river again."
Su Xiaoqi suddenly came to her senses and quickly shut her mouth.
Since force wouldn't work, she tried gentleness. Mimicking the original owner's tone, she said sweetly,
"Second Young Master, I think I'll divorce Shen Yun and follow you. Would you be willing to marry me?"
Su Jiamo's body stiffened, his eyes filled with panic. He clearly had never considered this.
Su Xiaoqi let out a cold laugh. Seizing his unpreparedness, she stepped on his toes and twisted away to escape.
However, Su Jiamo had learned his lesson. He endured the pain and chased after her, coaxing her that they should discuss this matter at length.
Su Xiaoqi ran ahead, and Su Jiamo pursued her from behind.
The scene looked rather strange and intimate.
Fearing that someone from the village would come to watch, Su Xiaoqi stopped at the entrance of the ancestral hall and beckoned to the pursuing Su Jiamo, snapping her fingers.
Su Jiamo chuckled with a lewd grin and rushed towards Su Xiaoqi with his arms outstretched.
Unexpectedly, Su Xiaoqi dodged his grasp with agile movements, then landed a punch that left him stunned and in pain for a long time.
He looked at Su Xiaoqi's angry face and demanded to know what she meant.
Su Xiaoqi laid it all out for him, telling him never to approach her again.
"What? Su Xiaoqi, are you crossing the bridge and burning it down?" Su Jiamo never expected Su Xiaoqi to end things so abruptly.
Her previous flirtatious and unrestrained behavior had ignited a fire within him, and now she was talking about backing out.
He absolutely would not allow it.
Su Jiamo's anger fueled his strength. He grabbed Su Xiaoqi's clothes and tore at them wildly.
He ripped a hole in her coarse cloth outer garment, revealing her delicate shoulder.
Su Xiaoqi panicked, trying to protect her shoulder while resisting. Coupled with her sprained ankle and twisted waist, the pain was unbearable.
She soon fell into a disadvantage, her arm caught by Su Jiamo again, and she was flipped over and pinned beneath him.
Without any further ado, he lowered his head and began.
Su Xiaoqi frantically scratched at the ground in panic, finding a stone. Closing her eyes, she brought it down on Su Jiamo's head, thinking hatefully, "Smash him to death, smash him to death!"
Midway, her hand was suddenly stopped, and a clear, indifferent voice reached her.
"If you smash him to death, you'll have to pay with your life."
Su Xiaoqi abruptly opened her eyes. The detestable face pressing down on her was flipped away, sending him sprawling on his back.
It was replaced by Shen Yun's cold and handsome face.
He extended his hand towards her, signaling her to get up.
Su Xiaoqi lowered her head, biting her lip, and whispered, "I sprained my ankle and twisted my waist; I can't move."
Otherwise, with her skills, she would have already beaten Su Jiamo black and blue.
Shen Yun recalled the scenes he had just witnessed from his hidden vantage point and immediately understood.
He bent down, scooped Su Xiaoqi into his arms, and turned to look at Su Jiamo, whom he had just flipped over. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
Su Xiaoqi, looking up at him, caught that look, and a chill ran down her spine.
She instinctively explained, "I have nothing to do with him."
Shen Yun remained silent for a moment before sighing without speaking.
Su Xiaoqi was about to explain further when Zhao Hai'e came running from a nearby alley, panting.
She seemed exhausted from running, breathing raggedly, her breath uneven.
As soon as she saw Shen Yun, she yelled, "Brother Yun, did you see? This woman is fooling around with other men behind your back again!
Just you wait! I'll go call everyone from the village right now. This time, we'll drown her in the pond again!"
Zhao Hai'e's enthusiasm was palpable.
Shen Yun stopped her, saying it was his family matter and that she, an outsider, was overstepping her bounds.
"No, it's not like that. She's unfaithful and having illicit affairs. Keeping her will ruin our village's reputation."
Zhao Hai'e's intentions were blatant; all she wanted was to get rid of Su Xiaoqi.
Someone as good as Brother Yun was someone she intended to marry.
Su Xiaoqi was currently the biggest obstacle to her marrying Brother Yun.
"Would a husband accompany his wife in having illicit affairs?" Shen Yun walked past Zhao Hai'e with Su Xiaoqi in his arms, his face expressionless, as cold as a mask.
"No, they are truly adulterous, Brother Yun, believe me." Zhao Hai'e argued, pouting.
Su Xiaoqi was in pain all over, and she channeled her anger onto Zhao Hai'e, saying furiously, "To catch a thief, you need evidence; to catch an adulterer, you need proof!
If you can't provide evidence, you're making a false accusation and will be sent to officials yourself!"
Zhao Hai'e's mind buzzed with shock.
Su Xiaoqi's words made perfect sense. Her claims of the two having an affair were merely her one-sided words.
Shen Yun, as Su Xiaoqi's husband, stood by her side, so no one would believe Zhao Hai'e.
After all, what husband would go out with his wife to do such a thing?
Furthermore, the lustful and timid Su Jiamo, hearing the approaching footsteps, got scared and bolted. Where was she going to find a witness?
The farce concluded with Zhao Hai'e retreating in shame and anger, Su Jiamo escaping, and Su Xiaoqi injured.
Back home, Su Xiaoqi lay on the bed, propping her chin with her hands and lost in thought.
Although the injury made her unhappy, upon careful reflection, she felt it was fortunate that the situation hadn't worsened due to Shen Yun's timely arrival.
"Turn over, let me apply the medicine," Shen Yun said concisely.
Before Su Xiaoqi could react, her waist felt a chill as Shen Yun directly lifted her clothes.
"Hey, I'll do it myself," Su Xiaoqi said, twisting her body in refusal.
There was no response from behind her. She cautiously turned her head to look.
Shen Yun paid no heed to her words and continued to apply the medicine to her.
His fingernails were neatly trimmed. As they brushed against the soft flesh of her waist, it felt ticklish, making her heart pound.
She endured it, thinking that since it had come to this, she might as well wait for him to finish.
To her surprise, the hands behind her seemed to cling to her waist, moving up and down, left and right.