Women's hearts are as unfathomable as the sea. Ye Tiancheng was puzzled. He had clearly done it for the girl's own good, but he had angered her instead.
Fine, if she was angry, he would appease her. This was an unchangeable and correct universal law.
"Qing'er, I was wrong. I didn't mean anything else, nor did I want to distance myself from you. I just genuinely felt that I didn't want you to go through hardship for me."
Ye Tiancheng's words were sincere. The young girl, having no prior emotional experience, was immediately appeased. She tilted her head up to look at Ye Tiancheng and smiled adorably, her rosy cheeks glowing.
"I was just teasing you. How could I be so petty? Unless you said you wanted to break off our relationship and never see me again, I wouldn't be angry with you."
As she spoke, Hou Qing'er carried the lunchbox into the room. Ye Tiancheng followed behind and closed the door.
"Let's not talk about anything else. I specifically made this meal for you. Brother Ye, since you haven't eaten yet, please do me the honor and eat quickly."
The young girl spoke so gently. Coupled with Ye Tiancheng's hunger, he immediately agreed with a bobbing head.
When the lunchbox was opened, Ye Tiancheng found it filled with vegetarian dishes: a fried egg, stir-fried garlic sprouts, and stewed tofu with potatoes.
"Brother Ye, I took the ribs from home earlier to make stewed pork ribs for you. My family found out and scolded me. I couldn't explain clearly, so I've had to keep a low profile for the past couple of days."
Hou Qing'er's family had several pigs. With pork prices soaring, they were considered a wealthy family in the area. Ye Tiancheng believed that as long as he was patient, he would still get to eat pork, and perhaps even the braised pork he had long been craving.
"It's fine. Eating vegetarian is good. With you here, it's much better. When you're not around, I sometimes only have roasted potatoes to eat, or I go hungry and don't eat at all."
Seeing Ye Tiancheng speak so pitifully, the young girl was on the verge of tears.
"Brother Ye, you've truly suffered. A man as good as you has to endure hardship here."
Ye Tiancheng felt that the girl had a point. His wife was truly unappreciative, abandoning him in such a desolate place. It was clearly a banishment to the cold palace, intending for him to fend for himself.
Ye Tiancheng wouldn't be foolish like before, waiting foolishly for a day of redemption. Living his own life well was the most important thing now; everything else was nonsense.
"Brother Ye, eat quickly. Eat more. You were struck by lightning, so your body must be depleted. You need to replenish it well."
Hou Qing'er's words sounded a bit like an insult, but Ye Tiancheng was indeed hungry after a long day and didn't have time to bicker. He ate three bowls of rice with the few tasty vegetarian dishes.
Hou Qing'er was quite ladylike. By the time Ye Tiancheng finished his meal, she hadn't even eaten half a bowl of rice. Of course, throughout the process, this infatuated girl didn't eat properly, constantly staring at Ye Tiancheng. After all, looking at a handsome face was indeed pleasing to the eye.
After eating, Hou Qing'er began to tidy up. While organizing the house, she discovered the pebble that had suddenly appeared in the flowerpot.
"It's so beautiful! Brother Ye, I didn't see it yesterday. Where did you find such a beautiful stone that looks like a gem and even glows under the moonlight?"
It was better not to mention the stone. The mention of it made Ye Tiancheng feel a bit suffocated. This broken stone had given Ye Tiancheng hope, only to make him despair. It was truly not a good thing.
"It's nothing, just a broken stone. If you like it, take it."
"Such a beautiful stone is a broken stone? I can't bear to take what you like, so I'll leave it here."
In fact, Ye Tiancheng wished someone would take it away. After all, a stone with no function would constantly remind Ye Tiancheng of the glory he once had with the Nuwa Stone. This was simply torture. It was better to not see it and not be bothered, and live his own ordinary small life.
The two chatted for a while longer, then lay down on the kang, preparing to sleep together.
"Brother Ye, you don't need to worry about the hospital matters. I've already paid off your debt."
Hou Qing'er's sudden statement stunned Ye Tiancheng. In this area, there weren't many wealthy people. Even though her family raised several pigs, over a thousand yuan was still a huge sum for her.
This girl's words were astonishing. Ye Tiancheng immediately sat up, staring at her with wide, surprised eyes!
"You paid my debt? How did you know I owed the hospital money?"
"Brother Ye, I happen to know a nurse at the hospital. I originally wanted to inquire about your condition and whether you would have any lingering effects in the future, or if you needed to pay attention to any dietary taboos. Coincidentally, I learned that your medical expenses at the hospital had not been settled, so I paid them first."
Now it was over. Ye Tiancheng's male pride was completely crushed. If Ye Tiancheng could produce a thousand yuan now, he could at least cover this shortfall and save face. The crucial point was that Ye Tiancheng couldn't.
Ye Tiancheng suspected that even selling himself wouldn't be worth a thousand yuan. At this moment, he couldn't even put on a brave face. He had no choice but to accept this "soft rice."
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's dejected look and his somewhat displeased expression, Hou Qing'er began to feel scared.
"I'm sorry, Brother Ye. Did I make you uncomfortable by doing these things without asking you? I don't mean to disrespect you, I just feared you might feel pressured. I happened to have money on hand, so I paid it first."
She, who had done a good deed, was now comforting him. How could Ye Tiancheng bear to be so shameless and let the young girl appease him?
"That's not what I meant, Qing'er." As he spoke, Ye Tiancheng also took Hou Qing'er's hand. "I mean, it's embarrassing for a grown man like me to use your money. But I'm not capable of repaying you yet. How about this, you write an IOU, and I'll sign it."
Seeing Ye Tiancheng's sincere expression, even with a pure light in his eyes, Hou Qing'er felt that everything was worth it and smiled faintly.
"No matter what you think, I don't care about that woman who ignored you. Anyway, I feel like I'm dating you. Isn't it normal for a girlfriend to be good to her boyfriend?"
Hou Qing'er's words were truly heartwarming. Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but embrace her.
"I will definitely work hard, Qing'er. I will repay you, and I will also give you a good life."
A sincere heart is the most difficult thing to find. How could he have been so foolish in his dreams, with such a virtuous girl like Qing'er? Even living a hard life in this remote village, Ye Tiancheng felt it was another form of happiness.
That night, with Ye Tiancheng's heart in sync with Qing'er's, he couldn't resist possessing her, making this woman completely his.
The next morning, when Ye Tiancheng woke up, he found that she was already gone. As usual, breakfast was prepared. Ye Tiancheng suddenly sat up and slapped his head hard.
"How could I have done something so inhuman?"
Ye Tiancheng truly regretted it. Now he had no money. Was he going to rely on a woman to support him? He couldn't give Qing'er the future she desired.
How could he have acted on impulse and done such a foolish thing?
Just thinking about it made him incredibly upset. After what happened last night, Ye Tiancheng felt an immense pressure. He realized he shouldn't just muddle along and wait for death; he needed to consider his future.
Ye Tiancheng picked up his hoe and went to farm again. No matter how hard he tried, his income was only a little over ten yuan a day. Let alone giving the woman he loved a good life, it would take him three to four months to earn back that thousand yuan.
It was truly agonizing. Moreover, the sun was particularly scorching today. Ye Tiancheng was drenched in sweat from his labor, but he had no right to stop.
By noon, it was too hot to bear. Ye Tiancheng grabbed his hoe and intended to go to the woods to find some shade. If this continued, he might be sunburnt to death before he was worked to death.
Ye Tiancheng lay in the woods, letting the dappled shade of the trees fall on his face. With the trees blocking the sun, it was finally cooler. He had been dying of heat just moments ago.
Ye Tiancheng lay on the ground, with his legs crossed and his arms propping up his head. The ground was not only not cool today, but it was even a bit warm due to the intense sun.
"Sigh."
Even during his rest, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but sigh. He felt so worried. A life without the Guardian Stone and without any cheats was truly too difficult.
Ye Tiancheng felt drowsy and sleepy. He didn't control himself and decided to take a nap, planning to continue working in the afternoon. If he didn't work, he wouldn't even get that little bit of money.
Suddenly, a cool breeze blew past, and a white figure floated towards him.
"Ye Tiancheng, you have already retrieved the Guardian Stone. However, to activate the Guardian Stone, you must use Qing'er's life as a sacrifice."
"Are you crazy? Is this a Guardian Stone or a killer stone? How can activating it require a woman's life?"
"You can choose not to activate the Guardian Stone. Without the help of the Nuwa Divine Stone, you are nothing. It's not important. You can continue to live this miserable life. Just pretend I didn't say anything."
Ye Tiancheng wanted to get up and punch the white figure a few times. Was this human language? He suddenly thought that the other party might not be human, and he was covered in goosebumps. Was he experiencing sleep paralysis? How could he have such a terrifying experience?
"Get lost quickly! My Qing'er has a long life. She'll outlive you!"
Ye Tiancheng cursed loudly and suddenly woke up. It turned out he had fallen asleep in the woods. He spat on the ground several times, as the dream was too inauspicious. He hoped that nothing from his dream would come true.
After working hard all afternoon, Ye Tiancheng was sore all over. He hurried home. As soon as he arrived, hot food was waiting for him. This feeling was truly wonderful.
Hou Qing'er was still as gentle and lovely as ever. At the dinner table, looking at her, Ye Tiancheng felt his heart filled, no longer so desolate.
However, he suddenly remembered the strange dream he had at noon.
"By the way, Qing'er, I saw the stone is gone. Did you take it?"
"Yes, I carry it with me like a token of love. When I miss you, I take it out to look at it."
Ye Tiancheng felt that the Nuwa Stone was a good thing, something that could make him prosper and even change his destiny. But now, this stone had a terrifying connotation. It wasn't a good thing; it was even a bit evil. So, after some thought, he told Hou Qing'er.
"Throw the stone away. I had a dream at noon today, and it might have a negative impact on you. So, it's best to throw it away for your safety."
At first, the young girl was reluctant. Only after Ye Tiancheng mentioned it again did she agree.
After eating his fill, Ye Tiancheng was exhausted and fell asleep very early. As soon as he closed his eyes, the white figure appeared again.
"To activate the Nuwa Stone, you need the blood of a lover. You can't endure such hardship for long. Kill Qing'er! Her blood will help you begin your path of reversal."