Chapter 15 The First Night with the Older Man

The family sat at the table, gnawing on large bones with relish, their lips glistening with oil. Er Ya was especially satisfied, and at the end, she even let out a very exaggerated burp.

She looked up and said, "Dad, there's still pig's blood. Tomorrow I'll go to the field and pick some chili peppers. Shall we make stir-fried pig's blood with chili peppers?"

Lu Zheng replied, "Okay."

Daya glanced at Erya and said, "All you ever do is eat, eat, eat."

Upon hearing this, Er Ya pouted and said, "Sister Mingming, you ate just as much, yet you're criticizing me."

"You brat, you're still making fun of me?" Da Ya said, pinching Er Ya's cheek. Er Ya took off running into the yard. Da Ya smiled and pretended to chase after her, but Er Ya ran even faster.

Seeing the family laughing and joking together like this, Xia Qianqian couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

Although she lived a life of luxury at the Xia family home, she had never felt this kind of joy, so full of warmth and everyday life. This joy was pure, like a gentle stream flowing through her heart, warm and comforting.

By the time Daya finished washing the pot, the moon was already high in the sky.

The cool, silvery moonlight bathed the village, and the whole village was silent except for the tireless chirping of crickets, whose calls were particularly clear in the still night.

Xia Qianqian glanced at her watch subconsciously and realized that it was already 10 p.m., time to go to sleep.

Daya took Erya to wash their faces, and Xia Qianqian also planned to go fetch water. But Daya stopped her and said, "Aunt Xia, you've had a long day. I've already fetched the water and it's in your room. You can just splash it in the yard after you're done washing."

"Da Ya, thank you so much." Xia Qianqian was deeply moved. She hadn't expected Da Ya to be so thoughtful.

At first, she didn't feel anything, but after she had eaten and drunk her fill, the feeling of exhaustion surged up like a tide. She felt as if her whole body had been shaken apart, and every muscle ached.

After thanking Daya, Xia Qianqian returned to her room.

She took a brand new towel out of her bag, soaked it, and slowly washed her face. Then, she placed the vanity mirror on the table and, in the dim light, began applying face cream in front of it.

After doing all that, she took off her shoes and socks and put her feet into the slightly cool water.

Her feet were already a little swollen from the car ride and walking all day.

The moment her feet touched the water, a cool sensation spread rapidly from the soles of her feet, so refreshing that her brows and eyes relaxed, and she let out a satisfied sigh.

After washing her feet, Xia Qianqian sat on the edge of the bed, put her feet up on the edge, and examined the blisters on her feet under the light.

Just then, she suddenly heard the door open, and realized that she had forgotten to lock it.

Her heart skipped a beat: Could a bad guy have come in?

When Lu Zheng saw the beautiful woman sitting on the bed, he was slightly taken aback, and then suddenly remembered that his bedroom had been vacated for Xia Qianqian.

"I...I'll leave now."

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly caught a glimpse of blisters, like red beans, on Xia Qianqian's feet out of the corner of his eye.

His brows furrowed involuntarily. He stepped forward and said softly, "You can't do this. If you don't treat the blisters on your feet, you won't be able to walk tomorrow."

[Here comes the iconic scene! The female lead thinks the male lead is trying to harass her, and in her panic, she kicks him in the groin!]

[No way! I don't know why the plot is different now, but I really hope they get together. I hope the male lead doesn't get stolen away by the second female lead!]

The comments section was flooded with messages again. Xia Qianqian never expected that anyone would still care about Lu Zheng.

That won't do. Lu Zheng is hers, and she won't let anyone else have him.

She blinked at Lu Zheng, looking confused, and said in a soft voice, "How do I handle this? I don't know. Can you help me?"

As she spoke, she stretched out her snow-white little feet toward Lu Zheng.

This was the first time Xia Qianqian had ever taken the initiative to tease the other person. Although she pretended to be clueless, her face was already flushed with shyness.

Lu Zheng really didn't expect her to be so bold. He was the one who made the suggestion, and now that she had already put her feet up, he couldn't just back out now, could he?

Thinking this, Lu Zheng lowered his head, not daring to look at Xia Qianqian, and said in a muffled voice, "Do you have a needle?"

"Yes," Xia Qianqian replied, then found a sewing needle and handed it to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng struck a match and heated the sewing needle over the flame to sterilize it. The orange-red flame flickered on his cold face, reflecting his focused expression.

Then, he approached Xia Qianqian's feet.

Seeing Lu Zheng bringing the needle closer to her foot, Xia Qianqian reflexively pulled her foot back.

This caught Lu Zheng off guard. With a twitch of his hand, the needle pierced his finger, and blood instantly welled up.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Seeing this, Xia Qianqian hurriedly grabbed a cotton swab, wanting to stop Lu Zheng's bleeding. Her eyes were full of guilt, and her voice carried a hint of coquettishness. "It's all my fault. I was a little scared when I saw the needle just now."

Seeing the beautiful woman in front of him apologizing repeatedly, how could Lu Zheng possibly feel any resentment?

He gently shook his head and said softly, "It's nothing, this little injury is nothing. If you're afraid of the pain, I'll gently prick you in a bit."

Hearing this, Xia Qianqian mustered her courage again and carefully stretched her foot out once more.

Her toes were slightly curled, and her small feet looked even whiter and more alluring in the dim light.

Lu Zheng focused his gaze, his well-defined fingers pinching the needle, and gently touched the blood blister on Xia Qianqian's foot.

Before Xia Qianqian could even cry out in pain from that light touch, blood began to flow out.

"It really doesn't hurt at all!" Xia Qianqian's eyes were full of surprise as she looked up at Lu Zheng. She really didn't expect him to be so amazing.

With the experience gained the first time, Lu Zheng's technique became more and more skillful, and he quickly popped the rest of the blisters on her feet.

After doing all this, he straightened up and looked at Xia Qianqian: "I'm going to the next room. You should go to sleep early too."

Watching him walk out of the room without hesitation, Xia Qianqian pouted her red lips in grievance: "Can't you stay with me for a while?"

Hearing this, Lu Zheng turned around in surprise. Xia Qianqian said, "I can't sleep by myself."

Looking at her matter-of-fact attitude, Lu Zheng knew in his heart that she must have been spoiled at home and couldn't stand the hardships of the countryside.

He couldn't help but recall when he first brought his mother here; on the first night, he tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

He nodded slightly, his deep eyes filled with understanding, and sat down again by the bed: "Okay, I'll stay here with you."