The door to the next room had just been closed not long ago.

Xu Mingli, who was in the outer room, suddenly opened his eyes. A wave of nausea washed over him, and he struggled to get up.

He staggered toward the door, leaning against the wall, just as he was about to find a place to vomit, when he vaguely heard some rustling noises coming from next door.

The sound made his mind go blank, and he sobered up almost instantly.

After listening for a while, Xu Mingli immediately understood what the sound was!

He dragged his half-crippled arm and rushed over, kicking the door with his foot.

With a bang, the wooden door was kicked open, and the sight before him made his pupils shrink.

Feng Qiushi and his stand-in huddled on the kang (a heated brick bed), their clothes disheveled, their faces filled with panic.

"You...you dare to..." Xu Mingli was trembling with anger, pointing at them but unable to utter a complete sentence.

Feng Qiushi hurriedly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself, his voice trembling, "Shen An, it's not what you think, let me explain..."

"Explain?" Xu Mingli lunged forward, reaching out to strike Feng Qiushi. "I'll beat you to death, you unfaithful slut!"

Seeing this, the body double immediately jumped off the bed and stopped him, grabbing Xu Mingli's wrist. "Stop hitting him! Are you crazy?"

"Get out of my way!" Xu Mingli shouted, his eyes red. He swung his other hand at the stand-in, but the stand-in easily dodged it.

The stand-in grabbed his arm and pushed him hard, causing Xu Mingli to stagger and fall to the ground. His half-crippled right arm slammed heavily against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), making him wince in pain.

"Is this ever going to end?" The stand-in's anger was also ignited. He looked down at Xu Mingli and said, "You're always cursing and swearing at home, and you're not nice to Sister Feng either. She's put up with you for long enough. I, an outsider, can't stand it anymore!"

Xu Mingli struggled to his feet, pointed at the stand-in's nose, and yelled, "You country bumpkin, how dare you lay a hand on me? Don't forget, you're still waiting for me to take you to work in the big city. Without me, you'll be stuck digging in the dirt in the village your whole life!"

"Big city?" The double sneered, stepping forward and grabbing his collar. "I was fooled by you! I thought that showing up for you a few times would bring me a better life, but what happened? I became your accomplice, living in constant fear!"

He raised his hand and punched Xu Mingli again. "Let me tell you, if things really come to light, I'll just turn myself in! I didn't kill anyone myself, so at most I'll get a few years in prison, and I can testify for Sister Feng that she was forced by you! We can both live then, but what about you? You killed Er Laizi's father and forced Sister Feng to lay a hand on Er Laizi, so you'll definitely be executed!"

Xu Mingli was dizzy from the beating and wanted to argue back, but the body double grabbed his collar tightly, his eyes full of threat. "I'm warning you, you're not allowed to lay a hand on Sister Feng again, and you're not allowed to mess with me again! Don't forget, we still need me as a body double to cover our tracks. If I leave, how long do you think you can hide?"

Xu Mingli looked at the fierce eyes of the stand-in, and then at Feng Qiushi, who was huddled under the covers and crying incessantly. For the first time, fear welled up in his heart.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. He could only let the stand-in throw him to the ground, looking utterly pathetic.

As Feng Qiushi looked at Xu Mingli lying on the ground, his face full of resentment but powerless to resist, the last bit of affection she had for him vanished completely.

The once gentle and refined man who would save the best for her has long been consumed by violence and selfishness, and now only an ugly shell remains.

On the contrary, the stand-in beside her, who had protected her so much just now, even if it was for his own benefit, made her feel a long-lost warmth in these dark and hopeless days.

The stand-in dragged Xu Mingli to the outer room, threw him onto the cold ground, then turned around and went back into the room, closing the door behind him.

He walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), gently sat down next to Feng Qiushi, and put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't be afraid, I'm here. He won't dare to bully you anymore."

Feng Qiushi stiffened, wanting to push him away, but heard him whisper, "Actually, during this time, I'm so grateful for your care. You're gentle and thoughtful, and I've liked you for a long time."

These words were like a feather, gently brushing against Feng Qiushi's tense heartstrings.

Looking into the stand-in's sincere eyes, and recalling Xu Mingli's violence and the endless nightmares she had day and night, she couldn't help but shed tears again.

She struggled to get up, but the stand-in pressed her shoulders down and pushed her back onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Qiushi, stop resisting." The double's voice was a little hoarse. "Since things are already like this, why not just live happily? We might get caught any day, and what if we're sentenced to death? Don't let your last days be filled with suffering. Isn't it better to enjoy life while you can?"

Feng Qiushi stared at the ceiling, her mind flashing back to all the recent events, and despair washed over her like a tidal wave.

She knew she was already stuck in the mud and could never climb out.

Finally, she gave up struggling, stretched out her arms, and hugged the stand-in tightly, as if grasping at the last straw.

The kang (heated brick bed) in the small house still retained some warmth.

Feng Qiushi leaned against the stunt double's side, barely closing his eyes all night.

Just as dawn was breaking outside the window, the stand-in woke up.

He gently brushed aside the stray hairs on Feng Qiushi's forehead, his eyes filled with a complex tenderness. "I'll go out and take a look first. You can sleep a little longer."

He pushed open the door, and Xu Mingli was still curled up on the floor in the outer room, his face pale and with undried wine stains on the corners of his mouth.

The stand-in frowned, stepped forward and kicked his leg, "Get up, don't block the way."

Xu Mingli suddenly woke up with a start. When he saw it was him, anger instantly ignited in his eyes, but it was quickly suppressed by fear.

The pain from last night's beating is still there, and I'm even more afraid that the body double will actually turn himself in.

He struggled to his feet, not daring to say a word.

“From today onwards, you’ll live in that little room.” The double pointed to the room behind him, his tone icy. “Sister Feng and I will live in the main room. Don’t get your place wrong.”

Xu Mingli clenched his fist, about to retort, when his stand-in's eyes turned cold. "What? You're not convinced? Should I go find Xu Xinghe right now and talk to him about the Er Laizi father and son?"

These words struck a nerve with Xu Mingli, and he immediately wilted, dragging his half-crippled arm as he awkwardly made his way to the hut.

As she passed by the stand-in, she didn't forget to glare at him fiercely.

"Wait, Sister Feng is still sleeping inside. You can go in when she wakes up."

When Feng Qiushi got up, the main room had already been cleaned up, and her stand-in was sitting at the table waiting for her. "Awake? Go cook, let's eat."

Feng Qiushi was stunned for a moment, but finally silently walked into the kitchen.

As the corn porridge in the pot bubbled and steamed, she looked at the closed door of the small house and hesitated before speaking, "How about... we invite Chen An to eat with us?"

The stand-in paused while wiping the table, turned around and walked to the kitchen, grabbing her hand as she was about to pick up a bowl. "Sister Feng, how much more are you going to do for him?"

His tone was tinged with disappointment, "We might all die someday, can't you be a little tougher? He's nothing now! He needs me to be his double to cover for him, and he needs you to keep the secret, afraid I'll confess, and even more afraid you'll tell everyone about the murder. He's just a paper tiger now, all he can do is glare!"