This attitude made Zhang Qianqian freeze instantly, not knowing what to say for a moment. Her cheeks turned even redder, and her eyes were full of helplessness.

Seeing this, Xu Xinghe quickly tried to smooth things over, "Qianqian, I'm going to talk to my cousin for a bit."

As she spoke, she gave Jiang Linchuan a wink, and the two walked to a large tree not far away, leaving Zhang Qianqian alone to look at the wild roses.

“I didn’t want to bring Zhang Qianqian either,” Xu Xinghe said in a low voice, somewhat helplessly. “But she was too enthusiastic, and I felt bad refusing her. Besides, I got a lot of information about Zhang Qiang out of her before, so I didn’t want to offend her too much.”

Jiang Linchuan nodded in understanding, then suddenly lowered his voice, "Wang Lili's backer is Liu Hu. I saw Liu Hu and Wang Lili go to the back mountain from the dormitory just now, so I secretly followed them. I found them in a small, dilapidated house in the woods... having sex."

"What?" Xu Xinghe's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. "How could this be? What... what level of relationship do they have?"

Jiang Linchuan's eyes were icy cold. "They've done everything that a husband and wife can do."

Xu Xinghe stood there, stunned.

Wang Lili had only been at the forest farm for a few days, and she had only known Liu Hu for a short time. They weren't even in a relationship. Even if they were, they shouldn't have done this before getting married.

She never imagined that Wang Lili would go to such lengths to find a backer; it was beyond her wildest imagination.

"If word gets out of the forest farm, it will have a huge impact on Wang Lili's reputation." Xu Xinghe recovered her composure and frowned as she said, "Liu Hu is such a scoundrel. Even if Wang Lili took the initiative, he shouldn't have agreed. Isn't that... irresponsible?"

Although she didn't like Wang Lili, as a woman herself, she knew what she would face if she did such a thing.

Throughout history, women have always been at a disadvantage, both physically and in terms of reputation.

Jiang Linchuan's eyes turned cold. "Liu Hu never took Wang Lili seriously; he just used her as a tool to vent his anger. Perhaps I can use this to get rid of both of them."

"Let's just forget about it." Xu Xinghe bit her lip. "If word gets out, it'll ruin my reputation for life. I don't hate Wang Lili that much..."

Although Wang Lili is annoying, she shouldn't ruin her life because of this.

"Do you think others don't know? Most of the older educated youth know that Liu Hu never intended to hide their identities. I don't need to do anything; the news will spread on its own. Wang Lili entrusted herself to the wrong person, but it was her own choice."

The two chatted for a while before returning to their original spot.

A fine drizzle began to fall from the sky, and the wind picked up, causing the petals to flutter down.

Jiang Linchuan looked up at the sky and frowned slightly. "The rain is getting heavier again. Let's go back first, or we'll catch a cold."

Zhang Qianqian wanted to say something more, but she saw Jiang Linchuan had already turned around and walked back, his steps brisk and without the slightest hesitation.

She watched Jiang Linchuan's retreating figure, her disappointment deepening. Her fingers gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, oblivious to the rain wetting her hair.

Xu Xinghe gently patted her shoulder, "Don't stand there, the rain is getting heavier, let's go back."

The two followed Jiang Linchuan back. Zhang Qianqian was silent for a while before speaking softly, her voice full of grievance, "Sister Li Juan, do you think... does your brother hate me? Why is he so cold to me, unwilling to even say a word?"

Xu Xinghe slowed her pace, turned her head to look at her, and said gently, "Don't overthink it. That's just my brother's personality. He's naturally quiet and cold to everyone. It's not targeting you. Back in our hometown, he rarely even chatted with his relatives. You'll get used to it. Besides, you're not in good health. You must be tired after being out for so long. Go back and rest. Don't get sick from the rain."

Hearing Xu Xinghe's words of comfort, Zhang Qianqian felt a little less disappointed. She nodded and quickened her pace.

Xu Xinghe was worried about her going home alone, so she took a detour to escort her to her doorstep and watched her walk into the yard before turning to leave.

As soon as Zhang Qianqian pushed open the door, she saw Zhang Qiang sitting in a chair in the main room, his face frighteningly gloomy. The tea on the table had gone cold, obviously he had been waiting for her for a long time. "It's raining and windy, what were you doing out there? I've been waiting for you at home for most of the day, and you're only just coming back!"

Zhang Qianqian panicked and instinctively lied, "I...I've been chatting with Li Juan in the female educated youth dormitory, I won't get sick."

Zhang Qiang sneered, his gaze falling on her shoes.

The edges of the shoes were covered in damp mud and a few dry grass clippings, clearly not from a known spot.

“Qianqian, you’ve learned to lie to me now. Where did the dirt on your shoes come from? How could there be so much mud on the floor of the female educated youth dormitory?” He stood up, walked up to Zhang Qianqian, and said in a serious tone, “Tell the truth, where did you go? Otherwise, I’ll go to the female educated youth dormitory right now and ask, and I’ll find out the truth just the same way.”

Zhang Qianqian felt tense under his gaze, knowing she couldn't hide it anymore, so she could only lower her head and say, "I...I went to the riverbank with Li Juan and her cousin Li Guowei to see the roses."

"Li Guowei?" Zhang Qiang's brows furrowed instantly, his tone full of surprise. "Why did you bring him along when you went to see the roses?"

Zhang Qianqian's cheeks flushed instantly. She twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, lowered her head even further, and couldn't say a word.

Seeing her like this, Zhang Qiang immediately understood. He stared at Zhang Qianqian, his tone tinged with disbelief, "Have you fallen for Li Guowei?"

Zhang Qianqian suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with panic, her lips moved, but she didn't know how to answer.

She did like Jiang Linchuan, his tall and straight figure, and his unusual wildness, but when her father pointed out these feelings to her face, she felt both ashamed and flustered. She could only stand there, helplessly looking at Zhang Qiang.

Seeing her reaction, Zhang Qiang's heart sank instantly. He took a deep breath and tried to suppress his anger. "Come in with me. I have something to tell you."

After saying that, he turned and went into the inner room.

Zhang Qianqian clutched the hem of her clothes, hesitated for a few seconds, and then followed.

The room was dimly lit, with only a small window letting in a faint ray of sunlight, making it feel quite oppressive.

Zhang Qiang sat on a wooden bench by the window, his fingers unconsciously stroking the surface of the bench. The atmosphere was so quiet it was almost suffocating.

"Tell me the truth," Zhang Qiang spoke first, his voice softening slightly but still carrying a hint of seriousness. "Do you really like Li Guowei?"

Zhang Qianqian's cheeks flushed, but this time she didn't flinch. Instead, she nodded gently, her voice soft but firm, "Yes, Dad, I really like him."

"Do you even know him? You like him?" Zhang Qiang frowned, his tone filled with confusion. "You've only known each other for a few days. Do you even know who he is or what his family does?"

“I know he’s an educated youth, Li Juan’s cousin, his name is Li Guowei.” Zhang Qianqian raised her head, her eyes full of seriousness. “I liked him the day he fought with Liu Hu. He stood up to so many people all by himself, not afraid at all, his eyes were very firm, like a hero in a storybook. And although he doesn’t talk much, he’s a very good person, and he’s very good at working. He always finishes his work and can even help Sister Li Juan with her work. He also protects Sister Li Juan.”

Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice carried a hint of grievance and expectation. "Dad, I've never asked for anything in my life. When I was sick as a child, you wouldn't let me go out, so I stayed home obediently. You told me not to get too close to the educated youth, and I listened to you. But this time is different. I really like Li Guowei. I want to spend more time with him and see if we can be together. This is the first time I've liked someone this much. Please say yes, okay?"