The Lu family didn't keep Ye Weiwei waiting for long.

Zhao Mingzhe has had a lot more peace and quiet these past few days.

In the past, that woman Lu Xiaolan would come to see him every day, sometimes two or three times a day, which annoyed him to no end.

Since the day he confronted Lu Xiaolan, making it clear that he would no longer contact her and that she should not come looking for him again, and that he would not come out to see her if she did, he originally thought that Lu Xiaolan would continue to pester him as before. Who knew that Lu Xiaolan seemed to have changed her nature and never came to look for him again after that time!

This made him feel a little uncomfortable.

Zhao Mingzhe felt disgusted by what Lu Xiaolan had been doing recently, but he was also a little disappointed that he would never be able to get any good food from Lu Xiaolan again.

Why was he so bewitched by that woman Ye Wanwan, and looked down on Ye Weiwei?

Now, every time he hears someone mention Ye Weiwei, he feels deep regret.

The better Ye Weiwei did, the more distressed he became.

It felt like something was missing inside me, as if a voice kept telling me, "This shouldn't be happening, this shouldn't be happening!"

Ever since Hou Zheng and Xie Ning ate Huo Xiao's roasted rabbit at Ye Weiwei's house that day, they have been obsessed with it and can't forget the delicious taste.

These past two days, the two of them would run up the mountain whenever they had a spare moment. Finally, they caught another wild rabbit, and the two of them found a sheltered spot on the mountain and grilled and ate it according to the steps Huo Xiao had used to grill meat that day, just as they remembered.

Although the roasted meat didn't taste as good as Huo Xiao's, and the heat wasn't well controlled and it was a bit burnt, it still tasted pretty good. The two of them were very satisfied, each eating half a meat and thoroughly enjoying their meal.

After finishing their rabbit meat, the two happily came down from the mountain. As soon as they returned to the educated youth settlement, they were met with Zhao Mingzhe's probing gaze.

Zhao Mingzhe has a keen sense of smell. He could smell the smoky aroma and barbecue smell on the two of them, and couldn't help but ask, "You two didn't go to Ye Weiwei's house for a free meal again, did you?"

A couple of days ago, a few of them went to Ye Weiwei's house for dinner. When they came back, they praised Huo Xiao's cooking skills to the point that they were at the educated youth settlement. Although Zhao Mingzhe disdained Huo Xiao for degrading himself to please Ye Weiwei, and for a grown man to be so preoccupied with cooking, he was still very tempted by the braised pork ribs and roasted rabbit that they had mentioned.

He had no idea how long it had been since he had eaten meat.

Before Xie Ning could explain, Hou Zheng spoke up first, "Well, I went to ask Huo Xiao some questions and also had a meal at his house."

Zhao Mingzhe's eyes revealed a hint of disdain.

She thought to herself, "What's the point of asking Huo Xiao for advice? What could he possibly know? He's just using this as an excuse to go to someone else's house for a meal!"

Xie Ning realized what was happening and added, "Huo Xiao's cooking skills are truly exceptional."

Hou Zheng: ...

The contempt in Zhao Mingzhe's eyes deepened.

Xie Ning was confused and looked at Hou Zheng, asking him if he had said something wrong.

Hou Zheng patted him on the shoulder, "You lost the bet earlier, so you're in charge of boiling water today."

Xie Ning was stunned. Although she didn't understand the situation, she still agreed to Hou Zheng's suggestion and went to fetch water to boil and soak her feet.

After Xie Ning left, Hou Zheng patted his stomach and let out a burp that smelled like barbecue, saying, "I'm too full from this meal. I can't eat anything else tonight."

Seeing Zhao Mingzhe's sour look, Hou Zheng smirked smugly.

He deliberately provoked Zhao Mingzhe; he felt better when he saw the guy unhappy.

Just as Zhao Mingzhe was feeling incredibly jealous, Lu Xiaolan, whom he hadn't seen for many days, suddenly came to visit.

Zhao Mingzhe gave Lu Xiaolan a cold shoulder, "Comrade Lu Xiaolan, didn't I tell you not to come looking for me anymore?"

Lu Xiaolan seemed oblivious to Zhao Mingzhe's unpleasant expression, continuing to gaze at him with infatuated eyes, and said resentfully, "Zhao Zhiqing, ever since you said those things to me last time, I've thought about it carefully these past few days, and I feel very sorry for the trouble I caused you. I've come here to apologize. Today I went to the state-run restaurant in town and bought a plate of braised pork, and I also secretly cooked two hot dishes at home. I'd like to invite you over for a meal so we can settle things once and for all."

When Zhao Mingzhe heard Lu Xiaolan mention the braised pork at the state-run restaurant, his eyes lit up. However, he wasn't stupid; he was afraid that Lu Xiaolan was setting a trap for him, and he didn't want to get himself into trouble for a meal of braised pork.

Seeing Zhao Mingzhe remain motionless, Lu Xiaolan felt uneasy. However, remembering her mother's instructions before she left, she lowered her head and said, "Zhao Zhiqing, don't worry. It's just the two of us. I came to see you secretly, without my family's knowledge. What could a woman like me do for you? Besides, my parents have already arranged a marriage for me these past few days. He's a worker in town, and the wedding date is set for the end of the year. I just wanted to say a proper goodbye to you. Please grant me this small wish. After all, you're the first man I've ever loved..."

After speaking, Lu Xiaolan rubbed her eyes, her eyes reddening as she looked at Zhao Mingzhe.

When Zhao Mingzhe heard that it was just the two of them, and considering Lu Xiaolan's attitude towards him all along, he felt that it wouldn't hurt to go.

After all, Lu Xiaolan had already put it that way, so it wouldn't be good to refuse her now.

The place Lu Xiaolan found was a small house in the village where farm tools were stored. It was a remote location, and Lu Xiaolan had the key to it. At this time, no one would come to disturb her.

Upon hearing that it was from there, Zhao Mingzhe felt even more at ease.

Moreover, he stated in advance that he would not drink alcohol.

Lu Xiaolan readily agreed, but added shyly, "My dad keeps his liquor locked in the cabinet in his room, so I can't get it out. And the liquor from the town's supply and marketing cooperative requires coupons, which I can't buy."

Zhao Mingzhe's vigilance lowered a bit more.

The two of them went to the house where the farm tools were kept, like thieves. Lu Xiaolan opened the door with her key, and Zhao Mingzhe saw a lunchbox and two large bowls on the table inside.

Lu Xiaolan opened the lunchbox and saw the braised pork inside. Zhao Mingzhe couldn't help but swallow.

Lu Xiaolan handed Zhao Mingzhe a pair of chopsticks and kept piling meat onto his plate, telling him to take good care of himself and nourish his body. She coaxed Zhao Mingzhe into eating all the braised pork.

Having enjoyed a rare full meal in a while, including a large portion of braised pork, Zhao Mingzhe couldn't have been happier.

As a result, Zhao Mingzhe's joy lasted only three seconds before tragedy struck.

Before long, he felt incredibly hot and his spirits were extremely high.

Realizing something was wrong, Zhao Mingzhe tried to leave, but found himself weak and powerless.

"Lu Xiaolan, you..."

Seeing the effects of the drug take hold, Lu Xiaolan finally stopped pretending. She helped Zhao Mingzhe lie down on the haystack, took off his clothes, and then took off her own clothes and lay down on top of him.