Those gazes felt like thorns in Lin Xihe's back, making her quite uncomfortable. She immediately urged Ye Yunfan to leave.

As Ye Yunfan's figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Lin Xihe turned around and was surprised to find Ji Zhuo standing quietly in front of the house.

From where he stood, he could see every move he and Ye Yunfan had made.

Lin Xihe inwardly groaned. She had originally planned to keep Ye Yunfan and Ji Zhuo in check, but now, given the current situation, it seemed unlikely that she would succeed, as there were many difficulties ahead.

She quickly composed herself, put on a friendly smile, and said softly, "It's windy outside, why did you come out?"

"Where's the wind? I was just out sunbathing, I didn't bother you at all." Ji Zhuo's reply was cold and indifferent, devoid of any warmth.

Lin Xihe forced a smile and patiently explained, "That's not what I meant. I was just worried you'd catch a cold."

"I don't need you to worry about me like that."

Ji Zhuo's words clearly carried a hint of displeasure, and he was even unwilling to have a proper conversation with her.

Looking at Ji Zhuo, who was so eccentric and difficult to get along with, Lin Xihe felt a sense of unease and hesitated.

When I read this novel, the female protagonist, Sun Ningxiang, was bullied at home and banished to a separate courtyard. By chance, she rescued Ji Zhuo.

At that time, Sun Ningxiang was gentle, graceful, and charming. She took meticulous care of Ji Zhuo. It was because of her gentle nature that Ji Zhuo gradually fell in love with her.

She remembered that Ji Zhuo had once told her that he didn't like her aggressive and flamboyant manner.

But Lin Xihe knew that she was not that kind of gentle and tender person at all.

How can I win his heart?

After much thought, the only solution right now is to pretend to be like the female lead. After all, we're all adults here; who doesn't have some acting skills?

Lin Xihe immediately put on a fawning smile, turned around and went back into the house to get some copper coins, and then said, "You rest well in the house. I'm going out for a bit and will be back soon."

There was an old man named Li in the village who was good at making all kinds of stools and chairs, which he would then take to the city to sell.

Originally, Lin Xihe only planned to buy a stool to take home. However, as soon as she stepped into Grandpa Li's yard, she was deeply attracted by the newly made wooden couch.

She thought to herself that the stool she sat on when sunbathing in the yard every day was too hard and really uncomfortable.

This firewood couch was made of ordinary elm wood, and after inquiring about the price, I learned that it only cost three taels of silver.

Lin Xihe sat in Grandpa Li's house, thinking for a long, long time, and finally made up her mind to buy the firewood bed.

Grandpa Li was overjoyed. Transporting this wooden couch to the city for sale would have required considerable effort, but selling it smoothly in the village saved him a lot of trouble. He and his son then happily delivered the couch to Lin Xihe's house.

Following Lin Xihe's request, the two placed the wooden couch in a sunny corner of the courtyard and then left.

Lin Xihe carried the newly bought stool into the house as if presenting a treasure, saying, "Look, I bought you a stool."

Ji Zhuo had actually seen all of this through the window long ago.

"I hadn't thought about buying it before, so why am I doing so today?"

Lin Xihe muttered to herself: Isn't it all to please you, this "plague god"?

But he said, "Of course I want you to be more comfortable."

"You would be so kind?"

"You're being too polite. Get up and take a look; I bought a low couch outside."

Ji Zhuo remained unmoved.

"Come and take a look!"

Lin Xihe immediately went over and pulled Ji Zhuo, who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Ji Zhuo pondered to himself, what was there to see on a mere low couch, and he didn't intend to pay any attention to it. But when Lin Xihe tugged at his arm, for some reason, he stood up following her lead.

Lin Xihe pulled Ji Zhuo and led him to sit down on the low couch, then sat down beside him as well.

"Isn't it pleasant to bask in the sun here?" Lin Xihe raised her face slightly, rested her hands leisurely behind her back, closed her eyes lightly, and enjoyed the warm sunshine.

Ji Zhuo slowly turned his body to the side, his gaze quietly falling on her. The brilliant sunlight fell on her face like scattered gold, and her skin seemed to be covered with a faint halo, as if it were radiating a faint light.

Lin Xihe still didn't open her eyes, her red lips parted slightly, and she said leisurely, "Do you know how much this low couch cost me? Ah Zhuo, you must remember how good I am to you, understand?"

Ji Zhuo gazed at the petite woman before him. Her delicate face, illuminated by the sunlight, resembled a fairy who had mistakenly descended to the mortal world. Especially her profile, gently caressed by the afterglow of the setting sun, was breathtakingly beautiful.

His voice softened without him even realizing it: "Why do you live alone in this village?"

This was the first time Ji Zhuo had shown curiosity about Lin Xihe's past and asked her questions.

"Because I had no relatives left and my old house had been taken away by others, I was completely lost and confused. I randomly boarded a passenger ship docked at the pier. I happened to meet an old woman who, seeing that I was homeless, mentioned that there was a house for sale in her village, so I followed her here," Lin Xihe said truthfully, based on the original owner's memories.

Although she herself felt that everything was a bit strange, she couldn't quite put her finger on what was so odd about it.

"You live here all alone. Has anyone bullied you?" Ji Zhuo asked again. After all, seeing Lin Xihe's charming appearance, as an orphan, she was very likely to attract covetousness and be harassed.

“When I first arrived, I always carried a knife with me, thinking that if anyone dared to bully me, I would fight them to the death, even if it meant mutual destruction… After some time, I found that there were no such people in the village. The worst person I encountered was you.” Lin Xihe paused slightly, then added, “Except for that fierce-looking old woman you saw before.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Zhuo still had some doubts. Perhaps, as she said, the villagers were all simple and honest people.

But he always had a vague feeling that something was not quite right.

Seeing that Ji Zhuo had fallen silent again, Lin Xihe opened her eyes and looked at him, asking once more, "Do you think I'm good to you?"

"Why do you keep bringing this up?" Ji Zhuo raised an eyebrow.

Lin Xihe thought to herself: Naturally, I'm afraid that you will regain your memory in the future and remember how I made you eat on the ground and scolded and berated you at the beginning. At that time, you will be angry and come to cause trouble for me and put me to death.

But how could they dare to voice these thoughts?

So he pretended to be angry and said, "You said it yourself, that you will repay me well in the future, so of course I have to remind you often."

Did I really say that?