After listening, Li Ling wore a helpless expression. She wondered what could have happened last night. They had only chatted briefly and then fallen silent; there couldn't have been anything complicated. There was nothing she couldn't tell, so she recounted the events of the previous night in detail.
However, the Liu sisters reacted very differently after hearing Li Ling's explanation. Liu Ruoling seemed to believe Li Ling's explanation, saying softly, "Oh, I see." Liu Ruoxi, on the other hand, outwardly agreed with her sister, but inwardly she was skeptical. She thought to herself, "Hmph, do you think things are that simple? Nobody believes that! There must be some hidden story."
However, Li Ling didn't care what Liu Ruoxi and the other person thought. She believed she had said everything she needed to say, although she had held back some details, the rest was true. Therefore, she didn't feel much guilt. She stated that she had only concealed a tiny bit, just a tiny bit.
Suddenly remembering something, Liu Ruoxi said, "Sister Li Ling, then aren't you wronging Brother Wang Lun?"
Li Ling slapped her forehead and said, "It seems that's really true. But it's okay, he should tidy himself up, otherwise who knows what he might do in the future."
Liu Ruoxi said, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Li Ling waved her hand and said, "It's okay, don't worry. Even if he's really angry, it'll be me who gets angry."
Liu Ruoling, however, did not want to listen to Li Ling and turned around to open the door.
Li Ling stopped her, forbidding her from opening the door.
Liu Ruoling ignored her and went to open the door anyway.
Li Ling stepped forward and pulled Liu Ruoling back, preventing her from opening the door. She didn't want Wang Lun to come in so soon.
Liu Ruoling struggled, one of them wanting to go, the other stopping her.
The atmosphere was unusually tense. No one spoke; only silence and awkwardness filled the space. Just then, Liu Ruoxi finally couldn't hold back any longer. She shouted, "Alright, stop arguing! Ruoling, come back here!" After saying that, she turned and walked towards the fire pit, seemingly trying to ease the tense situation through her actions.
Liu Ruoling wanted to continue arguing, but as soon as she uttered the word "sister," Liu Ruoxi coldly interrupted her, "Come back." Helpless, Liu Ruoling had no choice but to obediently follow her sister to the fire pit and sit down, no longer caring what Li Ling was doing.
Li Ling successfully locked Wang Lun out, which gave her a sense of satisfaction. However, she wasn't happy about it; instead, a deep sadness welled up inside her. She felt betrayed, and her heart was filled with self-blame and heartbreak.
Li Ling quietly watched the two sisters sitting by the hearth, then turned to look at the closed door. She sighed softly, shook her head, silently walked to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), lay down, closed her eyes, hoping to calm the turmoil in her heart.
Li Ling lay quietly on the kang (a heated brick bed), her gaze fixed on the ceiling. Many smoked fish hung from the beams, testifying to their hard work and the little things in their lives. Each beam was carried back from the woods by her and Wang Lun themselves, bearing their shared memories and efforts. From the start of construction to the completion of the house, they had endured countless hardships and difficulties.
She remembered those days, her hands covered in countless blisters, her feet blistered from long hours of labor, and her shoulders aching unbearably from the pressure, yet they persevered. Even at night, she could only fall asleep due to extreme exhaustion. If she hadn't been so physically exhausted, how could she have fallen asleep so easily after suffering so many injuries?
This was the home they had built together, a warm and welcoming place. Yet now it felt so foreign; she had even laid a hand on Wang Lun, nearly hurting him. She couldn't help but ask herself, "What's wrong with me?"
Li Ling was immersed in deep self-blame and reflection, and before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. When she realized she was crying, she quickly covered herself with a blanket, not wanting anyone to discover her vulnerability and inner pain.
Liu Ruoxi and Liu Ruoling sat quietly by the fire pit, the atmosphere unusually somber, both remaining silent. Although Liu Ruoling was filled with questions and wanted to ask her sister why she wouldn't let Wang Lun in, she ultimately chose to keep quiet in the face of her sister Liu Ruoxi's stern gaze, silently keeping her company by the fire pit.
At this moment, Liu Ruoxi's mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, and a barely perceptible glint flashed in her eyes. However, because she kept her head down, no one could see the light in her eyes.
Naturally, no one could fathom her thoughts. Not even her twin sister, Liu Ruoling, knew what her older sister was thinking at that moment.
Liu Ruoxi kept her head down the whole time, only looking up when Liu Ruoling tried to get up, glaring at her fiercely. She lowered her head again only after Liu Ruoling sat down again.
At this moment, Liu Ruoxi had changed.
Wang Lun, standing outside, sensed that the house had quieted down. Curious, he considered pushing open the door to see what was happening. However, he hesitated, worried that Li Ling might still be waiting for him outside. Finally, he gently released his grip on the doorknob, finding the door still closed, and breathed a sigh of relief.
So he began to think about where he should spend the night. First, he ruled out the previous shelter, as it was already occupied by pheasants. Then he considered the goat pen and the rabbit pen, but felt they weren't good options. Next, he thought of the toilet, but worried the girls might need to use it, so that wasn't quite right either. Finally, he thought of the shower room, but it was just as cold there.
After some thought, Wang Lun suddenly realized that the compartment for storing hay might be a good choice. Not only was it spacious, but the hay also provided some insulation, preventing him from getting too cold.
Once he had an idea, Wang Lun immediately took action and headed towards the place where the hay was stored without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the four of them seemed to have their own thoughts, and a strange ripple seemed to stir in their hearts.
I wonder if they can restrain the beast within them and hold fast to their original aspirations.
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