Chapter 48

“Meimei, don’t leave me.”
Their eyes met. Qin Yuanzheng seemed lost, staring at his wife, holding her delicate, slightly fatigued face, whispering tenderly.
“Break things off with the Song man. We still have Niuniu.”
Bai Xinmei returned his gaze calmly, giving no definitive answer.
The man’s eyes darkened instantly, his heart tormented like being roasted alive. He hated that the mission had kept him away for four or five years, hated the male youth who interfered in their marriage, his carefully nurtured flower stolen because of his absence. Even with reasons for his absence, he could not forgive this.
Buddhism speaks of the three poisons: greed, anger, and ignorance. He had already succumbed to anger. Impossible! He would not yield.
“Yuanzheng, it’s too late. You know I and Song Jinping…”
Her unspoken meaning invited endless imagination. She obediently leaned on him, each word extinguishing his last hope. He did not doubt these scandals were fabricated by her.
It was because she had already made up her mind, to follow Song Jinping to the capital and resume the life she once had. Even if Qin Yuanzheng had risen to become a high-ranking official, she still didn’t want to endure the hardships of following the army. They called it “taking care of military family members,” but in reality it meant being left alone in the family compound, washing clothes, cooking, raising a child, and waiting endlessly for a man who might not return, worrying about his safety every single day. She had lived that life long enough.
Before the man could respond, she raised a finger and pressed it lightly against his tightly pursed lips.
“Shh…”
“Yuanzheng, I’m tired. Just hold me for a little while longer, okay? I really don’t know how to deal with this. Don’t ask anymore. I truly don’t want to hurt you.”
She spoke softly, conflicted to the core, her eyes glistening with tears, brows drawn together, so pitiful it tugged at the heart.
She couldn’t offend Qin Yuanzheng, but she also couldn’t agree to cut things off with Song Jinping. All Bai Xinmei could do was delay as long as possible, playing the victim. Her tactics were simple and clumsy, yet she was breathtakingly beautiful and fragile-looking, and the man before her had loved her for years, regarding her as his light.
The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was low and hoarse, as if dragged straight from his chest, strained and rough.
“Meimei, this isn’t your fault.”
Yes. It wasn’t Meimei’s fault. She had been seduced by that pretty-faced young educated youth. That educated youth would be best advised to withdraw on his own, otherwise…
Hearing this, Bai Xinmei was secretly delighted. She wrapped her arms around the man’s lean, solid waist.
“As long as you don’t blame me, that’s enough. Please try to understand me a little more. Tonight… sleep with Second Brother.”
So that was what she was avoiding.
The man had already seen through her little schemes, but he didn’t expose her. Instead, he tightened his hold around her slender waist, greedily breathing in the faint fragrance in her hair. He had just returned, he couldn’t act like a starving wolf pouncing on prey. Not yet.
He forced a barely passable smile.
“Alright. We’ll talk about it later.”
Yet his large hand slid slowly down along her delicate, beautifully sculpted spine. The soft body in his arms stiffened for an instant, then gradually relaxed.
She thought she had fooled a docile fool. In truth, it was merely the mercy of a beast lying in wait before the hunt.
After all, his entire life revolved around this woman. To him, she was Eve to Adam, a rib grown from his own chest. How could a proud, ferocious warrior ever allow someone else to take away his weak point?
The love and hatred among the three of them became the most sensational gossip in Lotus Village for years to come.
A refined and elegant educated youth, a ruthless and domineering officer, and a stunningly beautiful widow, whether in appearance or background, these three were more than enough to excite a village starved for drama.
Because he was on leave, Qin Yuanzheng stayed in Lotus Village. During that time, wherever Bai Xinmei appeared, he was sure to be there. Song Jinping initially retained some pride, thinking to himself: Let’s see how long he can keep this up.
But as time dragged on and Qin Yuanzheng showed no signs of leaving, Song Jinping began to panic. If this continued, Meimei might forget him altogether. By now, he had seen through her nature clearly, so long as she herself didn’t suffer, she would calmly watch others bear the pain.
And so, the following scene unfolded.
When Qin Yuanzheng worked in the fields, Bai Xinmei stayed by his side. As an outsider, she hadn’t been allotted any land, her fields were those Qin Yuanzheng had left for her. Now that he was back, how could he bear to let her toil in the dirt?
Song Jinping stood nearby every day. Whenever he tried to speak to the fair, beloved “Comrade Bai,” Qin Yuanzheng would immediately say he was thirsty. Each time this happened, Bai Xinmei would rub her temples, then still choose to hand Qin Yuanzheng the water.
This Qin Yuanzheng was far more difficult to deal with than expected. Song Jinping began reassessing this troublesome rival. He’d heard Qin Yuanzheng had graduated from a military academy, and despite Meimei’s poor class background, he had reached this position before thirty, and could even use an official vehicle. At the very least, he was a field-grade officer.
This rival was no simple man.
Under normal circumstances, he might even admire him, but since they loved the same woman, there was no way to split Meimei in two. That left only one option: asking Officer Qin to step aside.
In the following days, Song Jinping joined the rice harvest as well. The two men worked as if competing, their movements fierce and powerful. Both were shirtless, revealing firm, well-defined abs. Their arms flexed with strength as they swung their sickles, sweat pouring down their bodies. Qin Yuanzheng in particular, his upper body was covered in scars of varying sizes, like unique medals of honor. A blade wound cut across his waist and abdomen, disappearing below the navel, exuding a raw, feral masculinity.
With two such exceptional men on display, the village girls and young wives were thoroughly entertained. Some even stopped delivering meals to their own husbands, claiming they were “busy.”
They flocked daily to the Qin family’s paddy fields, watching openly and indulging in wild fantasies. Several inexperienced young girls blushed furiously.
Some of the older women, however, spoke crudely.
“That Song educated youth is really handsome. Didn’t expect his body to be so solid. I always thought bookish men were all scrawny. A few days ago, I saw an intellectual bathing in the river, goodness, probably useless on the kang.”
“What can you tell from a face? You have to look at the nose. Look at Third Qin’s, straight and tall. That’s the real deal.”
Another woman, famous for her sharp tongue, grew even bolder.
“Who cares about noses? You should look at the lower body. See that scar on Third Qin’s waist? Who knows, maybe what’s below got injured too. Song educated youth’ different, you can tell his base is steady.”
“Oh my, you’re all so picky. If either of those men were given to me, I’d be delighted. Whoever I slept with at night, I’d be laughing in my dreams.”
One particularly “clear-headed” woman voiced her unique opinion, making the nearby female intellectuals blush bright red in embarrassment.
Being stared at by so many women made both Qin Yuanzheng and Song Jinping feel prickles down their backs, but August was unbearably hot. Wearing shirts while threshing soaked them through, making it even worse.
Suddenly, both of them heard a name they cared about deeply.
“Hey! If you want to know which of the two is stronger on the kang, just ask that woman surnamed Bai, wouldn’t she know best?”
“That’s true. She hasn’t lived in vain. And it’s all legitimate too, no hooligan charges at all.”
“Cough, cough, cough!!!”
Bai Xinmei, who had been drinking water while listening with interest, choked violently, her face flushing red. This was too much! She had only been with Qin Yuanzheng once, just once, and that resulted in Niuniu. As for Song Jinping, they were completely innocent, purer than apricot blossoms and white snow.
Yet the villagers insisted on painting her as someone who’d been with countless men…
She looked toward the two men working in the distance, recalling the obscene remarks from the aunties, and began unconsciously sizing them up.
Hmm. Song intellectual was more handsome. Yuanzheng’s nose was nice too. A soldier’s scars only added to his masculinity and sense of honor. As for the lower body… her gaze drifted before she realized what she was doing, her face heating up in embarrassment. Am I really such a wanton woman? Impossible. Her parents had been a model couple, she should find a wealthy, powerful man who adored her and live peacefully for life.
She needed to divorce Qin Yuanzheng as soon as possible, then go to the capital with Song intellectual and return to her former life.
Sensing Bai Xinmei’s gaze, the two men harvesting rice instinctively straightened their chests, like peacocks spreading their tails.
Qin Yuanzheng deliberately turned his uninjured right side toward her, he only wanted her to see his best.
Song Jinping watched him and let out a faint laugh, his thin lips parting as he spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Brother Qin, there’s really no need to be so deliberate. Even if your face weren’t injured, you’d still fall short of me in looks.”
“Brothel women love comparing appearances too. Song intellectual seems well-versed, must’ve studied deeply.”
Qin Yuanzheng shot back without hesitation.
Song Jinping’s expression darkened instantly. This old man dared mock him. Just because he had a child, did he think he could rely on that to win Meimei back? From the moment he was declared a “martyr,” this so-called game of love had already eliminated him.
Tilting his head slightly, Song Jinping wore a careless smile.
“Brother Qin, back then you saved Meimei. Your marriage was merely a matter of convenience. A marriage without love is like a night without sunrise, only darkness and loneliness. I’m different. Meimei and I are truly in love. This is real love. If you genuinely wish for her happiness, then please let us be.”
Qin Yuanzheng abruptly turned, his eyes blazing like an eagle’s, murderous sharpness flashing through them. He sneered coldly and swung his fist straight at Song Jinping.