Cao Wen was clearly stunned upon hearing those words.
He froze and then yanked Zheng Kui up from the ground, gritting his teeth: “What did you say? Say it again if you dare.”
Zheng Kui met his icy gaze up close—so sharp it felt like it could drill a hole through his face.
A chill ran down his spine, making him doubt whether this was really the same guy he used to boss around like nothing.
If it weren’t for the noon sun baking down and making his whole body overheat, he might’ve believed he’d wandered into the wrong place and run into a ghost.
Seeing Cao Wen’s eyes tinged red like blood and fearing another iron punch would land on him, Zheng Kui hurried to reason with him.
“You said before you were short on cash and were at the age to settle down, wanting a wife to help manage the household. But all the families in the village with daughters were asking for sky-high betrothal gifts. You couldn’t afford any of them, so I suggested looking for someone outside the village!”
“Didn’t we agree on everything before I lent you the money?”
Cao Wen seemed to fall into deep thought at this reminder.
Although Zheng Kui felt uneasy, he was not someone who accepted loss easily.
Seizing the moment Cao Wen was distracted, he tried to swing a punch at him—only for it to land on the back of Cao Wen’s still-healing head instead.
Instead of letting go, Cao Wen’s grip tightened even more.
He didn’t hit Zheng Kui again, but the blow to the back of his healing head made it buzz painfully.
In that moment, all those fragmented, disjointed memories suddenly rushed back—like they’d finally found the path home and pieced themselves together.
As Zheng Kui said, the original host had reached marriageable age.
With no elders to arrange a match, he had sought help from a matchmaker.
Most tenant farmers’ daughters had already been sold off to the Qian family as servants, and servants couldn’t marry without their master’s consent.
So the original host had to turn to commoner families in the village.
But those families looked down on tenant farmers and, unwilling to offend directly, would demand exorbitant dowries to scare him off.
After months of searching, he still had no luck and feared he’d end up like other old bachelors in the valley—aging without ever taking a wife.
This wasn’t unusual among tenant farmers.
But the original host, young and full of vitality, couldn’t bear the loneliness and went to Zheng Kui for help.
He hadn’t expected his cousin to care much, but this time, Zheng Kui was unusually invested.
Not only did he help find a potential bride, he also lent him money for the wedding.
The original host, naïve as he was, still sensed something fishy—
Zheng Kui had never been so generous.
So he probed for the real reason.
Zheng Kui didn’t even bother hiding it.
He said he fancied Xu Duoyan, but he already had a fierce wife at home he couldn’t divorce, and Xu Duoyan refused to be his mistress.
So, as a last resort, he lent the original host money to marry Xu Duoyan—so he could still visit regularly.
Though uncomfortable with the idea of sharing his wife, the original host was easily manipulated.
Zheng Kui pressured him, saying if he didn’t marry now, he’d be stuck with a widow later.
Having grown up under Zheng Kui’s thumb, he eventually gave in.
But no one had expected that after marrying into the Qian family, the original host would be beaten to death by Zheng Kui’s arch-enemy, Manager Zhao.
Originally, Cao Wen had felt regret and guilt on behalf of the original host.
But now, upon learning the full story, all he felt was deep disgust for the two men’s shameless scheme.
How could someone come up with such a vile plan?
He thought to himself: in this world, the weak truly have no say in their fate.
While Cao Wen was lost in memory, Zheng Kui broke free from his vice grip.
Seeing Cao Wen’s murderous expression, he didn’t dare get close again.
He stumbled to the fence, gripping the wooden railing for support, and regained some bravado as he yelled: “You ungrateful bastard! I lent you the money to get married, and now, just a few days later, you dare raise a hand against me? You’re worse than those who forget their mothers after getting a wife!”
He sneered, assuming Cao Wen was still penniless.
“Listen, Cao Wen. You borrowed my money, and now you’re hitting me instead of repaying? I’ll report you to the magistrate and have you thrown in jail!”
Cao Wen clenched his fists, itching to kill the shameless rat in front of him.
But reason won out.
He pulled out three taels of silver and threw them over: “Take the money and get lost.”
Zheng Kui stared at the silver in surprise, then quickly bent down to scoop it up.
“So, you do have money now. No wonder you’re suddenly growing a spine!”
“Where’s the IOU?”
Cao Wen asked coldly.
Zheng Kui hadn’t expected him to be so well-prepared.
Realizing he couldn’t win against a man this unhinged, he quickly pulled the IOU from his clothes and threw it over.
But he couldn’t resist adding: “Just you wait—you’ll regret this!”
Cao Wen confirmed the note was authentic, then ripped it to shreds in front of him.
His gaze turned icy.
“You’d better make sure I regret it. But if I ever catch you pestering Xu Duoyan again, either you die, or I’ll kill you myself.”
Zheng Kui’s heart skipped a beat.
He had never seen Cao Wen like this before.
A classic bully, he immediately backed down in the face of true menace and didn’t dare talk back again.
He muttered some curses under his breath and cautiously exited through the fence gate.
When he saw Cao Wen wasn’t chasing him, he took off running.
While running, he regretted not bringing backup today.
But thinking of Cao Wen’s explosive temper, he figured even two men might not have been enough.
Xu Duoyan, having changed clothes and calmed himself, tiptoed out to see what was happening—just in time to hear Cao Wen threatening to kill.
Seeing Zheng Kui fleeing in panic, he silently slid the knife hidden in his sleeve back into place.
Xu Duoyan let out a sigh of relief.
He had worried Cao Wen might once again fall for his cousin’s manipulations and the two would gang up against him.
Dealing with Zheng Kui alone was manageable, but he had seen Cao Wen’s strength firsthand.
If Cao Wen turned on him, it would be a brutal fight with no winners.
But…this guy really turned against Zheng Kui because of him?
Xu Duoyan was baffled.
Cao Wen used to stick to Zheng Kui like glue—almost like a dog attached to its owner.
That cousin acted more like a father than a peer.
Could it be…could it really be that Cao Wen…liked him?
Cao Wen looked up—and saw Xu Duoyan silently standing at the door.
Seeing the lingering fear in his eyes, Cao Wen felt…completely overwhelmed.
He felt a deep ache in his heart for what Xu Duoyan and her mother had gone through at the hands of Zheng Kui and his cousin.
If only he had never shown up—he dreaded to imagine what might have happened to her.
Now, wearing the original body’s face, he even felt ashamed, not knowing how to face Xu Duoyan.
He’d been so foolish before, actually imagining the twisted relationship between the two as some kind of mutual affection.
Turns out, she never liked him at all.
She wasn’t someone who had bravely defied societal norms to marry him of her own will!
She probably loathed the sight of his face every day, disgusted and frustrated to the core.
Yet, because of the power imbalance, she had to pretend to be obedient and cater to him in every way.
But it wasn’t just her.
Even he felt disgusted with himself.
It was as if something inside him had shattered completely.
Cao Wen had never felt his chest this tight and suffocated.
Xu Duoyan stared at Cao Wen standing like a wooden post under the blazing sun, unmoving.
Her eyes flickered as if countless emotions were trapped behind them with nowhere to go, only able to gather in her gaze.
There seemed to be guilt in that look, which he could understand—feeling sorry to see him bullied was normal.
But what puzzled him more was that the emotion in her eyes looked more like…grievance?
He pressed his lips together, making sure he wasn’t seeing things.
That expression—it looked almost as if he were the one who had just been pushed down and nearly violated, not her.
What the heck was going on with this kid again?
But then, he’d never really figured Cao Wen out to begin with.
By now, he was somewhat used to that.
Xu Duoyan had a headache.
Clearly, she was the one who had suffered.
Why did she feel like she had to comfort this guy now?
She was just about to gesture to say she was fine when Cao Wen suddenly stepped forward.
A thousand words reached his lips but ended up as just two: “I’m sorry.”
Xu Duoyan: ?
“If he ever comes for you again with ill intentions, I’ll kill him.”
Xu Duoyan raised her head slightly to look at Cao Wen, her brows trembling ever so faintly.
He wasn’t showing excessive rage, but she could tell that his words weren’t the reckless promise of an impulsive youth.
His usually calm and rarely-seen ruthlessness had surfaced again between his brows.
Seeing that, it was as if—as if her earlier suspicion was now confirmed.
He—
Cao Wen—this guy really liked her.
When did it start?
Was it when he brought her buns?
Or when he took her up the mountain?
Or maybe…
Xu Duoyan suddenly realized that although they hadn’t spent many days together, they’d done quite a lot.
Cao Wen had treated her well—so well that she couldn’t even count the ways.
But…but she was a man!
Although she didn’t really think men couldn’t…well…
No no no!
She had promised that once she saved enough money, she would take her mother and leave this place—to start over where no one knew them.
She swallowed hard.
In the past, she would’ve crushed someone’s hopes without hesitation.
But this time, facing Cao Wen, she actually hesitated—hesitated on how to douse the fire of this boy’s feelings.
Before she could say a word, however, Cao Wen took a deep breath, as if making some firm decision, and said: “From now on, I won’t come near you again. You don’t have to keep pretending anymore.”
“If…you want a divorce, that’s fine too.”
The cold water she had prepared to pour over him suddenly splashed back on her instead—completely unguarded.
Xu Duoyan was caught completely off guard.
A sudden gust of wind blew, chilling her back.
Dry leaves swirled in the courtyard.
At some point, the bright sky had turned dim and oppressive.
A nearby farmer burst out of his house, shouting joyfully at the sky: “The weather’s about to change!”