Chapter 94: Deceptively Honest

Chapter 94: Deceptively Honest

After Lin Shu's surprise attack, she quickly leaped back and scampered away.

As she stepped onto the stone path through the vegetable patch, as if remembering something, she suddenly turned to look at him. Seeing Zhou Ye still standing there in a daze, as if he hadn't quite come back to his senses, she couldn't help but smile at him. "You blockhead, what I said at the market was just to tease you. I've already told Mom that I'm very happy with you and willing to marry you in the future. But you have to keep treating me well, or I might just change my mind at any moment."

Zhou Ye snapped out of his trance, his gaze fixed on her smiling face. He didn't know what to say, only stammering slightly, "A Shu, I will always, always treat you well!"

"Alright, I'll hold you to that. If you treat me well, I'll treat you well too. A Ye, you really are such a fool, a big fool..." Her voice grew softer and softer as Lin Shu ran farther away.

Zhou Ye didn't chase after her. He felt he needed a moment to compose himself.

First, he touched his lips, thinking of Lin Shu's words about "sealing the deal." The corners of his mouth spread into a grin, and he let out a hearty, guileless laugh, exactly like Lin Dashan's. Then he took a long, deep breath and slowly exhaled, easing the surging emotions in his chest.

He was incredibly happy. He hadn't felt this happy in a very, very long time.

Zhou Ye gazed at the fish pond he had dug with his own hands. Beyond the smile on his lips, joy crinkled the corners of his eyes and brows—unrestrained and overflowing.

A Shu's affection for him was deeper than he had realized.

He had been mistaken. A Shu was never the type to disdain the poor and favor the rich. The kind of person she wanted to marry in the future wasn't what others thought it should be, but entirely up to her own preferences.

He would treat A Shu well, treat her very, very well, so that A Shu would only ever love him.

---

By the time Zhou Ye returned to the courtyard, Lin Shu was already chatting and laughing with He Guixiang and Lin Xiaopu again, her expression perfectly normal. The faint blush on her face had completely vanished. Only when he entered the courtyard did she sneak a glance at him—a glance that seemed to carry a tiny hook, gently tugging at his heart.

Zhou Ye lowered his eyes and pressed his lips together, preventing a smile from escaping.

He Guixiang and Lin Xiaopu tacitly refrained from asking too many questions. Instead, they were more curious about what Zhou Ye had said publicly earlier.

"A Ye, did your Uncle Zhao San really once consider splitting the family?" He Guixiang asked.

It's only human to be curious, and He Guixiang was no exception. Earlier, she had been worried about Lin Shu, but now that her worry had passed, and after hearing Xiao Pu mention what Zhou Ye had said publicly, she naturally wanted to know more.

As a woman, she didn't interact much with the men in the village, but Lin Dashan was on good terms with Zhao Laosan. Even if she didn't ask now, Lin Dashan would likely ask when he returned. It was better for her to ask now and tell him later that evening.

Zhou Ye's gaze briefly flickered over Lin Shu's face. He seemed hesitant but eventually answered truthfully, "Auntie, what I said to the villagers was a half-truth. Uncle Zhao San never told me directly he wanted to split the family. I inferred it from some fragmented words he spoke when he was drunk, so I wasn't exactly lying."

As he spoke the last sentence, he glanced at Lin Shu again. Sure enough, she looked surprised, her eyes widening slightly. But while Aunt He and Xiao Pu were still taken aback, she had already regained her composure and was looking at him with a teasing smile, as if to say, "Hmph, I knew you weren't that honest."

Zhou Ye felt a slight blush.

He had never claimed to be an honest person. It was just that everyone thought so, and A Shu had thought so too.

Zhou Ye explained, "That day, Uncle Zhao San looked troubled. I guessed he had argued with Aunt Lin. I didn't want to meddle, but he grabbed me and insisted on venting. I don't remember exactly what he said, and even if I did, it wouldn't be right to share Uncle Zhao San's private family matters. But I do remember him asking me out of the blue, 'If we didn't live together, would Aunt Lin be happier?'"

He Guixiang and Lin Xiaopu: ...

Lin Xiaopu stammered, "Brother A Ye, that one sentence is still quite different from saying he wanted to split the family... isn't it?"

Zhou Ye nodded. "It's not exactly the same, but that's not the point. The important thing is that Uncle Zhao San even said that, which indicates he did consider splitting the family at the time. So, in a way, he did reveal his intention to split the family to me. Was I talking nonsense?"

Lin Xiaopu: ...No?

But could it be interpreted like that?!

Lin Shu clapped in delight. "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! Thankfully, A Ye was quick-witted enough to help clear me of the suspicion of instigating Aunt Lin to split the family."

He Guixiang, who always overthought things, couldn't help but worry. "A Ye, even if you weren't exactly lying, what if Uncle Zhao San finds out you revealed he had considered splitting the family a year ago? Would he be angry?"

Zhou Ye's expression remained calm and steady, his gaze reassuring even without words. He comforted her, "Uncle Zhao San deeply cherishes Aunt Lin. He won't be angry with me for saying this; in fact, he'll thank me."

He didn't like meddling in others' affairs, especially family matters. What he said today was an exception.

Hearing this, Lin Shu looked at him with newfound admiration, as if she had discovered a hidden gem. Her eyes sparkled.

Since Uncle Zhao San and Aunt Lin had a good relationship, Uncle Zhao San would certainly not want her to be hurt by village gossip. A Ye's words today at least made one thing clear to the villagers: Uncle Zhao San's insistence on splitting the family wasn't because Aunt Lin had been influenced by someone else yesterday, nor was it because Aunt Lin had whispered in his ear the night before. Instead, it was something Uncle Zhao San himself had considered long ago.

You could say Aunt Lin's daily whispers had an effect, but you couldn't claim she had been manipulated or provoked by someone. Besides, when a couple discusses things in private, it's called consultation, not manipulation.

In short, with A Ye's explanation, whenever villagers brought up Uncle Zhao San splitting the family, they would talk about both of them together. The couple would share the burden of gossip; they'd be in it together, in a way.

Lin Xiaopu cupped her face and suddenly exclaimed, "Wow, so Uncle Zhao San cares so much about Aunt Lin! He always looks so stern—I never would've guessed just from his face."

Lin Shu tapped her lightly on the forehead. "Some people are just like that—they don't smile much. Look, does A Ye smile often? Yet he still quietly goes to the mountains to pick wild fruits for you. Besides, how could outsiders, especially a little kid like you, understand what goes on between a married couple?"

Lin Xiaopu yelped, covering her forehead indignantly. "But you always say I'm clever! If I'm so clever, why wouldn't I notice? I was the first to see that you and Brother A Ye—mmph!"

Before she could finish, Lin Shu covered her mouth.

Lin Shu smiled sweetly. "Oh, little sister, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Mmph, mmph!" You're mean, big sister!

She just didn't want Brother A Ye to know that she had liked him for a long time too. Fine, she wouldn't say it.

Once she was sure Xiao Pu wouldn't continue, Lin Shu let go, pinching her cheek lightly before pulling her hand away.

"Xiao Pu, since Wang Yingen came to warn us in time earlier, he did us a solid. You've been getting along with him lately—could you take his bamboo water gun and bamboo slingshot to him? Do you know the way to the Wang family's house? Don't get lost."

Lin Xiaopu agreed readily. "No problem, leave it to me."

Before handing the items to Wang Yingen, she could squeeze some benefits out of him. Hehe.

If it meant making that rascal Wang Yingen call her "big sister" a few more times, she'd be happy to do a hundred such errands.

As Lin Xiaopu spiritedly scampered off with the bamboo water gun and bamboo slingshot, He Guixiang glanced up at the sky. "It's about time. A Shu, I'll go check on your aunt. She might be too shy to come, so I'll hurry Yu Shu along."

Soon after, He Guixiang also left, carrying a bamboo basket for hemp work.

She even took the basket with her, so it was clear she'd stay at her sister-in-law's until it was time to prepare dinner.

For a moment, the only two left in the courtyard glanced at each other, their exchanged looks even more meaningful than when others were around.

Zhou Ye moved his small bamboo chair next to Lin Shu's, sitting close to her.

Although his chair was deliberately made larger and taller, his long legs still stretched out far when he sat down.

Lin Shu tilted her knees slightly to the side, easily leaning against Zhou Ye's thigh—though only against his leg.

She couldn't help but smile. Silly tall guy...

"A Ye, when you called me away in front of Mom and Xiao Pu earlier, they must've been secretly laughing at us," Lin Shu said, her tone sounding like a complaint but coming across as a coquettish whine to Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye turned to look at her, his dark eyes seeming to hold fragments of warm, shimmering sunlight.

Lin Shu couldn't stop her face from heating up just from being quietly watched by him like this.

What's wrong with me?

Although she wasn't a veteran in practice, she knew a lot—there was nothing risqué or vulgar she hadn't come across. So why did she keep blushing and feeling her heart race?

Before, she used to love watching Zhou Ye's ears slowly turn red and translucent, finding it especially amusing. But now, she'd become just like him.

Whenever she blushed, A Ye would also love to stare at her face, often staring for a long time.

He thought she didn't notice, but of course she noticed—she was far too perceptive.

Just like now, A Ye's eyes were locked on her face again.

It made Lin Shu want to cover his eyes.

"What are you staring at? I asked you a question!" Lin Shu said, annoyed.

Zhou Ye stared at her. Now that he had Lin Shu's promise, he no longer avoided her gaze as before. Instead, he looked at her unwaveringly, his eyes burning like two fiery pools.

He explained earnestly, "A Shu, at that moment, I was so pent up inside that I couldn't bear it for another second. I just wanted to say those words to you right away. Thinking back now, it really wasn't appropriate. I handled it poorly. From now on, before I make any decisions, I'll check with you first. How does that sound?"

"I don't want that. If you have to ask me about everything, I'd basically be your mom!" Lin Shu laughed at her own words. "Just discuss matters that involve me. For everything else, you can decide on your own."

After a brief pause, she said frankly, "A Ye, I'm really happy that you stood up for me today."

Zhou Ye's hand clenched and unclenched several times, as if he had finally made up his mind, and he slowly inched it closer to Lin Shu's hand.

Just as he was about to touch the back of her hand, Lin Shu suddenly stood up and headed toward the main room. "A Ye, wait for me a moment. I need to jot down a few things. Before Yu Shu arrives, I'll teach you for a while!"

Zhou Ye's expression showed a hint of regret, but hearing her words, a trace of sweetness rose in his heart, as if he had just taken a bite of the rice cake A Shu had personally fed him. He quickly replied, "Alright, thank you, A Shu."

His tone was unusually bright and cheerful.