"Auntie Wang, what do you take me for?" Lin Yan was angry, and even her gentle gestures couldn't add aggression to her fury.
She looked at Lu Chenyuan's expression. He was expressionless, simply taking off the Agarwood Beads from his wrist, his eyes growing dark.
Auntie Wang leaned in close to Lin Yan and whispered, "Not having a certificate means you're not married. Are you foolish to be with a man like this? Don't you watch TV? You say you live here, and you can't even watch TV. Your home lacks everything, and ultimately, life is about chasing money. Why bother with someone who is penniless and destitute? Run away before it's too late and you're not married yet."
Auntie Wang's whispers weren't exactly quiet; she was used to speaking loudly and wasn't used to lowering her voice suddenly.
Lin Yan felt like she had a thorn in her back. This Auntie Wang was being so crude with her words.
She completely disregarded Lu Chenyuan, speaking as though he wasn't even a person. Right in front of him, she was so unrestrained with her words, like a matchmaker who didn't know discretion.
How could she insult someone to their face, and in their own house, no less, spouting these unpleasant words?
"Don't talk nonsense, Auntie Wang. The weather's bad, you should get going, in case you get soaked by the rain," said Lin Yan with an exasperated look, glaring at Auntie Wang with her small face clearly showing she was unhappy.
This time, she was so angry that her voice inadvertently raised several decibels.
Auntie Wang also realized she had been too loud but wasn't embarrassed.
Lu Chenyuan's deep and sharp gaze fell on Auntie Wang, who was frightened by the intensity of his look.
"She won't marry, you can leave now," said Lu Chenyuan with a cigarette between his lips, a grim expression on his face as he opened the door for Auntie Wang to leave.
Auntie Wang swallowed nervously, her face tensing up, "Don't intimidate me. Look at you, a big, able-bodied man hanging around at home all day without the ability to make money. Lin Yan is so pretty; are you worthy of her? Don't bring disaster upon the girl. You'll suffer retribution. What can you even provide for her?"
"Do I need your preaching? Get out," Lu Chenyuan said firmly, his face calm, the angrier he became.
Auntie Wang started to panic.
Lin Yan also stood at the door, "Please go back. Whatever my man is like, I like him."
Saying this made Lin Yan blush with shyness, mustering considerable courage to stand up for Lu Chenyuan in front of others.
"Lin Yan, are you stupid? What future can he have? Look at Xiang Qingyuan; he's got such a beautiful and wealthy girlfriend. Can you stomach this? You want to be looked down upon for life, being as pretty as you are?" Auntie Wang rose to leave, spouting these words but already heading towards the door.
Her heart raced, and her hands trembled. She'd lived long enough to size up people.
Seeing the ruthlessness in that man, it felt like being trapped in a wolf's den, where one wrong move could lead to being violently dismembered.
"Fortunes change. Who knows, in the future, we may live well. Maybe we'll make a fortune," said Lin Yan as she firmly returned the basket of crabapple fruits Auntie Wang had brought along, refusing to accept her things.
Auntie Wang thought Lin Yan was stubbornly determined to stick by this poor wretch, not realizing the hardships she would endure later, surely to be regretful.
Young girls just don't understand. Marrying Jia'ao would have been so much better. With a smartphone, he could make money from home, and quite a handsome sum at that.
"You'll be crying later, girl. You'll regret it. This man is no good; I'm the best at judging people," Auntie Wang said indignantly.
"If you don't want her crying over your grave, you can stay," Lu Chenyuan's voice was as cold as a chill wind, but his face wore a smile, conveying an overwhelming sense of oppression.
Old Lady Wang left, having never been so scared in years. When she stepped outside, the rain had stopped, and she shivered in the cold, wrapping her clothes tightly around her as she scurried off to inform the Zhang family, to come up with another plan.
Lin Yan pursed her lips, frowning at Lu Chenyuan, putting on an act of being pitiful and wronged.
She symbolically wiped the spot where Auntie Wang had sat with her sleeve as though nothing had happened.
"People talk nonsense when they're old. Don't take it to heart, just listen and let it go," she said.
Lu Chenyuan looked down at her intently, "Don't invite disreputable people here again."
Lin Yan's eyes shone brightly as she nodded vigorously, "I won't, definitely not."
Lu Chenyuan, having said that, carelessly tossed the precious string of Agarwood Beads aside, his mood affected by all this idle chatter.
The priceless Agarwood Beads could never have imagined there would come a day when they'd be regarded as waste, discarded and weeping in a corner.
Lin Yan thought about how firmly Lu Chenyuan had turned down Auntie Wang for her, and her heart was stirred by a force, rippling delicately.
"Are you afraid I'll marry someone else?" Lin Yan's faint voice sought confirmation, her small heart ablaze with expectation, cheeks flushed with heat.
Lu Chenyuan's face darkened, "Whatever you choose, it has nothing to do with me. That old hag was right; if you follow me, you're going to end up crying."
Lin Yan pursed her lips. Heartless... his attitude had changed so quickly. She didn't mind that Lu Chenyuan was poor, so why did he have to say that?
Her gaze fixed on the empty walls. If Auntie Wang hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have even noticed.
How Lu Chenyuan lived like an ascetic monk, with no phone or TV.
She didn't mind, as she could watch videos on her phone when she had nothing to do, but Lu Chenyuan had absolutely nothing to pass the time. Didn't he get bored?
While stuffing begonia fruit, one accidentally rolled out of the bag. Lin Yan bent down to pick it up and tossed it into the trash can.
There wasn't much food left in the house, and Lin Yan was extremely frugal while cooking dinner, preparing only a plate of plain stir-fried shredded potatoes.
Lu Chenyuan wasn't picky. He still ate elegantly. Lin Yan zoned out watching him; he rarely ate vegetables, mostly just white rice.
Lu Chenyuan was definitely the most graceful eater she had ever seen among men.
The most she had seen was her father, Lin Guoping, who liked to smack his lips, smacking even when eating pickled vegetables as if they were more delicious than the finest delicacies.
The two ate facing each other, in silence.
Only the sound of chopsticks tapping against the bowls could be heard.
Lu Chenyuan had always been one to neither talk while eating nor while lying in bed; he rarely spoke during meals.
"If the house is demolished, we can go work in Hai City. Once we've saved enough money, we can come back and build a big four-story house."
Lin Yan yearned to earn money. She had already given up on studying, lacking the means.
"Once it's demolished, you can go. Go wherever you wish," Lu Chenyuan put down his chopsticks and replied only after finishing his meal.
Lin Yan silently nodded. She was thinking too much, too far ahead, always tying Lu Chenyuan to her side.
The weather turned colder, and the days grew shorter; it was only a little past five o'clock, yet it had already darkened.
Lin Yan finished tidying up the dishes and donned a fleece-lined jacket to go out, noticing that Lu Chenyuan was still dressed lightly in a basic white T-shirt, which made him look quite classy.
"The weather's changing; you'll catch a cold dressed like that. Don't you have any clothes to wear? If not, I can go get a few from my dad," Lin Yan said before leaving, after also pouring hot water into an enamel mug.
Lu Chenyuan: "You have five more minutes before you leave the door, and yet your sense of time is this poor?"
Lu Chenyuan knew Lin Yan was meeting friends that evening. He wasn't too concerned, but Lin Yan always informed him beforehand.
She said it would be at six o'clock, and now with three minutes to go, it was almost six.
Lu Chenyuan always disliked those with a poor sense of time, showing no hurry yet still fussing over his clothes.
Reminded by him, Lin Yan glanced at the time, saw it was nearly upon her, and hurried out.
She had made plans with Zhou Xiaoyue to eat barbecue in the county. Suddenly, Lin Yan felt a twinge of guilt.
She felt a little excessive; having a feast herself that evening after only preparing stir-fried potatoes for dinner. What would Lu Chenyuan think if he knew?
Lin Yan hadn't gone very far when she ran back, "It might be a bit late when I return, so go ahead."
Lu Chenyuan frowned. Did she think if she didn't come back, he wouldn't go to bed?
Waiting for her to "sleep" together?