Seeing her extend her hand, Luo Yang took a bite.
"Is it good?" Qin Piao asked with a smile.
"Not bad," Luo Yang smiled awkwardly. "Sister Piao, what did you buy?"
"Shampoo." Qin Piao opened her eco-friendly shopping bag and handed Luo Yang a bottle of Piao Rou shampoo to check out.
"The village chief's grocery store has this brand of shampoo," Luo Yang said.
Qin Piao did not continue the conversation, her expression slightly unnatural, and changing the subject, she pointed at a nearby fruit stand and said, "Do you want to eat a pear? I'll buy it for you."
Luo Yang said, "No need. Sister Piao, do you not like to shop at the village chief's grocery store?"
Upon being asked, Qin Piao nodded and said, "In the village, you're the only one who treats me like a normal person; everyone else sees me as a demon. I don't want to be close to them."
Her voice carried a hint of desolation, and Luo Yang suddenly realized he shouldn't have pressed the issue, feeling annoyed with himself.
Qin Piao's demeanor also wilted a lot, and Luo Yang, wanting to make amends, said, "Sister Piao, let me tell you a joke."
Seeing her nod, he continued, "A peasant woman went to the city. Do you know why she couldn't use the restroom?"
Qin Piao, licking her ice cream, pondered and replied, "There are no restrooms in the city."
"No."
"The restrooms are full."
"Not that either."
"Then what is it?"
"Because all the restrooms in the city had signs saying 'Public Restroom,' and she couldn't find any 'Female Restroom,' so she just had to hold it."
Upon hearing this, Qin Piao burst out laughing.
"Hey, Niu Zai, where would you find such a foolish person? You're making it up," she said, giggling.
Seeing the gloom on her lively face finally replaced by laughter, Luo Yang felt relieved.
After finishing their ice cream, Qin Piao asked, "Want another?"
Luo Yang waved his hand and said, "No thanks. Do you need to buy anything else?"
"Nothing else," she replied.
"Then let's head back," he suggested.
"Okay."
Qin Piao then climbed onto the back of the motorbike, sitting close against Luo Yang's back.
With a beep, the motorbike slowly headed toward Hongyun Brigade.
The two of them talked about everything under the sun. Qin Piao vented all the frustrations that were heavy on her heart, while Luo Yang didn't quite understand the complexities of adult conflicts. He simply felt that Qin Piao was innocent, and that the villagers shouldn't look at her with weird eyes. He would never see her as a demon.
Though it wasn't a long conversation, Qin Piao already regarded Luo Yang as a confidant, and her mood significantly improved.
All the way, Luo Yang only felt a thin, crispy, yet genuinely warm softness against his back.
As night fell and the moonlight shone clearly, they could see the road well without streetlights.
Upon reaching the entrance of the village, Qin Piao got off the bike. She still had a few minutes to walk before reaching her home.
"Then I'm leaving, Sister Piao," Luo Yang called out.
"Okay. Bye."
Luo Yang drove the motorbike forward not more than a dozen meters when he heard the sound of another motorbike from behind. Then he heard a familiar voice speaking to Qin Piao—it was evidently a young man trying to bother her.
The young man was also from Hongyun Brigade, a village punk named Tang Jie. Saying he was minor wasn't about his age but comparing his strength to Lang Yifeng, the top thug of Hongyun Brigade, he was indeed minor.
Only to hear Tang Jie speak in a wheedling tone, "Piao Piao, get on, I'll give you a ride home."
Qin Piao flatly refused, "No need, I will walk."
Unexpectedly, Tang Jie, shamelessly, insisted, "Come on, we know each other, don't be shy, just get on."
Then, the sound of the motorbike stopping was heard.
Luo Yang also stopped his bike, turned his head to see what was happening, only to hear Qin Piao say unhappily, "Why are you blocking my way? I don't need your ride."
Seeing Luo Yang not moving forward, Qin Piao called out as if she had found a savior, "Hey, Niu Zai, give me a ride home."
With Tang Jie blocking her, Qin Piao couldn't walk over.
Seeing this situation, Luo Yang had to turn his bike around and draw closer, trying to mediate, "Brother Jie, don't hassle her."
It was only then that he could smell the alcohol on Tang Jie's breath.
"Hey, it's none of your business, keep out of this. Just go," Tang Jie said while forcefully twisting the throttle, causing the motorbike to suddenly shoot forward, harshly bumping against the front wheel of Luo Yang's motorbike.
At this moment, Qin Piao quickly took the opportunity to stride over to Luo Yang's side, nimbly climbed onto his motorbike, and finally exhaled a breath of relief.
"Niu Zai, let's go," Qin Piao said softly.
"Hey! Niu Zai, you trying to defy me?!" Tang Jie became infuriated.
Luo Yang didn't want to entangle with him, just as he was about to turn the bike around to leave, Tang Jie crashed into them again, causing a violent jolt that nearly toppled the motorbike, forcing Luo Yang and Qin Piao to get off.
Tang Jie was quite strong, and under normal circumstances, Luo Yang could at best draw even with him, or even be slightly outmatched.
But with True Qi in his body, none of that was a problem.