Translator: Cinder Translations
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When Jiang Cheng woke up in the morning, he took advantage of Chen Xiaomeng going to wash up to try his old trick again, and unsurprisingly, he was caught by her.
This time, since she happened to have a rope with him, she whipped him hard with it.
Jiang Cheng seemed to want to dodge, but due to his position, he couldn't avoid it. The whip landed on his forearm, and the spot immediately turned red.
"I warn you," Chen Xiaomeng raised the rope in her hand, threatening fiercely, "Don't try any tricks, or I'll kill you!"
Jiang Cheng immediately became obedient.
After speaking, Chen Xiaomeng left, and from the sound of her footsteps, it seemed she had gone downstairs.
They had agreed yesterday to meet on the first floor in the morning and wait for the village chief and his group to take them to Xiao Shijian Village.
Once Chen Xiaomeng left, Jiang Cheng slowly got up and went to wash up.
The red swollen marks on his arm were very noticeable in the mirror. After staring at them for a while, his expression gradually became subtle.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a rope hanging on the wall, with what appeared to be either a towel or a rag on it.
He reached out and untied the rope, folded it in half, and squeezed it in his hand, feeling that it had just the right texture and weight.
After walking down a decaying wooden staircase, Chen Xiaomeng arrived on the first floor, where a few people were sitting around a rough wooden table. There was a pot of porridge on the table.
Her gaze swept over the people at the table, noticing that except for herself and Jiang Cheng, everyone was there.
The seating arrangement was also quite intentional. Pei Qian sat on the left, with his supporters Jiang Zhongyi and Yu Man beside him.
At the opposite side, Zhou Rong sat with Li Lu, who was quietly eating, and Ben Fu, who looked unwell with a pale face, as if he hadn't rested well the previous night.
She hesitated for a moment, then walked over, served herself a bowl of porridge, and sat at the empty table next to them.
She took a small sip and realized the porridge was different from what she usually ate. It was bitter with coarse grains, and occasionally, there were tiny, almost unchewable particles.
However, while she was drinking, she suddenly felt strange glances from different directions, all focused on her.
This was an instinct she had developed in times of danger. She immediately raised her head and met one of those gazes.
It was Jiang Zhongyi.
He was staring at her with a very strange look. When he realized he'd been noticed, he quickly lowered his head to cover it by pretending to drink the porridge.
At the same time, several other gazes quickly vanished.
Chen Xiaomeng felt confused. She didn't sense any threat in Jiang Zhongyi's gaze. In fact, it was filled with curiosity, strangeness, and even... admiration.
What had happened to these people overnight?
A vague sense of unease started to brew in her heart. She felt as if she had sensed something, but before she could investigate further, she heard the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs.
She turned and saw Jiang Cheng slowly coming down the stairs. His movements were strange.
One hand was gripping the staircase, while the other was holding his waist. His steps were unsteady, his body shivering from time to time, as though he was recovering from a serious illness or had overexerted himself.
As more and more people turned to look at him, Jiang Cheng's expression became increasingly delicate.
His face was pale, but unlike Ben Fu, his paleness had a slight tinge of embarrassment.
As if embarrassed to be seen, Jiang Cheng lowered his head, taking small steps, and eventually came to Chen Xiaomeng's side.
At this point, no one was trying to hide their shock anymore. Even Pei Qian couldn't help but look Jiang Cheng and Chen Xiaomeng up and down, his gaze unintentionally showing a hint of envy.
It was so good to be young. They were in a place like this, yet they still had the energy to do... that.
Chen Xiaomeng had never expected that, just last night when Jiang Cheng was having his "nightmare," the people in the three rooms downstairs were wearing expressions like this.
They all had their heads tilted back, staring at the violently shaking ceiling above, with the faint sound of the bed creaking under pressure. Their expressions were like... mortals gazing up at the gods.
The most admirable part was that just earlier this morning, they had heard the familiar creaking sound again.
Although it didn't last as long as the night before, it was even more intense.
At that moment, Jiang Zhongyi had been brushing his teeth, and the excitement almost made him break the toothbrush.
Ben Fu couldn't help but swallow hard. He admitted that Chen Xiaomeng was quite attractive, and he'd thought about it, but if he were to do such things in a nightmare, he wouldn't be in the mood.
He looked at Jiang Cheng, thinking to himself that this brother, Yin Zhiping, was truly extraordinary.
"Could you serve me a bowl of porridge?" Jiang Cheng timidly looked at Chen Xiaomeng with a pure and pitiful expression. "Please?"
Before Chen Xiaomeng could respond, he quietly added, "It hurts here, I... overexerted myself earlier."
He held his waist, panting as if he were out of breath.
Chen Xiaomeng's face suddenly changed. It was only then that she realized why everyone had been looking at her that way.
So that's what had happened.
Her gaze toward Jiang Cheng became full of murderous intent. If looks could kill, Jiang Cheng would have died several times over by now.
However, her anger only lasted for a moment. A few seconds later, she suddenly smiled, a very alluring smile.
She reached out and slowly adjusted Jiang Cheng's clothes, gently brushing back his messy hair, in a very intimate gesture.
"I told you not to show off," she smiled sweetly, her expression both innocent and seductive, giving a feeling that was somewhere between pure and coquettish. Ben Fu was stunned.
She continued whispering, "You've known you weren't capable in that area for a long time, so why force yourself?" She playfully hit his chest and glared at him, "Aren't you afraid of dying from overexertion?"
Everyone immediately had a look of realization, and they all stared at Jiang Cheng with a mix of sympathy and distaste.
Chen Xiaomeng's hand slid down Jiang Cheng's cheek, and to the others, it looked like a couple showing affection.
But only Jiang Cheng, who experienced it firsthand, knew that from an angle the others couldn't see, she twisted his ear so hard that it almost came off.
Chen Xiaomeng gazed lovingly at Jiang Cheng, but her eyes were filled with mockery.
Unexpectedly—
Jiang Cheng not only didn't get angry but his expression became even more pitiful, his voice weak as he said, "See? It's all your fault. You always try new things!"
Chen Xiaomeng paused in her movements.
Jiang Cheng groaned, "I was shy and didn't agree, but you kept forcing me in different ways."
He seemingly reluctantly rolled up his sleeves, revealing several bruises on his arm.
"Look at what you've done," he softly sobbed. "The whip I can take, but you even burned me with candles. Luckily, I hid the candles last night, or I don't even know what else you would have done!"
Chen Xiaomeng froze in shock.
(End of the Chapter)
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