Chapter 17: After All This, You Still Want Yan Ziyue to Take the Blame?

Xiao Heshuo gently shook his head, his gaze fixed intently on Yan Ziyue. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but…” He sighed softly. “You need to give me some time to adjust, to slowly believe that you have truly changed and won’t revert to how you were before.”

In the past, Yan Ziyue had been kind to him for a while. But after just a few days, she returned to Xu Lecheng’s side and treated him with disdain.

Yan Ziyue understood immediately. She lightly patted her chest, exhaling deeply. “You scared me! I thought, husband, you didn’t trust me and had already decided that I still harbored feelings for Xu Lecheng.”

Xiao Heshuo stroked her hair gently, his eyes warm. “At first, I didn’t trust you. But after everything, I can see that you truly don’t like Xu Lecheng anymore and won’t be with him.”

Yan Ziyue nodded firmly, a look of disgust crossing her face. “My mind is clear now. I won’t be fooled again by Xu Lecheng and Zhang Qingqing’s family.”

In her past life, she had been so grievously wronged; there was no way she would make the same mistake again in this one.

A smile spread across Xiao Heshuo’s lips. “That’s good.”

“By the way,” he added, “I’m going out for a while but will be back soon. Stay home and work on your arithmetic exercises.”

Yan Ziyue didn’t ask where he was going but reminded him to be careful.

After seeing him off, she returned to the main room to do her arithmetic problems.

Xiao Heshuo, however, made his way straight to Hu Ergou’s house.

Hu Ergou’s home was a chaotic mess, reeking with a foul stench that made it little better than a beggar’s den.

His parents had died years ago, leaving him alone in the house.

“Hu Ergou!” Xiao Heshuo stood in the yard, his face cold and expression stern, seemingly unaffected by the stench.

“Who’s there?” Hu Ergou grumbled, pulling at his hair as he emerged from the bedroom, clearly displeased.

Before he could even make out who it was, Xiao Heshuo kicked him hard to the ground.

“You—who the hell do you think you are, daring to—” Enraged, Hu Ergou’s expression instantly changed to one of sycophantic fear when he recognized Xiao Heshuo standing over him.

“Isn’t this Xiao Heshuo? What are you doing at my place?”

He was genuinely afraid of this man.

Most people in the village either didn’t know how or dared not confront him, allowing him to act recklessly without consequence.

But this man was different; not only would he beat him mercilessly, but he made sure Hu Ergou understood the grave consequences of his actions.

Xiao Heshuo looked down at him sharply. “Did Zhang Juhua come to see you?”

Hu Ergou immediately caught on to the implication and hurried to explain, “Zhang Juhua didn’t come looking for me… well, that’s not exactly true.”

“Yesterday, Zhang Juhua passed by my house and said Yan Ziyue was going alone into the mountains tomorrow, and that she dressed very provocatively. I… I let my mind wander.”

He had long had his eyes on Yan Ziyue.

She was beautiful and skilled both inside and outside the home.

If he could marry her, his life would be comfortable.

Hearing this, Xiao Heshuo slammed his foot down hard on Hu Ergou’s crotch.

“Your mind wandered?”

“Ahh!!” Hu Ergou cried out in pain, nearly fainting, instantly regretting ever entertaining thoughts about Yan Ziyue.

Everyone in the village knew Yan Ziyue was Xiao Heshuo’s beloved; anyone who dared to mess with her would be thoroughly punished by Xiao Heshuo.

Xiao Heshuo increased the pressure, his gaze sharp as a blade. “Hu Ergou, how do you think I should deal with you?”

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Hu Ergou wailed, too weak to resist, tears and snot streaming down his face. “Xiao Heshuo, I really know I was wrong.”

“I promise, from now on, I’ll stay far away from Yan Ziyue. I won’t even glance her way.”

If he had known the consequences would be this severe, he would never have dared to set his sights on her.

It was all that despicable Zhang Juhua’s fault!

He would never let her off.

Xiao Heshuo’s eyes grew colder. “If the Yan family comes looking for you…”

“I would never collude with the Yan family or Xu Lecheng!” Hu Ergou quickly assured him. “I’d even tell you right away.”

Is his inheritance still intact?

Xiao Heshuo withdrew his foot, wiping his shoe on Hu Ergou’s pants. “Hu Ergou, Zhang Qingqing might be pregnant with your child.”

With that, he turned and left.

Hu Ergou curled up on the ground, clutching his injured area.

What did Xiao Heshuo mean?

Zhang Qingqing might be carrying his child…

Suddenly, Hu Ergou sprang to his feet as if feeling no pain, his eyes shining with hope and excitement.

Xiao Heshuo was right!

He was so formidable; Zhang Qingqing must be pregnant with his child.

He had to protect the child in her womb!

Thinking this, Hu Ergou limped as fast as he could toward the Yan family’s home.

“Zhang Qingqing, you’re carrying my child…”

The commotion caused by Hu Ergou’s arrival at the Yan residence naturally reached Yan Ziyue’s ears, learned from the neighbors’ gossip.

“I heard Zhang Qingqing is pregnant with Hu Ergou’s child, and Hu Ergou stormed into the Yan home, demanding she carry his child or he’d kill the entire Yan family.”

“Sure enough, Zhang Qingqing has been involved with Hu Ergou for a long time. Poor Xu Lecheng is completely cuckolded.”

“Who knows if the child in Zhang Qingqing’s belly is even Hu Ergou’s? Maybe it belongs to someone else in or outside the village—she’s had so many men.”

Hearing this, Yan Ziyue felt an unexpected joy, even her motivation to study increased.

In her past life, she had been the one slandered and scorned by the villagers, while Zhang Qingqing was praised as a good girl.

In this life, it was Zhang Qingqing and Xu Lecheng who would taste the bitterness of universal revilement.

She lifted her gaze slightly to the clear sky, squinting.

Knowing Zhang Qingqing as she did, Yan Ziyue was certain the woman would come to her, hoping to shift the blame.

Just as Yan Ziyue anticipated, Zhang Qingqing came, crying.

She was not alone but accompanied by Yan Ziyue’s father.

“Yan Ziyue, help Qingqing,” Yan’s father ordered coldly, as if addressing a servant.

Yan Ziyue glanced at the pitifully crying Zhang Qingqing and leisurely fetched a kitchen knife.

The blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight, its sharp light piercing the eyes of Yan’s father and Zhang Qingqing, making it hard to look at.

“You—what are you trying to do, you wicked girl?” Yan’s father shouted, his voice fierce but his courage faltering. “Put down that knife or I’ll beat you to death!”

Yan Ziyue smiled coldly, waving the knife a few times.

The whistle of the blade in the air frightened Yan’s father and Zhang Qingqing so much their faces drained of color.

Zhang Qingqing cowered behind him, a mix of hatred and fear in her voice. “Sister…”

“What did you just say?” Yan Ziyue lifted her eyes, pointing the knife at them. “I didn’t quite catch that—perhaps you two could repeat it?”

With the knife aimed at them, neither Yan’s father nor Zhang Qingqing dared to speak of making Yan Ziyue take the blame; both feared the blade might fall on them at any moment.

“Yan Ziyue, I’m your father. You’re being unfilial, inviting disgrace upon our family!” Yan’s father shouted.

“Sister, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault—please don’t blame Dad.”