Chapter 49: Facing the Enemy Together

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Facing the Enemy Together

Hearing this, Gu Qingyu flew into a rage. "Bastards! Is there no law and order anymore?"

But as he finished speaking, even his own voice faltered.

"Alright, you should head back. There’s no point in saying more. We’ll be careful," Gu Qingyu said with a slow sigh, not wanting to continue the conversation.

’The situation is unclear, and these villains are full of tricks. For now, avoiding a direct confrontation isn’t a bad idea.’

Before leaving, Hua Yusen brought in the dry straw from outside and took out the damp straw from inside.

When Hua Yusen returned to the Dragon King Temple, Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t resting; she was waiting for him.

"It’s late. Why aren’t you resting?" Hua Yusen glanced around, feeling a bit uncomfortable being alone with Zhao Nuanyue.

A man and a woman, alone in a room together. He couldn’t help but think of... intimate, improper things, and an awkward expression crept onto his face.

"There’s something on my mind, and I can’t sleep. I wanted to talk to you," Zhao Nuanyue said, feeling an unease in her heart, a sense that something was about to happen.

"Oh?" Hua Yusen listened, a hint of curiosity on his face. He knew Zhao Nuanyue was a very sharp person, so he took her thoughts seriously. "In that case, go ahead. I’m listening. If something is really wrong, maybe we can figure it out together. Two heads are better than one."

Without realizing it, Hua Yusen had come to see Zhao Nuanyue as a trustworthy partner. It was a subtle feeling, but under such difficult and harsh conditions, having a companion he could rely on was a blessing in itself.

"I think Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua might be back soon," Zhao Nuanyue said after a moment of thought. "When they return, we, as the two people who testified against them, are going to face an even more dire situation."

Hua Yusen listened and nodded. "You’re right. I’ve been thinking about this for the past two days. How can we more effectively protect those people? But I haven’t come up with a good solution yet."

"Exactly. Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua clearly have someone backing them. We’re no match for them in a direct confrontation," Zhao Nuanyue replied. "So we have to approach this from Uncle Miao and Aunt Li’s side. Even if Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua avoid prison and get their names cleared this time, things like this have happened in the village over and over. As the one in his position, Wang Dadan has to be held responsible."

"You mean Wang Dadan might lose his position?" Hua Yusen looked at Zhao Nuanyue, asking doubtfully. "If that’s the case, then things might not be as grim as we thought."

"Right. So I’m prepared to go all the way. We’re already mortal enemies with Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua, so what’s a little more?" After thinking for a long time, Zhao Nuanyue finally made up her mind. ’If we don’t fight back, we’ll just be stuck on the defensive.’

Hua Yusen considered it carefully and thought Zhao Nuanyue’s plan might just work.

"Alright. After all, with such a major incident happening in the village, Uncle Miao will have to consider how we feel. We’ve been living in fear and don’t feel safe," Hua Yusen said with a smile. "I’ll go with you."

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue shook her head. "No, you can’t go. I can go by myself. This way, Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua won’t direct their hatred toward you."

Hearing her somewhat naive words, Hua Yusen couldn’t help but smile. ’I was just praising her for being clever, and now she’s saying something so silly.’ But since her primary concern was protecting him, he felt a wave of gratitude and chuckled. "You think Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua won’t hate me if I don’t go report the issue? You’re thinking too simply!"

Zhao Nuanyue froze. ’Oh, right.’ As the ones who testified against them, she and Hua Yusen were already enemies with Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua. It was a fact they both knew well. Her suggestion really was a case of burying her head in the sand.

"Heh, I guess I was wrong," Zhao Nuanyue said, shaking her head and laughing at herself. "Alright then, we’ll go see Uncle Miao together tomorrow."

"Mm, don’t worry. You still have me..." After saying this, Hua Yusen froze, instantly realizing he had let slip the caring words that came from deep inside him.

’Sigh, she’s probably going to get the wrong idea again.’

"Th... thank you..." Zhao Nuanyue was also taken aback for a moment, but a bashful smile soon appeared on her face as she lowered her head. "You should get some rest, then!"

With that, she ran back to her room, her face bright red.

Hearing his sister’s hurried footsteps, Zhao Nuan Yang grew a little worried and asked, "Sis, what’s wrong?"

In front of his sister, Zhao Nuan Yang was now able to speak in simple sentences to express his thoughts.

"It’s nothing. Go to sleep," Zhao Nuanyue quickly replied. "It’s too cold, don’t get up. I think it’s very cold outside; it might snow tomorrow. You like snow, so you can draw a snow scene, okay?"

"Okay!" Zhao Nuan Yang said, delighted. "Nuanyang likes snow."

"Then go to sleep early. You can’t draw a good snow scene if you aren’t well-rested," Zhao Nuanyue coaxed, hoping he would fall asleep quickly. His world didn’t yet include complicated romantic feelings, so it was better not to tell him.

Lying in bed, even with her eyes closed, Zhao Nuanyue couldn’t stop Hua Yusen’s face from flashing in her mind. ’The Hua Yusen of now isn’t the calm, serious, and cold man I knew in my past life. He’s still a passionate young man who can feel dejected when things go wrong. He’s more real, more human. That, combined with his young, handsome face, makes him even more attractive.’

’I admit it, I’m attracted to Hua Yusen. I know it’s wrong—after all, he has a fiancée—but feelings are a subtle thing. The more you try to suppress them, the more wildly they surge forth.’

’This is wrong. It’s immoral.’

Zhao Nuanyue told herself over and over not to sink into these feelings, but whenever she met his gaze, she couldn’t help but lose herself.

In her dreams, she and Hua Yusen danced gracefully, shared passionate kisses, traveled together, lived together...

The dream was beautiful; reality was cruel.

In the dream, a woman pointed at her and cursed her, calling her a homewrecker, a tramp... She was buried under so many insults that she felt lower than dirt, stripped of all dignity and hope.

"Ah!" Zhao Nuanyue cried out, jolting awake from the dream. Her clothes were soaked with sweat.

It was a nightmare, through and through.