Chapter Sixty-One: I Will Destroy Him for You!

When Luo Cheng was a child, his robust physique was inseparable from his status as the leader among his peers. In Qin Mu’s memory, Luo Cheng was always agile, able to beat anyone from the neighboring villages without issue. Yet now, the Luo Cheng before him, with a weathered face, walked with a limp; his right leg seemed unable to straighten, making every step difficult.

Even so, Luo Cheng quickly came forward and embraced Qin Mu. “Look at you! After more than ten years, you’ve grown even stronger than I am!” Luo Cheng tapped Qin Mu’s chest, joking.

Whether intentionally or not, Luo Cheng did not respond to Qin Mu’s earlier question. Qin Mu’s expression darkened slightly, but he didn’t press further. Everyone has secrets they’d rather keep to themselves.

“Don’t just stand outside—come in! It’s been ages since we two brothers sat together and talked.” Luo Cheng draped an arm over Qin Mu’s shoulder, and the two entered the house together.

Dragonwatch Village was never wealthy, and the inside of the tile-roofed house was even more sparse. Apart from some basic necessities, there was little else. As they entered, the woman hurriedly tucked away the half bag of sunflower seeds on the table, clutching the remaining handful tightly to prevent Qin Mu from seeing them.

Luo Cheng smiled awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. “My place is a bit rough, don’t mind it. I’ll get you a bottle of wine—let’s have a good drink.”

He went to the wooden cabinet and took out a half bottle of white liquor he’d long treasured. The woman exploded instantly. She sprang from the bamboo chair, snatched the bottle from Luo Cheng, and put it back in the cabinet.

“You useless thing! Think you’re tough now? You dare to use our stuff to entertain just anyone?”

“That liquor costs thousands a bottle—you want to give it to this riff-raff?”

Hearing her words, Luo Cheng touched his head and apologized to Qin Mu. Qin Mu waved it off, showing no concern, his expression growing even more indifferent.

“Now go fetch the broom and sweep the floor!” The woman ordered, poking Luo Cheng’s back with no intention of saving his dignity.

“The floor looks clean enough,” Qin Mu remarked, half in earnest.

She seemed to understand his implication, cracked a sunflower seed, and mocked, “Hmph, Luo Cheng is just a cheap laborer—he gets restless if he’s not working.” As she spoke, she spat the shell onto the floor.

“Let me introduce you, Qin Mu. This is my wife, Liang Yue,” Luo Cheng said with a bitter smile.

Qin Mu glanced at her—Liang Yue’s looks were ordinary, though she had clearly used plenty of makeup to spruce herself up. Her figure was curvy enough. Luo Cheng, on the other hand, wasn’t stunningly handsome, but he was a fine young man—marrying a beautiful and virtuous wife should have been no issue. So why did he end up with such a shrew?

“So you’re that Qin Mu the village said died ten years ago? You’re not dead?” Liang Yue lounged in the bamboo chair, legs crossed, sizing Qin Mu up. For some reason, she felt he didn’t fit in here at all. He was nothing like the timid, skinny boy the Jiang family had brought back to the village a decade ago.

“I’m alive—standing right here, aren’t I?” Luo Cheng quietly reminded her.

His words only ignited Liang Yue’s anger further. She slapped the armrest and shrieked, “You useless thing! You got guts today? Since when do you get to speak when I’m talking?”

With Qin Mu present, Liang Yue refrained from more insults, but her demeanor suggested she was just short of grabbing a bamboo whip and lashing Luo Cheng with it.

Qin Mu felt uneasy and wanted to step outside for air, but just then, a man walked in through the door.

He was in his fifties, with several gold teeth gleaming in his mouth, sparse strands of hair atop his head, and a beer belly—he looked every bit the typical office boss.

The moment Liang Yue saw him, she leapt from her chair, tossed aside her sunflower seeds, and with a face full of fawning, sashayed over to him, swaying her hips and chest.

“Brother Shun, what wind blew you here today?”

Liang Yue’s face was flush with excitement, as if she were greeting her real husband.

“What, can’t I stop by to see you if I miss you?” Chen Shun straightened his back, all swagger, and slyly pulled Liang Yue into his arms.

“Of course—Brother Shun can look as much as he wants,” Liang Yue replied, letting her clothing slip off her shoulder, exposing herself for Chen Shun.

Chen Shun’s eyes crinkled with delight.

“I heard you’ve got a bottle of rare white liquor at home?” he asked.

Liang Yue rushed to the cabinet, took out the bottle, and handed it to Chen Shun. “How did you know, Brother Shun? I’ve been saving it just for you.”

Luo Cheng stood aside, utterly neglected, like an outsider. Qin Mu glanced at him, noting the barely contained anger and resentment on Luo Cheng’s face. Yet Luo Cheng chose silence.

Chen Shun took the half bottle, clicked his tongue, and suddenly noticed Luo Cheng. He laughed and said, “You useless thing, get out! When I’m done drinking with your wife, you can come back to clean up.”

“Did you hear that? Get out! Don’t be an eyesore!” Liang Yue echoed from behind.

With that, she continued to entwine herself with Chen Shun, sticking to him like glue.

Qin Mu looked at Liang Yue coldly and said, “As a married woman, to embrace another man in front of your husband, disregarding propriety—do you really deserve to be anyone’s wife?”

Liang Yue hadn’t expected Qin Mu to speak so sharply. After a moment, she retorted, “What’s it to you?”

Chen Shun patted his belly, adopting the tone of an elder, and pointed at Qin Mu, saying, “Matters of their household are none of your business, outsider.”