CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 78: HE REALLY HAS NO BACKBONE

When he thought back on this at home, he felt that something was off everywhere, but with his wooden head, he never thought someone would come after him. So, he couldn’t figure out what was wrong no matter how hard he tried.

Now that Ye Manman asked, He Chen finally realized that the woman appearing there could indeed have been targeting him. It was just that he left, and that person happened to fall into the hands of Liu Tiejun.

Ye Manman didn’t say anything, just looked at him like that, scaring He Chen so much that he quickly ran towards her and squatted down.

Those long legs bent, making him feel like if she said one word of disbelief, he could kneel down immediately.

His desire to survive was simply overwhelming.

Ye Manman was just pretending to be serious. Seeing him acting like a big dog wagging its tail begging for a pat, she couldn’t help but crack a smile.

"Why didn’t you mention this when you got home?"

She struggled to keep a straight face, but He Chen was too anxious to notice.

He cautiously held Ye Manman’s hand, so nervous that even his fingers were slightly trembling.

"I was just afraid you wouldn’t be happy if you heard..."

"I’m sorry, I still made you unhappy."

"But I really haven’t touched any other woman. My heart only has you, I—"

I only want to touch you...

He Chen didn’t dare say this sentence, nor did he dare to look at Ye Manman’s expression, cowardly like nobody’s business.

"Pfft!"

"You’re so cute, He Chen."

Ye Manman finally burst out laughing and ruffled his hair.

It had been some time since He Chen got a haircut, from their marriage until now, the prickly crew cut had turned into soft short hair.

"Idiot, next time something happens, just tell me directly. Do I seem like such an unreasonable woman? Seriously."

She pinched He Chen’s tense cheeks with both hands, rubbing and squeezing them.

"Obviously, I’m so understanding and reasonable. You have to believe in me; I won’t get angry that easily."

Seeing that she indeed wasn’t angry or jealous, He Chen dared to slightly relax.

Ye Manman’s hands were still holding his face, cool and refreshing, and he couldn’t understand why her hands were always cold even when she wore so much.

His heart ached terribly, so he placed his big hands back on her two soft hands to warm them.

"It’s good you’re not angry. If you’re ever unhappy, or if I make you unhappy, you must tell me. I’m not quick-witted, and my tongue’s clumsy. I can’t sweet-talk you, but you have to believe me, my heart only has you, Manman."

"Let me warm your hands. Later, keep your hands in your pockets and don’t take them out. I’ll go boil some water and fill a hot water bottle; hugging that will keep you much warmer."

He Chen wasn’t afraid of the cold, like a big furnace in winter. After working for a bit, he even had to take off his padded coat or overcoat, or he would sweat.

Having worked for a while, possibly out of nervousness, his palms were particularly warm. Combined with holding his face, both hands quickly warmed up.

Ye Manman responded with "mmm" a few times, and once her hands warmed up, she quickly tucked them back into her pockets.

He Chen hurriedly got up to boil hot water.

Watching him put down his work to boil water, carefully filling the new hot water bottle he had bought, afraid it would scald her, he wrapped it in a summer shirt twice before handing it to her.

Ye Manman exclaimed, "Wow!"

"He Chen, you’re such a thoughtful sweetheart! No one is better than you~"

Actually, the weather wasn’t particularly cold. Anyway, Ye Manman didn’t feel like her fingers were frozen, just a bit chilly.

The hot water bottle was something He Chen insisted on buying before, and she didn’t expect him to arrange this so soon.

It wasn’t that cold back then either.

Hugging the hot water bottle, she felt much more invigorated.

Besides, Ye Manman had never used this kind of water-filled hot water bottle before, finding it quite novel. She stayed close to He Chen, holding it.

She didn’t know if He Chen was cold, but seeing him only wearing a single layer while weaving bamboo baskets, she worried about the exposed areas getting cold. So she occasionally pressed the hot water bottle against his face, back, and nape.

"How is it? Warm?"

"Mmm, very warm."

He Chen swallowed twice, not daring to stop his work.

He wasn’t cold at all initially. The hot water bottle against his skin felt more like patches of fire burning, a bit uncomfortable even, while Ye Manman’s sweet, gentle voice lingered in his ears, stirring his heart restlessly.

"You should hold it yourself. I’m not cold and don’t need the hot water bottle."

"When it’s not hot anymore, tell me, and I’ll change the water for you. Don’t do it yourself in the future—it’s easy to get burnt, understand?"

He couldn’t let Ye Manman hover around him anymore. His hands were losing strength, he couldn’t press the bamboo strips, let alone weave the basket.

"Mmm, mmm, I got it~"

"But are you really not cold? Wearing so little."

Ye Manman was a bit skeptical, speaking as she suddenly slid her hand under his clothes from behind his neck.

Hot palms and slightly cool fingertips touched his back, making He Chen shiver violently uncontrollably.

He immediately straightened up, his attention focused on where her fingers had touched, and the bamboo strips in his hand scattered.

"Ah! I’m sorry, it wasn’t on purpose!"

Ye Manman realized she had done something wrong, retracting her hand immediately, feeling particularly embarrassed, she ran back and sat opposite He Chen, her hand safely under the hot water bottle, behaving remarkably well.

"I’m sorry, I promise not to move around anymore, I won’t bother you, continue, sorry."

It was pure good intentions gone wrong. She just wanted to check if He Chen was really not cold, not expecting such a big reaction, recognizing his back as so sensitive.

Plus, he really didn’t seem cold. Touching him just now, he seemed a bit sweaty.

It seemed He Chen really had great health, so warm even wearing so little in such cold weather.

Ye Manman looked down as if searching for ants on the ground, being too embarrassed to look at He Chen after causing trouble.

What she didn’t know was that He Chen was also too embarrassed to look at her right now.

His split bamboo strips were picked up again, but he couldn’t concentrate. His movements were slow, unable to weave quickly.

His mind kept replaying that feeling from earlier.

Her finger merely brushed against his back, but it scrambled his thoughts completely, making He Chen slightly annoyed.

She was right.

He truly was useless.

...

Liu Tiejun dragged Gao Huifang back home; he had been dejected for months, but now he was inflated, shouting as soon as he got home.

"Mom! Dad! Come out, I have good news! I’m marrying Gao Zhiqing! She’s going to be my wife from today!"

He was so excited, not caring at all about how bad Gao Huifang’s face looked.

Li Hongmei and Liu Dongliang never expected that someone like Liu Tiejun could marry a Zhiqing, and they excitedly came out to greet, holding Gao Huifang’s hand, fussing over her, while Liu Dongliang even praised Liu Tiejun for his abilities.

However, Gao Huifang kept a sullen face.

She was thoroughly disgusted, not only by Liu Tiejun but also by his family’s attitudes, typical rustic delight making her nauseous.

And their house was just too shabby, no different from the half-collapsed shanty she’d see along the way, she couldn’t marry into this place.

That would be like marrying a tramp!

Seizing the moment Liu Tiejun let go and Li Hongmei grabbed her hand, she twisted around and ran.

But Li Hongmei, known recently as Qingshui Village’s fierce woman, wasn’t a pushover.

She couldn’t let her daughter-in-law run off like that, and immediately tackled Gao Huifang to the ground, shouting fiercely.

"Tiejun! Come and hold her down, your wife is trying to escape!"