"I don't need you to worry about me. What you did to me last night makes it impossible for me to show my face in public anymore! Waaaah..." Zhou Ni finally broke down crying, and the sliver of good feeling I'd managed to build up in her heart shattered instantly.

I stopped in my tracks and said solemnly, "Student Zhou Ni, I take full responsibility for what happened last night. I heard you don't have a boyfriend. How about I be your boyfriend? After all, I'm from the capital. My family owns a house—it's not large, but it’s more than enough space for you. If you’re my girlfriend and I’m your boyfriend, then last night’s incident won’t be such a big deal. Stop crying, okay? If you don't say anything, I'll take it as your agreement."

"Who agreed?" Zhou Ni snapped. "I'm never getting married; I have to stay home and take care of my mother. However, I do need to thank you for what happened just now."

As long as Zhou Ni stopped crying, that was enough. Her refusal to be my girlfriend was entirely within my expectations. "Oh, you mean about taking you to see the doctor? Since the money was exchanged for the giant turtle from your family's fish pond anyway, I was just doing a favor, nothing more."

"Not that. I mean helping me take down Zhang Tiancheng. Without you, I might still be enduring their bullying today."

"Nonsense," I countered. "You had your weapon on you. Without me, you might have already avenged your father. I'm a rather timid person, so please forgive me."

Zhou Ni seemed to let out a small laugh from behind me. "Timid? I know that pair of scissors I had couldn't deal with them at all. You saved me today."

I stopped pushing the credit away. "Perfect then, we're even. You saved me once last night, too."

Zhou Ni was silent for a long moment. As we neared the village, she asked, "Zhao Qian, can you really help me avenge my father? I don't mean stabbing Zhang Tiancheng to death. I mean having the law, legally and rightfully, sentence him to death!"

I didn't hesitate. "I can! Don't think I'm just bragging. Even if his father were the Provincial Governor, I could still sentence him to death. I know too many people in the capital; any one of them could spit and drown Zhang Tiancheng."

Zhou Ni could process that; someone from the capital, near the Emperor's feet, must have some capability. She pondered for a moment. "Alright, you help me. I won't bring up last night anymore, and... and about what just happened, I agree to your terms."

I firmly stated, "Deal. I will help you win the lawsuit and take care of Zhang Tiancheng. You forgive me for my actions last night. As for being my girlfriend, I don't want to use it as an exchange. If you don't like me, let's never mention being girlfriends again."

Zhou Ni fell silent. Just then, as we entered the village, more people recognized us. A young village woman called out, "Nini, who is this? Why are you having him carry you? Wow, he really has strength, and he’s carrying all those things on his neck, too."

Zhou Ni blushed with embarrassment. "He's my distant cousin. He sprained his ankle in town just now, so I had to trouble him to carry me back."

Although the village woman looked doubtful, we quickly passed by, leaving her to puzzle over it alone. As we entered the Zhou family's small courtyard, Zhou Ni’s mother was sweeping. She was startled and rushed over.

Zhou Ni whispered in my ear, "Don't mention anything about town to Mom. I don't want her to worry."

"What is going on? What happened? Nini, there's blood on you! What happened?"

Zhou Ni explained in a flurry, "The path was bad, and I fell and twisted my ankle. Luckily, I had Big Brother Zhao, or I might not have made it home."

Her mother didn't press the issue; she had been mentally exhausted these past few days and didn't notice anything amiss with her daughter. "How could you be so careless? Look, you made this young man carry so many things. How did you manage the journey back?"

I took the items off my neck and placed them in the courtyard, then carried Zhou Ni into the room, telling her mother, "Auntie, I'm very strong; this weight is nothing."

"Zhao Qian, can you step out for a moment?" Zhou Ni’s usually stubborn voice finally held a hint of tenderness. Perhaps today's events would change her significantly.

I assumed she probably wanted to change clothes; her dress was indeed filthy. But my own shirt was tattered, and the pants I was wearing were stolen discreetly from someone's closet last night.

Once outside in the courtyard, I organized the things I bought: the rice, flour, and oil went into the kitchen, and I put the chicken near the water vat to be slaughtered and cleaned later. I'd tasted the old hen stewed by her mother several times, and today I’d try stewing one myself to see if it would move Zhou Ni. But stewing a chicken required fresh earth, so I first went out to fetch a basketful.

I ran quite a distance before finding soil that, in my eyes, counted as fresh. When I returned to the courtyard, Zhou Ni was sitting anxiously on a small stool, staring at the entrance. "Where did you go without saying anything? I was about to send my mom out to look for you."

"Ah!" I exclaimed, surprised. "I went to find some fresh earth to stew an old hen for you."

Zhou Ni looked like she wanted to laugh and cry. "I was worried something had happened to you. If you go out or plan to return to the capital, you must tell me so Mom and I can rest assured."

I felt a touch of emotion; she still cared about me at a crucial moment. Actually, girls often pretended; they rarely revealed their true feelings outwardly, sometimes even telling outright lies. Perhaps it was a way for them to protect themselves.

"I've made up my mind. I'm not going back to the capital until your situation here is resolved. I'll go find Auntie now so she doesn't worry about me."

"No need," Zhou Ni replied. "If she can't find you, she'll be back soon. Help me to the kitchen to heat water. Since you plan to kill a chicken, you'll need hot water to pluck the feathers properly."

"Carrying you isn't right; what if you hurt your foot? I'll just pick you up," I said, lifting her, stool and all, and setting Zhou Ni down steadily in the kitchen.

Zhou Ni giggled sweetly. This was probably the first time someone had held her like that. "Zhao Qian, you really are strong! Seeing your clean, fair face, it’s hard to imagine."

I remarked, "Yes, my appearance is a bit soft; I lack a man's rugged masculinity."

Zhou Ni glanced at me stealthily. "Not really. You look quite mature, and there’s a subtle... dominance about you. Yes, dominance. With that dominance, your fair complexion gains a sense of authority and firmness. And your eyes are very deep; it’s hard to guess what you’re thinking."

I carried a pile of firewood to the stove. "Are you talking about me? I thought you were describing Guan Er Ye. You’re a university student, aren't you? Your vocabulary is quite rich. Write my autobiography sometime; it'll be a sensation."

Zhou Ni's face darkened. "I qualified for Longteng University this year, but I’ve already decided not to go. You know the situation at home. As long as my brother can make a name for himself in the future and continue the Zhou family line, I won't regret spending my whole life farming in the countryside."

"Good, what a loyal and upright young sister!" I said, starting the fire in the stove and giving her a thumbs-up.

"Stop teasing me. Actually, my brother has done much more for this family. Hey, what are you doing? Cough, cough, cough, I'm choking!"

Damn it, I only knew how to use the gas stove or induction cooker at home. I thought starting a fire was just stuffing firewood into the stove and lighting it with a match. Who knew that after all that effort, thick smoke was billowing out of the stove, quickly making the kitchen unbearable to keep one's eyes open in.