Chapter 49: Scary

Liu Feng placing third in the imperial examination was truly a tremendous joyous occasion.

The villagers bustled about excitedly for a long time.

Liu Qiu stood outside the crowd, never stepping forward.

She saw Liu Huang and the others—they were at the very front, welcoming Liu Feng.

Fang Lian and Liu Tieniu had tears in their eyes, while Liu Huang wore a face full of sincere smiles.

The atmosphere among the four of them was warm and intimate, so much so that no one else could blend in.

However, Fang Lian suddenly began looking around.

For some reason, Liu Qiu had a strong intuition that Fang Lian was searching for her.

Silently, Liu Qiu turned around, intending to head back into the house.

She did not wish to appear in front of so many people.

But she had forgotten that her snow-white skin and long, curly black hair stood out strikingly among the dark-skinned villagers dressed in coarse linen.

Fang Lian spotted her at a glance.

“Qiu girl, come over here!” Fang Lian’s loud voice completely drowned out the surrounding noise and carried straight into Liu Qiu’s ears.

Liu Qiu’s steps faltered.

Helpless, she could only turn back and walk into the crowd.

The villagers’ gazes followed Fang Lian’s line of sight.

Whispers immediately rose up.

“Look at her hair. Ours is all straight.”

“Oh my, the old couple is still raising her.”

“Shh! Don’t say that. She’s from the Liu family. We can’t afford to offend them now.”

“Her skin’s as pale as a ghost. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she’s some kind of spirit.”

“She looks sickly. Who knows when she might faint.”

Liu Qiu sighed inwardly.

Why did these villagers whisper so loudly?

She could hear every single word.

She walked slowly to Fang Lian’s side, and Fang Lian immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her in front of Liu Feng.

Liu Qiu pressed her lips together and softly said, “Second Sister.”

Liu Feng’s gaze was gentle, the corners of her lips slightly lifted.

She stood there like a refined gentleman carved from jade.

“Qiu-jie, it’s been a long time.”

Liu Feng’s gentle manner of speaking dispelled the awkwardness in Liu Qiu’s heart.

Liu Feng and Liu Huang were completely different people.

Liu Qiu nodded lightly and added, “Congratulations, Sister, on placing third in the examination.”

Beyond that, she could not think of anything else to say.

In the original host’s memories, Liu Feng had been a small child—not the grown woman standing before her now.

Moreover, the original host had not treated little Liu Huang very well either.

Fortunately, Liu Feng did not seem to mind her shallow congratulatory words.

The warm smile remained on her face.

“Alright, alright. Second girl has traveled a long way. She should return to her room and rest first,” Liu Tieniu spoke up at that moment.

Fang Lian agreed, “Yes. Liu Huang, take your two sisters back inside to rest.”

She still had to start preparing the banquet.

Such a major event naturally required a feast.

Neither of the younger ones objected to the elders’ words.

Liu Qiu followed behind Liu Huang, walking side by side with Liu Feng.

Liu Feng smiled brightly.

“Qiu-jie, have you been well these past years?”

Liu Qiu froze for a moment before realizing she was being addressed.

She nodded and replied, “I’ve been… well.”

Truthfully, she did not quite know what kind of personality she should use when facing Liu Feng.

In the original host’s memories, Liu Feng had always been taciturn.

And the original host had treated both Liu sisters poorly.

Verbal abuse had been common.

She had even framed them and caused Fang Lian to beat them.

If Liu Feng had treated her the way Liu Huang did, she would not have felt so conflicted.

But from beginning to end, Liu Feng remained gentle.

The gentler she was, the less Liu Qiu knew how to face her.

After experiencing the previous world, Liu Qiu had figured out something on her own.

From the moment she obtained a new identity, she became the female lead.

As long as her personality did not differ too greatly from the original host’s, the world consciousness would ignore her.

But to be safe, she always conscientiously played the role of the original host.

When facing Liu Huang, for example, she treated her the same way the original host had five years ago.

But Liu Feng…

Setting aside her gentle personality, just based on Liu Feng’s current status alone, Liu Qiu could not possibly speak harshly to her.

The original host bullied the weak and feared the strong.

She never revealed her vicious side in front of Fang Lian and Liu Tieniu, because she knew that only by clinging to them could she survive.

If she thought about it that way, Liu Feng was now the highest-status person in the family.

Everyone knew that Liu Feng’s future was limitless.

So she could not treat Liu Feng the same way she treated Liu Huang.

Lost in thought, Liu Qiu unconsciously curled her fingers.

The noisy chatter gradually faded.

At some point, the three sisters had already returned to the main hall.

Once the door was shut, the voices outside grew even fainter.

Liu Feng glanced at Liu Qiu and chuckled softly.

“Qiu-jie, after five years apart, you’ve become much more virtuous.”

Liu Qiu looked at Liu Feng and nodded gently.

“You flatter me, Sister Feng.”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “Sister Feng has also become more optimistic.”

It sounded somewhat like polite flattery.

Liu Huang suddenly spoke up, her smile fading.

“Liu Qiu, you barely know a few characters, yet you’re trying to talk like a scholar.”

She looked at Liu Qiu coldly.

“Stop pretending. It’s just the three of us here.”

Liu Qiu frowned slightly and lowered her head.

“Huang-mei, what are you talking about?”

Liu Huang looked at Liu Qiu’s affected behavior with a sneer.

When Liu Qiu faced her in private, she was not like this at all.

Liu Huang knew perfectly well what this sickly girl was thinking.

Her sister had placed third in the imperial examination.

She was no longer someone to be bullied casually.

So now she was acting all gentle and soft.

That weak, willow-in-the-wind posture might win Fang Lian or others’ pity.

But neither she nor her sister felt any goodwill toward Liu Qiu.

Liu Huang glanced at Liu Feng’s unchanged smile.

She stepped closer to Liu Qiu and reached out her rough fingers, gripping Liu Qiu’s face and forcing her to raise her head.

Liu Qiu’s eyes widened slowly.

She clenched her fists.

“Liu Huang, what are you doing?”

Liu Huang laughed maliciously.

“Qiu-jie, you really want to stay here, don’t you?”

Liu Qiu pushed against Liu Huang’s shoulder.

“Let go of me!”

This girl was so strong—her grip hurt.

Liu Qiu’s angry frown looked far more beautiful than her feigned innocence.

Liu Huang’s gaze fell into those clear eyes, and her smile widened.

She pressed her thumb down heavily.

Liu Qiu’s lips parted, revealing the soft pink within.

“In the future, this house will be yours,” Liu Huang said.

“Mother and Father will go to the capital with us.”

“And you’ll stay here in this village, guarding this house, waiting to die of illness… or hunger.”

Liu Qiu stared into Liu Huang’s eyes.

She realized Liu Huang was serious.

There was no sign of joking.

She was not even married yet.

How could she die here alone?

In ancient times, transportation was underdeveloped.

If she were truly left behind, she might never find them again in her lifetime.

Liu Qiu’s lips trembled.

“I don’t… want to stay here.”

From Liu Huang’s perspective, Liu Qiu’s pale lips puckered as she spoke, and the tip of her pink tongue could be glimpsed within.

Liu Huang’s expression shifted subtly.

She released Liu Qiu and stared at the red marks blooming on her cheek.

Her thin lips parted slightly.

“What can you possibly do?”

“You get out of breath after walking a few steps. Isn’t staying here perfect for you?”

Liu Qiu clenched her fingers tightly.

“I—I can’t stay here.”

“Mother and Father wouldn’t agree to abandon me.”

Liu Huang scoffed.

“If my sister persuades them, they will.”

Liu Qiu frowned and looked past Liu Huang at Liu Feng.

She pressed her lips together, walked around Liu Huang, and stood before Liu Feng.

“Sister Feng… you’ll take me with you, right?”

A faint smile remained on Liu Feng’s lips.

She reached out and gently smoothed Liu Qiu’s slightly messy long hair.

“Of course.”

“Don’t let my sister scare you. She just likes to talk nonsense.”

Her movements were light.

Her voice was soft.

Her expression was mild.

Her unhurried tone seemed capable of calming anyone who listened.

Liu Feng’s fingers combed through Liu Qiu’s long hair and slowly slid to her ear.

Her soft fingertips carried a coolness.

“Qiu-jie is our elder sister, after all.”

“I’ve always wanted to repay you.”

The way Liu Feng lowered her eyes was far too gentle.

Yet a chill suddenly ran down Liu Qiu’s spine.

She forced a stiff smile.

“Sister Feng, I should go rest now.”

She slowly raised her hand to grasp Liu Feng’s wrist, trying to remove the hand pinching her earlobe.

But from behind came Liu Huang’s amused voice.

“Qiu-jie, it’s been five years since we last met. Why not reminisce a little longer with us sisters?”

Liu Huang was tall and broad.

Standing in front of Liu Qiu, she completely blocked her escape.

Liu Qiu did not dare turn her head.

She could feel warm breath brushing over the top of her head.

Liu Huang was very close.

And before her stood a face identical to Liu Huang’s.

Liu Feng smiled faintly.

“Qiu-jie, are you afraid?”

Her fingers slid from the pale ear down to Liu Qiu’s neck.

The cool touch made Liu Qiu’s scalp tingle.

Looking into Liu Feng’s smiling eyes at close range, she realized that beneath the warmth lay nothing but teasing.

Liu Feng withdrew her hand and took out a handkerchief, gently wiping the fingers that had touched Liu Qiu.

“Somewhat dirty.”

Liu Qiu did not know what expression to wear.

Trapped between the two sisters, she could neither move forward nor back.

She could understand that, after how the original host had treated them, they might want revenge now that they had power.

But she was not the original host.

She truly wanted to sigh.

It felt like she was carrying an enormous pot of blame for no reason.

[Host, why not shout and call their parents over?] The system began offering terrible advice again.

Liu Qiu replied inwardly, [System, none of your ideas ever work.]

If she shouted twice, her throat would probably give out.

It would be better to pretend to be pitiful and see if the sisters might soften and let her go.

If she stayed any longer, she felt she might not survive the day.

Liu Feng was no gentle jade at all.

She was clearly a smiling tiger who hid her anger.

Remembering that the system could generate electricity, Liu Qiu called out internally, [System, shock me a little. Not too much—just enough to make me cry.]

[Received! Don’t worry, Host. I’ll control the strength.]

Liu Qiu was about to say more when a tingling sensation suddenly spread through her body.

Her legs went weak, and she lost control, falling forward.

But just as she was about to fall into Liu Feng’s arms, a force wrapped around her waist.

She was pulled backward instead, collapsing into Liu Huang’s embrace.

Her eyes filled with tears.

Her lips parted slightly.

A faint blush spread across her cheeks, giving her an almost amorous appearance.

Liu Feng’s gaze swept over her face.

She shook her head lightly, still smiling.

“Qiu-jie, what are you doing?”

“It seems you’re truly tired. Sister, take Qiu-jie to rest.”

Liu Qiu blinked, and tears slipped down from the corners of her eyes, making her appear even more fragile.

Liu Feng’s brows furrowed slightly.

Her eyes brimmed with concern.

“Qiu-jie, is your illness acting up? Why are you crying?”

Looking into Liu Feng’s eyes, which seemed full of genuine worry, Liu Qiu almost believed the earlier teasing had been an illusion.

She could no longer tell what kind of person Liu Feng truly was.

Still weak from the shock, Liu Qiu sobbed softly.

“I—I’m just a little tired.”

She had to delay marriage.

If possible, she would avoid contact with these two sisters altogether.

They were far too frightening.

Liu Feng stared at Liu Qiu’s pitiful, tear-streaked face.

She lifted her handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears.

“Qiu-jie, don’t cry.”

The more miserably she cried, the more beautiful she looked.