The police quickly pulled the two apart. Seeing his sister, Zhou Tingting immediately burst into tears, her voice trembling with distress: "Brother, you have to stand up for me, boohoo!"
Her hair was pulled out in clumps, a slap mark stained her cheek, and her swollen face looked like a pig’s snout—she was utterly miserable.
Yet Zhou Yueshen didn’t even glance at her. His jaw clenched tightly as he strode straight over to Si Nian, lowering his gaze to look at her.
After a moment, his voice was heavy and low. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
Si Nian caught the suppressed anger in his tone.
But it wasn’t directed at her.
He had been running around busily and hadn’t even gone back when he received the news and rushed over.
Sweat drenched his body, yet his aura was cold as ice.
“I’m fine,” Si Nian shook her head.
Zhou Yueshen’s tense expression softened slightly as he turned to face Li Mingjun and his group.
The moment Li Mingjun saw him, he looked like a mouse caught in the gaze of a cat, shrinking his neck as if trying to disappear.
He was utterly guilty.
Even Mother Wang, who had been shouting moments ago, fell silent.
No one really knew why, but every time she looked at this brother of her daughter-in-law, she felt a chill run down her spine.
“The boss, don’t worry. We’re here. No one will lay a finger on sister-in-law!” The men from the farm straightened their backs and spoke in unison.
Zhou Yueshen gave a slight nod. “Thanks.”
Without the farm workers’ help, with so many people causing trouble, Si Nian—a girl—and several children would have been in unimaginable danger.
“Disturbing the peace, threatening at the door.”
“Anyone who comes to the Zhou family today, I, Zhou Yueshen, won’t let a single one go,” Zhou Yueshen’s cold voice swept over everyone.
Finally, it landed on the pale-faced Zhou Tingting.
Her legs went weak, and she nearly dropped to her knees.
The whole group, including Li Mingjun, was taken away.
By evening, everyone had dispersed.
Zhou Yueshen drove the truck, taking the group back to the village.
Lin’s mother, exhausted, received the notice to have her son start working at the farm tomorrow, then headed home with her son.
Today’s incident turned out to be a false alarm.
The truck stopped at the farm gate as dusk settled.
Si Nian stepped down from the passenger seat.
Zhou Yueshen locked the door, and the two walked side by side toward home.
The sunset was fading behind them.
Hearing the noise, several children came running out, their footsteps pattering.
“Dad.”
“Waaah, Dad, they hit people~~~” The Second Child’s eyes were red, tears and snot streaming as he complained.
Zhou Yueshen picked up his son and gently patted his back, his voice low and steady: “It’s okay now.”
Si Nian scooped up little Yaoyao, pinching her cheek softly.
The little girl seemed to understand something bad had happened today; her face was tense.
“Did this hold up your work?” Si Nian asked, feeling a bit embarrassed as she glanced at Zhou Yueshen.
He shook his head. “No problem. I’ll have others handle the rest of the deliveries.”
“That’s good. Let’s eat first. Have you all eaten?” she asked the children.
They all shook their heads.
Si Nian sighed.
Just as she took a couple of steps away, she suddenly turned back, reaching out to touch the eldest child’s tight face. “Thank you, Xiao Dong. You helped Mom let Da Huang loose, didn’t you?”
A flicker of awkwardness flashed in Zhou Yuedong’s eyes. He clenched his hands tightly and nodded.
“So sensible,” Si Nian said, kissing his forehead and patting his shoulder before heading into the kitchen.
Zhou Yuedong’s face instantly flushed bright red. He was so flustered he could barely walk, stumbling awkwardly as he followed her inside. In the end, he tripped over the doorstep and fell flat on his face.
“Ah! Big brother, are you okay? Does it hurt?” Zhou Yuehan, who had never seen his brother like this, hurried over to help him up.
A trace of embarrassment crossed Zhou Yuedong’s face. “I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt…”
But the next moment, two streams of blood started flowing down from his nose.
Zhou Yuehan: “......”
**
The meal had all been prepared at noon but hadn’t been eaten yet.
Si Nian felt a pang of guilt. Because of what Zhou Tingting had said, she had invited her mother and big brother over for dinner, but Lin’s mother refused to come.
She said she was afraid of gossip.
All these dishes, and they hadn’t even gotten to eat.
Zhou Yueshen walked into the kitchen, noticing her lost in thought. He took a couple of steps forward and gently took the spatula from her hand.
His voice was soft: “Go rest for a while. I’ll take over.”
Si Nian snapped back to reality and didn’t refuse: “Okay, it’ll be ready soon.”
Zhou Yueshen nodded slightly, watching her leave before withdrawing his gaze.
His deep brows were tightly furrowed.
After dinner, the two children went to bed.
They had classes tomorrow.
Si Nian had just taken a shower and was rubbing some balm onto her body when someone knocked on the door.
She quickly pulled on her nightgown and got up to open it.
Zhou Yueshen stood at the doorway, still damp from the shower.
“Where’s Yaoyao?” Si Nian asked, puzzled.
She had just gone upstairs to shower, leaving the children in Zhou Yueshen’s care.
The faint scent of her perfume drifted into his nose as Zhou Yueshen lowered his gaze to look at her delicate features.
He said, “Tonight, Yaoyao is sleeping with Yuedong and the others.”
Si Nian’s heart fluttered under his gaze. She lifted her eyes and met his long, narrow pupils.
“So you came to find me…”
Before she could finish, the man took a long stride forward.
Si Nian instinctively stepped back, but he followed her inside and casually shut the door behind him.
She twisted her ankle and nearly fell, but a pair of strong hands caught her waist.
They were too close.
Si Nian instinctively reached out to push against his shoulders, gently trying to create some distance.
Zhou Yueshen released his grip and looked at her, his eyes deep and intense. “Are you angry?”
Si Nian was momentarily stunned and asked in confusion, “Why would you think that?”
Zhou Yueshen was silent for a moment before saying, “You barely spoke to me tonight.”
She had been lost in thought while cooking, too.
Si Nian: “.....” So that’s why he kept staring at me tonight?
True enough, he was usually the quiet one.
Usually, she would say a sentence, and he would reply with one.
Tonight, after what happened, her silence naturally made him overthink.
She sighed softly and smiled helplessly. “No, I was just thinking about my mom and the others. They were insulted so harshly today, I’m afraid my family won’t dare come over anymore. I feel so sorry for them.”
Zhou Yueshen was momentarily taken aback, then frowned.
Of course, the Lin family had been there today.
The Zhou family had treated their daughter so badly—it was only natural to feel upset.
Zhou Yueshen said guiltily, “When I have time, I’ll visit them to offer my thanks.”
Si Nian smiled softly but said nothing.
The two of them stared at each other in silence for a moment before Zhou Yueshen finally broke the quiet, his voice low and steady, "You should get some sleep early. Tomorrow, I'll take you all to school."
With that, he turned to leave.
The next second, his hand was grabbed.
Zhou Yueshen tilted his head, meeting Si Nian's gaze.
"Zhou Yueshen..."
_
Guessing there will be something steamy in the next chapter.
