Chapter 1003: Test the Mule Before You Ride It
Stepping out of the bamboo house, the village in daylight felt entirely different from how it had at night.
Bamboo buildings rose in clusters, their shadows swaying gently in the breeze, and the air was fragrant with the fresh scent of bamboo. Along the slightly lower edges of the narrow paths, small vegetable plots had been carved out, the green shoots sprouting neatly from the soil.
Villagers dressed in bright, colorful clothing moved busily among the crops, their actions full of the vitality of daily life.
Along the way, they passed children. Compared to the boisterous kids of Xinghua Village, these were shyer and more reserved.
When they saw a stranger in the village, they would immediately scatter in timid panic, only to peek back a moment later, curiosity outweighing fear, trailing behind in shy fascination.
At the same time, Xue Qinglian got a firsthand glimpse of just how extensive the village’s network of family and friends was.
“Seventh Uncle, are you going to check the water? Have you eaten? …This is my protector. I’m taking him for a little tour.”
“Sixteenth Aunt, no one tends their vegetable plots as carefully as you do… This is my protector. I’m taking him for a little tour.”
“Tenth Brother Qian, don’t let Great‑Aunt Thirty‑Nine stay out too long. Her legs aren’t good. Let her stretch a bit, then take her back to rest! …This is my protector. I’m taking him for a little tour.”
Xue Qinglian’s expression was indescribable. From the moment he stepped out the door, all he had heard were numbers.
From Two all the way to Ninety‑Nine—recycled, reused, and reassigned.
He was increasingly convinced there wasn’t a single outsider in this entire village. Everyone seemed to be related. Every last one!
And on top of that, the villagers’ curiosity toward this intruder was intense. The way they looked at him was exactly the way he looked at a test subject on an operating table.
If they could, they’d peel off his skin and pick his bones apart just to see how he worked.
“You don’t have to tell everyone that I’m your protector,” Xue Qinglian muttered, barely restraining himself.
If this weren’t Xiliang, there was no way he’d tolerate such a ridiculous title.
“What’s wrong with it? Calling you my protector makes everything obvious at a glance!” Qian Yi huffed, still feeling wronged. She was the one who lost all face because of him this morning. She couldn’t even lift her head in front of her sisters.
He hadn’t apologized, and now he was criticizing her wording?
If he didn’t like it, he could introduce himself!
Then she suddenly remembered what she’d told the Elder last night. Clearing her throat, she said, “This matter is really important. I can’t let everyone know your real name. I’m afraid once everything is over, the people in the village might come hunting you down, saying you seduced me and then abandoned me, calling you heartless and ungrateful. So I gave you a fake name. We only need to get through this period, so it won’t affect you. While you’re in the village, you’ll be called Xue Honglian. Using your beloved’s name, she’ll be touched when you tell her about it someday, right? Isn’t that great?”
Xue Qinglian’s mouth twitched. “Very clever.”
Her beloved’s name? He didn’t care. Even if he were later called a liar or a heartless man, the blame would fall on Xue Honglian, not him. The only danger was that once Xue Honglian appeared, she’d probably be the first he would try to kill.
After winding through half the village, followed by a crowd of curious onlookers, the two arrived at Qian Xi’s doorstep.
Hearing the commotion, Qian Xi stepped out, her gaze immediately landing on the figure in the blue robe standing at the door.
Tall and straight, with perfect posture, his features were handsome, his jet-black eyes deep and shadowed, tinged with a reckless, worldly disregard. Every inch of him radiated a lazy, effortless charm. He looked at people as if they barely existed—carefree, unconcerned, untouchable.
No man in the village possessed such a presence. He was extraordinary.
“Qian Yi, is this the man you brought back?” Qian Xi asked with a lifted smile.
“He’s my protector, Xue Honglian.” Qian Yi stepped in front of Xue Qinglian, blocking Qian Xi’s gaze that had been glued to him.
After all, he was now her nominal guardian. Naturally, she couldn’t let anyone covet him.
Qian Xi was predictable in this regard: anything Qian Yi had, Qian Xi had to have too. If it wasn’t hers yet, she liked to fight for it.
That had been tolerable in the past—but not now. Xue Honglian wasn’t an object to be snatched and played with.
“Your protector, yet you deliberately brought him to my doorstep. What’s the meaning of this? Do you want me to approve of him?” Qian Xi’s tone dripped with mockery, her gaze still fixed unblinking on the indifferent man behind Qian Yi. What could such a tiny body possibly block?
“Who told you to approve him!” Qian Yi snapped, standing on tiptoe to shield him. “Even if someone were to approve him, I’d go to the Elder!”
“Then why are you here? “Did you feel wronged by me this morning and now are running to the man to complain, hoping he’ll come here and give me trouble? Or to show off this man you found, who’s as pretty as a woman?”
“You…”
Qian Yi ran out of words, her small face blazing red with shame and anger.
The young villagers trailing behind whispered among themselves, wanting to intervene but too afraid. For years, Qian Yi and Qian Xi had been at odds; the locals were used to it. Whenever the two clashed, only the Elder could bring an end to it.
From behind, Xue Qinglian reached down and gently moved the little girl who had been propping herself up, in annoyance. She was slick and talkative when coaxing others, but so timid when it mattered. It simply made him lose face.
“You have a brother who once proposed to Qian Yi? This morning, it seemed like you thought Qian Yi choosing him over me was better. Is he that excellent?”
“So what if I did?” Qian Xi’s eyes flickered with defiance.
At her words, the corner of Xue Qinglian’s mouth curved in a wry smile, a spark of sharpness cutting through his usual nonchalance. “Call him out. Let’s see what he can do. I don’t like anyone stepping on me to elevate themselves.”
Qian Yi froze, staring at him in confusion. Was he really going to challenge Qian Liu?
The young villagers watching were equally stunned at first—then excitement rippled through the crowd.
A challenge!
Whenever men in the village had disputes, they often settled them with challenges. Each one was a spectacle, talked about for days afterward.
Now, there was something to watch!
Moreover, everyone was genuinely curious. What kind of skill did the man Qian Yi brought back possess, to make the most beautiful girl in the village fall for him?
After all, once Qian Yi reached maturity, she had rejected countless men in the village. No one had ever caught her eye.
These young men had even felt disheartened, assuming perhaps that Qian Yi simply didn’t understand love.
“Do you really intend to challenge my brother?” Qian Xi fixed her gaze on the man across from her. “Do you even know what he’s capable of before making such a boast? Don’t be so arrogant that you lose all face in the end.”
“Test the mule before you ride it,” the man said, the corner of his lips curling with cocky charm. His arrogance was palpable, but somehow never off-putting.
“Qian Liu! Step out! Accept the challenge! Accept the challenge!” Even before the man in question appeared, the surrounding youth were already cheering and chanting.
The courtyard gate echoed with their commotion, drawing curious heads from nearby bamboo houses.
“I accept! I accept the challenge!” a strong, commanding voice called out from the crowd.
A tall, sturdy man stepped forward behind Qian Xi, his features sharp and eyes gleaming with hostility toward Xue Qinglian.
Xue Qinglian narrowed his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. “There’s no time like the present. Let’s begin.”
Peek-Aboo 
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