38: Brother, I'm scared

The moonlight made that patch of snowy white painfully bright, rising and falling slightly with the Girl's rapid breathing.

Knowing she was a Girl and seeing with his own eyes that she was a Girl were two different things. The former was just a thought in his head, while the latter was a prairie fire that could burn his entire being to ashes.

His Adam's apple bobbed violently, letting out a dry gulp.

"Ah!"

Lin Xiaocao finally reacted from her shock, a scream catching in her throat and turning into a sob of extreme shame. Her hands suddenly wrapped around her chest, trying to cover the scenery that couldn't be hidden. She curled into a ball, her small face flushing blood-red, wishing she could just die right then and there.

She turned her head, wanting to run, to escape this moonlight, and to escape this man's gaze.

But as soon as she took a step, a piercing pain shot through her ankle. Her body went weak, and she fell clumsily toward the grass.

"Watch out!"

This shout finally brought Wang Fugui's senses back to him.

The messy images in his mind were instantly cleared, leaving only the slow-motion shot of her falling. He lunged forward and narrowly caught her before she hit the ground hard.

The body in his arms was as soft as if it had no bones, shaking like a leaf.

Without a second thought, Wang Fugui quickly stripped off his work jacket, which still carried his body heat and the strong scent of sweat. He draped it over her, wrapping her up tightly until only her tear-filled eyes were visible.

"Don't move."

His voice was abnormally hoarse, carrying a heat as if he had just finished a five-mile run.

"The ground is cold. If you catch a cold, you'll have to drink that bitter medicinal soup again."

Wrapped in that oversized jacket filled with the man's scent, the familiar smell didn't make Lin Xiaocao uncomfortable. Instead, it gave her heart, which was about to leap out of her chest, a sense of grounded security.

In his arms, she shook even harder, but not because of the cold.

"You..."

She spoke, her teeth chattering.

"Do you... do you think I'm dirty? Do you think I lied to you?"

She buried her face in the coarse fabric and asked muffledly, her voice thick with tears.

"I... I ran away from an arranged marriage... My family wanted to marry me off to an old man... I had no choice but to pretend to be a boy..."

Listening to her intermittent sobbing confession, the fire in Wang Fugui's heart was completely extinguished by a bucket of cold water, leaving behind only a soft, aching mess.

An old man?

The image of Wang Laowu from his village instantly popped into his head—a man in his sixties who had never found a wife and spent all day squatting at the village entrance drooling.

My god, what kind of world is this!

He didn't say a word, but let go of her and crouched down in front of her, patting his broad, sturdy back.

"Get on."

Lin Xiaocao looked up with teary eyes, staring at him in confusion.

Wang Fugui turned his head and spoke in a muffled but clear voice.

"Regardless of whether you're a boy or a Girl, whether you're Lin Xiaocao or Little Brother Lin, you've called me 'Brother'."

He paused, his face appearing exceptionally honest and kind in the moonlight, showing an indisputable seriousness.

"As long as you still recognize me as your brother, I will protect you for the rest of my life."

These words weren't heavy, yet they struck Lin Xiaocao's heart one by one, shattering all her panic, shame, and fear.

She could no longer control her tears; they poured down like a broken dam.

She no longer hesitated and leaned onto that back broad enough to shield her from the wind and rain.

Wang Fugui reached back, firmly supporting her thighs, and easily hoisted her up. The person in his arms was frighteningly light, truly like a little blade of grass with hardly any weight.

Lin Xiaocao buried her face deep in the crook of his shoulder, smelling the mixture of sweat and soap—his unique, comforting scent—and cried out loud.

She was no longer the eldest young lady Lin Wanyue who needed to disguise herself and calculate every move. At this moment, she was just Lin Xiaocao on Wang Fugui's back.

His Little Grass.

Wang Fugui let her cry, letting the hot tears soak his shoulder. He just silently adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable, then took large strides toward that small storage room.

In the dead of night, the two of them slipped back into their little world as quietly as thieves.

Wang Fugui placed her gently on the floor bedding and then nimbly bolted the door from the inside.

The room was pitch black, with only the faint moonlight filtering in through the window.

"I... I'll sleep on the floor." Wang Fugui pointed to his spot, then pointed to Lin Xiaocao. "You... you sleep."

After saying that, he was about to lie down.

"Brother."

Lin Xiaocao suddenly grabbed the corner of his clothes, her voice still thick with a nasal tone, as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"I'm scared."

Wang Fugui's body froze.

These two simple words caused all his persistence and rules to collapse instantly.

He didn't say anything more, just lay down on his floor bedding and reached out his large, fan-like hand to pat the empty space beside him.

Lin Xiaocao hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his jacket tighter around herself and cautiously moved over to lie down beside him.

She didn't dare hold his arm like she used to, but just lay there stiffly.

In the darkness, Wang Fugui rolled over to face her.

He reached out his arm and, without any hesitation, pulled her small body into his embrace, letting her rest her head on the crook of his arm.

"Sleep. I'm here. No one will dare to bully you."

His voice was deep and powerful, like a potent sedative.

Lin Xiaocao's body remained tense, but after a while, she slowly relaxed and curled into his burning embrace.

That night, no one spoke.

In the tiny storage room, only the sound of two hearts drumming wildly in their chests could be heard. Thump-thump, thump-thump—each beat louder and faster than the last, intertwining until it was impossible to tell whose was whose.

The next day, a crowd gathered in front of the factory's bulletin board.

A red-headed official document was posted in the most prominent position.

"To improve production efficiency and strengthen workshop management, the Factory Committee has decided to publicly select a deputy supervisor for the Forging Workshop this week. All official employees of our factory are eligible to apply."

The workers were buzzing with discussion, salivating over this sudden opportunity.

"A deputy supervisor! That's a cadre position!"

"How much will the salary increase!"

Wang Fugui had just finished getting his food and was passing by with his meal container, which was larger than a washbasin. He hadn't taken it seriously at first. Being an official? What did that have to do with a country bumpkin like him who only wanted to save money to go home, build a house, and get a wife?

He was about to leave when his ears caught the most crucial sentence.

"It's not just the salary! Look at the benefits column! A single-person dormitory with a private bathroom!"

Private bathroom.

These words were like a thunderclap, exploding in Wang Fugui's mind.

He suddenly turned around, pushed through the crowd, and stared intently at that line of small print on the official document.

Private... bathroom... In his mind, the image of Lin Xiaocao's troubled expression every time she went to the public toilets instantly appeared, along with her face of extreme shame from last night.

The stainless steel meal container in his hand let out a "creak" as he squeezed it.

This position—he was definitely going to get it!