014 Liu Yun The door opened, and Zhang Yi stepped out with a black bear’s face, his temper flaring. "Zhang Brother," said Lu Yun, stepping forward, "it's me. I brought half a sack of wheat from home—please weigh it for me right away. And once I have the grain tickets, I still need to head off to class." Lu Yun smiled quietly in his heart, but on his face he kept up a calm, composed expression, greeting Zhang Yi with a cheerful smile. On the way, however, Zhang Yi had grown increasingly angry inside, yet as a businessman, he couldn’t treat his customers poorly. He watched Lu Yun coldly, eyes narrowed, and said in an irritable tone, "Where's the wheat?" "It’s on the scale outside," Lu Yun replied with the same bright smile. "Zhang Brother, you look so frustrated—what’s wrong? Did something happen between you and your wife?" Zhang Yi glanced at Lu Yun and felt like he wanted to punch him right through. "Don’t make it up! My relationship with your wife is strong. I just couldn’t sleep well last night—I only managed to settle down a bit before you woke me up again with that sharp cry of yours!" He deliberately rubbed his eyes as if trying to wipe away the fatigue. Lu Yun smiled inwardly—what a hefty man, when had he ever gotten his wife into bed? Was it only after she’d been laid down that Zhang Yi felt happy and comfortable wearing his hat like a king? "48 pounds," said Zhang Yi, handing Lu Yun a set of grain tickets after weighing the wheat. "That’s all. Now go—just get back to your dorm and catch some z’s." Lu Yun nodded, counted through the tickets carefully to make sure they were correct, then smiled and said, "Zhang Brother, I’ll be on my way now." "Go ahead, go!" Zhang Yi waved impatiently, as if he could have pushed Lu Yun out with a stick. With business settled, Lu Yun’s eyes darted around, amused, and asked lightly, "Zhang Brother, hasn’t Ning sister woken up yet?" "What?” Zhang Yi narrowed his eyes, shouting at Lu Yun, “I just told you—how dare you, this little kid, even think of making moves on my sister? I could send you straight to the afterlife with one punch!" He lifted his dark, solid fist and waved it in front of Lu Yun’s face. "Zhang Brother," said Lu Yun, trying to look earnest, "you must be mistaken—Ning is such a heavenly person. I’ve only ever managed to admire her from afar—I never thought I’d get close enough to touch her!" "Pish!" Zhang Yi cut in angrily. “Don’t think I’m unaware of all the glances your young crew keep giving my sister—they’re like wolf-eyed predators watching lamblings. Now, I'm setting the record straight: should you even dare to do anything more with my sister, I’ll see that you’re completely wiped out—no excuses!" "What are you doing now?" Zhang Yi’s wife Liu Yun interrupted just as he was about to finish his speech. She stepped gracefully into the scene and smiled warmly at Lu Yun. "Your name is Lu Yun, isn’t it?" she asked gently. "I’m sorry for disturbing your rest," said Lu Yun, modestly, while standing with his small tent tucked behind him, eyes shyly scanning her. Liu Yun glanced casually at Lu Yun’s little tent and smiled. "Zhang Yi is a man of simple habits—he’ll never take kindly to anything too refined." "What’s that supposed to mean?" Zhang Yi interjected with some discomfort. “People who have education don’t always turn into good-looking young men!” "Go back inside," Liu Yun said, giving her husband a sharp look, raising her delicate brows like leaves in the wind. "Lady Liu, I only asked out of curiosity—Ning sister gets up so early every day. Since I didn’t see her today, I just casually mentioned it. I never intended to make any move toward her—how could I have imagined you'd take that as a challenge?" Lu Yun scratched his head, embarrassed. Liu Yun tilted her head, then looked at Zhang Yi and said, "Did you hear that? Even though he’s only thirteen-and-a-half years old, he speaks more gracefully than any man of your age—I’d say he’s quite impressive. Now go back to your room—don’t embarrass yourself any further!" Zhang Yi hesitated, wanting to respond, but seeing the determined look in his wife's eyes, he just grunted and quietly returned inside. How could this big man be so afraid of his own wife? Lu Yun thought with quiet contempt. "How old are you, young Lu?" Liu Yun smiled at him now, her gaze carrying a gentle warmth. "I’m thirteen-and-a-half years old," Lu Yun answered. "Oh," she nodded, smiling. "Now tell me—was it on purpose that you made such an effort to sound dramatic earlier?" "No—it was just that I noticed no one else was making any noise to greet you two—I didn’t mean to be anything special." Lu Yun’s mind buzzed with surprise—he felt a sudden pressure in his chest. If Zhang Yi found out, he’d surely send him straight to the ground. Liu Yun laughed softly. "What's there to be afraid of? I didn’t accuse you of doing anything wrong—I just noticed that you accidentally heard something you weren't supposed to." "Lady Liu," Lu Yun said, trying to sound sincere, "I truly didn’t do anything—please don’t think I did it on purpose. Besides, I didn’t hear anything at all. If you’re not convinced, I’ll call Zhang Yi right now and have him beat me senseless!" "I didn't even get upset with you," Liu Yun said softly, releasing his hand. "Just make a little arrangement to thank me later—how about that?" "But—I’m still young," Lu Yun stammered, blushing deeply. “I don’t know how to….” "Stop pretending!" Liu Yun said. "Who is Lady Liu? Just one gentle touch earlier—it was clear you weren't just a shy boy anymore. This matter has been settled—should you refuse, I’ll go straight to the head teacher and tell her that you’ve secretly watched me and Zhang Yi in private!" Lu Yun stood utterly stunned—the way she spoke made it seem as if he’d been violated! …… Rural Beauty 014 – Updated by Liu Yun!