Night swallowed Qinghe Village in heavy silence.
The wind brushed past rooftops, rustling dry leaves and rattling loose window frames. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked once then fell quiet.
Inside the Liu household, not a single lamp had been blown out.
Everyone was awake.
Everyone was tense.
Jiang Yanyan lay on the bed, wrapped tightly in thick quilts. Her eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, but her mind replayed the scene at the market again and again.
The rotten vegetables.
The accusations.
The disgusted stares.
Her chest tightened painfully.
A faint knock sounded at the door.
Before she could respond, it creaked open.
Lu Jianfeng stepped inside.
He had changed into clean clothes, but the cold fury in his eyes had not faded.
He walked to her bedside, sat down slowly, and stared at her pale face.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke.
The silence was heavy.
Then he said quietly,
"I'm sorry."
Her eyelashes trembled.
"For what?"
"For letting them hurt you."
Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
His fingers clenched slowly.
"I should've protected you better."
She turned her head and looked at him.
For the first time, she saw something fragile in his eyes.
Fear.
Guilt.
Self-blame.
And love so deep it almost crushed him.
"You did protect me," she whispered.
But his jaw tightened.
"Not enough."
That night, Lu Jianfeng did not sleep.
He sat outside her door, leaning against the cold mud wall, eyes open, listening to every tiny sound in the darkness.
At dawn, as the first rooster crowed, he stood.
His eyes were bloodshot.
But his resolve was iron.
He stepped out of the courtyard.
And headed straight toward the village entrance.
By early morning, villagers were already gathering near the market square.
Some sold vegetables.
Some traded grain.
Some simply came to exchange gossip.
And gossip was exactly what they wanted.
"She deserved it."
"I still think she's not innocent."
"I wonder what scandal will come out today."
Then ...
A tall figure strode into the square.
The moment people saw his face, conversations slowly died.
Lu Jianfeng.
His steps were steady.
His expression cold.
His gaze sharp as a blade.
He stopped in the center of the square.
And spoke.
"Everyone."
His voice was not loud.
Yet it carried terrifying weight.
The chatter completely stopped.
He slowly scanned the crowd.
"If anyone here has proof that my wife slept around, show it."
Silence.
"If anyone saw her meet a lover, bring that person forward."
Still silence.
Zhao Huifen stood among the crowd, face stiff.
Lu Jianfeng's gaze locked onto her.
"Zhao Huifen."
She flinched.
"You said she sneaks out at night. Who told you?"
Her lips trembled.
"I… I heard it from someone…"
"WHO?"
"I... I don't know…"
His eyes darkened.
"So you spread lies based on nothing?"
The crowd began murmuring uneasily.
"Yesterday," he continued, "someone used a child to lure her to the river and tried to drown her."
Gasps erupted.
"She almost died."
His voice deepened.
"And instead of helping, you humiliated her."
The square fell deathly silent.
At that moment, an old woman stepped forward.
It was Grandma Zhang.
Her back was bent, but her eyes were sharp.
"Child," she said shakily, "come here."
Lu Jianfeng turned toward her.
She raised her trembling hand.
"That day, Meilin brought me food and medicine. She left before sunset."
Her voice quivered.
"She never came to the river."
Murmurs erupted.
Another villager spoke.
"I saw her walking home before dark."
"So did I!"
One voice after another rose.
The lies began to crumble.
Zhao Huifen's face turned pale.
Cold sweat trickled down her temples.
Lu Jianfeng turned back to Zhao Huifen.
"You ruined her reputation."
His voice dropped dangerously.
"You humiliated her publicly."
"You nearly drove her to death."
She panicked.
"I...I didn't know!"
"Didn't know?" He laughed coldly.
"You didn't know, yet you threw rotten vegetables at her?"
She stumbled backward.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
But he didn't stop.
"I won't hit a woman," he said slowly.
But I won't let this go.
His eyes swept across the crowd.
"Anyone who dares spread lies about my wife again…"
He lifted a heavy wooden bench effortlessly.
BANG!
He smashed it against the stone ground.
It shattered instantly.
Wood splintered everywhere.
Screams erupted.
"…will end up like this."
No one doubted him.
From that day on
No one dared speak Jiang Yanyan's name lightly.
Women avoided Zhao Huifen.
Children pointed at her.
Men shook their heads.
Her reputation collapsed overnight.
While Jiang Yanyan's slowly began to recover.
When Lu Jianfeng returned home, Jiang Yanyan was sitting quietly in the courtyard.
Sunlight spilled across her face.
He walked toward her slowly.
She stood.
Without a word, he pulled her into his arms.
This time
She hugged back.
Tightly.
"I won't let anyone hurt you again," he whispered against her hair.
Her heart trembled.
And for the first time
She truly felt safe.
From a hidden corner near the abandoned hut, Chen Yuyang watched everything.
The confrontation.
The protection.
The devotion.
His gentle smile twisted.
"So… you're willing to burn the whole village for her?"
His fingers curled slowly.
Then I'll burn her world.
And in the rising sunlight
Darkness prepared its next move.
***********************************************
The morning sun spilled gently through the tall glass windows of the penthouse, bathing everything in soft gold.
Liu Meilin stirred beneath the sheets, her lashes fluttering as consciousness slowly returned. For a brief moment, she forgot everything the system, the deals, the danger, the pressure. All she felt was warmth.
Warmth behind her.
A strong arm rested around her waist, pulling her closer, possessively, protectively. His breathing was slow, steady, deep. The kind of breathing that belonged to someone who had survived battles and storms.
Lu Jianfeng.
She smiled faintly, nestling closer into his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
There was something calming about it powerful yet steady. It grounded her.
But peace never lasted long in her world.
A soft ding echoed in her mind.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
New Missions Activated.
Primary Objective: Business Expansion.
Secondary Objective: Market Domination.
Reward Level: Extremely High.
Liu Meilin eyes snapped open.
Here we go again…
She gently untangled herself from Lu Jianfeng arms, careful not to wake him. Slipping out of bed,
[System Interface Activated
New Opportunity Detected: Food Empire Expansion
A glowing blueprint formed in midair.
Liu Meilin lips parted slightly.
It was massive.
A complete food production and distribution chain.
From farms → factories → packaging → logistics → restaurants → street vendors → export markets.
Not just a business.
An empire.
[Mission]
Build the largest integrated food.network.
Timeline: 90 days.
Reward: $10 billion + Permanent System Upgrade + Hidden Ability Unlock.
Her heart thudded.
Ten. Billion.
She whispered, "Let's dominate."
Moreover she was no longer fat, she could handle everything
By midday, the city's elite business community buzzed with rumors.
A mysterious investor was acquiring:
• rice farms
• cassava plantations
• poultry farms
• spice production factories
• frozen food processing plants
• logistics companies
• restaurant chains
All under one silent name.
L.M. Holdings.
Behind the scenes, Liu Meilin moved like a chess grandmaster.
Without her family being aware.
She acquired struggling businesses, injected capital, upgraded equipment, trained workers, and restructured management all in a single sweep.
Factories that once barely produced 20% capacity now ran at 110% efficiency.
Street vendors suddenly received:
• cheaper supplies
• cleaner packaging
• standardized quality
• reliable deliveries
The market reacted instantly.
Food prices dropped.
Quality skyrocketed.
Consumers noticed.
And competitors panicked
She did everything in silent without notice to avoid rivals.
Without any members of her family knowing.
With the help of her system
By evening, her financial dashboard exploded.
[System Financial Report]
Daily Profit: $47,000,000
Weekly Projection: $330,000,000
Monthly Projection: $1.3 Billion
Lu Jianfeng stared at the holographic figures, silent for a long time.
Finally, he laughed a deep, dangerous sound.
What are you whispering about he asked.
She jolted and realized that she can't keep this truth hidden forever, then she came open to him.
Do you know I have a system she said,
Lu Jianfeng got confused by her words and asked.
"What system."
She sighed haven't you ever wondered how I slimmed down, how I managed to gain money easily to, open a store.
She said staring at him, while he looked at her with a questioning face
What do you mean.
Actually I'm not from this, world nor time.
I transmigrated on the day I had an accident and died in my world.
So that's how I got here, she said smiling nervously, praying he would believe her and not get mad.
He hugged her anxiously after hearing she died once before.
I actually don't care who you are, I just love you no matter what.
He said to her looking at her eyes.
Tears fell from her eyes, Then she hugged him tighter.
They stayed silent for a long time ,feeling their heart in the calm room.
Then he broke the silent.
I also have a secret, he said looking at her silently.
Secret she said with a loud voice, before closing them with her hands.
"What secret she asked."
Well actually I'm not from a poor background
He said facing the wall.
Actually I came from a rich family in the city, I own an empire.
He said this time looking at her and removing strand of hair from her face .
Touching her lightly just to assure her he meant no harm.
Liu Meilin looked at him with her eyes wide in open. In confusion.
And wondering why he would leave all those wonderful riches behind. just to end up in this countryside that literally everyone is suffering.
Lu Jianfeng understood the look in her voice. He said to her I just wanted a peaceful place to be me a place I could find peace, and I eventually found it.
He said looking at her, smiling lightly.
Liu Meilin didn't feel bad she hugged him happily.
Thanks for telling me she said.
Then Lu Jianfeng asked what where you whispering about.
"Oh." Forgot to tell you, she explained her plans to him
"God help anyone who underestimates you.
Lu Jianfeng said.