BT70sTMUMP Chapter 14

The Voice Recorder

The man opposite her looked intense and somewhat fierce, his gaze carrying a hint of something different, even the corners of his eyes tinged red. What was going on? Why was this scene, straight out of a TV drama, happening in this era, and why was it happening to her? Most importantly, why was her heart beating so fast?

Fortunately, just as she started to worry that her heart might actually race out of control, Lin Chuan abruptly pulled her upright and walked off without looking back. He was gone, just like that.

But Su Su felt as if she had brushed the tail of love, and there was an inexplicable sweetness in her heart.

Cough. Well, the female lead didn’t like him and didn’t want him anyway, so why not try to win him over herself?

No, he still had a fiancée. Pursuing him openly might not be appropriate.

How about flirting with him secretly?

After all, flirting wasn’t a crime, and maybe she could shake that steadfast heart of his. But first, she needed to find out if he liked the female lead. If he did, then she’d back off.

She stood there, torn for a long time, before finally deciding to test the waters.

As she walked down half a street, she saw two familiar figures heading towards the mountainside. That place was indeed less populated, but it wasn’t exactly a romantic hotspot either.

Quietly, she followed them, crouching behind a small building to eavesdrop on what the male lead and female lead were discussing.

To her surprise, she overheard the female lead complaining to the male lead, making the Lin family sound rather… calculating.

“Can you believe it? They came here to buy things without even telling me. And they only made one new quilt. How are two people supposed to share that?” Qin Yue Yue cried.

One quilt was a double quilt, meant for two people to share. In the village, most people used single quilts, but in the city, double quilts were common. Mother Lin had made the double quilt because she thought a city girl like her might find a single quilt inadequate. And now, she was complaining?

“Don’t cry. I’ll go talk to Second Uncle and Aunt in a bit,” Lin Donghe coaxed his goddess, looking a bit nervous.

“What’s the point of talking to them? There’s no need. If I hadn’t come to check on the acceptance letter, I wouldn’t even know about this, but I’m really upset.”

Su Su crouched there, realizing that overhearing this conversation wouldn’t do her any good—no one would believe her if she repeated it. So, she pulled out the recorder from her down jacket. She had only been using it to record her lessons, but it seemed to be coming in handy now.

“Don’t be sad.”

“How can I not be? This marriage was arranged by my parents. You know your cousin’s temper—he glares at people all the time and even killed a cow with one punch. I’m scared of him, and I can’t even bear to look at him. What if he hits me after we get married? What am I going to do?”

“He wouldn’t do that; he’s not that kind of person.”

“If only… if only you were my fiancé instead,” the female lead suddenly blurted out, and the two fell into silence.

“It’s a pity you’re not,” Lin Donghe said, making Lin Chuan sound like a heartless brute who was keeping two lovers apart.

Su Su felt indignant on Lin Chuan’s behalf, but then she heard the female lead shamelessly say, “It’s a shame I can’t break off the engagement. Otherwise, I would…” Her voice was full of longing, leaving no doubt about what she meant—if she could break the engagement, she’d start dating the man in front of her. But the male lead, still hung up on status differences, replied, “My cousin is a company-level officer, and I’m just a nobody… not worthy of you.”

He really did sound tormented.

Then, the male lead added, “Besides, breaking off the engagement now wouldn’t be wise. Without the help of Second Uncle’s family, you might not even survive next spring’s farming season.”

“Sigh, if only I could get into university. Then I could leave this place and wouldn’t be trapped by all these issues.”

What the hell.

The female lead had absolutely no shame.

Alright, well, it’s not wrong to look out for oneself. People are selfish, after all. Calm down, calm down.

It was freezing, and after recording for a while, Su Su’s legs went numb. Besides, she couldn’t listen to any more; she was afraid she’d burst a blood vessel out of anger. She got up quietly to leave and had only walked a few meters when she ran into Lin Chuan, who had come looking for her.

But he didn’t say a word, just jerked his chin in his direction and then left again.

On the way back, Su Su noticed that Lin Chuan was keeping his distance from her—quite a long distance, actually, as he ran all the way back to the village.

“…” Wasn’t it just a hug? Did he have to be so innocent? She was the girl here; she should be the one feeling more flustered, right? But seeing Lin Chuan act so awkwardly, her mischievous side couldn’t help but surface. Suddenly, she really wanted to tease this pure-hearted boy.

That evening, while Mother Lin was busy making the quilt, Su Su noticed Lin Chuan tending the fire. She crouched beside him and asked, “Brother Chuan, can I ask you something…” But before she could finish, he disappeared out the door in a flash.

He really ran fast.

Forget it, she might as well wash her hair.

She prepared the water herself and then went to the kitchen, letting her hair down to wash it.

The room was relatively warm, so she only wore a shirt and even tugged the collar down a bit.

Even though the Lin family had many men, Lin’s father and the boys were still in the back courtyard, so there were only three people at home.

When Lin Chuan came back with an armful of firewood, the first thing he saw was her snow-white neck, adorned with a thin silver necklace. The sight made her skin look even paler, her neck more slender. He froze in his tracks, then threw the firewood down and turned to leave.

“Brother Chuan, could you pass me a towel?”

!

Su Su looked up and noticed that Lin Chuan seemed like he was about to leave, but in his haste, he bumped into the door frame.

She winced for him, but then she heard footsteps approaching. Could it be that the other three boys had returned? She quickly grabbed the towel herself, and just as she was about to dry off, she heard Lin Chuan’s voice say, “Stop! Don’t come inside.”

“Why not? We’re freezing out here,” one of the boys complained.

“If you dare step inside, I’ll break your legs. Run around the house instead.”

“What?”

“Run.”

“Big brother…”

“If you don’t run, I’ll break your legs.”

After some groaning and whining, it sounded like the Lin family’s trio had started running.

“Big brother, why are you running too?”

“Exercice.”

Pfft!

Su Su burst out laughing. How could Lin Chuan be so funny? She hadn’t expected this side of him.

After tidying up and getting dressed, she realised that relationships between men and women were truly very conservative in this era. Just look at Lin Chuan.

But wait, weren’t the male and female leads huddled in a corner whispering sweet nothings? It seemed like it depended on the people involved. Still, Su Su felt that getting close to the male lead was proving to be quite difficult. Every time she tried, he’d bolt like a scared rabbit without even coming up with an excuse—just a straight-up escape. Her plan to ask if he liked the female lead kept getting delayed, until finally, her literacy class started.