Pampered by the Toughest Man After Divorce
Chapter 167 - 169: Rumors in the Village_1

Chapter 167: Chapter 169: Rumors in the Village_1

On the third day of February, some villagers claimed to have seen Nan Feng and Liu Chang going up the mountain together, then coming back down in disarray. Liu Chang was noted to be extremely nervous, rolling and stumbling down the hill.

There were others who said that they had seen Liu Chang casting furtive glances at Nan Feng, even going so far as to block her way at the entrance of the village.

Regardless of the truth, gossip spread like wildfire. Rumors, once repeated enough, began to take on the sheen of truth.

Everyone in the village seemed to be privy to this gossip, everyone besides the individuals involved, that is.

Liu Chang and Nan Feng were the last to find out.

Upon hearing the rumors, Liu Chang vehemently denied them, insisting he hadn’t been to the mountain that day but had been at the foot of it, engaged in a fight.

When asked with whom he had fought, Liu Chang refused to disclose anything further, choosing rather to let it be known that he had lost the fight - an excuse to avoid further questions.

Over on Nan Feng’s end, it was Aqiu who brought her up to speed.

Aqiu took a few days before deciding to tell Nan Feng of the rumors sweeping the village, not because she believed that Nan Feng and Liu Chang had slept together but because she didn’t want Nan Feng to be slandered unduly by the mindless gossip.

Nan Feng’s initial reaction was to dismiss it as mindless village chatter.

But when Aqiu mentioned that all this supposedly happened on the third day of February, Nan Feng was taken aback. That was the day she had an accident on the mountain!

Liu Chang...

"Aqiu, I have something to take care of. I’m heading out," she said abruptly.

"Huh..." Aqiu wanted to say something, but Nan Feng was already gone, disappearing into the distance.

...

The busy farming season had only recently passed, and Liu Chang and Tie Dan now found themselves aimless, wandering around the village.

The two lads had previously been tutored privately under Mo Wenxuan, but now that Mo Wenxuan had become a scholar, he moved to a private school in the county to teach. Mo Wenxuan was simultaneously pursuing his own educational ambitions. Unfortunately, due to their poor academic performance, and the lack of physical strength, Tie Dan and Liu Chang’s future paths were set – becoming a hunter and butcher, respectively, like their fathers.

While they were debating whether to go fishing in the river that afternoon, a crisp voice rang out from behind them: "Liu Chang!"

Liu Chang started at the sound; his body stiffened as if frozen. He knew who the voice belonged to without needing to turn around.

Tie Dan looked back to see Nan Feng approaching, and he laughed cheerily, "Changchang, the mythical ’ogre’ who supposedly spent a night with you has come looking for you again! Do you think she’s still not satisfied and wants more?"

Since the last time Nan Feng had beaten him up, Tie Dan had been bearing grudges against her. However, as soon as he saw the frown on Nan Feng’s face and the menace lacing her features, he took an involuntary step back.

"Changchang, what does she want with you? You’d better turn around and see what’s going on," Tie Dan said, his voice quavering.

Only then did Liu Chang dare to turn around and face Nan Feng.

Nan Feng spoke with an air of command: "Liu Chang, can I have a word with you?"

Liu Chang gave Tie Dan a look, and waved him off.

Only Nan Feng and Liu Chang were left by the fields.

Nan Feng scrutinized Liu Chang. Seeing his guilty and fearful expression, she understood what she needed to know.

"Was it you who knocked me out on the mountain that day?" Nan Feng asked.

Liu Chang lowered his head and nodded reluctantly.

"Did you deliberately set up the trap to frame me? Were Mo Wenxuan and Tie Dan also with you?" asked Nan Feng again.

"No, they had nothing to do with it," Liu Chang was quick to absolve his friends.

"Then who was it? There must have been a few people on the mountain that day. Otherwise, someone like you wouldn’t have been able to trick me into going up there," Nan Feng was getting angrier by the minute.