Ye Ling had just wanted to help, but he ended up being tricked. How horrible!

If he really took Li Chunmei as his wife, then what would happen to Liu Duo? He could not be her husband anymore and she would be with his three brothers instead!

His hands had somehow wrapped themselves slightly tighter than usual around Liu Duo's waist as he thought about the problem. He did not want that to happen. He still wanted to be her husband.

Liu Duo wondered what had set him off again to hold her so tightly. She cupped his face in her hands as she smiled. "Ling, you have quite a tight grip over there. Are you planning to snap me in half?"

Upon hearing that, Ye Ling loosened his grip but did not let go of her.

He did not look well. With droopy eyes, he whispered to her, "Duo Er, if Chunmei wants me to marry her, will you still want me?"

Er...

Didn't she say it was not their responsibility to bear? Why would he say something that?

"Ling, this problem does not exist, because you're not going to marry her, and I won't let you!" Liu Duo threw him a serious look. "Don't you dare think about her again, otherwise I'll get jealous because surely you must have feelings for her!"

Ye Ling quickly denied it. "Duo Er, no! I don't! I don't have feelings for her. I only like you. Just you! I..."

Liu Duo feigned disbelief. She sat up straight, tilted her head, and squinted at him. "Prove it!"

Ah?

How could he prove it? For a second Ye Ling did not know what to do. He frowned anxiously.

But he did not want Liu Duo to have the wrong idea.

Pffft, Liu Duo laughed.

Ling was so adorable like this. Could he not tell she was teasing him?

"Fine, I'm just messing with you."

She got down and lay next to him. "Ling, like I said, stop thinking about irrelevant subjects. Don't make yourself unhappy. Now you're making me unhappy."

When he heard about her mood, Ye Ling quickly assured her, "No, Duo Er, don't be like that. I promise I won't think about it again. I want you to be happy."

Liu Duo, satisfied with his response, said, "Then give me a kiss, Ling. I'll feel much better."

She pointed at her cheek.

Blushing, Ye Ling got closer to her and, without hesitating, slowly planted a kiss.

He turned to face her and said gently, "Are you happy now?"

Liu Duo gave her most charming smile and linked her arms around his neck. "Yes, very much so. I like it when you give me kisses!"

She sounded like such a kid. Ye Ling smiled too.

Liu Duo noticed that and said, "You look lovely when you smile, Ling. I find it quite irresistible. I may have the urge to eat you up, hehe..."

As she said that, she purposely waggled her eyebrows, putting on a suggestive expression.

He smiled even more joyfully then.

Somewhere in the village, Chunmei's mother dragged her daughter along as they marched towards Liu Duo's house. They stopped halfway.

"Chunmei, we shall pay a visit to the chief first. Let him be the judge. And then we'll hold Ye Ling responsible!"

If they went over to Liu Duo's house in their current state, it would end badly. After all, other than Ye Mo's infamously hot temper, Ye Yang and Ye Liu were not pushovers either, even though she had not seen them get angry before.

They were just too women. They could not possibly hold themselves against four strong men.

Li Chunmei hung her head low as she let herself be dragged along, her expression unclear, despite seeming weak and pitiful.

Once they reached the village chief's house, Mrs. Li made a beeline and told Du Wenjin everything that had happened, complaining about how her daughter's reputation was ruined and whatnot.