Li Qiong and Wang Yuan, also curious, looked to Yang Guanghui, wanting to know why he had said that.
"I know this isn't the best time," Yang Guanghui began, glancing toward the door to make sure no one was there before lowering his voice, "but it concerns your safety, so you need to be careful. Today, when I was in a hidden grove, I overheard two village women talking. They said Wang Dadan has his eyes on you all. I think you might be in danger, so I'm warning you to be on your guard. Don't fall into a trap."
Li Qiong and Wang Yuan were startled. They recalled how they had run into the security chief, Wang Dadan, at noon, and he had even greeted them!
'To think the man they assumed was so friendly was actually that kind of person... It's terrifying.'
"Yes, thank you, Yang," Wang Yuan said. "You're right, we can't go out alone. If there are two of us, we can at least call for help if something happens. If you're alone, you're just out of luck."
Li Qiong nodded. "He's right. You can know a person's face but not their heart. We all need to be more careful."
Zhao Nuanyue's face was a little pale, but she forced herself to remain calm. "We're outsiders here. We need to work hard, get to know the locals, and make a good impression on Li Rui. That way, if something does happen, we'll have people who can speak up for us."
Zhao Nuanyue's words left everyone feeling deeply uneasy. They were so isolated, and Nianqiao Village was so far from the county seat. If something were to happen, they truly would have no one to turn to for help.
While there were bad people in Nianqiao Village, most of the residents were still good. Perhaps if they made a special effort to befriend them, they could earn the villagers' acceptance.
After that, Zhao Nuanyue, Wang Yuan, and Li Qiong were nearly inseparable, always going out and coming back together. Yang Guanghui, being an adult male, was assigned heavy labor by the village and couldn't stay by their side. But with the three of them together, they were a difficult target, and Wang Dadan truly couldn't find an opportunity.
Even when he did show up, he was always facing a group, leaving him no chance to act.
Since the girls were over-fulfilling their quotas every day, Accountant Li's approach wasn't working. He couldn't openly give the three of them a hard time anymore.
With that avenue closed, Accountant Li had assumed Wang Dadan would give up on his filthy idea. He never expected Wang Dadan to turn his attention to Liu Lanhua instead. That woman would do anything to get her son a job in the city; she wouldn't refuse any request.
The only problem was, Liu Lanhua was so ugly that Wang Dadan couldn't stomach the thought of touching her!
"Look, if you help me pull this off, I guarantee Shanzi will get that job in the city." Privately, Wang Dadan had found Liu Lanhua and asked her to help him think of another way.
Liu Lanhua, a coarse woman, looked at Wang Dadan. "Well now, you're in such a rush. You're going to spoil things."
'If Liu Lanhua doesn't agree, he'll just find someone else,' Wang Dadan thought. 'The position is a precious commodity; I'm not worried I'll find no takers.'
Seeing Wang Dadan's impatience, Liu Lanhua knew she couldn't refuse.
Zhao Nuanyue's Divine Sense was following Wang Dadan. She never would have thought that Liu Lanhua, who seemed so warm and helpful on the surface, was actually such a sinister and vicious person underneath.
'If Liu Lanhua had a hand in Li Nan's death in my past life, then she was just as evil as Wang Po from *Water Margin*!'
'She was the type to sell you out and have you help her count the money. No words, no matter how vicious, were enough to describe her.'
A guy like Wang Dadan had absolutely zero interest in an old hag like Liu Lanhua!
Wang Dadan chuckled. "You'd better hurry, now. The recruitment is less than a month away. I'm busy pulling strings on my end for you; you can't just be sitting on your hands!"
"You got it!" Liu Lanhua replied with a smug smile. "When I agree to do something, I always get it done."
Wang Dadan admired Liu Lanhua's shamelessness. As long as there was something in it for her, there was nothing she wouldn't do!
A chill ran down Zhao Nuanyue's spine as she listened to Wang Dadan and Liu Lanhua's conversation.
'The human heart... it's the hardest thing to predict!'
Zhao Nuanyue sat on her bed, unable to sleep. She saw her younger brother sleeping soundly in the inner room, and for a moment, she almost envied him for living in his own world. But the envy lasted only a moment. Her brother couldn't protect himself or survive on his own. He needed someone to protect him.
'Taking care of my brother is my life's work. I have to become stronger.'
'It wasn't just because of past regrets; it was because of the pure affection my brother gave me, and because of that soul-stirring painting, *Nuanyue, Nuanyang*. Even in the mental hospital, my brother had been thinking of me.'
Her mind heavy with worry, Zhao Nuanyue stuck to Li Qiong and Wang Yuan's side at all times, terrified something would happen to them.
Sure enough, just as Zhao Nuanyue had expected, Liu Lanhua started appearing around them frequently while they worked over the next few days, even striking up conversations. Liu Lanhua was a calculating woman, and with her deliberate efforts to win them over, Wang Yuan and Li Qiong quickly became familiar with her.
Zhao Nuanyue tried to warn Wang Yuan and Li Qiong in private, but they didn't believe her. They said she was overthinking things, that someone as warm-hearted as Liu Lanhua couldn't possibly be a bad person. With Liu Lanhua deliberately cozying up to them, things also seemed to get easier with Accountant Li. Since they had been consistently bringing in large catches of fish, he made a point of praising the young people.
Because of this, Wang Yuan and Li Qiong felt even more grateful toward Liu Lanhua. They thought she must have put in a good word for them, and now they no longer had to walk on eggshells like before.
One day, while they were all working on the salted fish, Liu Lanhua deliberately cut her hand so she couldn't work.
Wang Yuan and Li Qiong helped her. Full of gratitude, Liu Lanhua personally invited them to her home for a meal.
"Wang Yuan, Li Qiong, I really think you should be careful," Zhao Nuanyue warned. She knew Liu Lanhua was up to no good, but she had no way to explain how she knew it. "I can't leave Nuanyang alone, so I won't be going."
'That woman is a vicious wolf who has already sharpened her teeth, just waiting to devour a few adorable Little Red Riding Hoods!'