Turning Antagonist to Protagonist: He is Both Soft and Fierce-Chapter 328 - 323: Easing the Bad Impression of the Abandoned Temple

Chapter 328: Chapter 323: Easing the Bad Impression of the Abandoned Temple

"Where is this?"

"Inn."

"I’d like some hot water, to wipe myself down."

No one responded to her. After a while, the room lit up, followed by the man going out and soon returning with two buckets of water, placing them behind the screen.

The man might be taciturn, but he was quite considerate.

Lin Qiao took clean clothes and went behind the screen. Suddenly thinking of something, she popped her head out and shyly said, "You mustn’t peek."

Song Tingfan’s expression paused for a moment, then quickly returned to normal, "I won’t."

Lin Qiao wasn’t really afraid of him seeing. After all, they already had a child together; what was meant to be seen had long been seen.

Ahem, she just wanted him to accept that she was indeed his wife.

After a quick bath, she felt much cooler, but she couldn’t fall asleep since she’d already slept a lot during the day.

Not wanting to stare blankly at the man, she pretended to be asleep.

It was hard to tell if it was her natural scent or the fragrance after her bath, but it continuously wafted into his nose. The man gradually stiffened and, after a while, turned his back to her to sleep.

Lin Qiao seized the opportunity of being alone with him. She reached over and wrapped her arms around his waist, rubbing her face against his back, and murmured softly, "Tingfan, your daughter is giving me a hard time."

Song Tingfan remained silent, letting her hold him.

...

The carriage swayed slowly, taking two full days to reach the town, and then they headed toward the village.

Lin Qiao noticed Song Tingfan staring motionlessly out the window, his gaze seemingly cold, following his line of sight to the dilapidated temple. "..."

This was a key scene.

No, she had to lighten his negative feelings toward this broken temple.

At least not make them too negative.

She held his arm and smiled, "Tingfan, do you remember when we spent the night here? You bought two cakes and gave yours to me."

Song Tingfan had grown accustomed to her occasional touch. After glancing at her, he shifted his gaze, images of the night they spent flashing in his mind.

"Uh-huh."

The closer they got to the village, the colder and more resistant the man’s expression became as if he loathed and resisted being here.

Lin Qiao naturally noticed and somewhat understood. After all, all the bad things started from this village.

She thought poorly of it, gripping his hand subconsciously, talking about the dogs at home, "I wonder if Lai Cai and Jinbao have been causing trouble at home..."

After more than half an hour, the carriage entered the village.

Whenever there was a stir in the village, everyone would come to see. Watching the carriage arrive at Song’s second family, the women whispered among themselves, "Why is Song’s second family back? Were they driven back?"

"Most likely."

...

Lin Qiao could hear their words as long as she wasn’t deaf, rolling her eyes internally. These women had such vivid imaginations; it was a waste they didn’t write scripts.

She couldn’t be bothered with them. Unlocking the door, she entered the courtyard, finding it exactly as it was when they left.

Clean and tidy.

The chives at the corner of the courtyard had grown well, not at all withered by the heat.

Clearly, the Lin Family often visited.

Having lived here for a long time, she still felt a sense of familiarity upon returning.

She glanced at the man beside her, who was taking in the surroundings.

This home had been gone for many years, yet it stood before him now, stirring a little emotion in Song Tingfan’s otherwise indifferent heart.

The home was still there.

After a long while, he finally spoke, "What do you want to eat?"

"I don’t want to eat now. I’ll go sleep for a while," Lin Qiao said, having felt a bit uncomfortable after sitting in the carriage.

She didn’t want to take long journeys again in the future.

It was hot and exhausting.

Hearing this, Song Tingfan nodded. After she went inside to rest, he walked from the kitchen to the outhouse, finally stopping at the door of the room Lin Qiao was sleeping in.

The wooden door was engraved with crooked words, Dad, Mom.

His eyes darkened slightly.

Dad, Mom, look, I can write Dad and Mom now.

Haha, our Niu Niu is so smart, learning secretly and managing to write. In the next semester, we’ll send you to school.

Yay, I’m going to school. Then I’ll write Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, and Brother, so we won’t ever be apart.

Hahaha, once you marry, you won’t care about the family anymore.

Dad, what’s a wife?

A wife is like your mom, someone to cook and do laundry, but you need to learn how to care for your wife and let her do less of these things.

Like Mom? Then I’ll definitely be good to her, making sure she doesn’t do anything.

Well, I never imagined our little Niu Niu being such a man.

I’ve always been a man, a real man. Brother, am I a man?

Yes, yes, you’re a man, more of a man than me.

The mixed laughter seemed to echo right by his ear.

The man closed his eyes, his eye corners faintly twitching, revealing his current emotions.

He walked up the small path from the village entrance to the mountain, finally arriving in front of three graves.

However, as he got closer, he hesitated, appearing slightly fearful.

After a long moment, he slowly walked in, then knelt down on the ground, hoarsely saying, "Dad, Mom, Big Brother, I’m back."

He thought he’d never return again.

All that responded was the chirping of birds in the woods.

As he descended the mountain, someone excitedly called to him, "Tingfan, why are you back?"

A familiar yet distant voice, Song Tingfan looked toward the source, a middle-aged man in gray clothes, his throat suddenly a bit tight, "Uncle."

If there was someone he owed the most, besides Song An, there was no one else.

In the end, he always protected him, making sure he survived.

"Why have you returned? You seem a bit thinner. Haven’t you been eating well?" Song An felt a bit guilty. When they left, he was up the mountain and didn’t see them off.

"Not thinner." Song Tingfan’s gaze settled on him.

Song An chuckled, patting his shoulder, "Good, not thin. Have you eaten? Come eat with me. Did your grandpa and grandma come back too?"

"No, just me and... Qiao’er came back."

"Then call her over to eat. I heard from the Lin Family that she’s expecting, is that true?"

"It is."

"That’s great news. Buy more meat for her, give her some nourishment; Qiao’er is too thin."

"Alright."

Under Song An’s urging, Song Tingfan returned home to call Lin Qiao, who was sound asleep. He stood for a moment, just about to step in when suddenly there was a burst of barking from the yard. The woman on the bed woke up immediately.

Lin Qiao opened her eyes to see the man, looking at her from a downward angle, as if deciding where to start, startling her.

Song Tingfan thought she was scared by the dogs, "It’s okay..."

Before he finished speaking, two dogs rushed in, jubilantly bounding to the bedside. Lin Qiao happily patted their heads, "Only back a short while, and you already know. Such keen noses."

Lai Cai and Jinbao snuggled up to her for a while, then turned to nuzzle against Song Tingfan. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Seeing them eagerly jumping up, Lin Qiao’s mouth twitched, worried for their lives, "Ahem, Lai Cai, Jinbao, come over here."

At the same time, Song Tingfan nudged the two dogs away, not too forcefully, saying sternly, "Out."

Lai Cai and Jinbao, able to read people, bolted out in a flash.

Lin Qiao: "..."

These two dogs were just like her... identical in behavior.