Chapter 131: Then Let Them Be Bound Together Forever

Lin Xiaodou decided to play the good Samaritan for once.

Since Zhu Qingqing was so inseparable from Xu Mo, she would simply ensure they were bound together for good.

Just then, the supervisor came looking for them: "Dr. Lin, have you seen that kid, Xu Mo? He’s been missing for half the day, and Big Foolish Niu has been left to haul all the pig manure by himself."

Lin Xiaodou replied, "I saw him. Zhu Qingqing went to have a talk with him; you might want to look that way." She pointed in a certain direction.

"Alright, I'll go check." The supervisor nodded and headed off.

Sister Chen looked worried. "Little Dou, won't this cause trouble?"

Lin Xiaodou curled her lips. "What kind of trouble? Those two are so high-profile that they would be discovered sooner or later anyway; I’m just giving them a nudge."

According to the synopsis, the protagonists initially kept their relationship private, unknown to others. Later, the heroine became so fiercely protective of the hero that suspicion grew, until her family inadvertently discovered the affair and immediately intervened. The heroine refused to yield, and through her persistence, she even had her family pull strings to get the hero transferred from the pig farm to a nearby village as an educated youth. She then immediately quit her job as a veterinary apprentice to follow him. Her family found this behavior impossible to accept. That was why the synopsis mentioned they endured "hardships," which, in the early stages, mostly stemmed from her family's interference.

According to the timeline, their relationship wasn't supposed to be exposed for at least another six months. By then, their feelings would have been solid, immovable by any storm. But now... Hah, it had only been a few days. It was just a temporary dopamine-fueled infatuation. If real difficulties were to arise, Zhu Qingqing might be the type to cling to romance without backing down, but the hero—that manipulative, "green tea" schemer—was another story. She was looking forward to seeing how far this would go.

Hearing this, Sister Chen wanted to say something but hesitated, ultimately choosing to stay silent.

Forget it, it was none of her business. Zhu Qingqing was so spoiled and self-willed that even her own good temper was wearing thin. Lin Xiaodou had her reasons, so she would just sit back and watch the show.

Not long after, the supervisor ran back, looking awkward.

Lin Xiaodou feigned ignorance. "Supervisor, why the look? Didn't you find them?"

"I found them..." the supervisor said sheepishly. "It's just that I saw something I shouldn't have, and I don't know how to tell you, Dr. Lin."

Lin Xiaodou replied, "It's okay, just say it. We're all familiar with each other here."

The supervisor coughed into his fist. "Ahem... I saw... Dr. Zhu and that kid Xu Mo holding hands. Do you think those two are dating?"

Lin Xiaodou felt a flash of disappointment. So, they were only holding hands? This Zhu Qingqing was underwhelming; why not a hug or a passionate kiss? That would have been much more explosive.

"I suppose they are," Lin Xiaodou said. "Zhu Qingqing has been seeing Xu Mo in private quite often lately; I’ve seen it myself."

A gleam of gossip lit up the supervisor's eyes. Good heavens, a promising veterinary apprentice dating a convict—it was unheard of. If this news spread, it would surely become a laughingstock. The supervisor was rigorous at work, but he couldn't help being a gossip. Within half a day, the news about Zhu Qingqing and Xu Mo had spread throughout the area under Lin Xiaodou's charge.

Rumors traveled fast. By the next evening, the news had fermented until the entire pig farm knew.

For the past two days, Zhu Qingqing had been busy looking for opportunities to see Xu Mo, paying no attention to outside information. It wasn't until Director Hu approached her that she realized her affair with Xu Mo had been exposed.

"Qingqing," Director Hu said, "why are you dating a convict? If your parents find out, they’ll be worried sick."

Zhu Qingqing looked defiant. "Director Hu, Xu Mo is a wonderful person. He was framed by villains, which is why he was sent here. He is innocent!"

"Whether he is innocent or not is not my concern," Director Hu replied. "But your father entrusted you to me. Now that this has happened, how am I supposed to answer to him?"

Zhu Qingqing pouted. "Director Hu, Xu Mo and I are truly in love. I believe my father will understand."

"Your family protected you too well. Do you really not know what being a convict means?" Director Hu rubbed his temples, trying to explain. "Only those who have committed crimes or grave mistakes are sent to the farm for reform. These people are notorious; everyone avoids them like the plague. You, on the other hand, are throwing yourself at him. What are you thinking? Do you not care about your reputation at all?!"

If she were his daughter, he would have slapped some sense into her already. He didn't have the patience for reasoning.

Zhu Qingqing puffed out her chest, stubborn as ever. "Director Hu, there's no need to persuade me. I have thought this through. True love is priceless. I don't care about reputation; I only want love." She wasn't from this era, so why should she care about reputation? You couldn't eat reputation for dinner.

Hearing this, Director Hu nearly choked. Was this even human talk? What did she mean, she didn't care about reputation? In this day and age, getting involved with a convict was nothing but trouble. Not only would her family be affected, but she would also find it difficult to get married. The Zhu family had another daughter, Zhu Damei, after all. At the end of the day, she was just being selfish, completely disregarding the lives of her family!

"Fine, fine. If you won't listen, there's nothing I can do. Suit yourself." Director Hu was speechless. The girl was so thick-headed that he was at his wit's end. Tomorrow, he would call her father over and let him deal with his own daughter; he was done with it.

Seeing Director Hu's impatience, Zhu Qingqing felt a sudden pang of panic. For some reason, she felt that things shouldn't be unfolding this way. But since it had come to this, she would just have to take it one step at a time.

When she returned to her quarters, she noticed the looks everyone gave her were filled with unspoken judgment. Zhu Qingqing pouted, feeling unhappy. She was just dating someone—why make it seem like such a big deal? Hmph, these people were poisoned by the rules of this era, completely devoid of independent thought. How truly pathetic and sad.