FDNL CH 16

Chapter 16

You’ll never believe why I moved to… Pakistan
First Arrival in Another World 016, Agreement (Part 1)

At night, the courtyard was cool, but unlike the refreshing night air, the interior of the house felt oppressive.

Su Lianyi entered the room and casually picked up the kettle by the door. Lianyi didn’t know what this thing was called—porcelain, double-layered, square at the bottom with a round lid—she guessed it was some kind of container for keeping water warm, like a modern thermos.

Inside was hot water, freshly boiled by her.

The man sat upright at the table, eyes straight ahead, thick brows slightly furrowed, thin lips pressed together, exuding a sense of danger, like a wrathful Buddha.

Lianyi pinched some tea leaves into the teapot and poured in the scalding water she had brought. Soon, the aroma of tea spread, breaking through the oppressive atmosphere.

“Drink tea,” she said, handing him the tea bowl.

The man looked at the steaming tea, then glanced at Su Lianyi holding the teapot, and his thin lips curled slightly. “No need for such pointless precautions. If I wanted to kill you, do you really think this hot water could stop me?”

Lianyi’s heart tightened sharply. As expected, this man was not simple—he had immediately seen through her intentions.

She hadn’t brought the hot water casually; it was deliberate. She had chosen the spot nearest the door so that if negotiations went badly, she could throw the hot water at him and buy time to run to the street for help.

She remembered that when she had hit the man with a wooden stick before, the stick broke, yet he hadn’t moved an inch, showing how vast the gap in strength was between them. Best not to challenge him directly.

This man most feared being exposed. He had lowered himself here to remain hidden. If his identity were revealed, his plans would likely fail. The villagers of the Su family would become alert, and a second attempt would be far more difficult.

Although she understood this, Lianyi didn’t reveal her thoughts. At this moment, verbal sparring would be foolish. Since the man had spoken directly, things had not yet turned to the worst.

She poured herself a cup of tea and leisurely sat down across from him.

“You are not Su Lianyi, yet you are a smart person,” the man said, lifting his eyes to look straight into hers; his gaze was dark and profound.

Lianyi nodded. “You’re not a fool either, Da Hu, but I think you’re straightforward. Dealing with smart people is more pleasant. Tell me, what exactly is your identity?”

The man hadn’t expected her to remain unshaken and composed. Intrigued, his eyes narrowed slightly. “Those who know my identity must die. Only the dead make me feel at ease. Do you still want to know who I am?”

Lianyi shook her head honestly. “I’m not overly curious. I only asked casually.”

The man smiled. “You really value your life.”

“Who doesn’t value their life? If you didn’t, why become the husband of a female hooligan?” she retorted sarcastically.

He seemed slightly angered by this, his voice rising. “I am not one who clings to life out of fear. My caution is deliberate.”

“Mm, understood.” Lianyi thought, If you’re cautious, why not others? Is everyone else in the world stupid except you? She didn’t say it aloud—she disliked pointless remarks.

“Then who are you?” he asked.

Lianyi let out a soft laugh. Despite his coldness and severity, he seemed a bit childish upon closer thought. “You won’t tell me your identity, so why should I tell you mine? Let’s cooperate.” She said this, her gaze expectant.

This man was upright and unpolished; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been angered by her remark about “valuing life.” He most hated being accused of cowardice. Combined with his aura of severity, wasn’t he clearly a soldier? Of course, this was only speculation.

There’s an old saying in the West: curiosity killed the cat. Even cats with nine lives die from curiosity—let alone fragile humans.

As long as she achieved her goal, she didn’t care who he was or whether he was good or evil.

Working with someone unknown was risky but shortcut-worthy. She was an adventurer at heart; compared to smooth detours, she preferred rugged shortcuts.

“Cooperate?” the man was momentarily stunned, feeling his initiative being stolen by this seemingly naive woman.

“Yes, cooperate.” Lianyi nodded. “You came to confront me, didn’t you? Isn’t your purpose also cooperation?” It made sense—his plans were critical, leaving no room for error. Hence his careful testing of her.

It was like medical treatment: the more dangerous the condition, the more radical the approach; mild conditions could be treated conservatively.

“I just want you to know who you are and why you came to Su Family Village,” he said, his muscles tense, no longer calm, controlling his uneven breathing.

Lianyi sensed the murderous aura but knew he wouldn’t kill her unless absolutely necessary. Killing her would ruin the carefully maintained protective illusion.

“I really am Su Lianyi. After being knocked unconscious by Li Jia’s maid Cui’er, I lost my memory and my personality changed. You can verify this with Li Jia or Uncle Ma. Also,” she paused, looking him in the eyes, “I don’t know who you are or what you plan to do, but as long as you don’t start killing here, I won’t interfere.”

“Why should I believe you?” he ground out through his teeth.

Lianyi thought for a moment and smiled. “You have no choice but to trust me.” It was the truth.

“What about your medical skills? Did that hooligan Su Lianyi know medicine?”

Patiently, she explained, “Da Hu… if that’s really your name, aren’t you putting the cart before the horse? Who I am is irrelevant. Even the original Su Lianyi might not have been useful to your plan. But someone cooperating with you would be far more helpful, right? Consider that.”

“You say cooperate—what’s your goal?” he asked.

Lianyi smiled knowingly, waiting for this. “Once your plan succeeds, take me out of Su Family Village. Of course, a sum of money would be nice.” These were lies. According to her plan, she needed to learn about this world and find a way to survive before he completed his plan—escape was the real goal.

Could he really take her away once his plan succeeded? Ridiculous. Normally, for appearances’ sake, her fate would be death! Saying this now was just to lull him.

Did he believe her? Naturally not. Did he trust her? Certainly not.

But he had no choice. As Lianyi guessed, killing her now would destroy the perfect disguise. That was why, previously, he had endured her provocations in public without retaliation.

“Fine, we’ll cooperate,” the man said.

“Courageous,” Lianyi complimented.

“From now on, we don’t interfere with each other. Any hint of trouble from you, and I’ll kill you,” he said, gripping the tea bowl. The muscles in his arm tensed, and the cup shattered with a snap.

Lianyi shivered as she looked at the broken tea cup. Crushing a raw egg takes great strength, let alone this thick porcelain cup. What had people eaten to grow such power?

“Alright, if I misspeak, you can kill me. But since you live in my house and want me to cover for you, shouldn’t there be some obligations?” After the major matters, Lianyi decided to negotiate minor details.

“Mm, you speak,” he nodded, suddenly curious to see what this clever, plump woman wanted him to do.

Her fair, chubby hands stretched out. “First, daily expenses.”

The man was momentarily stunned. Daily expenses?

Lianyi raised an eyebrow, frustrated by the futility of skill without resources. “Don’t play dumb. Daily expenses mean money—living costs, silver, copper coins, anything to buy food and supplies.” This man carried himself with an air of dignity, clearly not a villager. Whether fleeing or on business, he must have money.