Transmigrated into the Villain's Cannon Fodder Ex-Wife (Transmigrated into a Book) - Chapter 4

Since the kitchen was just a lean-to built next to the main house, and the family lived a simple life, there was no door installed—just a thick curtain to block the wind.

Lin Chu carefully lifted a small corner of the curtain and peeked out, just in time to see a shadowed figure crouched in front of the main house door.

The crescent moon hung in the sky like a hook, but its brightness was startling.

Under the moonlight, Lin Chu could clearly see the gleaming large knife in the person’s hand.

Here for revenge?

Lin Chu swallowed nervously, her heart pounding like a drum, and the hand holding her kitchen knife began to tremble.

She watched as the person slowly slid the knife through the crack of the door, seemingly trying to lift the latch—only to find out that the door wasn’t even locked. The person let out a soft chuckle and quietly pushed the door open, stepping inside without a sound.

Lin Chu had never returned to the main house after coming back to the kitchen earlier, so naturally, no one had locked the door.

Her heart was pounding in her throat, and her legs felt weak as she gripped the kitchen knife, edging closer to the main house.

“Young lady…” A deliberately low, teasing voice came from inside the house.

The lewd tone of that voice made Lin Chu stumble, nearly tripping over the wooden stick left behind from earlier when a water-carrying soldier had tried to mess with Li Shi. She almost fell face-first but managed to catch herself by grabbing onto the wall.

However, the noise alerted the person inside, and the house suddenly fell silent.

Lin Chu’s palms were sweaty, but thankfully her mind was still clear. The fact that the person called her name meant they definitely knew the original owner!

Bringing a knife to a secret rendezvous? Did they also plan to kill Yan Mingge while they were at it?

Oh heavens… That’s the villain even the male lead, with all his plot armor, couldn’t beat in the original story!

If the plot really went this way, she was sure of one thing: Yan Mingge would absolutely crush that faceless scoundrel—and then crush her too!

Lin Chu’s mind was racing, but could she still save herself?

She put the kitchen knife on the ground and grabbed the wooden stick with both hands, her voice trembling as she said,
“Husband, I got up in the night and the wind blew out the light… It’s so dark… I tripped and fell. Could you light the fire in the room?”

Weapons with longer reach have an advantage, and her kitchen knife was clearly no match for that person’s large blade. A heavy stick for knocking someone out seemed like a better choice.

Her words distracted the intruder, hopefully making them hesitant to go after Yan Mingge right away. She prayed that the villain Yan Mingge would realize she was switching sides and spare her life!

Inside the house…

The large blade in Zhao Yuan’s hand was still raised high, but he was frozen in place, not daring to move a muscle. Cold sweat trickled slowly down his temple as his pupils reflected the glint of another blade—a sharp one, pressed dangerously close to his throat.

The chill of the metal and the blade’s lingering stench of blood, soaked in over countless battles, sent a shudder through him, making his entire body tremble like a leaf. Yan Mingge, who had been gravely wounded and unconscious during the day, now sat half-upright on the bed, pressing his blade against Zhao Yuan’s throat. His eyes were filled with an icy ruthlessness that no one dared to meet. He resembled a wild wolf whose territory had been violated, poised to rip the intruder’s throat out at any moment.

“Yan… Yan…” Instinct for survival made Zhao Yuan try to plead for mercy, but sheer terror gripped his throat, rendering him speechless. His legs trembled so violently that he could barely stand.

Yan Mingge’s blade pressed even closer, and Zhao Yuan could feel a shallow cut forming on his throat, the fear silencing him completely.

Zhao Yuan’s elder brother had stolen Yan Mingge’s military merit by relying on the fact that his younger sister was a general’s concubine. Yan Mingge was known for his fierce revenge; if they didn’t take this chance to kill him while he was gravely injured, they’d be living in constant fear from then on.

Besides, Zhao Yuan had long lusted after Lin Chu. There wasn’t another beauty like her in the entire borderland. If he killed Yan Mingge, the beauty would naturally be his!

But he had never imagined that even with Yan Mingge gravely injured, he still couldn’t defeat him!

Inside the house, there was no response. Lin Chu, worried the intruder would harm Yan Mingge, grew anxious.

Though Yan Mingge was badly injured, his martial skills were still intact. As long as he was awake, it wouldn’t be easy for the intruder to succeed. So, she continued to cry out, hoping to wake him up.

“Husband, are you asleep?”

Hearing her cries from outside, Yan Mingge frowned slightly. With a quick, precise movement, he struck Zhao Yuan’s arms with the back of his blade. Both of Zhao Yuan’s arms immediately dislocated, hanging limply at his sides. His large knife fell to the ground with a loud clang.

Seizing the moment, Zhao Yuan bolted toward the door.

Narrowing his eyes, Yan Mingge watched Zhao Yuan’s panicked retreat. His dagger was already aimed, ready to kill him from within a hundred steps. But, for some reason, a cold, ruthless smile tugged at his lips as he sheathed his blade instead.

Lin Chu heard the sound of the knife dropping inside the house, and her heart skipped a beat. Just as she saw a shadow dash out like someone fleeing for their life, she swung her large wooden stick at the figure.

Thwack! In the pitch-dark, she wasn’t sure exactly where she hit, but the sharp sound suggested it landed on his forehead.

“You…” The man, caught off guard, stumbled a few steps but didn’t fall.
Lin Chu was utterly terrified. She swung the wooden stick at the intruder again, but he dodged it. In a panic, she dropped the stick, grabbed the kitchen knife from the ground, and hurled it at him, screaming at the top of her lungs,
“Husband—Husband—!”

“Help! Murder!” she cried out desperately.

Zhao Yuan was already scared out of his wits by Yan Mingge, and Lin Chu’s earlier blow had left him dizzy. Knowing things had gone terribly wrong, all he wanted was to escape. But just as he tried to flee, Lin Chu threw the kitchen knife, and it struck him on the shoulder.

“You wretched woman!” The pain snapped him into brief clarity, and with a vicious expression, he staggered toward her.

With nothing nearby to defend herself, Lin Chu was paralyzed with fear, pushing herself backward with her hands as she tried to retreat.

The man was almost upon her when, suddenly, he let out a scream of pain. It seemed as though some hidden weapon had struck him, and he collapsed to the ground, clutching his leg in agony.

By now, the light from the neighbor’s house had flickered on.

Lin Chu scrambled to her feet, rushing to pick up her knife again.

The intruder, now wounded and realizing he couldn’t stay any longer, limped away, dragging his injured leg.

The neighbor’s door opened, and the uncle and aunt next door emerged, one holding an iron rake and the other carrying a lantern. Only then did Lin Chu finally collapse to the ground, breathing heavily. Her entire body was drenched in sweat, as if she had just been pulled out of water.

“Mrs. Yan, what’s going on?” Aunt Song asked, wearing a thick coat, clearly having just gotten out of bed.

Though Aunt Song hadn’t liked Lin Chu much before, she knew that with Yan Mingge gravely injured, someone had to take care of him. As neighbors who often saw each other, they couldn’t just ignore Lin Chu’s heart-wrenching cries in the middle of the night.

“Silver… they tried to steal silver…” Lin Chu’s remaining sense barely allowed her to come up with a plausible lie.

She didn’t know the intruder’s true intentions, but this explanation seemed to fit best.

After all, outlaws were common in the borderlands, and it wasn’t exactly a secret that Yan Mingge had received a reward but was now bedridden. It made sense.

Aunt Song immediately cursed,
“Those scoundrels, even robbing life-saving money!”

“Is Brother Yan all right?” Uncle Song asked, his voice heavy with concern.

Lin Chu, still in shock, stumbled as she rushed toward the house.
“Husband… husband…”

“Hey, Mrs. Yan, slow down…” Aunt Song followed her with the lantern, her earlier dislike of Lin Chu softening at the sight of her frantic state. A bit of sympathy crept into her heart.

Lin Chu’s legs were still weak, and before she even reached the bed, her knees buckled, causing her to collapse at the bedside.

With all the commotion, it was impossible for Yan Mingge not to have woken up.

Under the dim light of Aunt Song’s lantern, Lin Chu could make out Yan Mingge’s eyes—black as ink, cold as ice.

She should have feared him, but the terror from earlier still hadn’t faded, and all of her pent-up fear and frustration suddenly burst out at once. Choking on her sobs, she called out, “Husband,” before throwing herself onto him and bursting into uncontrollable tears.

This time, the tears were genuine. Lin Chu felt like she had never experienced so many shocks in her life as she had today.

Even after crying until her voice grew hoarse, she couldn’t stop.

Seeing how pitiful Lin Chu looked, Aunt Song tried to comfort her,

“Come now, Mrs. Yan, don’t cry. It’s just some money. Money is just a material thing—as long as everyone’s safe, that’s what matters.”

Lin Chu shook her head wildly, still too choked up to speak.
Uncle Song frowned as he looked at the bandages wrapped around Yan Mingge.

“Brother Yan is in a tough spot now. If you ever need money for medicine, don’t hesitate to borrow from us. We don’t have much, but we can help with the cost of the herbs.”

“Thank you, Brother Song.”

Because Lin Chu had collapsed onto Yan Mingge, crying her heart out, her head resting on his chest, his voice echoed through his chest when he spoke, and she could hear the vibrations clearly. It gave her a strange, indescribable feeling.

“Alright, it’s already the middle of the night. You two should rest. Whatever needs to be dealt with can wait until tomorrow.” Aunt Song lit the oil lamp in the room before pulling Uncle Song away, heading outside.

When Lin Chu heard the door close, the brief calm she had found disappeared, and her nerves tightened again. Her sobbing gradually quieted.

She felt a hand rest on her head, just gently placed there, unmoving.

The hairs on the back of Lin Chu’s neck stood on end. She had no doubt that if the owner of that hand wanted to, her head could be twisted in the blink of an eye.

“Finished crying?” he asked, his voice low and clear, but without any discernible emotion.

Lin Chu sniffled and tried to lift her head, but his hand pressed down slightly, preventing her from doing so. She didn’t dare challenge him.

However, knowing that he was still injured, she didn’t want to put her full weight on his chest, so she awkwardly tilted her head, holding an uncomfortable position.

He seemed to notice this and suddenly let go of her. Lin Chu quickly sat up.

When she saw the red stain on his bandages, she was terrified. Her earlier panic had made her collapse onto him and cry uncontrollably, causing his wound to start bleeding again.

No way… Was she really that heavy?

“I… I’ll redo the bandages!” Lin Chu stammered, on the verge of tears again.

Oh dear, what kind of nightmare was this night turning into?

She felt like she was moments away from being reduced to nothing.

But when she reached out to undo his bandages, Yan Mingge blocked her hand.

“No need,” he said. Despite lying down, the intensity of his gaze was overwhelming.

Lin Chu awkwardly withdrew her hand, but then he asked,

“Do you know Zhao Yuan?”

Zhao Yuan?

The officer who brought supplies during the day—wasn’t his name Zhao Yuan? Could it be that the man from earlier was him?

Lin Chu’s eyes reddened with genuine fear. She choked up,

“Earlier today, an officer came to deliver rice, and he had a dispute with Brother Yuan and his men. They mentioned that the officer’s surname was Zhao.”

*Husband, please believe me! I didn’t betray you!*

Lin Chu’s heart was filled with dread. She could only hope that the original Lin Chu hadn’t gotten involved with this Zhao character. Or if she had, please don’t let her husband, the dangerous Yan Mingge, find out! She still wanted to live to see tomorrow’s sunrise…

Yan Mingge cast a half-smile at her.

“You’re quite clever, aren’t you?” he remarked, his tone carrying an unsettling weight.

Lin Chu knew he was referring to her quick thinking, bringing up Brother Yuan and the others to clear her name of any connection with Zhao Yuan.

Feigning ignorance, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

“Husband, I was young and foolish before, but these past few days since we got married, I’ve had a change of heart. I truly want to live a good life with you.”

His slightly upturned phoenix eyes narrowed, revealing the most enchanting part of his gaze. Slowly, he asked,
“Weren’t you afraid tonight?”

At the mention of the earlier ordeal, Lin Chu’s tears returned, her voice raspy from crying so long.
“I was terrified… but I was more scared that someone had come to seek revenge against you!”

Yan Mingge raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by her answer.

Lin Chu was just trying to take the opportunity to earn some favor. But after blurting out such a line, she had no idea how to end it gracefully, so she just kept sobbing and sniffling.

Hopefully, she wouldn’t cry herself blind, she thought, mentally lighting a candle for herself.

“Stop crying,” he said. Upon closer listening, his voice seemed to have softened a little.

Lin Chu wiped her tears and nodded.
“I’ll re-bandage your wound, husband.”

Surprisingly, this time Yan Mingge simply agreed and even told her where the bandages were—in the cabinet.

His sudden change in attitude made Lin Chu feel like she was dreaming.

After all, in the original novel, this villain was notorious for his terrible temper, like an unreachable and moody flower on a high peak!

Maybe he was still in the process of becoming that villain, so his temper hadn’t fully developed yet.

As she looked at Yan Mingge, his body wrapped in bandages, his bare chest revealing his tempting eight-pack abs… Lin Chu rubbed her hands together and then her face, suddenly unsure where to begin.

Er, I mean, where to start.

“What’s wrong?” Seeing her hesitation, Yan Mingge raised an eyebrow in confusion. His lips, pale from blood loss, pressed together in a restrained way. His body, wrapped in white bandages, exuded a certain cold allure… a temptation that was almost maddening.