The early morning sunlight filtered gently through the trees, dappling the courtyard with mottled patterns. The air was moist and fresh.
After getting up, Wen Shiqing held a piece of sponge cake in her mouth, let the chick San San out, ate a few bites herself, then broke the remaining cake into crumbs to feed the chick.
San San pecked at the crumbs on the ground with her small pointed beak, shaking her head and wagging her tail as she ate with relish.
Wen Shiqing brewed a bowl of malt extract and set it aside to cool, then grabbed a piece of honey small bread to eat. When she came out of the house, she noticed San San had unexpectedly disappeared.
She stuffed the entire piece of bread into her mouth at once and hurriedly went to search, calling out, “San San, San San, where have you run off to?”
Worried the chick might have wandered outside the courtyard, she anxiously rushed toward the gate and abruptly collided with a firm, muscular wall.
Dazed from the impact, she looked up and froze at the sight of that handsome face. She quickly chewed and swallowed the bread in her mouth.
“Brother, why are you back?”
Xie Yucheng rubbed his chest where she had bumped him, then lightly tapped her head with his knuckles, scolding, “What are you doing?”
“I’m looking for San San. San San is missing.”
Xie Yucheng pointed behind her, where a soft, adorable chick strutted out proudly from who knows where.
“Are your eyes on the soles of your feet?” His thick brows were stern, exuding a cold, imposing arrogance.
The girl picked up the chick, let out a soft hum, and murmured in a low, gentle Suzhou dialect, “Thirteen o’clock.”
Knowing she was cursing him in her hometown dialect again, yet she deliberately affected a tone, like a feather tickling the man’s chest, sending a faint itch spreading from his heart throughout his body.
He suddenly pinched her chin, forcing her to look up at him, and leaned in abruptly. Just as Wen Shiqing stared in shock, Xie Yucheng used his thumb to gently wipe away a bread crumb from the corner of her mouth.
The girl’s lips were soft and pale red, like fresh, tempting cherries hanging from a branch.
Xie Yucheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. He lowered his hand, his thin lips curling into a mocking smile. “Even eating bread, you get it all over your mouth. You’re as dumb as your chicken!”
He strode into the house and asked, “Where are they?”
Feeling utterly embarrassed, Wen Shiqing quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand to prevent any more crumbs.
“Uncle Xie and my mom left early in the morning.”
Xie Yucheng understood and glanced at her. “No date?”
“What date?”
“With your little boyfriend.”
The girl stammered, “He, he, he’s been quite busy lately.”
The man raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing, walking to his room to pack his things.
Wen Shiqing leaned against the doorframe, watching him. “Brother, are you going on a long trip?”
“Mm.” He pulled some clothes from the wardrobe and haphazardly stuffed them into his bag.
Wen Shiqing’s eyes instantly lit up. Excitedly, she planted herself in front of him. “Brother, are you going on a long-distance drive? Can you take me along?”
The man pressed a finger to her forehead and pushed her away, coldly uttering his refusal: “No!”
The light in Shi Qing’s eyes dimmed. She softly uttered an “Oh,” and her dejected tone drifted into Xie Yucheng’s ears.
Actually, Xie Yucheng had taken her out once before. Back then, Wen Shiqing was 14, and Xie Yucheng was on a short trip, his truck fully loaded with cooking oil, rice, and flour to be delivered to a neighboring city.
Before Xie Yucheng left, Wen Shiqing had clung to his leg like bubble gum, refusing to let go, insisting on going with him. Yang Ying happened to be away at the time, having returned to her hometown to visit her mother.
Xie Guoli waved his hand and said, “The factory doesn’t handle this either. Just take her with you, take your little sister out for a trip.”
Xie Yucheng had no choice but to accept the task with a cold expression.
Throughout the journey, Wen Shiqing was as excited as a fledgling bird suddenly leaving its nest, rushing toward the new world outside. She rolled down the car window and stretched her hand out, feeling the wind brush against her skin.
During the two-day, one-night short trip, she chattered incessantly, but Xie Yucheng didn’t find it annoying.
Snapping back to the present, the man finished packing his clothes and glanced at Wen Shiqing, who was still leaning against the doorframe.
The girl had slender limbs, wearing a beige sleeveless top and loose navy-blue pants. She shuffled around the house in slippers, her pink toes peeking out.
Her head was slightly lowered, her long, thick lashes curled like a fan. Her fair index fingers twisted together in circles, and her right foot swayed idly. She seemed lost in thought, looking pitiful and aggrieved.
Xie Yucheng gave a low cough. She looked up and met his gaze, her red lips parting slightly as if to say something, but no words came out. Pouting, she lowered her head again.
At some point, perhaps in the last year or two, she had stopped throwing tantrums and clinging to his leg like she did as a child. Instead, she would look at him with that pitiful expression, her large eyes shimmering as if on the verge of tears.
Xie Yucheng sighed. “Go pack your clothes. This trip will be longer.”
The girl across from him widened her eyes in disbelief. He added in a harsh tone, “If you dare cause any trouble, I’ll sell you off to some remote mountain village, and you’ll never see your mother again.”
Wen Shiqing immediately bounced with excitement, a wide smile spreading across her face. She ran over, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around his neck, hopping joyfully on the spot. “Brother, you’re the best!”
She even wanted to plant a kiss on his handsome face but didn’t dare.
Xie Yucheng calmly pushed her away, his expression cold. “No more nonsense. You have ten minutes.”
After she left, he let out a long breath, resting his hands on his hips and massaging his temples as if he wanted to slap himself.
Why had he agreed?
Wen Shiqing dashed back to her room and quickly packed a few sets of clothes, shoes, and socks. She was afraid that if she delayed even a few minutes, Xie Yucheng would change his mind.
Summer clothes were lightweight and didn’t take up much space—a small handbag was enough to hold everything.
“Brother, I’m all packed!” In less than ten minutes, she stood panting at his door, fine beads of sweat on her forehead.
Xie Yucheng lazily glanced at her, raising an eyebrow. “That fast?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Wen Shiqing packed the remaining pastries and dropped San San off at the neighbor’s house to be looked after.
After locking the front door, Xie Yucheng slung his backpack over his shoulder, swung a leg over the motorcycle, and tilted his chin toward Wen Shiqing with a confident, roguish charm. “Get on.”
Wen Shiqing climbed onto the back seat, carefully wrapping her arms around his lean waist and resting her head against his back. “Brother, I’m ready.”
Xie Yucheng glanced down at the pale arms encircling his abdomen, the corners of his lips quirking up slightly.
He twisted the throttle, and the motorcycle shot forward. The arms around him tightened their grip.
The girl’s soft chest pressed against his back, her body warmth seeping through their thin summer clothes. Xie Yucheng stiffened, feeling for the first time that riding a motorcycle could be so unbearable.
The man was tall and broad-shouldered, with a physique that exuded a strong sense of security. Every muscle was not overly bulging but rather lean and powerful. The fresh scent of a winter forest, tinged with the slight bitterness of tobacco, enveloped Wen Shiqing.
She rested her head against his back, her eyes curved into a smile as if filled with honey, sweet enough to overflow.