Xie Yucheng noticed she was acting strange, speaking very little during the latter half of the journey.
When they arrived in Jiangcheng, Fang Yue warmly invited both of them to her home for dinner, but he waved his hand and declined.
Before getting out of the car, Fang Yue asked for Xie Yucheng’s address and contact information. Her family kept bees and sometimes needed trucks to transport beehives to distant locations for beekeeping.
Xie Yucheng was, of course, happy to expand his client base, so he gave her Wang Changlin’s office phone number and address.
Just as he was about to start the car and leave, Fang Yue ran out from the courtyard and handed him a jar of honey through the window. “This is honey made by our own bees. It’s really sweet.”
Xie Yucheng himself didn’t care for sweet things. After several attempts to refuse, Fang Yue insisted he take it as a thank-you for the ride.
He glanced in the rearview mirror at Wen Shiqing, who was sleeping, and smiled as he accepted the jar of honey. “Thanks.”
Wen Shiqing had slept the entire afternoon. She hadn’t been tired initially, but the gentle rocking of the car and the pleasant scent on the jacket had inexplicably lulled her to sleep.
When she woke up, it was nearly evening, with streaks of dark red clouds drifting across the sky. The car was parked by a riverside, and Xie Yucheng was nowhere to be seen.
She climbed into the front seat and looked around, spotting what seemed to be a dark figure swimming in the river.
Slowly, she made her way out of the car and saw Xie Yucheng’s clothes draped over a fallen, rotting log by the riverbank. The man was swimming happily in the river, diving underwater and resurfacing elsewhere moments later—no one seemed as carefree as he did.
Wen Shiqing quietly gathered his clothes from the bank and returned to the car with them.
When Xie Yucheng finished bathing in the river and came out, he was wearing nothing but a snug pair of boxer briefs. His clothes had vanished without a trace, and even his towel was gone.
He ran a hand through his wet black hair and muttered under his breath, “Damn it, what the hell?”
After searching the area and finding no sign of his clothes, his sharp eyes caught a trail of footprints on the ground—too small to be his. The footprints were tiny, about the same size as a certain someone’s.
As if suddenly realizing something, he raised an eyebrow and smirked faintly. Striding over to the car, he knocked on the door. “Throw me the towel. Don’t make me beat you up.”
A small hand slowly emerged from the window, but instead of handing him the towel, it tossed it directly onto his head as if in a huff.
“Damn it…” he cursed again, yanking the towel off his head and hastily drying himself off. He pulled the car door open and climbed in.
The cabin instantly filled with the fresh scent of water. Wen Shiqing was curled up on the back bunk, his clothes tucked firmly beneath her.
Xie Yucheng sat in the driver’s seat in his wet underwear, glancing at his own disheveled state before addressing the person in the back. “Give me my clothes.”
“No,” the girl replied, her voice tinged with anger.
Xie Yucheng grinned mischievously and threatened, “Believe me, I’ll throw you out to feed the wolves.”
“Even if you throw me to the wolves, I won’t give them to you. You can stay naked.”
He scoffed and swiftly turned to retrieve his clothes. Noticing the girl lying still, her little tricks couldn’t escape his notice. He reached behind her back to feel for the clothes.
She held them down tightly, refusing to let go.
Still in his damp underwear, which clung uncomfortably to his skin, Xie Yucheng’s dark eyes narrowed sternly. “Get up! Do you have an itch for a beating or something?”
Wen Shiqing stared back at him. “Go ahead and beat me. It’s not like you haven’t done it before.”
Almost instantly, Xie Yucheng understood which incident she was referring to. Back when he was in high school, to showcase his rebelliousness, he deliberately opposed Xie Guoli at every turn—fighting, dating girls, doing everything adults forbade.
There was a girl in his class who had a crush on him. Since both families lived on the same street, Xie Yucheng tacitly allowed her to walk to and from school with him daily.
Once, the girl boldly slipped her hand into his, and he froze but didn’t refuse.
The next day, she tried to ask him out for the weekend, clinging to his arm and whining. Eventually, he pushed her away impatiently and said, “Not this weekend. I have to babysit at home.”
Knowing he had a younger sister, the girl asked, “Are your parents not home?”
“They’re out for something.”
Unexpectedly, the very next day, the girl showed up at his house under the pretense of studying together, bringing a few books with her.
Wen Shiqing was only eleven or twelve at the time, with an exceptionally unruly temperament. Somehow, the girl said something that set her off, and Wen Shiqing proceeded to tear up her homework and books—behaving like a little demon, even worse than her brother.
The girl burst into tears, and Xie Yucheng, convinced that Wen Shiqing had been poorly raised by Yang Ying, decided to teach her a lesson and instill some basic decency.
He pulled her over and delivered several hard slaps to her backside.
Wen Shiqing wailed hysterically. Fearing she might cry herself into a fit, Xie Yucheng eventually apologized by buying her a bag of honey small bread, bringing the matter to a close.
Inside the car, the space was cramped and narrow, every breath audible with startling clarity.
Xie Yucheng issued an ultimatum, “Give me my clothes.”
“No! A lecher like you has no shame—why even bother wearing clothes?” Wen Shiqing’s words were sharp and biting.
A vein throbbed at his temple. “What lecher? How dare you pin such a label on me?”
“You should learn some self-respect. Acting all frivolous, flirting left and right, toying with people’s feelings…”
Her temperament was twisted, unpredictable as the weather. Xie Yucheng had no patience to argue. He reached for the clothes she was lying on, but the girl reacted as if electrified, resisting him with all her limbs.
“Don’t touch me! Don’t! You’re disgusting…” Like a furious kitten, her nails were sharp, leaving several red scratches on his arm instantly.
Xie Yucheng snapped, “Damn it, I just showered! What’s disgusting about me?”
“Everything! Your mind is filthy, and so is your body!”
Being cursed at so inexplicately fueled his anger. In all his years, he hadn’t even kissed a girl, and now he was being called disgusting? He’d never felt so insulted.
He truly had no idea what had set her off this time—stealing his clothes after waking up, cursing him, scratching him… She was more troublesome than a deranged animal.
Why was he stuck with such a creature?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he grew. Resolute, he flipped Wen Shiqing over and landed two firm slaps on her backside.
“Dammit, I never should have spoiled you! If I don’t discipline you, you’ll tear the roof down. How dare you act so wild against your own brother!”
His strikes were fierce, held back not at all. Wen Shiqing’s clothing was thin, and the sting on her skin was immediate. Tears welled in her eyes, and she abruptly grabbed his arm and sank her teeth into it hard.
“Shit!”
Xie Yucheng hadn’t expected such a move. When he pulled his arm back, a clear, red bite mark was visible.
Wen Shiqing glared at him with red-rimmed eyes, seething with anger. Xie Yucheng clenched his jaw, yanked the clothes from beneath her, and leaped out of the car, slamming the door shut with a sharp thud.
After dressing, he slumped dejectedly against the car door. The evening glow had faded, leaving the skyline shrouded in gloom.
The man’s thick brows were deeply furrowed, his prominent nose bridge resembling a mountain ridge. He lowered his gaze to the bite marks on his arm.
Then, he let out a mocking laugh and muttered under his breath, “Damn, bites harder than a dog.”
A moment later, the car door opened, letting in a gust of cool mountain air.
Xie Yucheng glanced at the girl curled up in the back seat, still sobbing softly. He sighed and softened his tone. “There’s no accommodation for over two hundred kilometers around. We’ll have to spend the night in the car.”
Reaching out, he pulled her up. In his line of sight appeared a face tear-streaked like a little kitten’s—hair disheveled, nose and lips flushed red, exuding a fragile kind of beauty.
“What, are you Lin Daiyu?” His large hand wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I must’ve owed you from a past life or something. Stop crying.”
His scent carried the crisp coolness of the mountain breeze, drifting into Wen Shiqing’s senses. She sniffled a few times and gradually quieted her sobs.
“I’m hungry,” she said.