The girl suddenly leaned close to his face, and a faint scent of roses instantly filled his nose.
Lu Yunyang paused for a moment, glancing at her.
The faint bruise on her neck had not yet faded, and her fair skin, illuminated by sunlight, shone like a piece of fine unpolished jade, dazzling him so much that he could hardly keep his eyes open.
He hurriedly released his hand, leaned back to create distance, and fixed his dark eyes on her, his voice cold and precise: “Sit properly. I can check myself.”
His stern demeanor was intimidating. Yutao let out a low hum and slowly straightened her posture, frowning, wanting to speak but hesitating as she gave him a reproachful glance: “My chest hurts a lot too… I don’t know if it’s because of yesterday…”
“Hm?” Lu Yunyang’s handsome brows furrowed.
Yutao lowered her eyes slightly, her words tinged with embarrassment: “Was it that you… pressed too hard on me yesterday?”
Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying an inexplicable hint of intimacy.
For some reason, Lu Yunyang couldn’t help but recall the scene of giving her CPR yesterday. The steps were entirely normal for saving a life, yet her description made it feel as if he had been acting inappropriately.
His jaw tightened, but he quickly regained composure: “Your neck and chest are fine. My medical skills aren’t so poor that I can’t tell that.”
“Doctor Lu, that’s not what I mean.” The girl’s face paled slightly at his words, looking flustered as if he had misunderstood her. “I just thought it would be more reassuring if you touched and checked properly…”
The man raised his brow slightly, silently observing her, making no move.
Receiving no immediate response, Yutao furrowed her brows and locked her gaze on him, her eyes blazing: “Doctor Lu, they say doctors don’t mind male or female patients. Are you unwilling or afraid to check me again?”
Sitting there, her long dress spread around her, she spoke confidently yet her delicate face betrayed more grievance than before.
The man’s expression finally softened a little. He looked at her steadily and said, “Your pulse is steady. If you’re still worried, you can go to the County Hospital for an X-ray.”
Then he suddenly rose. “I’ll get some cooling ointment for you, rub it on if you feel dizzy.”
Though his expression and tone were cold, Yutao noticed her ears seemed slightly red when he said it.
She smirked, crossing her arms as she watched him leave.
His tall, straight back, the curve of his hips, long legs, every step showing taut muscles—his strong body seemed even more captivating than the men she had seen in the demon realm…
Truly, a man like jade—one glance and a lifetime could be affected.
She wondered what such a man’s room would be like.
Thinking this, Yutao wanted to follow.
Soon, the man returned from the room. Yutao quickly reined in her smile, her eyes tinged with concern as she called out, “Doctor Lu, I really don’t need…”
Before she could finish, he frowned and handed her a small box, keeping his eyes on the top of her head. “Don’t use this on wounds or eyes.”
Then he turned to leave.
Yutao hurriedly called after him: “Doctor Lu, you haven’t told me how much I need to pay!”
Lu Yunyang paused briefly but did not look back. “It’s a gift.”
“How can that be?” Yutao quickly followed, her gaze soft yet determined. She took the money she had prepared from her waist pocket and pressed it into his palm. “Yesterday you saved me, gave me ointment, and now this cooling ointment—you can’t let me take advantage of you again.”
Before he could react, she placed the money in his hand, a hint of embarrassment in her expression. “Doctor Lu, any bias I had against you before was my fault. I also handled the matter of breaking off the engagement poorly, causing you trouble. I hope you’re not angry with me.”
Though she spoke this way, her actions showed no shame; her fingertips brushed lightly across his palm, soft and featherlike.
Lu Yunyang’s fingers tightened abruptly around hers, and he glanced down at the money.
It wasn’t much—probably less than fifty cents.
His expression remained calm, but his tone was colder than before. “I’ll take the money. I don’t get angry over such small things. But you—don’t dwell on unnecessary thoughts.”
“If you feel dizzy, you should lie down. Don’t wait until even the cooling ointment won’t help.”
“…”
When Yutao left the Lu Family residence, she was not intimidated by the man’s implicit dismissal. Her expression brightened instead.
Her first encounter had gone well. She sensed that he did not dislike her as much as she had imagined. Thinking this, her smile deepened, and she began to look forward to their next meeting.
Meanwhile, Xu Wencai, who had waited at the Su Family in vain, was on his way back to the Educated Youth Site when he saw the girl ahead. Her eyes sparkled with joy, her happiness evident.
He knew what had happened the previous night, and many details had been explained to him by Wanzhen later.
Su Yutao wanted to break off the engagement. Wanzhen’s persuasion failed, and in a moment of impulse, she mentioned a way to propose, not expecting Yutao to take it seriously.
In Xu Wencai’s memory, Su Yutao and Wanzhen were particularly close; they often visited the Educated Youth Site to interact with others, so he was familiar with her.
But now, he had no idea what had prompted Yutao to suddenly treat Wanzhen so harshly, placing her in the center of public scrutiny.
Wanzhen was suffering, and the party secretary wanted to revoke her model student status, yet the culprit in front of him was still smiling so happily?
Xu Wencai looked at her with slight disdain—not only because of Wanzhen’s situation but because Wanzhen had just told him one thing—
Su Yutao liked him.
Because of this, Wanzhen wanted him to mediate, explaining to Su Yutao that last night was just a misunderstanding.
For some reason, learning that Yutao liked him intensified his sense of annoyance, but for Wanzhen’s sake, he forced himself to approach.
Suddenly, a shadow blocked Yutao’s path. She nearly bumped into it. Looking up, she saw a familiar face, though she couldn’t recall exactly who it was.
Since she recognized him here, he had to be someone from the same village. She nodded politely, then bypassed him and continued walking.
Xu Wencai froze, feeling ignored. Clearing his throat, he said, “Yutao, I want to discuss Wanzhen with you today. Is that convenient?”
Hearing Wanzhen’s name, Yutao’s anxiety spiked. She replied without looking back, “I’m busy. Not convenient.”
Xu Wencai was surprised; her reaction was unlike the previous Su Yutao, especially toward someone she liked.
“This matter is important,” he followed, step by step. “You should listen to me.”
Yutao had initially planned to dismiss him as inconsequential, but some people were shamelessly persistent.
“Who are you?” she turned, eyes sharp, voice impatient. “What do you have to do with me and her?”
Such a cold response was not expected, feeling almost like deliberate humiliation.
But the matter was urgent, so he did not argue with a girl. “I’m Xu Wencai, Educated Youth Xu!”
The name sounded familiar. Yutao took a moment and realized he was the original story’s male protagonist.
Her eyes lit up as she scrutinized this man—the one for whom the original owner gave up Lu Yunyang and self-destructed.
Compared to Lu Yunyang’s vigor, this man seemed weaker. His features were delicate, lips thin and indifferent, glasses on his face, his posture straight like a teacher.
Other than being delicate, he wasn’t particularly attractive.
Shorter than Lu Yunyang, uninteresting!
Yutao had no intention of wasting time on him. She gave a disdainful “oh” and turned to leave.
In this short time, Xu Wencai had been coldly dismissed twice, deeply feeling scorned, yet for Wanzhen’s sake, he endured.
He followed her again, speaking bluntly: “I heard about last night. I believe Wanzhen is not that kind of person. Can you sit down and talk it through?”
Yutao snorted softly, finding him naive, and a sudden interest arose.
“You never thought that Wanzhen might have someone else in her heart?” she asked leisurely, smiling.
Her irrelevant reply left Xu Wencai momentarily stunned, and then slightly irritated. “Su Yutao, don’t digress. I’m talking to you seriously about Wanzhen.”
“I am talking to you about Wanzhen.” Yutao scrutinized him with a mock warning in her eyes. “We grew up together. I know her better than anyone. If I say she has someone else in her heart, would you believe it?”
He knew she was sowing discord, yet under her gaze, he appeared slightly uneasy. “I don’t believe it!”
Not wanting to argue, he returned to his previous point: “You and Wanzhen grew up together. Your temper is bad. She has always been considerate toward you. How could she deliberately wish you dead?”
His words were full of disdain, almost personal attacks.
Yutao’s deep eyes turned cold.
What kind of male lead was this? So subjective?
Wasn’t the protagonist supposed to be truly good, smart, and righteous?
Seeing her unfazed, the man relaxed slightly. “You wanted to break off the engagement. She acted with good intentions to help. But if you hadn’t made her think of a solution, none of the subsequent events would have happened.”
“One hand can’t clap alone. You can’t back out now and blame her for everything—”
Before he could finish, a sharp “slap” struck his face.
The girl’s eyes were deadly, her voice like an arrow: “Then listen—does this slap make a sound?”