On the verdant path, there were only the two of them now; the atmosphere was tense, filled with the sounds of birds and cicadas.
When that slap landed, Yutao didn’t know whether it had sounded loud or not to the man opposite her, but her hand stung.
Seeing the man still dazed from the slap, she curled her lips into a cold sneer: “You knew I had a bad temper, yet you still came to provoke me?”
Her disdainful gaze and arrogant tone, combined with the fiery pain on her face, instantly brought Xu Wencai back to reality. He looked at her, his eyes wide with shock.
He had grown up well-off, and everyone had always treated him kindly. Later, when he went to the countryside, the villagers also treated him politely because of his background, so no one had ever dared to hit him!
But this woman in front of him suddenly acted like a madwoman, hitting him without rhyme or reason?
“Are you crazy?” Xu Wencai held his burning cheek, eyes wide with anger. “Do you even know what you’re doing?”
“I do.” Yutao raised her brow, looking at him with full contemptuous pride. “I’m explaining to you what it means for a slap to make a sound.”
Xu Wencai was dumbstruck by her unreasonable explanation, his anger flaring up instantly. He wanted to raise his hand to retaliate, but just as he did, a cough came from somewhere.
He froze, looking in the direction of the sound.
At a small corner less than two meters away, Lu Yunyang stood holding his medical kit, staring intently at them.
With someone else there, Xu Wencai’s mind cleared; he couldn’t slap her back. He had to swallow his humiliation.
“Doctor Lu.” He called out, tension tightening his face.
Upon hearing this, Yutao stiffened. Only then did she hear the footsteps behind her and slowly turned to follow Xu Wencai’s gaze, indeed seeing Lu Yunyang.
Earlier, when she left the Lu Family, it seemed Lu Yunyang was about to go out too, but she had forgotten. On the way, she had encountered Xu Wencai rambling, and in a moment of irritation, she had struck him.
Yutao: “……”
She had miscalculated.
Her image was about to crumble again.
But in life, when one decided to do something, one had to overcome any obstacles in the way, to seize the opportunity boldly.
Yutao let out a soft breath; it was only her image at stake, and the Original Owner had probably long stopped caring in the man’s mind.
She watched the man walking toward them and changed her expression in a second, raising her brow with a faint smile: “Doctor Lu, when did you get here?”
Lu Yunyang glanced at the two confronting each other, then fixed his gaze on her and said calmly, “Since he said you had such a bad temper.”
Yutao knew he must have seen the slap. Since that was the case, she might as well be straightforward.
She cleared her throat and boldly brought up the topic of their earlier dispute: “So, do you think a slap can make a sound?”
Lu Yunyang glanced at Xu Wencai, recalling the crisp, clear slap just now. The corner of his mouth unconsciously curved into a subtle “hm.”
“I told you so, right?” Yutao’s eyes sparkled playfully as she turned to point at Xu Wencai. “But he insisted a single slap couldn’t make a sound.”
“I gave him a demonstration, and yet he wouldn’t admit it. Not only did he scold me, he even tried to hit me. Tell me, isn’t he unreasonable?”
Xu Wencai grew furious at her reverse accusation, blood rushing to his face as he shouted, “Su Yutao, you hit someone and now you’re twisting the truth?”
“Isn’t it?” Yutao blinked at him with feigned innocence. “You said a single slap couldn’t make a sound, so I proved it to you.”
Every expression on the girl’s face seemed to say, I hit you, so what? Xu Wencai was blocked speechless, a heavy frustration churning in his stomach.
He hadn’t even been able to talk to Wanzhen today, yet he had received a slap from Su Yutao, and on top of that, a third person had seen it.
Continuing the confrontation now would do him no good.
“Fine, I admit I said the wrong thing earlier.” He controlled his anger, putting on a gentlemanly demeanor. “But I hope you seriously consider the matter with Wanzhen.”
Even at this moment, trying to disgust someone with such words—if Lu Yunyang weren’t present, Yutao might have kicked him.
Her gaze grew sharp. “Then if you said the wrong thing, shouldn’t you apologize to me first?”
Xu Wencai doubted his ears. “What did you say?”
He was the one who got slapped, yet she expected him to apologize? What was going on?
Lu Yunyang looked at the girl. The faint smile that had been on her face earlier had faded, and now his brows slightly furrowed, his limpid eyes flickering with coldness.
The corner of his lips twitched, forming a subtle smile that even he barely noticed.
Yutao repeated her words once more, coldly watching him for his response.
Seeing her prepared for his apology, Xu Wencai gritted his teeth, a surge of uncontrollable anger rolling in his chest, especially under Lu Yunyang’s scrutinizing, half-smile gaze.
To apologize would mean admitting he was wrong.
And in this matter, his only mistake had been expecting this woman to spare him out of past acquaintance.
Yet looking at her reaction, he had expected too much.
What good is her beauty if her personality remains as infuriating as ever?
After a moment, Xu Wencai exhaled and spat through gritted teeth, “Then just pretend I never came today.”
With that, he turned and walked away, his face cold.
Yutao’s mood lifted, but thinking of the man who had appeared, she restrained herself.
She turned to him, pouted slightly, and held out her hand. “Doctor Lu, his face is so thick-skinned, and my hand really hurts from the slap. Can you check it for me?”
Lu Yunyang lowered his gaze, expression unreadable, giving no reaction.
As long as he didn’t outright refuse, in Yutao’s eyes, it wasn’t a rejection.
She stared at him, water glinting in her eyes. “Doctor Lu, my hand really… hurts, the kind of burning pain…”
Her tone carried a hint of sorrow and quiver, evoking pity, as if she had just endured some great storm.
“Weren’t you so tough hitting him just now?” Lu Yunyang’s long brows furrowed. “Why can’t you endure this little pain?”
His tone was gentle, but Yutao seemed to detect a trace of mockery. She frowned, a hint of grievance showing on her face.
“He provoked me first.” She bit her lip tightly. “Yesterday I nearly died, and yet he still blamed me without reason, saying I shouldn’t do this or that.”
“We were supposed to be friends, the three of us. Yet one coaxed me into foolish acts, and the other belittled me completely. Was I supposed to just endure it?”
Xu Wencai was one thing, but Xie Wanzhen had grown up with the Original Owner. Though she knew the Original Owner liked Xu Wencai, she chose neither to stop, clarify, nor withdraw. Because of this, in later events, the Original Owner became annoyed and acted out recklessly.
Yutao couldn’t let those two bully her anymore.
The man lowered his head, their eyes meeting.
Her eyes were red, and her fair, delicate face, flushed with crimson, looked pitiful, as if betrayed and abandoned by the world.
He was several years older, though living in the same village; the two families had some distance between them, and he had been studying for many years, so he didn’t know this young girl well.
He only knew the eldest daughter of the Su Family was strikingly beautiful and spoiled, a stark contrast to the ordinary, gentle Su Family members.
Yutao’s arm grew tired from holding it up, yet the man remained unmoved. She sniffled slightly, voice trembling: “Doctor Lu, don’t you think I was wrong just now?”
Seemingly moved by her persistence, the man’s face remained serious as he reached out and held her hand.
“I didn’t say you were wrong.” He glanced at her, his cool voice husky. “But I don’t think hitting him was right either.”
Yutao had already planned to stop, but the sudden intimate contact left her stunned.
The man rubbed her palm gently, the touch tender and intimate.
By any measure, this counted as holding hands.
Yutao bit her lip slightly, the other hand curling into a fist, trying to suppress her giddy delight, nodding rapidly: “I know.”
“But I was really angry at that man just now!” Her cheeks flushed, genuinely furious. “I nearly lost my life, and he was still making snide remarks.”
Lu Yunyang glanced at her. The small face looked angry, yet her voice remained soft, lacking the fierce tone from before.
As she grew agitated, she held his hand, promising: “I’ll definitely listen to you in the future, no more hitting people.”
Lu Yunyang’s lips twitched, expressionless. “No need for the future. Just listen now.”
Yutao nodded, puzzled, looking at him.
He lowered his head, observing the hand she held tightly, and said flatly, “Let go of my hand.”