This answer was not quite what she had imagined, and Yutao was dumbfounded.
What was going on with this man?
Who asked to study artificial respiration with everyone else?
She had only wanted a moment of intimacy with him in a “Red Sleeves Adding Fragrance” scene.
“This might be inconvenient, right?” Yutao restrained the rising emotions in her heart, her smile still delicate and charming. “It’s the busy farming season now; everyone is busy working. They don’t have time. You can just teach me alone.”
After speaking, she looked at the man. He was leaning against the table behind him, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, his long legs neatly framed by straight trousers.
His gaze seemed to hold a faint smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes, leaving his emotions difficult to read.
A sudden, unfriendly feeling surged in her heart, as if her thoughts had been seen through, then she was being toyed with in return.
After a brief silence, the man finally laughed. “Don’t worry. For something this meaningful, the production team leader will definitely make time.”
His dark eyes were clear, like a bright mirror. Yutao saw herself in them, looking slightly on the defensive.
She snapped back to reality. Somehow, seeing him like this, an uncontrollable thought slowly emerged in her mind.
She shook the medical book in her hands, blinked at him, and spoke softly, “Then, can I take this book with me?”
Lu Yunyang looked at her but said nothing.
Yutao cleared her throat and slowly explained under his gaze, “It’s a medical book. It’s good to read more. I want to learn too.”
Lu Yunyang’s eyes curved slightly, seemingly measuring how sincere she was as she spoke.
After a moment, he said calmly, “You may.”
Yutao put the book away, smiled, and stepped in front of him. On tiptoe, she leaned her face close, her voice gentle: “Then, if there’s anything I don’t understand in this book, can I come to you for guidance anytime?”
In the close proximity, she could smell the faint scent of soap on him—clean and crisp, just like his personality.
Lu Yunyang turned his gaze slightly. The girl’s fair face was inches away; with just a slight turn of his head, his lips would almost touch hers.
Their eyes met.
She tilted her small face up, the dazzling light dancing in her eyes.
He slowly stepped back, widening the distance bit by bit. Only when he reached the door did he speak in a deep voice: “We’ll talk about it another time.”
He was about to leave the room, and naturally, Yutao didn’t linger. She followed, her voice soft: “Doctor Lu, then I’ll take that as your agreement.”
No matter what medical book it was, she couldn’t understand it anyway. But as long as she didn’t understand, she could come to him!
“I’ll read this book carefully when I get home today. Anything I don’t understand, I’ll take detailed notes.”
Her tender voice, however, sounded insincere. Lu Yunyang merely tugged the corner of his mouth and, without replying, went straight to the kitchen.
Lu Yunzhao entered the courtyard, seeing Su Yutao still there, and looked shocked. “Why haven’t you left yet?”
Yutao smiled at her. “I’m leaving. I’ll play with you next time.”
Still coming?
Watching her leave the courtyard with something in her hands, Lu Yunzhao went directly into the kitchen.
“Brother, what did you give Su Yutao?” she asked bluntly.
Lu Yunyang glanced at her. “A medical book.”
Lu Yunzhao was stunned. “She came to get a book from you?”
The sun must have risen from the west—Su Yutao actually asked her brother for a book?
Lu Yunyang drank a glass of water and hummed.
“She seems to be always coming to see you lately,” Lu Yunzhao said, thinking of how Su Yutao had almost tricked her with a sachet earlier. She felt annoyed. “Does she have some ulterior motive?”
Lu Yunyang recalled the girl’s coquettish smile earlier and raised his brow slightly. “I don’t know.”
Lu Yunzhao had a vague sense that every time Su Yutao came to the Lu family, it was for her brother. She didn’t know what Su Yutao wanted, but it was certainly not something good.
“Brother, don’t let her come to our house again,” she huffed.
Lu Yunyang frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Mother doesn’t like her!” Lu Yunzhao said angrily. “The engagement has already been broken off. If Mother sees you still entangled with her, she’ll definitely get upset.”
Mother had never been satisfied with this marriage, but Grandpa had agreed to it. Now that it was broken off, the Lu family felt embarrassed, and people were still talking about it. Of course, Mother wasn’t happy.
Lu Yunyang looked at her, said nothing, and went out.
When he left the kitchen, the girl’s figure had just disappeared around the path corner.
Yutao was unaware of the discussion between the siblings. On her way back, she was still in a good mood.
Earlier, when she said she wanted to come to the Lu family for guidance, Lu Yunyang hadn’t refused outright. That meant he had tacitly allowed her to approach!
But her good mood was shattered halfway.
Seeing Xie Wanzhen appear in front of her, Yutao’s brows furrowed lightly. Alongside her was educated youth Song Yonglan.
Song Yonglan usually couldn’t tolerate the Original Owner’s spoiled personality. Every time the Original Owner went to the Educated Youth Site with Xie Wanzhen, arguments would break out between them.
Seeing her dressed like this, the two seemed momentarily stunned.
Remembering her purpose, Xie Wanzhen quickly restrained her emotions and stepped forward. “Yutao, I need to talk to you. Can we chat?”
No need to guess, Yutao immediately knew what she wanted to say. “No, I’m very busy.”
She had to go back and read. There was no time for these two.
“Su Yutao, don’t go too far,” Song Yonglan said coldly. “Seeking death was clearly your own problem. Now you’re blaming Wanzhen? Twisting the facts like this is shameless!”
Her voice was sharp. Yutao was irritated—first Xu Wencai came to argue, now another one?
“Do you want to say it takes two to make a slap?” she sneered, her eyes contemptuous. “If you want to know, go ask Xu Wencai yourself.”
Upon hearing this, their faces changed, because they both knew about the slap Xu Wencai had received.
Xie Wanzhen sensed that Su Yutao had changed—she had become strange. She used to adore Xu Wencai, speaking carefully to please him. Now, the contrast was so stark.
Song Yonglan saw arrogance etched across her face and grew even angrier. “Su Yutao, don’t push people too far. We educated youth aren’t easy to bully.”
A man had been slapped for no reason—that was a huge grievance. If Xie Wanzhen hadn’t intervened, they might have gone straight to the production team leader to demand justice.
Seeing her overexcited, Xie Wanzhen hurriedly tugged her sleeve and said, “Yutao, I didn’t come to quarrel with you today.
“Consider this my fault. What can I do to make you forgive me?”
By now, rumors had spread. Besides questioning whether she drove Su Yutao to attempt suicide, several others eager for her position had already reported to the production team leader.
If her relationship with Su Yutao returned to what it was, the gossip would naturally collapse.
Although humbling herself seemed foolish, it was the fastest way to keep her job, so she had no choice but to privately approach Su Yutao.
Before she could respond, Xie Wanzhen continued, “We grew up together. Our relationship has always been close. These past few days, I haven’t been in a good mood and haven’t slept well. I don’t want to lose you as a sister.”
Yutao smiled. “You really consider me a sister?”
“Yes.” Xie Wanzhen nodded, speaking ambiguously. “I’m older; I should be more sensible. I should take more responsibility for this incident.”
Xie Wanzhen was always kind and sensible—the only one who could tolerate Su Yutao’s temper. Seeing her so wronged, Song Yonglan couldn’t bear it. “Wanzhen, how could this be your fault? Why apologize to her?”
Then she gritted her teeth and glared at Su Yutao. “She did something foolish herself and now thinks putting all the blame on others will make her feel better, right?”
Yutao sneered. “She already apologized. Why are you still shouting? Are you her mother, meddling for no reason?”
The coarse words came easily. Song Yonglan couldn’t bear it. “You’re unreasonable. No wonder you have no friends!”
“Friends?” Yutao looked at her, her gaze mocking. “You don’t really think Xie Wanzhen considers you a friend, do you?”
Xie Wanzhen felt a chill at Su Yutao suddenly turning the accusation on her. Before she could react, Su Yutao laughed again. “You wouldn’t know that every time she goes to the Educated Youth Site to see you, it’s mainly to see Xu Wencai, right?”
Every time Xie Wanzhen visited Song Yonglan, the Original Owner followed. The Original Owner thought she was visiting Song Yonglan, but she really just wanted to make her presence known in front of Xu Wencai.
As the male lead in the story, Xu Wencai naturally attracted many admirers. Besides the Original Owner, Song Yonglan was deeply involved.
Song Yonglan didn’t want to accept what Su Yutao said, but mentioning Xu Wencai caught her attention.
“What exactly are you saying?” she said coldly.
“Yonglan, don’t listen to her nonsense,” Xie Wanzhen said, sensing danger. She regretted bringing Song Yonglan along. “She’s angry at me, trying to manipulate our relationship.”
She restrained the urge to curse, her eyes red as she stared at Yutao. “Don’t go crazy. Yonglan and I are sisters. It’s normal for me to visit her. Don’t pin all kinds of wild thoughts on me.”
When the educated youth first arrived, Xie Wanzhen had some affection for Xu Wencai. But she couldn’t directly approach him, and having just met Yonglan, she naturally went there often.
“You really consider her a sister?” Hearing “sister” again, Yutao felt disgusted. Not giving her a chance to speak, she said, “Fine. You hand over your current work to this ‘sister’ of Song Yonglan, and I’ll forgive you.”
The seemingly casual words struck like thunder, leaving both speechless.
Song Yonglan expected Yutao to say something that would make her even angrier, but she didn’t expect her to demand that Xie Wanzhen give her the production team work.
This was far from what she had imagined.
Yutao looked at Xie Wanzhen’s anxious, flushed face and felt a sense of relief. “See how great this is? I forgive you, and you can preserve your sisterly bond at the same time.”