A gentle breeze blew through the trees, making the leaves rustle.
Early that morning, Yu Huan went to work cutting pigweed. After finishing, she delivered it to the pigsty and had her work recorded. Then she found a shady spot beneath a tree, leaned against its trunk, and watched the people working in the distant fields.
The man was still wearing a white shirt and black trousers. Among the dull, dusty colors worn by everyone else, he stood out with his refreshing, immaculate appearance.
Throughout the morning, several bold young women approached him. Some offered to help with his work, while others brought him water. However, he rejected every one of them with cold words.
“Brother, look! The village chief’s daughter is watching you again.”
“I’ve caught her doing that several times already.”
“Bro, we’re doomed. She’s really got her eyes on you.”
“You absolutely mustn’t let her get close. Otherwise, I’m afraid she’ll really latch onto you.”
Song Yujie was having the time of his life talking about it.
Even Song Yujie had noticed. As the person involved, Ling Yuan had naturally sensed those occasional glances directed his way.
“I’m going to wash my face.”
Ling Yuan put down his hoe and headed toward a small stream behind the nearby hillside.
Song Yujie scratched his head. He had noticed that whenever he mentioned the village chief’s daughter, his older brother never expressed an opinion. Perhaps… he simply didn’t care.
Seeing Ling Yuan head toward the hillside, Yu Huan glanced around. Once she was sure no one was paying attention, she quietly made her way around the other side.
As soon as she rounded the bend, she spotted someone squatting beside the stream. But apparently, someone had gotten there before her.
“Educated Youth Ling, I noticed you didn’t eat anything this morning. Here, take this egg to tide you over. It’s still a while until lunchtime.”
Lin Zhiyu held out an egg to Ling Yuan, feeling a little nervous.
“No need. Keep it for yourself.”
Ling Yuan stood up without even glancing at the egg in her hand. His voice was cold and completely devoid of emotion.
Although Lin Zhiyu had expected him to refuse, she still couldn’t help feeling disappointed. She forced a faint smile onto her gentle face.
“After all, we came from the same place. We should help each other out. You don’t have to reject me so coldly. It’s only an egg. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Lin Zhiyu stubbornly continued holding out the egg instead of taking it back.
Ling Yuan took a handkerchief from his pocket and leisurely wiped the water from his face. Afterward, he dried his hands.
“One should never accept something without having earned it.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Lin Zhiyu’s expression finally turned cold. She didn’t chase after him. Instead, she clenched the egg in her hand until it was completely crushed.
Yu Huan had been hiding behind a large tree some distance away and had witnessed the entire scene. Although she couldn’t hear what they were saying, judging by their actions, that woman was obviously another one who coveted Educated Youth Ling’s good looks.
Seeing Ling Yuan walking in her direction, Yu Huan guiltily edged farther behind the tree.
Unexpectedly, the corner of her eye caught sight of a snake’s head!
She screamed in fright and immediately jumped toward Ling Yuan, who had just reached the tree.
Ling Yuan had already known someone was hiding behind the tree. He had originally intended to pretend he hadn’t noticed and simply walk past.
He hadn’t expected the person to suddenly leap at him. His reflexes kicked in, and he was just about to swing his leg out when he recognized Yu Huan and stopped himself.
That brief hesitation was enough for Yu Huan to throw herself into his arms. His hands instinctively caught her, one supporting her bottom.
“Ah! A snake! There’s a snake!”
Yu Huan was so terrified that she clung tightly to Ling Yuan and refused to let go.
Ling Yuan felt his hand sink into something soft and yielding. His ears immediately turned bright red, though his expression remained perfectly composed.
He looked toward the tree and, sure enough, saw a green snake about two meters long and roughly as thick as an infant’s arm slithering out from behind it. It slowly crossed the path in front of them before disappearing into the grass on the other side.
“Get down. The snake has already gone.”
Ling Yuan raised a hand and grasped Yu Huan around the waist, intending to put her down. However, feeling how slender and soft her waist was beneath his palm, he didn’t dare use any force. He was afraid he might hurt her.
Meanwhile, Yu Huan was still clinging tightly to his neck, refusing to let go. For a moment, he simply couldn’t get her down.
“Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?”
Yu Huan turned her head to look and happened to see the snake’s tail disappear into the grass.
Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
But as soon as she calmed down, she realized that she was still hanging onto Ling Yuan, with his large hands resting against her waist. They felt almost scorching hot.
She raised her head and met his deep, captivating eyes.
They were so close that they could feel each other’s breath. His cool, pleasant scent mingled with the girl’s sweet fragrance.
Neither knew whose heartbeat had started racing, but the pounding sounded as loud as thunder.
Yu Huan couldn’t stop her cheeks from turning crimson.
Ling Yuan gazed at her delicate, breathtakingly beautiful face. His usually calm voice carried a faint, barely noticeable huskiness.
“Are you still not getting down?”
Yu Huan suddenly snapped out of it. She hurriedly climbed down from his arms, but the moment her feet touched the ground, her legs went weak and she nearly collapsed.
Ling Yuan reacted quickly and pulled her back into his embrace.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Yu Huan was just about to answer when someone interrupted them.
“Bro, what are you two doing?”
Song Yujie had noticed that his brother had been gone for quite some time, so he had come looking for him.
When he saw the village chief’s daughter actually embracing his brother, he was utterly stunned.
Had his brother really gotten tangled up with her in such a short time?
Seeing someone approach, Yu Huan forced herself to steady her unsteady body. She stepped out of Ling Yuan’s embrace and took two steps back.
“I’m fine. Thank you so much for helping me just now.”
“Mm.”
Seeing that she could stand steadily, Ling Yuan assumed she was all right and said nothing more.
However, as he walked past her, he deliberately kept to the far edge of the path, maintaining a distance of about one meter between them.
Song Yujie saw that Ling Yuan had simply walked away without saying anything. He glared at Yu Huan before hurriedly following his brother.
Only after a while, when the strange sensation in her body finally disappeared, did Yu Huan prepare to head home.
But just as she was about to leave, someone blocked her way.
“You’re quite good at playing your tricks. Unfortunately, Educated Youth Ling is someone you could never hope to reach.”
Lin Zhiyu stared at Yu Huan with a cold expression.
Remembering the scene she had just witnessed, she couldn’t contain her anger. This shameless woman had actually resorted to such tricks just to get close to Ling Yuan! How could someone like Ling Yuan ever be interested in a village girl?
Seeing that Ling Yuan and the others were already out of sight, Yu Huan smiled at Lin Zhiyu.
“What are you talking about? I don’t understand. What happened just now was purely an accident.”
Lin Zhiyu was no fool. Whether the incident had been an accident or not, it didn’t change the fact that this village girl was deliberately trying to get close to Ling Yuan.
“Don’t think that just because you’re the village chief’s daughter, you can set your sights on Ling Yuan. His background determines that he could never possibly marry a rural girl.”
“Don’t forget, you’re living in the countryside now too. Who knows whether you’ll ever get the chance to return to the city?”
After saying that, Yu Huan stopped entertaining Lin Zhiyu and turned to leave.
Lin Zhiyu stared coldly at Yu Huan’s retreating figure.
If looks could kill, Yu Huan would probably have had several holes drilled into her back by then.
When Yu Huan returned home, she prepared lunch first.
As soon as the meal was ready, she hurried into her personal space.
To her delight, she discovered that the barrier at the courtyard gate had visibly thinned.
Meanwhile, her cultivation of the second layer of the Hehuan Art had easily stabilized at the early stage of the second layer.
Each cultivation layer was divided into three stages: early, middle, and late. More importantly, her body no longer experienced those unbearable strange sensations.
Sure enough, Ling Yuan was her destined partner!
Even that brief physical contact just now had brought her such tremendous benefits.
Thinking back to her brief contact with Ling Yuan, she remembered the intense, blood-rushing sensation that had overwhelmed her. She had even felt an irresistible urge to press herself closer against his skin.
Fortunately, the contact hadn’t lasted long, and she had managed to retain her self-control. Otherwise, she had no idea whether she might have completely lost control.