Chapter 12: "How Long Are You Going to Keep Holding On?"

Only then did Lin Yu shift his gaze toward the figure in the pool. It was somewhat improper for a gentleman to stare at a woman like that. Scratching his head awkwardly, he forced a smile and said, “Brother Shen and I came here for a bath. Didn’t expect to find you two here.”

As he spoke, Lin Yu noticed the large basket at his feet was filled with big fish. His eyes lit up—good heavens, the son of the brigade leader was here fishing.

And not just a few fish—a whole basket full.

Su Heng naturally caught the expression on Lin Yu’s face. Since they had seen them, sharing a few fish wouldn’t hurt, as long as they kept it quiet.

His tone softened slightly, “We’ll give you some. Take them yourselves, but don’t tell anyone.”

Lin Yu wanted to accept, but he wasn’t skilled at cooking fish. Taking them back only to cook them poorly would be a waste, not to mention the oil. He waved his hand, “No, thank you. Don’t worry, we’re not the gossipy type.”

Only then did Su Wanwan shift her gaze from behind Xie Beishen to the man speaking.

The man had honest, rounded facial features, with a somewhat simple and straightforward appearance. His shirt was unbuttoned, giving him a casual, carefree air, but she noticed he had no six-pack abs and was shorter than Xie Beishen, roughly about 1.8 meters tall.

Seeing her scrutinizing Lin Yu, Xie Beishen stepped forward a few steps to stand in front of him, glancing at the open buttons of Lin Yu’s shirt. “Button up your shirt.”

He casually took off the white shirt draped over Lin Yu’s shoulders and put it on himself.

Su Wanwan’s eyes were momentarily dazzled by Xie Beishen’s figure—the way he dressed was effortlessly handsome.

Oh my! Was this a sight she was allowed to feast her eyes on?

She couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to touch him. She really wanted to reach out and feel.

No, she had to stop looking. Her mind was already flooded with embarrassing images. She hadn’t expected she had the potential to be such a blushing maiden.

Turning her gaze to her second brother, she asked, “Brother, who are they?”

Su Heng replied, “They’re educated youth sent to the countryside... what was their name again? I forgot.” He hadn’t spoken with them before, so the names escaped him.

Xie Beishen’s lips curled slightly, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Didn’t he call his name in the lake last time?

Pretending.

Just wait and see how long you can keep up this act.

Lin Yu smiled, “I know you two. You’re both from the brigade leader’s family. My name’s Lin Yu, and this is Xie Beishen.”

When Su Wanwan heard the name “Xie Beishen,” her first thought was: could he have also traveled through time?

She pressed her lips together, her palms slightly damp with sweat, yet she feigned calm and asked, “You’re educated youth, right? Do you have Alipay there?”

She wanted to test whether Xie Beishen was also from the future, like herself.

“What’s this ‘Zhifubao’? Can you eat it?” Lin Yu asked.

Xie Beishen glanced at her, then responded, “We don’t know what you’re talking about. We’ve never had it.”

If they didn’t know that, then they certainly weren’t time travelers.

Su Wanwan tried again, “Xie Beishen, have you ever eaten KFC?” Such a thing didn’t exist in their era.

Her voice was clear and delicate. Xie Beishen’s first thought was that his own name sounded almost as pleasant.

“I’ve never eaten this so-called chicken,” he replied.

Su Wanwan was now sure—he wasn’t from the future.

Su Heng slowly swam to the shore and said to his sister, “Sis, put on your shoes; let’s go home. Do you really want to watch them bathe?”

Only then did Su Wanwan come to her senses. “Alright.” She turned her body, placed both feet on the rocks, and waited for them to dry before putting on her socks and shoes.

Su Heng took two large fish from the basket and placed them on the ground. “For you.”

Xie Beishen glanced at the fish. “Take them back. Giving them to us is a waste—we don’t know how to cook.”

Su Heng hesitated, worried they might leak the secret.

Su Wanwan, noticing her brother’s intention to bribe, smiled and said, “I can cook fish. Why don’t we invite you to our home to eat?”

Xie Beishen declined immediately, “No need. Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.”

Hearing this, Su Heng placed the fish back into the basket, covered them with wild vegetables, and slung the basket over his shoulder.

If anyone saw them, they’d just think they were out gathering wild greens.

Su Wanwan continued to gaze intently at Xie Beishen.

Suddenly, her long-lost crush stood right before her. How could she not stare?

Her heart fluttered with excitement.

He looked exactly the same.

Her eyes locked onto his without blinking.

Xie Beishen, of course, felt her burning gaze upon him. Women had looked at him like this before, but he always felt discomfort. Yet now, with her, he felt something different.

Yes, it felt quite good.

Su Heng strode ahead with the basket, calling back, “Sis, keep up.”

Su Wanwan met Xie Beishen’s deep eyes, a dimple appearing on her cheek as she smiled brightly. “Xie Beishen, I’m Su Wanwan. My brother is Su Heng. See you next time.”

Xie Beishen found her voice especially sweet and melodious, silently repeating her name in his mind.

The young girl’s high ponytail bounced as she beamed, her eyes lively and sparkling.

Taking a step forward, Su Wanwan accidentally stepped on the spot where the fish had been placed and slipped, losing her footing.

Just as she braced for a fall, she found herself caught in a warm embrace. Unexpectedly, her lips brushed against the unbuttoned part of Xie Beishen’s chest, her hands instinctively gripping his slender waist.

The man’s fresh, clean scent enveloped her, leaving her dazed, her heart pounding wildly.

“Thump! Thump! Thump!”

Should she move her lips away?

So this is what a chest feels like—firm.

Her lips trembled slightly, and instantly she felt the man’s muscles tense beneath her.

Seeing her about to fall, Xie Beishen stepped forward and caught her fully in his arms, his hands resting on her slender waist.

The woman’s sweet fragrance lingered near his nose—soft and delicate, especially at his chest, the gentle, moist touch set his heart racing, his throat tightening.

His whole body tensed, his ears tinged red. Realizing his hands were still on her waist, he suddenly panicked and let go, his hands hovering awkwardly in midair.

Her entire face was still buried against his chest, the warm breath tingling against his heart like electricity, sending a shiver through his limbs.

“How long do you intend to keep hugging me?” His voice was low, with a faint huskiness.

Originally, he wanted to ask, “How long do you intend to keep kissing me?” but changed it to hugging.

Su Wanwan quickly released him, stepping back two paces. Her once fair cheeks were now flushed a deep, radiant red, yet she still met his gaze. “I... I didn’t mean it.”

She noticed his ears were red and his face tinged faint pink.

So she wasn’t the only one blushing.

She caught sight of a small mole on his earlobe.

She couldn’t believe it—the world was so surreal that even the mole on his earlobe was in exactly the same spot.

At that moment, her second brother’s voice came from afar, “Sis, hurry up and catch up.”

Su Wanwan waved at Xie Beishen. “Bye, Xie Beishen! See you next time.”

With that, she ran toward her brother.

Only after Su Wanwan’s figure disappeared into the woods did Xie Beishen withdraw his gaze.

He touched his chest, feeling as if her moistness still lingered.

No doubt, she was a little enchantress.

Leisurely, he unbuttoned his shirt, a faint smile flickering in his narrow eyes.

Lin Yu, who was busy taking off his shoes, had completely missed the exchange between the two.