Chapter 44: Flirting as a Lifestyle

Xie Beishen took the letter, looked at Lin Yu beside him, and said, "Give it one of the meat buns we brought back, and save one bottle of each flavor of soda for it. Put the rest in my room."

Little Black immediately wagged its tail, circled around Xie Beishen, and jumped high with joy.

Xie Beishen patted the dog's head. "Give it two meat buns; one might not be enough to fill its stomach."

"Okay." Lin Yu put down the bamboo basket. "Little Black, you sure know how to win Deep Brother's favor, getting to eat meat buns." With that, he took one out from the basket and handed it to Little Black's mouth.

Xie Beishen opened the outer packaging and took out the letter inside.

After reading the contents, the corners of his lips curved up imperceptibly, and a faint flush spread across his face.

The note read: *Xie Beishen, I miss you. Do you miss me?*

Lin Yu raised his eyes and kept looking at Deep Brother, very curious about what was written on it that could make Deep Brother wear such an expression.

He stood up, walked towards Xie Beishen, and fixed his eyes on the note in his hand. "Deep Brother, what does it say?"

Xie Beishen quickly folded the note in his hand, put it into his pocket, glared at him, and said, "Nothing." Then, casting a glance at Little Black, who had finished two buns in just two bites, he instructed Lin Yu, "Little Black is hungry. Two buns aren't enough to eat, hurry up and give it a few more."

Having said that, he walked back into the room.

Lin Yu glanced at Little Black. "You're really in luck. I'll give you three, no more than that, or we won't have enough ourselves."

"Woof, woof, woof, woof..."

Back in his room, Xie Beishen took out the note and looked at it again.

He just knew this woman was bold enough to write anything.

Su Wanwan saw that Little Black didn't come back with anything in its mouth, and she knew right away that this man had no intention of replying to her message.

However, she was not discouraged; an idea instantly formed in her mind. She decided that starting tomorrow, she would have Little Black deliver a little note to that man in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.

At this moment, Li Yuanyuan interrupted Su Wanwan's thoughts, telling her that she had to go to the police station to report for work tomorrow and would come back in time for dinner at Yang Guixiang's house.

She also wanted Su Wanwan to make her bed for her tonight. She simply couldn't stand the way Su Wanwan slept at night—so much for what she called sleeping gracefully, which had caused her to be pinned down all night long.

In the evening, Lin Yu would occasionally go to the educated youth point to scout whether Ma Zhiming had returned.

Even though Deep Brother didn't say anything, he understood.

He was skilled at reading people's expressions. After lingering around the educated youth point every hour or so, just as he was losing his patience and getting ready to head back to sleep, he finally saw the person he had been waiting for.

The two of them were trembling as they supported each other back.

They were as disheveled as could be, a truly miserable sight.

Ma Zhiming looked as if he had been fished straight out of the water. He was drenched in sweat, his legs were shaking, and his body was hunched over. One hand leaned on a wooden stick while he and Liu Caixia supported one another. His face was bruised and swollen like fermented dough, and his right eye was clotted with blood and unable to open.

You could still hear the gasping sounds he made with every step he dragged forward.

Liu Caixia was no better off, looking equally wretched.

After witnessing this, Lin Yu went back to sleep with a smile. He glanced at his watch—these two were something else, arriving back past nine in the evening, having walked for a full seven hours and more.

Seeing that Deep Brother was still awake, he went inside to report the news to him.

Seeing that Deep Brother remained unfazed after hearing it, could it be that his judgment had been wrong?

Lin Yu scratched his head and went back to his room to sleep.

Early the next morning.

As soon as Xie Beishen got up and opened the door, Little Black delivered the item from its mouth directly into Xie Beishen's hand.

Xie Beishen never expected this woman to send him a note bright and early in the morning.

Seeing that Lin Yu was staring at him unblinkingly, keeping his eyes fixed on the letter in his hand, he said, "When you cook the noodles, make some for Little Black too."

With that, he returned to his room and unfolded the note:

*Deep Brother, good morning! I dreamed of you last night, and I even called you Deep Brother in my dream.*

When Su Wanwan wrote these words, her main goal was to tease him. After all, it wasn't spoken out of her own mouth; if she really had to call him Deep Brother to his face, she probably wouldn't be able to do it.

The mere thought of her sweet, soft voice calling him Deep Brother made a flame burn through Xie Beishen's entire body.

Tsk, she really knew how to torment people.

After putting the note away properly, he went to wash up.

At noon, when Xie Beishen came back from the fields, he likewise saw Little Black lying flat at the doorway.

Upon seeing him, it once again handed over the item from its mouth.

Lin Yu took it all in. Knowing that Deep Brother wouldn't let him see it, he simply walked over to the stove to build a fire and cook.

Xie Beishen unwrapped and unfolded the note:

*Xie Beishen, I shared the candies you gave me with the children who were gathering pigweed. As a result, as long as I stood there every morning and handed out candies, my basket of pigweed instantly filled up. Would you like to come to the foot of the mountain and 'encounter' me by chance?*

Xie Beishen's eyes were brimming with smiles. What a clever little sprite.

While tending the fire, Lin Yu kept a cautious eye on Deep Brother's direction.

He rarely saw Deep Brother smile, yet just reading a note was enough to make him beam with spring-like romance.

He couldn't bear to look anymore. It was over, completely over. Could it be that Deep Brother had fallen for Su Wanwan?

Little Black finished its lunch at Xie Beishen's place before heading home.

That evening, when Xie Beishen and Lin Yu returned from the fields, Little Black was once again lying at Xie Beishen's doorway.

Upon seeing Xie Beishen, it quickly picked up the item on the ground in its mouth and delivered it into Xie Beishen's hand.

Lin Yu gasped in astonishment. "This dog has truly turned into a spirit. How can it be so smart? Look at the fur on its body—it's shiny and glossy, and it's clearly gained a lot of meat these past few days. If we cooked it for dog meat, it would definitely taste delicious."

Just as Lin Yu finished speaking, the fur all over Little Black's body stood on end. It bared its pearly white fangs, a low growl rolling from its throat, and suddenly lunged forward like an arrow, clamping its jaws onto the fabric of Lin Yu's trouser leg.

*Rip.*

A large tear was instantly ripped open at the cuff of Lin Yu's trousers.

His heart thumped with sudden terror. If that bite had landed on his flesh instead, it surely would have torn a chunk of meat right off.

Seeing the fierce glint in Little Black's pupils and hearing the growl in its mouth, he knew the dog could understand every single word they said.

Looking at the dog by his feet, Lin Yu hurriedly said, "I was wrong! I won't eat dog meat, and I definitely won't eat you! Just wait, I'll go cook right now and make you something delicious." With those words, he scurried towards the stove.

Xie Beishen watched everything unfold and patted the dog's head. "How did your owner raise you to be so smart? Why don't you come live with me from now on? I'll make you delicious food every single day, how about that?"

The next second, Little Black tilted its head aside and turned its backside directly toward Xie Beishen.

Xie Beishen the corners of his lips curved up as he suddenly recalled the scene from that night when Su Wanwan said she would get chicken drumsticks for Little Black. "If you stay with me, I'll get you chicken drumsticks every single day."

Little Black tilted its head to look at Xie Beishen, drool pouring in torrents from the corner of its mouth. It licked its lips with its tongue, but after merely glancing at him, it shifted its backside even closer to his direction.

*Chicken drumsticks are delicious, but they aren't as good to drink as spiritual spring water. Besides, my master is going to find me a bride, so I'm not going.*

Seeing its gluttonous look, Xie Beishen knew this fellow loved to eat chicken.

Taking the item in his hand, he stepped into the room.

He took out the note from inside and began to read:

*Anyway, you're going to become my partner sooner or later, so I want to exercise my privileges as your girlfriend in advance. Xie Beishen, hurry up and reply to my message! Otherwise... otherwise...*

A faint smile hung on the corners of Xie Beishen's lips. Otherwise what?

Heh, she really was a little fox.