Wang Yuan thought Li Qiong was being shortsighted and whispered, "When we got here, that Hua Yusen was sitting right next to Zhao Nuanyue, and he seemed to be staring at her. The look in his eyes... Well, since you didn't see it, you probably wouldn't believe it."
"Haha, you're right, I don't believe it," Yang Guanghui laughed. "Look at their ages. Hua is seven or eight years older than Nuanyue. There's no way. Alright, you two, stop with the wild theories! If Nuanyue hadn't found him that day, he might not even be with us anymore. It's only natural for him to be nice to the person who saved his life. It has nothing to do with romance."
Li Qiong glanced over at Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue, who were laughing and chatting in the distance. She suddenly felt that Wang Yuan might have a point. Rolling her eyes, she retorted, "You men are so dense. A woman's sixth sense is usually spot on. After what Wang Yuan said, I took another look, and the way Hua Yusen looks at Nuanyue is different from how he looks at us. He definitely has other intentions toward our Nuanyue. Actually, I think that Hua Yusen is a great catch. Sigh, if only he'd spare me a glance. To be honest, what I said earlier wasn't entirely true. Nuanyue really is prettier than both of us. I saw her figure the other day when we were bathing together... oh, wow..."
"Hey, hey! There's a man present, you know!" Yang Guanghui exclaimed, getting a little embarrassed. He quickly interrupted the two women's idle chatter.
"Haha," Li Qiong laughed. "Guess we can't talk about this anymore; Yang Guanghui is getting shy. Don't tell me you like Nuanyue?"
"That's enough. I'm the oldest one here, and I see you all as my younger brother and sisters," Yang Guanghui said, quickly waving his hands as if begging for mercy to clarify his position. "Besides, I already have someone I like. So don't go falling for me."
Out of others' sight, a faint sadness crossed Yang Guanghui's face. 'I wonder if she's doing okay, so far away?'
"Get real! You're not even that good-looking. Who would fall for you!" Li Qiong shot back. They were all young and knew how to take a joke.
Yang Guanghui was kneading dough. He put his floured hands together in a prayer-like gesture. "I am forever in your debt for the mercy of not liking me!"
"Just get back to your dough, you smooth talker." Li Qiong shot Yang Guanghui a look before turning to whisper privately with Wang Yuan again.
For the most part, though, it was Li Qiong doing the talking. Ever since that incident, Wang Yuan hadn't been one for conversation, becoming sensitive, withdrawn, and insecure.
Even though everyone did their best to comfort her, the hurt remained.
Outside, Zhao Nuanyang grabbed a fishing rod and walked over to a spot thick with algae. He baited his hook with a worm and began to fish.
On the shore, Zhao Nuanyue secretly worked her magic, luring a large, seven- or eight-pound grass carp toward the hook.
Hua Yusen also enjoyed fishing. Thinking that Zhao Nuanyang had picked a poor spot, he walked over and said, "You probably won't catch any big fish here, will you?"
The words were barely out of his mouth when Zhao Nuanyang's rod bent, and a huge grass carp was pulled from the water.
Zhao Nuanyue hid a smile, her wide eyes curving into smiling crescents. What a satisfying, resounding rebuttal.
Hua Yusen glanced up and saw Zhao Nuanyue's smile, as radiant as a blooming flower. He was taken aback, momentarily captivated. But he was a good sport. He gave Zhao Nuanyang a thumbs-up. "Impressive. I can't believe you caught a big one here."
Hearing Hua Yusen's praise, Zhao Nuanyang smiled.
Zhao Nuanyang walked ahead, carrying the fish, while Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen walked side-by-side behind him.
"Is your brother always like this?" Hua Yusen asked curiously. The moment the words left his mouth, he felt he might have been rude. "I don't mean anything by it. It's just... he seems different from other people. But he doesn't seem slow-witted, either."
Hua Yusen was very observant. Zhao Nuanyue didn't get angry; she simply nodded. "My brother has a developmental condition. I've done some research, and it seems to be something called autism. There are no treatment methods for it in our country. The only thing that can help improve his situation is the care of his family. That's why I brought him here with me."
Hearing this, Hua Yusen's eyes brightened. 'What a kind-hearted girl,' he thought.
"You're a good sister," Hua Yusen praised, and he wasn't just being polite. For a young woman to bring her brother with her to the countryside under such difficult circumstances, knowing she would face so many hardships... it was no easy feat.
Hua Yusen was only a few steps away from Zhao Nuanyue. The closer he got, the more beautiful he found her. It was the kind of beauty one could get lost in.
'Now he understood why she tried to make herself look plain.'
Up ahead, Zhao Nuanyang overheard Hua Yusen praising his sister. He broke into a brilliant smile, one as pure and pristine as a snow lotus. He turned his head and said, "Sister is good!"
Zhao Nuanyang's words left both Hua Yusen and Zhao Nuanyue momentarily stunned.
So, he had been listening to their conversation the whole time. He understood everything but simply chose not to speak.
"Nuanyang is good, too!" Zhao Nuanyue reached out to pinch her brother's handsome cheek, smiling sweetly. "Nuanyang is the best! You can catch such a big fish! And you draw such beautiful pictures!"
The intimate, heartwarming interaction between the siblings filled Hua Yusen with envy.
'This was the one thing he had always lacked growing up: genuine affection.'
Yet in her own heart, Zhao Nuanyue was the one who envied Hua Yusen. 'He has a loving family, an overwhelmingly powerful background, and exceptional abilities...'
'In her past life, she could only look up at him from her lowly station. Even in their most intimate moments, she never dared to dream of actually being with him.'
'The gap between them was too vast. He was a cloud in the heavens, while she was a mere weed on the earth—and a weed half-rotting in the mud, at that.'
But now, they were standing together by the river, walking side by side. Although Zhao Nuanyue still felt the distance between them, it no longer felt like the chasm between heaven and earth. 'Maybe,' she thought, 'I can become better. I can become a woman worthy of standing by his side.'
Of course, these were just her own private thoughts. 'I'm afraid of being too forward. If Hua Yusen rejects me, we won't even be able to be friends.'
'I'm still young. Love is a long way off; it isn't a necessity right now.'
'What I need now are friends. Friends who can help me.'
"If it's okay to ask, can you tell me why you were injured?" Zhao Nuanyue asked. She knew Hua Yusen was a man on a mission and didn't really expect an answer.
Hua Yusen didn't try to hide it; it wasn't much of a secret anymore. "I was protecting someone important," he said.
"Oh. Well, please take care of yourself from now on," Zhao Nuanyue said. "As long as you're alive, anything is possible."
Hua Yusen was taken aback once more. He turned his head to look at her, a faint, unreadable smile on his lips. "You don't seem like a fifteen-year-old girl, you know? And I have this feeling... that this isn't the first time we've met. It's like I've known you before."
'Who says only women have an accurate sixth sense? Men have it too.'
'Of course this wasn't their first meeting. They had once been so intimate!'
Zhao Nuanyue's head snapped up, but she forced herself to remain calm.
"You're overthinking things," Zhao Nuanyue explained. "The first time I ever saw you was on the train."