Chapter 17: Purposefully Teasing Him (Part 1)

Dai Ning had a little scheme in mind, so she didn’t bring Uncle Qian or Zhang Yongfeng along.

Zhao Yu glanced at her hiking backpack, packed full with the young lady’s snacks, water, sun hat, hair ties, sunscreen, and even a small cushion—an impressive array of items.

He looked at the mess of items with slight exasperation and said, “I’ll carry your bag, but you’ll have to walk on your own.”

She nodded enthusiastically, “Alright, alright!”

Zhao Yu hoisted her backpack onto his shoulder; it was easily several dozen pounds. He didn’t comment on the weight, keeping a steady pace as he walked.

Dai Ning followed behind him. With his clear and steady voice, Zhao Yu explained, “At this time of year, there are wild yams and August melons on the mountain. You can eat them after rinsing in the mountain springs. But don’t pick the mountain raspberries—leave those for the birds.”

As he continued talking, he glanced back, only to find that she had disappeared.

With a sigh, Zhao Yu retraced his steps and found the young lady staring intently at a small, gray wild rabbit.

She had only ever seen fluffy pet rabbits before. This little wild rabbit twitched its nose and watched her without fear, ears perked up.

“Zhao Yu, can I…?”

“No,” Zhao Yu cut her off firmly. “Wild rabbits survive only in the wild. Stand up.”

Dai Ning’s face showed clear disappointment as she reached out, hoping to touch the rabbit’s ear, but Zhao Yu grabbed her collar and pulled her up.

“Let’s go.”

She pouted in dissatisfaction, but Zhao Yu was unmoved. He had her walk in front to avoid her wandering off or getting distracted by every animal she spotted.

But she resisted, “I don’t want to walk in front. What if there are bugs or danger?”

Zhao Yu frowned.

Then she reached out her hand with a sweet smile. “Zhao Yu, hold my hand, won’t you?”

Before he could respond, her small hand slipped into his.

Her soft, delicate palm felt worlds apart from his calloused one, and Zhao Yu felt a slight discomfort at the unexpected touch.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” she chirped happily.

As they walked, he looked down at their intertwined shadows on the ground, a strange feeling creeping over him. But Zhao Yu was no fool; he knew the young lady’s personality all too well, so he kept his thoughts in check.

At least this way, he could keep an eye on her and stop her from disturbing the wildlife.

Before they even reached the peak, she started complaining again.

Though her shoes were fit for walking, she wasn’t used to physical activity and was clearly worn out.

“Carry me.”

Zhao Yu replied, “I’m already carrying your bag. I can’t carry you too. Do you want to leave your things behind?”

She hesitated, clearly unwilling to part with her collection of items. “Then, carry my things and hold me.”

Zhao Yu’s eye twitched.

She was treating him like a mule! Unamused, he said, “If you’re tired, sit down and rest. There are some wild sweet potatoes up ahead. I’ll grab a few for you to eat.”

Dai Ning reluctantly agreed.

Zhao Yu set down the bag and went to pick wild sweet potatoes for her. Finding a mountain spring, he rinsed them to avoid her having a stomachache and handed them to her.

With food in hand, she instantly brightened up, even stuffed one into Zhao Yu’s mouth.

Zhao Yu chewed on the wild yam, his dark eyes softened as he looked at her.

“This mountain is called Sleepless Mountain. Our ancestors settled here as early as the Ming Dynasty. During times of war, this mountain sheltered them, providing food and protection. So even now, with plenty of food and clothes, everyone in the village respects the mountain, believing that it has a spirit.”

Dai Ning couldn’t understand this reverence and thought it was silly.

There must be a lot of valuable things hidden on the mountain; if someone were to dig them up, they’d fetch a good price. Strangely, this line of thought reminded her of what Du Tian was currently doing.

But she kept those thoughts to herself and pretended to be agreeable, nodding politely.

Zhao Yu’s gaze softened a little more. “Further up, you’ll see some rare birds. Just watch them quietly, alright? Don’t scare them.”

Holding two small sweet potatoes, she suddenly reached out and brushed her hand lightly against his cheek.

In a voice soft as a bird’s call, she said sweetly, “Zhao Yu, I’ll miss you in the future.”

The forest was silent, and she stood bathed in sunlight, her brown hair soft and lovely, looking as pure and beautiful as a forest spirits. She seemed genuinely sincere.

Zhao Yu’s pupils constricted slightly. He pursed his lips and moved her hand away from his face.

He stood up, turned his back to her, and said calmly, “If you’re rested, let’s keep going.”

Dai Ning was stunned. Not only was Zhao Yu not moved by her words, but he seemed entirely unfazed. She blinked in disbelief.

Inside her mind, the green orb couldn’t contain its laughter.

“Remember, this is a male protagonist from a typical shonen story. Zhao Yu has lived through hardship, and that has shaped his strong sense of responsibility, especially towards his family. He’s incredibly resilient and disciplined. You’re trying to use this alone time to manipulate him into admitting his feelings, but that’s impossible. He’s far from falling in love with you. And if he believes you’re leaving soon, he’ll control any stirrings of affection. This outing is just his way of saying goodbye.”

“Give it up, Dai Ning. The day he’s willing to give up everything for you, to the point of laying down his very life, that’s when he’ll truly love you.”

Dai Ning bit into another wild yam, her heart feeling vexed.

She didn’t believe that anyone would ever sacrifice themselves for another like that.

And Qing Tuan kept laughing, “That dramatic little act of yours just now—he’s too smart; he definitely saw right through it. I can’t believe how ridiculous you looked.”

The typical shonen male lead really was the most exasperating character type.

Frustrated and embarrassed, Dai Ning suddenly jumped onto Zhao Yu’s back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He frowned, “What are you doing?”

With a fierce expression, she leaned in and bit his neck, her little tiger-like teeth sharp against his skin, and Zhao Yu let out a hiss in pain.

He reached back, pushing her head, only to feel her soft, curly hair.

“Ji Dai Ning, let go.”

She finally let go, looking fierce as she demanded, “Were you laughing at me just now?”

Zhao Yu: …

Your acting was just terrible.

Look at her now. Saying she’d miss him in the future—he didn’t believe it for a second. He’d sooner believe she was planning to attend his funeral next year.

Though there had been a brief moment when he felt moved, his rational mind swiftly pieced everything together. He knew she was playing a game with him, trying to bait him into showing his feelings.

Whether she aimed to fool him or to watch him falter, he wouldn’t let her lead him by the nose.

Zhao Yu pried her off his back, touching his neck and finding a small tooth mark with a hint of blood.

He warned her, “Act up again, and I’ll bury you right here.”

And with that, any semblance of warmth or farewell atmosphere instantly vanished.

The young lady picked up a tree branch, wielding it like a sword, and shouted, “This mountain is lousy, and so are you!”

Zhao Yu grabbed her wrist and pulled a hair ribbon out of her backpack, neatly tying her hands.

“If you don’t want to play, then let’s go back.”

On their way up the mountain, Zhao Yu had been gentle, but on the way down, with her acting out constantly, he could only forcefully escort her home.

Once they arrived, before she could scold him for his daring behavior, she noticed Uncle Qian waiting outside.

He bowed slightly. “Miss, everything’s packed and ready.”

Dai Ning didn’t understand at first.

Uncle Qian explained, “Old Mr. Ji knew you wouldn’t enjoy trekking the mountain. Conditions here are harsh, and cars can’t make it up. Our helicopter is waiting by the threshing ground. If there’s nothing else, we should be heading back.”

Dai Ning glanced at Zhao Yu.

He lowered his eyes and gently untied the ribbon around her wrists. His long, slender fingers, though rough from years of hard work, were careful as he loosened the tie. There was hardly a mark left on her skin.

She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, he reached out and tousled her hair.

“Go home.”

His tone was calm, neither happy nor angry. No matter how much they had bickered just moments before, he didn’t hold it against her.

Uncle Qian stepped forward and said to Zhao Yu, “I apologize if our young lady has caused you any trouble. She’s been pampered back home, so we appreciate your understanding if she acted improperly.”

He handed Zhao Yu a bank card. “There’s 100,000 yuan on this card as a gesture of our thanks, and also to cover her stay.”

Zhao Yu glanced at Dai Ning.

She sulked, kicking a pebble. Zhao Yu accepted the card.

Dai Ning fumed—he actually took it! This greedy man! In his eyes, she was probably not even worth 100,000 yuan.

Dai Ning couldn’t bear being seen as “cheap.” She was incredibly valuable!

Now, she was so mad at him that she refused to even look in his direction. She ordered her things packed, choosing only her favorite dresses, and urged Uncle Qian, “Uncle Qian, let’s go. Right now.”

Ignoring the warnings from the little creature in her mind, she thought, Zhao Yu really ticked me off. I’ll just come back once I’m in a better mood.

Uncle Qian, relieved that she had finally come around, hurried to get her to the helicopter.

Zhao Yu watched as they left, finally tossing the bank card into the chicken coop.