Chapter 17

Nanjiao Brigade, the familiar fieldside.

Meng Yinyin stood watching Lu Chen, who was finishing up the last bits of fieldwork. She couldn’t help but grip the straps of her backpack tightly.

Inside her bag was the jacket she had prepared as a gift for Lu Chen. She actually had plenty of opportunities all morning to give it to him, but unfortunately—Song Yue kept getting in the way!

Giving a gift was a minor matter, but the crucial part was that she intended to use this as a chance to express her feelings to Lu Chen. Such an important moment required privacy, without any unwelcome interruptions!

All morning, Meng Yinyin had been casting resentful and annoyed glances at Song Yue, hoping he would realize how unwelcome he was and leave.

But to her frustration, Song Yue remained as irritatingly cheerful as ever. His unbothered smile in response to her glares made her want to hit him.

Fortunately, by midday, when work wrapped up, Song Yue finally left.

Of course, not without taking away the “temporary work points” that Meng Yinyin had earned, which only made her angrier.

Once he was gone, Meng Yinyin wasted no time. She immediately stood up and walked over to Lu Chen, who was crouching by the field’s edge, washing the dirt off his hands.

Truthfully, even though she had rehearsed this scenario countless times in her head and thought she was fully prepared, she still felt nervous and shy when the moment actually came.

After all, she had never been in a relationship, let alone confessed to someone before.

What’s more, this wasn’t just about confessing her feelings. She was determined to succeed today. The thought made her even more anxious.

Standing behind Lu Chen, she reached into her bag and pulled out the jacket, which had been folded so tightly it now looked like dried vegetables. Biting her lip, she finally spoke up.

“Lu… Lu Chen…”

Hearing her call, Lu Chen quickly stood up after finishing his cleaning.

“What’s wrong?”

Before he could process her words, his eyes fell on the trembling object she was holding out to him.

It wasn’t the item in her hand that caught his attention, but her visibly shaking hand.

His expression turned serious, and his tone became concerned.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

After all, a hand wouldn’t shake like that unless someone was in discomfort.

But Meng Yinyin, entirely focused on her excitement over having taken this brave step and her anticipation of finally having a relationship, didn’t register Lu Chen’s question at all.

Blushing furiously, she lowered her head, just about to express her feelings. However, before she could speak, she felt a sudden tight grip on her wrist. It was firm and unyielding.

Her entire body stiffened, and her cheeks flushed even deeper.

H-he… he moved so fast! She hadn’t even finished her sentence, yet he was already holding her hand!

Embarrassed for a moment, Meng Yinyin quickly gave in.

Well, since he was being so forward, and considering they were destined to be together, she decided to forgive his impulsiveness.

Besides, she didn’t dislike holding hands with Lu Chen.

Just as Lu Chen, still worried about her condition, was about to ask again what was wrong, Meng Yinyin spoke up in a shy yet triumphant tone.

“Well, this means we’re together now. From now on, you have to treat me well, or else… hmmph, I’ll never forgive you!”

Lu Chen froze.

“…What?”

Caught off guard by her sudden declaration, he stood there in a daze for at least five seconds before finally snapping out of it, his tone uncertain and full of doubt.

“W-what did you just say?”

Sensing something was off, Meng Yinyin raised her head to meet his gaze.

When Meng Yinyin turned around, she was greeted by Lu Chen’s expression of utter disbelief. Her initial joy instantly evaporated, and she frowned.

What was this reaction? He had clearly initiated everything, so why did he seem regretful now?

“What’s the meaning of this? Don’t tell me you’re trying to back out! You were the one who held my hand first!”

Meng Yinyin’s dissatisfied voice snapped Lu Chen back to reality. His gaze dropped instinctively, only to find his hand still gripping her wrist.

He opened his mouth to explain. He had grabbed her hand in a moment of panic, thinking she might be unwell.

But Meng Yinyin didn’t give him a chance to speak. She continued, her little mouth chattering away, “Lu Chen, if you keep this up, I’ll get really angry!”

“I hurt my fingers sewing this jacket for you. Look, my fingers are swollen and hurt so much. See, right here!”

Pouting, Meng Yinyin extended one finger toward Lu Chen. He looked down and noticed that this finger indeed appeared slightly more… well, red than her other fingers.

As for the injuries she claimed, he couldn’t spot a single one.

Still, that didn’t stop the wave of shock coursing through him.

She said she made this piece of clothing for him, and she even injured her fingers while sewing it.

His gaze instinctively shifted to the bundle in her hands. At first glance, it looked like a dark and unremarkable lump. If Meng Yinyin hadn’t outright said it was clothing, he wouldn’t have been able to guess.

Truthfully, even the female comrades skilled in sewing at the brigade produced better work than this. Even Lu Chen’s own sewing skills were superior.

Yet, despite its uneven stitching and rough tailoring, in Lu Chen’s eyes, that piece of clothing became something unparalleled and beautiful.

He couldn’t suppress the surge of joy, excitement, and disbelief in his heart.

—It was for him.

This realization left him speechless.

Meanwhile, seeing Lu Chen remain silent, Meng Yinyin grew increasingly anxious.

What was going on? He had just held her hand so enthusiastically—was she mistaken about his feelings?

If that was the case, her confession would be a failure. What would she do then?

Where would she find another man like Lu Chen, someone so suitable and whom she genuinely liked, in such a short time?

After thinking it over, Meng Yinyin decided she couldn’t accept such an outcome. Summoning her courage, she bit her lip and demanded angrily, “Lu Chen, you have to agree!”

“If you don’t, I’ll accuse you of being a scoundrel! After all, you were the one who held my hand first…”

Her voice faltered toward the end, laced with guilt.

After all, this was practically a threat. She didn’t want to resort to such measures, but if Lu Chen rejected her, she would be utterly lost.

Finally, Lu Chen snapped out of his shock.

“You…”

He moved his lips, but no complete sentence came out.

He had never imagined that Meng Yinyin would say something like this to him, nor that she would go to the extent of sewing clothes for him.

She was so beautiful that he couldn’t believe he might actually end up with her.

Deep down, Lu Chen felt utterly unworthy of her.

He had no money, no education, and even struggled to articulate himself properly. What right did he have to be with someone like her?

The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Yet, when it came to rejecting her, urging her to find someone better, his throat seemed to tighten, preventing him from saying a word.

Rationality and a selfish, hidden desire wrestled within him, leaving him at a complete loss.

As Lu Chen remained silent, Meng Yinyin’s heart sank further. She convinced herself that he didn’t like her after all.

But with no other options or way out, she could only stubbornly cling to him.

In the next moment, she gritted her teeth and declared, “I don’t care—I want to be with you! If you really don’t like me, fine. Once I leave the Nanjiao Brigade in the future, we’ll cut ties!”

“Either way, you won’t lose anything. Having someone as pretty as me as your partner is something to be proud of!”

Even as she said this, Meng Yinyin couldn’t help feeling a bit disheartened.

From Lu Chen’s demeanor, it seemed her beauty held no sway over him at all…

It stung. She thought that after spending so much time together, his kindness and gentleness toward her were signs that he felt something for her. But apparently, she was wrong.

The idea of his silent rejection made Meng Yinyin even sadder!

Hmph, fine. If nothing else, she’d get Lu Chen to pretend to agree to be with her. She could give him money, live at his house, and eat meals together like proper “meal buddies.” When he found someone he truly liked, she would leave.

Yes, that would work—they could “cooperate.”

With this plan in mind, Meng Yinyin regained her confidence.

“Don’t worry. I won’t force anything on you. As long as you agree to date me, I’ll compensate you!”

“Alright, it’s settled. I’m heading back to the Educated Youth point for lunch!”

With that, Meng Yinyin turned and ran off without looking back.

She was afraid that if she slowed down even a bit, Lu Chen would outright refuse her proposal. By then, she would truly have no way to salvage the situation.

So, in a way, Meng Yinyin’s hasty departure was her desperate attempt to force Lu Chen into agreeing to their cooperation.

Of course, she didn’t forget to take the clothes she had painstakingly sewn before she left.

Since Lu Chen didn’t like her, there was no reason to give him the clothes she had made. Even if she had to stuff them in a corner to gather dust, she wouldn’t give them to him. Hmph!

However, Meng Yinyin couldn’t bear the thought of wasting the clothes she had made with her own hands. When she returned to the Educated Youth point, she hesitated for a moment before carefully folding the black jacket and placing it at the very bottom of her trunk.

She told herself that she would give it to someone she truly liked if she met them in the future.

But deep down, Meng Yinyin knew that it was unlikely for the clothes to see the light of day anytime soon. Lu Chen’s rejection had dealt her a heavy blow.

It was all Lu Chen’s fault. He made her so mad!

Meanwhile, Lu Chen remained standing in place, staring at the direction where Meng Yinyin had run off until her figure completely disappeared from view. Only then did he snap out of it, his ears flushed red, as he slowly made his way back home.

As for the compensations Meng Yinyin had mentioned in her flustered ramblings, Lu Chen hadn’t paid much attention and didn’t even have the capacity to think them through.

Right now, only one thought echoed in his mind—regardless of whether Meng Yinyin had said those words on a whim, out of impulse, or simply to tease and toy with him…

He was willing to fall into her trap without hesitation.