CHAPTER 5

The sunlight was blazing in the sky, and the forest buzzed with restless insects and birds.

The mountain path was narrow, with the mountain on one side and a steep slope on the other. Scattered stones of various sizes lay at the bottom of the slope, overgrown with wild grass.

Xu Yi hunched his back, letting loose and sprinting forward at full speed, his feet nearly taking flight at 180 km/h.

Wen Yang gripped both sides of the cart, her face dark with frustration. A flood of curses surged through her mind, and several times she had to suppress the impulse to strangle him and send them both off the cliff. She kept chanting to herself, “It’s all for leaving here. Hold it in. Don’t act rashly. Hold it in… damn it.”

The closer they got to the town, the wider and brighter the view became.

Whoosh—

Xu Yi pulled the brake, his sneakers skidding on the ground as the tricycle gradually came to a stop.

Wen Yang immediately jumped off the cart, clapping the metal scraps off her hands. She removed her cap, revealing a layer of sweat on her forehead, and fanned herself with the brim of the cap.

At this hour, the town was not very crowded. A few elderly people sat under the trees, fanning themselves leisurely. Their hair was gray, their skin dark and wrinkled like tree bark, but their eyes were clear and bright, devoid of any murkiness.

Nearby, some children played hide-and-seek. Their round faces and dark complexions were typical of the village, but their bright, clear eyes stood out.

The elders’ gazes followed Wen Yang and Xu Yi as they passed, smiling and muttering in dialects incomprehensible to outsiders.

Xu Yi glanced thoughtfully at Wen Yang, his eyes falling on her slightly swaying arm as she walked. Her fair skin, with a hint of pink at the elbows, caught his attention.

Wen Yang crossed her arms and asked, “Where do you want to go?”

“The store or a supermarket,” Xu Yi replied.

“Up ahead,” Wen Yang said simply.

Feeling self-conscious about how feminine he looked pushing the tricycle, and unwilling to lose his composure by riding such a shabby vehicle in a populated area, Xu Yi climbed back onto the seat and propelled the cart forward step by step with his long legs.

Wen Yang stopped abruptly. “We’re here.”

Xu Yi looked at the so-called “supermarket” before him. The storefront was small, with no sign, just a bare metal frame nailed to the wall. Colorful plastic bead curtains hung at the entrance. At best, it was a convenience store—hardly worthy of being called a supermarket.

Inside, there were no surprises. The cramped store was hot, with goods scattered messily and covered in thick dust from long neglect.

After wandering around and finding nothing of interest, Xu Yi went to the counter to wait while Wen Yang continued shopping.

The bead curtain swished open with a clatter, and another customer entered—a young man in a vest and ripped jeans, swaggering in with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. He looked far from respectable.

The old ceiling fan spun lazily above the shopkeeper, who had been watching TV. Seeing the newcomer, the shopkeeper hesitated, started to rise, then slumped back down, his overstuffed chest wobbling slightly.

Xu Yi asked, “Boss, do you accept mobile payments?”

The shopkeeper replied in clumsy Mandarin, “No, only cash.”

Noticing Xu Yi’s fair skin and sharp features, the shopkeeper guessed he wasn’t a local and asked, “Are you here visiting relatives?” He couldn’t think of another reason someone like Xu Yi would come here.

Xu Yi, engrossed in texting, nearly laughed. What relatives could he possibly have in such a remote backwater?

The shopkeeper, getting no response, continued, “Are you two dating?”

At that moment, Wen Yang walked over, placing two boxes of instant noodles on the counter before turning back to gather more items.

Xu Yi snapped out of it, narrowed his eyes, and smirked faintly. “No.”

The shopkeeper sighed deeply. He had a vivid impression of Wen Yang from her previous visits. Her striking looks made her unforgettable. He had assumed Xu Yi was her boyfriend—they seemed like a perfect match, both looking like they came from the city. Apparently, he was mistaken.

A while later, Wen Yang finished picking out her items. “Boss, check out, please.”

As soon as she spoke, the young man from earlier squeezed in beside her, deliberately bumping her and blowing cigarette smoke at her face.

The man, about the same age as Xu Yi and Wen Yang, gave her a self-assured smirk that he thought was charming but was actually greasy and repulsive. Wen Yang felt an immediate wave of disgust and shifted away, glaring at him with obvious contempt.

Noticing this, Xu Yi stepped in, shoving the sleazy man aside and shielding Wen Yang. His voice was icy. “Looking for trouble?”

The man’s expression darkened, and his gaze turned malicious. He muttered something in dialect and tossed his items onto Wen Yang’s pile.

Wen Yang didn’t recognize him, but his vulgar behavior deeply repulsed her. System, translate.

The system responded: “He said, ‘Add mine to the bill. I’m her cousin.’”

Cousin? Li Yan. Wen Yang instantly recalled the character—an attempted rapist who was later harshly dealt with by the male lead. The sight of him filled her with loathing.

“I don’t know you,” Wen Yang said coldly.

Li Yan sneered, “Cousin, it’s been years. Don’t you recognize me?”

Wen Yang shot him a disdainful look. “I’ve never had such an ugly cousin.”

Humiliated and furious, Li Yan pointed at her angrily. “Bitch, don’t push your luck.”

Xu Yi found his words intolerable and, without hesitation, kicked him to the ground. Li Yan curled up, groaning in pain.

“Check out,” Wen Yang repeated calmly.

Xu Yi frowned slightly, tapping his phone on the counter. After a moment, he admitted, “I don’t have cash.”

Wen Yang gave him an odd look but said nothing.

The two left the store, Xu Yi carrying two boxes of noodles and Wen Yang holding a bulging red plastic bag.

After stowing the items in the cart, Xu Yi asked, “Is there a bank around here?”

“Only a postal bank,” Wen Yang replied. “Do you want to go?”

Xu Yi shook his head. He didn’t have a postal bank card. “Let’s go back.”

Back in the village, Xu Yi called Zhang Yuan in City A.

“Bring two sets of toiletries over,” Xu Yi instructed. After a pause, he added, “Also, an electric kettle, a hairdryer, and a desk fan.” He considered whether he should ask for a fridge but doubted it would fit.

On the other end, Zhang Yuan regretted not arguing harder with Xu Chenglin earlier. Why did their young master need to endure this?

“Young master, let me renovate the place or bring you back,” Zhang Yuan offered earnestly.

“No need,” Xu Yi replied. “I’ll be back in a few months.”

Still worried, Zhang Yuan resolved to send supplies immediately, including several boxes of instant noodles.

After hanging up, Xu Yi grabbed an armful of snacks and headed to Wen Yang’s room.

Unable to knock with his hands full, he tapped the door with his foot.

Wen Yang opened the door, gripping the handle. “What’s up?”

“These are for you,” Xu Yi said.

Wen Yang’s eyes lit up at the sight of the snacks. She stepped aside to let him in. “Put them on the table.”

Xu Yi placed the snacks down and left without lingering.

As soon as he was gone, Wen Yang eagerly opened a package. She hadn’t seen such snacks in months and was flooded with nostalgia.

Sorting through the pile, she separated what she liked and disliked into two groups, nibbling on sweet, chewy purple sweet potato snacks and momentarily forgetting Xu Yi’s earlier antics.

For someone like her, grateful for even instant noodles, snacks were a luxurious treat.

Later, in the spirit of reciprocity, Wen Yang prepared a bowl of instant noodles for Xu Yi, even adding an egg—a rare indulgence in her current situation.

Delivering the meal, she passed Xiaoyan’s room, already planning her next steps. In five months, she could leave this place and return to her normal life.

Carrying a faint smile, she knocked on Xu Yi’s door.

Opening the door, Xu Yi noticed the rare warmth on her otherwise indifferent face. Must be the snacks, he thought.

“Your lunch,” Wen Yang said curtly, then turned to leave.

Xu Yi took the bowl and suddenly remembered something. Yesterday he asked the girl’s name but did not tell Wen Yang his name.

“My name is Xu Yi. The ‘Yi’ that means shining and radiant.”

“Nice to meet you, Xu Yi,” Wen Yang replied, her tone finally amiable.