He was handsome, and many girls in the village fancied him. Usually, they’d just blush uncontrollably when near him, secretly sending matchmakers his way. None of them would dare hold his hand after just a few meetings like she did!  

And she claimed she didn’t like eating this stuff? Who wouldn’t love such rare treats?  

To get him to eat, she’d even spin such lies.  

If he accepted, wouldn’t Shen Xiaoyue misunderstand it as him accepting her feelings?  

Lu Ping’an felt the items in his hand burning hot. He couldn’t let himself be corrupted by these sugar-coated bullets.  

“I won’t eat it,” Lu Ping’an refused outright, as if what he held wasn’t food but his own precarious virtue.  

“Fine. If you don’t want it, I’ll go tell Secretary Lu tomorrow that you held my hand and refuse to take responsibility.”  

Shen Xiaoyue refused to believe she couldn’t handle him.  

Lu Ping’an’s eyes widened. He had never met such a wicked woman—one who not only wanted to have her way with him but also threatened him.  

It wasn’t like people would just believe her if she said that. If that were the case, wouldn’t many be falsely accused and dragged out to face execution? But Secretary Lu would definitely give Lu Ping’an a good thrashing with his belt.  

“Alright, I was just teasing. I was the one who wanted to hold your hand, and I was the one who wanted to give you these treats. Just think of it as me trading them for a roasted rabbit, okay?”  

“Lu Ping’an, it’s been so, so, so long since I’ve had warm, fresh meat. The educated youth point won’t slaughter a pig for ages yet.”  

At the mention of meat, Shen Xiaoyue’s eyes lit up brighter than the stars.  

Lu Ping’an was convinced Shen Xiaoyue must be a fox spirit reincarnated. How else could she sweet-talk him into agreeing to roast a rabbit with her in the back hills after work tomorrow? He even carried the food home without thinking.  

Wait—Lu Ping’an couldn’t figure it out. How did Shen Xiaoyue know he often went to the back hills to catch rabbits for food?  

“Ping’an, what’s that in your hand?”  

The speaker was Lu Ping’an’s second elder brother, Lu Yong.  

Others might see Lu Ping’an as idle and unproductive, but the Lu family truly believed he was the smartest among them, always finding ways to make money.  

He occasionally went to the back hills to hunt game, either bringing it home or selling it. Since the Lu family wasn’t short on food, Lu Ping’an didn’t go often. No one knew exactly what he did, but he made quite a bit.  

Wu Qingyun also glanced at Lu Ping’an.  

Lu Ping’an’s heart tightened. He couldn’t let his mother find out a female educated youth had taken a liking to him.  

He immediately waved it off. “Nothing, just some goods I’m planning to sell.”  

The Lu family didn’t think much of it, assuming the goods were in high demand this time and it was better to be cautious.  

…

The next day, as the workday neared its end, Lu Ping’an was still sprawled on his bed, one leg propped up.  

He had made up his mind—he absolutely would not go see her today.  

So what if he promised? He had broken plenty of promises before. What could she even do about it?  

He refused to believe Shen Xiaoyue would keep throwing herself at his cold, indifferent self.  

They weren’t a good match. Sooner or later, he’d make her realize that.  

Lu Ping’an tossed and turned in bed, trying to fall asleep but only growing more agitated. He ruffled his hair in frustration.  

Would she cry?  

She definitely wouldn’t. He’d said far worse things to her before, and Shen Xiaoyue had just smiled through it. Standing her up was nothing in comparison.  

After a few more restless turns, Lu Ping’an sat up and glanced at the sky.  

In midsummer, the sun set late, and the evening light was still glaringly bright. The foot of the back hills wasn’t remote enough for her to be in real danger.  

Besides, she’d probably wait for a bit, realize he wasn’t coming, and leave on her own. She wouldn’t just stand there like an idiot.  

Right?  

Probably?  

…Probably not?  

Damn it. For the first time in a long while, Lu Ping’an felt the urge to swear. With a frustrated growl, he stormed out of the house.  

Back hills.

As soon as Shen Xiaoyue finished work, she headed straight for the back hills. When familiar educated youth called her to eat, she said she wasn’t very hungry.  

When she arrived and didn’t see anyone, Shen Xiaoyue wasn’t bothered. She walked further in, carefully examining the mushrooms on the ground.  

Back when she was studying, she’d learned that brightly colored mushrooms were poisonous—the prettier they were, the deadlier. She avoided the vibrant ones and searched according to memory, soon gathering a small basketful.  

Shen Xiaoyue wanted Lu Ping’an to make her a mushroom soup. It had been so long since she’d had any, and she was craving it—though she wasn’t sure if the current Lu Ping’an even knew how to make soup.  

Even if it tasted awful, she’d endure it. She’d give him that much face.  

But when she returned to the foot of the mountain with her mushrooms, Lu Ping’an still wasn’t there.  

Thinking of his reluctant expression earlier, Shen Xiaoyue decided to wait a little longer. If he stood her up, she’d make sure to note it down and throw it in his face every day until he was thoroughly annoyed.  

Just as Shen Xiaoyue was getting angry and about to leave to fetch her notebook, she spotted a tall figure running toward her.  

Lu Ping’an was panting heavily, sweat beading on his forehead as he braced his hands on his knees, completely exhausted.  

“Are you an idiot?! It’s almost dark—what are you still waiting here for?!”  

“Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to be here alone?! What if I hadn’t come?!”  

Heaven knew how complicated his feelings were when he saw Shen Xiaoyue still standing there.  

“But would you really not have come?”  

Lu Ping’an paused, then gritted his teeth. “Of course I would’ve!”  

Shen Xiaoyue waved a hand dismissively. “Then I’ll worry about it next time you don’t show up.”  

Lu Ping’an: “……”  

There won’t be a next time!  

Even though Lu Ping’an was the one who had stood her up, he was the one sulking now, silently setting up traps for rabbits by himself.  

Shen Xiaoyue sat on a rock, propping her chin in her hands as she watched him work.  

The area was teeming with rabbits, and before long, one came hopping their way.  

Both of them instinctively held their breaths, freezing even their fire-starting movements until the rabbit hopped right into the trap. Only then did they dare exhale.  

“It’s so plump…”  

Lu Ping’an grabbed the rabbit by its ears, grinning smugly at her words, his earlier anger forgotten as he dangled it proudly in front of her.  

“Of course. Look who caught it.”  

“Mhm, I knew you were the best.”  

The girl’s eyes sparkled as she nodded enthusiastically, not holding back her praise in the slightest.  

Lu Ping’an wondered if the fire was too strong—why else did his face feel so hot?  

He skinned the rabbit neatly, setting the fur aside. He knew people in town who bought pelts, and this one would fetch a good price.  

The rest of the rabbit meat was skewered on pre-carved wooden sticks and placed over the fire to roast.  

Lu Ping’an’s sharp eyes caught the basket of mushrooms next to Shen Xiaoyue. Remembering how she’d complained yesterday that the food wasn’t warm, he hesitated before speaking stiffly, “Want some soup?”  

“Hm?”  

Shen Xiaoyue had been intently watching Lu Ping’an roast the rabbit. The smoke had smudged his face with streaks of black, making him look a little disheveled. He wiped it off carelessly with his hand, somehow transforming from a delicate flower into a fierce, predatory one—so handsome it made her legs weak.