Chapter 20: He Wants to Tease a Little Thief

In Jiang You’s imagination, as long as she managed to swing her right leg into the wall and jumped down, everything would be fine.

However, when she looked down, she realized it was not the green grass she had expected…

The water shimmered, with a stretch of continuous lotus leaves and delicate pink lotus flowers nestled among them…

This was… a pond?

A pond?

How was this a pond!!!

Ahhhhhhh!!!

Jiang You’s mind went blank for a moment, leaving her confused.

Who was she? Where was she? What was she doing?

She stood there for three whole minutes, trying to convince herself to accept the unchangeable reality.

Looking down, her heart ached.

What should she do?

She was at a loss, feeling both helpless and exhausted.

If this had been a sightseeing trip, she could’ve enjoyed the scenery of “Lotus Pond under the Moon,” perhaps even singing “Above the Moon” with joy…

But now, she felt like a criminal stuck in a wall, caught between a rock and a hard place.

Was this the price of her cravings?

Heaven, please spare her; she was just a baby…

She looked up and cried…

And it seemed the pond wasn’t placed there on purpose. It was less than ten meters long and three or four meters wide, not big, but just enough to block her movements.

Normally, she could’ve pushed through, but right now…

Forget it, she thought, maybe it was time to go back…

Her stomach was already starving; she didn’t want to face Lord Sleep in vain.

She gathered her emotions, preparing to leave.

But… how to leave?

Jiang You examined her situation. She was paralyzed in indecision.

Jumping down meant solid ground, but that might make a contribution to the hospital’s GDP. Turning right led to the path she had come from, but there was no way to grab onto it now.

She feared slipping and, instead of landing in the arms of Fu Jin, waving goodbye to the world.

Trapped with no good options.

Ah!

Ahhh!

Ahhhhhhh!!

---

Suddenly, a voice came from behind.

“What are you doing?”

At the critical moment, Jiang You turned around and saw a man standing under the streetlamp not far away.

The man was tall with a long and lean frame, dressed in a dark gray tracksuit, shorts and a T-shirt, revealing his strong arms and legs, like a college student who had just finished a workout.

He was casually standing with his arms crossed, tilting his head to look at her.

Jiang You stood frozen for another three minutes, until her neck ached, and she confirmed it was a real person.

Fu Jin.

Ahhhhhhh!!!

Jiang You felt like crying from excitement.

This man, why did he always show up when she needed him the most!

If the matchmaker said it wasn’t intentional, even ghosts wouldn’t believe it!

Her savior had arrived, and Jiang You instantly felt safe. She knew her current predicament wasn’t a problem. Fu Jin would definitely help her; she was certain.

With a little frown, half surprised, half wronged, she said, “Uncle Fu, I can’t get down…”

Her voice was like a spoiled child’s, soft and sticky, as if the dust in the air might be sucked into Fu Jin’s throat, unable to rise or fall.

It was ticklish, still ticklish.

He had been abroad for the past two days. Returning to the villa at night, he couldn’t sleep and went out for a walk.

As he strolled around the villa, he noticed something by the wall from afar, thinking it was a wild cat.

But when he stepped closer, it didn’t look like a cat—it seemed more like a person’s backside. When he got even closer, he realized it was this girl, lying against the wall. If someone didn’t know better, they might have thought she was a thief.

The girl’s oversized top hid her tight denim shorts. She was lying in a position that concealed the shorts beneath the top, and the slender legs exposed were like silver light stolen from the moon, pale and glowing.

Fu Jin walked over to the base of the wall, looked up, and met her face-to-face. His handsome face wore a teasing smile.

“Late at night, planning to sleep here?”

“No, I came to steal peaches…”

She was indeed a little thief.

Fu Jin: “Why steal peaches?”

Jiang You: “I’m hungry…”

Fu Jin paused for a second. “Didn’t you have dinner?”

Jiang You pouted and nodded.

Fu Jin couldn’t help but smile slightly. “How did you get up there?”

Jiang You pointed to the side. “I climbed up that tree first and then crossed over, but… but it’s actually a pond below…”

The girl’s butt was sticking out from the wall as she frowned in distress, her face twisting into an expression that was nothing short of “baffled.”

Fu Jin’s smile only grew bigger, and it was clear he found this whole situation rather amusing. It helped him shake off the fatigue and worries of recent days.

The air hung still for a few seconds, and Fu Jin met the girl’s expectant gaze, knowing what she was hoping for. His heart surged with rare mischief, and he put on a nonchalant expression.

“Figure it out yourself. Get down the same way you came up.”

Jiang You was stunned, struck by a bolt of lightning.

Was this exactly what she had imagined?

Wasn’t this supposed to follow the plot of a drama where he would ask her to jump down, then catch her in a “princess carry”?

????????

Not giving up, she insisted, “I’m scared, please help me…”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why should I help you?”

She fought for survival. “I’ll repay you…”

Fu Jin thought for a moment. “I’m not lacking anything.”

Jiang You was about to say, “You lack a wife,” but ever since the last time Fu Jin “lectured” her, they hadn’t spoken again. This moment was just the right chance to break the ice, and she didn’t dare to push it too far.

After waiting a while for a response, Fu Jin felt an unexpected sense of loss. He wasn’t even sure what exactly he was disappointed about, or what he was hoping for.

The night wind passed between them.

The girl stared at him, her eyes gradually reddening, her black pearl-like pupils glistening with moisture.

Fu Jin paused for a moment, surprised to see her crying.

He quickly shifted his teasing gaze, and in a tone resembling an adult scolding a child, he said, “Spoiled.”

The girl sniffed.

Fu Jin sighed quietly, almost fondly.

Straightening up, he lowered his head toward the wall, patting his shoulder. “Come up.”

Jiang You’s heart soared with relief, and she felt tears of joy.

“Thank you, Uncle Fu! Thank you! I will remember your kindness and repay you in this life, never forget it, I’ll be your servant for life!”

A smile quickly disappeared from Fu Jin’s lips, like a fleeting breeze on a hot summer night.

This girl, she always talks so much.

Jiang You carefully lifted her right leg, and just as she extended it, Fu Jin’s broad hand grasped her ankle.

The warmth contrasted with the coolness, the sensation was sweet, like a honeyed milk, tingling all the way up.

Jiang You felt the touch on her leg, shuddering, like being bitten by little bugs traveling up her thigh.

He placed her right foot on his shoulder, holding it tightly, and had her shift her weight to the right.

Jiang You clung tightly to the wall, leaning to the right, and lifted her left leg from the wall, just as her feet dangled in midair. The familiar sensation on her left ankle made her cling tightly to the wall again.

Her feet finally landed securely on Fu Jin’s shoulders.

She had escaped death and exhaled a massive sigh of relief.

She half-hugged the wall and closed her eyes, waiting for Fu Jin’s deep voice to speak.

“Why are you still dazed? Are you watching for thieves?”

Jiang You snapped out of it, noticing the man was still holding her up, and she carefully smiled, “Hehe, I’m just taking my time.”

Fu Jin’s tone was calm. “Wait until I squat down, then you can jump down.”

“Okay.”

Fu Jin slowly bent his knees, and Jiang You took the opportunity to wipe away her sweat, but just as she did, her left foot slipped from his shoulder, and both legs started to fall straight down.

“Ahhh!”

Jiang You felt herself plummeting, and instinctively shut her eyes, grabbing onto whatever was within reach to stop herself from falling.