The abandoned house had been uninhabited for so long that fixing it up was quite the ordeal. After nearly half a month of rushing, the work was finally done.

Zhou Song glanced at it as he passed by after returning from the fields. The house no longer looked rundown. The courtyard walls, like most of the homes in the village, were now enclosed by a mud-brick wall taller than a person.

That day, as he fetched water from the well, he happened to run into Wu Lanshu, who looked like she was about to go out with her horse-drawn cart. Seeing him, she paused.

“Zhou boy, fetching water again?”

They had run into each other a few times before, mostly at the well. Once, they crossed paths by the river when she saw him coming down from the mountains with a bow and arrows, only then realizing he was skilled at hunting.

She recalled the village women gossiping about how capable and talented he was, even lamenting how such a good man had yet to think about marriage. Listening to them, she found it surprising. Zhou Song, despite his quiet and reserved nature, seemed to be well-liked in the village.

Zhou Song stopped and nodded in response, then asked, “Aunt, are you heading out?”

“Going to town. The house is fixed up, so there’s a lot we need to buy, especially food and supplies,” Wu Lanshu explained, pulling on the reins.

Since they had just moved to the village and didn’t have any fields, they hadn’t yet planted vegetables or raised chickens. They had to buy everything. Thankfully, they still had a half-used cart; otherwise, it would have been quite a hassle since the town wasn’t exactly close.

“Take care on the road,” Zhou Song said, unsure of what else to say, so he settled for a polite reminder.

“Will do,” Wu Lanshu responded with a smile. As she was about to flick the reins to get going, she suddenly remembered something and called out to him, “Zhou boy, wait a minute. I have a favor to ask.”

Zhou Song stopped in his tracks. “What is it?”

“I won’t be home today, and Aunt Wang next door went to town to visit her son, said she’ll be staying two days. So, only Shen Qingzhu is at home. I’m a little worried. If anything comes up, could you help keep an eye out for me?” Wu Lanshu wouldn’t ask just anyone for this kind of favor, worried they might have ulterior motives.

But after spending years in the capital, she considered herself a good judge of character. This kid might seem cold and hard to approach, but in truth, he had a good heart and wouldn’t harbor ill intentions.

In this unfamiliar village, she trusted him more than most.

Zhou Song tightened his grip on the bucket handle slightly. “Sure, don’t worry.”

Wu Lanshu nodded, “Good. You don’t have to worry too much. It’s hot out, so Qingzhu likely won’t go anywhere. I doubt anything will happen.”

After a moment, seeing him nod, she added, “Alright then, I’ll be on my way. Once we’re done tidying up, I’ll invite you all over for dinner.”

She was heading to town to buy more supplies, wanting to host a proper meal despite living in a small village. After all, if she was going to invite people, she wanted to make sure everything was in order.

Zhou Song watched her cart disappear into the distance before turning to head home with his water buckets. When he passed by the Shen family’s courtyard, Wu Lanshu’s request came to mind, and he paused to glance over. It was as quiet as ever, no signs of anything unusual. He felt reassured and was about to leave when the tightly shut wooden door suddenly opened.

The person who stepped out looked up, and their gaze met his.

Both of them froze.

The person Zhou Song had only caught a glimpse of before now stood right in front of him. Their face no longer had that sickly pale look, but instead, a healthy glow had returned to their complexion. They seemed in much better shape.

Standing this close, Zhou Song realized that the other person was slightly shorter than him. When they looked up at him, they had to tilt their head slightly, and the upward glance from their almond-shaped eyes made them look much less severe than before.

And somehow, that made Zhou Song’s heart race even more.

Shen Qingzhu was the first to snap out of the daze. His gaze swept over Zhou Song from head to toe, quickly realizing he was a man. Momentarily surprised, he instinctively took a step back and retreated into the doorway. “Who are you?”

Noticing Shen Qingzhu’s cautious movement, Zhou Song pressed his lips together and also took a step back. He wanted to explain, but under the other’s gaze, his heart pounded wildly, and he awkwardly averted his eyes.

When he didn’t respond, Shen Qingzhu became even more wary. He subtly placed his hand on the door, ready to close it in case anything happened. “Why are you standing in front of my door? Is there something you need?”

Realizing that if he didn’t say something, he might scare the other person, Zhou Song stifled the strange feeling in his chest. However, he still didn’t dare meet his gaze, so he kept his eyes lowered to the ground. “Aunt Wu asked me to keep an eye on you. I was passing by and just wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

Shen Qingzhu looked a bit suspicious at first but then seemed to recall something. His expression shifted as he asked, “Are you by any chance surnamed Zhou?”

Seeing that Shen Qingzhu recognized him, Zhou Song felt a sudden, inexplicable joy. He tightened his grip on the bucket handle, trying to keep calm, and nodded. “Yes.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” Shen Qingzhu relaxed a little, offering a small smile. “Aunt Wu mentioned you.”

Zhou Song found himself momentarily lost, staring at the slight curve of Shen Qingzhu’s lips.

When he didn’t respond, Shen Qingzhu raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Zhou Gongzi?”

Zhou Song snapped back to reality, quickly shifting his gaze away from Shen Qingzhu’s face and then cautiously back. “My name is Zhou Song.”

Before Shen Qingzhu could reply, Zhou Song added, “You can just call me by my name. I’m not some… Gongzi…”

His voice trailed off under Shen Qingzhu’s steady gaze, and his eyes dropped back to the ground.

Seeing Zhou Song like this, Shen Qingzhu assumed he was just shy and didn’t think too much of it. “Alright, Zhou Song. I’m Shen Qingzhu. You can just call me by my name too.”

Hearing his own name come from Shen Qingzhu’s lips made Zhou Song’s heart, already racing, speed up even more. He wanted to raise his hand and press it against his chest, but both of his hands were occupied with the water buckets. All he could do was grip the wooden handles tighter.

Zhou Song had never realized how good his name could sound.

Shen Qingzhu watched Zhou Song’s silent and reserved demeanor and thought to himself that Aunt Wu had been right. He really was a man of few words.

After finally calming his wildly beating heart, Zhou Song realized he had ignored Shen Qingzhu’s words again. But now it felt awkward to suddenly respond, and he wasn’t sure how to salvage the situation.

Noticing Zhou Song’s struggle, Shen Qingzhu stepped out from behind the door and took the initiative to speak again. “Aunt Wu is worrying too much. I’m fine on my own. You don’t need to trouble yourself; go ahead with your work.”

Zhou Song raised his head at those words.

Shen Qingzhu was wearing a plain, narrow-sleeved cotton robe. The fabric was nothing special—most moderately well-off families in the village could afford similar clothing. His black hair was simply tied behind his head with a matching colored ribbon.

Yet even in such simple attire, Shen Qingzhu’s elegance was impossible to hide. He looked like a refined young gentleman, his unadorned appearance only making him seem more otherworldly, like an immortal untainted by the mundane world.

Looking at him like this, it wasn’t just Aunt Wu who felt concerned. Zhou Song too found himself uneasy at the thought of leaving Shen Qingzhu alone in this unfamiliar village. He thought to himself that even though Shen Qingzhu said it wasn’t a bother, Zhou Song couldn’t help but worry.

Out loud, he said, “It’s no trouble.”

Seeing that Shen Qingzhu wanted to say something else, Zhou Song quickly added, “Were you about to head out just now?”

With his question, Shen Qingzhu hesitated, then smiled. “Yes, I’ve been recuperating from an illness since we arrived. It’s been half a month, and I haven’t had a chance to look around.”

Hearing this, Zhou Song paused for a moment before saying, “Wait for me then. Let me put these two buckets of water down at home, and I’ll come back to show you around.”

Though it might be better to avoid any gossip given their situation, there weren’t such strict rules in this remote village. No one would talk if they openly walked together. Qi Shan Village had a relatively honest and simple way of life.

Besides, leaving someone like Shen Qingzhu to wander the village alone made Zhou Song uneasy. While most villagers were good people, there were always a few ruffians around who spent their days loafing about. If Shen Qingzhu happened to run into them, there would definitely be trouble.

With that thought, Zhou Song gave him no chance to refuse. After saying his piece, he turned and left with his buckets.

Shen Qingzhu hadn’t had time to stop him, and now it didn’t seem appropriate to go out on his own, so he could only return inside to wait.

“He really is just like Aunt Wu said—cold on the outside, warm on the inside,” Shen Qingzhu muttered to himself with a light chuckle, gently closing the door behind him.