"Why is that gone?"

Seeing Xiao Chenxing getting shy, Li Yang felt a bit more confident, "I still want to make things clear to you."

Xiao Chenxing was silent, and Li Yang mustered up the courage, "You know my personality, if I didn’t genuinely like you, I wouldn’t have come to the countryside to find you."

This sentence made Xiao Chenxing frown slightly.

It felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Hmm."

She made herself ignore that tiny discomfort, lifted her head, "Go on."

"We’re not that young anymore," Li Yang scratched his head, "If it were in the past, we might even have had kids by now."

Xiao Chenxing was stunned, completely not expecting Li Yang to say such things.

Seeing that Xiao Chenxing didn’t object, Li Yang continued, "So, I want to ask you, have you thought about your lifelong matters?"

"I have thought about it."

"Have you thought about me?"

Li Yang nervously held his hands, "I’ve figured it all out. Once I get home, I’ll discuss with my parents about finding a job.

Once that’s settled, would you give me a chance to take care of you?"

...

The two of them stayed in the back for about twenty minutes. Xiao Chenye didn’t know what they talked about, but he was outside the house feeling incredibly anxious.

He was scratching his head, looking anything but serious.

Wen Ran maintained a laid-back demeanor, "Believe in yourself, also, believe in your sister, okay?"

"Not really."

"...Don’t make me slap you."

"Fine."

"Fine is fine, not fine is not fine, don’t say whatever, because that’s the thing I hate to hear the most."

"Fine."

The situation had come to this, so even if it didn’t work, it had to work.

The group was ready. On their way to the ox cart, Xiao Chenye was behaving like a robot.

Li Yang had a big grin, looking as happy as could be, while Xiao Chenye’s face was as long as possible.

After dropping everyone off at home, Wen Ran smiled and coaxed Xiao Chenye, "Alright, stop being upset, okay?"

"I really can’t be happy," Xiao Chenye said despairingly, "My sister is about to become someone else’s."

"Come on, cheer up, I’m about to become yours soon, too. Just think about it from another perspective, okay?"

Xiao Chenye still had a long face, "It’s just not the same."

Wen Ran: "..."

Still saving face.

She raised her hand and gave him a light slap.

"Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, or I’ll get angry."

Xiao Chenye covered his face, looking up cautiously at Wen Ran, thinking to himself, if she already hit him, wasn’t she already angry?

It did hurt, after all, Wen Ran’s strength wasn’t just a gentle breeze.

But, it did smell nice.

His mood improved a bit, "Alright, let’s not talk about that annoying brat anymore. Come on, let’s take a walk up the mountain."

Even when they reached the town, Xiao Chenye, being stubborn, was really planning to go back empty-handed.

After Wen Ran gave him a scolding, the two of them went to the supply and marketing cooperative, bought a bunch of stuff, and even strolled around the black market.

With a full basket, they finally started their return journey.

Back home, Xiao Chenxing and Hongguo were studying, bickering back and forth, it was quite entertaining.

Xiao Chenye carefully observed Xiao Chenxing’s expression, muttering, "It’s strange.

You know, Xiao Chenxing, this silly girl, she’s got some guts.

Hey, don’t say it’s not impressive, having a relationship and still being so calm."

To this, Wen Ran threw him a dirty look, "Stop acting crazy, it’s not even a thing yet.

By the way, keep your mouth shut and don’t gossip in front of uncle and aunt."

Xiao Chenye felt wronged but had no choice, he just glared at Xiao Chenxing and trailed behind Wen Ran like a puppy.

Seeing Xiao Chenxing looking lost, Hongguo called out, "Sister Xingxing, what’s wrong with you?"

She closed the book in her hand, "I see you’re looking a bit distracted right now?"

"Huh?" Xiao Chenxing let out a breath, "You noticed?"

"I’m not blind."

"Maybe you should keep your mouth shut."

Listening to people talk now just made her head hurt uncontrollably.

Hongguo laughed, "Even if you don’t say, I can guess why."

"Oh, then tell me why you think that is."

"Troubled by love!"

Xiao Chenxing: "..."

Damn it, it seems you’re clever, you’ve figured it out.

"But, I saw Li Yang when he left, and he was very happy. Even if your confession was rejected, he shouldn’t have been so outwardly emotional."

Hongguo, being small, analytically deduced.

"So, I guess he confessed, and you didn’t reject him, but whether you agreed or not, I don’t know!

The issue isn’t with him; it must be with you."

Xiao Chenxing was dumbfounded, looking at Hongguo, "Did you eavesdrop when we were talking?"

Hongguo: "I have no such low-class interest, it was purely analysis ..."

Their conversation stunned Xiao Chenye. Before he could run over to ask questions, he was pulled away by Wen Ran.

They set off for the mountains.

On the way, Xiao Chenye seemed to vent his frustration on the innocent wildlife, bagging seven or eight wild chickens and rabbits.

Wen Ran was amused, busy picking up after him.

"Alright, alright," Wen Ran coaxed, "calm down, being on a mountain, these animals’ luck would’ve run out for sure."

"I’m just feeling a bit stifled."

"You can’t protect Chenxing for her entire life; many things she needs to experience herself to understand."

The bonds of the world, the warmth and coldness of human relationships, things like that.

Xiao Chenye sighed, "I understand it all, but still, thinking about it makes me feel uneasy."

"What’s with the sulking? If you’re still sulking, how about we have a bonfire up the mountain tonight and roast a whole lamb, hmm?"

Xiao Chenye: "Up on the mountain, roasting a whole lamb, and at night?"

"Yeah," Wen Ran liked her idea more and more, spring plowing is hard work, having something nice to reward oneself, what’s wrong with that?

It’s perfectly justified.

"So, should we do it?"

If you’re not enthusiastic about eating meat, there’s something wrong with your mindset.

Wen Ran directly shooed Xiao Chenye away, "Bring some household stuff, quietly head up the mountain, I’ll wait for you in Wolf Valley."

"What if they don’t let me in?"

Without Wen Ran, Xiao Chenye was apprehensive about dealing with the wolves alone.

Wen Ran: "...Bring a hostage when you go up the mountain."

Xiao Chenye: "?"

Faced with Xiao Chenye’s block-headedness, Wen Ran was about to go crazy, "Do you want me to explain it more clearly?

Just bring Hetao, won’t you?"

With a wolf king’s cub in hand, she wasn’t bragging; it almost allowed her to strut around the wolf pack.

Xiao Chenye suddenly realized, accepted the task assigned by Wen Ran, and trotted down the mountain.

With no one to disrupt things anymore, Wen Ran ran directly to Wolf Valley and started preparing the lamb ...