In the fields, stalks of yellowing rice bowed their heads. Wind swept through, rolling golden waves.
Standing on the crest of those waves was a strong man in black trousers, bare-chested. His exposed skin was flushed red from the sun, beads of sweat trickling down his sharp brows, over his high nose bridge, past his thin, sensual lips, along his long neck, and pooling at his refined collarbones before finally dripping into the earth and vanishing quickly under the scorching heat.
His muscular build was chiseled into distinct blocks, the lines clear and hard. Every move he made added a touch of allure—raw masculinity striking straight at the heart.
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs wrapped in black trousers—firm and powerful. He exuded a lazy, unrestrained energy, yet it carried a captivating beauty of strength.
Though there were young men in the village with similar builds, none of them had a face as handsome as his.
They couldn’t even imagine the kind of good life Lin Aiyun would have every night—why hadn’t this fortune fallen on them? At the thought, the hands gathering scattered rice nearly crushed the husks.
Xiao Cheng’s tall frame bent slightly—one hand holding a sickle, the other gripping a large bunch of rice stalks. In no time, they were cut down, then expertly tied into bundles and tossed accurately onto the nearby pile.
Zhou Jin, standing in the pile, was responsible for binding the rice sheaves into large bundles for transport back to the village. He too was shirtless, his lean muscles drawing plenty of attention. With his decent looks, he’d already attracted several young women offering water and snacks.
Perhaps because Xiao Cheng was known to be Lin Aiyun’s boyfriend, no one dared loiter around him. On the other hand, his aloof, unapproachable aura also kept people at a distance—as if he might snap at any second.
“Aiyun, come here.”
At the call, Lin Aiyun snapped out of her daze. She looked up to see Xiao Cheng’s smiling face. Sunlight bathed his features, lending them a warm brightness. Her heart thumped, alive and quick.
His voice drew glances from all around. Under the weight of so many eyes, she walked toward him. Fearing she might stumble, he strode over to meet her. He’d meant to reach out and steady her, but mindful of all the watching eyes, he instead focused on her footing.
“It’s so hot—why did you come?” Xiao Cheng’s brow furrowed slightly, though his eyes betrayed his pleasure.
“Brought you water. You must be tired after working all morning.” She took the canteen from around her neck and handed it to him, then pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. “Wipe your face—the sweat’s about to get in your eyes.”
Her thoughtful concern made Xiao Cheng’s eyes curve even deeper. He lowered his voice: “I wish you’d wipe it for me.”
Flustered, she glanced around. Seeing no unusual reactions, she relaxed and shot him a playful glare: “Always so glib.”
“All true.” Xiao Cheng’s lips curved. He wiped his face carelessly with her sweet-scented handkerchief, then took a long drink from the canteen—careful not to drink from the rim, since the water wasn’t just for him.
“Aiyun’s here?”
She turned to meet her father’s reproachful gaze. His tone, full of grievance, made it clear he was jealous—and who could blame him? She’d been here so long and had only paid attention to Xiao Cheng, not sparing a single thought for anyone else.
“Dad, let me fan you.” She flashed an ingratiating smile, pulling out the palm-leaf fan tucked at her waist and waving it at Lin Jianzhi. The air was hot, but some breeze was better than none.
“Sis, fan me too.” Lin Wenkang sidled over and stood shamelessly beside his father.
“Oh, Jianzhi, we’re so envious—your family’s so close-knit.”
“Those two young men are real workers too, so capable. You’re going to be very fortunate.”
Lin Jianzhi’s smile was unstoppable. He patted Xiao Cheng’s arm: “Haha, not at all, not at all—but yes, they’re good. They can handle hard work.”
He started with modesty, then couldn’t help praising them. That morning, he’d woken up to find Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin in the backyard, splitting firewood. Neat rows of it were stacked up—enough for over half a year’s supply.
When he checked the kitchen, the water vat was full too. He had no idea how they’d found the village well, or what time they’d gotten up. Seeing all that, he couldn’t help being moved.
After breakfast, they’d insisted on coming to the fields to help, and nothing could stop them.
Pulling his thoughts back, the more he looked at Xiao Cheng, the more satisfied he became. He’d assumed the city-bred young man couldn’t handle hard labor—but within minutes in the field, he’d grown proficient, his movements clean and efficient. No fault to be found.
“We’ve finished the water. You should head back.” Xiao Cheng handed her the empty canteen.
“Yeah, it’s too hot—you’ll feel awful soon.” Lin Wenkang echoed. Even they, tough as they were, felt like they were on fire under the sun. His delicate sister wouldn’t last long—another hour and she’d be peeling.
Lin Aiyun nodded and was about to turn and leave, but looking at Xiao Cheng’s reddened skin, she couldn’t help feeling sorry for him—she just couldn’t bring herself to walk away. She turned and looked at Zhou Jin as well, and sure enough, his skin was also red all over—definitely sunburned.
The others in the village were used to being out in the sun and their bodies had long adapted, but Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin were different. They probably hadn’t spent this much time outdoors in a long while. They might not feel it now, but they’d suffer for it later.
“Dad, why don’t you all take a break? It’s almost lunchtime anyway. Mom made mint water.” Lin Aiyun hooked her arm around Lin Jianzhi’s, suggesting softly.
Hearing this, Lin Jianzhi looked at the fields, already more than half harvested, and nodded. “Alright, let’s head back early today.”
With Xiao Cheng and Zhou Jin’s help, there was no rush to finish.
“Then let’s carry some of these back with us.” Xiao Cheng grabbed his shirt from the ridge and pulled it over his head. Once dressed, he began gathering the bundles of rice.
Each of the men hoisted several large bundles onto their backs, while Lin Aiyun carried the sickles and canteens. The family made their way toward the village entrance, chatting with familiar villagers along the way and enduring plenty of teasing.
Xiao Cheng, the “outsider,” was completely at ease, even using a few local phrases he’d picked up to chat with people—acting as naturally as if he’d grown up here. Lin Aiyun, on the other hand, was the one blushing from embarrassment.
“Are you hot? Your face is so red.” Xiao Cheng noticed her flushed cheeks and asked. She paused, and seeing everyone else look at her, she could only nod: “A little.”
“Let me fan you.” He pulled the palm-leaf fan from her basket and stood beside her, fanning her.
“Aren’t you tired? I can do it myself.” He was carrying such a heavy load of rice on his back, yet he could still fan her without breaking a sweat.
Xiao Cheng dodged her reaching hand and gently tapped her head with the fan, his voice full of affection: “I’ve got the strength for this.”
She clutched her head, didn’t refuse again, and looked away from him—only to catch Lin Wenkang stifling a laugh. She shot him a glare, pretending to be aloof as she walked on. But when she looked up, she met a pair of eyes filled with disbelief, pain, and confusion.
Almost instantly, Lin Aiyun’s smile vanished. She stopped in her tracks.
Xiao Cheng had been walking and fanning her, but when she didn’t follow after two steps, he turned back in confusion. Seeing her expression, he sensed something was off. He followed her gaze and spotted a stranger.
The man wore the most common grey tunic and black pants, with two small patches on them. His features were decent, and he was tall—only half a forehead shorter than Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng’s mind flashed back to the dossier Jiang Yan had given him, and he realized who this might be. His gaze darkened.
“Let’s go—it’s too hot.” A soft voice broke his thoughts. He looked at her composed expression, nodded, and acted as if he knew nothing, continuing forward—but he shifted his body slightly toward her, as if staking a claim.
“Yeah, let’s hurry.” Lin Wenkang had obviously seen the figure too. He’d been strolling and chatting with Zhou Jin, but now he quickened his pace.
Why had Meng Baoguo come to their village? Showing up at a time like this—it was hard not to suspect he’d heard she was back. And this time, she’d brought her “future brother-in-law.”
Hopefully, he’d just come for a look and not cause any trouble. Though even if he did, things had already been made clear—he couldn’t stir up much. But the real worry was Xiao Cheng not knowing the full story and getting the wrong idea, which could cause tension between him and his sister.
Back at the Lin house, Zhang Wenhua hadn’t finished lunch yet, so she served each of them a bowl of mint water. Seeing them drink, she told them to rest until the meal was ready.
Lin Aiyun, worried about Xiao Cheng’s sunburned skin, waited until everyone had gone to their rooms before pulling him to sit in the main hall.
“Let me see.” She grabbed his arm and looked it over, then pulled aside the back of his shirt slightly.
Xiao Cheng sat obediently, letting her do as she pleased. Seeing her nervous expression, he couldn’t help smiling: “If someone sees this, my reputation as a pure young man will be ruined.”
“Doesn’t matter—I’ll still have you.” Her attention was on the slightly peeling skin on his back, and she shot back without thinking.
“You’re so kind.” Xiao Cheng raised an eyebrow, his smile deepening. His hands, which had been resting on his knees, took advantage of her body blocking the doorway and ventured upward, settling on her waist. He gave the small dimples there a light squeeze and lowered his voice: “Then I’ll be counting on you to take good care of me.”
“Stop it.” She caught his fingers, glanced back, and seeing no one was there, quickly rubbed his face. “Don’t worry—I’ll definitely take good care of you.”
“How, exactly?” He was curious now, pressing her for an answer.
Leave a Reply