He Tiantian coldly observed the people around her; Li Mingkai had already begun to curry favor with Qi Xiaoyan.

However, Qi Xiaoyan didn't seem to have any special feelings for Li Mingkai, which made Tiantian feel a little better. It was all worth the precautions she had taken!

As for Qi Fangfang, oh my goodness, it's really strange that she actually has feelings for Li Mingkai. The moment she sees a woman showing interest in Li Mingkai, she bristles like a hedgehog, as if she wants to pounce and kill her!

Haha, I've got it!

Li Mingkai and Qi Fangfang are a perfect match!

One of them is a scumbag, a heartless man!

One is a petty, despicable, and greedy person!

With this idea in mind, He Tiantian kept thinking about how to get the two of them together.

The current situation is rather unusual; the man is indifferent, but the woman is interested.

Fortunately, there's always one who takes the initiative!

As the saying goes, "For a man to pursue a woman, it's like climbing a mountain; for a woman to pursue a man, it's like piercing a thin veil."

It's a fundamental flaw in men that they often accept women who come to them willingly. If that's the case, then things become much easier.

"Xiao Yan, are you thirsty?" Li Mingkai climbed halfway up the mountain and saw that Qi Xiao Yan had beads of sweat on her forehead and her lips were a little chapped, so he quickly took out his army water bottle and handed it to Qi Xiao Yan.

Qi Xiaoyan was taken aback; the kettle didn't have a cup. She usually didn't use other people's kettles, especially those used by unfamiliar men.

Qi Fangfang is cunning. When they were all together, Li Mingkai offered water to Qi Xiaoyan but not to her, which shows that Li Mingkai's heart wasn't with her and that he must have his eye on Qi Xiaoyan.

The thought that Qi Xiaoyan had better food, better things, and was prettier than her filled Qi Fangfang with jealousy. However, this was due to her family background or innate qualities, so she felt only jealousy and didn't harbor resentment. But now, the man Qi Fangfang secretly loved had fallen for Qi Xiaoyan, which filled Qi Fangfang with deep resentment.

He Tiantian took out the water bottle and drank a few sips.

Qi Xiaoyan's eyes lit up. She could use He Tiantian's water bottle, but not Li Mingkai's.

"Thank you, Sister Tiantian brought some," Qi Xiaoyan said, then walked over to He Tiantian and asked her for some water.

They were both young girls, and He Tiantian didn't look down on Qi Xiaoyan, handing the water bottle to her.

Qi Xiaoyan carefully poured some water into the lid and sipped it. After finishing, she poured some water to rinse herself.

Qi Fangfang also felt thirsty, but she didn't want to use He Tiantian's water bottle. While Li Mingkai was in a daze, she took the water bottle and gulped down a few mouthfuls, thanking him, "Thank you, Brother Li."

Li Mingkai was stunned again, seeing that Qi Fangfang had drunk water from his water bottle, he felt disgusted as if he had eaten fly droppings.

However, in front of Qi Xiaoyan, Qi Fangfang was Qi Fangfang's little sister, so he couldn't get angry.

"You're welcome." Li Mingkai took the water bottle, put the cap back on, and placed it back in the bottle. He planned to empty the water bottle once they reached a secluded spot.

The thought of Qi Fangfang's round face and thick lips made Li Mingkai feel nauseous!

What bad luck! I was hoping for some indirect close contact with Qi Xiaoyan, but she's so shy! And Qi Fangfang, that kettle is her own personal item, how can she just use someone else's! She has no manners at all!

Regardless of looks, temperament, or family background, Li Mingkai didn't find Qi Fangfang attractive!

He Tiantian didn't lead everyone to places with lots of wild fruits and mushrooms, but instead searched for them together with the others.

"Sweetie, come over here, there's plenty over here." Ye Xiaofan called He Tiantian over when he saw her behind him. There was a large patch of wild mushrooms there.

He Tiantian, Qi Xiaoyan, and the others couldn't help but laugh as they approached.

"Sister Xiaofan, don't pick those mushrooms. They're poisonous and you can't eat them. They won't kill you, but they can cause allergies," He Tiantian warned. "Let me see your baskets so I can check them for you, just in case you accidentally eat them and get poisoned."

Upon seeing the plump, white mushrooms, Ye Xiaofan asked in bewilderment, "How can these beautiful mushrooms be poisonous?"

"The prettier the mushroom, the more poisonous it is," Qi Xiaoyan said with a smile. "Hurry up and bring it out so we can check it for you."

Wang Lei, Zhang Qingshan, and Sister Wu all emptied the mushrooms from their baskets. There were quite a few mushrooms, but most of them were inedible.

He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan helped pick out the inedible mushrooms and told them which mushrooms were edible and which were not.

Under He Tiantian's guidance, these educated youths learned how to distinguish between poisonous and non-poisonous mushrooms.

Qi Fangfang surveyed the terrain; they weren't far from the distance her brother had agreed upon. Now, with so many people following along, even if the trap her brother had dug came in handy, they wouldn't have to wait for him to come and rescue them. Wang Lei, Zhang Qingshan, and the others would be able to rescue He Tiantian then.

While others were digging for wild vegetables and mushrooms, Qi Xiaoyan tugged at He Tiantian's clothes and whispered, "Sister Tiantian, I know a place with lots of wild fruits. I'll take you there."

He Tiantian looked up at Qi Xiaoyan in front of her and tentatively asked Qi Fangfang, "You're taking me with you, but not Xiaoyan?"

Qi Fangfang certainly didn't want to take Qi Xiaoyan with her. If Qi Xiaoyan also knew that He Tiantian had fallen into the trap, she would probably go down the mountain to call someone to rescue He Tiantian, which wouldn't work either.

Oops, I miscalculated!

Bringing Qi Xiaoyan along today is just a burden!

However, if Qi Xiaoyan isn't brought along, He Tiantian might not come to the back mountain with her!

Although He Tiantian was very polite, Qi Fangfang knew it was all just for show; He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan were close. This was understandable, given that Qi Xiaoyan's father was the village party secretary, and He Tiantian needed to curry favor with her.

"It would be too conspicuous for the three of us to disappear. Let's go first, and once we get some good fruit, we can share some with Xiaoyan," Qi Fangfang explained. "Let's go, before anyone notices!"

He Tiantian sneered inwardly. Qi Fangfang's invitation to come to the back mountain today had already made her uneasy and on high alert. If Qi Xiaoyan hadn't been there, He Tiantian wouldn't have come at all. Now that Qi Fangfang was encouraging her to act alone, she must have some ulterior motive.

Qi Fangfang is not scary; what's scary is that there's a shrewd, ruthless, and well-hidden Qi Jianguo behind her.

Knowing that the other party might have ulterior motives, He Tiantian going out alone with Qi Fangfang would be a complete idiot!

"No, if we sneak away, Xiaoyan will be angry. Besides, there's plenty here, enough for us to pick." He Tiantian refused with a smile, then turned and ran to Qi Fangfang's side, wanting to see what Qi Fangfang was up to.

Upon hearing He Tiantian's refusal, Qi Fangfang's facial muscles stiffened, and she gritted her teeth secretly as she watched He Tiantian run away.

He Tiantian is too shrewd; she's completely unmoved! (To be continued.)