Gu Zhiyun was silent for a moment, then pondered and said, "Whether we go back to the city or not, I'm determined to have Jingya."

He didn't want to let down his first real crush in twenty-one years, and he certainly wouldn't let down Jingya, this intelligent and skillful girl.

Yang Zinuo frowned and asked, "Old Gu, you have no education and no job right now, and Jingya is so capable. Do you think she'd want to be with you? Even if she did, you're taking her to the capital, which is hundreds of miles away from Dalin Village. Do you think her uncle would agree? Once you're in the capital, how will you support her? Will her aunt and uncle accept a country girl as their daughter-in-law?"

Gu Zhiyun interrupted Yang Zinuo's incessant chatter: "As long as Jingya likes me, I can overcome any difficulty."

Yang Zinuo was speechless after being choked by his resolute words.

"Looks like you won't turn back until you hit a brick wall."

"Even if I hit a brick wall, I won't turn back."

Yang Zinuo: "..."

You're so capable, so stubborn, I'm just worrying for nothing.

Upon hearing Gu Zhiyun's words, Shen Jingyan's heart pounded wildly.

It turns out that Gu Zhiyun's infatuation with her wasn't just a passing fancy, but a long-standing affection.

She liked him so much that she was involved in every aspect of his life plan.

Although Gu Zhiyun never said "I like you" to Shen Jingyan's face, Shen Jingyan deeply trusted his unwavering sincerity.

It turns out that being liked and remembered by others is such a wonderful thing.

The people who like her are also so outstanding, absolutely perfect.

Looking at Gu Zhiyun's handsome profile, she felt a warm glow in her heart.

At this moment, her hopes for the future are like the moon in the sky, growing ever fuller.

...

The three packed all the rolled glutinous rice balls into cardboard boxes, waiting for Master He to come with people to pick up the goods and pay the balance the next morning.

The house that Shen Jingyan rented in town was uninhabitable, so the three of them had to rush back to Dalin Village overnight.

Gu Zhiyun and Yang Zinuo came by truck from the forest farm, but the truck had already returned to the forest farm long ago.

The only usable means of transportation was Chen Jingyan's small tricycle.

After locking the doors and windows, Shen Jingyan pushed the tricycle onto the main road and called to Gu Zhiyun and Yang Zinuo, "You two get on, I'll give you a ride."

Gu Zhiyun and Yang Zinuo exchanged an uncertain look.

Although the tricycle looked quite sturdy, two tall men, each over 1.8 meters tall, were suddenly sitting in the small cargo bed...

Seeing that the two of them were standing still, Shen Jingyan thought they doubted her strength.

"What, you think I can't move you two? I can move three to five hundred pounds of glutinous rice balls, how could you two weigh five hundred pounds of glutinous rice balls?"

Yang Zinuo scratched his head and said, "It's not that I'm worried you don't have the strength, it's just that it's a bit inappropriate for a little girl like you to be pedaling a tricycle while the two of us grown men sit in the back..."

Gu Zhiyun said bluntly, "Don't you know how to ride a tricycle? You ride it, and Jingya and I will sit in the back."

Yang Zinuo was furious. Why did he always have to listen to Gu Zhiyun's arrangements?

"You can pedal too? Why don't you say you're pedaling while Jingya and I sit in the back?"

Gu Zhiyun gave him a cold glare: "I'm not comfortable with you sitting with Jingya."

Yang Zinuo: "..."

Why does he look like such a scoundrel?

Is he the kind of person who would take advantage of young girls?

“If neither of you wants to pedal, I’ll do it,” Chen Jingyan said.

“No, Lao Yang is willing to pedal,” Gu Zhiyun said firmly.

Yang Zinuo rolled her eyes: "Fine, so you two are dating and I'm just a laborer!"

Finally, Gu Zhiyun and Shen Jingyan sat in the back of the vehicle, while Yang Zinuo pedaled the tricycle.

It was dark and the road was slippery, so Shen Jingyan tied a flashlight to the handlebars of the tricycle to serve as a headlight.

The wind was biting cold in the first month of the lunar calendar. Although the tricycle didn't go very fast, the wind felt like knives cutting into your face.

Fortunately, when Yang Zinuo arrived, he was wearing a scarf and a sheepskin hat, wrapped up tightly, so he didn't suffer too much.

The tricycle traveled two miles and entered the winding mountain road. The wind blowing out from the primeval forest became even more biting and piercing.

Chen Jingyan wrapped her wool coat tighter around herself and kept breathing warm air into her palms.

Seeing this, Gu Zhiyun took off his scarf and wrapped it around Shen Jingyan without saying a word.

A warm, woody scent enveloped Chen Jingyan, whose little face, rosy and hidden in her scarf, was radiant.

To shield her from the wind, Gu Zhiyun tentatively hooked his arm around her shoulder again.

Shen Jingyan obediently leaned against his shoulder.

Now Gu Zhiyun was relieved. He put his arm around Shen Jingyan's shoulder and pressed Shen Jingyan's fluffy little head against his chest.

"Thump, thump," Shen Jingyan heard Gu Zhiyun's heartbeat, clear and firm, just as firm as when he said, "I'm going to have Jingya."

Her heart started pounding.

"Hey, you two, don't fall asleep! It's deep in the mountains, it's kind of scary."

Yang Zinuo called out.

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingyan raised her head and brushed her nose against Gu Zhiyun's.

Gu Zhiyun's breathing suddenly became unstable.

"Don't move," he whispered in Shen Jingyan's ear.

A ticklish warmth seeped into her ears, and Shen Jingyan's ears turned red.

"Hey, are you two really asleep?"

Yang Zinuo called out again.

From the distant, deep forest, the faint howls of wolves could be heard.

When Yang Zinuo got scared, her legs kicked like a motor.

The wind grew colder, so Gu Zhiyun took the opportunity to hug Shen Jingyan tightly.

Even through the thick coat, Gu Zhiyun could still sense Chen Jingyan's slender frame.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!