Gu Zhiyun lifted his eyelids, and his long eyelashes trembled a few times.

"I'm twenty-one."

"Time flies, it's been three years since you came to the forest farm."

Grandma Xu smiled and looked up at the tall Gu Zhiyun as if he were her own grandson. "You do the math yourself. How many people have been introduced to you for marriage? What, you didn't like any of them?"

When Grandma Xu spoke, Gu Zhiyun nodded politely to her, but did not reply.

His aloofness was just right; it didn't make him seem cold or unapproachable.

Grandma Xu then tentatively added, "That's true. You come from the big city of Beijing; a country girl might not be to your liking."

Gu Zhiyun pursed his lips and replied, "Not necessarily."

Grandma Xu took it as a polite remark, but asked with a hint of urgency, "I heard from those female educated youths that you have a boyfriend in the city? Or someone you grew up with in the same courtyard?"

Gu Zhiyun remained silent.

"I heard Xiao Yang mention her too, was her name Yingying or Yanyan? Didn't she write to you saying she wanted to come to the forest farm to see you? Why didn't she come?"

Gu Zhiyun felt annoyed, thinking that Grandma Xu was going to enthusiastically introduce him to the Zhang family's daughter and the Li family's daughter again.

"Grandma, please don't ask me anything. I'll make my own decisions."

After he said that, Grandma Xu felt too embarrassed to press for more details.

After Gu Zhiyun brought the Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls) back home, Grandma Xu sat on the kang (heated brick bed) and pondered for a long time.

When she mentioned that Gu Zhiyun had a girlfriend in the city, Gu Zhiyun only said not to worry her, neither confirming nor denying it.

Based on her years of experience dealing with men, silence is a tacit agreement.

The rumors that Gu Zhiyun has a girlfriend in the city are not unfounded; it's just that Gu Zhiyun is tight-lipped and hasn't revealed any more information.

This kid is actually eating what's in his bowl while eyeing what's in the pot!

Anyway, Gu Zhiyun and Jingya are still far from being together, so introducing Jingya to Xiaopeng isn't exactly breaking up a couple, is it?

Grandma Xu had a plan in mind. She had to hurry up and get Xiao Peng back to meet Jing Ya. If she waited a few more days, Jing Ya might be seduced by Gu Zhiyun!

Gu Zhiyun carried the glutinous rice balls back to Shen Jingyan's dormitory.

The house had been cleaned up, and Shen Jingyan was adding coal to the stove.

The cabin was warm and cozy under the heat of the charcoal fire, and a faint fragrance could be smelled in the air.

Gu Zhiyun thought to himself, how happy he would be if he could stay in this little house every day and see his little girl as soon as he opened his eyes.

A loud snore shattered his beautiful fantasy.

Yang Zinuo drank quite a bit of alcohol, then lay sprawled on the kang (a heated brick bed) and slept soundly.

He was covered with a soft blanket; such thoughtfulness could only come from Jingya.

Gu Zhiyun frowned slightly. Could this little girl please stop being so nice to everyone?

When Shen Jingyan saw Gu Zhiyun return, she poured him a cup of hot water.

Gu Zhiyun placed the steaming glutinous rice balls on the kang table, and Shen Jingyan handed him a water cup, saying:

"Are you cold? Here, warm your hands."

Gu Zhiyun's eyes flickered a few times. He took the cup and put it aside, then took Shen Jingyan's two small hands in his own.

It's soft and tender, and feels surprisingly good to the touch.

Shen Jingyan instinctively tried to pull away, but her grip tightened even more.

Gu Zhiyun's palms were somewhat rough; after working in the forest farm for three years, calluses had long since formed on his hands.

The rough touch caressed Shen Jingyan's palms and the backs of her hands, giving her a tingling, numb sensation that seemed to seep into her veins and blood vessels through her skin.

Gu Zhiyun said softly, "Your hands are still warmer."

He seemed to be stating the facts very seriously, but his words were like a breeze, blowing into Shen Jingyan's ear and teasing her earlobe.

Gu Zhiyun saw the little girl's earlobes slowly turn from pink to red, until they were almost burning red.

"Ding—" A system notification suddenly sounded in my mind, "Dear Master, Xiao Ba is here to deliver another mission to you!"

A sense of foreboding rose in Shen Jingyan's heart, because every time Gu Zhiyun was present, the tasks assigned to her by the system were always strange and ambiguous!

Sure enough, the system first chuckled mischievously, then said expectantly, "Feed Gu Zhiqing three Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls), and you will receive 10,000 points."

Chen Jingyan: "..."

She felt that their relationship wasn't close enough for them to feed each other.

The last time I fed Gu Zhiyun sugar water, Shen Honggang caught me, which was embarrassing enough.

Yang Zinuo is sleeping right next to me right now, in case he wakes up...

"I refuse." Faced with the temptation of 10,000 points, Shen Jingyan showed remarkable resolve.

"Ahem, dear master, I must responsibly remind you that you have used up all your points. We don't know when the system will assign the next task. Are you sure you want to give up 10,000 points?"

Shen Jingyan checked her points and found that she really had none left!

A few days ago, she redeemed a tricycle, glutinous rice and fillings needed to make Yuanxiao (sweet rice balls), and when she set up her stall, she also redeemed a lot of pots, pans, tables and chairs. She has already spent all the points she earned from completing tasks!

Suddenly, Shen Jingyan felt like she had become a penniless pauper.

And the one million points she wanted to exchange for the mysterious area are still nowhere in sight.

Thinking about it this way, it seemed she had no choice.

Her face flushed, and she asked Gu Zhiyun in a very soft voice, "Um, would you like to eat a few glutinous rice balls?"

Gu Zhiyun, as if possessed by a system, smiled mischievously: "My hands are frozen, I can't hold chopsticks, why don't you feed me?"

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