The group carried several bamboo baskets and strolled towards the small orchard behind the yard.
This small orchard isn't very big; it's just fruit grown for our own consumption, but it's very well-maintained and has a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Li Yao followed slowly behind the crowd, with Tan Guangyao holding a parasol for her beside her. He only put it away when they entered the orchard, where the tall fruit trees provided shade from the sun.
Along the way, Tan Guangyao cleared away any branches that could snag her skirt, and reminded Li Yao to be careful when walking near puddles where she could twist her ankle. Even the considerate Li Yao felt a little guilty.
She only lusted after his body, but it seems like he was lusting after more than just her body.
Li Yao figured if this guy confessed his feelings, she'd just say yes, so she wasn't coy or pretentious, and was very open and straightforward.
Tan Guangyao actually liked that about her.
Everyone tacitly refrained from disturbing the two along the way, so once they had picked enough, they began their return journey.
Tan Guangyao picked a little bit of anything that Li Yao glanced at a few times in her bamboo basket.
The last group returned and waited for the kitchen staff to wash, cut, and skewer the food. The others then found a suitable spot in the yard to set up the grill.
Tan Xinxin pulled Li Yao back inside to wash her hands, which were covered in dirt. On the way, Tan Xinxin suddenly asked, "Sister Yao, what kind of boy do you like?"
Li Yao glanced at Tan Xinxin, thought for a moment, and said, "I like handsome guys, tall guys, guys with abs, and I also like... guys who are proactive and assertive in certain ways."
This last sentence left Tan Xinxin bewildered. She turned to ask, "Which aspect is 'certain aspects'?"
Li Yao said meaningfully, "You'll understand when you start dating someone."
Tan Xinxin thought about it for a moment, and while she understood a little, she wasn't sure if she understood correctly. Her face turned bright red. Seeing this, Li Yao teased her, "What are you thinking about? Your face is all red."
Seeing that Li Yao was still making fun of her, Tan Xinxin chased after her and tickled her. The two joked and laughed, then washed their hands and returned to the yard.
Several boys in the courtyard had already lit the charcoal fire under the grill, and the skewers had been brought out. The group began grilling the skewers under Tan Guangyao's guidance.
A group of boys in their early twenties were making a lot of noise. Li Yao sat not far away, eating fruit and watching. Since the group was scrambling to grill, it seemed like Li Yao wouldn't get a turn. She could just wait and eat.
During this time, Tan Guangyao brought her juice and gave her a few skewers when they were done grilling, which caused a group of people to cheer and make a fuss. Tan Guangyao had no choice but to keep grilling, and he was covered in sweat.
Li Yao looked at the man in the afterglow, sweat rolling down his cheeks, his arm muscles were well-defined, and when he lifted his shirt to wipe his sweat, you could see the muscles protruding in his abdomen. In the fireworks, he was more down-to-earth, more simple, and more manly.
Tan Guangyao noticed Li Yao's gaze, his body stiffened for a moment, and his heart beat faster. He recalled what Tan Xinxin had told him about her initiative and assertiveness in certain aspects, and he felt his mouth go dry.
He handed over his work to his cousin, then went back to his room to take a shower and change his clothes.
Li Yao suddenly smelled a faint scent of pine and sandalwood. She looked up and saw Tan Guangyao sitting next to her, his hair still wet, probably having just taken a shower.
Tan Guangyao asked with a smile, "Yaoyao, are you full? Would you like a couple of drinks? It's fruit wine, the kind I made when I was little."
Upon hearing about drinking, Li Yao felt she could finally reach first base today, and said with a smile, "Then let's have a drink, I want to try your cooking."
The two of them, one eager to flirt and the other willing to be flirted with, drank until they were slightly tipsy in a pavilion in the corner of the courtyard.
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