Chapter 27 Restraint: "Don't rush."
The sea breeze, carrying the sound of waves, brushed against her cheeks. Mu Tingyu tilted her head back, staring intently at Xing Ze, her eyes pure and bright.
Xing Ze met her gaze and slowly asked, "What do you want to confirm?"
Mu Tingyu tilted her head: "Answer me first."
"......"
"No." Xing Ze said helplessly, "Didn't I say that I've never been in a relationship?"
Mu Tingyu anticipated this answer and immediately asked, "So, are there any plans after that?"
Xing Ze paused, then looked down at her: "You want to confirm this?"
Mu Tingyu smiled and narrowed her eyes, her gaze cunning and bold.
No, not exactly.
She lowered her head and counted on her fingers as she asked, "Do you have any childhood sweethearts? A white moonlight that lives far away abroad, or a cinnabar mole that you loved but never got together with? Did you have any crushes in high school or college?"
Remembering Xing Ze's seemingly wealthy family background, she tentatively added, "And his fiancée, arranged for various reasons? A marriage partner?"
"......"
Xing Ze chuckled and slapped her forehead: "You watch too many TV dramas?"
Mu Tingyu stepped forward and demanded an answer.
"No." Xing Ze answered crisply, then countered, "Are you asking on behalf of your friend, or do you want to ask yourself?"
Mu Tingyu raised her head, her eyes slightly upturned, and asked in a light tone, "What do you think?"
She met his gaze directly, her eyes filled with undisguised probing.
The sky and earth are vast and high, with an endless horizon in the distance. The sunlight generously shines on the girl in front of me, making even the strands of hair that flutter in the wind seem incredibly light.
Her eyes were free of any gloom, as clean as a clear lake, youthful yet exceptionally attractive.
Xing Ze's Adam's apple bobbed, his gaze lingering on him. "Alright, there's nothing there. Go play..."
Seeing that he was about to dismiss her like a child again, Mu Tingyu hurriedly took a step forward and spoke directly:
"Xing Ze, you told me before that you haven't been in a relationship because you haven't met someone you like."
Xing Ze took a wrong breath.
"And now?"
Her voice was clear and bright: "Right now—do you have someone you like?"
These questions came out of nowhere, barging in headfirst, each word carried by the wind into Xing Ze's ears.
The girl's eyelashes trembled slightly in the wind, but she still stared at him without blinking.
The sea breeze felt slightly cool on my damp clothes, making my sleeves and hem rustle.
Xing Ze didn't speak, but silently looked at her.
She took another step forward stubbornly, almost touching him, clearly determined not to give up until she got a clear answer.
Xing Ze looked at her face so close to his own, and his gaze slowly deepened.
After a long pause, he finally spoke: "I..."
"Listen to my words!"
A shout abruptly interrupted him. Wang Jiale, standing by the waves, yelled at them, "What are you standing there for? Come surf!"
Xing Ze raised his eyes and looked in that direction.
Mu Tingyu pretended not to hear and persistently reached out to tug at his sleeve: "What were you about to say? Go on!"
Xing Ze suppressed the emotions in his eyes, let out a soft breath, pressed her shoulder, and turned her around: "Let's go surfing."
"Wait..." Mu Tingyu was pushed forward, frowning as she tried to turn her head to look at him, unwillingly saying, "I'm not going... What were you about to say? Why didn't you answer my question..."
As she finished speaking the last few words, she felt a large, warm hand land on her head, gently stroking her hair.
Xing Ze's deep and gentle voice sounded from behind:
"Don't rush."
.
The group spent the afternoon playing on the beach until the sun was halfway down the horizon, at which point they packed up and prepared to go home.
It's too late, so the planned barbecue can't go on.
Having to burn charcoal and process food, even someone who could eat a lot would starve to death.
So Xing Ze took charge of cooking, with Zhang Xin assisting him, and they quickly and easily prepared a few dishes.
They were all starving, and since they were close friends, they grabbed the food like they were fighting over it, praising Xing Ze's cooking skills as they ate.
After the meal, the few who hadn't cooked played rock-paper-scissors to wash the dishes, and this time it was Wang Jiale's turn to be the unlucky one.
Huang Jing chuckled and teased, "Young Master, is this your first time washing dishes?"
Wang Jiale awkwardly placed the pot into the sink, squeezing out dish soap as she said irritably, "Don't gloat, it'll be your turn next time."
"I'm not going to use scissors three times in a row," Huang Jing mocked him. "Do you even know how to wash it? If you don't, call me 'sister,' and I might reluctantly consider helping you."
"Go on, you'd better leave!"
Zhang Xin poked his head out of the kitchen doorway and called to the group, "I asked Brother Xing, the tent can be pitched in the open space by the door, kids, let's get to work!"
Everyone got up and slowly walked to the car to unload their equipment.
The items didn't look like much, but they were moved back and forth quite a few times.
After the last bit was moved, the girls huddled together to rest for a while. Shaoyue laughed and said, "I feel like I've already digested my dinner."
"How can there be so much stuff?" Huang Jing asked incredulously. "I don't remember there being this much when we loaded it onto the truck."
Mu Tingyu squatted down, picked up an iron rod-like object, and asked curiously, "What is this? Why is it thicker than the others?"
Zhang Xin was already busy assembling the tent when he heard this. He glanced at it and said, "That looks like the support pole for a single-peaked tarp. Wang Jiale bought it."
What is a single-peaked canopy?
Wang Jiale came out of the house after washing the dishes and happened to hear this. He called out, "It's a kind of tent. Give it to me, I'll set it up."
He walked over, took the pole from Mu Tingyu's hand, took out the tent cloth from the waterproof bag, and shook it with his arm.
The tent felt bigger than the open space; it was clearly no small project. Several girls came over to help.
After putting on the support poles, Wang Jiale suddenly hissed, "This kind of ground seems a bit difficult to secure."
He stomped his foot on the ground: "It's too hard. The tent pegs probably won't go in. I didn't bring a hammer."
Huang Jing suggested, "Then why don't we try using a larger stone?"
"No, no," Mu Tingyu quickly said, "Be careful not to hit your hand. Xing Ze should have a hammer upstairs. Wait a moment, I'll go get it."
Huang Jing watched her retreating figure and asked, "Hey, where did Brother Xing go?"
"They disappeared right after we finished eating," Wang Jiale shrugged. "They probably went upstairs and stayed there."
"Brother Xing is really aloof," Cao Yaxi exclaimed. "And it seems like he doesn't really like getting involved in our affairs."
“Why would we need him to participate?” Wang Jiale crossed his arms. “He comes but doesn’t say a word; he doesn’t seem like a good fit for the group.”
"What's wrong with you?" Huang Jing glanced at him. "Why are you suddenly so hostile towards Brother Xing?"
"..." Wang Jiale frowned and slowly said, "Don't you guys think his behavior towards Mu Tingyu is a little strange?"
Shao Yue raised an eyebrow and replied calmly, "What's strange?"
“He always liked to get very close to Mu Tingyu, and sometimes he would even touch her inappropriately.”
"It's alright, they've known each other for so long, they should be quite familiar with each other."
"Is this all right? A month is nothing!" Wang Jiale's tone rose. "Didn't you see him holding onto Mu Tingyu tightly when he was surfing this afternoon?"
"That's because Tingbao fell into the water," Huang Jing said irritably. "Can you please stop looking at everyone like a love rival?"
"Even if you fall into the water, there's no need to keep holding on," Wang Jiale said, a little annoyed. "What love rival? I think he's got some ulterior motives."
"I was just saying, why are you getting so worked up?" Huang Jing shrugged. "Ting Bao didn't say anything, why are you so worried?"
"Huang Jing, aren't you interested in Xing Ze? I don't believe you didn't see how he treats Mu Tingyu. Are you comfortable with that?"
Huang Jing frowned: "What's the connection between these two things? Does being interested in someone mean you have to restrict their behavior?"
"Hey, alright, alright." Cao Yaxi quickly stepped between the two of them. "Why do you two always argue?"
Shaoyue, who knew a little more about the situation, sighed and said, "Jiale, Tingbao has rejected you for so long, why are you still so hung up on her?"
“...Do you think I wanted this?” Wang Jiale exhaled. “I hadn’t really thought about it, but as soon as we met, that feeling from before came back.”
"She's really beautiful, and her smile is gorgeous, like a little sun."
"She's never been in a relationship before, and I've known her for quite a while. Why can't I be the first one? I'm just as good as her."
Xing Ze followed Mu Tingyu out the door and heard this very sentence.
The group had their backs to the door and didn't notice them coming downstairs.
Cao Yaxi said with a smile, "Brother Le, you're quite persistent, but Tingyu doesn't seem to have any feelings for you."
"Who has she ever been interested in?" Wang Jiale's low voice came from behind. "I'm thinking of trying to pursue her, what if I succeed?"
Mu Tingyu stopped in her tracks and subconsciously glanced back at Xing Ze.
Xing Ze's face was shrouded in darkness, his eyes were slightly narrowed, and his expression was blank.
Mu Tingyu's heart skipped a beat, and she took the initiative to speak: "He confessed to me before."
Xing Ze's gaze fell on her face: "You refused?"
"Yeah, but he still sent me love letters several times afterward." Mu Tingyu smiled and said, "I didn't expect him to keep going like this. He's quite persistent."
Xing Ze unconsciously frowned: "Back in college?"
"Yes, I've known him for four or five years."
Silence fell behind him.
Mu Tingyu ignored him and continued walking forward, saying, "The hammer is here!"
Xing Ze stood there, watching Wang Jiale eagerly approach and take the hammer from Mu Tingyu's hand. He seemed to say something, and everyone laughed.
They were still young, their faces still brimming with youthful vigor, looking full of vitality.
Mu Tingyu stood there smiling brightly, as if she should have been one of them.
The room was quiet, the lights were off, as if it were a different world from the outside.
The air gradually became thicker, and he took a breath, feeling an unbearable heaviness in his chest.
When he decided to move here, he never intended to go back.
Having lived in the village for so many years, he had no need for social interaction and no one to bother him. He lived a monotonous life day after day, and his personality became more introverted and he didn't like to talk. Even Xing En often said that he was boring.
He never cared about such comments. Whether they were boring or not, he lived alone anyway.
Xing Ze lowered his eyes, his throat feeling a little tight.
But the language of the shepherd is different.
She truly loves life, seemingly maintaining curiosity and enthusiasm for all new things. She always has novel ideas in her mind, enjoys traveling, and loves talking to people. When she's around, it's never quiet.
She loved life so much that even after struggling to climb out of the mire, she still wanted to embrace the world.
Such a person should always live amidst bustling crowds, forever accompanied by freedom and joy, rather than wasting time in such a dull and boring old house.
He couldn't be so selfish as to grab her when she was so naive.
She's still young and shouldn't be stuck here.
-
Wang Jiale moved closer to Mu Tingyu and helped her secure one side of the tent pegs.
He tapped the tent pegs several times with a hammer, but they were either driven crookedly or stubbornly stuck in the ground. He tried several different positions but couldn't get them in place.
Mu Tingyu held out her hand: "Let me try it."
"No need!" Wang Jiale refused, stubbornly continuing to knock. "It'll be done soon!"
He struggled with the nail for a dozen more times, but still failed, and sweat broke out on his forehead from frustration.
Mu Tingyu narrowed her eyes, tugged at his sleeve, and said with a smile, "Let me give it a try."
Wang Jiale originally wanted to say "no need," but when he turned his head, he was momentarily stunned by her smile and unconsciously handed over the hammer in his hand.
He couldn't help but move a little closer to her: "Then you try it, but be careful..."
Just as Mu Tingyu was about to take it, a hand suddenly reached out from behind her and intercepted the hammer.
A familiar, deep voice rang out: "I'll do it."
Her eyes crinkled into a smile, and she finally broke into a happy laugh.
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