In summer, it gets dark late. After a month of hard work, fruit farmers harvest the seasonal fruits and then begin summer pruning.
Thin out the flowers and fruits, pinch off the tips and make incisions. If you encounter a few dead branches, prune and tidy them up.
Every day at sunset, groups of fruit farmers, carrying thorny gates, step into the twilight.
The crimson sunset painted the courtyard with its golden hues.
Lu Yu had just finished dinner and taken a refreshing shower. She moved a rattan chair out of the small storage room in the backyard, hid under the lush persimmon tree, and opened a video of last year's women's basketball league.
The comfortable feeling didn't last long before there was a knock on the purple wooden door.
Normally, no one would come looking for Lu Yu. Most importantly, even though someone was knocking on the door, no unfamiliar voices could be heard in Lu Yu's mind.
The answer to who is outside the door is obvious.
Thank goodness, a lifeline has come knocking on our door.
Lu Yu jumped up and ran to greet the arrival of her lifeline.
The purple wooden door opened, and the person outside, whom they hadn't seen for a month, seemed like a completely different person. No longer the eccentric and rebellious figure they once were, they now resembled someone who had appeared in the news.
Jiao Yuyin is still tall and slender, but his outfit is completely different.
Dressed in a suit and tie, with a neat hairstyle, a few beads of sweat dampening his temples, he didn't look disheveled. Jiao Yuyin spread one hand, his thumb and middle finger pressing against the lower sides of the silver-rimmed glasses, gently adjusting the frame to a comfortable position.
It's only been a month, and he's already wearing glasses. His attire and demeanor are that of a business tycoon; even adjusting his glasses exudes charisma.
Lu Yu adopted a pretentious tone, not caring about his status, he couldn't lose face. "Why didn't you call me while you were abroad? Sir, you've returned home in triumph from overseas, haven't you?"
Jiao Yuyin remained unmoved by the sarcasm, and did not feign remorse. "There were indeed people staking out the airport back then; you guessed correctly."
His voice and image finally match, but this time Jiao Yuyin seems much gentler.
Lu Yu invited him into the courtyard and led him to the persimmon tree.
On the small wooden table under the persimmon tree sat a cup of tea, a box of washed grapes, a cat speaker, and a tablet.
The sound from the speakers was quite loud. Jiao Yuyin recognized that the tablet was playing a women's basketball game.
Lu Yu was thinking of going to the small warehouse to get another rattan chair, but Jiao Yuyin didn't treat himself as an outsider and directly dragged a wooden chair from not far away to the persimmon tree.
Lu Yu stopped the video playing and said politely, "Wait a moment, I'll make you a cup of tea."
Jiao Yuyin, showing a bit of consideration, said, "No need to trouble yourself, just get me a bottle of mineral water. Thank you."
Lu Yu was taken aback by Jiao Yuyin's polite demeanor.
As the saying goes, "where there's smoke, there's fire," and the phrase "the newcomer is up to no good" kept flashing through Lu Yu's mind. This time, Lu Yu decided to find out more about the other party before making any moves.
Lu Yu placed the bottled water on the wooden table, then sat down in the wicker chair and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Why didn't you call me? You came all the way here."
Jiao Yuyin, sitting on the wooden chair, had an unreadable expression, but his voice was calm and unhurried. "My phone is being tapped, and I'm contacting you directly because I'm afraid you'll say something you shouldn't."
Lu Yu continued, "Then why did you come alone? Shouldn't the boss be picked up and dropped off by his subordinates?"
"I rode my bicycle here; this place is really remote." Jiao Yuyin gulped down half a bottle of water.
Lu Yu looked puzzled, as if to say, "Are you sick?"
Jiao Yuyin stared into Lu Yu's dark eyes, and this time he saw a hint of feminine charm in Lu Yu's slightly more vibrant face. He continued, "I don't want you to hear my thoughts, otherwise you'd probably kick me out before I even open my mouth."
Lu Yu swayed in her rattan chair, straightened up, took a sip of weak tea, and said in a cold voice, "I won't do anything that is immoral or illegal."
Seeing that Lu Yu was getting further and further off track, Jiao Yuyin said, "Lu Yu, what I'm about to say might be a bit abrupt."
Jiao Yuyin paused for a few seconds, staring at Lu Yu like a hawk locking onto a hare, not missing any subtle abnormality in its prey. "Will you marry me?"
"clatter."
The teacup tilted, and tea spilled out.
Lu Yu took a deep breath and brought her index finger close to her lips.
The tea that splashed on my index finger was rolled into my mouth, leaving a row of indented teeth marks on the back of my finger.
Seeing that Lu Yu didn't respond, Jiao Yuyin continued, "What I wanted to ask was, could you agree to a marriage of convenience with me? I'll cure your insomnia, and you'll help me read people's minds. You'll return to the competition, and I'll win my dad's favor."
Lu Yu, dressed simply, sat in a rattan chair, holding the remaining half cup of tea, and remained silent.
Jiao Yuyin, dressed neatly, sat on a wooden chair to the side, holding the agreement, and spoke eloquently.
The scene was both strange and harmonious.
It looks like a corporate executive coming to this paradise to find a hermit, presenting a business plan and urging the big boss to invest more.
This so-called "reclusive master" Lu Yu is just putting on a brave face.
My blood was churning, and my heart was pounding.
Is she really going to have a quiet evening? Compared to a healthy body and a basketball dream, what is a marriage agreement? Such a huge windfall has just fallen into her lap?
The dull pain in his index finger brought Lu Yu back to his senses; the teeth marks were already turning red.
Unable to contain her emotions any longer, Lu Yu put down her teacup, prioritized exercising her right to physical intimacy, grabbed Jiao Yuyin's finger, and refused to let go.
The black pupils reflected in the persimmon tree, shimmering and sparkling with the fluttering leaves.
"Not at all abrupt, not at all abrupt. Boss, let's get our marriage certificate today."
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