"It's alright," Zhao Qian said gently. "I don't know if it's love, but I've never met a woman as capable as her. Whether it's love, I'm not sure, and it doesn't matter. I only know one thing."
"What?"
"I wish her well."
Therefore, anyone might reveal her secret, but he never would.
Ai Qi lowered her head and whispered, "Pretty sister is indeed very good, very capable, and beautiful, like a fairy."
She looked down at herself. Her white dress was dirty, her calves were smeared with mud, and her hair seemed messy. She hadn't washed it in days.
She could smell the strange odor herself.
And Pretty Sister's clothes were a little dirty too, but her face was still as beautiful as ever, breathtakingly beautiful, like the scorching sun in the sky, never setting, making people yearn for her.
She didn't have any strange smell either, as if she had always been fragrant.
Ai Qi lowered her head, feeling ashamed.
Zhao Qian said softly, "She's always different from others, otherwise, she wouldn't have stopped to help me back then. She has a kind heart and a beautiful appearance..."
Ai Qi didn't listen to what Zhao Qian said afterwards.
But she knew that in Zhao Qian's words, Pretty Sister was perfect and unique. He spared no effort in using the most beautiful words to describe her.
As she listened, she suddenly interrupted Zhao Qian.
"Pretty Sister, can you tell us how you and Brother Fu met?"
Hearing this, everyone else pricked up their ears. They were already curious but were too embarrassed to ask.
But showing affection in private was one thing, while sharing one's story publicly was another.
"It's nothing, we just met, and then we felt we were quite suitable, so we got together." She finished the story in a few words.
Everyone's faces were filled with black lines.
Ai Qi was even more insistent, pressing, "Didn't you ever fight? Didn't you go on dates? You just felt you liked each other and got together? Who confessed first?"
Their relationship seemed so good, there must have been many experiences in between.
Shen Qingqing raised an eyebrow, "You're very curious about our affairs?"
Ai Qi propped up her chin and nodded repeatedly, "Seeing how loving you two are, I thought you must have gone through a lot, and that's why your relationship is so good."
Shen Qingqing smiled without speaking.
Although she didn't like telling others about her affairs, these words were pleasing to her, and she didn't deny them.
Their relationship was indeed very good.
She looked up at Fu Jing Shu. Without a word, her bright, lively eyes seemed to speak. Fu Jing Shu understood and nodded. He brushed a strand of hair from her ear and tucked it behind.
Without needing words, the tenderness overflowing from his brows was enough for anyone to understand his deep affection for Shen Qingqing.
"Those are our past experiences, and there's really nothing much to say. It's still early, and everyone should rest for a while. We still have to go to the small river in the afternoon."
After saying this, Shen Qingqing leaned her head on Fu Jing Shu's shoulder and closed her eyes slightly.
She was preparing to sleep.
Everyone's curious hearts itched, but seeing that she was about to rest, they couldn't press further. Ai Qi, standing nearby, moved her lips a few times, then was tugged by Zhao Qian.
Reluctantly, she closed her mouth.
After the midday rest, when she woke up, it was precisely two o'clock in the afternoon. The spot beside her was still warm, but no one was there.
She sat up and saw Fu Jing Shu watching everyone pack their backpacks, preparing to depart.
She stood up, casually wiped her face, then put on her backpack and walked to Fu Jing Shu's side, stating with no room for argument.
"I'm going too."
"No."
He replied just as unequivocally.
Shen Qingqing frowned, "Why?"
"Your injury hasn't healed yet." Fu Jing Shu glanced at the time. They were about to leave. He walked over, scooped her up, and turned towards their little cottage.
Shen Qingqing tapped his shoulder, "With you here, I won't be in danger."
"Still no."
He placed her down on her jacket, touched her slightly cool cheek, and said in a low voice, "Be good, wait for me here."
Ignoring the many eyes on them, he kissed her on the forehead before turning to leave.
Shen Qingqing, clutching her backpack, could only watch him leave with a helpless expression. Ai Qi scurried over, looking at the dejection on her face and suppressing a smile.
"Pretty Sister, don't worry. I'll go with Brother Fu, and I'll help you keep an eye on him, so no other girls get close to him."
"That's not necessary. I trust him."
Shen Qingqing felt that given her man's obliviousness to romance when dealing with others...
If a girl really tried to approach him, she didn't know who would end up embarrassed.
Ai Qi blinked in surprise, "You trust Brother Fu that much?"
"My lover, of course, I trust him." Shen Qingqing gave her a strange look. Her words were odd.
"You don't have a boyfriend yet, do you?"
Ai Qi shook her head, a little shy, "I haven't really thought about that aspect..."
"That's right then," Shen Qingqing said with the air of an experienced person. "When you have a boyfriend in the future, you'll understand that trust is very important for couples, and the same goes for married people."
Ai Qi understood vaguely, but she did grasp one thing.
"Although I don't fully understand, I know you two will continue to be as loving as ever. It's truly enviable."
Over there, Fu Jing Shu was already leading everyone away.
Seeing this, she quickly waved goodbye to Shen Qingqing and chased after them.
Half the people had scattered, leaving only a third of the camp. Everyone was sitting in their own spots.
Shen Qingqing sat for a while, holding her backpack. Feeling a bit bored, she used it as a pillow. Just as she settled down, the old man's face appeared before her.
He squatted beside Shen Qingqing, looking down at her.
"Lazy girl, you're up."
"Is something wrong?"
She was languid and comfortable lying down, not wanting to move at all.
A slightly aged hand pulled her up, ignoring Shen Qingqing's displeased expression, and made her sit up straight. Then, he took a small bottle from his bag.
He held the bottle and looked around mysteriously, as if he didn't want to be seen.
Shen Qingqing was also made curious by him, "What is that?"
The old man opened the stopper and poured the contents into his palm. First, a pair of antennae emerged, then a white, round, and plump body.
Shen Qingqing furrowed her brow, "A leech, what are you doing with this?"
"I've been studying it and discovered a characteristic of this fellow that is very useful to us!" The old man poked the leech with his finger.
Strangely, the worm lay docilely in his palm, not moving at all.
Its antennae didn't frantically suck blood upon seeing flesh either.
"You tamed it?" Besides being surprised, she could only guess this was the reason. However, as far as she knew, this worm was not easy to tame.
It contained venom and preferred human blood, unless one was willing to feed it with their own blood.
But the worm's appetite grew larger and larger. If you gave it too much blood, it would go into a frenzy of feeding. But if you gave it too little...
Naturally, it would be impossible to complete the taming.