She possessed exceptional artistic talent and a fondness for painting sunsets on her easel every evening. Her culinary skills were also noteworthy; not only were her meat dishes delicious, but even simple morning fare like pickled vegetables and congee were exceptionally tasty. Her hands were incredibly adept. The children in the village often received clothes donated from outside the mountains. Because these clothes varied in size, Shen Xiaoyan, a former fashion design teacher, would alter them. In fact, clothes transformed by her hands looked even better than those sold in boutiques.
"With such exquisite skills, why didn't you apply to a design firm instead of becoming a teacher?" In the evening, Shen Xiaoyan was mending clothes for the little chubby boy in the courtyard. Yi Zhixie, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, brought over a stool and sat beside Shen Xiaoyan, asking with great surprise.
"Perhaps it's an obsession with being a teacher," Shen Xiaoyan replied softly.
"But won't that bury your talents?" Yi Zhixie said, perplexed. "You seem unable to see clearly, your vision is limited by yourself. If you went to a design firm, your future achievements would be absolutely beyond what you have now!"
"Being a teacher doesn't stop me from doing design. It was true in the past, and it is true now." Shen Xiaoyan seemed to dislike Yi Zhixie's tone. She cast a cool glance at him and continued to focus on the garment.
"One should focus on doing things to achieve the greatest results," Yi Zhixie insisted, determined to debate with Shen Xiaoyan today.
Shen Xiaoyan let out a soft laugh. She lowered her head and bit off the thread. As she lowered her head, her hair slid down, and Yi Zhixie stared in stunned silence.
However, Shen Xiaoyan didn't notice his change in expression. She tidied the clothes, stood up, and said, "This is my choice, and it has nothing to do with you, Teacher Yi. As for vision, say whatever you like."
"I..." Yi Zhixie only managed to utter one word before Shen Xiaoyan, holding the clothes, disappeared into her small courtyard.
From the distance outside the door, Yi Zhixie could clearly see the large patch of hyacinths and unidentified foxtail flowers blooming in the courtyard.
Yi Zhixie observed Shen Xiaoyan whenever he had free time. Despite her coldness, or even greater coldness, towards him, he remained persistent. Shen Xiaoyan, however, maintained a constant state of indifference.
She truly enjoyed her days here. Every morning, she would wake up early for a walk, sketch designs when she had time, and help alter clothes. In short, she lived a very comfortable life.
That evening, she was scheduled to escort the children home as usual. Today, only two children needed to be taken home. Yi Zhixie saw this as a good opportunity and decided to follow her quietly. After she saw the children home, he planned to approach her on the way back and have a talk. He wanted to understand her better.
Shen Xiaoyan, holding the hands of two little boys, walked along the winding mountain path. The boys were quite young. Due to malnutrition, they were thin and small. Although they were seven years old, they looked like they were only four or five.
The two boys were twin brothers, the elder named Caiyuan and the younger named Gun-gun.
Caiyuan swayed Shen Xiaoyan's hand and said in a soft voice, "Teacher Shen, will you have dinner at our house today! Dad said he's going to the market today, and if he sells the eggs, we can buy meat to eat."
"Yes, yes," Gun-gun chimed in from the side.
"Teacher doesn't like meat. You two eat more, okay?" Shen Xiaoyan patted their heads and couldn't help but smile. She always felt happy when she was with these children.
After walking a stretch of the mountain path, Shen Xiaoyan saw a couple standing at the edge of the field. The moment the two children saw their simple parents, they immediately waved goodbye to Shen Xiaoyan and ran towards them.
Shen Xiaoyan stood there, watching the simple couple embrace their two children affectionately. A wave of emotion washed over her.
Such warmth was something she would never experience in her lifetime.
Perhaps she was naturally aloof in terms of family affection, lacking both parental and spousal love. All she could do was to love herself well.
Seeing the couple lead their two children away, Shen Xiaoyan prepared to leave. But as she turned a corner, before she could react, a shadow lurking by a tree darted out. The person grabbed her and dragged her towards a small grove of trees nearby. The person's strength was immense, and even from that distance, Shen Xiaoyan could smell the foul odor emanating from him.
She fumbled for the pepper spray hidden in her pocket. However, the person's strength was too great; she was no match for him. Her pepper spray was knocked away before she could use it, and her hands were then restrained.
"Help!" Shen Xiaoyan's cries grew louder, but everyone had already gone home. She wasn't even sure if anyone nearby could hear her!
She hadn't come unprepared; she always carried pepper spray. But after being here for so many days without any incidents, and considering the genuinely simple folk, her vigilance had naturally waned.
As she was dragged into the small forest, countless images flashed through her mind. At one moment, she even prepared herself to die there.
The person was likely a villager. He was tying Shen Xiaoyan's hands with a rope.
"Don't scream, no one is here!" Hearing Shen Xiaoyan's continuous cries, the man chuckled twice, then reached for his own clothes to cover Shen Xiaoyan's mouth.
Just then, an unidentified object struck the man on the back.
That day.
Yi Zhixie carried Shen Xiaoyan out of the forest. As he carried her, though he was four years younger than Shen Xiaoyan, his tone when speaking to her today was unusually serious, as if he were several years older.
"Teacher Shen, if I hadn't come today, do you know what the consequences would have been? To silence you, he might have killed you. Regardless of whether he's brought to justice later, your life would have been gone! From now on, if anything like this happens again, either I'll escort you, or call Na Gu. This world isn't as beautiful as you think." Yi Zhixie chattered incessantly while carrying Shen Xiaoyan all the way back to the academy.
There was no one at the academy at this time. Na Gu had already been called to deal with the scoundrel, and the nearby villagers had also been mobilized.
Yi Zhixie carried Shen Xiaoyan back to her courtyard. It was then that he got to see what the courtyard looked like.
The entire courtyard was filled with flowers and plants. Upon entering the house, it was remarkably tidy. It was clear at a glance that this young woman was meticulous.
Yi Zhixie gently laid her on the bed. Apart from a single word of thanks, Shen Xiaoyan said nothing else. Even now, she sat blankly on the bed, her brows still furrowed.
Seeing her in this state, Yi Zhixie couldn't help but feel that she wasn't as aloof as usual. He reached out and gently rubbed her head, saying, "Change your clothes first, I'll go boil some water."
"No, shouldn't I make something to eat first?" Yi Zhixie thought to himself. She needed to eat to regain her strength. Otherwise, due to her fear, she might not even be able to stand.
Just then, Yi Zhixie's phone rang. Yi Zhixie glanced at his phone, didn't answer it, but instead rubbed Shen Xiaoyan's head again and instructed, "Wait here for a moment, I'll get you something to eat."
After saying this, without waiting for Shen Xiaoyan's response, he took his phone and walked outside. Only when he was sure Shen Xiaoyan couldn't hear him did he answer the call.
...
On the other end of the line, Lin Xin was having dinner with Lu Taobao and Zheng Wei. It took a while for Yi Zhixie to answer. As soon as he did, Lin Xin's words poured out: "Why did it take so long to answer? Are you still in class this late? Have you been out causing trouble? You've been gone for so many days and haven't called home."
"Brother, I didn't hear it just now!" Yi Zhixie lied. He actually didn't want Shen Xiaoyan to know that the call was from his brother, Lin Xin, and didn't want to bother her.
"Your classmate has already returned early, why don't you also..."
"I won't!" As soon as Yi Zhixie heard Lin Xin urging him to return, he instinctively looked towards the courtyard, directly interrupting Lin Xin.
"Oh, is there some enchantress in the mountains who has captivated your soul..."
Before Lin Xin could finish speaking, Yi Zhixie heard a thud. He had been paying attention to the direction of the courtyard and naturally noticed the sound. Other than Shen Xiaoyan, he couldn't think of anyone else who could make such a loud noise.
In that instant, ignoring his elder brother's unfinished words, he cried out in alarm, "Shen Xiaoyan!"
Then, he dropped his phone and rushed towards the house.
Meanwhile, in the capital.
The moment that desperate cry came from the phone, the wine glass in Zheng Wei's hand was instantly crushed...
"Old Zheng! Don't look at me like that, I don't know where Shen Xiaoyan is either!"
"Maybe it's Yi Zhixie's classmate, it's not necessarily... after all, Shen Xiaoyan isn't a particularly unique name, and besides..."
"Give me the phone!" Zheng Wei's face was extremely grim. He didn't even care about the bloodstains on his palm as he reached out and snatched the phone from Lin Xin's hand. He directly redialed Yi Zhixie's number from the call log.
However, there was no response for a long time.
Zheng Wei's temper grew increasingly volatile, and Lin Xin's phone was almost crushed in his hands.
"Yi Zhixie's cry was very urgent just now. Something must have happened there. If that person is indeed the Shen Xiaoyan we know, then nine times out of ten, she's in trouble," Lin Xin was still in shock, while Zheng Wei remained furious. Only Lu Taobao was calm and rational.
As he finished speaking, Zheng Wei suddenly stood up, his gaze terrifyingly fixed on Lin Xin.
They had played together since they were children, growing up together. Lin Xin had never seen Zheng Wei look so cold and sinister.
"Where is Yi Zhixie? The exact location!" Zheng Wei had lost all patience. Shen Xiaoyan was not someone who would cause worry unless something serious happened. However, Yi Zhixie's scream just now was extremely alarming, so... she must have had an accident.
"I know, I'll send it to you." Lin Xin was trembling with fear.
...
The thud that Yi Zhixie heard was Shen Xiaoyan falling from the bed. When Yi Zhixie rushed in, she had already fainted.
That night, the lights at Hope Primary School never went out. After Na Gu returned from her errands outside, she and Yi Zhixie took turns taking care of Shen Xiaoyan until the next morning.
"Shen Xiaoyan, you're finally awake?" As soon as Shen Xiaoyan opened her eyes, Yi Zhixie saw her.
Hearing Yi Zhixie's call, Na Gu also heard it and quickly went to the independent kitchen to fetch soup.
"Shen Xiaoyan, how are you? Does anything feel uncomfortable?" Yi Zhixie's expression was somewhat agitated. Shen Xiaoyan had fainted so suddenly last night. She usually seemed very independent, but Yi Zhixie couldn't forget how frail she looked curled up last night, like an infant in its mother's womb. Even without any psychology training, he knew that this was actually a sign of her insecurity.
Shen Xiaoyan was still disoriented. She lay there for a long time before her senses returned.
Seeing Yi Zhixie's head almost resting on her, she finally spoke, "Thank you for yesterday."
"Don't mention it. You've been unconscious all night. How do you feel now? Shall I carry you down the mountain to see a doctor?" As Yi Zhixie spoke, he naturally reached out and touched her head.
Shen Xiaoyan shook her head, feeling a bit resistant to his touch. However, he had indeed saved her last night, and it didn't seem right to treat one's savior that way.
Yi Zhixie couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Shen Xiaoyan looked truly pitiful now. He guessed that her usual cold demeanor actually masked deep loneliness and a yearning for warmth.
Because Shen Xiaoyan didn't refuse Yi Zhixie's touch on her head to check her temperature, Yi Zhixie's mind conjured up many scenarios.
He felt that such a pitiable person like Shen Xiaoyan needed him very much!
"Xiaoyan, I've made some congee. Eat a little first, and then have some other food!" Na Gu entered with the meal. Yi Zhixie immediately moved to help Shen Xiaoyan off the bed.
"I'm fine!" Shen Xiaoyan felt she could walk. She wasn't sick; she had just fainted due to a physical reaction last night.
"Na Gu, can Shen Xiaoyan not get down now?" Yi Zhixie, seeing that he couldn't persuade her, turned to Na Gu.
Na Gu, however, strongly suggested Shen Xiaoyan get up: "There are no classes today, and the courtyard is empty. It's not good to stay in bed all day. Xiao Xu, help Xiaoyan up, and I'll bring the chair outside."
"Okay." Yi Zhixie quickly helped Shen Xiaoyan up. He was naturally tall and strong. As he supported Shen Xiaoyan, he wished she would lean all her weight on him. Shen Xiaoyan's arm even hurt from being pulled by him.
"I can walk," Shen Xiaoyan said, waving her hand. She had only fainted.
But as she walked towards the outside, Yi Zhixie followed her like a doting mother, as if ready to rush forward and catch her at any moment.
...
Shen Xiaoyan sat on a bench outside. Na Gu set out the breakfast, but Shen Xiaoyan had no appetite. She hadn't even finished half a bowl of congee before her stomach felt full.