On the stone slope across the riverbank, a wild leopard covered in mottled patterns was staring this way.
The spotted leopard was about the size of a newborn calf, with a well-proportioned build, agile limbs, and a pair of eyes emitting an eerie yellowish-red glow.
Qin Chuan had no idea when this spotted leopard had appeared or how long it had been standing there, but none of that mattered. What was important was whether the leopard would attack.
This was not the future; the ecological environment in many places had not been destroyed, leading to many wild animals living in the mountains.
Tigers, leopards, black bears, wild boars, wolf packs, and so on could often be encountered in the wilderness.
Livestock raised by villagers were also frequently attacked by wild beasts, resulting in constant reports of animals being killed.
What Qin Chuan never expected was to encounter a wild leopard on his very first outing.
And it was the notorious spotted leopard, an absolutely dangerous species that could easily kill livestock like cattle and sheep, and was incredibly agile and swift.
Even a well-trained hunter without weapons might not be a match for a spotted leopard!
"Teacher Yang, please don't make a sound!"
Qin Chuan had never felt so nervous before; this was an encounter he, with two lives under his belt, had never experienced.
He was afraid. He was truly afraid. What if the spotted leopard on the opposite side attacked and injured Yang Zimo? What would he do?
Qin Chuan looked back. His elder brother, Qin Yang, had gone hunting somewhere and was nowhere to be seen. His second brother, Qin Gang, was still digging a hole in a deep pit, and the clods of earth were occasionally thrown up by his shovel.
Shouting now would not only go unheard by Qin Gang but would first alert the spotted leopard.
"Qin... Qin Chuan, what should I do now!"
"Quick, save me! Save me!"
Yang Zimo was also thoroughly terrified, not daring to move. Her voice trembled with a hint of tears.
She was afraid that any slight movement would provoke the spotted leopard less than a hundred meters away. At a leopard's speed, that distance was covered in the blink of an eye.
"Teacher Yang, stay put and wait for me!"
The situation was critical, and Qin Chuan could not afford any further hesitation.
He quickly scanned his surroundings for a suitable weapon, finding only stones.
In the end, he picked up a stone weighing about seven or eight jin, hid it behind his back, and then slowly walked towards Yang Zimo.
If the spotted leopard dared to become ferocious and attack, he would have to fight with all his might!
One step!
Two steps!
Qin Chuan tried his best to appear nonchalant, but his slightly heavy breathing betrayed his inner tension.
Nonsense, even a reborn person was still mortal, with two shoulders supporting one head.
If the head was gone, it was game over. Qin Chuan didn't believe that kind heaven would grant him another chance to be reborn.
Seeing Qin Chuan approach, Yang Zimo also felt nervous.
But despite her seemingly delicate exterior, she possessed a strong heart, otherwise she would not have given up her comfortable life to come to this remote mountain village as an ordinary volunteer teacher.
"Qin Chuan, let's both relax!"
After a brief moment of panic, Yang Zimo was the first to calm down.
"I've read some supplementary reading materials that say wild animals like leopards only attack humans when they are particularly hungry. Normally, they wouldn't rashly attack humans!"
"Humans fear leopards, and leopards also fear humans!"
"It's a relationship of mutual apprehension!"
Qin Chuan gave a wry smile. "I know that, of course, but it's better to be safe than sorry..."
"It wouldn't matter much if this beast injured me today, but if it injured you, it would be a matter that would fill me with regret for the rest of my life!"
"Qin Chuan, why do you care so much about me?"
Suddenly, Yang Zimo asked a pointed question.
Qin Chuan, who was slowly approaching, answered without thinking, "Because I like you!"
Yang Zimo was taken aback. She hadn't expected Qin Chuan to be so bold and his words so direct. A blush involuntarily appeared on her pretty face again.
Was this a confession?!
In the era of '98, people expressed their feelings very discreetly and conservatively. It was nothing like over twenty years later, when liking and love were so cheap and worthless.
Scumbags and sluts were everywhere, and many young people took pride in it rather than shame.
If you casually interviewed a man or woman on the street, they would have had at least three past relationships. If the number was less, they would be considered as rare as a giant panda.
"Do you know me as a person, and do you know my family? And yet you dare to say you like me?"
Yang Zimo's heart was pounding like a little deer, but she forced herself to endure it. At this moment, she had forgotten about the spotted leopard not far behind her.
Qin Chuan continued to approach slowly, smiling as he replied, "You are a girl who appears delicate on the outside but is very independent and self-reliant on the inside. You are brave, decisive, and dare to love and hate!"
"I like your personality, and I like you as a whole person!"
"As for your family background, that is secondary. Whether your family is poor or rich, it cannot stop my liking for you!"
"If you are willing, you can tell me about your family situation slowly in the future..."
As he spoke, Qin Chuan had already arrived in front of Yang Zimo.
Their eyes met. Yang Zimo saw only sincerity in his gaze. Deep within his jet-black eyes, there was no falsehood, only boundless light.
"Teacher Yang, give me your hand, and I'll lead you away from here!"
Qin Chuan's words reached Yang Zimo's ears, and she instinctively extended her small hand.
The two slowly retreated. Yang Zimo looked at the tall young man before her, and at his resolute and handsome profile, her expression was dazed.
An unprecedented feeling swept over Yang Zimo's entire body and mind... until the figure in front of her suddenly stopped. Yang Zimo, unaware, bumped into him, and then snapped back to reality.
"Teacher Yang, are you already preparing to throw yourself into my arms?"
Qin Chuan seized the opportunity to put his arm around her slender waist, a teasing smile on his face.
"Who... who is throwing themselves into whose arms! I'm not!"
Yang Zimo's face flushed so intensely that she wished she could burrow into the ground, and she immediately pulled away.
"What about that spotted leopard?"
"It's gone!"
Yang Zimo looked back and indeed saw the spotted leopard on the distant hillside turn into a small black dot and gradually disappear.
This finally allowed her to heave a long sigh of relief. It had been a close call!
"Hey, I say, you two, there's still a living person here. Don't act like I don't exist, okay?"
A voice suddenly came from not far away. A head popped out of the deep pit, staring this way with a mischievous glint in its eyes.
"Get lost!"
"Keep digging your hole!"
Qin Chuan unhesitatingly grabbed a handful of stones from the ground and threw them at him, drawing a curse from Qin Gang.