“I’ll go boil water.”
Shen Yue went to the kitchen and placed water on the small stove to heat. She also cooked a bowl of congee.
Grandma's health had been deteriorating recently, making her increasingly sleepy. She could only consume liquids, as solid food was difficult to digest.
The kettle on the stove soon began to bubble. Shen Yue poured the steaming hot water from the kettle into a wooden bucket, then added a basin of cold water. She carried the bucket, splitting the water into two trips to the woodshed.
Qi Rui was still sitting on a stool, sweating profusely, fanning himself vigorously with a fan.
The young man frowned, his voice carrying a hint of arrogance: "Is the water ready yet?"
The room was stiflingly hot at night, like a furnace. The fan he wielded creaked loudly with each swing, as if it might break at any moment.
Shen Yue replied, "It's ready, it's in the woodshed."
She then pointed to a spot. Qi Rui grabbed his clothes and headed over.
There were two pigs enclosed in a pen. Shen Yue put the pig slop in and refilled their water troughs.
The two plump pigs were eating with gusto. Shen Yue stood beside them, watching longingly.
They looked so delicious. Shen Yue hadn't eaten meat in months, her mouth watering with craving.
After feeding the pigs, Shen Yue served the congee from the kitchen. Grandma had just woken up.
"Young Master Qi has arrived?" Grandma looked unwell, listless.
Shen Yue lowered her gaze and nodded.
Grandma sighed, "Then you must serve him well. This young master has a terrible temper. You, my dear, should stay out of his sight as much as possible. The Qi family is not someone we can afford to offend."
The girl nodded obediently, her eyelashes long. "I understand, Grandma."
After finishing the congee, without further comment, Grandma felt sleepy again and drifted off. She had said that her illness made it inconvenient to appear before Qi Rui. After all, elders were somewhat superstitious and feared spreading their sickness.
Shen Yue took a basin of hot water and bathed Grandma, then heated water to wash herself.
—
Shen Yue's biological clock was well-established. She woke precisely at six o'clock. The morning was not as hot. Shen Yue put on a white t-shirt and started preparing breakfast.
Qi Rui was jolted awake by the unusually loud and persistent crowing of a rooster, one after another, incessantly.
Yesterday had been very hot, and Qi Rui had tossed and turned for a long time, finally managing to fall asleep deep into the night.
Upon being woken, he looked bleary-eyed, his whole body radiating a low pressure that made it difficult to breathe.
Qi Rui had a terrible temper in the mornings. When he was at the villa, no one dared to knock on his door without permission. He hadn't been this angry in a very long time.
He sat on the bed with a dark expression. His eyes, hidden beneath his lashes, were devoid of any emotion. Below his high-bridged nose, his thin lips were slightly pursed.
The young man just woken up exuded an indescribable aura of pressure.
He couldn't fall back asleep after being disturbed. Suppressing his inner irritation, Qi Rui put on his clothes.
Shen Yue had just finished cooking plain congee and had even retrieved an egg from the chicken coop.
The handsome yet sullen young man walked out and saw the girl. She must have woken up very early. When she heard footsteps, she looked over, her expression gentle and soft. Her bright red lips curved into a beautiful arc, with shallow dimples.
"You're awake."
Natural and intimate.
The young man's features were deep-set, giving him an unapproachable appearance. At this moment, his gaze was somewhat dazed.
This country girl was too fair.
And her lip color was so vibrant.
It was as if, as if they were often bitten.
Qi Rui's mind raced with thoughts. Realizing his own reaction, he cursed inwardly, but the tips of his ears turned red.
Seeing the young man standing there blankly, Shen Yue said, "There's water in the basin outside. You can go brush your teeth and wash your face."
Qi Rui remained dazed. "Oh, okay."
He obediently went outside to brush his teeth and wash his face.
Midway through brushing, he realized why he was listening to the girl so readily. He had intended to catch the rooster and slaughter it, otherwise, he wouldn't get a good night's sleep for the next few days.
He quickly rinsed his mouth, splashed some cold water on his face, and Qi Rui stormed back inside.
The girl was already sitting at the table, drinking congee. Seeing the young man walk in, she instinctively offered a faint smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
A few rays of warm sunlight streamed through the window, falling on the girl's hair. Her soft contours were dreamlike, her fair face like fine jade.
Especially her eyes, which looked at him, reflecting the faint light and appearing exceptionally gentle and soft, making Qi Rui unable to look away for a moment.
Qi Rui suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, his heart rate quickening. Even his face felt hot for some reason.
Damn it, it's so damn hot.
—
The weather was hot that morning. His feet were steamed by the heat from the ground, and his back was baked by the scorching sun.
Stretching out across the fields, vast swathes of wheat rippled like heat waves.
Wearing a straw hat helped block some sunlight, but it was still very hot. Shen Yue touched her forehead; her palms were slick with sweat. The sun was so strong it made it hard to open her eyes. Shen Yue held a sickle in one hand and the freshly cut rice stalks in the other.
Shen Yue's back felt as though it would break, but seeing the neatly arranged rice stalks at her feet gave her a sense of accomplishment. She grunted and worked with increasing vigor.
Seeing that the sun was high, Shen Yue went to the river to wash her hands. She hid the sickle beneath the rice stalks and walked back to prepare a meal. There was still a young master waiting to be fed at home.
By the time Shen Yue reached home, her throat was so dry it felt like it was about to catch fire. She drank a few sips of water to recover.
She moved her sore arms and went to the vegetable garden to pick some fresh vegetables.
Qi Rui, who couldn't stand the heat in the room, found a breezy spot to cool off, fanning himself. When he returned, feeling hungry, he saw the girl covered in sweat, her trouser legs caked with mud, looking like a refugee, dirty and disheveled.
Qi Rui watched for a moment, unwilling to go near her. He frowned in disgust. "Where did you go? Why do you look like this?"
The girl looked up. Her fair face also had smudges of dirt. She wore a white t-shirt, which was damp from sweat, revealing beautiful collarbones and shoulders. Especially the skin on the back of her neck was excessively white.
She pursed her lips and said softly, "I just finished harvesting wheat."
Qi Rui stood in front of her. Even his white sneakers were clean, unstained by any dirt, a stark contrast to Shen Yue.
To be honest, Qi Rui had never seen real wheat. He had never touched anything related to it, and he still had a strong aversion to dirt.
Qi Rui frowned, his facial contours sharp and perfect. "I'm thirsty."
His tone was entitled, expecting to be served.
Shen Yue didn't move. Seeing the young man's displeased frown, she said gently, "Qi Rui, my hands are dirty. You can get water yourself."