Chapter 65

The orange trees were not as tall as imagined. From the top of the canopy to the bottom, they stood only about one and a half meters high. Moreover, because the fruits were so abundant, many branches were bent down under the weight of the heavy clusters. Even the girls could easily pick the oranges from the highest points.

The old orchard keeper told them to pick as many oranges from the treetops as possible, since those received more sunlight and were thus sweeter.

Upon hearing this, everyone sprang into action right away. They split into small groups of two or three and ran to the trees to pick fruit.

The orchard keeper had given them small scissors for harvesting the oranges in advance, but no one bothered to use them. Instead, they twisted the oranges right off the branches with their bare hands. Naturally, the first orange each person picked had to be tasted immediately. The girls eagerly peeled off the skins, revealing the glistening, translucent segments inside. One bite, and the sweet juice burst on their tongues.

As expected, fruit picked by hand tasted better than anything sold at the market.

While everyone savored their hard-earned prizes, Lu Ping quietly circled an orange tree a few times. He eyed the largest, roundest orange among them. Then, he lifted the branch with one hand, brought his head close, and knocked the orange firmly against the top of his skull. Only after that did he pluck it from the tree and tuck it into his backpack.

The perfectly fine orange hanging on the tree would never have dreamed that one day it would be so shamelessly “bumped into” by a carbon-based lifeform.

Chen Miaomiao, who had witnessed the whole thing, stared blankly. “……Lu Ping, why did you knock your head with an orange? Are you trying to be Newton?”

Lu Ping explained earnestly, “This is what my little sister asked for. Before I left this morning, she told me to bring her a gift—nothing else but the ‘first orange that touches the top of my head.’ I thought the trees would be tall, but they’re all so short. No choice—I had to use my head to touch the orange.”

Lu Ping was a doting big brother. Even for such an odd request from An An, he did his best to fulfill it.

The other girls, upon hearing this, chimed in with a barrage of questions.

“Lu Ping, you have a little sister?”

“How old is she?”

“Why does she want the ‘first orange to touch your head’? That’s so weird!”

“I feel like I’ve heard something like this before, but it wasn’t oranges—it was something else.”

“Was it Beauty and the Beast? Belle’s dad brought back a flower when he came home!”

“No, no, you’re mixing it up. The flower Belle’s dad picked was from the Beast’s garden!”

“Then it’s Rapunzel. I think there’s a similar plot.”

“Rapunzel stole some lettuce, right?”

“—No, it’s Cinderella.” An unexpected voice rang out from behind Lu Ping. Shen Yuze emerged from behind another orange tree, a small basket at his feet already holding seven or eight fist-sized honey oranges. “Cinderella’s father was a merchant. Before leaving on a business trip, he asked his three daughters what gifts they wanted. The stepmother’s two daughters asked for jewels and long dresses, but only Cinderella hoped her father would return safely—and that he would bring her a branch that had brushed the top of his head.”

This was a princess fairy tale from centuries ago, one every little girl had read. It wasn’t surprising that the female classmates knew it well, but why did Shen Yuze know it so thoroughly?

“Shen Yuze, do you have a little sister too?” Meng Xin asked curiously. “Do you often read her bedtime fairy tales?”

“I don’t have a sister now, but I can prepare in advance.” Shen Yuze shook his head. “That way, when I do have one, we’ll have more common topics to talk about.”

Lu Ping: “……”

He suspected that the “future sister” Shen Yuze was referring to definitely wasn’t the one in Wang Shiya’s belly, right?

……

The group of over a dozen boys and girls spent the entire afternoon wandering the mountain. The hill wasn’t high, and they picked, ate, and took photos along the way. By the time they reached the summit, everyone’s picking baskets were brimming full, and even their backpacks were stuffed with oranges.

Not only had each person harvested twenty or thirty jin of oranges, but their phones were also filled with candid shots and posed photos.

Shen Yuze was the only one who hadn’t picked many oranges or taken many photos. Several girls mustered their courage to ask him for a group photo, but he turned them all down.

Seeing the girls disperse with dejected expressions, Lu Ping couldn’t hold back. He spoke up for them: “Shen Yuze, didn’t you see how disappointed they were? We’re all out here having fun— what’s the big deal about taking a few photos with them?”

Shen Yuze replied, “Oh? So you knew today was about ‘having fun’? I thought you were just going to keep avoiding me.”

Lu Ping hadn’t expected to be countered like that, and his face instantly flushed red like an orange on the branch. “When did I ever avoid you?”

“You wouldn’t stand next to me for the group photo, you don’t greet me when you see me, and you didn’t even walk with me up the mountain… Isn’t that avoiding me?”

In the heat of the moment, Lu Ping blurted out, “You were chatting so animatedly with Senior Meng Xin on the way up—whether I was there or not made no difference, right?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lu Ping regretted them. Glancing at Shen Yuze’s expression, he saw a brief flash of surprise followed by a hint of a smile.

Now that they were alone—the girls had all run ahead to the fruit trees—Shen Yuze didn’t need to worry about onlookers. He asked directly, “You’re unhappy that I was talking to Meng Xin?”

“Who said I’m unhappy?” Lu Ping’s hidden feelings were poked, and he nearly bit his own tongue in panic. “You’re not anyone special to me—what right do I have to be unhappy?”

“Of course you have the right to be unhappy.” Shen Yuze’s voice dropped low. “You can even ask what Meng Xin and I talked about—if you want to know, I can tell you.”

Shen Yuze’s tone wasn’t so much gentle as it was seductive. He seemed to hand the decision to Lu Ping, but in reality, he was luring him step by step into his trap.

At the critical moment, Lu Ping’s animal-like instincts saved him. “I’m not asking!”

If he did, wouldn’t that prove he really cared about Shen Yuze? He wasn’t that foolish!

“Tell me or don’t—whatever!” Lu Ping huffed. “If you won’t, I can just ask Senior Meng Xin. She’ll tell me.”

Lu Ping ignored the sly guy and picked up his basket of oranges, intending to bypass Shen Yuze and head down the mountain.

The little mountain planted with orange trees was extremely steep, littered with small stones everywhere. Lu Ping wasn’t watching his step and placed his foot on a loose rock. He stumbled violently and lost his balance. In that split second, his mind flashed with one thought—don’t let go! Don’t ruin these expensive oranges!!

As Lu Ping pitched forward, Shen Yuze rushed up to steady him, but he was just a step too late…

With a loud “thud,” Lu Ping’s knees slammed into the dirt path. At the same time, he maintained his posture of holding the basket aloft overhead with both hands raised high.

Right in front of him, just a step away, Shen Yuze stood frozen in shock, staring at the kneeling Lu Ping.

Shen Yuze: “……”

Lu Ping: “……”

Their eyes met in utter awkwardness.

By sheer coincidence, the girls had picked enough oranges and were linking arms, happily heading down the mountain when they stumbled upon the scene of Lu Ping “kneeling” before Shen Yuze.

Chen Miaomiao’s surprised gaze shifted between Shen Yuze and Lu Ping, finally landing on the basket of oranges held high above his head.

Puzzled, Chen Miaomiao asked, “Uh, Lu Ping, Shen Yuze isn’t dead or anything—why are you offering him tribute?”

Lu Ping: “……”

Who said Shen Yuze was dead? Clearly, the one who was (socially) dead was Lu Ping!

……

Lu Ping’s dramatic kneel saved the oranges, but his knees ended up badly bruised. Fortunately, his jeans were thick enough that there was no bleeding.

Seeing this, Shen Yuze immediately offered to carry him down the mountain.

Of course, Lu Ping refused. He was still in a standoff with Shen Yuze—how could he accept overtures from the “enemy” so easily?

He declined: “It’s not a big injury, just a bit of scraped skin. I’ll rest a moment and walk down myself.”

Shen Yuze wouldn’t hear of it: “You’re limping already—how will you get down? What if you fall again?”

The other female classmates, whether swayed by Shen Yuze’s good looks or convinced by his logic, chimed in agreement, urging Lu Ping not to push himself.

Chen Miaomiao pulled out her phone: “Don’t worry, Lu Ping. I’ll call the orchard keeper right now and have him drive up to get you!”

“Drive?” Lu Ping was stunned. The terrain was steep, with no proper road for a vehicle—how could the keeper drive to the top?

But ten minutes after Chen Miaomiao made the call, a vehicle truly chugged its way up the mountain!

From the summit, they looked down to see a plume of dust billowing along the winding dirt path, rolling from the base all the way to them.

When the dust settled, the vehicle’s true face was revealed: a bright blue body, a massive cargo bed, rugged handrails—this was a three-wheeled farm cart!

The cart was usually parked at the mountain’s base for transporting oranges. With all they’d picked, the old orchard keeper helped load them down—and conveniently take the injured Lu Ping along.

Everyone marked their baskets and stacked them neatly in the cargo bed. The cart was spacious enough that, after loading the oranges, there was still room for passengers.

The girls wanted to stay longer for more photos. Meng Xin said, “Shen Yuze, since you don’t like taking photos, why don’t you ride the three-wheeler down with Lu Ping? You two can squeeze in the back.”

Shen Yuze eyed the “creative” vehicle and its loaded cargo bed, falling into a long silence. “……I can walk down alone.”

“Better not. It’s a big area, with one hill connected to another. If you get lost alone, it’ll be dangerous.” On the surface, Lu Ping sounded righteous, but he had a little scheme in mind.

Shen Yuze was always picked up by luxury cars wherever he went. Lu Ping had gone from envious to unfazed. Now, he finally had a chance to see the lofty young master “slumming it” on a down-to-earth farm cart. Just imagining it made Lu Ping want to burst out laughing.

In that moment, the desire to see Shen Yuze embarrassed overrode their ongoing tug-of-war, so Lu Ping decided to call a temporary truce.

Lu Ping climbed aboard first. He’d ridden these farm carts as a kid—they might look rough, but they were handy for hauling goods and people alike. He patted the empty spot beside him and beckoned Shen Yuze with a hooked finger. “Young master, you sure you don’t want to join?”

Shen Yuze: “……”

His germaphobia, his rationality, his noble upbringing, his road safety principles, every lesson from childhood… In that instant, it all dissolved beneath Lu Ping’s beckoning fingertip.

Shen Yuze placed his hands on the rear edge of the cargo bed and vaulted aboard.

Even the most handsome person looked a bit awkward clambering into a farm cart’s bed. Lu Ping bit back his laughter with all his might, scooting to the corner to make space—just enough for Shen Yuze to squeeze in and sit.

“Are you seated?” the old forester driving the three-wheeler asked them. “If you’re good, I’ll get going!”

Lu Ping replied, “We’re seated. Go ahead!”

Shen Yuze said nothing and simply gripped the handrail beside him tightly.

The girls waved to them and agreed to meet at the foot of the mountain later.

Soon, the farm three-wheeler started up. The engine roared with power, making the entire cargo bed vibrate.

Shen Yuze gripped the handrail even harder, his whole body screaming one word: unease.

Seeing Young Master Shen so tense put Lu Ping in high spirits. The pent-up frustration he’d been nursing lately dissipated quite a bit, and even his knee stopped hurting!

The mountain road twisted and turned, full of bumps. The old forester was practically the car god of Yongquan Mountain. He gripped the handlebars with both hands, a dry tobacco pipe clenched in his mouth, and lightly tapped the brake with his foot as he drifted through hairpin turns one after another.

It was a ride where the vehicle went ahead, but their souls lagged behind in pursuit.

The three-wheeler wove between the orange trees. In the distance, they could see the Jiao River rushing past on the other side of the mountain base. If they ignored how they were nearly flung out of the vehicle, the journey—with its mountains, waters, and scenery—was actually quite pleasant.

Shen Yuze’s brows furrowed slightly as he stared intently at the orange trees whipping past on either side of the road.

Lu Ping smugly comforted him, “Don’t worry. The mountain’s not that high. Even if we flip, we won’t die.”

Shen Yuze: “…Thanks. Can you not talk for a bit?”

The more tense Shen Yuze acted, the more Lu Ping enjoyed it. The boy grabbed a honey orange from the basket, peeled it leisurely, popped a segment into his mouth, and deliberately asked, “The ride’s boring. Want a segment of orange?”

Before Shen Yuze could respond, the old forester driving suddenly raised his voice. “Sit tight, kids! There’s a bump up ahead!”

A normal driver would slow down for a bump like that. But “slow down” wasn’t in the Yongquan Mountain car god’s vocabulary. Grandpa floored it instead, charging right over the bump.

This spelled disaster for the passengers and cargo in the back. Lu Ping watched in horror as the oranges in the basket flew into the air one after another, then thudded back down. But he had no strength left to protect them—because he himself had flown up too!!

Lu Ping had been too busy eating his orange earlier and hadn’t held onto the handrail properly. He felt his body lighten as the vehicle jolted, and his butt lifted right off the bed!

Oh no—his tailbone had just healed. Was he about to bash it again?

Lu Ping instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, tensing his whole body and bracing for the incoming butt pain…

However, when his body landed back in the cargo bed, the expected agony didn’t come. Not only was it not painful, but… something under his butt felt kind of soft?

Lu Ping cautiously opened his eyes and was shocked to discover that after all that shaking, he was no longer in his original spot. He and Shen Yuze had started with some distance between them—one on the left, one on the right—but the jolts had scooted Lu Ping right over to Shen Yuze’s side.

And that “soft” thing under his butt wasn’t some cushion. It was—

—Shen Yuze’s hand.

That’s right. In that critical moment, Shen Yuze had “heroically” intervened to protect Lu Ping’s butt.

Lu Ping: “…”

He stayed frozen in the pose of holding up an orange segment. He blinked, blinked again, utterly dumbfounded.

Shen Yuze, on the other hand, remained perfectly calm, as if his hand weren’t under Lu Ping’s butt and Lu Ping’s butt weren’t nestled in his palm.

He leaned down slightly and plucked the long-coveted orange segment from between the boy’s stalled fingers with his mouth, biting into it.

As expected, the orange was even juicier and sweeter than Shen Yuze had imagined.

…Mm, so soft… No, so delicious.