Jiang Ming Yue’s hand under his wide sleeve clenched tightly. His slightly resentful gaze followed the girl’s figure until it disappeared around the corner. Only then did he withdraw his gaze, the darkness in his eyes fully revealed as he swept his sleeve and entered the mud-walled courtyard.

At this time, there was no one else in the house besides him. Although the place was fairly clean, it was truly simple. Apart from some herbs drying in the courtyard, at a glance, the single table and chair were all there was to see.

The young man’s expression unchanged, he walked towards the girl’s bedroom, a path he knew well.

As soon as he lifted the cloth curtain, he saw the green bamboo box placed on the four-legged wooden table in the room. Jiang Ming Yue’s thin lips curved slightly upwards as he gracefully walked over and took the bamboo box in hand to examine it closely.

“It’s quite exquisitely made…” Although the material wasn’t as fine as his own, it was exceptionally pleasing to the eye.

Jiang Ming Yue’s long fingers opened the lid of the woven bamboo box. When he saw clearly what was inside, his slender, beautiful eyes curved slightly, and a light laugh escaped from the corner of his lips. He pinched the paper that read “Please accept” between two fingers, his eyes shimmering with an unusual light.

After putting away the paper, just as he was about to leave, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a bright red. His body suddenly froze, and his beautiful eyes instinctively glanced at the doorway before turning to look directly at that bright red.

The bright red was pressed under the pillow, with only a corner showing. Even so, it was exceptionally eye-catching in the simple bedroom.

Jiang Ming Yue’s feet moved slightly, and he eventually walked over slowly.

He looked down at the bright red on the bed, and suddenly the scene from the illusion flashed in his mind. The color was exactly the same as now.

His fingertips trembled slightly. After a while, he bent down and reached for the bright red. Just as he was about to touch it, he paused. An unusual light flashed in his beautiful eyes. He pressed his thin lips together, and his long fingers pinched the corner of the bright red object, pulling it out from under the pillow.

The soft fabric was like a girl’s skin. The fine strings and the shape of the fabric that came into view fully revealed its identity.

A scorching heat poured out from his chest. A rosy color instantly crept up the young man’s jade face. His fingers, as if burned, quickly let go, allowing the object to fall lightly onto the bamboo bed.

Jiang Ming Yue suddenly turned his back, his beautiful eyes glistening with moisture. His jade-white, flawless face was now covered in a blush. If anyone were present, they would likely lose their soul to the young man’s appearance of a beauty blushing with shyness.

His gaze, at a loss, didn’t know where to land. His fingers nervously gripped his wide sleeves, unconsciously tugging at them. Every breath he exhaled was exceptionally hot.

After fidgeting shyly like a young boy for a while, Jiang Ming Yue’s eyes flickered slightly. He turned around again to look at the object, gently biting his lower lip. Finally, unable to resist the desire in his heart, he picked up the bright red fabric from the bamboo bed, not forgetting to glance at the doorway. Only after confirming that no one would come in did he lift the small piece of fabric up to his eyes.

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but a faint fragrance of a young woman wafted to his nose, like a hook enticing him into intoxication.

Jiang Ming Yue, like a soul-lost addict, eagerly pressed the fabric to his nose, obsessively inhaling the scent emanating from it. A tingling sensation spread from his spine, nearly making him unable to stand.

“…Mmm…” The young man narrowed his slender eyes, a satisfied sigh escaping his throat.

After a long while, he moved the fabric away slightly, looked at it for a good while, then tucked it into his clothes. He put the bamboo box back in its original place, even returning the paper he had picked up earlier exactly as it was.

After arranging everything, Jiang Ming Yue smiled, his face still bearing a not-yet-faded blush. In an extremely good mood, he left the bedroom.

As he went out, he happened to see two people slowly walking around the corner in the distance. Jiang Ming Yue’s eyes darkened slightly, and with a flash, he hid in the shadows of the trees nearby.

“Sister Yao Xing, can you really not stay a few more days?” Ami fiddled with his fingers, his face showing reluctance to part.

Shen Yao Xing shook her head, swinging a thin wooden whip leisurely as she said, “I can’t. I have urgent matters at home that I need to rush back for. I can’t delay.”

After walking for a while, she noticed the person beside her hadn’t kept up. Shen Yao Xing turned back and saw the boy hanging his little head dejectedly. She couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What’s wrong?”

Ami sadly kicked a pebble at his feet, his lips slightly pouting as he remained silent for a long time. It wasn’t until the girl walked to his side that he looked up with teary eyes: “Sister Yao Xing, when Ami comes of age, can I marry you?”

The boy’s words were shocking. Shen Yao Xing almost choked on her own saliva. She stared at him wide-eyed for a good while before she couldn’t help but raise her hand to touch her own face. Was her charm really that great?

After indulging in self-admiration, Shen Yao Xing frowned and fell into deep thought. How should she comfort this little boy to avoid hurting him while completely dispelling this idea?

A flash of inspiration struck her. Shen Yao Xing feigned calmness, suddenly stretching out her fair arm and pointing at her wrist. She earnestly comforted him, “The man sister likes needs to have a ding-ding this big.”

Then she held up her pinky: “But your ding-ding is only this big, so even when you grow up, I won’t like you, let alone marry you. Ami, you should give up.”

Ami didn’t understand what “ding-ding” meant, but being so coldly rejected by the girl, the budding thought in his heart was uprooted. Saddened, he burst into tears and ran back to his room without paying her any more attention.

Left behind was a bewildered Shen Yao Xing. She mulled over her words of comfort and felt there was nothing wrong with them! She had already been very restrained. Children need to “grow” through a series of setbacks.

Shen Yao Xing pretended to be mature, shaking her head and walking into the courtyard with her hands behind her back.

When everything was quiet again, the young man’s slender figure appeared from behind the tree. His dark eyes showed a rare hint of confusion.

Ding-ding… what could that be?

—

Upon returning to her bedroom, Shen Yao Xing quickly discovered that her undershirt had been stolen. She searched every corner of the bedroom, not even sparing the mouse holes, but finally had to helplessly admit:

Her undershirt had been stolen!

The first person Shen Yao Xing thought of was Jiang Ming Yue, since she had let him come in to get the bamboo box today. But when she saw the bamboo box on the table, she dismissed this idea. How could someone so arrogant and aloof have such a hobby?

Someone who wouldn’t even personally take the bamboo box wouldn’t be interested in her undershirt.

In an instant, she thought of another person. Coupled with today’s unexpected confession, she became even more certain of her suspicion. Shen Yao Xing felt a pang of regret. She only had two undershirts, and that was her favorite one!

This little brat’s teeth weren’t even fully grown, how could he have such a crooked thought!

Certain in her heart who the culprit was, Shen Yao Xing had originally planned to ask Ami to return it before their departure. Unfortunately, the boy had cried in his room for a day, and she couldn’t even speak to him when they set out the next day.

Shen Yao Xing sat in the carriage, watching from afar as the old woman waved goodbye to her, and Ami who came belatedly, his eyes red as he stared at the departing carriage.

Well, let it be a keepsake for him.

Shen Yao Xing comforted herself with this thought. Only when the two figures disappeared did she return to the inside of the carriage.

On the soft couch, the young man was resting with his eyes closed. Shen Yao Xing quietly crawled to the carriage door, found a comfortable position with half her body leaning out of the carriage, chewing sugar beans with a ‘pa-chi pa-chi’ sound, her raised foot swaying back and forth.

What she didn’t know was that the young man behind her had already opened his eyes. His cold gaze fell on the girl, his brows slightly furrowed, his mind still on the girl’s words from yesterday.

What on earth was this ding-ding?