Chapter 041 My Dear

The campsite.

Jiang Yao, lying on He Yunqing’s back, spotted Cheng Yanchi standing by the tent from a distance, casting a stern glance their way.

She patted He Yunqing’s shoulder, signaling him to let her down.

He Yunqing and Cheng Yanchi locked eyes, neither moving for a while.

“He Yunqing…” Jiang Yao whispered in his ear, “put me down.”

He Yunqing finally set her on a long bench made from a massive log.

Given Cheng Yanchi’s temperament, Jiang Yao felt her forehead dampen with sweat as she envisioned what might happen next.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Yanchi strode over, uncharacteristically casting only a brief glance at He Yunqing before crouching in front of Jiang Yao.

“How did you end up like this?” He frowned, surveying her bedraggled state. “No phone, no shoes.”

As he spoke, he pulled her phone from his pocket and handed it to her.

It sounded like reproach, but his tone carried none.

Jiang Yao pursed her lips. “I got mushroom poisoning, but I’m fine now.”

Cheng Yanchi looked up at He Yunqing, who still stood nearby.

He Yunqing chuckled softly, ignored him, and extended a hand to Jiang Yao.

She looked at him, puzzled.

“Your phone,” He Yunqing said simply.

Still confused, Jiang Yao handed him the phone.

His fingers danced swiftly across the screen, entering a string of numbers and making a call, then immediately hanging up.

Her phone traced a graceful arc through the air as He Yunqing tossed it back into her arms.

Jiang Yao glanced at the newly added number—He Yunqing’s.

Cheng Yanchi watched He Yunqing walk away with a scoff and a roll of his eyes, then glanced down at Jiang Yao’s feet, soon to be covered in mud and blood. He pulled out a wet wipe from his pocket.

“I’ll clean you up a bit, then you can take a hot shower in the guest room,” he said, carefully wiping her small feet. “Any other injuries?”

Jiang Yao shook her head.

“Ye Yiyi is still out looking for you; I’ll call her soon to let her know you’re back,” Cheng Yanchi added, then fell silent for a moment.

Jiang Yao sensed something different about him today, though she couldn’t pinpoint what had changed.

“Yao, I’m sorry,” Cheng Yanchi said in a low voice.

She tilted her head. “What are you apologizing for? Just because the tent wasn’t set up right? Anyway, I won’t ever sleep in your tent again.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t by your side.” Cheng Yanchi’s gaze lingered on the wounds on her feet, his voice tinged with concern.

“Oh, I’m fine, aren’t I?” Jiang Yao said, giving his shoulder a playful slap.

“Not just this time,” Cheng Yanchi muttered, head bowed, his expression unreadable. “Every time, even before.”

“Cheng Yanchi…” Jiang Yao softly called his name, wondering why he seemed so burdened today.

He slowly raised his head.

The morning sunlight fell gently over his face, making his skin almost translucent. Upon closer look, faint bruises lingered on his cheeks.

Jiang Yao stared. “Did you get into a fight?”

She glanced around, frowning. “Who could you have fought with in a place like this?”

Cheng Yanchi kept his eyes down, tending to her wounds. “I ran into someone.”

“Who?” Jiang Yao bent forward, her face edging closer.

He didn’t answer, just continued wiping the dirt from her feet. After a while, he spoke quietly, “Yao, I’m always here. I’ll always be here.”

After her little getaway, Jiang Yao returned to work at the wedding planning company.

On her desk sat a conspicuous red gift box.

She hugged it, glancing around, puzzled.

Her colleague Xie Yan from the next desk slid over on her chair. “He Yunqing’s studio sent it over. Said the last collaboration was great, so they sent gifts for everyone.”

“Huh?” Jiang Yao scratched her head.

The last collaboration felt like a lifetime ago.

Jiang Yao opened the box. There were daily necessities, nutritional supplements for blood, a handful of band-aids, and several large packs of snail noodles.

Seated at her desk, she stared blankly at the gifts.

He Yunqing’s words—“Wait for me to come back”—lingered in her mind, refusing to leave.

She wrapped her hands around her head, rubbing vigorously, nearly turning her once smooth hair into a tangled mess.

Xie Yan watched her like she was a curiosity. “First time I've seen someone react to a gift like this. What's the matter?”

With her hair in disarray, Jiang Yao turned to Xie Yan. “There’s someone who cooks porridge for me, shields me from alcohol, takes me to eat hotpot and watch the sunrise, pays my friends’ medical bills, and most importantly, has saved me more than once.”

“A man?” Xie Yan guessed.

“Yeah.”

Xie Yan leaned back in her chair. “Two possibilities: either he’s crazy, or he likes you.”

Jiang Yao waved her hand. “Impossible.”

“How’s that impossible?”

Jiang Yao frowned, pondering how to phrase it. “What’s your idol’s name again?”

“Luo Yixian.”

“Oh, right. Do you think Luo Yixian could ever like you?”

Xie Yan was speechless—what kind of analogy was that?

“And lately, I think I might have offended him somehow. He seems really angry and said he’ll settle things with me when he’s back.” Jiang Yao said, troubled.

“What did you do?”

She thumped her little head on the desk. “That’s the point—I don’t even know what I did!”

She was supposed to repay him, but instead, she’d ended up offending him. The more she spoke, the more she felt she’d been unreasonable.

“Well then,” Xie Yan propped her chin on her hand, thinking. “Why not send him a gift to test the waters, as a way to express gratitude and apologize?”

“Would that work?” Jiang Yao stopped banging her head and looked up at Xie Yan. “What would be suitable?”

Xie Yan smiled mysteriously and pulled out a gift box. “This is perfume I just brought back from overseas. Give him this.”

Jiang Yao scrutinized Xie Yan.

“Oh, come on, life’s tough enough—can’t I run a little side business as a personal shopper?” Xie Yan waved her hand. “But the quality’s assured. You’ll see once you give it.”

Jiang Yao considered, then took the box and pulled out her phone. “How much? I’ll transfer it to you.”

“No rush. Can I borrow your phone for a bit first?”

“Where’s your phone?”

Xie Yan sighed. “Didn’t you hear me yelling all morning? It fell into the washbasin.”

Jiang Yao sympathetically handed her phone over.

Xie Yan quickly typed a text message: “Darling, pick me up after work tonight.”

After sending it, she checked the number and suddenly frowned. “Huh? This number isn’t right!”