Riding her bicycle, Ning Shixuan said to me, "Zhao Qian, are you a monster? How can you run faster than my bike while carrying so much stuff?"

Yun Yao answered for me, "Sister Xiaoning, Brother Zhao is far more capable than you think. This speed is nothing; I've seen him much faster."

Ning Shixuan said with a hint of jealousy, "Oh yes, oh yes. You're his wife now, so naturally, you know much more than I do."

Yun Yao sat happily on the rear rack of the bicycle, looking at me without speaking. The three of us soon arrived at Xiamakuan. The spring water was as clear as ever. After stopping the bikes, the three decided to rest and wait for Lan Feng. After all, he was a visitor from afar. Even if he wasn't Ning Shixuan's boyfriend anymore, we couldn't treat him too badly.

Ning Shixuan was from Shimen City but had attended university in a major city, so her exposure was considerable. Looking at the lush fields nourished by Xiamakuan, she sighed, "If we really build the beverage factory here, we might never find such beautiful rural scenery again."

I replied, "I don't plan to destroy the scenery here. We can lay a water pipeline to the outskirts of Liangshan County and build the factory there. Building on the outskirts can stimulate the county economy and avoid ruining the harmonious countryside scenery. Besides, we plan to develop rural tourism resources and green food later. Relying on these pillars, we should be able to change the impoverished look of Liangshan."

Ning Shixuan asked me, "I know you are very mysterious and capable. Why come to Liangshan and do all this? These things have nothing to do with you originally."

I said, "Who says they have nothing to do with me? Anything concerning the Great Dragon Kingdom, anything on Earth, concerns me. Coming here is also a kind of fate, I suppose. I am very happy to have met both of you."

Yun Yao looked at the fields she once watered by hand and said, "It is my honor to know Brother Zhao. I firmly believe in the fate you speak of. You were sent by heaven to save me; otherwise, I wouldn't even exist in this world anymore."

I chuckled, ignoring the praise, "Let's go. Let's first go look at the fields at your home. To be honest, as a city person, I’ve never understood farm work well."

"Okay!" Yun Yao exclaimed happily. "I also planted some cucumbers in the middle of the cornfield. Let's go see if any are big enough to pick and eat."

So, I hung the pile of bags onto the bicycle and then carried the bike, following the two of them up the ridge. Ning Shixuan was the most restless; she pulled Yun Yao and darted into the cornfield. By then, the corn was already head-high. The girls were shorter, and once inside, stooping over, they were out of sight in less than ten steps.

I put the bike down and plunged into the cornfield too. Although the corn leaves scraped my face uncomfortably, moving through the dense stalks felt quite novel.

My eyesight and hearing were exceptionally sharp. After just a few steps, I spotted the two ahead. They were crouched on the ground, looking for ripe cucumbers. Ning Shixuan asked Yun Yao, "Yun Yao, what are your plans for the future?"

Yun Yao replied, "Nothing much. I have Brother Zhao. I'll do whatever he asks me to do."

Ning Shixuan pressed, "Are you sure you truly love him?"

Yun Yao nodded. "Perhaps I had reservations before, but after last night, I won't care about anything else. As long as I can be with Brother Zhao, anything is fine, because I know I simply cannot be without him."

Ning Shixuan said, "If—I'm just saying if—Brother Zhao falls for another girl, don't overthink it, that girl definitely won't be me. What would you do?"

Yun Yao answered, "Brother Zhao promised me he would never abandon me, no matter what. As long as he continues to treat me as well as before, I won't mind that. Because I know he is an incredibly capable man and won't confine himself for someone as small as me."

Ning Shixuan paused. "Your thinking has changed so quickly. Last night, you made me explain things to you for a long time."

Yun Yao picked a larger cucumber and whispered secretly into Ning Shixuan's ear, "Sister Xiaoning, you must keep this a secret. Last night, Brother Zhao killed an enemy for me. He promised to kill the rest of my enemies too. Brother Zhao is amazing. I know I don't deserve him, but now it's absolutely impossible for me to leave him. Don't you think I have to change?"

"He killed someone!" Ning Shixuan gasped. Yun Yao immediately covered her mouth. "Sister Xiaoning, keep your voice down! Brother Zhao only killed bad people—they all deserved it. I trust you, but please don't tell anyone, or it will harm Brother Zhao."

Ning Shixuan pondered for a moment. "Yun Yao, Zhao Qian is very mysterious, you know that, right?"

Yun Yao nodded. "I know."

Ning Shixuan continued, "The mystery I'm talking about isn't what you imagine. Since you say you can tolerate other girls, let me tell you frankly: last night, when you saw Zhao Qian holding Xu Jing, their feelings for each other were real."

Yun Yao was clearly stunned. "Didn't you say Sister Xu Jing was just acting for Lan Feng?"

Ning Shixuan replied, "I didn't know about their situation at first. Later, Zhao Qian told me personally that Xu Jing and he had already developed an improper relationship long before coming to Liangshan. Zhao Qian said Xu Jing is his future wife."

"How could this be?" Yun Yao's face showed utter disbelief. Although she claimed she could allow other girls, when the matter was presented before her, it was still hard to accept.

Ning Shixuan said, "Yun Yao, don't worry yet. Since you said you truly love Zhao Qian, and you can't live without him, and you also allow him to associate with other girls, you must accept this. As far as I know now, Zhao Qian has another girlfriend—that is Zhou Ni, the sister of Commissioner Zhou. From some of his words, I judge that he probably has more girlfriends than just these. If you really love him, you must prepare yourself psychologically first, so you won't find it hard to let go later."

Crack. The cucumber in Yun Yao's hand snapped crisply. Yun Yao sat down hard in the cornfield. "How could this be? I don't believe what you're saying. Brother Zhao wouldn't be that kind of person."

Ning Shixuan said, "I find it hard to believe too, but I saw Xu Jing's photo on Zhao Qian's phone—and a very revealing one at that. If they hadn't had that kind of relationship, would Zhao Qian have such a photo of Xu Jing? However, this has nothing to do with what kind of person Zhao Qian is. Although I usually call him a hooligan, I know Zhao Qian is a very proper man. He would never force anyone to do something against their will, and he's also very caring and kind-hearted. If I'm not mistaken, his abilities are far beyond what we see now. Otherwise, think about it—what kind of figure is Xu Jing? Why would she fall in love with Zhao Qian?"

"That's right," Yun Yao also started to calm down. "Last night he flew with me in the air—I was so surprised, but I was afraid Brother Zhao would say I was making things up, so I held back my shock. Now that I think about it, it was much more thrilling than riding the bike. It seems he really is exceptional!"

Ning Shixuan said, "Sister Yun Yao, no matter who he is, I hope you understand that Zhao Qian cannot belong to you alone. If you love him, you must tolerate this. If you don't love him or cannot share him with other girls, then you must rein in your feelings sooner rather than later, otherwise, both of you will end up in pain."

Yun Yao thought for a long time, then finally seemed to make up her mind, snapping another cucumber in half. "Sister Xiaoning, I've decided. I am Brother Zhao's woman now, and I secretly swore that I would only be good to this one man in my life. Brother Zhao also promised to make me the happiest person in the world. No matter how many girlfriends Brother Zhao has, no matter how many girls he likes, as long as he still loves me, I won't leave him!"

Ning Shixuan breathed a sigh of relief. "It's best if you think that way. In any case, I believe Zhao Qian is a good person. You will definitely be very happy following him."

Yun Yao felt as if a huge rock had been lifted from her heart. Her tone carried a hint of ease. "I am already very happy now."

Ning Shixuan said, "Alright, you're happy, and my task is complete. Let's quickly pick a few cucumbers and get out of here, or your boyfriend will think we two are scheming something in here."

Yun Yao looked confused. "Task?"

Ning Shixuan replied, "Yes, someone entrusted me to explain this matter to you. Can you accept it now? If so, my task is complete. It's just that this Zhao Qian is so poor; otherwise, I could ask him for some reward."

Yun Yao said, "Thank you, Sister Xiaoning. When I get my salary, I will definitely pay you back for the things you bought for us."

Ning Shixuan waved her hand. "Forget it. I earn a thousand a month; I don't need that little bit from you. However, Zhao Qian's savings passbook is in our hands. Every month when he gets his salary, I'll give all the money to you. You can't let men have too much money; haven't you heard? When men have money, they go bad; when women have money, they go bad."

Yun Yao countered, "But Brother Zhao is a man; he needs money for social engagements. We should return the passbook to him."

Ning Shixuan said, "Yun Yao, listen to your big sister about this; you won't be wrong. I've seen him getting close to that Scarface recently and worry he might learn bad habits, so we must keep him restrained. Also, you should remind him often in the evenings; it’s hard for men to stay good, but easy for them to go bad."

Yun Yao said, "Sister Xiaoning, you care about Brother Zhao a lot."

Ning Shixuan blushed. "Don't talk nonsense! I'm thinking of you. I've decided to remain unmarried my entire life."

Mentioning Ning Shixuan's lifelong commitment made Yun Yao's expression darken too. "Sister Xiaoning, what are your plans? Have you really decided to completely break up with Lan Feng and not give him a chance?"

Ning Shixuan replied, "No plans. I'll just live like this. It's not that I won't give him a chance; it's that he never gave me one. I begged him so much before to come to Liangshan to see me once, but he wouldn't agree. Or if it was earlier, if he had agreed when we were in college, maybe we would have been married and had children long ago. To put it another way, if he hadn't forcibly insisted on having intimacy with me during the Spring Festival, I wouldn't have come to Liangshan."

Yun Yao said, "Brother Zhao never forced me at all. I feel truly happy following him. Sister Xiaoning, since things have come to this point, why don't you also become Brother Zhao's girlfriend? After all, I am very familiar with you; we can look out for each other if we both stay by Brother Zhao's side in the future."

Ning Shixuan was surprised. "Oh my, I didn't expect that, Yun Yao. To have such enlightenment after becoming a woman is truly admirable. But I have no mood for that right now. We'll talk about it later."

Seeing that the two had picked enough, I quickly exited the cornfield ahead of them. This time, I really had to thank Ning Shixuan; she helped me convince Yun Yao. That was one less worry off my mind.

By the Xiamakuan pool, Lan Feng was searching around anxiously. I stood on the ridge and shouted a few times. Soon, Lan Feng climbed up, panting. "Where's Xiaoxuan?"

I glanced at the cornfield. "Inside."

Lan Feng assumed they had gone in to relieve themselves and didn't ask further. "Director Zhao, let me ask you, what exactly is going on between you, Xiaoxuan, and President Xu? Can you tell me truthfully? I know Xiaoxuan is angry with me and is deliberately trying to provoke me."

I answered vaguely, "Nothing much is going on, just a small thing."

Lan Feng said, "President Xu is no ordinary person. I hope Director Zhao understands that you two are not suitable. It's hard to maintain a romance solely based on an old classmate relationship. You are from two different strata, both materially and spiritually. You will eventually break up."

I replied, "Thanks for the reminder, Brother Feng. This is between us, so you don't need to worry about it."

Lan Feng nodded, then added, "Xiaoxuan is my girlfriend. I know her temper; she would never start dating you before breaking up with me. She's just using you as a shield in our relationship. I hope Director Zhao won't misunderstand or get too deeply involved."

I said to Lan Feng, "Brother Feng, just be honest. You don't let me have this one, and you don't let me touch that one. Which one do you truly want? I see you can't bear to part with Xu Jing, and you can't bear to part with Ning Shixuan either. Do you want to learn from me and embrace both?"

Lan Feng admitted, "You guessed right. If a man is capable, why shouldn't he? President Xu just promoted me to her Investment Advisor. I'll soon make a name for myself at Taohua Financial Investment Company. Once I have money, I can buy a house and keep Xiaoxuan. Who isn't doing this nowadays? What's so strange about it? But someone like Director Zhao, who needs a girl to pay for his things—you shouldn't even think about that."

Hearing the two women about to emerge from the cornfield, I said to Lan Feng, "Stop talking. The terrain here is steep. If Xiaoxuan gets angry and kicks you off, your life won't be guaranteed."

"Kick who?" Ning Shixuan emerged from the cornfield, then thrust a tender cucumber into my hand. "Thirsty? I wiped it with my handkerchief; there's no pesticide. Go on, eat it."

Lan Feng beside her looked ready to spit blood. I deliberately took a bite and smacked my lips, "Delicious."

Ning Shixuan hung the pile of cucumbers back onto the bicycle. "Let's go. Yun Yao, lead the way."

Carrying the bike, I followed Yun Yao. After crossing two ridges, Ning Shixuan couldn't take it anymore. "Yun Yao, how much further? I thought once we saw your cornfield, we'd be close to your house."

Lan Feng was also exhausted. "Yeah, this is more tiring than climbing a mountain."

Yun Yao turned back. "Almost there, almost there! Not far now."

Ning Shixuan deliberately mocked, "We're girls, so it's understandable if we're tired, but you're a grown man, and you're empty-handed—how can you complain about being tired?" Lan Feng was speechless and could only walk silently behind them. In truth, his mood was also very complicated; he wanted to abandon the small tree to embrace the blue sky, yet he was nostalgic for the gentle spring of the small tree and unwilling to let go. If only he could take the small tree up to the blue sky.

Liangshan County is generally situated in a basin, and we were climbing the rim of that basin. Although it looked like just a series of ridges, the overall elevation was constantly increasing. By the time we finally reached the end, I was almost tired of it, when Yun Yao shouted from ahead, "We're here."

Ning Shixuan, Lan Feng, and I were stunned by the scene before us. Even six thousand years ago, I had seen magnificent palaces, but this place looked like the Paleolithic era! It was even worse off than Peach Blossom Village. The stone blocks used to build houses in Peach Blossom Village were somewhat larger because stones were abundant there. But here, it was nothing but mud. Stones were hard to find. The small houses were short and low, built with rough-hewn stones no bigger than a fist. The windows were just head-sized holes, without even paper to cover them. It was summer, so they could be left open for air circulation, but in winter, they would likely be sealed with mud for warmth.

The entire small village seemed to have no more than twenty households. When Yun Yao led us to the entrance of her home, we were stunned again. The small stone houses we saw earlier made us think things were backward, but seeing the yaodong (cave dwelling) where Yun Yao lived was even more primitive. This wasn't the grand cave dwelling Chairman Mao once lived in; this was just a large mud hole dug into the side of a small slope! I genuinely feared it would collapse if the rain got heavy.

Lan Feng asked in disbelief, "Miss Yun, this... this is your home? This isn't a place for people to live."

Ning Shixuan and I both glared fiercely at Lan Feng, and he immediately fell silent. Ning Shixuan wiped away tears. "Yun Yao, I'm sorry. I didn't know your family's conditions were this poor. Otherwise, Sister would have let you and your mother move down sooner."

I said, "It's my fault for not being responsible. From now on, I won't let you live here."

Yun Yao said, "It's nothing. You get used to it. Everyone, come in." Saying that, Yun Yao pulled open the wattle-and-daub gate, and we bent over, filing inside. A pungent smell of mold and dampness assaulted our noses—a sharp contrast to the faint, sweet fragrance on Yun Yao's body.

The yaodong was low and dark, but thankfully, my vision was unaffected. The cave was about the size of two rooms. The outermost area was the kitchen for cooking, and the innermost part contained a large earthen kang (heated bed platform). However, the middle was divided by a wooden board, likely installed when Yun Yao grew up and needed separate sleeping quarters from her parents.

"My mother is probably at the small vegetable patch behind the village. Make yourselves comfortable, everyone. Our family's situation is the worst in the village, and it's all because of me. If my parents hadn't worked so hard to support my schooling, I don't think our family would have fallen into this state."

I affectionately reached out and stroked Yun Yao's head. "Brother Zhao promised to give you happiness, and I always keep my word. Let's move you down. If we can't rent a place, we can let your mother stay in your dormitory first."

Yun Yao replied, "My mother tends to hit people randomly when her condition flares up. I don't dare let her go to the government facility; she would cause trouble for everyone."

I intended to call Hua Qingqing and ask her to pick up Yun Yao's mother for treatment, but when I patted my pocket, I realized I had left my phone in the dormitory. I borrowed a phone from Ning Shixuan. Ning Shixuan felt her skirt. "Does my outfit today look like I carry a phone?"

Lan Feng was clearly displeased by the sight of me holding Yun Yao and pouted before finally pulling out his own phone. "Use mine."

I took it, glanced at it, and handed it back. "No signal. You really are stingy. Why not just get a phone with the Huanyu Communication network? They cost next to nothing, and you can work online anytime."

Lan Feng retorted, "As if you use a Huanyu phone! If you have no money, don't mock others."

Ning Shixuan jumped in. "Zhao Qian uses the Platinum highest-level internal edition! Please don't look at people through the crack of a door like Secretary Ma and the others!"

Lan Feng tried to argue, "Xiaoxuan, I am your boyfriend; you should side with me! Look at him casually hugging Miss Yun—that's simply hooligan behavior."

Ning Shixuan snapped, "It was before, but not now. Why didn't you cherish it when you had the chance? Now it's all too late!"

With that, Ning Shixuan ran out of the yaodong. Lan Feng chased after her. "Xiaoxuan, I have my difficulties too! Listen to me, I'll explain everything to you."

I wrapped my arm around Yun Yao and touched my own face. "Do I look like a hooligan?"

Yun Yao leaned into my embrace. "Brother Zhao, you are a hooligan. How else could you have several girlfriends? Only a hooligan would be like that."

I laughed awkwardly and didn't reply, but Yun Yao continued, "But I just fell for you, you hooligan. Will you be a hooligan to me for a lifetime?"

The current Yun Yao was like a blooming flower, making my heart pound wildly. If I hadn't been concerned about Ning Shixuan, I truly would have wanted to pull her onto that large kang for a warm moment.

"Bring in the things from the bike. I'll go check on Xiaoning."

Yun Yao replied, "Okay, Brother Zhao. I'll go pick up Mom in a bit. Shall we make dumplings for lunch? Do you like lamb filling?"

I said, "Brother Zhao likes any food you make."

Ning Shixuan rushed out of the yaodong toward the back of the village. This was already the mountaintop; behind the village was an open area, but not far away was a non-low cliff. Ning Shixuan ran to the edge of the cliff, held onto a small tree, and began to cry.

Lan Feng caught up. "Xiaoxuan, don't do anything rash! This place is very dangerous. Let's go back."

Ning Shixuan kicked a clump of mud at Lan Feng. "Go! Get out! I haven't enjoyed life yet, who said I'm going to do something rash? Get away from me! Since we've broken up, please stop pestering me."

Lan Feng pleaded, "Xiaoxuan, I know you still like me; you can't forget me overnight. How about I come back to marry you when I can control or influence Taohua Financial Investment Company? We need to consider the bigger picture. It’s shameful for a man not to have a career. Once we have money, we can do anything."

Ning Shixuan choked back her sobs. "Lan Feng, I understand why you're doing this. You want to use Xu Jing to control her company for your own benefit. You are despicable, but you are underestimating Xu Jing too much. Let me tell you, she will never like you. Just give up on that notion."

Lan Feng chuckled. "You can't say that. In what aspect am I inferior to Zhao Qian? That's why I'm confident I can win over Xu Jing. I’m already her investment assistant now. I believe this plan will materialize soon. This is a massive, unexpected opportunity that caught me a bit off guard, and if we don't seize it, we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives. Truthfully, the person I truly love the most is you. Don't you understand that?"

"Bullshit! You surnamed Lan, don't get cocky just because you managed to become Xu Jing's investment assistant and think success is right around the corner. Xu Jing appointed you as her assistant largely out of respect for Zhao Qian and me. Otherwise, you wouldn't even dream of it!"

Lan Feng’s agitation began to escalate. His face contorted viciously as he clenched his fists and pressed closer and closer to Ning Shixuan. "Xiao Xuan! You have to believe me! And you must believe in my abilities. I have a Master's in Management; I have the competence! Furthermore, I am far more handsome than Zhao Qian. Anything he can achieve, I can achieve too! After all these years we’ve been together, can you honestly say that counts for less than a non-graduated college student you just met?"

Ning Shixuan had never seen Lan Feng look this way. She retreated two startled steps backward, the earth beneath her feet suddenly gave way, and her body lurched backward, tumbling over the edge of the cliff!