Lan Feng’s expression shifted instantly, and he reached out to pull Ning Shixuan closer, but he was standing too near the cliff edge. The collapsing earth swept him down too, and both plummeted over the precipice with a simultaneous cry. While this cliff wasn't as high or sheer as Mount Tai, a fall here was enough to shatter a leg or an arm, perhaps even prove fatal.

Rushing water sounds, a small tree growing horizontally from the cliff face caught them both. Ning Shixuan clung desperately to the sparse branches, too terrified to speak. Several scratches marred her face, and her beautiful floral dress was ripped in several places. Lan Feng’s once crisp, white shirt was now utterly caked in mud.

Before the two could catch their breath, the small tree, already precariously rooted, began to tremble violently underfoot. If they continued to fall, the consequences were unthinkable.

Lan Feng yelled up to Ning Shixuan, "Climb up quickly! This tree can’t hold both of us. Climb up and call for help, or we’re both done for."

Ning Shixuan wept, "I can’t move. Everything hurts. I’m hurt—save me, quickly!"

Lan Feng had no means to save anyone else. He looked down to see thickets of thorny bushes below. Even if the fall didn't kill them, landing in that growth would ruin their appearance, perhaps leave them permanently disabled. He glanced up; the cliff top was ten meters away, but the entire face was a recent landslide—incredibly steep, mostly loose dirt with nothing to grip. Climbing out seemed almost impossible.

Ning Shixuan was near the very tip of the small tree. She was shaking uncontrollably, but the more she trembled, the more the small tree vibrated. Lan Feng saw the roots begin to loosen from the muddy rock face and shouted, "Xiao Xuan, move over here! Staying out on the tip will pull the tree down entirely!"

Ning Shixuan cried harder, "I’m scared, I can’t move! Save me! You’re a man, you have to find a way to protect me, save me, Lan Feng!"

Lan Feng was consumed by fury. What other plan could he possibly devise at a moment like this? Seeing the roots tear free with increasing severity—once the tree ripped out, they would both perish—and hearing Ning Shixuan’s escalating sobs, he cursed viciously, "Get over here right now, damn it! If you don’t, we’re both finished! Cry again and I’ll kick you off this cliff!"

Ning Shixuan abruptly stopped crying, the cessation so sudden it was jarring. "Lan Feng, I don’t believe those words just came from you. For your own safety, would you really kick me off?"

A loud crash. The small, horizontal tree finally succumbed to the pressure of their combined weight and was dangling upside down from the cliff face. Fortunately, both held tightly to the branches and didn't fall, but the roots continued to tear away from the rock. It seemed only a matter of time before they, along with the tree, plummeted.

Lan Feng refused to die. His grand ambition had only just begun. He didn't want to perish in this desolate, godforsaken mountain village. But below lay a hundred-meter drop into a dense thicket of thorns. Even if he survived the impact, the rest of his life would be agonizing. He squeezed his eyes shut and kicked down toward Ning Shixuan. If he could just lighten the load on the tree, perhaps he could hold on until help arrived.

Lan Feng’s kick landed on Ning Shixuan’s shoulder. Had she not been holding on tightly, she would have tumbled into the chasm. She looked up in disbelief. "Lan Feng! You’re trying to kick me off? Is this what our years of connection have amounted to?"

Lan Feng retorted, "You aren't my girlfriend anymore. I have no reason to sacrifice myself for you."

Ning Shixuan’s tears rolled down silently. "Fine. Today, I finally see the true face of you, Lan Feng. It was my fault for being blind before. Rest assured, I won't drag you down. I wish you a life as long as ten thousand years..."

Before Lan Feng could deliver a second kick, Ning Shixuan silently released her death grip on the branches. She closed her eyes and dropped toward the abyss. The wind howled past her ears. Ning Shixuan expected the sharp agony of impact any moment, followed swiftly by kicking her legs and meeting the Old Man in Heaven, but she waited and waited, and the painful landing never came.

This cliff must be impossibly high. I doubt I’ll even keep a whole body. It will be terrible if I end up a mangled mess after death, Ning Shixuan thought to herself.

She waited again, but the horrific scene she anticipated still failed to materialize. Only then did Ning Shixuan feel hands gently cradling the small of her back! She blinked open her eyes. Heavens above, she was flying!

I could barely tolerate the look in Ning Shixuan's eyes, so I quickly engaged the anti-gravity boots and zipped back to the cliff top. "You look terrified. What were you two doing playing cliff diving? Go sit over there. I still need to go down and save Lan—oof."

Without warning, Ning Shixuan suddenly pressed her lips to mine. "Zhao Qian, I’m so scared. Hold me tight. I realize I only feel safe when you are by my side."

I said smugly, "That’s what my wife says too. Hmm... muah..."

Ning Shixuan said with deep emotion, "I’ve already died twice today. Will you... will you let me be as happy as Yun Yao?"

I replied, "I will. We’re friends, after all. Besides, I still owe you a lot of money."

Ning Shixuan wept, "I don't want a friend like that. I want to be exactly, completely like Yun Yao... Will you despise me? My first kiss wasn’t with you, so you definitely won’t accept me. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry..."

My own mind was reeling. We had agreed when coming to Liangshan that I wouldn't mess around with emotional entanglements anymore, but here we were. Yun Yao was the belle of Longteng University; meeting here was sheer fate. Moreover, I had secretly harbored the fantasy of housing all Nine Beauties in my golden mansion—I had already secured seven. I could forgive myself for that, but regarding Ning Shixuan, beyond being deeply captivated by her intoxicating allure, I truly had no other intentions. Yet now, it seemed I couldn't refuse her; under her passionate kiss, I found my own urge becoming almost uncontrollable. Finally, my that hand moved without permission to cup Ning Shixuan's breast!

Her little floral dress was incredibly thin, and since it was already torn in several places, revealing a glimpse of springtime, her brassiere was visible. Ning Shixuan gasped softly, her tongue twining tighter around mine in my mouth, while one of her hands guided the hand that was touching her chest to slip around the bra and go deeper.

Ning Shixuan pulled her mouth away from mine, smiling through teary eyes. "You promise to forgive me, right? Now I can finally understand Yun Yao’s happiness. I don't care how handsome you are or how rich you are. I only need your security—that eternal kind of safety. Of course, I know I’m utterly unworthy of you, whether compared to Xu Jing or Yun Yao. But from this moment on, I will devote myself completely to being good to you. I will obey you even more readily than Yun Yao. I am willing to be your obedient little puppy..."

Ah, the fallout from playing the hero. I had already touched her that area. There was no explaining it away now. I decided to just touch the other one too. Though it wasn't as large as Yun Yao's, it was firm and delightfully fun to play with.

Finally, I released my hand, straightened my expression, and gently set Ning Shixuan on the ground. "You enchantress, wearing that outfit, you clearly weren't planning on being innocent. Put on my shirt first. I’ll go save Lan Feng."

Ning Shixuan replied, "He tried to kick me off the cliff just now. Let him hang there."

I sighed, "It’s alright. At least now you finally saw him clearly."

Ning Shixuan slipped into my shirt. "That’s true. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known what choice I should make. The moment I fell, opened my eyes, and saw you, I had a complete awakening. You were already in my heart, but Lan Feng was blocking the way, preventing me from acknowledging you."

I chuckled. "Last night you refused when I asked you to be my girlfriend, and now look at you—crying and chasing me down. Well, what can I do? My personal charm is just too great."

With that, ignoring the giggling Ning Shixuan behind me, I dove off the cliff. Lan Feng looked like a frightened rabbit. I snatched him up, flew back to the top, and tossed him aside. He remained silent for a long time.

Ning Shixuan took my hand, not sparing Lan Feng a glance, and said to me, "Let's go, Zhao Qian. Don't keep Yun Yao waiting."

Lan Feng finally managed to draw a breath. He opened his mouth but couldn't form any words. He followed us silently toward Yun Yao’s house. Seeing someone fly through the air like a bird had shaken him to his core, and the kicks he had aimed at Ning Shixuan filled him with overwhelming shame.

Yun Yao had already fetched her mother from the small vegetable patch. She was indeed a beautiful village woman. No wonder Liang Kuan and the others had been drawn to her and brought disaster upon themselves; Yun Yao was practically her mother’s replica, though her mother possessed a richer maturity and a stronger rural allure, unlike Yun Yao's more youthful demeanor.

"What—what happened to you all?" Yun Yao asked urgently when she saw our disheveled state.

"We had an accident and fell. We’re fine now," I explained, then politely greeted Yun Yao’s mother. "Auntie, hello."

Yun Yao’s mother seemed outwardly unharmed. She studied me for a moment. "You must be the Zhao Qian that Yao Yao mentioned. Thank you for saving her so many times and for being such a great help to our family."

Yun Yao’s mother’s words were subtle, carefully omitting any mention of me avenging her husband by killing someone. She was likely wary of Ning Shixuan and Lan Feng standing behind me.

Yun Yao introduced everyone, then added, "My mother is much better recently. Her headaches only strike once every few days. She might recover completely soon."

Yun Yao’s mother said warmly, "Yao Yao, hurry and invite everyone onto the kang. Your sister and I will make dumplings." She heartily agreed with her daughter's suggestion of making dumplings to host the guests. They didn’t have much food, and hosting them with both vegetables and rice would be difficult. Dumplings, however, were simple; just toss in a few cloves of garlic, and they wouldn't even need a vegetable side dish.

Lan Feng and I sat silently on Yun Yao’s kang. Yun Yao pulled Ning Shixuan aside. "Xiao Ning Jie, what happened? Look at your clothes, they’re completely shredded. Aren’t you afraid someone will see?"

Ning Shixuan began taking off my shirt. "Then find me something else to change into?"

Yun Yao noted, "You don't look like you just fell. Your eyes are all swollen."

Ning Shixuan retorted, "Am I not allowed to cry if I’m hurt? Make those two men go outside while I change. We’ll make dumplings together in a bit. My dumplings are delicious; I’ll show you later."

Lan Feng and I stepped out of the low-slung cave dwelling. Lan Feng turned to me. "Director Zhao, you won."

I replied, "I never intended to have a competition with you. You lost Xiao Ning because you threw her away; you can't blame anyone else."

Lan Feng smiled somewhat maliciously. "But don't celebrate too soon. Xiao Xuan will never allow a man to touch her body. You will never have her in the end."

I thought to myself: The old man didn't even react when I hugged her last night. What do you know, you idiot? Seducing a girl takes time, step by step. Someone as impatient as you would scare off not just a girl with sexual anxiety, but any normal girl too.

I said, "Thank you for the reminder, but it doesn't matter to me. Xiao Ning and I have decided to be a sexless couple. When we feel like it, we’ll just hug and cuddle. If I need that, I can easily find Xu Jing or Yun Yao."

"You!" Lan Feng’s face flushed purple with anger, and he turned to leave. But after a couple of steps, he returned, standing to the side without speaking further. Soon, Yun Yao called from the cave entrance, "Come in! The sun outside is too strong."

"Huh? You haven't left yet?" Ning Shixuan asked Lan Feng upon entering the cave.

Lan Feng looked extremely awkward. "My job is to cooperate with Director Zhao. Wherever he goes, I go."

Ning Shixuan ignored Lan Feng and addressed me. "Zhao Qian, take out everything we brought and put it on the kang. Eat whatever you like. I’m going to help with the work."

I hopped onto Yun Yao's kang, happily guarding the pile of supplies, while Lan Feng stood awkwardly to the side. I had to admire his thick skin; if it were me, I would have left already, perhaps even fled Liangshan County.

Yun Yao brought out some cured meat dried during the New Year, cut it into cubes, tossed it in a pan with a bit of fermented bean paste, and stir-fried it until the aroma filled the air before quickly taking it out. Yun Yao’s mother trimmed and washed the chives, and Ning Shixuan finely chopped them into small pieces. They mixed the chopped meat and chives together with oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Soon, Yun Yao’s mother finished kneading the dough, and the three women sat on the other side of the kang, separated by a wooden board, beginning to wrap dumplings.