While Lin Wanyi was still banging on the door, Liu Siyue walked out smiling, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Sister Wanyi, what are you doing standing here? It stinks."
Lin Wanyi looked at her cautiously.
"Yueyue, is something on your mind?
"You can tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone.
"Yueyue, trust your sister."
Liu Siyue turned around to wash her hands.
"You're overthinking it, Sister. I'm completely fine.
"Let's go, let's see who reaches the top of the mountain first today."
Lin Wanyi still felt uneasy. She had clearly heard crying just now; she couldn't have misheard.
Yet Liu Siyue was acting as if nothing was wrong.
She felt something was off, but she couldn't put her finger on it.
She had no choice but to follow Liu Siyue as they climbed up the trail.
Liu Siyue charged toward the summit as if she had a motor attached to her.
Chen Hui found it strange and asked Lin Wanyi,
"Sis, don't you think Siyue is acting a bit weird?"
Lin Wanyi frowned.
"I feel it too, Huizi. Could it be that Siyue remembered something?"
Hearing this, Chen Hui immediately bounded up the steps to catch up with Liu Siyue.
Lin Jiajun and Lin Wanyi also climbed faster.
No one was enjoying the scenery along the way; they were all following Liu Siyue as if it were a race.
Finally, halfway up the mountain, Liu Siyue couldn't climb anymore.
She sat on the steps, panting.
Chen Hui sat down next to her, huffing and puffing.
"Yueyue, why are you walking so fast? Is someone chasing your tail?"
Liu Siyue looked toward the cliff beside her.
Lin Wanyi suddenly pulled her inward.
"It's dangerous, Yueyue, don't get too close to the edge."
Liu Siyue laughed.
"Sister Wanyi, why are you so nervous? It's not like I'm going to jump."
"No, that's not it,"
Lin Wanyi immediately explained, but Liu Siyue pointed at the steps not far away.
"Sister, look, who is here?"
Lin Wanyi looked in the direction she was pointing and was surprised to see Liu Renzhi.
Today, he had finally changed his outfit. He was no longer wearing his repetitive black shirt, black trousers, and black leather shoes.
Instead, he wore a white casual suit.
Lin Wanyi was momentarily stunned, while Liu Siyue leaned close to her ear and whispered,
"What do you think, Sister? Doesn't my older brother look handsome in this?
"Did he catch your eye?"
Lin Wanyi felt a bit embarrassed, as if she had been caught doing something bad.
Chen Hui leaned close to Lin Jiajun.
"Jiajun, look at Brother Liu. He's so busy, yet he followed us here to climb the mountain.
"If you ask me, you'll soon be calling him brother-in-law."
The four of them stayed where they were, waiting for Liu Renzhi.
Liu Siyue deliberately asked him, "Brother, how do you have time to go mountain climbing today?
"Who is going to sign all your big contracts, and who is going to entertain your major clients?"
Liu Renzhi wasn't embarrassed at all.
"Your brother isn't a working machine. What's wrong with giving myself a day off once in a while?"
"Nothing at all."
Liu Siyue smiled, turning around to continue climbing.
"Come on, let's keep going. Let's see who gets there first."
Lin Jiajun followed her, but Chen Hui told Liu Renzhi,
"Brother Liu, there are two paths here. We'll take one, and you and my sister take the other.
"Let's see who arrives first. The loser buys dinner."
Just as Lin Wanyi was about to refuse, Liu Renzhi had already taken her hand and led her down the other path.
The dense woods blocked the others from view.
This path was secluded; aside from Lin Wanyi and Liu Renzhi, there wasn't a single person around.
Lin Wanyi felt a little uncomfortable and tried to make small talk.
"Brother Liu, are you really not busy?"
Liu Renzhi walked ahead of her, pushing aside the wild branches blocking the way.
"I'm human too, I need to rest."
Lin Wanyi didn't know what else to say and just silently followed behind him.
When they passed a small puddle, Liu Renzhi reached out his hand to her.
Lin Wanyi didn't step forward; she only said,
"I can make it across."
Without a word, Liu Renzhi grabbed her hand and pulled her over.
He used a bit too much force, and Lin Wanyi crashed right into his arms.
She hurriedly tried to pull away, but Liu Renzhi held her tighter.
He breathed in the scent of her hair, feeling somewhat intoxicated.
Ah, humans.
Once they fall in love, they can never quit it.
Lin Wanyi blushed and tried to push him away.
"Brother Liu, someone on the path might see us."
Liu Renzhi smiled.
"There's barely anyone on this wild mountain to begin with, let alone on such a secluded path.
"Wanyi, let me hold you for a while. I really just want to hold you for a moment."
Liu Renzhi was a bit tired from chasing after them all the way.
Not just physically, but emotionally.
Today, Nanny Wu had broken his heart.
Ever since his biological mother left, he had treated Nanny Wu as his closest family.
Even when Su Jing came along later, Nanny Wu remained irreplaceable in his heart.
He had always thought that Nanny Wu loved him genuinely and selflessly.
But today he found out.
He was wrong, completely wrong.
Nanny Wu wasn't purely good to him.
She had her own selfish motives, massive ones.
This made Liu Renzhi incredibly sad.
It also made his heart ache even more.
He held Lin Wanyi for a long time before finally letting her go.
"Wanyi, did you know that I'm actually not my parents' biological son?"
Lin Wanyi nodded as they walked.
"Yeah, Yueyue told me."
Liu Renzhi continued,
"My biological parents never had a good relationship. My mother saw many men behind my father's back.
"Of course, my father went crazy over this many times.
"My mother only gave birth to me to fulfill the elders' expectations.
"For as long as I can remember, all I heard at home were endless arguments, either about money or about the people outside.
"Finally, one day, my dad passed away.
"Did you know? My mom smiled so happily at the funeral, and she even brought her man back.
"As soon as the funeral ended, she couldn't wait to remarry.
"Worried that her new in-laws wouldn't accept me, she just dumped me with Nanny Wu, and I never saw her again.
"Wanyi, the truth is, I've always been resistant to marriage and relationships.
"Until..."
He stopped walking and looked back at Lin Wanyi.
"Until I met you.
"Wanyi, you are the one who gave me hope for love again, and you're the one who gave me the urge to get married.
"It's been so many days, Wanyi. Have you thought it over?
"Can we try dating?"
Lin Wanyi didn't expect such a sudden confession.
Her heart was pounding wildly, and a voice in her head shouted,
"Say yes, Lin Wanyi, you have to say yes.
"He is so good, so perfect, you absolutely cannot miss out on him."
But her reason argued,
"No, you can't accept. The gap between you two is too big.
"You're not from the same world. He might just be acting on impulse, and once he sobers up, he won't want you anymore.
"Lin Wanyi, you finally escaped one fiery pit, don't lose your head again.
"You can't, Lin Wanyi, you can't."
The two voices fought in her mind. Looking into Liu Renzhi's expectant eyes, Lin Wanyi couldn't bear to reject him.
What a wonderful, perfect, and gentlemanly man he was.
Lin Wanyi felt she shouldn't taint him. In the end, she decided to refuse.
They were truly a mismatch.
But before the words of rejection could leave her mouth, she suddenly saw a small snake slithering out of the grass.
"Ah!"
Lin Wanyi, who had been terrified of snakes since childhood, let out a scream and jumped onto Liu Renzhi...
