Chen Pingjiang was in a great mood after finalizing the cooperation; the distant supermarket held strategic significance for the food delivery platform.
Because the supermarket was large and comprehensive, stocking all categories and having ample inventory, it was a high-quality partner urgently needed by the food delivery platform.
Not long after, Yan Yan and He Rui returned one after another, each carrying a basket of strawberries in their hands.
Chen Pingjiang grinned and approached, picking the biggest, reddest strawberry, and bit into it immediately.
"Don't tell me, it's quite sweet."
Yan Yan quickly spoke up to stop him, but it was too late.
"Wash it before you eat it, there are pesticides."
Chen Pingjiang was puzzled:
"Didn't I see you two eating them in the greenhouse just now?"
"We wiped them with wet wipes."
"It's fine, won't kill me."
Chen Pingjiang casually picked another strawberry.
This time, Yan Yan quickly put down the basket, pulled out a wet wipe from her pocket, cleaned the strawberry, and only then allowed Chen Pingjiang to eat it.
"This afternoon, I'll teach you how to ride a horse."
"Mmm, okay."
Yan Yan always had a calm, unhurried, and undemanding demeanor, gentle and slow.
If it were any other girl, she might have clapped her hands and shouted excitedly.
The temperature in late November was only around ten degrees Celsius, already feeling cool.
Chen Pingjiang and Yan Yan sat in the small courtyard, basking in the sun, feeling the gentle warmth of the sunlight, which made them feel lazy and comfortable.
"Open your mouth."
Chen Pingjiang called out to Yan Yan.
Yan Yan didn't understand why, but still obediently complied, her cherry lips slightly parted, glistening in the sunlight.
The strawberry entered her mouth, and its sweet juice refreshed her heart and mind.
Seemingly realizing that this gesture was a bit intimate, Yan Yan's cheeks involuntarily flushed again.
He Rui, a girl of fifteen or sixteen, propped her chin in the house and stared intently at the two people in the courtyard, a look of longing appearing on her face.
"So sweet, it makes me want to fall in love too."
A maiden's heart is known only to spring; how can one speak of it with a laugh?
Girls in their adolescence are always full of fantasies about the future, hoping for the appearance of the one who will cherish them.
Liu Can, who was a bit younger and playing a handheld game console nearby, interjected inappropriately:
"Aren't you afraid your mom will beat you to death?"
Seeing Liu Can's childishness, He Rui rolled her eyes in disdain:
"You're such a busybody."
The horse farm at Yongquan Mountain Villa was very well-maintained, rumored to even have retired racehorses, bought at great expense specifically for breeding.
Watching the staff lead out a completely black horse, and thoughtfully change to a double saddle, Chen Pingjiang grinned:
"Come on, I'll teach you."
"How do you know everything?"
Yan Yan's bright big eyes blinked.
Walking to the left side of the black horse, Chen Pingjiang placed his left foot on the stirrup, grabbed the cantle of the saddle with his right hand, and leaped onto the horse's back in one fluid, dashing motion.
"Hehe, sir, your posture for mounting the horse is truly standard."
The staff member complimented with a smile.
Pulling the reins with his left hand, and stroking the black horse's head with his right to comfort it as it fidgeted, Chen Pingjiang waved to Yan Yan,
"Come!"
Yan Yan, who seemed to be undemanding about everything, actually became interested upon seeing Chen Pingjiang's outstretched left hand, a look of eagerness in her eyes.
She grabbed Chen Pingjiang's hand and also mounted the horse.
Yan Yan sat in front, clinging tightly to the horse's back with both hands, afraid of falling.
However, she immediately felt Chen Pingjiang's forearms wrap around her waist and hold her tight, which somewhat eased her mind.
"Keep your upper body straight, don't slouch or sit crookedly, and press your legs firmly against the horse's sides."
Chen Pingjiang's voice came from beside her ear.
Their proximity, combined with the warmth sprayed on her ear, made Yan Yan tremble slightly.
She desperately tried to suppress that strange sensation, but she didn't hear a single word Chen Pingjiang said.
"Did you hear me? Hey, if you lean any closer, you'll be parallel with the horse's back."
Seeing Yan Yan unresponsive after teaching her for a while, Chen Pingjiang called out again.
"Huh? Oh, okay."
Yan Yan then snapped back to reality.
"Let's go!"
Chen Pingjiang expertly kicked the horse's belly and gently shook the reins, and the black horse immediately started to walk.
"Whoo-hoo!"
Then he let out an excited yell, and Yan Yan couldn't help but let out a shout as well.
The spurs on the heels of the riding boots struck the horse's belly, and the black horse, having received the command, began to gallop.
Feeling the rhythmic undulations beneath her, Yan Yan's heart felt like it was about to jump out of her throat.
However, Chen Pingjiang's arms tightly embraced her, providing Yan Yan with a strong sense of security.
Blue skies, white clouds, and a galloping black horse made Yan Yan forget all her worries, leaving only carefree freedom.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Pingjiang inadvertently caught sight of Yan Yan's earlobe, like a delicate petal, gently swaying.
Suddenly, his mind raced and his head felt hot.
He then leaned in and lightly kissed the translucent earlobe.
"Oh!"
Yan Yan, taken by surprise, gasped, her entire body tensing as if she had been electrocuted.
Feeling the warmth from Chen Pingjiang's lips, her heart thumped rapidly.
She turned back with an annoyed glare at Chen Pingjiang.
Chen Pingjiang didn't evade, meeting Yan Yan's gaze with a chuckle.
"I remembered a song that's particularly fitting,"
Chen Pingjiang naturally changed the subject, as if nothing had happened just now.
"Which... which one?"
"Let us be companions in this mortal world, living freely and unrestrained, galloping on horseback to share the world's prosperity, singing joyfully as we drink, seizing our youth with passion..."
Chen Pingjiang sang as he rode, inspired by the moment, unaware of Yan Yan's wild thoughts in front of him.
Mainly, the lyrics of this song were too ambiguous.
"We,"
"share prosperity,"
"passionately."
...
"Little Chen, take it slow on the road."
"Brother Chen, Sister-in-law, goodbye."
"Sister Yan Yan, goodbye."
The two-day, one-night event concluded, and everyone drove off on their way home.
Yan Yan, however, felt a bit reluctant to leave, perhaps having fallen in love with the farm's environment, or perhaps facing a short separation.
Chen Pingjiang, astute as he was, immediately noticed Yan Yan's low spirits and comforted her with a smile:
"Anyway, we're both in Dongjiang, and it's not far to drive. If you like it, I'll bring you back to play again sometime."
"Okay, don't lie to me."
Chen Pingjiang smiled:
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Because... you also lied to me this morning."
"This morning? When did I lie to you this morning? Let me tell you, don't ruin my reputation."
"You were pretending to be asleep."
"Uh."
Chen Pingjiang's eyes widened, and he thought of a terrifying possibility: could this girl have been awake the whole time?
Chen Pingjiang wanted to deny it:
"I didn't!"
"Yes, you did."
Yan Yan, uncharacteristically, took the initiative to expose the morning's intimacy.
This was very unlike Yan Yan, mainly because teasing Chen Pingjiang made her feel very amused, and also intended to get back at Chen Pingjiang for secretly kissing her that afternoon.
"And you also lied to me that the marks on the glass were left by someone else sticking their face to the glass to look at the stars, but Sister Lu told me..."
When she reached the end, Yan Yan paused, unable to continue.
Just thinking about Lu Xingzhen's description, Yan Yan wished she could find a hole to crawl into; her ears were burning red.
Chen Pingjiang didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
This Sister Lu was truly a force to be reckoned with, spilling everything!
Are young women really so assertive?
(End of Chapter)
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