It wasn't appropriate for Leng Yuan to enter a girl's room. Gu Jiaojiao could have just placed the box at the doorway and called for him to move it.
That was what Gu Jiaojiao had originally intended to do.
But when she stepped out and saw Yun Hao, she decided to make her stance clear and lifted the box out herself in one go.
The box must have weighed seventy or eighty pounds—after all, everything she'd brought with her to the countryside was packed inside!
She had only managed to carry it out just now by mustering every ounce of her strength; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to move it at all.
The box, which had been incredibly heavy in Gu Jiaojiao's hands, seemed to have no weight at all in Leng Yuan's. He lifted it with ease, his walking speed completely unaffected.
The two left the Educated Youth Quarters as dusk settled. After they had walked for five minutes, the sky turned completely dark. Gu Jiaojiao could barely see the path beneath her feet, and she stumbled along unsteadily.
The rural paths were all unpaved dirt. They were uneven and riddled with potholes of all sizes, making it easy to trip and fall if one wasn't careful.
She watched the man walking ahead, seemingly oblivious to her, and a glint appeared in her eyes.
She subtly quickened her pace to catch up with him, then boldly slipped her hand into his. His palm was large, completely enveloping her smaller hand. It was warm and rough with calluses from manual labor.
It was this pair of strong hands that gave Gu Jiaojiao a sense of security.
The man instinctively started to pull away from her soft, delicate hand, but Gu Jiaojiao tightened her grip.
"Leng Yuan, I can't see the path."
Her delicate voice, tinged with a charming innocence, traveled straight to his ears.
'Gu Jiaojiao knew perfectly well how much self-control Leng Yuan possessed. He was practically Liu Xia Hui in the flesh.'
'Otherwise, with the stunning looks of this body's original owner, she should have succeeded in seducing him long ago.'
'It was precisely because she understood his disposition that she knew, even though they were married, it was only because he had touched her and was now taking responsibility.'
'Not because he loved her.'
'So, if she wanted to win this man over, she would have to be the one to take the offensive.'
Leng Yuan was reserved and rarely showed his emotions, but with a soft, delicate hand suddenly in his, a hint of unease still flickered across his face.
But he didn't let go.
They walked on like that for a while, and Gu Jiaojiao grew bolder. She started to gently feel the calluses on his hand. They were quite rough.
She stroked them once, then twice, even giving them a little pinch. As if addicted, her fingers continued their restless exploration.
Leng Yuan felt a flicker of heat stir within him from her touch.
Gu Jiaojiao didn't notice this. She leaned closer to him, her tone wheedling. "Leng Yuan, I'm your woman now. You can't just ignore me!"
The young woman's warm breath ghosted across his ear. Leng Yuan tensed instinctively, his grip on Gu Jiaojiao's hand tightening as well.
Gu Jiaojiao was still oblivious to the fact that her actions were basically playing with fire.
'She thought she was just being a little flirtatious, that's all.'
'There was a saying she liked: the weak overcomes the strong, and the soft overcomes the hard. Even if this man's heart was forged from tempered steel, seemingly indestructible, she was confident she could melt it.'
'After all, this man was perfect for her in every way.'
'A man with a personality like Leng Yuan might seem cold and aloof on the surface, but if he ever truly gave someone his heart, he would cherish them completely, spoil them rotten, and hold nothing back.'
'What's more, this man was practically tailor-made to her tastes. Gu Jiaojiao had absolutely no intention of letting him go.'
The more she thought about it, the bolder she became, and her hand movements took on an even more provocative edge.
"Gu Jiaojiao, do you have any idea what you're doing?"
The man's deep voice had taken on a husky edge, laced with an almost imperceptible danger.
Gu Jiaojiao, who had zero experience with romance, completely missed the suppressed emotion in his voice. She was even more oblivious to the storm currently brewing in his eyes.
She thought he was asking if she was serious about building a life with him.
Of course, she was.
"Of course I know what I'm doing. I already told you, I'm serious about building a life with you."
"Gu Jiaojiao, you asked for this."
The man raised his arm, pulling her into a sudden embrace. He then bent down, swept Gu Jiaojiao up with one arm, and settled her securely in its crook.