Arriving at Lin Xinyue's home, we found a typical rural mud-brick house.

"Grandma, I'm home."

Before even entering the door, Lin Xinyue shouted happily.

When an elderly man with a hunchback and a cane came out, Lin Xinyue immediately put down what she was holding, ran over, and affectionately took the old man's hand.

"You silly girl, didn't you just get back a few days ago? Don't worry about this old woman, working out there is the most important thing..."

The old man was overjoyed to see his granddaughter; his wrinkled face was beaming with happiness.

While she was talking incessantly about Lin Xinyue, she finally noticed Chen Xun and the others standing to the side.

"Oh, right, Grandma, these are my friends. This is Chen Xun, this is Li Qian, and that is Yang Xiaotao. They brought some things to see you."

Lin Xinyue shook her head happily as she spoke.

"Hello, Grandma!"

Chen Xun and the others stood in a row, obediently shouting "Good!"

"Alright, alright, look at all the things you brought to visit this old hag."

The old man squinted and said kindly.

"Come in and sit down, Xinyue will pour water for your friends."

The old man invited the group into the house.

When Chen Xun entered the house, he found that the furniture inside was very old and worn out, and the wooden stools and wooden tables were showing signs of mold and decay.

The group sat side by side on a bench, and Lin Xinyue poured several glasses of water from the kettle.

"Look at all the things you've bought, how am I supposed to use them all?"

Looking at the large pile of supplies already placed inside the house, the old man said with a smile.

"It's alright, Grandma. It's just a small token of our appreciation. Besides, Xinyue is a very good friend of ours. We'd rather not have given you enough!"

Chen Xun immediately stood up and said softly.

"The young man is quite handsome, not bad at all."

The old man looked at Chen Xun with a kind and satisfied expression in his eyes.

"Grandma, am I pretty?"

At this moment, Yang Xiaotao happily got up and went over to take the old man's arm.

"Beautiful, beautiful! You're such a pretty girl, like a porcelain doll."

The old man patted Yang Xiaotao's hand and nodded in praise.

The old man then looked at Li Qian, examined her carefully for a while, and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, this little girl is so beautiful!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qian's pretty face instantly turned red, and she lowered her head, at a loss for what to do.

Lin Xinyue noticed Li Qian's embarrassment and immediately went over to push the old woman, saying, "Grandma, it's lunchtime. Let's cook. Your granddaughter will cook. Please teach me what to make."

"Okay, okay, we have so many dishes today, make more."

The old man said with a smile.

"I'll go help too!"

Yang Xiaotao raised her hand and spoke.

The three of them went into the kitchen to prepare the meal, leaving Chen Xun and Li Qian sitting there in silence.

"you…"

Unexpectedly, Chen Xun and Li Qian spoke at the same time.

"You go first..."

They all spoke in unison again.

This made the two of them smile simultaneously.

You look beautiful when you smile, smile more often.

Chen Xun looked at Li Qian and said.

"Um."

Li Qian lowered her head.

"Let's go for a walk."

Chen Xun stood up and said with a smile.

Li Qian got up and walked out side by side with Chen Xun.

The roads in the mountain village are all in terrible condition. Ahead are fields, and there is only one narrow path to cross.

Chen Xun and Li Qian walked one after the other on this path.

"Aren't you going to tell me about what happened the day before yesterday?"

Chen Xun suddenly spoke.

"I……"

Li Qian looked dejected after Chen Xun asked her that question.

"Tell me, and I can help you. Trust me, okay?"

Chen Xun's voice was very soft and gentle.

Li Qian remained silent until a long time later, when she finally spoke.

"Will you really help me?"

Li Qian's voice began to choke.

"Yes, I will definitely help you."

Chen Xun's answer was very firm and decisive.

As expected, Li Qian told Chen Xun about her previous experiences studying.

What he said was exactly the same as what Lin Xinyue and Yang Xiaotao had told Chen Xun.

It is indeed related to this matter.

Chen Xun raised an eyebrow, still angry when he heard it again, especially since Li Qian, the firsthand witness, gave a more detailed account.

Slapped, kicked...

Chen Xun was furious.

"Is your sadness and heartbreak caused by returning to Taipei County and being reminded of those times?"

Chen Xun asked with concern.

Li Qian shook her head, stopped walking, and said, "Actually, I've forgotten all of this, but..."

She then took out her phone and showed Chen Xun the chat history from that day.

Li Qian, you're back and you're not even going to see me?

It's still the same message.

Chen Xun looked at it and saw that the message was sent by a girl. There had been no prior or subsequent conversations; the entire chat page contained only this message from the girl.

"Who is this person?"

Chen Xun asked instinctively, then realized what he meant.

The girl who sent this message must be the one who bullied Li Qian back then.

"I had already let go and forgotten about it, but with Xinyue, Xiaotao, and... you by my side, I'm very happy."

"But why did she even show up again!"

Li Qian's voice began to tremble, and she lowered her head, looking heartbroken.

"This person did it on purpose!"

Chen Xun gritted his teeth and said.

How could there be such a despicable person who committed an unforgivable crime back then, only to reappear in the victim's life just when the victim had tried their best to get over that trauma?

What else could this be but intentional?

Chen Xun's heart tightened as he looked at Li Qian, whose body was trembling in front of him.

He reached out and grabbed Li Qian's shoulders, turned her around, and then pulled her into his arms.

He said softly, "I thought it was something serious. It's alright, I'm here."

"These past few days, the image of me being bullied back then has been constantly flashing through my mind. Chen Xun, I feel so bad, really, I feel so bad."

Li Qian's eyes were slightly red. She clung tightly to Chen Xun, like an ant in the ocean finally grasping a floating leaf.

"Do you want to put this painful memory behind you completely?"

Chen Xun felt very sorry for the girl in his arms, and he said in a deep voice.

"End it? How do I end it? I don't know what to do."

Li Qian shook her head and said.

"Alright, leave it to me. Your task now is to stop thinking about these things."

"I'll help you later, okay?"

Chen Xun looked at Li Qian in his arms, gently wiped the corner of her eye with his hand, and said softly.

"it is good."

Hearing Chen Xun say this, Li Qian felt inexplicably at ease, just like that day when Chen Xun held her as they walked down the dimly lit street.

Although it was quiet and dark all around, Li Qian felt very comfortable and at ease lying in his arms.

Now, being held by Chen Xun like this, making promises and comforting her, Li Qian's mind began to go blank, and subconsciously she could trust the man in front of her.

The soft, warm body in his arms, the fragrant hair at his nose—none of these things could distract Chen Xun. At this moment, he was worried about this girl and felt sorry for her.

Holding Li Qian tightly, Chen Xun looked at the distant horizon, sighed, and said, "From now on, I will always be with you."

Li Qian's heart trembled upon hearing this.

I will always be with you from now on...

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