Quick Transmigration: The Control Group in Sweet Novels

Zhou Shan jogged after him, but suddenly twisted his ankle, a sharp pain shooting through his foot.

He gasped, instinctively stopping in his tracks. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the pain. Without thinking, he called out, "Qi Yang!"

Qi Yang heard the noise behind her but didn't turn around.

Zhou Shan gritted his teeth, watching the girl's resolute back, his heart sinking. He slightly tiptoed on his injured foot, forcing himself to follow, "Qi Yang, wait for me..."

He walked slowly with a limp, and fearing that Qi Yang might really leave him alone in the deep mountains, he dared not stop.

The mountain path was rugged, with pebbles embedded in the soft soil, making it particularly uncomfortable to walk on. Zhou Shan's sprained ankle was becoming increasingly swollen and painful; every step he took strained his muscles. Looking at the slender figure ahead of him who refused to stop, Zhou Shan felt anxious and panicked. He quickly called out, "Qi Yang, stop running! I already said I know I was wrong. I'll make it up to you, okay?"

"Give me as much betrothal money as you want, I promise I'll do whatever you ask and I absolutely won't let you suffer any injustice, okay?"

Qi Yang heard every word without missing a single one, without the slightest ripple of emotion.

Seeing that she remained unmoved, Zhou Shan, fearing she might actually do something, said, "Qi Yang, I really can't walk anymore, please help me!"

The only response he received was the girl's increasingly rapid footsteps.

Qi Yang thought to herself, "I might as well let him suffer." She didn't want to waste any more words on him. Relying on her memory, she continued walking, distancing herself from the person behind her.

...

At the same time, Lin Huaixu hurriedly walked down the mountain path to the foot of the mountain.

The dense foliage blocked most of his view, and the rustling of the wind carried faint whispers of human voices. His heart tightened, and he subconsciously looked up. His gaze pierced through the layers of leaves, and two figures gradually came into view.

Lin Huaixu subconsciously took a few steps forward.

A strange young man was seen closely following Qi Yang. The man limped and acted humbly, constantly chasing after Qi Yang.

Lin Huaixu could only make out a few words.

It was probably related to the bride price and marriage. Lin Huaixu froze instantly, watching the boy chase after the girl at a distance, passing by him side by side, while the young man stood there stunned.

He instinctively wanted to call out to Qi Yang, but seeing the two of them chasing each other, he couldn't utter a sound.

The dense forest made the two figures appear and disappear, one after the other, as they vanished into the deep woods.

Lin Huaixu remained standing in the same spot, his gaze fixed on the direction where the two had disappeared, a strange bitterness welling up in his heart for some reason.

Why would a man and a woman discuss these things? Their relationship is obvious.

The wind rustled through the woods, and Lin Huaixu stood at the foot of the mountain for a long time, lost in thought. After a while, he came to his senses and started walking down the mountain.

Qi Yang was completely unaware of the incident at the foot of the mountain. She walked very quickly and left Zhou Shan behind after descending the mountain. Seeing that the annoying figure was no longer behind her, Qi Yang breathed a sigh of relief and went straight to the place where she had stored the medicine yesterday.

She skillfully squatted down, parted the weeds covering the area, and found some of them to store.

Generally speaking, mountain herbs are extremely difficult to store after being picked. The longer they are stored, the more moisture they lose, the worse their appearance becomes, and the lower their price will be. She needs to find an opportunity to sell them all in town as soon as possible and save the money.

Qi Yang carefully smoothed out the weeds, making sure there was no trace of them, before patting the dust off her hands and turning to walk back to her own courtyard.

The sky had mostly darkened, and twilight enveloped the entire village, with wisps of autumn smoke rising from every house. Qi Yang turned into the road leading to her house, looked up, and paused slightly.

A tall figure stood quietly outside the gate.

The light was dim, and the person's outline was not very clear. Qi Yang could only vaguely see that the person was tall with long legs and a slender figure.

Her heart skipped a beat. Her first thought was that Zhou Shan, unwilling to give up, had caught up despite the pain in his foot, and a sense of annoyance welled up inside her.

But when she squinted and looked closely, she changed her mind.

This man was much taller and more upright than Zhou Shan, with a straight and refined back, completely different from Zhou Shan.

She moved closer and, with the last glimmer of light, made out that refined and clean-cut face.

It is Lin Huaixu.

Qi Yang was stunned, somewhat surprised. "Teacher Lin, what are you doing at my doorstep?"

Then, realizing something, she asked, "Were you wandering around the village again?"

Hearing this, Lin Huaixu looked up, his dark gaze fixed on her. After a few seconds, he slowly nodded, his voice slightly hoarse, "Yeah, I'm a little lost."

His expression was somewhat wooden, quite different from his usual gentle and composed demeanor.

Looking at him like this, Qi Yang found it somewhat amusing, and most of the annoyance she felt from being bothered by Zhou Shan dissipated.

She suggested, "There are a lot of forks in the road here, it's easy to get lost. How about I take you back?"

She had thought Lin Huaixu would politely decline, but to her surprise, he didn't hesitate at all this time and almost immediately agreed, "Okay."

Qi Yang put the half-basket of herbs back home and then led the way for Lin Huaixu.

"At this time of day, everyone in the village is eating at home, and there aren't many people on the road. I'll take you a shortcut; it'll be faster."

Her voice was soft and melodious, her steps were light and quick, and she looked gentle and vibrant.

Lin Huaixu followed slowly behind her, keeping a respectful distance, listening quietly to her words without uttering a word.

The bittersweet feeling in his heart lingered, and he longed for the time he spent alone with Qi Yang.

After walking a short distance, Lin Huaixu suddenly spoke softly, "Qi Yang."

The girl stopped immediately upon hearing the sound, turned around to look at the young man, and asked, "What's wrong, Teacher Lin?"

Lin Huaixu stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on her hands.

She spent the whole day digging for herbs on the mountain, and several new small scratches appeared on the back of her hands, some of them red and particularly noticeable on her skin.

The man's expression was somewhat serious, giving off an inexplicably low-pressure vibe.

Qi Yang felt a slight tightness in her heart under his gaze and subconsciously wanted to take a few steps back. The next moment, Lin Huaixu handed her the medicine box he had been carrying, saying, "Remember to apply the medicine on time when you get back."

Qi Yang stared blankly at the medicine box, and before she could speak, she heard the young man say again: "Go back quickly, it's getting late. I know the way, I can go back by myself."

"Are you really sure you can manage on your own?" Qi Yang asked, somewhat worried.

"Mm." Lin Huaixu nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on her face.

The evening breeze stirred up his thoughts, and as he examined his recent unusual behavior, the lingering bitterness in his heart seemed to have a clear answer.

He had to confront his true thoughts.

He harbored ill intentions towards Qi Yang.