The younger sister pretends to be hypnotized, and her older brother gets addicted.

Hearing her second brother's words, Jiang Zhaozhao pouted.

He suspected that his second brother might have been bewitched by the White Bone Demon.

Jiang Zhaozhao snorted and patted her chest in a childish voice, "Yangyang, don't worry, I'll help you!"

Ruan Yang couldn't help but smile, "Such a precocious child."

Qiao Lingling gently smoothed things over:

"Miss Ruan, please don't mind her. That's just how A-Zhu is—sharp-tongued but kind-hearted. Don't worry, we'll pick plenty of vegetables so you won't go hungry!"

Ruan Yang showed no expression upon hearing these words.

But everyone felt something was off.

—Ruan Yang has known Jiang Zhuo for seven years, so of course she understands Jiang Zhuo's personality. Why would she need an outsider like Qiao Lingling to persuade her?

But Ruan Yang's answer was even more bizarre.

She patted Qiao Lingling's shoulder and said kindly, "Don't worry about us. We're relieved that you and Xiao Zhuo are doing well."

The air fell silent for a moment.

The people present fell silent at the same time.

Only Jiang Yanci had a smile on his lips and a doting look in his eyes.

*

After Qiao Lingling, Jiang Zhuo, and the others left, Ruan Yang lowered her head and asked Jiang Zhaozhao, "Would you like to eat fish?"

"Fish?" Zhao Zhao tilted her head. "But I checked the guide, and there are no fish listed!"

"Just tell me if you want to eat it or not?"

"I want to eat it!"

Ruan Yang smiled and said, "Wait for me a moment."

She came to the stream, took off her shoes and socks, and stepped into the water.

The moment the soles of my feet touched the pebbles, a cool sensation rushed up from the soles of my feet.

The sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead cast dappled patterns on her head, and the stream, with its delicate spray, meandered around her ankles—just like the summers of her memories.

Even the fish in the water are just as stupid.

Ruan Yang held her breath, leaned forward slightly, and locked her gaze on a dark shadow slowly swimming underwater.

The catfish leisurely swished its tail, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

She seized the opportunity, and with a sudden flick of her wrist, she extended and retracted—

Whoosh!

Water splashed everywhere as a plump black catfish struggled and thrashed in her palm, its scales still glistening with water droplets.

Ruan Yang, clutching the fish in both hands, turned around, dripping wet, and held it up towards the shore: "Zhao Zhao, look!"

The fisherman not far away: ?

Zhao Zhao was stunned, covering her mouth: "Yang Yang, you're amazing!"

Ruan Yang smiled as she stepped barefoot back onto the grass.

"Zhaozhao, go get the bucket!"

"Okay!"

The little guy turned and ran, the little dinosaur's tail swishing behind him.

He quickly ran back carrying a small red bucket.

The fish was put in, and Zhao Zhao squatted beside it, watching for a long time. Then she looked up at it with admiration and asked, "How did you catch it?"

"You can catch it too."

"real?"

"Give it a try."

Zhao Zhao stared at the stream water, which was above her calves, hesitated for a few seconds, then poked her toes in before pulling them back, her voice soft, "I...I'm afraid..."

"Go ahead," came Jiang Yanci's voice from behind, unhurried.

"I'm watching you, you'll be safe."

Zhao Zhao glanced back at her older brother and saw him sitting on a camping chair with his long legs casually spread apart, holding his phone directly at them.

A strange sense of security welled up inside me.

The little guy finally mustered up his courage, took a deep breath, and stepped into the stream.

Good news: Zhao Zhao caught a fish.

Bad news: Zhao Zhao got slapped across the face by Yu.

"The fish hit me!"

Zhao Zhao burst into tears.

Ruan Yang laughed so hard he couldn't stand up straight, and Jiang Yanci on the shore was also amused. His eyebrows and eyes curved, and the sunlight fell on his face, making him look dazzlingly handsome.

A gentle breeze blew by, and in that instant, Ruan Yang felt relieved.

She once complained that she was clearly her parents' child, so why was she switched at birth and suffered for 12 years?

But when 22-year-old Ruan Yang stepped back into the river she had crossed at age 12, she found that she had long forgotten those unhappy memories.

It turns out that those days weren't all bitter.

Finally, Zhao Zhao caught a small fish and put it in the bucket.

Ruan Yang's feet got wet, then stepped on the grass, getting covered in mud.

Zhao Zhao pointed at her feet and said with a grin, "Yang Yang, you're dirty!"

Ruan Yang pointed to his feet: "You too!"

Zhao Zhao, who is usually very clean, stopped giggling.

Ruan Yang said to Jiang Yanci, "You should take Zhaozhao back with you."

"And what about you?"

Ruan Yang replied matter-of-factly, "I'll just walk back like this!"

Jiang Yanci frowned: "No."

Ruan Yang's eyes sparkled. "This resort is the old site of my orphanage when I was a child. My friends and I often came here to catch fish. The children in the orphanage didn't have parents to take care of them, so we would walk back barefoot—"

Jiang Yanci's eyes flickered.

The next second, he lifted the person off the ground with one hand.

"Now you have parents to supervise you."

Ruan Yang's smile froze on her face.

My nose suddenly stung with a soreness.

Even though she didn't feel sorry for herself, Jiang Yanci's words stirred up her grievances again.

She buried her face in his shoulder.

Jiang Yanci held Ruan Yang steadily in one arm and carried a small bucket in the other, while Zhao Zhao followed beside him, her footsteps pattering on the grass.

Back in the courtyard house, Jiang Zhaozhao went to take a bath.

Jiang Yanci filled a basin with hot water and brought it to Ruan Yang, saying, "Wash your feet."

Ruan Yang dodged, "I already rinsed it clean!"

"It's different." Jiang Yanci pressed down on her ankle and put it in the water. "You're about to get your period, and your stomach will hurt if you catch a cold."

Ruan Yang curled up her soles.

Her fair feet were soaked in the warm water, and a thin layer of pink appeared on them.

Jiang Yanci squatted down in front of her and carefully washed her.

Ruan Yang bit her lip, unsure where to look, and hurriedly lifted her foot, "T-It's okay now."

Jiang Yanci took a towel, placed her two pink feet on her knees, and dried them little by little.

Ruan Yang's face turned bright red, and her voice was so soft it was almost a mosquito's hum, "Stop it..."

Jiang Yanci also stopped.

Zhao Zhao is still here; things really can't continue like this.

He said, "I'll have the driver bring Ming's wife over."

Ruan Yang looked bewildered. "What?"

"Let her take care of Zhaozhao tonight." Jiang Yanci smiled, his dark eyes looking at Ruan Yang. "Is that alright?"

Ruan Yang felt a burning sensation in her heart.

*

After taking a bath, Zhao was full of energy and kept saying that he wanted to go to the mountain to play.

Ruan Yang thought that there was no other dish besides a fish for dinner, so the three of them went out together to pick some wild vegetables.

Instead of seeing a fruit picking garden, I first saw a large rock.

The inscription on it reads: Lover's Stone.

Below is a line of smaller text: Lovers who kiss in front of Lover's Rock will never be separated.

Man-made attractions are common in scenic areas and can be found in various places.

Jiang Yanci lowered his eyes and asked Jiang Zhaozhao, "Zhaozhao, do you want to play hide-and-seek?"

Zhao Zhao's eyes widened. "Okay!"

Jiang Yanci pointed to a flat, open area, "Then stand in the circle and count to one hundred."

"Okay!" Zhao Zhao nodded obediently, turned her back, and covered her eyes.

Ruan Yang was curious: How did they end up playing hide-and-seek?

Her questioning gaze had just fallen upon Jiang Yanci when a large hand grasped her chin, and a burning kiss landed on her lips.

Ruan Yang's eyelashes trembled.

Jiang Yanci's kiss was fierce and ruthless. She staggered back a step because of the kiss, but her waist was held by that strong arm.

Ruan Yang's eyes reddened from the kiss, and her misty eyes filled with tears.

"Stop kissing me, my lips will be swollen and they'll notice..." she pleaded softly, turning her head away. "How...how can you still believe in this stuff?"

"I believe everything about you."

Ruan Yang's heart skipped a beat.

With her eyelashes lowered, she suddenly tilted her head back after a few breaths and offered her lips, her voice soft, "...Then kiss me gently."

Why are you being so well-behaved?

The thought that Yangyang hadn't been hypnotized and had obediently let him kiss her fueled the fire in Jiang Yanci's heart to burn even brighter.

He slowed down, like a hunter numbing his prey.

The little girl was being gently kissed and thought he was a kind and easy-going lover.

But the patient hunter can only wait until tonight.

After so long of adjustment, the poor little thing should be able to accept me by now.

The shadows of the trees are deep and serene as lovers embrace and kiss.

Then, an untimely voice rang out in shock, "What are you doing?"