The wolves were quite clever. Perhaps sensing danger, after dragging away the bear meat Chen Yongqiang had thrown out, the few eerie green lights flickered a few times in the forest before disappearing.

Outside the cave, silence returned, broken only by the occasional crackling of burning firewood.

Ding Wanru's tense shoulders and neck finally relaxed: "They're really gone."

"Hmm," Chen Yongqiang stood at the cave entrance for a moment, listening intently to make sure there was no more danger before putting down his hunting rifle.

"These beasts are cunning; they've already gained an advantage, and they know they can't get any more benefits here."

After a quick meal, the rain outside had completely stopped.

Chen Yongqiang stood up, put the miner's lamp on his head, and picked up the machete.

"I'm going out to find some wood to block up the hole," he said to Ding Wanru, who was tidying up. "If we want to have a peaceful night here, we have to be wary of those quiet guys."

"That black bear is noisy; it's not a top-tier hunter. The real danger comes from tigers, leopards, and wolves. When they hunt, they don't make a sound at all."

Ding Wanru only knew that she had to listen to him even in the wild: "Then come back quickly and be careful."

"Yes, not far, just nearby." After saying that, Chen Yongqiang turned around and crawled out of the hole.

The beam of the miner's lamp illuminated the ground and the tangled bushes.

He cautiously scanned his surroundings, and only after confirming that there was no danger nearby did he quickly walk towards a few long-fallen dead trees not far away.

Chen Yongqiang selected one of the suitable-sized logs, swung his machete, and neatly chopped off several sections of the log, each about the length of a person.

The blade struck the dry wood with a dull thud that carried far through the silent forest.

After cutting each section, he would drag it to the vicinity of the cave entrance and pile it up.

In no time, enough timber was piled up beside the cave entrance.

"Do you need my help?" Ding Wangu wanted to come over and lend a hand.

"No need, I'll do the dirty work." Chen Yongqiang firmly pressed the sturdy wood against the cave entrance, and a simple barrier was quickly completed.

Although this simple wooden barrier could not completely withstand the impact of wild beasts, anything that wanted to break in would have to make a commotion first.

This gave Chen Yongqiang enough time to react, allowing him to grab the hunting rifle at hand in time.

After finishing these tasks, Chen Yongqiang patted the dirt off his clothes.

Ding Wanru stepped forward, took out her handkerchief, and wiped the dirt off his cheeks and neck.

Looking at her face so close to his, Chen Yongqiang said in a low voice, "I can't marry you, so why are you following me like this?"

Ding Wanru paused slightly, but didn't retract her hand: "Then I'm willing too. Anyway, I think you're good."

She couldn't describe her feelings for Chen Yongqiang; it was as if she was completely infatuated with him.

Chen Yongqiang looked at her, said nothing more, and simply reached out and gently stroked her face.

Ding Wanru walked to the haystack and sat down, hugging her knees with both hands. She looked at Chen Yongqiang and said, "I heard from those aunties that if you want to have a baby, you have to have sex more often." Her voice gradually lowered, and her cheeks flushed.

When the women in the village get together to do chores, they often talk about private matters between men and women without restraint.

As a medical student, even though she hadn't experienced it herself, she understood more than the average girl. Saying these words now required considerable courage.

Chen Yongqiang added a piece of firewood to the fire and then sat down next to her.

"Those aunties weren't wrong. It's just..." He paused, unsure how to continue.

Ding Wanru raised her head, her clear eyes looking at him: "I don't regret it, Yongqiang. If... I really have a child, I'll say it was adopted. Anyway, things like that happen in the village."

Looking at her stubborn yet gentle expression, Chen Yongqiang didn't say anything more.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms. "I, Chen Yongqiang, am not that kind of irresponsible person. If we have a child, I will help you raise it."

Chen Yongqiang now has many ways to make money, and he has a system for it, so making money is not difficult for him. If he could have more children, he could afford to raise them.

As Ding Wanru spoke, she slowly leaned back and lay down on the pile of dry hay that had been laid out.

Unlike the cramped intimacy under the narrow stone wall last night, the cave was spacious and dry tonight, and with Chen Yongqiang firmly blocking the entrance with wood, there was a greater sense of security.

"Brother Yongqiang, if you had taken me sooner, maybe our kids would be running around all over by now."

Chen Yongqiang's heart felt as if it had been struck by something. Looking at her lying on the haystack with such unreserved demeanor, he knew that her words carried both the foolishness of a young woman's infatuation and a touch of seriousness.

He leaned closer, his hands resting on the hay beside her, casting her shadow.

"Nonsense." Chen Yongqiang knew that was impossible. A few years ago, he had just married Lin Xiuzhen. At that time, the couple was deeply in love, and he couldn't think of anyone else.

He would never provoke Ding Wanru. At that time, Ding Wanru was more like a girl next door who needed to be taken care of in his eyes.

However, at this moment, the past is like smoke, and the reality is that there are only the two of them in this warm cave.

All reason and reservations seemed to gradually melt away under that scorching gaze.

Without further thought, Chen Yongqiang lowered his head and kissed her. This kiss was deeper than before, carrying an irresistible tenderness and a gradually rising heat.

Ding Wanru gave a soft hum and wrapped her arms around his neck, responding awkwardly yet bravely.

Outside the cave, all was quiet except for the crackling of firewood inside, which, along with increasingly rapid breathing, wove together the most secret melody of this mountain night.

That night was unusually quiet.

Perhaps the surrounding animals still remembered that this was the brown bear's territory, and the lingering scent made them hesitant to approach.

Or perhaps, the nights in the mountains are simply meant to be this quiet. No sound disturbs the couple embracing in the cave.

More than an hour later, the initial burning passion gradually subsided, transforming into a deeper and more reassuring tenderness.

Ding Wanru turned to the side and pressed herself against Chen Yongqiang's warm chest. Chen Yongqiang's arm wrapped around her waist, encircling her completely in his embrace.

She seemed to feel this unprecedented peace as well, her body completely relaxed, and her breathing became long and even, as if she had finally found a safe haven.

Chen Yongqiang did not fall asleep immediately. Listening to the faint, almost indistinguishable hooting of owls coming from the far distance outside the cave, vigilance had become a habit ingrained in his bones.

It wasn't until late at night, when I was sure there was no more unusual activity around me, that exhaustion washed over me like a tide, and I finally closed my eyes.

The wooden barrier at the cave entrance kept the danger and noise out, leaving only this small, warm space. That night, they slept exceptionally soundly and peacefully.

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