......
The path along the paddy field was winding and muddy from yesterday's rain. She gripped her phone tightly in her palm, watching her step as she frowned and asked the person on the other end of the line.
Where are you right now?
"Poplar tree?"
"I understand. Just stand there and don't move."
When Su Mo was seen, the black car was parked on the side of the road, next to a poplar grove.
The man, wearing a gray overcoat and a woolen scarf, with both hands in his pockets, was looking up at the bare poplar tree in front of him.
The weather wasn't great; there was no sunshine, and the clouds were rather gloomy. But for some reason, the scene before me was full of artistry, making it impossible to feel any aversion.
What's more, that person was the male protagonist in her erotic dream last night.
Jiang Jianhuan took a deep breath and walked over, questioning him expressionlessly.
What are you doing here?
Chapter 20
Su Mo turned to look at her, her gaze lingering on her for a long time without speaking. After a moment, she finally smiled faintly.
"I happened to be home with nothing to do these past few days, so... I came to see you."
Jiang Jianhuan remained unmoved, her face still stern.
"Now that you've seen it all, you can leave."
"Jian Huan..." Su Mo sighed softly, then looked at her again, her eyes filled with pleading.
“I drove for four hours to get here.”
"Could you... show me around the neighborhood?"
"It's a remote and impoverished place; there's nothing to see," Jiang Jianhuan said in a low voice, lowering his head.
"It's okay, I like it this way." Su Mo's gentle voice came.
"......"
The village was just beyond the farmland, and Jiang Jianhuan didn't want too many people to see her, so he led Su Mo into a nearby poplar grove.
All the leaves have fallen, leaving only the grayish-white trunk and branches, which can no longer block out the sky.
With each step, you can occasionally crush yellow fallen leaves, mixed with unknown weeds, buried in the damp soil.
In the vast, open forest, only the rustling of two footsteps could be heard. Jiang Jianhuan pulled up the collar of his sweater, buried half his face in it, and tucked his hands tightly into the pockets of his cotton-padded coat.
"Are you cold?" Su Mo, who was half a step ahead, turned around and asked. Jiang Jianhuan shook his head.
"fine."
They hadn't gone far when they suddenly heard the sound of flowing water, which was quite pleasant in the quiet forest. The two quickened their pace without realizing it, and after passing through several rows of poplars, a stream appeared in front of them.
The water level drops in winter, but the stream remains crystal clear. On both sides are naturally formed large rocks, aquatic plants grow luxuriantly, and the bottom is covered with pebbles of various colors and shapes.
Nestled amidst the monotonous scenery of the mountains and forests, it feels like an unexpected delight.
Jiang Jianhuan had been here for so long and didn't even know there was a stream hidden here.
"I wonder where it came from," she said to herself, gazing at the upstream stream. Su Mo glanced at her sideways.
"Since we have nothing else to do, let's go up and take a look."
The two walked upstream along the stream, stepping on the smooth stones. The scenery on both sides did not change much. The poplar forest was very wide, with occasional patches of green interspersed among it.
Watching Su Mo's figure trailing ahead, Jiang Jianhuan felt somewhat helpless. She was probably just killing time, doing something so pointless.
Jiang Jianhuan didn't know how long she had walked, but she started to breathe heavily. The mountain road was rugged, and her body, which had been sitting in the office for a long time without exercise, was feeling weak.
The stream ahead changed course and stretched across us. It was clear that someone had walked through it, and a simple path had been laid out between several large stones.
The water reached about ankle-deep. The stones were extremely slippery, and the water splashed against them, creating several sprays. Jiang Jianhuan carefully stepped onto the next stone.
She was focused on her footing when suddenly a hand reached out in front of her, with a broad palm and long, slender fingers.
Jiang Jianhuan looked up at Su Mo, about to say no, when she almost slipped and fell.
Su Mo quickly grabbed her hand.
"careful!"
Jiang Jianhuan relied on his strength to stand firm. Su Mo gave her a few more instructions before turning around and pulling her along, walking forward cautiously step by step.
Having crossed the stream without incident, Su Mo naturally let go of her hand. Jiang Jianhuan unconsciously rubbed her fingers in her pocket, as if to get rid of the warmth and touch.
Su Mo, however, pursed her lips tightly.
The fingertips still retain... the firmness unique to thin calluses.
At some point, calluses appeared on her hands.
Su Mo still remembers the first time the two held hands.
After finishing his shift at the bar, he would always walk out through the back alley. Jiang Jianhuan liked to follow him. That day, there happened to be a power outage, and all the lights in the alley were off.
She was very afraid of the dark and clung tightly to herself.
He hadn't walked far when, in the darkness, a soft, delicate hand suddenly slipped into his palm. It was as soft as if it had no bones, like a piece of warm, fine mutton-fat jade.