"Jianhuan, Zhou You invited us out to play. Do you want to go?"
The silence didn't last long before the voices started again, this time close to her ear, the warm, moist breath creeping into her skin, tickling and tingling.
Jiang Jianhuan nestled her head into his arms, muttering a protest, her whole being radiating rejection.
"He booked a summer resort... over in Elephant Hill, for one night. We'll be back tomorrow..."
Jiang Jianhuan vaguely caught a few keywords and became interested. Without opening his eyes, he grabbed Su Mo's hair and pressed her for answers.
What's fun inside?
"We can go fishing, pick fruit in the mountains, and enjoy spa treatments and hot springs. Oh, and the flowers are in bloom now, the scenery is beautiful... How about we go boating to pick lotus seeds?"
Jiang Jianhuan was fully awake. She struggled for a few seconds to open her eyes, resting her chin on Su Mo's chest, barely managing to keep her eyes open to look at him.
"I want to go, but I'm too lazy to do it."
"I'll change your clothes."
Su Mo picked her up and carried her to the room. Jiang Jianhuan was placed on the bed, snuggled against the soft blanket, and tried to fall asleep again.
Maybe we should just forget about it...
Too lazy to move.
But it's been a long time since we went out, especially with Su Mo; we've mostly stayed home...
The weather is so nice.
Jiang Jianhuan was torn between her inner turmoil and her succumbing to sleepiness. Before she could come up with a solution, her pajamas were ripped off, and Su Mo began dressing her from her underwear, changing her into short-sleeved shirts and pants one by one.
Finally, Su Mo packed up their personal belongings, picked up her bag, and carried Jiang Jianhuan into the car.
The journey took about an hour. Jiang Jianhuan kept dozing off and woke up, and when they arrived at their destination, she was still a bit lazy, leaning against Su Mo as if she had no bones.
Zhou You has always been an expert in eating, drinking, and having fun. The villa is located in Xiangshan, a famous scenic spot in Jiangcheng. It is situated halfway up the mountain, away from the main road leading up the mountain. It is a secluded corner, quiet and peaceful, with a sense of mountain seclusion.
The houses on the outside are all in the style of ancient architecture, with green tiles, wooden walls, and carved beams. The antique courtyards are located in the bamboo forest, and the atmosphere is refreshing and pleasant.
Today, not only Zhou You and his group came, but also a few unfamiliar faces. Among them were two girls who were dressed exceptionally exquisitely. This exquisiteness did not mean that they were dressed in a gorgeous or grand manner, but rather that although they looked natural and casual at first glance, you could tell that they had taken great care of themselves from head to toe.
Compared to that, I seem too casual, wearing only a simple white T-shirt and jeans.
Zhou Youdu gave a brief introduction. Everyone present was his childhood friend, including one of the elegant girls who had been standing next to him. Although he didn't use very specific words, only saying that they were introduced by their families and were currently dating, judging from the way things were going today, he was probably introducing her to everyone with marriage in mind.
The atmosphere was quite nice. After exchanging pleasantries, we went to our respective rooms to put down our luggage and rest. We planned to have a barbecue and go fishing together later.
Chapter 48
When Jiang Jianhuan and Su Mo arrived, a barbecue grill had already been set up on the lawn outside the courtyard. The vegetables had been picked and cleaned by someone from the garden, and the meat had also been prepared, so they could just grill it.
Not far away was a river, its water clear and clean, with naturally formed pebbles piled up at the bottom and along the banks, and lush aquatic plants growing on both sides. The river wasn't very wide, about two or three meters from the other side, and in the deepest part, it was almost up to your thighs.
Jiang Jianhuan squatted down beside him, splashing water with his finger, curious. "Is this naturally formed? Or is it man-made?"
“It’s natural. We bought this place because we liked the scenery of mountains and water.” Before Su Mo could speak, Zhou You answered first.
"Oh—" The summer air was stifling, and even a breeze couldn't dispel the heat. The water was icy cold, and Jiang Jianhuan was reluctant to take her hands out.
"Let's go help." Su Mo pulled her along, and Jiang Jianhuan reluctantly stood up.
The sun was still warm, and the two of them were wearing beige baseball caps, matching white T-shirts, and even their jeans were almost the same color. They looked so well-matched and compatible when they stood together that no one could get in.
Su Mo was grilling beef skewers, and Jiang Jianhuan stood beside him helping to flip them, watching him sprinkle seasonings and brush on oil.
The good-looking couple was pleasing to the eye just by standing there, and the others wisely refrained from disturbing them. However, Zhou You, who loved to watch the fun, sat at a table under the shade of a tree and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Su Mo, is it ready yet? I'm starving!"
Jiang Jianhuan paused, glanced at the beef skewers that were almost cooked, and was about to hand them over to him.
"Ignore him," Su Mo said.
Jiang Jianhuan smiled and actually obeyed, ignoring the situation.
"By the way, you should go and rest. The sun is still a bit strong," he added. Jian Ziming, who was next to him, also raised his chin and gestured towards the tree below, speaking as well.
"Yeah, look how much Tong Xin knows how to enjoy life. Girls shouldn't get tanned."
Following his gaze, Tong Xin was lying on a deck chair, wearing sunglasses and a sun hat, with a large coconut next to him, turning the farmhouse into a seaside vacation.
"Okay." Jiang Jianhuan nodded, in a good mood.
"Then I'll take this to Zhou You while I'm at it."
She put the grilled beef skewers she was holding into a plate, took it over to Zhou You, and he accepted it and praised it repeatedly.
"My sister-in-law is still the best. Su Mo is such a heartless person who just wants to starve me to death."
"Come on, everyone, let's eat together."
He opened a bottle of beer and called to the people taking a break next to him. Jiang Jianhuan walked over to Tong Xin and pulled up a recliner next to her to sit down.
"Let's just sunbathe, shall we? I told you we could just have a meal, but Zhou You just likes to cause trouble. The worst part is that he's sitting under the tree without moving..." Tong Xin's comments were as sharp and direct as ever. Zhou You, who was not far away, immediately heard them.
"Hey, I'm doing this for everyone's benefit. Look how enthusiastically your old Jian is grilling, and look at Bai Qiu and Su Mo. Just because you can't appreciate this kind of fun doesn't mean others don't like it!"
He argued as he ate his skewers, and Tong Xin sneered.
"Then why don't you go and experience it for yourself?"