As a member of the proud Li family, he would not subject himself to a village unless absolutely necessary. It has been preached into his mind—embedded almost—that a village existed for those too lazy to make a name for themselves (and he could already imagine the innocuous Li Yinyi protesting this idea since 'all people try to be the best they can' according to her). The villagers, no exceptions asked, lived on a day to day basis, not thinking about long-term achievements. For some, it may be a satisfying life, but for Li Yangyi, who held ambitious goals, it was no more than a place for derision, or worse, an idol of what not to be.
Thus, whenever he came close to such simple villages, he could not help but frown. It was like a program in his mind that told him to do so—just like how he would frown when he met the Casanova Wang Jing.
However, this time had been different.
Mind you, he still felt the aversion from the rural lifestyle, but as if an unknown force guiding him, he felt a drive bubbling within him to explore this unfamiliar place. Or maybe, it was the absurdity of it all that made him do so.
Anyway, he entered the village, contrary to what his common sense would normally urge him to do.
Because the day was greatly illuminated and the air warm, many inhabitants resided outside, either tending to the farm or simply enjoying the fresh nature.
An inexplicable nervousness overwhelmed him, and he knew not what to do. It was a strange feeling, for someone aloof as him. He swore, even if he met the prince of this empire, he could more or less manage to stay calm; but this place differed greatly from what he could imagine. He stood stiff and for a brief moment, contemplated on whether he should 'Logout' after all.
"Oh, a youngling like you is rare to see these days," a farmer suddenly called out. "I do not remember someone like you residing in this place, so I assume you must not be from here?"
"Hmph." Li Yangyi held his head high, a false bravado, he'd come to realize later on. "Of course some country bumpkin like you would not recognize me. Tell you this, I am Li Yangyi, a proud bearer of the Li family name."
"Ho~" The man pretended to be impressed, but he was doing a bad job about it.
Li Yangyi's eyebrow twitched. "Forget it, I cannot expect someone like you to know what I am referring to."
"Well, it's good for younglings to have ambitions," the man stated and laughed. He then dedicated himself to the fields.
"You..." Seeing the man ignore him, Li Yangyi turned furious. He didn't know why, but he was easily triggered today. "I'll have you know, I am one of—" his words were cut short by a grumbling noise coming from his stomach. "I, uhh..."
"Hahaha, it would seem to me that you are hungry." The man rested the sickle over his shoulder, his smile reaching his worn-out cheeks.
"Am I?" Li Yangyi asked himself. Was he even able to feel hunger in this world?
Li Yinyi in the outside world planted her face into her palm. "Ah, he is so embarrassing."
Shou remained silent and watched.
The man was an easygoing one, and invited Li Yangyi for some food, showcasing his hospitality. Li Yanyi, of course, decided to refuse as it was in his nature. However, the man would not take no for an answer and simply dragged him to the run-down shack. As always, Li Yangyi immediately grew suspicious—there existed no one in this world, who'd help without asking for compensation. However, since his better judgement proved wrong and wrong again today, he decided to follow along. If push came to shove, he'd simply logout.
The man talked little and prepared a simple soup for Li Yangyi, who immediately checked for any poison or drugs. He smelled it and placed a piece of paper in it; one he carried just in case. It would change colors if it detected something suspicious. Only until ascertaining that no foul-play had occurred, did he take a cautious sip. The man only smiled at Li Yangyi's behavior.
"Oh, it's delicious!" he screamed out. It had a unique taste of blended herbs and smoked beef. It was an inelegant amount, one he'd never find in his own family home, where chefs prepped the food meticulously, but that made it all the more satisfying. Tasting the meat, he felt like he had returned to his childhood where he carried no responsibilities. Li Yangyi gulped it down in one fell swoop. "Sir, give me another plate! Money is not the problem."
"Is it really that good," Li Yinyi wondered, and felt herself drooling.
The man smiled. "It's fine. Eat until you are full."
And so he did, with no regard for his image. Only after the third soup, did he quench his hunger. And only after the third soup, did he remember he wasn't here to eat. He turned red when he thought about his inelegant behavior. Still, the soup was too good to pass by.
He stared at the man once more, this time with more scrutiny. The man had a scruffy beard, and was not particularly bald. Presumably due to the endless farming, he was healthily tanned—and muscular too, if one cared to notice. He had a faint, pale scar running across his neck, one that Li Yangyi almost didn't recognize; like a hidden ravine in a forest. His eyes seemed to flicker with an indescribable distance, as if far in the sky, but Li Yangyi couldn't quite pinpoint it.
"If this world was real, I'd have invited you to be a cook at my place."
"I'm fine the way I live right now."
"It's a shame," Li Yangyi sighed, "that's the problem with you commoners, no drive for greater purpose."
"Haha, whatever you say, sir noble," the man leisurely said and gave a bow. "So what brings someone like you that this rustic village?"
"That is a good question." Li Yangyi sighed once more. Really, what was he doing? This day was not kind to him, throwing him into precarious situations one after another. He rested his head on the table and spun the spoon around.
"A youngling with a story I see." The man smiled gently. "So how did you enter the village? I imagine someone like you would not gather in such a desolated place."
"I don't know. I came from the flower field."
Suddenly, the mans smile froze and he fell a few steps back. His eyes shot open. "Y—You did what?"