At the thought of the little brat hiding in this remote place after hearing his confession, Du Xi was furious. He was handsome and rich. It wasn't embarrassing for her to be with him, so why did she hide so far away?
After he leaned against a big tree in the courtyard and lit the cigarette in his mouth, his gaze landed on the small mud house with green smoke floating from it. He thought about whether he should beat up that cowardly yet bold child when he saw her later, or hug her and coax her first. Before he could think of what to do later, the swaying door suddenly creaked and was pushed open from the inside.
Jiang Ju poured the dirty water in the bucket into the courtyard. When she turned around, she accidentally saw a figure under the tree in the courtyard. Night had already fallen outside, so she looked over under the dim light in the house.
About ten meters away from her, a man had a cigarette in his mouth. There was a mysterious look in his eyes. When he saw her, he strode over.
He was wearing a pair of military boots that were covered in mud at this moment. He walked towards her step by step. His military boots stepped on the mud, and when he passed by the waterhole, they caused a splash. It also stirred up waves in her heart.
How long had it been since she last saw him? After seven months and three days, he seemed to have become fairer and thinner.
Du Xi walked in front of her and sized her up twice. Then, he threw the cigarette in his mouth into the puddle and watched as it was extinguished. He snorted as he said, "You've grown up. You even learned to run away from home." A person like her who was usually so obsessed with cleanliness actually lived in such a muddy place for more than seven months. He didn't know if he should say that she had high endurance or that she was stupid.
"Why are you here?" It was still windy outside. In less than two minutes after Jiang Ju walked out the door, her face was frozen. She clenched the handle of the bucket and moved to the side as she said, "It's cold outside. Come in and talk."
Du Xi didn't respond to her. After entering, he inserted the latch on the door. A brick bed occupied more than half of the small house that was more than ten square meters. There was also a small desk and a stove in the remaining place. Other than the suitcase in the corner, there was no other furnishing.
It was obvious that someone cleaned the room often. Although it was dilapidated, it wasn't dirty at all. There was only one stool in the room, and Du Xi sat on it. Jiang Ju hesitated for a moment before placing the bucket on the ground and sitting by the fire bed. Du Xi looked at Jiang Ju, whose gentle countenance made her look like a newly married wife.
Although she looked docile, Du Xi knew that under this child's docile and meek appearance, there was a very stubborn and resilient soul. He was thirsty from the journey, so he stood up and poured himself a glass of water to drink. The sound of him putting down the cup startled Jiang Ju.
Du Xi narrowed his eyes at her. She was clearly a coward, so when she ran away without a word back then, where did she get her courage from?
Neither of them took the initiative to speak. They sat quietly for a few minutes. The strange silence filled the entire hut with awkwardness.
Du Xi took out a cigarette and lit it. Halfway through smoking, he heard Jiang Ju's suppressed cough. Then, he narrowed his eyes and stood up. When the light in front of her was suddenly blocked by a dark shadow, Jiang Ju looked up, but before she could speak, a mouthful of smoke was blown into her face. She was caught off guard and subconsciously took a deep breath. The strong smell of tobacco rushed into her nose, causing her to hold her nose and feel the urge to cough.
When Du Xi bent down, his masculine scent instantly enveloped Jiang Ju. Her chin was grasped, and a mouthful of smoke wafted towards her mouth. When Jiang Ju, who had never smoked before, suddenly inhaled the strong smell of tobacco, she wanted to cough, but she couldn't. Her face flushed, and her eyes welled up with tears.
She struggled a few times but failed. Then, she ran out of oxygen and all her strength disappeared. She could only let his hand grip her waist tightly. When Jiang Ju's breathing was so weak that it was almost gone, Du Xi let go of her waist and stood by the bed as he looked down at her, who was limp on the bed.
When she breathed in the air again, Jiang Ju's flushed face recovered a little. She subconsciously retreated, then grabbed the pillow beside her and hugged it with a vigilant and wary expression.
Du Xi had wanted to let her off just like that. They had just reunited, so he shouldn't bully her too harshly. However, when he saw her guarded expression, his throat tightened. He pulled her over and flipped her over to lie on the bed. Then, he mercilessly slapped her tight buttocks.