"Did you hear it wrong? There's no sound of wild beasts at all. It's silent on my side," Qi Lin said, looking at Wang Yunzhi with astonishment, pretending not to understand why she had run back.
Wang Yunzhi was near tears, her delicate finger pointing back toward her tent. "No! There really is! I heard it right behind my tent!"
However, the sounds of the beasts had already been stopped by Qi Lin using his remote control.
"Wait here, I'll go check it out," Qi Lin said, standing up as if preparing to investigate.
Frightened and not wanting to be left alone, Wang Yunzhi immediately grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "I-I'll come with you!" she said pitifully.
"Alright," Qi Lin replied, smiling and nodding.
The two walked out of the tent into the night.
Tweet~ The only sound filling the air was the chirping of grasshoppers. There were no signs of any wild animals.
Qi Lin listened for a moment, then turned back to Wang Yunzhi with a teasing smile. "Teacher Wang, it looks like you imagined it. There's nothing out here."
Wang Yunzhi stood there, speechless. She was sure the sounds had been real, yet now everything seemed peaceful. She felt a flush of embarrassment creep onto her face.
"Maybe the beast was scared away by you," she said, trying to rationalize what had happened, her face slightly red.
Qi Lin chuckled softly. "Maybe. Since there aren't any wild beasts around, you should go back to your tent and rest."
His comment made Wang Yunzhi pause. It was clear she was frightened, but Qi Lin's suggestion for her to return alone made her view him as someone dependable—someone she could trust. After all, he wasn't trying to take advantage of the situation.
Hesitating for a moment, Wang Yunzhi blushed lightly and said, "I… I don't think I'll be able to sleep for a while. Staring at the stars alone is kind of boring. Maybe we could chat for a bit?"
Wang Yunzhi, raised in a respectable family, wouldn't normally spend time alone with a man who wasn't her husband. But after being left alone on the mountain, her perspective had shifted. A subtle change in her fate was unfolding, orchestrated perfectly by Qi Lin.
Qi Lin blinked, looking at her with feigned surprise. "Wouldn't that be inappropriate? We're alone up here, and if your husband finds out, he might get upset. He seems to care about you a lot."
Wang Yunzhi's face tightened slightly at the mention of her husband. If Chen Dongxi had kept his promise to spend her birthday with her, she wouldn't even be here, let alone considering Qi Lin's company. But the fact that Chen had abandoned her on this night stoked her resentment.
"What does it matter? He doesn't care about me anyway," she replied, her voice tinged with bitterness.
Qi Lin's eyes gleamed slightly with satisfaction, knowing his plan was working. He pretended to be concerned. "Teacher Wang, it sounds like you're upset. Did Teacher Chen do something to upset you?"
The dam broke. Frustrated, scared, and now feeling abandoned, Wang Yunzhi let out her grievances in a rush. "Today is my birthday. He promised me a surprise, said he'd watch the stars with me here at Mulan Mountain. But when the time came, he didn't show up, and he's not answering his phone either. What kind of husband does that?"
As she spoke, her eyes filled with tears, her emotions spilling out. "Do you think that's fair? Leaving me alone on my birthday?"
Qi Lin maintained his calm, even as he inwardly relished how the situation was unfolding. Gently, he took her soft hand and led her back inside his tent.
Wang Yunzhi was too overwhelmed to notice the subtle gesture. She followed him back, grateful for the warmth and company after the cold loneliness of the night.
"Cry if you need to," Qi Lin said sympathetically as they sat down inside the tent. "I thought Teacher Chen was different—someone who cared deeply for his wife. I didn't expect him to leave you alone like this."
Wang Yunzhi wiped at her tears, sniffling. "I thought he was a good man too. That's why I married him. But now… it's like he doesn't even care anymore."
She was no longer holding back. She cried openly, her tears flowing as she vented the disappointment and anger she had been holding in.
Of course, her words weren't entirely fair to Chen Dongxi. He did love Wang Yunzhi, but his selfishness and infidelity had blinded him to the damage he was causing. His desire to juggle both his wife and an affair had given Qi Lin the perfect opportunity to exploit.
As Wang Yunzhi wept, Qi Lin rummaged through his backpack, ignoring her tears for a moment. His movements caught her attention. "What are you doing?" she asked between sobs.
A few moments later, Qi Lin pulled out a small cake cup and a candle.
"The cake cup is just a snack I brought, and this candle was a spare," he explained. "But since it's your birthday, why not make the most of it?"
Turning off the light inside the tent, he lit the candle on the small cake and smiled at her. "Let's celebrate your birthday here."
Wang Yunzhi stared at the flickering candlelight in stunned silence.
There's a saying—when parents give, their children may take it for granted. But when a stranger offers a small kindness, it can feel like the world. That's how Wang Yunzhi felt now. She had been pampered by Chen Dongxi for so long, yet after one disappointment, all it took was a small gesture from Qi Lin to bring her immense comfort.
Suddenly, the anger and disappointment she had felt toward her husband melted away, replaced by gratitude and warmth for Qi Lin. For the moment, she had completely forgotten about Chen Dongxi.
Qi Lin, understanding human nature as deeply as he did, knew exactly how to play his cards. A simple act of kindness, coupled with perfect timing, was all it took to win Wang Yunzhi's trust and admiration.
(guys, it's official... I introduce you to Qi Lin, the married eater 👰🏻)