Yang Ming was digging a hole in front, constantly observing the movements of the two people behind him. The two of them were simply too quiet, having no interaction at all. His wife had told him to act accordingly, but what was he supposed to do?
Chu Lian was as clumsy as him, not uttering a single word. Could it be because he was there, that they felt embarrassed? In that case, he should give them some space to be alone.
He turned his head and shouted to them, "You two keep planting, I’ll step out for a bit."
Wang Xiangxiang and Chu Lian were both startled by Yang Ming’s words, and then they both said in unison, "Okay, alright."
The replies clearly conveyed how nervous they both were. Having said his piece, Yang Ming walked towards the front courtyard, leaving Wang Xiangxiang and Chu Lian alone in the garden.
Chu Lian knew that Yang Ming was giving him the chance to be alone with her. Seeing her unnaturally tense expression, Chu Lian felt a tinge of bitterness in his heart, "Then let’s continue with the work."
"En, okay," agreed Wang Xiangxiang and then continued to drop seeds into the holes, moving forward step by step.
Chu Lian followed, burying the seeds and watering them. Despite the tension, their cooperation was seamless. Chu Lian wanted to ask her if she was feeling better, if he had hurt her last time, but the words just wouldn’t come out.
Meanwhile, Wang Xiangxiang was also in turmoil, thinking he must have come here to see Xiaoxiao.
It didn’t take long for them to plant seeds in all the holes Yang Ming had dug. Chu Lian reached for the seed bag in Wang Xiangxiang’s hand, "You must be tired, take a rest."
Wang Xiangxiang was puzzled by his silence; he wasn’t arguing with her as usual. Was he perhaps sympathizing with her situation?
The last thing she wanted was his pity. She snatched the seed bag from his hand, "I don’t need your help; I can handle this much."
Chu Lian didn’t let go, his eyes intent upon her, "You haven’t recovered yet."
Wang Xiangxiang’s face paled at his words. Was he constantly reminding her that she had been violated?
Still gripping the bag firmly, she growled, "My affairs are none of your business, let go."
Unwittingly, they had reverted to their previous way of interacting. Wang Xiangxiang felt this was better, she didn’t want him to notice the changes in her feelings toward him.
Chu Lian felt this was more like her true self and if she wished for it, he would play along.
When Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming returned, they found the two still in standoff. Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming were speechless—they had finally given them a chance to be alone, and Chu Lian wasn’t seizing it properly, what was he doing?
Xiaoxiao stepped forward, taking the bag that had caused their quarrel, "Give me the bag, no more objections, right? You two drink some water; we still have a lot of work to do. This whole area needs to be planted."
Only then did they loosen their grip and head over to where Yang Ming had already poured them some water. Taking their cups, they gulped it down, their actions concealing their inner turmoil.
Seeing the two of them , Yang Ming and Xiaoxiao shook their heads—there was clearly a long road ahead for these two, but their way of getting along was indeed a perfect match.
After drinking water and taking a short break, Xiaoxiao left to prepare dinner for everyone.
Yang Ming, alongside Chu Lian and Wang Xiangxiang, finished the rest of the tasks. With Yang Ming present, the pair became much quieter, focusing solely on work without speaking. Soon, the rest of the family returned one by one, and dinner was ready back at Xiaoxiao’s place. They had finished planting the vegetables as well.