"Look, with so many people heading up the mountain, there must be something fishy going on," Xiaoxiao said, pinching her chin thoughtfully. She concluded that even if it were for seeking marriage prospects, typically more hikers like them would be going up the mountain, but today the number of sedan chairs outnumbered hikers, indicating that many wealthy young ladies were in a hurry to get up the mountain.
Why were they all rushing up the mountain?
"Regardless of the trickery at play, we’ll find out once we get there," Yang Ming said, seeing his wife start to speculate wildly again, and quickly cut in.
After resting a little while longer, they resumed their journey. Seeing Wang Xiangxiang strain herself with such stubborn determination, he felt a pang of heartache. He truly wanted to take care of her. Thus, he took hold of her arm and said gently, "Let me carry you."
Wang Xiangxiang shrugged off Chu Lian’s hand that had gripped her, "I don’t need you to carry me, I can walk."
She continued to walk forward with difficulty, a bitter smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. What was their relationship? How could she possibly let him carry her? Even if there were a relationship, it would be out of the question, especially in public.
Seeing her so stubborn, Chu Lian grew impatient. He stepped forward again, grabbing her, and declared assertively and without allowing refusal, "Enough talk, I’m carrying you."
Wang Xiangxiang felt both furious and embarrassed by Chu Lian’s actions. When was he going to stop treating her ? She yelled again, "Men and women should not touch each other, stop touching me."
If he touched her again, her heart felt like it would leap out, and if he continued to be kind to her, she feared she might not be able to resist confessing her feelings. That would be awkward for both of them.
Chu Lian, who got yelled at, looked extremely upset. His grip on her arm loosened suddenly. She was absolutely right; he shouldn’t have touched her. She must have disliked him all along, perhaps tolerating his overbearing behavior all this way. The phrase "Men and women should not touch each other, stop touching me" deeply wounded Chu Lian’s heart.
Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming heard the commotion behind them and knew those two were at odds again. Turning back, Xiaoxiao, seeing Wang Xiangxiang’s condition, felt a sense of guilt. She had wanted the two to spend more time together on the road, but now it seemed better not to. She stepped forward, linked arms with Wang Xiangxiang, and they proceeded. She hoped that by supporting Wang Xiangxiang, she could lighten her burden.
"Sister, if you can’t hold up, let’s rest. We have plenty of time; it will be the same if we reach the top in the afternoon."
"I’m fine, we just had a rest. Let’s go a bit further," insisted Wang Xiangxiang.
Xiaoxiao had no choice but to comply, supporting her as they walked on.
Seeing his wife helping Wang Xiangxiang, Yang Ming also moved to walk beside Chu Lian, indicating with a glance that Chu Lian shouldn’t worry, to take it slow.
A bitter smile crossed Chu Lian’s face as he followed them with a heavy heart. Watching Xiangxiang taking difficult step after difficult step, his heart, aching with empathy, couldn’t help but want to care for her, to cherish her. He thought, since he couldn’t help her himself, he might as well think of another way.
Chu Lian, who was hurrying along, brightened up when he saw those sedan chairs – maybe there was a solution.
Xiaoxiao and Wang Xiangxiang were somewhat shocked by Chu Lian’s next move. He actually stopped a passing sedan chair. What was he planning to do?