Chapter 83: Making the First Move

Chapter 83: Making the First Move

Zhou Ye couldn't fathom what had come over him. He wasn't an impulsive person; aside from the dull, listless existence he led when life felt meaningless, he had never experienced such intense, almost volatile emotions.

The only exception was when he fought wild beasts.

In matters of survival, he had to be ruthless and swift to live. Had he been less decisive or fierce, he would have perished countless times over.

After a momentary lapse, Zhou Ye quickly regained his composure. He shook his head and replied, “I’m fine.”

“But you don’t look too well. A Ye, are you tired?” Lin Shu furrowed her brow slightly.

Having battled hordes of zombies countless times, she was particularly sensitive to certain emotions. Just moments ago, she had sensed a powerful, barely contained ferocity emanating from Zhou Ye.

What was that about?

Could it be because of her?

Zhou Ye had been perfectly normal all day, only appearing a little subdued on their way back from the hills.

After some thought, Lin Shu concluded it must have been that fleeting brush of lips.

“A Ye, did I do something to accidentally upset you?” she ventured cautiously.

Zhou Ye avoided her gaze, his expression steady. “No, I just suddenly remembered fighting wild beasts during our escape. I got lost in thought for a moment.”

Lin Shu gave a noncommittal “Oh,” though it was unclear if she believed him. She urged, “You should eat. You’ve done a lot of work today—you must be starving. Today’s Guanyin Tofu is tossed with green Sichuan pepper water and two heaping spoonfuls of Termitomyces sauce. It tastes even better than before.”

Zhou Ye put down what he was doing, took the wooden bowl, and said, “Thank you.”

Lin Shu gave him an odd glance. “Why are you suddenly being so polite to me?”

Zhou Ye replied, “I should thank you. You and Xiao Pu make this snack for me every day. I’ve put you both to trouble.”

Lin Shu: “…”

Yep, that confirmed it—she had definitely upset Zhou Ye.

When quiet types got angry, they wouldn’t lash out at others. At most, they’d shoot a fierce look and then bottle it up alone.

Talk about holding it in!

But was Zhou Ye’s reaction really this delayed? At the time, she thought he had already let it go, especially since he hadn’t pressed the matter.

Lin Shu sighed to herself. With Zhou Ye’s temperament, if she waited for him to make the first move or chase after her, she’d probably be waiting until the cows came home.

Why was he so dense? Did she have to spell it out for him?

If he was bothered by that barely-a-peck, why couldn’t he just ask about it? If she didn’t bring it up, couldn’t he?

Well, some things couldn’t be forced. If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain.

Lin Shu looked at Zhou Ye.

He was eating the Guanyin Tofu with a spoon, slower than usual, as if the usually delicious dish now tasted like cardboard.

Lin Shu suddenly found it amusing.

“A Ye,” she spoke up suddenly.

As he looked up, she quickly followed up, “Earlier in the hills, did we accidentally brush lips? I think I kissed you. But it happened so fast, I didn’t feel anything. A Ye, what about you? What did you feel?”

“Cough! Cough, cough, cough…” Zhou Ye choked on a bite, erupting into a harsh coughing fit. It was so intense it felt like his heart and lungs were about to jump right out of his chest. His face turned red, his breathing grew ragged, and his entire body felt like he was on fire.

Lin Shu hurriedly patted his back, alarmed. Hearing the terrifying coughs, Lin Xiaopu came running over, worried. “Big sis, what happened? Why is A Ye coughing like that?”

“It’s nothing, nothing. Probably the Guanyin Tofu I made today was just too delicious. He ate too fast and choked.”

Lin Xiaopu nodded, puzzled. “It is tasty, but I’ve never seen A Ye choke like this while eating. That’s weird.”

Lin Shu hadn’t anticipated Zhou Ye to react so strongly.

By now, Zhou Ye had mostly recovered, though he still coughed intermittently. His face was flushed bright red as he stared intently at Lin Shu, a trace of shock lingering in his eyes.

Sensing the odd tension between them, Lin Xiaopu wisely didn’t press. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, “Big sis, I’ve mostly got the characters you taught me today down. I want to go play with the water gun at the fish pond. You and A Ye keep at the bamboo reclining chair. I’ll go by myself!”

“Go ahead. Take the bamboo slingshot too. If you get bored with the bamboo water gun, practice with the slingshot. Once you’ve improved your aim, I’ll be expecting you to bag sparrows for me.”

Lin Xiaopu, who had initially just been looking for an excuse to leave, immediately lit up at that. “Big sis, just you wait! Give me a month of practice, and I’ll definitely nail a sparrow!”

After Lin Xiaopu ran off, bamboo water gun in one hand and bamboo slingshot in the other, Lin Shu looked back at Zhou Ye.

Zhou Ye’s face was burning hot, flushed crimson from his cheeks down to his neck, with no sign of fading—if anything, the redness only deepened. “A Shu, I didn’t quite hear what you said just now.”

Just as Zhou Ye began to wonder if Lin Shu would repeat herself or if he had merely imagined it, Lin Shu suddenly pointed to her own lips, then tapped lightly toward the corner of his mouth.

Her clear, bright eyes gazed at him with that same innocent expression, but what she said was downright bold. “I was asking if our lips touched just now. I think I kissed you. But it happened so quickly, I didn’t feel a thing. A Ye, what about you? What did you feel?”

Zhou Ye’s hands clenched abruptly, his heart hammering wildly in his chest as if trying to burst out.

Lin Shu’s fair, delicate face suddenly leaned in, coming so close to Zhou Ye’s that his breath caught, forgetting to breathe.

Her eyes curved into a smile, as if she were genuinely naive or messing with him. She leaned in even closer, her warm breath brushing against his face with every word. “A Ye, I’m asking you a question.”

Zhou Ye jerked his head away, the breath he’d been holding suddenly escaping, leaving him panting. “Wh-why are you suddenly asking this?”

Lin Shu shook her head at him. “It’s not sudden. This has been on my mind for a while, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot. So, A Ye, you’re really something. Even if it was an accident, it still happened. How could you act like nothing occurred? I was so distracted while working earlier, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I got. How could you not even ask about it?”

Since she was taking the initiative, she might as well turn the tables. She couldn’t let Zhou Ye have all the advantages.

Zhou Ye’s lips parted and closed, but no words came out for a long moment.

Wasn’t Lin Shu the one who had shown no reaction at the time? How had she turned it around to make it seem like he was the one who acted indifferent?

But then again, Lin Shu was a girl, and girls tended to be more reserved. It was natural for her not to show her feelings.

He had thought she didn’t want to bring it up, so he hadn’t mentioned it.

Yet, seeing her now, looking wronged and accusatory, he felt the fault lay not with her but with himself.

“A Shu, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to… I didn’t expect you to turn your head suddenly. When I saw you didn’t say anything, I thought you didn’t want to talk about it, so I acted like nothing happened.”

Though Zhou Ye was never eloquent or skilled with words, he had never struggled to speak so much before. Stumbling and stammering, he felt a flicker of frustration.

“I didn’t act like nothing happened.” This time, his words came out slow and steady, without a stumble.

He looked straight into Lin Shu’s eyes, speaking with earnest sincerity. “I’ve been thinking about it this whole time too. This matter… I’m at fault. I shouldn’t have suddenly gotten so close to you without saying anything.”

Lin Shu rubbed her cheeks vigorously until they flushed red, shooting him a look that was both shy and annoyed. "Well, A Ye, you were sneakily thinking about this all along without telling me! I was only a little mad before, but now I'm really angry."

Zhou Ye was clueless, unsure how to comfort her. He simply crouched down and blurted out an awkward apology, "A Shu, please don’t be mad. I was wrong. It won’t happen again."

Lin Shu sat on the small bamboo chair, head lowered, her toes nudging a small pebble on the ground. She mumbled softly, "I forgive you. But A Ye, how did it feel? It happened so fast, I didn’t feel anything at all."

Zhou Ye froze, his ears instantly turning even brighter red, as if thoroughly flushed.

"Hey A Ye, I’m asking you—why are you silent again?"

Zhou Ye hesitated, fumbling over his words before finally whispering, "A Shu, you can’t ask about stuff like that."

His voice was so low it carried a rough, husky edge, sending a slight tingle through Lin Shu’s ears.

"Why shouldn’t we? You got a kiss from me, and now you want me to just ignore it? A Ye, you’re not being honest."

"But it’s fine—if you won’t tell me, I’ll figure it out myself."

Zhou Ye was still kneeling right in front of her. As soon as Lin Shu finished speaking, she placed a hand on his shoulder, leaned in suddenly, and planted her lips on his. She held it for a couple seconds before pulling away, even giving a gentle nip as she did.

The moment she leaned in, Zhou Ye froze up. Then, his eyes widened abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply. He seemed rooted to the ground, unable to react for what felt like ages, his mind exploding with a bang that left him dizzy and disoriented.

Meanwhile, the mischievous Lin Shu had already pulled back with a curved smile. She touched her lips with her fingertips and even licked them lightly, as if savoring the taste. "Still too quick, though. A Ye, hold still—let me try again."

With that, she leaned in as if to steal another kiss.

Zhou Ye, jolted upright in surprise, stumbled slightly.

"A Shu, you—what was that for…?" He breathed hard, the faint redness that had just faded now surging back across his face and spreading down his neck. He stared at Lin Shu, unable to form a complete sentence for a long time.

"Why are you running? Come here." Lin Shu beckoned him with a wave of her hand.

Just then, a series of rapid footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard, followed by Lin Xiaopu’s voice. "Big sis, the plunger on my bamboo water gun isn’t drawing water anymore. Can you help me check what’s wrong?"

Lin Shu, not as composed as she appeared, quickly patted her slightly warm cheeks and switched back to her usual demeanor. "A Ye, go help Xiao Pu take a look. It’s almost certainly the cloth head coming loose. With how many times she pumps that water gun in a day, it’s no wonder the cloth on the plunger gets loose."

Zhou Ye nodded slowly. When Lin Xiaopu ran in, he took the bamboo water gun from her.

Lin Xiaopu was startled by his appearance.

What’s wrong with A Ye? Why is his face so red?!

Zhou Ye worked outdoors every day, and his skin was tanned dark. Usually, even if he blushed, it wasn’t noticeable. Lin Xiaopu could only tell by the slight redness of his earlobes. But now, Zhou Ye’s face was crimson, visible even through his dark complexion, and his ears—well, they were red as a beet!

If Zhou Ye had been alone, Lin Xiaopu would have thought he was sick.

But Lin Shu was here too.

Lin Xiaopu stole a glance at her big sister and noticed she looked completely normal, her expression unreadable, and she seemed perfectly calm about Zhou Ye’s state.

After a moment’s thought, Lin Xiaopu decided to pretend she hadn’t seen anything.

Zhou Ye quickly retied the cloth head on the plunger of the bamboo water gun. "The cloth head was loose. It’s fixed now."

"Oh, okay. Well, I’m going out to play a bit more—I haven’t even started with my bamboo slingshot yet."

With that, she darted away, stealing one last glance at Lin Shu before she went.

Lin Shu: …

Xiao Pu slipped away so fast it was obvious she’d noticed something.

Even bold as she was, she felt a little embarrassed now.

It seemed that in the future, she’d have to pick more discreet spots for this kind of thing.

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Author's Note: Crying, I’m late again.