Chapter 103 Just Walk You a Short Way

Chapter 103: Just Walk You Part of the Way

Qin Shuyi pushed away the face of the person who couldn't help but lean in again, his head almost touching hers.

"Just a moment ago, you said you only wanted a chance to enter the game, and now you've already jumped to the question of choosing you or someone else. Aren't you being greedy?"

He was the very definition of pushing one's luck.

Ling Jue, looking aggrieved, clutched the firewood and stood to the side. "Anyway, I can do better than them."

Did they understand Qin Shuyi as well as he did? Did they know how to make her happier?

He knew his previous attitude had been wrong and he had made mistakes, but he was also clear about his own advantages.

Even if Qin Shuyi didn't love him, at the very least, she held some fondness for him.

Whether it was being attracted to his looks and physique at first sight, or craving novelty and excitement.

For Qin Shuyi, who was sparing with her emotions, this already put him ahead of the starting line.

Qin Shuyi was the best at treating herself well and never shied away from pleasure. No one could attend to her better than he could, and no one could make her feel as comfortable being herself as she did around Ling Jue.

He had a whole pile of twisted logic for pestering her, but Qin Shuyi couldn't be bothered to engage.

She took the firewood from his hands, turned it around, and used the other end to press against his chest. "Don't follow me."

She had made plans with Chi Yu to go hiking. What was Ling Jue suddenly showing up for?

Although Jiang Tingyu hadn't affected her, putting herself in Chi Yu's shoes, she wouldn't let an ex-boyfriend go cause trouble for him either.

While interacting with Chi Yu did have an experimental aspect, both of them were also approaching it with the goal of getting along well and seeing if they could develop feelings. Success or failure depended on them alone; inserting another person would change the entire dynamic.

Ling Jue naturally understood this principle too; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so willing to step back later.

He held onto the firewood and said softly, "I won't go over. I'll just walk you part of the way."

"No need, it's very close here."

But Master Jue started putting on his good act of playing deaf and dumb again, just lowering his head to pick, pick, pick, and charging forward.

When they reached near the edge of the campsite, where the firelight and figures were visible, Ling Jue stopped.

He turned to look at Qin Shuyi, who was following behind, stepping on his shadow.

"We're here."

Under the vast expanse of starlight, his deep gaze, filled with reluctance and attachment, was illuminated.

He hadn't seen her for a long time and really wanted to hold her properly, but he knew he couldn't. He had no standing, no right.

When she was still by his side before, he hadn't cherished her. Now, he could only let go and personally send her closer to someone else.

Ling Jue didn't return the firewood to her. Instead, he pointed at her hair. "There's something."

Qin Shuyi reached up to feel but found nothing.

As if he couldn't stand it any longer, he reached out and touched the top of her head, tossing something away before she could see what it was.

He took the opportunity to lightly flick her forehead, a smile in his voice. "Qin Shuyi, don't be too good to others. Bring out the fierceness you use on me. Clearly, you're the one who was wronged. Why should you tolerate them?"

Not everyone has a grateful heart. The kind get bullied. Wasn't that how he had relied on a game to latch onto her back then?

He clearly knew she was smart too, knew she wasn't some naive do-gooder, but it was like he had separation anxiety. When she wasn't in front of him, he would worry she was being taken advantage of outside.

Qin Shuyi pressed her lips together. "I know." She didn't jab at him again either.

Ling Jue bent down and placed the bundled firewood on the ground. "Don't carry it yourself, it's prickly. Call out and have that doctor come help you."

After saying that, he glanced at the familiar whistle on her chest. "Don't be without the whistle your dad made. Even though there are many of you, you never know if there might be people with bad intentions or some poisonous snakes and insects. If anything happens, blow it. I'll be nearby and will come if I hear it."

They had been here too long and could easily be seen. Ling Jue didn't linger any longer.

"Take care of yourself." He took one last look at her, then strode back into the night in the direction he came from.

Qin Shuyi stood with her back to him, not turning around. She just stood quietly for a few seconds, then bent down.

She was used to relying on herself.

...

But in the end, that pile of firewood was carried back by Chi Yu.

After setting up the tent, Chi Yu noticed that Jiang Tingyu and Qin Shuyi had gone out together.

Just as he was about to go look for them, he saw Jiang Tingyu return alone. His heart skipped a beat, and he wanted to go find Qin Shuyi, but Jiang Tingyu stopped him.

Qin Shuyi had said she had something to take care of and specifically asked her to leave first. She thought it might be a private matter, and it might be inconvenient for Chi Yu, a man, to go over.

But like Chi Yu, she had also been keeping an eye on the direction they would return from.

It was Jiang Tingyu who saw Qin Shuyi first.

Reminded by her, Chi Yu's tense nerves instantly relaxed. He moved quickly forward to meet her.

The firewood Qin Shuyi had just picked up was immediately in his hands.

"I'm sorry, I should have gone with you."

Qin Shuyi shook her head. "It's fine. Weren't you setting up the tent?"

"Is the tent ready?" She changed the subject.

Chi Yu looked at her and went along with her words. "It's ready."

After a pause, he added, "I'm sorry, it seems I haven't handled my affairs well. There won't be a next time."

He hadn't expected to encounter Jiang Tingyu. Clearly, no one had intentionally done anything or meant to hurt anyone, but the relationship between the three of them was like a tangled ball of red thread, sticky and complicated.

Chi Yu knew Qin Shuyi didn't like him that much yet. Right now, he was the one unilaterally pursuing her. They had finally gotten a little closer, and he didn't want to fall back to square one.

But given Jiang Tingyu's situation, he couldn't bring himself to blame her either.

Chi Yu felt a stifling bitterness in his heart.

"I feel like I've been hearing this phrase a lot today," Qin Shuyi said, looking at him with a slight smile. "Since we're out to have fun, let's not overthink things and just focus on the experience, okay?"

Chi Yu nodded silently.

The bonfire was already lit, and everyone was sitting in a circle chatting.

Seeing Qin Shuyi return, everyone offered her water and snacks.

Keke had originally wanted to sit next to Qin Shuyi, but Jiang Tingyu pulled her away and took her to the farthest spot from Qin Shuyi and Chi Yu, deliberately placed on the opposite side of the campfire.

If she was going to let go, she shouldn't be an eyesore anymore.

Joining in the fun eased the awkward tension between Qin Shuyi and Chi Yu, relaxing the mood again.

After several rounds of games, Qin Shuyi lost once.

Everyone urged her to do a forfeit—either perform a talent or choose someone to stare at for a minute.

When Chi Yu tried to step forward and take the penalty for her, the crowd whooped and objected, insisting that no one could substitute.

Chi Yu worried she might feel embarrassed, but Qin Shuyi stood up with poise and said, “In that case, I’ll sing a song.”

She avoided the other option.

Qin Shuyi borrowed a guitar from one of the doctors, who had carried it up the mountain, and sat on a low stool in the center of the group. The campfire illuminated her coolly beautiful face, outshining the very stars above.

Her voice was beautiful, accompanied by the gentle strumming of the guitar as she softly sang a song called “Words Fail Me.”

“We’re like separated by a pane of glass

Visible but untouchable

Though I’m only millimeters away from you

…

I can’t express myself

Where to begin

How do I translate ‘I love you’

…

I also wish I could build a bridge with you, establish a rapport

but my words fail me”

As everyone listened, chin in hand, utterly captivated, Chi Yu looked up, his gaze fixed on the woman singing and playing in their midst, a vague and unreachable melancholy rising in his heart.

Just outside the circle of firelight, in a blind spot from the camp, a tall figure leaned against a tree. Listening to the melodious song, he lifted his deep, inscrutable gaze to the starry river above.

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