Chapter 59: Is There Something Wrong with My Body?

Stepping out of Qin Ruhua's eldest uncle's house, I smiled and sighed, "Hua'ua, your grandma is truly so enthusiastic. It was a bit overwhelming."

Qin Ruhua smiled back at me and said, "Brother Fan, you looked so silly just now. You don't need to be so polite; just go along with whatever she says. There's nothing overwhelming about it."

I chuckled, changing the subject, and asked, "Where is your home?"

"Right over there," Qin Ruhua said, pointing toward a trio of old, weathered earthen houses not far away as we walked.

I took a few looks and said, "It's a lot like my hometown. Where do you usually stay when you come back?"

"At my own place, of course! Although it's a bit dilapidated, it's still livable. I can't keep staying at my eldest uncle's house forever; it wouldn't look good after a long time."

"Hmm, that's true."

Led by Qin Ruhua, we soon reached the foot of a mountain behind the village. The green mountains overlapped, and standing at the base, it was impossible to see what lay above. A winding, sheep-track path sloped upward before us, looking rather rugged and steep.

"Let's go!" I extended my right hand.

Qin Ruhua smiled sweetly and placed her left hand into mine.

I led her up a few steps, but soon felt it was too difficult to walk because the mountain path was simply too narrow to accommodate two people walking side by side. We had to proceed in single file, one behind the other.

Qin Ruhua obviously realized this too, and with a trace of helpless regret, she said, "Brother Fan, why don't you let go? The path is too small, it's hard to walk while holding hands."

I stopped in my tracks, turned back, and asked, "How about I carry you on my back?"

Qin Ruhua's eyes instantly lit up. Surprised, she said, "The path isn't easy to walk, I'm afraid it will be very troublesome for you."

"It's fine, haven't you already witnessed my strength?"

With that, I crouched right down. Soon, a warm and soft body leaned against me, and two hands wrapped around my neck.

I lifted her legs and carried her as I walked upward, feeling much more convenient than before.

Since this was the first time Qin Ruhua had been carried by me, she was a bit reserved at first. Gradually adapting, she grew more affectionate, wrapping her arms tightly around my neck and whispering softly in my ear, "Brother Fan, actually I thought of this just now, but I was afraid you wouldn't be able to bear the weight, so I didn't bring it up."

Feeling her warm, delicate body and listening to her tender voice, I suddenly felt a stirring in my body.

Whether it was because we were out in the wild wilderness or not, I felt that it was much easier for me to react physically right now than usual.

I stopped walking and took a deep breath.

Not understanding why, Qin Ruhua reached out to wipe the sweat from my face and said softly, "Brother Fan, are you tired? Put me down!"

I let out a gentle sigh and smiled, "Hua'ua, it's not that I'm tired, it's just that you're too alluring, and I'm already reacting to it."

Qin Ruhua's body stiffened slightly, and then she playfully slapped me, her voice shy and gently reproachful, "Brother Fan, you have no shame saying things like that. Put me down!"

I tightened my grip on her rounded, springy thighs and smiled, "I don't want to."

"Then—then just stop letting your mind wander," Qin Ruhua said, a mix of shyness and joy, leaning her upper body slightly backward so she wasn't pressed tightly against me anymore.

With nobody else around and our relationship being so intimate, all my reservations vanished. I still smiled and said, "How can I not let my mind wander? I keep thinking about that afternoon in your old rented room—"

"Don't you dare say it!" A soft, fragrant little hand covered my mouth.

I puckered my lips to brush against it, and that little hand instantly shrank back, startled.

"Brother Fan, stop messing around, will you?" Qin Ruhua's voice held a mix of shyness and helplessness, yet it clearly carried obvious delight as well.

After a bit of playful banter, my attention was diverted, and my body returned to normal. I carried her on my back as we continued our climb upward.

The mountain wasn't very tall, and soon we neared the halfway point. Fearing we might be seen, Qin Ruhua asked me to let her down.

After walking a bit further, the corner of a building could be vaguely seen through the woods ahead.

Upon cresting a small, steep slope, the view before us suddenly broadened considerably. A flat patch of grassland measuring several dozen square meters appeared, dotted with dozens of chickens and ducks. Near the base of the mountain, three earthen houses stood side by side, their doors tightly shut.

I looked around the grassy area and praised, "This really is a wonderful place to cultivate one's character and nourish the soul!"

Qin Ruhua looked at the closed doors, hesitated for a moment, and raised her voice, "Grandpa Wu? Xiaolu? Are you home?"

Xiaolu was the supposed granddaughter of the old man surnamed Wu. Qin Ruhua didn't know her actual name, only that she was called Xiaolu.

There was no response.

"Could they not be home?"

I walked up to the door of the leftmost earthen house. Knowing they were not hospitable, I didn't bother knocking.

At that exact moment, light footsteps came from inside the house. I quickly turned back to signal Qin Ruhua.

With a creak, the door opened.

A young woman in her early twenties appeared before me. She was dressed entirely in black: a black long-sleeved athletic cotton top, black cuffed athletic cotton sweatpants, and slippers on her feet over black socks.

Her hair was tied up into a neat, clean bun. Her facial features were delicate with soft lines, giving her an inexplicably sweet and rustic vibe. Her eyes were large and bright like two black gems, and her skin was fair and clear.

What an absolute top-tier beauty! She must be Xiaolu.

While I was sizing her up, she was sizing me up as well, though only glancing briefly. Then she shifted her gaze to Qin Ruhua, her voice calm and gentle as she asked, "What do you want?"

Qin Ruhua walked up to my side and smiled, "Is Grandpa Wu home? This friend of mine would like to pay a visit to Grandpa Wu."

Xiaolu shifted her gaze back to me, her expression flat, her voice devoid of joy or anger. "Grandpa does not see outsiders."

I smiled, "I ran into him in the city last night. Based on what he implied, giving him ten million should be enough to see him."

"Ten million!" A trace of surprise finally broke across Xiaolu's calm, wave-less face. She looked at me anew with serious scrutiny, then frowned slightly, nodded faintly, and said, "I believe you, but Grandpa won't be back until this afternoon. Have you prepared the ten million?"

"Uh, I haven't prepared cash, and transferring that much directly might not be possible, but I do have that much money in my account," I smiled slightly, paused for a moment, and added, "However, I'm very curious what kind of thing is worth ten million. I at least need to see or hear something before I can decide whether to pay up!"

Xiaolu studied me, suddenly breaking into a pure, natural smile as she extended her right hand and smiled, "Come inside with me."

Uh, what is going on here?

Seeing my hesitation, Xiaolu grabbed my hand directly, pulled me into the house, and told Qin Ruhua, "Wait outside for a moment."

Bang!

The door closed!

The interior space was spacious, about twenty square meters, arranged simply and neatly with just a bed, a wardrobe, a table, a chair, and a screen. Some splashed-ink landscape paintings hung on the walls, creating an elegant artistic mood.

Being pulled by her, I could only feel that her hand was extremely soft and warm. Although I really wanted to turn the tables and hold hers instead, it was our first meeting, and such rudeness wouldn't do.

"Sit." She pointed to a bamboo chair, then turned around to pull another bamboo chair out from behind the screen.

The two of us sat down by the table.

I felt that everything here was deeply bizarre. I sat quietly in the chair, staring at Xiaolu.

Xiaolu met my gaze for a moment, then her face flushed slightly. Shyly looking away, she smiled and asked, "Have you prepared the ten million?"

Uh, why bringing up money again? This lacked sincerity entirely!

I smiled, "I must know what I get in exchange for handing over ten million!"

Once the initial unfamiliarity passed, Xiaolu seemed a bit shy. With a slightly bashful smile on her face, she said, "You get health, life, wealth, and courage. Are these enough?"

Damn it, that's way too ethereal!

I stared at her unblinkingly, leaned my back gently against the chair, and smiled, "You look quite shy yourself. How are you going to give me courage?"

Xiaolu was slightly taken aback. Frowning, she shot me a look, her face turning slightly red as she said with a hint of annoyed shyness, "Why do you talk like that? If Grandpa hadn't mentioned the ten-million threshold for the first time, you wouldn't even have been allowed through the door."

Seeing that such a beautiful young girl seemed to have been stung by my words, I couldn't help feeling a bit apologetic. However, my doubts hadn't diminished in the slightest, and I said earnestly, "I might have crossed the line just now, but I truly have doubts in my heart. You have to give me specifics; after all, ten million isn't joss paper."

Xiaolu's expression softened slightly. A bashful smile quickly bloomed at the corner of her lips, and she said gently, "Grandpa should have told you, right? There is something wrong with your body, and it must be treated, otherwise your life won't be long. Since you're so wealthy, you surely want to live long enough to spend it!"

There is something wrong with my body? This was the first time anyone had ever said such a thing to me!