"What's there to chase,"
Chi Ze Rui stirred the soup in his bowl nonchalantly, his eyes genuinely indifferent.
Wen Ting Xue suddenly felt that being his girlfriend was a rather pathetic thing.
He truly didn't care about them at all.
Scumbag.
The young girl silently passed judgment in her heart, then took a bite out of the vegetable pancake, as if chewing on someone.
...
After breakfast, Aunt Qin stuffed Wen Ting Xue with many homemade snacks.
There was also a jar of osmanthus honey, said to be good for beauty and complexion, which she told her to mix with milk.
Chi Ze Rui, with one hand in his pocket, stood under the osmanthus tree, smiling playfully.
"Keep it. Milk with honey will help you grow taller."
"Huh?"
Wen Ting Xue looked at Yu Wen Li with disbelief, who nodded with a faint smile.
Song Jia Mao also chimed in with the deception, "Look how tall I am; this is how I drank it."
The young girl looked at the three of them half-believingly. They were indeed all very tall, and standing with them made her appear exceptionally short.
Aunt Qin nodded again, and the young girl was completely swayed.
She happily left, clutching a pile of things.
As time went by, the bluestone path became more crowded.
Merchants, stalls, tourists, pedestrians, a sea of people.
If not for the three of them protecting her, Wen Ting Xue suspected she would have been swept away by the crowd.
The only downside was the ridiculously high回头率 (huitou lu - rate of people looking back)!
Yu Wen Li and Chi Ze Rui were both tall and lanky, top-tier handsome men with exceptional looks.
Their demeanors, moreover, were each unique, making them the center of attention wherever they went.
Song Jia Mao was no less impressive, with his sunny and outgoing appearance, very popular with girls.
As a result, Wen Ting Xue seemed unremarkable, primarily because she was... short.
But many people noticed her, out of sheer envy.
However—
Wen Ting Xue could feel the deeper meaning behind those gazes.
They wished they were her sister-in-law...
The place for planting trees was in the suburbs, about a forty-minute drive away.
The young girl, feeling sleepy after eating, rested her head on Yu Wen Li's legs and slept all the way to their destination.
Chi Ze Rui, as always, drove his cool sports car and arrived slightly earlier.
He was standing by the roadside with Song Jia Mao, surveying the land.
"My vast land will soon be green," Chi Ze Rui said, lighting a cigarette.
Song Jia Mao slung an arm around his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, as long as your head doesn't turn green."
"Get lost," Chi Ze Rui kicked him.
Noticing Yu Wen Li and the other one approaching out of the corner of his eye, he casually put out his cigarette.
Wen Ting Xue's impression of Chi Ze Rui had changed several times, and only now did she confirm it.
Despite his philandering, he was genuinely good to his brothers and friends.
When they first met, he seemed enthusiastic, but his eyes lacked warmth.
Later, she heard him on the phone, cold and heartless.
And then, he saw through her thoughts and turned away without a hint of lingering attachment.
She thought she would never see him again, but he turned out to be Yu Wen Li's friend.
Because of Yu Wen Li, they came into contact again.
After several encounters, she could feel his attitude towards her changing with Yu Wen Li's attitude towards her.
Even now, he could extinguish his cigarette so quickly, also because of Yu Wen Li.
He treated his own girlfriends ordinarily, but showed utmost respect to those around his brothers.
Moreover, the way he was with his brothers was completely different from his usual self.
They seemed like two completely opposite people.
She had a feeling about this since they last met at the supermarket.
She felt that he was actually a rather warm and cheerful person.
But he had an extremely unreliable exterior.
It was very strange.
Chi Ze Rui and Song Jia Mao walked over, the former nodding towards a distance and saying,
"They're selling saplings over there; shall we pick some?"
They had arrived early, and had already inquired about the situation.
They knew where to plant which trees and flowers; they just needed to choose the saplings.
Yu Wen Li nodded, and the group headed towards where the saplings were sold.
The saplings were larger than Wen Ting Xue had imagined, and quite tall, probably two or three meters?
They were dry and leafless.
The various saplings were placed together, making it almost impossible to distinguish their species.
The seller, seeing their handsome appearances and elegant attire, quickly began to introduce them.
Yu Wen Li listened quietly, then asked Wen Ting Xue, "What kind of tree do you want to plant?"
Wen Ting Xue had no expertise in trees, and they all looked similar. It wasn't like buying flowers where you could pick and choose.
"You choose, I'm fine with anything."
The young girl trusted him wholeheartedly.
Chi Ze Rui and Song Jia Mao were there to help, so they didn't care what kind of tree was planted.
Yu Wen Li pondered for a moment, then said to the seller, "Robinia pseudoacacia."
The young girl looked up. Before she could ask, she heard him explain, "Robinia pseudoacacia has shallow but extensive roots, making it prone to wind damage, and it's highly adaptable, suitable for sand fixation and soil conservation.
Its wood is suitable for sleepers, vehicles, construction, mine props, and many other uses, with wide applications. Furthermore, its symbolic meaning is also good.
Crystal clear, beautiful, and unworldly."
He said these three words while looking at her, as if referring to the Robinia pseudoacacia, and perhaps also to her.
The young girl shyly averted her gaze. Yu Wen Li smiled, "It also symbolizes everlasting friendship."
Actually, his favorite flower language for Robinia pseudoacacia was "secret love."
Quietly guarding, silently devoted.
"Oh, it also represents friendship," Chi Ze Rui and Song Jia Mao chimed in with teasing, "We thought it just represented beauty."
The young girl was so embarrassed she didn't want to look up.
Yu Wen Li, however, remained unfazed. After paying, he said to the two of them, "Come on, let's carry our everlasting friendship."
Chi Ze Rui: "..."
Song Jia Mao: "..."
So that's what he was waiting for.
They doubted if this acacia really represented friendship.
The place for planting Robinia pseudoacacia was not far. Song Jia Mao and Chi Ze Rui carried the trees and arrived shortly.
However, their shoulders did ache a bit when they put the trees down.
Volunteers were guiding the process nearby. Seeing the group carrying trees, a volunteer quickly ran over to explain the spacing and planting methods.
Yu Wen Li listened attentively and politely thanked her after she finished.
Then, he took Wen Ting Xue to buy shovels, buckets, and other supplies.
When the two of them returned, Song Jia Mao and Chi Ze Rui had already chosen their spots and were squatting on the ground, examining the soil.
"What do you think this soil is?"
"Clay, perhaps? It feels quite fertile," Chi Ze Rui rubbed the soil in his hands.
Song Jia Mao was skeptical, "I think it's sandy soil."
Chi Ze Rui raised an eyebrow, "I think you're an idiot."
Song Jia Mao: "..."
He was just stating his opinion, why the personal attack?
Chi Ze Rui dusted off his hands and stood up, "You dig, and you fill."
Although the tree pits had already been marked, they still had to dig them themselves.
After all, for tree planting, there's no feeling without digging pits.
Song Jia Mao retorted, "Brother Yu, what do you think this soil is?"
Yu Wen Li glanced at him, "I'd say, Ah Rui is right."
Song Jia Mao: "..."
Damn it.
He was practically begging to be insulted.
Wen Ting Xue stifled a laugh, "Hurry up and plant; it's getting late."
Song Jia Mao grunted, "Little sister-in-law is the most considerate."
Saying this, he took the shovel from Yu Wen Li's hand.
Yu Wen Li said, "First, untie the grass rope bound around the roots, then dig a tree pit two meters in diameter and one meter deep. We'll go get water."
There was land all around, and the water source was quite far away.
It would be faster to split the work.
Chi Ze Rui nodded, "Got it. You two go ahead."
"Okay."
Yu Wen Li pulled Wen Ting Xue along to find water, completely at ease.
However, Wen Ting Xue felt a bit uneasy about Chi Ze Rui, "Are you sure there's no problem?"
Both of them seemed quite unreliable.
Yu Wen Li smiled, "Don't worry, Ah Rui is much more reliable than you think."
Wen Ting Xue thought about it; if he were truly unreliable, he probably wouldn't have become friends with him.