“Come on, Junyan, it’s cold outside, let’s go in and sit.”
“Alright, good.”
Han Junyan nodded slightly and turned towards the trunk of the car. “I’ll get something.”
“You’re here, why bring anything?” Meng Jingwei said politely, walking with him to the car trunk.
The trunk opened, blocking their view.
As Han Junyan carried the items, he asked in a low voice, “The ‘man’ that Qing Muye liked, exposed in the news a while ago, was that you?”
Initially, Han Junyan had only guessed.
Today, when he came to see Meng Jingwei, he happened to run into Qing Muye, which was the best explanation.
“Hehehe, you’re really clever.” Meng Jingwei gave a sheepish laugh, no longer intending to hide it.
Thinking about the news report of what happened between her and Qing Muye in the fitting room that day still made her blush uncontrollably.
Although that incident was only what the sales assistant told the media, and then the sales assistant came forward to ‘apologize,’ saying she was just seeking traffic and talking nonsense.
But anyone with eyes knew it was true.
“Jingwei, do you really trust Qing Muye that much? Your gap is too big. In the end, you’ll be the one shattered.”
Han Junyan said with great concern.
For some reason, from the moment Han Junyan got out of the car, she suddenly felt his attitude towards her was a bit peculiar.
Especially the way he looked at her, with a certain intensity, much like… liking.
Moreover, not only her, but even Qing Muye regarded Han Junyan as a love rival.
No, it’s impossible.
Meng Jingwei denied it in her heart, after all, she had personally seen Li Yun’er and Han Junyan together.
She figured his excessive concern for her was simply because he was her first love.
“What about Li Yun’er? Do you really trust her that much too?”
Meng Jingwei suppressed her smile, her expression serious. “Have you ever thought that you’ll be the one ending up in a sorry state?”
The two were thinking of each other.
But one was the sincerity of friendship, while the other was provocation driven by greed.
“Oh my, Mr. Han, how many gifts did you buy? Still can’t carry them all?”
Seeing them chatting by the trunk, Qing Muye rested his elbow on the handle of his axe, a cigarette held between his fingers, smoking silently.
His gaze was fixed on the two people standing at the rear of the car the entire time.
However, the trunk lid blocked his view, so he couldn’t see anything, and thus signaled to Tang Si.
Tang Si, who understood the hint, chimed in teasingly.
Han Junyan carried his things and closed the trunk. Meng Jingwei glared at Tang Si, “Did your ex-girlfriend leave because you nagged her?”
“Pfft…”
Hearing Meng Jingwei’s words, Han Yu couldn’t help but laugh, then gave Meng Jingwei a thumbs-up, “As expected, you’re smart.”
“You quiet guy, do you want to die!”
Tang Si was so angry his forehead was steaming. He walked to the side, directly bent down, grabbed a handful of snow, formed a snowball, and hurled it at Han Yu.
The agile Han Yu tilted his head slightly, easily dodging the snowball. Unfortunately, Lu Yanming, who was behind him, bore the brunt of it.
The snowball exploded on his face, covering it with snowflakes.
“Tang Si!”
Lu Yanming’s mouth twitched in pain. He glared at Tang Si and lunged at him.
“Hey, what the heck, wasn’t on purpose, big bro.”
Feeling the impending danger, Tang Si turned and ran, hiding behind Qing Muye. “Second Brother, you have to cover me.”
Qing Muye’s thin lips exhaled faint smoke, and he calmly said, “Naturally.”
Saying that, he handed the axe in his hand to Tang Si. “Here, hold this, borrow it, don’t be shy.”
Tang Si: “……” He gave Qing Muye a thumbs-up. “What a tough guy.”
Meanwhile, Meng Jingwei shook her head helplessly and said to Han Junyan, “Let’s go, let’s go inside.”
“Okay.”
The two entered the courtyard together and went to the main hall.
Han Junyan greeted Meng’s father and mother, offered early new year wishes, and sat down for tea and conversation.
Before long, villagers started coming to Meng’s house one after another to pay new year visits, and the house was bustling with people.
Upon seeing the five handsome young men, the villagers were all captivated.
“Wow, Jingwei, you’ve really made it. You’ve made so many friends after only a year working outside?”
“These friends are so handsome. Do they have girlfriends? Let me tell you, my cousin’s second niece’s distant cousin is still single. Want me to introduce her to your friends?”
“Oh, Auntie number two, don’t mention your relatives who are a hundred thousand miles away. Xiao Wei, does that young man chopping wood have a girlfriend? How about I introduce my daughter to him?”
“Young man, who among you would like to leave your contact information? My daughter is still single. Why not give it a try?”
…
Meng Jingwei’s house was at the very end of the village, so fewer people usually visited.
Today, because of Qing Muye and the others’ presence, many neighbors came, flocking to join the fun and admire the five men with their distinct styles.
Many even brought their own daughters.
Suddenly, Qing Muye, Han Junyan, Han Yu, Lu Yanming, and Tang Si, the five of them were surrounded by people, as if they were being gawked at like monkeys.
Meng Jingwei initially tried to intervene, explaining to them one by one, but when the crowd grew, Meng Jingwei simply went back inside to watch the New Year’s Gala replay by the stove, too lazy to explain anymore.
While she didn’t explain, Du Juan and Meng Tianhua were busy.
Neighbors who came to visit for the New Year needed tea and water, cigarettes, and candy, almost never having a moment’s rest.
Qing Muye continued to chop wood by himself, swinging his axe with wide arcs. A few people gathered around, but they kept their distance, afraid of being accidentally injured.
After a few words with him, Qing Muye simply ignored them, and those people left.
The talkative Tang Si stood in the crowd, bragging without restraint, while the other three became supporting characters.
Han Yu disliked the noisy atmosphere, so he quietly slipped away, following Meng Jingwei’s house to the small reservoir on its right, standing there to calm himself.
Bang, bang, bang—
Just as Han Yu was standing by the reservoir, smoking, he heard the sound of banging.
He walked for a short distance following the sound and discovered that by the reservoir, in front of a stone slab, sat a slender girl in a light green cotton jacket, with two braids, hammering clothes with a bat.
“It’s such a cold day, and it’s New Year’s Day, why are you washing clothes here?” Han Yu, seeing her hands were red from the cold, naturally asked.
When he spoke, the girl looked up.
Han Yu then noticed that the young girl had thick eyebrows, large eyes, fair skin, and a beauty mark below her left eye.
A very pure, very simple rural girl.
Seeing Han Yu, the girl smiled at him, her smile as sweet and lovely as her appearance.
However…
She didn’t speak, but shook the water off her hands and kept gesturing in front of her.
Han Yu frowned.
Is she… mute?