The Golden Moth Orchid (Part 1)

"He's showing off again."

The girl generously extended her slender arm to support the boy who almost fell from behind. Even though she said that, her actions betrayed her words.

His tone carried a hint of reproach and intimacy.

Because he wasn't strong enough to support the other person.

Finally, she simply pulled him into her arms.

It was as if they were sharing the weight of the mountain of goods piled up in his hands.

The surrounding open space was piled with all sorts of props, as if a grand banquet was being prepared.

On a sturdy old locust tree,

Several bright red lanterns hung there, swaying gently in the breeze, but because it was still daytime, they were not lit.

Several children who were laughing and chasing each other were stopped by an old man. They then took the ribbons the old man gave them and began to hang them on the wooden stakes.

The village was filled with a festive atmosphere.

"Hehe~ Isn't that what you're here for?"

A shy smile appeared on the boy's face, revealing a set of white teeth.

Seemingly uncomfortable with the strange sensation from his back against the girl's body, he quickly broke free from her embrace, but then his feet lurched forward, nearly causing the three boxes he was holding, which were swaying and dancing, to fall to the ground.

He steadied himself quickly, slowly bent down and carefully placed the goods on the ground, then straightened up, stretched his limbs, and let out a long breath.

Many adults, looking like teenagers, were carrying piles of things, their faces flushed, walking around the two of them and transporting them.

In the surging crowd,

An elderly man with a full head of white hair was carefully examining the blueprints in his hands, wearing reading glasses.

Then he shouted and directed the people who were building the bonfire.

Arrange the prepared pieces of wood in their pre-designed positions.

"Meli, didn't you just say you were going to deliver a message for Uncle Jack? You're back so soon...:::"

The boy turned around and pinched his nose somewhat embarrassedly, looking a little awkward and uncomfortable.

He seemed to feel embarrassed that his wife had seen him acting like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

After all, they were just newlyweds, in the sweetest phase of their relationship, and who wouldn't want to show their best side to their loved one?

Upon hearing this, Meli pouted but did not respond. She simply stepped forward and stood in front of the boy, standing on tiptoe and gently brushing aside a tuft of hair on his forehead with her right hand, revealing a crescent-shaped scar beneath.

She gently stroked the scar left from saving her, as if she were touching a kitten or puppy.

Then, gently moving her warm fingertips down to her cheek, she gave it a firm pinch.

"Payment!"

Just as the young man was beginning to revel in his unexpected joy, he was suddenly pinched, causing him a sharp pain. He felt as if half of his face had been stretched by at least three or four centimeters, and for a moment he was still a bit dazed, wondering how his words had offended his proud wife.

"You big liar! Have you forgotten what you promised me? I still need to spend time preparing for the party this afternoon. Uncle Jack saw me just now and asked me strangely why I didn't go out with you."

The "evening party" is a fixed program held in the village every year when the Harvest Festival arrives. Every household will offer up part of the year's harvest to prepare for the banquet.

So by evening,

Everyone can then gather together to sing, dance, and enjoy a delicious meal.

Farmers who usually only focus on planting crops will also take off their mud-covered shirts today.

Wielding their flower mallets and striking the drums with great force, they joined in the festivities, creating a vibrant and joyful atmosphere for the young people dancing around the bonfire.

Create an opportunity for them to confess their feelings.

Children, meanwhile, would linger among the stalls and vendors set up during the party, using the pocket money they'd gotten from their parents to buy novel trinkets they wouldn't normally see.

Seeing the displeasure on Meli's face, Zack remembered that he had promised Meli just two days ago that he would take her to visit the market in Singer Town.

As representatives of newlyweds who tied the knot after last year's [event], they will also offer their blessings to the young people in the village this year.

So today's daytime was actually very busy; they both had a lot of trivial matters to handle. Plus, Zack, as the most famous hunter in the area, was supposed to perform an "arrow piercing two heart-shaped wooden planks a hundred meters away" at the start of the party—a performance with a rather unclear meaning...

I've heard that this is used to express the close connection between hearts and is a beautiful symbol of love.

When he was first told he had to perform this bizarre show, he felt ashamed and wondered who had come up with such an outrageous idea.

What should have been a joyous Harvest Festival has turned into a dating show with a lively atmosphere.

It was only later that I learned that it was the villagers who wanted to see some excitement, and they wanted to organize some activities that were different from previous years.

It took a lot of brainstorming to come up with this rather humorous performance...:::

In general,

Both of them had a very busy day. Their original shopping plans had been put on hold because Zack was busy preparing for the party.

"I couldn't resist my wife's intense gaze, and besides, I did have a history of wrongdoing."

He rubbed his hands together sheepishly and chuckled twice.

"Well, it was definitely my fault—um—how can I make it up to you?"

He gave an apologetic look.

It seems that he has already deeply reflected on his near-miss.

"Snort!"

Meli pinched his hand playfully.

She then poked his chest repeatedly with her fingertips, seemingly speechless at this blockhead.

Even though his feelings were so obvious,

He still didn't know what action to take.

Any newlywed girl would be angry if her husband, who is busy with other things all day long, neglected her during their honeymoon period. She would feel that she was being ignored and neglected by her lover.

Although she knew that Zack didn't do it on purpose, after all, they both had heavy missions to complete.

It's one thing for this guy to be busy all the time, but it's another to forget the agreement between the two of them!

Moreover, she was also busy with trivial matters, so in order to squeeze out time to be with Zack, she worked at full speed all morning and even went back to change her sweat-soaked clothes before rushing here to meet him.

"Oh dear! I made a mistake, I'll go get the car ready right away!"

Zack, who was being pinched, hopped and skipped away to get someone to take over his work. He then ran to the stable and borrowed a horse-drawn carriage from an elderly villager.

To avoid keeping Meli waiting too long, he didn't even change his undershirt before putting on a shirt, grabbed his purse, and rushed to his car.

Watching him running around busily, Meli covered her mouth and chuckled softly, but then sighed in exasperation at his lack of ambition.

"What an idiot... Even if you had just hugged me... you could have gotten away with it this time..."

North