Couldn't Help It

Lin Qiye checked the navigation on his phone. "Fifty kilometers."

Dad Fang sped up. Before long, clusters of houses appeared ahead, and after they drove a little farther, they could see the famous Erhai Lake in the distance.

It was inconvenient to drive the RV into the city, so Dad Lin decided to find a roadside inn with parking on the outskirts.

After the RV was parked, Dad Fang said, "Your mom and I will stay here tonight. Are you two staying in the RV or at the inn?"

"We'll stay at the inn too," Lin Qiye said.

Dad Lin looked like he wanted to scold him for failing to live up to expectations and advised, "The RV is so expensive. What if someone steals it? You and Little Tian should stay in the RV. Doesn't it have a place to sleep?"

Tian Nina fidgeted uneasily, but she did not say anything to refute him.

She only dodged Lin Qiye's questioning gaze.

Mom Lin, however, glared at Dad Lin and said, "Don't listen to him. He's a grown man and still talks without any filter. You young people can stay wherever you want, but one thing, Lin Qiye—you're not allowed to bully her."

"All right, Mom. Am I that kind of person?" Lin Qiye said, speechless. He was an adult who had lived two lives, after all. How could he possibly have so little self-control?

And so Dad Lin and Mom Lin stayed at the inn, while the two young people remained in the RV.

Tian Nina sat, and Lin Qiye stood. There seemed to be an invisible wall between them.

"Uh, how about you sleep on the bed tonight, and I'll make a floor bed," Lin Qiye said. He treasured the girl before him and the feelings that were about to happen between them very much, and he did not want to ruin this purity so easily.

Tian Nina felt the tiniest bit disappointed, but she did not show it. She replied obediently, "I'll get the things for you."

She got up and walked into the RV's sleeping area, taking a blanket, a thin quilt, and a pillow from the storage compartment.

She did not need Lin Qiye's help and laid everything out on the floor by herself.

When she was done, she stood there stiffly with both hands in her pants pockets, not knowing what to do next.

Lin Qiye looked strange as he stared at the sunset outside the window.

Then he blurted out, "Isn't it a little early? We haven't had dinner yet. Are we sleeping now?"

"Ah."

Only then did Tian Nina, who had been immersed in some strange train of thought, understand the current situation.

Lin Qiye teased, "Are you so embarrassed you want to crawl into a hole, flooded with emotions, and ashamed beyond belief? Don't worry, I won't mind. How about we sleep for a bit first and then go eat?"

"You jerk, that's what you get for talking nonsense." Her fair, tender hand pinched Lin Qiye's arm hard and twisted with force.

That kind of pain, however, could make a person laugh.

"If you pinch me again, I'm fighting back."

"You still dare to fight back? That's what you get for talking nonsense."

Lin Qiye turned and tickled Tian Nina at the waist, instantly reversing the situation.

"Hahaha, don't tickle me!" Tian Nina, who could not stand being tickled, fell onto the floor bed she had made herself, momentarily forgetting to stop her opponent's sneak attack.

The laughter went on, and so did the struggling, until finally it turned into surrender. "Stop tickling me. I surrender. I admit defeat."

"That's more like it." Lin Qiye withdrew his hand in a victorious pose, took Tian Nina's right hand, and pulled her up.

After this bout of fooling around, the distance between them had faded.

They were so close they could sense each other's breathing and heartbeat, as well as that rich fragrance.

It was a scent mixed with youthful hormones, something irresistible.

Just as the Intelligent AI had said, they possessed pheromone signals that attracted each other, and in this moment, they confirmed the other.

Lin Qiye slowly lowered his head from above. Tian Nina's eyebrows trembled slightly as she closed her eyes, but her face tilted upward.

Their lips pressed together. Their breathing stopped. Their embrace grew tighter as they felt everything about each other.

Their first intimate contact, which lasted a full five minutes, ended.

Lin Qiye was pushed away by Tian Nina, who was about to faint.

Panting heavily, Tian Nina took quite a while before she spoke. "I almost died. Huff, huff. I nearly couldn't catch my breath."

"It felt amazing." Lin Qiye was still savoring it.

This time, Tian Nina did not feel shy. Instead, she playfully hugged him from behind.

"Are we officially boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"Mm. I hereby announce that you've passed your probation."

Laughter immediately rang out from inside the RV.

Just then, Dad Lin's voice came from outside the RV. "Get out. Let's find somewhere to eat first, then go stroll around the city."

A moment later, the two got out. Tian Nina still obediently walked to Mom Lin's side, while Lin Qiye accompanied Dad Lin. The group chatted and laughed as they entered Dali City.

Lin Qiye's family passed through the old city gate tower and followed the tourists as they sightseed.

In 2012, Dali Ancient City had a long history, simple and beautiful architecture, and a rich cultural heritage. All of it made people feel as if they had stepped into an ancient, captivating world.

The Lin family walked along the flagstone road, admiring the many antique buildings from the Ming and Qing dynasties along the way.

Their layouts were simple and old-fashioned, arranged in pleasing variety.

Made of brick and wood, some were tall and some short, some wide and some narrow; from them, one could vaguely make out the circumstances of the families who had lived there long ago.

But now they had all become marks left by history, there for anyone to admire.

Between the courtyards were also some caravan inns from the Ming and Qing dynasties, clearly restored. Dragons and phoenixes were carved along the eaves, and large red lanterns hung there. Through the carved wooden windows, one could see a thoroughly modern front desk and sofas inside.

Modernity and antiquity had been fused into one.

Though the streets were not yet lined with shops everywhere as they would be in later years, there were still many small stores and vendors selling all kinds of folk handicrafts and local snacks.

Now that the sun had set and night had deepened, the drifting aromas of all kinds of snacks made it impossible to keep walking.

"Today we'll each eat what we want. We'll call each other in a bit." Mom Lin decisively pulled Dad Lin away, leaving the two young people more time alone together.

Looking at all the food, Lin Qiye handed the choice over to Tian Nina. "You pick. Whatever you eat, I'll eat."

"Really? I heard Fried Milk Fan is tasty. Let's go try it."

After saying that, Tian Nina pulled Lin Qiye over to a small stall.

There was an iron wok filled with oil, and an old grandmother sitting on a little stool placed a thin, pale-yellow sheet into the hot oil.

As the hot oil rolled and bubbled, the so-called Milk Fan puffed open in the fryer.

Once it was done, the old grandmother asked, "Sweet or salty?"

After getting a definite answer, the old woman would sprinkle on either Sichuan pepper salt or white sugar.

Lin Qiye and Tian Nina, who had watched the whole process from the side, bought two portions.

Lin Qiye's was salty, lightly numbing with Sichuan pepper and a touch of saltiness, but mostly filled with a milky aroma. Because it had been fried at high heat, it was also crisp and delicious.

Tian Nina, who liked sweets, finished her own and then tore off a piece of Lin Qiye's to try. "Mm, the salty one is good too. Let's bring some for your parents."

She bent slightly. "Grandma, please give me two more portions. I'll pay for them together."

The old woman looked at Tian Nina in surprise, revealing sparse teeth. "Girl, your Mandarin's so good. Did you come here to study abroad?"

The old grandmother's Dali dialect was no challenge at all for Tian Nina. She smiled and replied, "I'm a local kid. I'm not a foreigner."

The old woman refused to believe it and thought she was joking, but money still had to be made.

After the two portions of Fried Milk Fan were packed, the two of them looked left and right along the night market street. The nighttime hunt for food had only just begun.