Page 25

Xiang Changge's words did indeed hold some truth; she knew everything in the house, and since nothing had changed, wandering around felt pointless, more like walking in circles.

If it were in the past, she certainly wouldn't have come out.

Just as Xiang Changge had said, she knew every blade of grass in the house, so what was there to walk around for?

But whether it was because the other party had tried so hard to persuade her, racking her brains to the point of reciting poetry, or some other reason, she had actually agreed to come out for a stroll.

However, going outside the villa...

Yu Qing's gaze drifted past the ornate carved gate in the distance, catching the shadows of the podocarpus trees outside.

She looked away again: "Too far, I'm tired."

She knew her own stamina; she would be too lazy to keep walking long before she even reached that gate.

Xiang Changge pushed a luxurious wheelchair, thoughtfully equipped with a small cushion, in front of Yu Qing and made a gesture of invitation.

Yu Qing: "..."

Staring at the wheelchair for a moment, Yu Qing looked back at Xiang Changge: "I'm not crippled."

Xiang Changge: "Close enough."

Yu Qing: "?"

What kind of steward dared to speak to their boss so openly?

Yu Qing couldn't take it anymore: "Do you believe I will..."

The words "fire you" were right on the tip of her tongue, but Yu Qing remembered last night's events. She took a deep breath, and the words took a turn: "I... will dock your pay."

Xiang Changge: "?!"

The two locked eyes, and Yu Qing saw a look of shock in Xiang Changge's usually calm, grey-brown eyes.

A good mood suddenly washed over her.

Yu Qing put her hands behind her back and circled halfway around Xiang Changge, a curve forming on her lips like a kitten that had caught its prey and was teasing its trophy: "Tell me, Steward Xiang's salary must be quite high, right?"

Xiang Changge's fists tightened.

The wicked capitalist!

She only made that little bit of money, and she actually wanted to dock it?!

That was it. Yu Qing couldn't fire Xiang Changge, but she could dock her pay. Unless Xiang Changge didn't care about money, it was hard to say who had the upper hand now.

Seeing Xiang Changge so intimidated that she didn't dare to speak, Yu Qing shuffled along the path toward the outside of the villa.

She was in a good mood today, so she might as well go for a walk.

A person's thoughts can change in an instant.

Yu Qing suddenly realized how to handle Xiang Changge.

She wouldn't let her sleep as she pleased?

Then she would dock her pay.

She forced her to eat?

Then she would dock her pay.

Wonderful, simply wonderful.

How had she not thought of this yesterday?

Besides, if she went out for a walk and got tired, even if she had to sit in the wheelchair, Xiang Changge would still be the one pushing her back.

Anyway, this whole mountain belonged to her, and no one else would see her, so what did it matter?

As long as she set aside her pride, wouldn't it be Xiang Changge who ended up doing the hard work?

Yu Qing felt that the sunset tonight was inexplicably beautiful.

Xiang Changge trailed behind her, watching the leisurely yet frail figure moving away in the distance, and blinked.

The shock that had been in her eyes faded, leaving only the reflection of the thin silhouette with hair swaying gently between the stone paths of the green lawn under the brilliant sky.

Xiang Changge lifted the wheelchair with one hand, suppressed the corner of her mouth, and strode to catch up.

The sunset dipped low, and crystal-clear water droplets still clung to the tallow leaves. The asphalt road was damp, yet there was no standing water.

Walking around the peak of Xiushan, one only had to look down slightly to see the well-arranged trees on the mountain and the greenery of the treetops.

Looking further into the distance, one could see the scenery of City A, silently telling tales of its prosperity.

Xiang Changge pushed the wheelchair, following closely behind Yu Qing.

Yu Qing was looking at the mountains, the sky, the clouds, and the trees; Xiang Changge was looking at the same scenery as her.

As night fell, the high-rise buildings of City A gradually lit up.

Staring at the city below the mountain for a few moments, Xiang Changge let out an almost imperceptible hum.

It was clearly a complete city, yet whether it was because the author was lazy or felt that the name "City A" carried a sense of mystery, they had simply given the place such a name.

Yu Qing walked very slowly. Having not exercised in a long time, she felt her legs go numb and grew a bit tired not long after leaving the villa.

Xi Changge guessed her physical limits. When they reached a viewing platform on the side that was paved flat and intentionally left free of trees to avoid obstructing the view, Xi Changge stopped.

There was a small pavilion nearby that could provide shelter from the rain, but Xi Changge did not take Yu Qing inside.

She felt that Yu Qing should try staying in places without a ceiling.

Walking to the edge of the mountain, the scenery they could see became increasingly beautiful and complete. A mountain breeze swept over, bringing with it the dampness left by the rain.

The sunset had already faded, leaving only the afterglow illuminating the clouds on the horizon.

Seeing that Yu Qing's face had turned somewhat pale, Xi Changge had her sit down in the wheelchair.

This time, Yu Qing did not say anything more.

She lounged lazily in the wheelchair, letting Xi Changge take out mosquito repellent to spray herself and the surrounding area, while she simply stared at the night view in the distance below the mountain, slowly drifting into a daze.

It had really been such a long, long time since she had been out.

Even though that city not far away was so close to her, Yu Qing felt it was very unfamiliar.

When she was young, she couldn't travel around due to her health.

Now that she was grown and could do whatever she pleased, she had already lost interest in this world.

In truth, every place was the same; what differed was one's mood and the person accompanying them.

She only had herself, so no matter where she was, it was all the same to her.

City A was so prosperous, and the night view was so beautiful.

But among the people there, how many could truly feel happiness and have someone by their side?

Everyone's ending was the same, no matter how different their lives might be.

Since the result was the same, why bother suffering in this painful world?

Yu Qing's thoughts flew, and a melancholic mood knotted in her chest. She stared into the distance, lost in thought, the gloom on her face growing heavier and thicker—

"Miss, want to eat something?"

"..."

As if a balloon being constantly squeezed had suddenly been blown away by a sudden gust of wind, Yu Qing's focus snapped back. Her gaze followed the sound and looked in front of her.

Wait, what happened? She had only been daydreaming for a moment, so where did the table, the food, the fruit, and the small buns in front of her come from?

During the time Yu Qing was lost in thought, Xi Changge had neatly and efficiently taken a box out from the space under the wheelchair.

The box opened, revealing an insulated lunch box, fruit, yogurt, and small buns inside... there were even two bags of nuts.

The box was flipped over and placed beside Yu Qing to serve as a small table, and Xi Changge used the lid of the box as a cushion, sitting directly on the ground with bold, unconstrained movements—the picnic could begin.

When she asked Yu Qing, Xi Changge was holding a large bowl of fruit salad topped with yogurt, taro balls, and brown sugar pearls.

Yu Qing pursed her lips.

She understood; this was actually just another way for Xi Changge to urge her to eat.

All that talk about going for a walk with her was actually just to get her to eat in a different environment.

It really was painstaking of her.

However, it was a pity that she had no appetite right now.

Licking her lips, Yu Qing said, "I don't want to eat. Just give me a yogurt."

Hearing this, Xi Changge didn't try to persuade her further. She simply handed her a bottle of red date-flavored yogurt and a straw, then picked up a fork and began eating her own fruit salad.

A bite of watermelon, juicy and sweet; a bite of green grape, juicy and sweet; a bite of blueberry, juicy and tart; a bite of taro ball, soft and chewy.

Xi Changge ate with her eyes half-closed in extreme enjoyment, feeling the mountain breeze and looking at the beautiful scenery, feeling that she couldn't be any happier.

Eating her fill, taking a post-meal stroll, and then having a bowl of fruit salad at a scenic spot—this was no different from stopping one's carriage to admire the maple forest at night; it was elegant, truly elegant.

Yu Qing, who was sipping her yogurt, thought: "..."

No, wasn't she going to try to persuade her to eat a little too? Was she just going to start eating by herself like that?

Inexplicably, the corner of Yu Qing's eye couldn't help but fall on the figure beside her, who was a head shorter than her because she was sitting on the ground.

That person didn't speak either, just eating bite after bite. For a moment, she couldn't tell if the things they had brought were meant for her to eat or for Xi Changge herself.

Yu Qing, who had originally felt she had no appetite, suddenly felt incredibly hungry.

Should she eat a little, too?

Fine, she'd eat a little. But it felt a bit embarrassing to start eating on her own initiative; she would just nod when Xi Changge asked her if she wanted to eat something again.

Because they had sprayed mosquito repellent, the two of them weren't bitten by mosquitoes while sitting there.

The mountaintop in the evening wasn't stuffy. If not for the fact that she felt a bit hungry, it could even be called pleasant.

Yu Qing, sipping her yogurt, watched helplessly as Xi Changge finished a large bowl of fruit salad by herself, then picked up a small bun and took two bites.

Smelling the sweet aroma of the bread and accompanied by a live "mukbang streamer," Yu Qing couldn't help but swallow her saliva.

That small bun looked like it tasted really good.

The small buns were baked in the kitchen, and they even had a layer of cheese on top.