Is the water moving or is the heart moving?

Although this was in liberal America, and the boys were quite precocious, such a direct question still left Lin Yuan struggling to respond.

As if realizing something, a slightly flustered voice called out from behind him.

"No, I mean, it's like how guys like to take girls to horror movies, isn't it all about having a chance to play the hero?"

"From what I understand, excellent hunters always appear in the guise of prey."

"Are you saying that if girls don't pretend to be prey, they won't give guys a chance to watch horror movies together at all?" Celestial Fairy, as expected, possessed both beauty and wisdom; she understood immediately.

"Telepathy, tacit understanding, knowing full well – call this romantic vibe whatever you want. Simps will never understand the joy of mutual effort."

"Simps?"

"Uh, you probably have a lot around you... those kinds of pursuers?" Lin Yuan suddenly realized that this term didn't exist yet.

But Liu Yifei quickly guessed what he meant; this was an experience every beautiful woman had.

She smiled and didn't say much more.

The two walked hand-in-hand, the scenery along the road becoming more beautiful, and the sound of a stream faintly reached their ears.

Rounding a bend, a waterfall appeared before them.

To call it a waterfall was a bit of a stretch; it was really just a small stream cascading down a cliff about twenty meters high.

But the scenery was quite nice. The spray from the waterfall in the pool reflected a small rainbow in the sunlight.

The stream was clear, and the stones at the bottom were clearly visible through the rippling water.

"Look, there are fish in the water!" Liu Yifei exclaimed with surprise, pointing at the small fish in the stream.

"Do you want me to catch one for you?"

She nodded vigorously, "Yes!"

Lin Yuan shook his head, took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his pants to his knees, and waded into the water. "I can't catch fish this small, but I can catch a few big crabs for you."

"There are crabs here?" Her eyes clearly showed disbelief.

In the golden autumn, crabs are plump. The stream here flowed into the Hudson River not far from the sea, which was exactly where blue crabs thrived.

"Of course. We'll cook crabs tonight. Come down and let's catch some together." Lin Yuan smiled and invited her.

Liu Yifei hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

She was wearing a dark green plaid woolen mini-skirt today, and wading into the water would require taking off her black tights, which wasn't very convenient.

"Come on, the water is clear and clean, no pollution."

"But it's been polluted by your feet! Look! The fish are floating up!"

Lin Yuan felt a surge of exasperation; this little girl was becoming more mischievous.

His luck was good today; he quickly reached into a hole and pulled out a female crab weighing about six ounces.

Holding up his prize, Lin Yuan proudly shook it.

"There really are crabs? And it's so big!"

"Do you want to come down and catch some together?"

Lin Yuan invited her again, thinking that if she waded into the water, she would inevitably have to take off her tights, and a restless stirring arose in his heart.

"Okay, but I have to take off my tights first. Turn around, and don't you dare look back and peek!"

Tights, which encased her hips and legs, were considered intimate apparel for a girl, and it would be embarrassing to take them off in front of Lin Yuan.

So, Liu Yifei walked around to the back of a large rock before slowly taking off her tights, revealing a pair of long legs as white as jade.

Lin Yuan didn't think much of it. After securing his prize, he continued to search for the next crab hole.

But just then, Liu Yifei's surprised cry suddenly came from behind him.

"Ah!"

Could she have actually encountered a bear?

Lin Yuan quickly rounded the large rock and rushed towards her.

He saw Liu Yifei sitting on the ground, her tights not completely off, still caught around her knees.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"No, it's just that the stones on the ground are so rough on my feet. I lost my balance when I was taking off my shoes and fell." The girl's face was flushed red.

Lin Yuan didn't leave. Instead, he stepped forward, slipped his arm through the bend of her legs, and scooped her up in a princess carry.

"I..."

"Let me carry you instead, so you don't get hurt again."

As someone who had lived two lives, Lin Yuan knew that at the right moment, a man absolutely could not falter.

The wrong timing would seem reckless.

Missing a good opportunity would lead to regret.

If you don't know how to advance a relationship, you'll always just be friends.

She was still a young girl and easily embarrassed. Lin Yuan simply carried her to the stream and gently placed her on a rock.

Then, Lin Yuan crouched down, first tucking in the hem of her skirt to ensure nothing was revealed.

After that, he lifted her foot and helped her roll down the stockings that were caught at the bend of her knee, slowly sliding them down her fair calf.

Liu Yifei's face grew even redder. She instinctively tried to pull her delicate foot back, but Lin Yuan held it firmly.

"Stop fussing. I just want to check if your skin is broken or bleeding."

"Who's fussing? You're the one holding my foot." She protested softly but didn't say much more.

Lin Yuan held her ankle, carefully examining both her feet:

Her insteps were fair and moist, with fine blue veins clearly visible.

Her ten toes were delicate and round, and the soles of her feet had a healthy, faint pink hue.

Fairies truly are beautiful from head to toe, Lin Yuan thought to himself, feeling like everyone else was a warden in her presence.

"It's good that your skin isn't broken. You can relax now."

After the examination, Lin Yuan put her delicate feet down and casually rolled up her stockings, tucking them into his pocket.

Seeing Lin Yuan's actions, Liu Yifei, whose face was already flushed, turned even redder, resembling a boiled crab.

"Why did you take my stockings?"

"You don't have pockets with your skirt on, and these stockings are long and black. I can't put them on the ground, and it would be hard to spot if insects crawled into them."

Lin Yuan's reasons were always so sound!

"Alright then. My feet... they don't smell, do they?" She still had some concerns.

How was he supposed to answer this question?

Should he say that even a celestial fairy's foot-washing water smelled fragrant?

Or that it was common knowledge that a beautiful woman's foot odor was a bonus point?

Both of those answers were too lewd and would cost him big time!

Lin Yuan was momentarily speechless. He couldn't possibly sniff them and then seriously declare they didn't smell, could he?

These were her stockings, and if he actually sniffed them, it wouldn't just be the smell of her feet.

How could Lin Yuan do something like that?

It would be too flippant and disrespectful to her.

So, he smiled and said, "My nose isn't good, so I can't smell anything. Besides, with our friendship, who would find fault with whom?"

Hearing Lin Yuan say this, Liu Yifei breathed a sigh of relief.

She stood up and walked barefoot to the edge of the stream, first dipping her toes in to test the water temperature.

Finding it acceptable, she slowly stepped into the water.

There she is, by the water's edge.

Lin Yuan gazed at her silhouette in the water, truly breathtakingly beautiful, like a fairy in the woods.

Did I really miss out on her in my past life?

The thought that he had to hold onto her tightly in this life solidified even further in Lin Yuan's heart.

"Hurry up, we need to catch more crabs to eat tonight." Seeing Lin Yuan staring blankly at her, she smiled and waved him over.

"Okay, let's race to see who can catch more."

"You go over there! You scared my crabs away!"

"You're cheating! Don't steal my crabs!"

Laughter echoed through the valley, filled with the freshness of youth.