Yu Nian threw himself into his arms, laughing helplessly, then turned around and hid behind Qin Yuheng. Clinging to his arm, he poked his head out and, before he had even caught his breath, declared smugly, "He's my backup! You can't hit me!"
Bian Yan drew a deep breath. Seeing him use Qin Yuheng as a shield, he was left at a loss. "Fine, fine. You sure know how to pick your backup."
When Yu Nian saw him discard the branch, he grinned in triumph again.
"Don't run around until you overheat. You could catch a cold if you get sweaty."
The voice drifted down from above his head. Yu Nian paused, only then realizing that he had been clinging to Qin Yuheng all this time.
He hurriedly let go. "No, ahem, I'm fine. I barely sweated."
Yu Nian had been running hard, and he was still slightly breathless as he spoke, a little cough slipping out without his realizing it.
Qin Yuheng raised a hand to his forehead. His dry, warm palm rested lightly against it, feeling the thin sheen of sweat on the smooth skin.
"Do you want to go back and change?"
Yu Nian felt a little awkward but didn't pull away. Instead, he stole a glance at Bian Yan as though he were doing something guilty. "No need. I'll just get sweaty again picking jujubes in a minute."
"It's been ages since I got any exercise, anyway. Sweating a little is good for me."
"Mm."
Although Qin Yuheng worried about him, he respected his decisions and wouldn't force the issue.
Bian Yan and the two goofy dogs stood to one side, staring blankly.
He looked down at the two dogs beside him. Huh, where had the extra one come from?
Joking aside, Yu Nian was serious