Chi Wan, who had inexplicably beco the center of attention, was now in the orchard discussing how to divide the fruit with Li Xingye.
"Soone will be coming to pick up the fruit in a couple of days. I was thinking, why don’t you take your base’s share today? The contract specifies a shipnt of no less than thirty thousand jin, and you can have the rest."
Chi Yuanshan roughly estimated that this year’s harvest from the orchard would be no less than sixty thousand jin, mostly oranges.
However, they had already reached a basic agreent for the surrounding barren mountains. By late autumn or early winter, they could start transplanting new fruit trees.
With a super-powered cheat like Li Xingye around, Chi Yuanshan wasn’t worried about whether the trees would survive. He just planted whatever Song Yinghe and Chi Wan liked.
Pear trees, peach trees, apricot trees... even several types of cherry trees unique to the south, they planted them all. They even built a grape trellis in their own yard, planting whatever varieties they could think of without restriction.
Just as they were talking, Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe walked over, carrying a stack of woven baskets for the fruit.
They had specially ordered them before, but they discovered Li Xingye could provide his own containers before the order was even finished. They could only bring over the ones that had already been made.
Li Xingye didn’t waste any words. Though he was sitting serenely in his space, countless vines shot up from under the fruit trees in the Chi family’s orchard, transforming into a tall, deep basket in seconds.
At the sa ti, the fruit trees seed to co alive, shaking themselves. Ripe fruits were shaken off one by one, only to be caught by the vines below and gently placed into the basket.
Witnessing this miraculous scene, Chi Yuanshan and his wife couldn’t help but exclaim in amazent, no matter how many tis they saw it, "Xiao Li is so capable!"
Li Xingye remained silent, but the corners of his mouth curled upward.
In a few monts, all the fruit had been picked and packed. Li Xingye even thoughtfully selected a batch of the best-looking fruit and placed them separately in the baskets Chi Yuanshan and his wife had brought.
Chi Yuanshan and Song Yinghe thought he had picked them specially for Chi Wan to eat. They exchanged a look, unsure whether to be happy or worried.
Song Yinghe gave Chi Yuanshan a aningful look. "Well then, Wanwan, you two carry on. Your dad and I will take these back first."
Chi Wan gave a casual reply. She had already guessed what the fruit was for, but she still played dumb and asked.
Sure enough, Li Xingye suspected nothing and answered naturally, "Didn’t we say we needed so for the gift boxes?"
Although the fact that Xiahou Yu would also get a gift box annoyed him, Li Xingye didn’t want to ss up Chi Wan’s plans over one person.
Hearing Li Xingye say this, Chi Wan was touched that he always rembered the things she said offhandedly. But on the other hand, she recalled how concerned he had been about Xiahou Yu before, and she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Seeing Li Xingye look up at her in confusion, Chi Wan’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. She said with utmost sincerity, "I just think Brother Xingye is so thoughtful. I’m so lucky to have t a powerhouse like you~"
’There she goes again...’ Li Xingye had never been able to resist Chi Wan’s half-pouty, half-coquettish tone. He could only clear his throat and casually pick up the cup on the table to take two sips of tea.
But he froze almost imdiately. ’This teacup... it’s Wanwan’s.’
Because Chi Wan wasn’t in the space, he had subconsciously sat where she had been sitting before. The tea at his side was naturally what she had left unfinished.
After all, only Chi Wan could enter the space before, so all her things were left out on the table. The tea she had been drinking in the afternoon hadn’t been cleared away yet.
Li Xingye snuck a glance at Chi Wan. Seeing that she didn’t seem to have noticed, he quietly put the cup back on the table, thinking he would help her wash it later.
But his face still couldn’t help but burn.
What Li Xingye didn’t know was that his clumsy attempt to cover his tracks had been seen clear as day by Chi Wan.
Chi Wan hid the smile at the corners of her lips, thoughtfully pretending not to have seen.
’So this is the angle Li Xingye had when he used to watch in the space? Especially when he looked up to talk to . It was still the sa cold, handso face, but it had a surprisingly dorky air to it.’
’It’s... kinda cute.’
"But it really makes want to tease him..." Chi Wan mumbled.
Li Xingye, preoccupied with hiding what he’d done with the teacup, didn’t hear clearly. "What?"
"Nothing." Chi Wan suddenly smiled and entered the space as well.
She sat down next to Li Xingye, propped her chin on one hand, and picked up her own cup with the other, pouring so tea into it. "Just a little thirsty."
Seeing Chi Wan lift the cup, seeing it about to touch her lips, Li Xingye’s expression changed. He shot to his feet and snatched the cup away, his movents gentle but firm.
"Brother Xingye, what’s wrong? Do you want so tea, too?" Chi Wan suppressed her laughter, feigning confusion as she offered him the cup beside her. "Here, your cup is right here."
Li Xingye shook his head. After struggling for a mont, he finally ca up with an excuse. "This tea... this tea has been steeping for too long. It’s cold."
With that, he turned and poured the tea directly into the nearby lotus pond. Then, he used a vine to scoop up a handful of water. "I-I’ll wash the cup for you, or it’ll get stained!"
With his back to Chi Wan, Li Xingye had no idea that soone was watching his flustered state, grinning like a little fox whose plan had succeeded.
He was just a little troubled. ’Earlier, Wanwan asked why I was so concerned about Xiahou Yu... why didn’t she keep asking?’
He suddenly had a strong urge to tell Chi Wan his answer.
「The next day was bright and sunny.」
A truck ca to transport the goods, driving along the repaired road to the edge of the orchard to load up the already-packed fruit.
Everyone who saw the Chi Family’s house couldn’t help but gasp in amazent. So even asked Chi Yuanshan who had built it for them.
Chi Yuanshan brushed them all off with vague jokes.
The Chi Family’s small courtyard was now sothing they wouldn’t trade for a mountain of gold.
Outside the yard were groves of fruit trees, their branches heavy with ripe fruit. In a corner of the yard was a swing, its vine ropes tied to a branch of a large tree, right next to a row of grape trellises.
In front of the trellises stood a stone table and stools that Chi Yuanshan had specially chosen for their natural, rustic charm. Beside them was a rattan lounge chair—a special gift from Li Xingye to Chi Wan.
The trellises were backed by a wall of vines, from which clusters of small flowers drooped down. One could imagine that once the grapevines climbed the fra, this corner of the yard would offer a different view in every season.
On the other side, Song Yinghe had Chi Yuanshan clear a patch of land to grow so green onions, ginger, and garlic, filling the air with the hoy scent of daily life.
By the ti Chi Wan woke up, the fruit had already been loaded onto the truck and was being transported away.
The villagers at the foot of the mountain watched in confusion as trucks of fruit were driven out of the village entrance, whispering to each other, "The Chi Family is really sothing else. They had soone pick all the fruit without a sound. Didn’t even think to ask the villagers for help."
"Yeah, we’re all from the sa village. Why are they acting like they’re guarding against thieves..."
An SUV that had just driven past heard this and reversed back.
A young woman with short hair lifted her sunglasses. "Don’t you know exactly who they’re guarding against?"
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