458: Chapter 458: Developing a Backward County Town 458: Chapter 458: Developing a Backward County Town “You’re quite punctual, if you’re ready, let’s set off.”
Su Yumo approached, brushing away her hair tousled by the wind to reveal a serene smile.
“Of course, I have to be on ti.
If I wasn’t, wouldn’t you flay for keeping a beauty waiting?”
Ye Xuan teased with a laugh, earning a big eye roll from Su Yumo.
“You planning to drive there as well?”
Glancing at the white Chevrolet behind Su Yumo, Ye Xuan inquired.
“Yeah, what about it?” Su Yumo blinked in confusion.
“Of course there’s an issue.
You drive your car, I drive mine, each of us in a separate car—is this flaunting wealth or wasting it?”
Ye Xuan complained, casting a glance at the white Chevrolet: “Besides, didn’t you say we’re going to the countryside?
Your car will definitely change color by the ti we return.”
Su Yumo frowned, thought for a mont, then said, “Then let’s take your car.
The rural roads are rough, and your car has better off-road capabilities.
Wait for , I’ll put the car back.”
With that, she slid into the Chevrolet and drove it into Century Garden.
Less than ten minutes later, Su Yumo ca back, carrying two bags, one large and one small.
“Let help you with those.”
Ye Xuan went over, took the two bags from Su Yumo’s hands, and stowed them in the trunk.
“Thank you.” Su Yumo expressed her gratitude.
“Hehe, why be so formal between us?”
Ye Xuan chuckled, closed the trunk lid, clapped his hands, and then asked, “By the way, Yumo, exactly what are we going to do in the countryside?”
“We’re going to visit a couple of elderly folks left behind.
When I volunteered back in the day, I took care of the Lis for a while.
Now, every sumr and winter break, I make ti to visit the elderly couple and bring them so things.”
“I see.”
Ye Xuan nodded and then joked, “You don’t seem the type—you always look so aloof, but you actually have a caring heart, huh!”
Su Yumo gave Ye Xuan a sidelong glance: “It’s not all about compassion.
The two elders are old, and their children are working in the city, not coming ho all year round, making their life quite inconvenient.
I see them as my own grandparents, so it’s only natural for to visit.”
Ye Xuan laughed, “In that case, why drag along this ti?
Do you want to share your charitable spirit with ?”
Su Yumo bit her lower lip, lifted her head, and said, “It’s because of Grandma Li.
She hopes I can bring a boyfriend to show them, but the fact is, I don’t have a boyfriend right now, so I had to ask you to pretend for a bit and co et them with .”
Ye Xuan paused, then laughed, “It seems I’m quite the professional pretend-boyfriend.
It looks like you were very satisfied with my service last ti since you’ve co back for more?”
Su Yumo knew Ye Xuan was referring to the previous class reunion, where he had pretended to be her boyfriend.
She furrowed her brows slightly, worried: “Stop with the wisecracks.
Just make sure you don’t give the ga away when the ti cos.
Grandma Li’s health isn’t good; she has coronary heart disease and cannot be subjected to any stress.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve been a professional fake boyfriend for a hundred years, honest to people of all ages—I won’t let the act slip.”
Ye Xuan patted his chest, reassuringly promising, thinking to himself, if you don’t believe , I might just have to take the act to the next level—it couldn’t get any realer!
Su Yumo was rendered speechless, feeling this guy definitely had so ulterior motives.
“Darling, let’s get going then,” Ye Xuan said playfully, reaching out to grab Su Yumo’s hand, ready to lead her into the car.
Hearing Ye Xuan’s address, Su Yumo furrowed her brows and said sowhat awkwardly, “Ye Xuan, we’re just pretending to be a couple.
You should stop calling like that.
I…
I can’t really handle these cheesy words.”
Even though her behavior around Ye Xuan had beco quite casual, even to the point of wearing pajamas in front of him, the term ‘darling’ still repelled her.
Su Yumo was a traditional woman, firmly believing that such words should only be said to soone she truly liked.
Now that Ye Xuan was calling her that, wasn’t he suggesting she was soone he liked?
Ye Xuan said earnestly, “Manager Su, I’m going to have to call you out on this.
We’re supposed to be a couple now.
Isn’t it normal for a couple to be a little intimate?
If we don’t start now, trying to scramble at the last minute will only make it easier to slip up.”
Having said this seriously, Ye Xuan continued his gentle persuasion, “We have to practice now.
We need to make breakthroughs not only in how we address each other but also in being daring with our actions!
For instance, we should have so intimate gestures between us to look more like a couple.
Otherwise, do you want us to seem stiff like strangers?”
Upon hearing this, Su Yumo’s beautiful brows slightly crinkled, and after a mont of internal struggle, she said with blushing cheeks, “Then what kind of intimate gestures should we perform to look more like a couple?”
“Heh heh…
like this, we should be leaning together,” Ye Xuan chuckled.
With a laugh, Ye Xuan’s right hand slid around Su Yumo’s back, encircling her slender waist, and pulled her into his embrace, pressing her delicate body tightly against his:
“See, like this, we look more like an intimate couple, do you understand?”
Su Yumo indeed understood.
However, she realized that Ye Xuan was finding ways to take advantage of her!
Although she was fully aware of his intentions, she did not expose him, allowing Ye Xuan to hold her, rely shooting him an unamused glance.
Perhaps he was right, since they needed to pose as a couple, they indeed required so intimate gestures to avoid giving themselves away.
Despite knowing that Ye Xuan was seizing the opportunity to take liberties, she couldn’t resist at the mont and had to adapt to this thod.
Of course, when it ca to putting a stop to his wandering hands, she would show no rcy!
After getting into the car, Ye Xuan activated the GPS and then started the vehicle, heading towards Cangling County.
The place Su Yumo wanted to reach lay within a remote mountain village in Cangling County, East Sea City jurisdiction.
It took at least two and a half hours to drive from East Sea City to Cangling County, and another hour and a half to get into the little mountain village.
All in all, roughly four hours, not counting the ti to walk into the village.
If they encountered any traffic jams, they probably wouldn’t reach their destination until after six in the evening.
Fortunately, the journey was smooth, and after two and a half hours of driving, they arrived at Cangling County.
Cangling County, among the few counties managed by East Sea City, was notably underdeveloped.
The county town was unremarkable; the streets were narrow, resembling the infrastructure of the nineties.
Aside from the well-built Central City, other areas were backward, incomparable to the bustling East Sea City!
As Ye Xuan drove along, he looked out at the old town and felt puzzled.
Logically, being under the jurisdiction of East Sea City, an international tropolis, Cangling County should not have been this poorly constructed, no matter the circumstance.
Detecting Ye Xuan’s confusion, Su Yumo explained, “From what I’ve heard, the reason Cangling County is like this is that the county head offended the deputy mayor of East Sea City.
The funds that were originally allocated for expansion and renovation of the city were all withdrawn, resulting in the current situation.”
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