Free Web NovelChapter 169: Chapter 169: When Silence Says Enough
Yue Yue was so focused on pressing the last few seedlings into the soil that she did not realize the small experimental plot was already completely planted.
With the help of the young men, the neat square meters of rice stood in tidy green rows under the artificial light.
Only when she straightened her back did she finally notice her condition.
Her sleeves were brown. There was even mud on her cheek. When she looked down, her once simple linen clothes were almost entirely soaked and stained.
Her arms trembled slightly.
In the past, she had rarely done such physical work. Even when she wanted to, things were always arranged for her. Now that she had truly planted an entire plot, her body felt like it was falling apart.
But she lifted her chin.
After boasting so much, how could she show weakness now?
"I’m fine," she muttered to herself, though her legs felt soft.
She tried stepping out of the field, but the wet soil clung stubbornly to her. When she pulled harder, her foot sank deeper instead.
"Why is this mud bullying me?" she whispered under her breath.
She was stranded on the inner side of the plot, separated by a small ridge. The young men were busy washing tools and did not notice her quiet struggle.
Just as she tried again, wobbling slightly, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her waist.
Before she could react, her body was lifted effortlessly into the air.
She froze.
Her first thought was, who was so daring as to lift a female like this in broad daylight?
Her second thought vanished when she looked up and met a pair of smiling eyes.
"Xing Luoguang?"
He chuckled softly. "If I had not come, I think you would have submerged completely into the mud."
He stepped out of the field with ease and placed her gently on the dry ground.
"Why go inside yourself?" he added calmly. "You only needed to tell them. They would have done it."
Yue Yue puffed her cheeks immediately. "Who is playing? I am working hard so we can eat rice."
She crossed her arms, though they were shaking slightly. "You only know how to fight. Do you know how hard farming is?"
He looked at her from head to toe. She really did look like a small bunny that had rolled in a mud pit.
He reached out and lightly tapped her nose. "Do you enjoy playing in the mud so much?"
Her eyes widened. "I said I am working!" She pushed him lightly in protest and froze.
A clear five finger muddy handprint appeared on his chest.
They both stared at it.
"It seems I have dirtied your clothes," she said slowly. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
Xing Luoguang lowered his gaze and then laughed quietly. "You realized only now? Look at me properly."
Yue Yue blinked and finally observed him carefully.
There were muddy prints everywhere.
When he had lifted her, she had instinctively grabbed onto him. Her soiled sleeves had rubbed against his arms and chest. Even his dark outer robe was decorated with uneven brown stains.
Her face turned red.
"Why did you lift me?" she complained. "Aren’t you embarrassed to appear like this in front of your people? You have an image to maintain."
She pointed at his clothes. "You should not have done that. I could have come out myself. Or asked someone else. There are plenty of people here."
His eyes darkened slightly at that.
But his voice remained steady. "They have seen me in worse conditions."
He reached out and gently wiped a bit of mud from her fingers.
Unfortunately, her hands were still dirty. As she tried to brush him clean in apology, she only added more small muddy prints across his shoulder and chest.
"Sorry, sorry," she muttered, patting him repeatedly.
He looked down at his now completely ruined robe and sighed softly.
On the side, the young men had stopped pretending not to look.
One of them suddenly shouted playfully, "Princess, your prince is here! You do not need us at all!"
Yue Yue spun around. "Why are you shouting nonsense?"
The boy grinned boldly. "You said there are plenty of men here who can help you. But we do not want to help, after all you have your prince."
She narrowed her eyes. "If you are so capable, go find yourself a princess!"
The boy immediately turned red. "Princess, we are not as lucky as the Prince. How could we find someone as good as you?"
Before Yue Yue could retort, he felt a sharp gaze land on him.
He swallowed and laughed nervously. "Princess, I am going back to work. If I stay longer, I fear my body will not remain intact."
The others quickly followed him, but not before throwing suggestive looks from every direction.
Soon, only the two of them remained.
Yue Yue huffed. "What is wrong with them? They are always like this in front of you. Can they not be civilized for once?"
She genuinely could not understand.
From which angle did they see pursuit?
Xing Luoguang was always calm, stoic, and gentle. He never crossed lines. He never acted inappropriately. He treated her well, but like a close companion.
There had never been any real advancement.
If he had started liking her, should there not be signs?
He never forced closeness. Never used his status to pressure her. Never even said anything ambiguous.
So where did those boys get their ideas?
She turned to him suspiciously. "Did you say something to them?"
He raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
"About us."
His lips curved faintly. "There is nothing to say."
She stared at him, trying to read his expression. He looked calm as always.
She sighed heavily. "See? Even you say there is nothing. Yet they keep teasing."
He looked at her tired face then, and his gaze softened.
"You look exhausted," he said quietly.
"I am not," she replied immediately. Her knees wobbled slightly.
He pretended not to notice but stepped closer anyway. "Let us go wash up."
She hesitated for a second, then nodded.
As they walked side by side, both covered in mud, the floating light dimmed slightly above them.
Behind his calm expression, Xing Luoguang’s thoughts were not calm at all.
There may be nothing to say.
But that did not mean there was nothing growing.
Just like the rice in that small square plot, some things did not need an announcement. They only needed time.
