In the tent, Ke Bu took a very long time to get his mind back. He patted his cheeks with both hands, with the desire of cheering himself up. He should not let this kind of mischievous prank confuse himself. It was Zhi Li! This would only let that group make fun of him. With Zhi Li's kiss, there was no way to recover his rationality. It was too unrealistic. If, at that time, there was someone else standing in that place, Zhi Li would have also done the same with that person. When Ke Bu left the tent, the slightly red sky was like a bashful woman. The dusk left a pleasant impression, adding color to the world.
"Oh, Ke Bu, did you already get your blood back?"
"Please don't continue this topic." Ke Bu stopped Chu Haoyu.
Chu Haoyu acted dumb: "Which topic? Is it the 'you being kissed by Zhi Li until all of your six vital organs failed working properly' matter?"
Ying Xiujie acted dumb: "So it turns out to be 'Ke Bu being kissed by Zhi Li until all of his six vital organs failed working properly' huh. I thought he deeply suffered from a blow."
Zhou Xinhe was really dumb: "This was about the 'Ke Bu being kissed by Zhi Li until all of his six vital organs failed working properly' matter. I think that you don't have to be so embarrassed. Don't talk about Ke Bu like this."
Su Youyan summed up: "Just now, this matter about 'Ke Bu being kissed by Zhi Li until all of his six vital organs failed working properly,' his expression wasn't so much of a blow, rather, he looks more like he's addicted to it."
"What do you mean by repeating it so many times!!" Ke Bu exclaimed. He was somewhat dejected and depressed. This Su Youyan usually never speaks, but when there was a chance to be evil and make somebody else suffer, she would be resurrected. She was really consistent in her thoughts and actions. Her heart and appearance were not like that of a living person.
Gong Zhu looked at Ke Bu with a very complicated look. Ke Bu dodged his gaze. This was that kind of look that was as if Ke Bu stepped between him and Zhi Li. Obviously, in terms of time and logic, Gong Zhu was the one who stepped between them. That was so strange.
"Youyan, fan." Zhi Li's voice came over. Su Youyan went back. When did these two become so familiar? And how could that silent woman be obedient? Who would have thought that Su Youyan would really go take a book and sit beside Zhi Li. With one hand, she opened the book to continue reading, while the other hand gently fanned Zhi Li.
"I even thought that His Excellency would give someone the special treatment. It turns out it just depends on his mood. He could also make a girl like Su Youyan take the initiative to approach him. What's this, I feel like I've misunderstood something. Looks like I'm gradually understanding what kind of person he is. I wasn't aware of this move. He unconsciously makes people around you like him." Gong Zhu was somewhat relieved speaking while laughing.
Every word that Gong Zhu spoke of went through to Ke Bu's ears. He gazed at Zhi Li and Su Youyan. He felt a little strange. Why was it that when he sees Gong Zhu and Zhi Li together, he feels a little irritated, but when he sees Zhi Li and Su Youyan together, he did not have this kind of feeling? Why was it like that? Was it because Zhi Li made it clear that night that he did not like Su Youyan? Or was it from Su Youyan eyes that she could not see that she was a girl that had fallen in love and was impatient?
Was Zhi Li really like what Gong Zhu actually said — a person who inadvertently casts aside tenderness and seduces others with unpredictable words?
No, it was definitely not like this. Why did he not call Gong Zhu, but called Su Youyan instead? It was simply because Su Youyan was a non-threatening person to him.
Apparently, he used his own judgment choosing to believe in Zhi Li. As for the reason why he came to this conclusion, Ke Bu smiled, after all, he had already known Zhi Li for many years.
Ke Bu picked up Zhou Xinhe's roasted corn and went over: "Zhi Li, it's a bit cruel that you let a girl help you fan yourself. You're still a man."
"What?"
"Don't come up with this trick."
"What?"
There was no way this dialogue would progress. Ke Bu handed a corn over to Su Youyan. Su Youyan suspiciously looked at the corn. Ke Bu was dumbfounded. He closely looked at Su Youyan. This expression seemed familiar. He had seen this somewhere before. The memory was too indistinct that he could not recall it.
"What's that look in your eyes? I'm not evil enough to poison you."
Su Youyan was very reluctant taking the corn. Ke Bu noticed that Zhi Li was staring at him. Did he see it wrong? He smiled. A slight smile beautifully hung in the corners of Zhi Li's mouth. He stretched his hand out for the other roasted corn that was in Ke Bu's hand: "Is this for me?"
"Definitely not. If you want to eat, you go get it by yourself."
"Then I'll be reluctant accepting it."
"Listen properly to people talking!"
"What?"
"..."
On the third day, Ke Bu had been slowly becoming accustomed to sitting in the position as the team leader. That group was still considering admitting their defeat in the bet. The arranged matters were also obeyed.
"Hey, Team Leader, the afternoon drill is already over. Do you want to go to the eastern woods to take a look? I heard the other teams say there are tangerine trees over there."
Ke Bu was immersed in the team leader title. With a bit of vanity, he waved his hand: "I'll go ask the drillmaster. If it's alright, then we can go together. If not, don't bother."
He also went on asking the key figure within the team: "Zhi Li, everybody wants to go together, is that okay?" Zhi Li stopped scribbling in his sketch book, then nodded.
Chu Haoyu touched his chin: "So, it turns out that this is exactly what the legends say ruling in place of the emperor [1]."
([1]「垂帘听政」chuílián-tīngzhèng – an idiom which literally means "to govern from behind the curtain.")
"Don't use confusing words!" Ke Bu threw his cap over.
After getting approval from the drillmaster, they all traveled by foot to the eastern woods. As expected, that place was like what had been said. It really had a lot of tangerine trees. The treetops were full of glistening yellow tangerines. This was the best time of the season. Without waiting for Ke Bu to react, Ying Xiujie already climbed up a tree. His skill was too agile.
Zhou Xinhe began setting up a cotton cloth around, getting ready to catch the fallen tangerines. She looked frantic. This kind of physical exertion was a matter that these boors were left dealing with. Ke Bu looked for a shady and cool place to sit down. Zhi Li stood in front of the tangerine tree while thinking deeply.
"Hey, what are you thinking?" In the end, how much trouble was there that was worth thinking deeply like this?
"I'm thinking about which tree has the best tangerine to eat."
"Don't be so serious thinking about silly things!!" It was impossible calming down with this guy. After a long time, when Ke Bu recovered his spirit, Zhi Li still stood here: "You're still thinking!!! Don't be lazy, hurry up go pick tangerines."
"Are you in the position to speak to me like this?" These words were not ironic, it was just harmlessly stating the facts, and that was why it made people feel ashamed.
Chu Haoyu carelessly slipped his foot on a branch. A large portion of his battle fatigues hang on a branch. An entire person was suspended there. With a hoarse and exhausted voice, he roared: "Hurry, who will come over and save me? I'm falling. Zhi Li, quickly come and catch me."
When Zhi Li passed by, Chu Haoyu was already hanging by a thread. It was actually not too high. In a split second, the frightened Chu Haoyu fell down. Zhi Li stretched out his hands. Chu Haoyu fell to the ground without suspense, grinning in pain.
"You didn't catch him."
"You did it on purpose, Zhi Li. No matter how much you stretched your arms, you were standing so far away from me. This fool can see what you were doing."
"What?"
"Zhi Li!"
"What?"
It seemed that Zhi Li absolutely had no intention to catch him. Ke Bu took the tangerine that Zhou Xinhe had thrown over, carefully peeled the skin, stuffed a slice into his mouth, and then chewed. He looked thoughtfully at Su Youyan. She was holding a very thick book in her hands that she had been reading for the past few days: "Youyan, there's one thing that I have been very curious about." Su Youyan did not speak. Ke Bu stuffed another tangerine into his mouth until the whole thing was in his mouth: "What do you think of Zhi Li?"
She had been silent for quite a while. She seemed to be looking for the right words: "My criterion for a partner should be a man between the ages of 30 and 40 years old."
"Nobody asked you this!!" Ke Bu was almost choked with the tangerine. This woman, turned out to be a teleiophile [2]! Su Youyan then said: "That means I look at you just like how a college student sees a schoolboy. Do you feel any strange attraction toward a schoolboy?"
([2] A primary or an exclusive sexual attraction toward adults.)
After listening to Su Youyan's words, Ke Bu felt some sadness welling up. Was it not obvious that he did not have any masculine charms in her eyes? This was simply the greatest insult to a man. Out of thin air, Zhi Li picked up what was the subject of the talk: "Who could have thought that I looked young and naive to this extent."