Chapter 30

“Are you cold?”

“Not really, it’s not as bad as I imagined… Ah-choo!”

Ruan Zhen lowered his hand from his mouth and gave a somewhat embarrassed smile.

Across from him was a tall, burly man with dark skin, a short haircut, and a scar that ran horizontally across his face, giving him a rather fierce and intimidating appearance. However, his eyes were gentle. He was currently squatting by the babbling stream, using the icy water to wash wild fruits.

“It’s cold in the mountains; you might not get used to it.”

The man tossed a fruit over from a distance, and Ruan Zhen caught it with both hands. It was bright red with a few light yellow stripes. He took a bite, and it was tart with a hint of sweetness.

The locals called it a “tooth-aching fruit,” claiming it could make your teeth feel like they were about to fall out.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Ruan Zhen said, holding the fruit in his hand without eating it. “Especially my grandpa and the yellow dog. They’re thrilled, going out fishing every day and won’t come back no matter what… Thank you, Mayor!”

The man he called Mayor was a large, sturdy figure dressed in dark blue ethnic clothing, though he was actually Han Chinese. His name was Huang Yang. He had married a local woman and settled down in the deep mountains, living a simple and honest life. Because he spoke Mandarin and was reliable and hardworking, he had been the village chief for five years.

Damdi, the place where Ruan Zhen, Zhang Laotou, and the yellow dog would live for a year, was a hidden paradise they had never seen before.

For Zhang Laotou, the place was filled with lush vegetation and a talkative barefoot doctor. Red earthworms on the hook could catch a full basket of carp, which could be stewed or pan-fried, filling the air with a fragrance that could be smelled for miles. Even the yellow dog couldn’t resist wagging its tail like a propeller.

“Hey,” he patted the yellow dog’s back, “we’re still pretty spry, aren’t we?”

The yellow dog was drinking fish soup without salt, ignoring him.

For the dog, it didn’t matter where they were, as long as it was with its owner. Even in this unfamiliar village, the clear spring water, fresh mushrooms, and fierce-looking wild cats made it feel at home. The air was humid and fresh, and the respiratory issues that had plagued the yellow dog had quietly disappeared. It lay on the dry leaves, listening to the deep bird calls. Despite the eerie sounds of the mountains, the yellow dog remained calm, watching its owner’s back until Ruan Zhen returned, affectionately hugging its neck, or a colorful butterfly landed gently on its nose.

“…If you have any problems, let me know,”

Mayor Huang Yang, carrying a bamboo basket, shook it a few times to drain the water. “Shall we head back?”

Ruan Zhen responded with a “Yeah,” and picked up the basket of freshly picked mushrooms, which was covered with a soft shade cloth.

The path down the mountain was not long, but Ruan Zhen’s shoulders were still sore from the weight of the basket. Huang Yang extended his hand to him. “Mr. Ruan, see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.”

Zhang Laotou and the yellow dog were already waiting for him. Two young men were chopping wood and greeted Ruan Zhen, taking the basket from his back.

When they lifted the cloth, they were amazed.

“Wow, so many!”

“Be careful, I’ll take them to the cafeteria.”

Ruan Zhen stretched his wrists and looked ahead to a two-story school building.

He wasn’t far from the playground, where he could clearly see the gray walls and the green-painted wooden doors. He could even glimpse the sparse desks and chairs inside the classrooms. But the breeze was so calm that the small school, the only place where children from two villages could study, seemed to blur, except for the red flag at the top, which fluttered proudly under the blue sky.

Indeed, Ruan Zhen had not chosen to enter a regular school but had applied for a teaching position.

The teaching arrangements for senior students at the university had been set for a long time. Coincidentally, one of his classmates had an emergency at home, and at this time, most of the other students were either working or about to join their mentors in the lab. Ruan Zhen volunteered to take on the responsibility.

His destination was Damdi.

When he faced his teacher, he apologized, “I’m sorry, I have a personal motive.”

The air quality in Damdi was excellent, perfect for his grandpa and the yellow dog’s health.

Young people had left the mountains to work in the cities, leaving behind only the elderly and children. Huang Yang, besides being the village chief, also served as the cook at Damdi Primary School, preparing a simple lunch of vegetables, tofu, tomatoes, and eggs, or stir-fried bean sprouts with meat.

Ruan Zhen’s accommodation and meals were provided, while Zhang Laotou and the yellow dog paid for themselves, though it didn’t cost much. The school had empty dormitories in the backyard, and he could help with various tasks, such as repairing electrical switches and cleaning the sewers.

Both the school and the village had approved his stay. When they arrived, Ruan Zhen held his grandpa’s hand, feeling anxious.

Was his decision right?

But if he didn’t take this step, he couldn’t bear to imagine what it would be like to come home one day and find Zhang Laotou and the yellow dog lying on the ground.

There was another important reason: the year away would be enough for Ruan Zhen to completely disappear from the Song family’s life.

He didn’t believe those young masters would chase him to such a remote place.

Ruan Zhen had already decided that after the year of teaching, he would rent a house near the school and continue living with his grandpa and the yellow dog, rather than leaving them alone in Liupo Alley.

He had become a miser, cherishing every moment with his family like precious gold coins buried in his heart.

Time flew by.

After the summer training, they finally stood in front of the class. There were three of them in total. Ruan Zhen taught Chinese and math, and occasionally music. The classes were small, with only one class per grade, so during music class, children from all three grades would gather to sing.

They were playful and mischievous, staring at the teacher on the stage.

In life, Ruan Zhen couldn’t be strict with them, especially in these “minor subjects.” He always indulged them a bit more. The mountains often had no signal, so he sometimes had to go to town with his colleagues on weekends to download videos or songs, then return and play them for the students.

The children in the mountains were bold and, once they got to know him, would always stick to Ruan Zhen.

“Mr. Ruan, can you take us out to play?”

“I want to play games!”

At first, he lacked experience and was a bit soft-hearted. Sometimes, even his phone would be taken by the children, who had no ill intentions but just expressed their affection differently. Some would give him eggs from their chickens, while others would pester him to tell stories or ride on his back.

But the good thing was that Mr. Ruan’s “indulgence” and “soft-heartedness” only existed outside of class. Once the bell rang, he transformed into a strict teacher, and the children who had been playing with him moments ago would immediately sit up straight and behave properly.

He taught them poems, how to calculate the perimeter and area of rectangles, and sang distant lullabies with them in music class.

Before they knew it, it was already late autumn.

The old teacher at Damdi helped him prepare the mid-term exam papers. He looked up from his work and smiled, saying, “You’ve adapted well.”

Of course, Ruan Zhen was now incredibly happy.

He had sixteen classes a week, prepared lessons, wrote lesson plans, and went to the mountains to pick mushrooms and gather firewood. He ate the hearty meals prepared by Mayor Huang Yang at noon and enjoyed the small feasts cooked by Zhang Laotou in the evening. His days were busy and fulfilling, and when he occasionally thought about the past, it felt like a distant dream.

It rained that day.

The autumn rain was continuous, and the walls of the school building were almost covered in mold. The air was so humid that moss grew quietly on the steps. Taking advantage of the clear weather on the weekend, the teaching volunteers started cleaning up in front of the school building. Ruan Zhen, holding a large broom, cleared the water. After a few steps, he accidentally stepped into a puddle and rolled up his pants to continue.

“I’m done. Want to come to my place for some instant noodles? I bought them from town last week.”

“Sure, nothing much to do tonight. We can watch a movie on the tablet.”

Ruan Zhen waved to his colleague. “You guys go ahead. I want to take a shower and go to bed.”

He was a bit tired that day, probably because he hadn’t slept well the night before. He decided to go to bed early. As his colleagues’ footsteps faded away and the last bit of water was swept away, Ruan Zhen shook the broom to remove the water and leaned it against the school gate, yawning lazily.

Halfway through the yawn, he froze, his mouth still wide open.

Outside the school building stood a person, holding a black long-handled umbrella, quietly watching him.

“Mr. Song,”

Ruan Zhen was stunned. “How did you get here?”

Song Shuling didn’t answer, still looking at him.

No luxury car, no driver, no assistants. Song Shuling stood there alone, with the rolling green mountains behind him and the heavy clouds above, as if he had appeared out of nowhere, untouched by the mountain’s moisture.

He looked somewhat lonely.

After a long time, or perhaps just a moment, Song Shuling smiled. “Just passing by.”

Ruan Zhen: “…”

Did he really travel over 800 kilometers to this remote mountain village just to pass by, without even a car? Did he fly here?

He felt Song Shuling was being a bit pretentious, stubbornly maintaining his cool even in such a situation.

Did he think it made him look cool?

Pfft.

“I didn’t expect you to come here,” Song Shuling continued. “It’s a coincidence that we met.”

His heart was racing.

Ruan Zhen stood there, wearing a light white sweater, with his khaki pants rolled up a few times, revealing a bit of his muddy legs. His hair was uncut, tied loosely at the back, and his eyes were wide with surprise.

After three months, he still looked as adorable as ever.

It took him three months to decide to come here to see Ruan Zhen.

He was afraid of disturbing him, of being a nuisance, of being one-sided.

But he still came.

After a long journey, Song Shuling felt like he had gone mad.

He had hesitated outside the school, listening to the laughter and chatter inside, too afraid to step in.

Instead, he picked a pale yellow wildflower.

He had seen it before, at a charity gala. A famous actress, dressed in high-end designer clothes, had been seen in a secluded courtyard, tearing a rose petal by petal, tears streaming down her face.

“He loves me, he doesn’t love me…”

Song Shuling, planning to leave under the pretense of smoking, had paused, turned around, and instructed his assistant to keep an eye on the heartbroken woman, making sure no one disturbed her.

He found it childish, but now, holding the innocent wildflower, he was speechless.

Ruan Zhen stood in front of him.

The atmosphere was awkward, and Ruan Zhen smiled, trying to find a topic.

“So, how do you feel? Have I changed much since I came here?”

He had just finished sweeping and hadn’t washed his hands or face. His pants were wet and muddy, but he looked relaxed. “I think I’ve changed quite a bit.”

Do you feel the pressure of a teacher now?

Now, when he throws a piece of chalk, it always hits the mark.

Besides, he did everything himself, from chopping wood to picking fruits. Ruan Zhen felt he had become much rougher. Although his family wasn’t well-off, Zhang Laotou had always pampered him. Now, the thin calluses on his palms and the bruises on his knees gave him a sense of reliability.

Song Shuling shook his head. “No.”

Maybe it was Ruan Zhen’s beautiful smile, or the months of hesitation that had clouded his mind, or the innocent wildflower he had picked. Whatever it was, Song Shuling’s mind went blank, and he remembered the first time he saw Ruan Zhen. The words slipped out without thinking.

“You’re still… utterly charming.”