Chapter 12: Carry Her Home

At 10 o'clock in the evening, the entire Shuanglong Village was enveloped in darkness.

The village chief's family had already finished distributing the wild boar meat, and the villagers who'd toiled in the fields all day took their pork home to sleep.

On the narrow path through a vegetable patch at the entrance of the village, a beam of light from a flashlight was shaking, exceptionally glaring against the pitch-black night.

Jing Xuan, carrying a sack weighing about twenty kilograms filled with toads in one hand and a flashlight in the other, walked slowly with Tang Huai on the path through the vegetable patch.

Tang Huai walked in front, and he followed behind. The path was narrow, so they moved very slowly.

"Ah..." Tang Huai accidentally stepped into a hole, her ankle twisted, and she began to fall to the side.

"Be careful!"

Just as she was about to fall into someone else's vegetable patch, Jing Xuan quickly stepped forward with large strides and pulled her into his arms by her arm.

But with the other hand holding the twenty-kilogram sack of toads, when he pulled on Tang Huai, his arm sank, his footing slipped, and he himself fell to the ground.

Tang Huai was also pulled forward in his tug, and then she found herself lying right in his arms.

When Tang Huai fell, Jing Xuan instinctively dropped the sack and the flashlight to catch her.

The hands he extended clasped around her waist.

However, Tang Huai's forehead still collided with Jing Xuan's.

The pain in his forehead made Jing Xuan realize that his hands were wrapped around her waist—

Jing Xuan paused, his gaze slightly darkening.

When his broad, strong hands held onto her waist, Tang Huai could feel a warmth through her clothes.

Struggling to get out of Jing Xuan's embrace, Tang Huai asked, "Did I hurt you?"

As she spoke, she tried to pick up the flashlight. Just as she moved her foot, a burst of pain shot through her ankle, causing her to gasp in pain.

Jing Xuan's arms were long; he stretched one out and picked up the flashlight easily.

When he shone the flashlight on her, her face, under the light, showed her frowning in pain, yet her features were particularly delicate, her eyes round and large.

If she had a bit more flesh on her face, she would be a little beauty.

"Don't shine it at me like that," Tang Huai said, lifting her arm to block the light of the flashlight.

"Did you twist your foot?" Jing Xuan asked.

Tang Huai's frown deepened: "Mhm."

Jing Xuan helped her to her feet, asking, "Can you walk?"

Tang Huai raised her leg, but as soon as her twisted foot touched the ground, the pain made her unable to stay upright.

"Stand straight and hold the flashlight," Jing Xuan said as he handed the flashlight to Tang Huai, then moved around in front of her.

Before Tang Huai could react, he bent at the waist, with his hands gripping Tang Huai's buttocks, and lifted her onto his back.

The action was swift and cool.

Tang Huai was greatly startled. "Brother Jing Xuan, put me down quickly!" she exclaimed, feeling herself sliding further down his back.

Jing Xuan's hands pressed against her legs: "Stay put!"

His low, mellow voice carried a commanding tone that kept Tang Huai from wriggling any further.

Once she settled down, Jing Xuan picked up the sack and carefully walked on the narrow path with her on his back.

Being so close, Tang Huai could smell the faint scent of tobacco on him, a pleasant aroma that had a calming effect.

His back was straight and strong, and the petite Tang Huai felt as secure as if she were lying on her own bed at home.

Only...

"It wouldn't be good if the villagers saw us," she murmured quietly.

"Your foot is twisted, and you can't walk; isn't it natural for me to carry you home?" Jing Xuan chuckled. "Are you that afraid of the villagers?"

"I don't want to be the subject of gossip every time," she said.

"Just do your best. You can't control what others say with their mouths, can you?"

"I can't," she replied.

The smirk that hooked at the corners of his mouth flashed through Jing Xuan's mind again.

Jing Xuan said, "Tang Huai, don't worry about what others think, you'll live much more easily and happily that way."

Those words, like a hand, gently plucked at Tang Huai's heartstrings.

Tang Huai remained silent, quietly looking at the back of his head.

He was very handsome, even his hair was so soft and black.

"I know you're not as cowardly and timid as the villagers say, not many little girls dare to catch snakes, but you did."

"..."

"You can't choose where you come from, but you can choose which path to walk on."

Upon hearing this, Tang Huai's eyes suddenly heated up, and she felt an urge to cry, "Thank you, Brother Jing Xuan."

She was thankful that he could speak of her birth, in her previous life, Jing Peng looked down on her birth, he married her out of compromise, it was for her kidney—

Once they left the vegetable garden, the path became much easier to walk on, and soon, they were back in the village.

Jing Xuan said, "Come to my house to apply medicinal wine."

Upon hearing this, Tang Huai immediately refused, "No need! My father left some active oil, I'll go home and apply it!"

"No active oil is better than the medicinal wine at my home, it was given to me by a teammate, and it really works." Jing Xuan was already walking towards his own home.

Tang Huai panicked, struggling to get down, she hurriedly said, "I'm not going to your house! Brother Jing Xuan, put me down, if you carry me to your house, I will hate you!"

Hearing this, Jing Xuan stopped, he slightly turned his head, "Do you really dislike my house that much?"

"It's not that." Tang Huai was afraid of meeting Jing Peng, and she also feared the Jing Family might misunderstand her.

Not knowing how to explain to Jing Xuan, she simply said, "Either put me down, or carry me back to my house."

Such an indifferent tone was nothing like what one would expect from someone her age.

Jing Xuan didn't want to trouble her, "Alright, we won't go to my house."

This little girl, at such a young age, had so many concerns; wasn't it tiring to live like that?

When they got back to Tang Huai's house, Liu Xiaoyu was still awake, worried about Tang Huai.

Seeing Jing Xuan carrying Tang Huai back, Liu Xiaoyu was shocked, then looked at Tang Huai with a face full of concern, "Tang Huai, are you hurt?"

Tang Huai reassured Liu Xiaoyu, "Mom, I'm fine, don't worry, I just sprained my foot."

"I'll go get the active oil." Liu Xiaoyu went to search through the drawers.

Jing Xuan put Tang Huai down, helping her to sit on a chair.

Liu Xiaoyu found the active oil, and Jing Xuan squatted in front of Tang Huai; just by seeing his posture, Tang Huai knew what he intended to do.

Tang Huai quickly moved her legs to one side, but Jing Xuan had already grabbed the ankle of the foot she had sprained—

"Brother Jing Xuan, what are you...?" Tang Huai looked at Jing Xuan in surprise.

Even Liu Xiaoyu was stunned by Jing Xuan's actions.

Jing Xuan looked up, glancing at Tang Huai, "Applying the oil needs strength, and there's no one more suitable for this task than me."

Tang Huai had no strength, and Liu Xiaoyu was fragile.

"Mr. Jing, here you go." Liu Xiaoyu, hearing this, also thought Jing Xuan's words made sense.

Spraining your foot, when you apply the oil with a bit of strength, it hurts a lot, but it's very effective.

Jing Xuan took the oil in one hand and lifted Tang Huai's foot with the other.

His palm was wide, fingers long and well-defined, with traces of calluses. Holding Tang Huai's foot, she could feel the warmth from his palm entering her skin.

Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

Tang Huai lowered her head, quietly watching Jing Xuan.

A handsome person, no matter from which angle, always looked so good.

"Bear with it a bit, it will hurt." Jing Xuan looked up and offered Tang Huai a faint smile before he began rubbing.

"Okay." Tang Huai nodded her head.