Crush At First Sight

When they met up with Ma Boliu, the middle-aged man also expressed similar concern upon seeing the state of Song Zhuyu's hand. And Song Zhuyu reassured him in the same manner as he did with Chen Ru, saying that it was just a minor injury. 

It was yet another sunny day with the harvest season in full swing, and much to Song Zhuyu's delight, they were going to visit a strawberry field!

This time, Father Song did not delegate the task to his assistant as he descended into the field himself, thoroughly having the best time of his life as he harvested a whole crate of strawberries while mingling with the ladies who were more than eager to bring him around. 

As he watched the usually mysterious and enigmatic Father Song clad in bright pink plastic boots, gloves and a straw hat, happily crouching to pick strawberries, Chen Ru couldn't help but feel like he was seeing a high quality advertisement – the kind that promoted a youthful, refreshing yet enchanting atmosphere. 

Who could have guessed that this man would look like a totally different person altogether in the face of strawberries?

"Ah, this is the best!" Song Zhuyu groaned in relief as he collapsed onto the resting hut nearby, propping himself up with his arms with his head tilted, enjoying the faint breeze that caressed his face. 

His fair skin glistened with sweat, and strands of crimson hair stuck to his flushed face. His shirt was now drenched in sweat, clinging to his drool-worthy figure like a second skin and accentuating the defined contours of his sculpted abs. Despite working in the field all morning, he didn't emit any unpleasant odors, making him stand out like a sore thumb amidst the middle-aged men around. The women, both the singles and married, couldn't help but steal a few glances at him, blushing and whispering to each other. 

"Good work, Mr. Song!" Ma Xiaocai approached and offered him a glass of cold, sweet syrup. "You've been such a great help today!"

"This is nothing," Song Zhuyu chuckled softly. "I've always wanted to do this, but unfortunately there's no strawberry farms in the city I came from." He took a huge sip of the refreshing syrup while fanning his collar. Seeing that, Ma Xiaocai couldn't resist offering him some advice, her brows wiggling suggestively,

"Why don't you take off your shirt to cool off? Look at our men, they're all bare-chested! I'm certain you would be a far better sight than them. Don't y'all agree with me?!" She raised her voice to address the women nearby, who let out muffled shrieks in response.

With his eyes crinkling in mirth, Song Zhuyu lifted the hem of his shirt, revealing his tight, well-defined, and glistening abdominal muscles. "Should I?"

"Ahh!"

The ladies' excited screams sounded at the same time with Chen Ru's horrified cry, whose expression clearly showed the disbelief and incredulity he was feeling within. "Fa— M–M–Mr. Song?!" 

W–Was it truly alright for a priest to be so… so… so bold, so flirtatious, even bordering on promiscuous?! 

After three days of staying with Song Zhuyu, Chen Ru felt like all of his expectations of the crimson-haired man were being shattered one by one in a speed too quickly for him to take. 

When he first heard the rumors about Song Zhuyu in the company, he had imagined the man as a highly skilled and respectable figure, and his admiration soared even further when he heard of Song Zhuyu's gentle and charming temperament. Surely, this person must be an angel incarnate! 

But now… he had come to learn that Song Zhuyu was sly, demanding, perplexing, always did whatever he wanted, wholly unbothered, and a flirt through and through! He was nothing more than a hooligan dressed in a cassock! 

Chen Ru almost lunged forward to pull Song Zhuyu's shirt down in a desperate attempt to stop Father Song's sudden striptease show, but fortunately Song Zhuyu merely lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat on his neck before dropping it again, still with the same shit-eating grin on his face. 

"I'd better not," he barked out a carefree laugh, "or my assistant is going to get an aneurysm."

In an instant, all eyes focused on Chen Ru, filled with blazing resentment and dissatisfaction.

Chen Ru: "...!" 

Father Song, how could you do this to me?! QAQ

After a simple lunch, Ma Boliu then guided them to visit the one and only school on the island. 

It was constructed primarily of locally sourced materials, with sturdy wooden beams supporting a roof made of intricately woven palm fronds. The walls were made of sun-bleached driftwood and weathered stones, exuding a rustic and humble aura. It consisted of two floors, connected by a winding staircase crafted from driftwood. 

The classrooms featured an open-air design that provided ample ventilation, allowing Song Zhuyu to see a bunch of children sitting cross-legged on the floor while scribbling in notebooks on small, foldable tables. 

At the front, a young woman was explaining basic mathematics while writing on the whiteboard with a marker. She possessed exotic features with brown skin, glossy jet black hair cascading down to her waist, and straight bangs that covered her forehead. She was dressed in a white coat with a stethoscope hanging around her neck.

"That's Rui Shuren," Ma Boliu introduced the female teacher to them. "She's our doctor. That silly girl… she graduated from a prestigious university on the mainland, but in the end she still chose to come back here." Although his words carried a hint of complaint, anyone could detect a hint of pride in Ma Boliu's tone.

"Rui…?" Song Zhuyu's ears perked up upon hearing that familiar surname. 

"Oh," Ma Boliu blinked as realization dawned upon him. "She is Little Cai's niece and…" he trailed off, seemingly reluctant to continue, but Song Zhuyu could more or less guess what he intended to say.

If this person was Ma Xiaocai's niece, she could also be considered Rui Ye's niece, given that the two of them were cousins. 

However, Song Zhuyu found it a little weird that the niece appeared older and more mature than the uncle. Was it because Rui Ye had been sheltered and isolated all his life, hence he still had a naïve temperament? Not only that, Rui Ye's skin was also milky white, setting him apart from the islanders. Did he inherit that trait from his mother, or was it a strong gene from his unknown father?

Come to think of it, Song Zhuyu still had no idea what happened to Rui Ye's mother. 

When he inspected the cottage last night, he found no traces of a second person, especially a woman. It looked like Rui Ye had been living alone for quite some time.

But alas, Song Zhuyu was aware this was something he couldn't possibly ask Ma Boliu, as it would only invite more scrutiny toward himself. Perhaps he could ask Ma Xiaocai next time they met since the woman seemed more easygoing and open-minded, or… he could also try to extract information from this Rui Shuren to see if she knew something…

Mulling over his thoughts, Song Zhuyu swept his gaze around and paused at Chen Ru's face, who couldn't seem to tear his gaze away from Rui Shuren. 

Song Zhuyu had never seen such a foolish expression on the other person before. Right now, Chen Ru looked like a caveman seeing the majestic beauty of the sun for the first time, or a traveler who chanced upon something that utterly blew his mind; his eyes were all sparkling, filled with awe and fascination, and a deep blush adorned his cheeks. He couldn't even close his hanging jaws.

Amused, Song Zhuyu arched a brow and snapped his fingers in front of Chen Ru's face, jolting the latter out of his stupor. "Be careful not to inhale a mosquito into your mouth, Assistant Chen."

Startled, Chen Ru's blush deepened as he was caught gawking at a woman. "I–I–I'm sorry, Mr. Song!"

"What is it? Do you know her?"

Chen Ru shook his head like a rattle drum. "N-No!" He stammered. "I don't know her at all. It's just that… I have never seen a woman more charismatic than her…"

Oho? Both of Song Zhuyu's brows almost raised to his hairline upon hearing that, and a sly smile tugged on the corners of his lips. What was this? Had his dear little assistant developed a crush on an islander at first sight?