Chapter 122

Summer tilted her head to one side, staring at her reflection in the mirror, deep in thought.

Could it be that she hadn't absorbed enough energy yet?

How much more did she need to absorb? And to what extent?

Their return to the city was imminent.

If she hadn't achieved her goal by the time they got back, it would spell serious trouble.

Once they returned, she and Logan would part ways, each going back to their own lives, no longer living together or working at the same place.

Meeting up wouldn't be easy unless they deliberately planned it.

And she didn't want to have to shamelessly seek him out after returning to the city.

These past months, she had been walking on eggshells around him, careful about boundaries and distance, but still needing to be shameless at times.

By now, her shamelessness was nearly depleted.

After pondering for a while, Summer sat up straight, took a deep breath, and resolved not to let herself get discouraged. She needed to muster her spirits and make the most of the remaining time.

With renewed determination, she stopped overthinking. It was getting late, so she glanced at herself in the mirror one last time, blew out the lamp on the table, climbed into bed, and cleared her mind for sleep.

She woke up at her usual time, fully rested.

Dressing, tying her hair, and tidying her bedding, she heard a door open next door—Logan was up too.

Summer peeked through the door crack and saw Logan getting water in the kitchen to brush his teeth. She grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste, and enamel cup, and headed to the kitchen to get her water, joining him outside to brush her teeth.

Logan glanced at Summer as she stood next to him, brushing her teeth. A hint of confusion flickered in his eyes, but he didn't say anything and went about his morning routine, washing his face afterward.

He then went to feed the chickens. Summer finished her own routine and joined him.

She stood close by without speaking, prompting another curious glance from Logan, which she ignored.

After watching the chickens eat for a bit, Summer sensed Logan was about to speak, so she quickly turned back to the kitchen to start breakfast.

Logan sighed internally and resumed his task. Just as Summer went inside, he heard her scream.

Instinctively, Logan rushed into the kitchen, asking, "What happened?"

Summer stood by the stove, holding up her left index finger. "I cut my finger while chopping sweet potatoes..."

Seeing the blood on her finger, Logan said nothing, fetching a half-pail of water to rinse her hand outside.

He cleaned and dried her finger, then went inside to get a piece of cloth from a handkerchief to bandage her finger, securing it with a piece of yarn.

As Logan bandaged her finger, Summer was in a daze. Though he said nothing and showed no special expression, he seemed genuinely concerned.

The cut wasn't intentional. She had been distracted, thinking about how to get him into the kitchen, and accidentally cut herself. The wound wasn't deep, but she squeezed out more blood and screamed on purpose to get his attention.

She hadn't expected him to care so much.

Logan finished bandaging her finger, their eyes meeting. He quickly looked away, saying, "It's a crucial time now. Please speak well of me to the village leaders."

Summer snapped back to reality and nodded, "Okay."

Logan said no more and returned to chopping sweet potatoes for the porridge.

Summer, deciding not to dwell on it, followed him into the kitchen. "It's just a small cut. I can still help."

Logan ignored her offer and asked, "What's the plan for the sweet potatoes?"

"Sweet potato corn porridge," she replied.

Logan nodded, focusing on his task. Summer stayed close, assisting when needed, seizing the opportunity to be near him.

Determined to make the most of the remaining days, Summer accompanied Logan to school, even sitting in on his classes under the pretense of auditing, choosing a seat close to the front.

No matter how Logan reacted, Summer was resolved to stick by him for these last few days.

By the end of the day, Summer had spent more time near Logan than she had in the past few months combined.

After school, while Logan graded assignments, Summer stayed behind, organizing students' work and pretending to study.

As Logan finished up, she casually asked, "I heard we might get two spots to return to the city. Have you heard anything?"

The return to the city was a hot topic among the twelve young people.

Logan, not looking at her, replied, "Yes, I've heard."

Summer continued, "I think it's likely to be us. The others have caused so much trouble, they won't get the spots."

Logan silently agreed, knowing the others' constant mistakes made them unlikely candidates. He didn't continue the conversation, just glanced at Summer.

He wondered if her renewed closeness was due to the impending return to the city, if she realized they'd soon part ways and felt reluctant.

His heart skipped a beat, but he quickly refocused. "Let's wait for the official word."

Summer sighed, "I'll miss this place when we leave."

Logan looked at her, unsure what to say, as the weight of their imminent separation hung in the air.