Translator: Vanilla Muse

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After Qiu Jin and the others moved the approved firewood into the woodshed, the dark clouds above their heads became thicker. It was about to rain.

Shan Wen could not stay still.

"I'm going to check up on Yunting. Can I trouble you to clean up?"

Shan Wen did not have the image of a good husband, but his tolerance and love for Tan Yunting was reflected in all aspects of his life.

Qiu Jin could not help but smiled.

"Go ahead, wife is important."

He stayed inside the house to wash, dry, and oil the axe. Then he stored it in the toolroom. The lawn also needed cleaning as it was sprinkled with wood chips. After he finished sweeping the ground, a thunderstorm thundered in the sky.

Heavy rain was coming.

Fortunately, they completed their work. Qiu Jin went to wash his body under the faucet in the yard, and the out flowing water drained down the ditch into the small pond.

There was a peach tree growing by the pond. It was heavy with peaches that would soon ripen and turn red. In the pond, calamus, alocasia, lotus, and other plants were planted. The lotus leaves were so dense that they almost deprived the other plants of growing space.

One of Xiang Xi's tasks was to transfer a few lotus plants to a ceramic jar.

Summer was not a suitable time to transplant lotus, but it happened to be raining today and it will not cause much damage to the lotus.

Qiu Jin washed the dust off his body and stood by the pond for a long time, only to see Xiang Xi wearing waterproof pants and standing by the pond. He kept trying, but after several attempts, he still could not step inside.

If he kept dragging this out and did not finish his task, then there would be no meat to eat.

"How about I do it?" Qiu Jin asked.

Xiang Xi turned his head gratefully. When he saw that it was Qiu Jin, his expression immediately changed, and he said coldly, "No, I'll do it myself."

As if to prove his determination, Xiang Xi stepped in with a boom, but because of the violent movement, he lost his balance and was about to fall into the muddy pond.

Green duckweed, spider‐like water striders, and damselflies buzzing atop the lake...

Ahhhh! So terrible and so dirty, and it was getting closer and closer to him!

Xiang Xi kept screaming in his heart. If he really embarrassed himself here, then he would absolutely become an irreconcilable enemy that cannot live under the same sky with Qiu Jin for the rest of his life.

A second before he fell, an immense force pulled him. Xiang Xi raised his head in a panic, and met Qiu Jin's clear and deep eyes, which were so bright that they dazzled him for a while.

Xiang Xi's entire face flushed, and he struggled with shame and annoyance.

"Let go of me!"

After Qiu Jin pulled the person up, he let go.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't have any ulterior thoughts about you."

"I didn't say anything about you."

Xiang Xi restrained his anger. It was not good to get angry. He shook off Qiu Jin's hand and prepared to try again.

It was a pity that he still could not step foot into the pond after several attempts.

Qiu Jin was speechless, and said again, "Let me do it. You can go look for Ji Shenxiao to play."

Xiang Xi wore a baffled expression.

"Why would I look for him?"

Qiu Jin asked him with his eyes.

'Don't you like Ji Shenxiao?'

Xiang Xi's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Are you mental? I like... I‐ he‐ what? Who... he?!"

Didn't you say it yourself? There were so many cameras around, so even if there would be editing later, Qiu Jin could not say such things out loud.

But he did not want to continue arguing with Xiang Xi, so he took a step back (from the argument), lifted his trouser legs, and stepped directly into the lotus pond.

Xiang Xi stood on the shore for a while and finally chose to go and work with him.

They divided up three lotus plants and placed them in two earthenware jars, one large and one small. After this trimming, the pond was instantly refreshed.

Just when they were about to move the crock pot away, Ji Shenxiao walked over in a white shirt.

"Sorry, there was a delay in work. What do I need to do now?"

Qiu Jin: "Move the crock pot and put it under the eaves."

It is going to rain, and the newly transplanted lotuses could not withstand the heavy outdoor rain.

The clay cylinder was very heavy, and it took two people to carry it over. Ji Shenxiao rolled up his sleeves and clasped the edges with his hands, just like Qiu Jin.

The rain on the beach came heavy and urgent, and the water vapour entrained in the ocean poured onto the land. When they carried the second basin, the big raindrops fell down and instantly pounded them into ¹.

At this moment, Ji Shenxiao smelled a very light scent. He did not know whose pheromone it was, but it spread along the rain.

Ji Shenxiao looked around. Then his gaze fell upon Qiu Jin.

The young man only wore a short‐sleeve shirt, and after being wet, it clung to his body tightly. With little effort, the lines of muscles on his body were clearly visible.

"It's the last pot. Come on."

Ji Shenxiao stopped suddenly.

"You go in. I will do it myself."

Qiu Jin: "?"

"Such a big pot. Are you serious, President Ji?"

Ji Shenxiao's tone was calm, but it carried an undertone that did not let others refuse.

"I will handle it."

'What's up with this guy?'

Qiu Jin looked baffled, but the other party did not need him, and he was too lazy ². He turned and ran into the house to hide from the rain.

Behind him, Ji Shenxiao breathed a sigh of relief.

The sweet smell disappeared.

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[1] 落湯雞 – the Chinese equivalent to a 'drowned rat,' or 'a person who looks drenched and bedraggled.'

[2] is a Chinese idiom meaning something along the lines of 'why force your goodwill on others if the other party is not willing to accept.'