Jiang Ning is not foolish. Whether someone cares about her or not, even if they hide it well and don’t say a word, it inevitably shows through their actions.
Initially, Jiang Ning might not have realized this, but over the past few days, with Lou Yingyan repeatedly giving her the green light... even a fool would know what’s going on.
However, Lou Yingyan’s behavior is as gentle as warm water, not only keeping it entirely private but almost deceiving even her, the person involved.
After quietly observing for a week, Jiang Ning began to suspect.
Now, with the bowl of ginger soup in hand and Auntie Liu’s words, she’s even more certain of her thoughts.
Jiang Ning arranged to meet Lou Yingyan that night.
Since recording the reality show, Jiang Ning hasn’t been online.
The only times she’s used her phone were to open the little green bubble and check the messages Qi Xingzhou sent her.
She doesn’t yet know that the show’s popularity has exploded and that netizens have already seen through Lou Yingyan’s intentions.
Jiang Ning avoided the cameras and invited Lou Yingyan out alone.
Lou Yingyan seemed to have anticipated that Jiang Ning would reach out to him and calmly nodded.
However, whether or not his inner emotions are as calm as he appears, perhaps only he knows.
That night, when everyone was asleep, the two met under the cover of darkness.
The dark night concealed Lou Yingyan’s nervousness.
After their encounter, it also masked his disappointment.
Jiang Ning rejected him.
Her tone was so decisive, her attitude so firm.
Leaving no room for the confession draft he had prepared in advance.
She didn’t care if he truly liked her or if it was gratitude for saving his life.
She rejected him for one reason only.
She had no such feelings for him, and she didn’t want him to waste more time on her.
The moonlight slashed the mountain crest with a dull scythe, creating jagged openings.
A sudden gust of evening wind stirred up the roadside old tree, rustling its branches and leaves.
Fireflies flew out at some point, their tails flickered like stars blown by the wind.
Lou Yingyan stood quietly in place, feeling sad. After a long while, he looked up at the sky.
There were no stars tonight, the night sky was like a giant dark curtain.
Yet, he couldn’t help but remember the first time he met Jiang Ning in the hospital, facing the tall man with a knife threateningly emotional, her calm courageous response contrasted sharply with the surrounding chaos.
He didn’t know then that she was the Jiang Ning worshipped by countless on the internet, ignoring her fair and beautiful appearance, he focused on her composed confidence, quick decisive action to subdue the perpetrator.
Those few seconds were deeply imprinted in his mind, bringing him an unprecedented strong attraction in this lifetime.
Lou Yingyan suddenly chuckled.
Back then, he fell in love at first sight with Jiang Ning’s courage and decisiveness.
Tonight, for the same reasons, he was resolutely rejected by her.
She probably started thinking about how to reject him as soon as she found out about his feelings in the afternoon.
She really is a good girl.
Always so straightforward and neat.
Before he formally confessed, she could have pretended not to know, but she didn’t.
The next day, it continued to rain gently in Sanwan Village.
The program team checked the weather forecast, and in the upcoming days, it would remain this rainy.
Hao Meng heard this from the local villagers and couldn’t help but say: "Oh dear! If it rains, we won’t be able to go out. Will we just get a holiday then?"
If it were another show, Hao Meng might not have had this thought.
But here, the program team hadn’t set up any indoor setting for broadcasting, it’s unlikely they would just stream them cooking and lighting fires in the villagers’ homes all day, right?
The program team obviously thought about this and soon gathered all the guests together.