chapter 20 picnic

Fei Shen turned to look at the breathtakingly beautiful Ruoxue Yao, even though her face was streaked with tears, she remained incredibly charming.

"From what you're saying, the other party must be from a wealthy family, an elite, right? A high-society lady? Doesn't it affect you at all?" Fei Shen asked Ruoxue Yao.

"A high-society lady?" Ruoxue Yao sneered. "I, Ruoxue Yao, want to make money on my own, and I can pursue the life I want. Why should I become a canary in a cage?"

"That's right, you have ambition. In life, we ultimately rely on ourselves. Depending on what others give you, it will never truly be yours. So boldly tell them, 'I don't want to be your lady!'" Fei Shen looked at Ruoxue Yao and said.

Hearing this, Ruoxue Yao couldn't help but laugh, and the sadness on her face was eased somewhat. However, after venting her emotions, there was still a lingering sense of sorrow. After all, it was her father's decision.

At this moment, Fei Shen suddenly jumped up like a lively monkey, then landed on the ground and crouched in the grass.

Ruoxue Yao watched this scene with a hint of amusement. Was this guy trying to cheer her up?

Then, Fei Shen popped his head out of the grass, holding a piece of grass in his mouth and a large, plump rabbit in his hands.

"It's time for a delicious meal. You know, sometimes, the happiest thing when you're feeling down is to have a delicious meal," Fei Shen said with a smile.

"Good idea! This rabbit is quite plump. We should roast it!" Ruoxue Yao replied.

Fei Shen smacked his lips and picked up the rabbit. "Plump, right? I guess it must have offended someone. Being too fat can also be a crime!"

Ruoxue Yao watched Fei Shen grumbling at the rabbit and couldn't help but chuckle. This guy always spoke in such a crude manner. But she agreed with him, saying, "Yes, you're right. Fat rabbits are delicious!"

The two of them walked down the mountain on foot, arriving at the riverbank. Fei Shen started a fire, and then he skillfully skinned the fat rabbit. When it came to survival skills in the wilderness, Fei Shen was undoubtedly one of the best.

After setting up the fire and lighting it, Fei Shen casually picked up a sharp piece of wood and walked to the river. He stood in the water, scanning the surroundings. Then, he thrust the sharp wood into the water, and a lively big carp struggled on the wood.

"Amazing! Hey, there's another one!" Ruoxue Yao clapped her hands in admiration.

Following Ruoxue Yao's finger, Fei Shen saw another large fish. He flicked the piece of wood, and the fish was once again caught.

Two fat carp, along with the plump rabbit, now roasting over the fire.

As the smoke curled up, Fei Shen used damp wood to build a makeshift rack, then sat down. When he noticed Ruoxue Yao standing there, he took off his clothes and spread them on the ground. Upon careful consideration, Ruoxue Yao was also a pitiful person who couldn't even control her own destiny.

She was about to marry someone without even having met him in person.

Marriage, for a woman, signifies many things, and it goes without saying. According to Miss Ouyang's logic, Fei Shen is absolutely unforgivable in this matter. Because of his existence, Ruoxue Yao now has a fiancé, even though he knows nothing about it, but the root cause of the matter ultimately lies with him.

Fei Shen gestured for Ruoxue Yao to sit down and pointed at his clothes.

Ruoxue Yao's lips curved into a smile that could enchant anyone. She was incredibly beautiful, beautiful to the point where it was hard to look directly at her.

In fact, from this perspective, the old man had been somewhat considerate of him. At the very least, he hadn't randomly picked a woman and forced her to bear children for someone else.

Ruoxue Yao lifted her skirt and sat down, crossing her legs. She watched Fei Shen expertly flipping the freshly roasted rabbit and two fish.

"Fei Shen, do you blame me?" Ruoxue Yao asked Fei Shen.

"Blame you for what?" Fei Shen grinned.

"For setting your salary so low. Oh, by the way, you have a daughter, right?" Ruoxue Yao recalled the scene on the plane when they first met and asked.

"Heh." Fei Shen shook his head with a smile but didn't say anything.

"Actually, you're not that annoying when you're serious," Ruoxue Yao said.

From their first meeting, Ruoxue Yao had been bullied by this guy, and it wasn't until recently that she had managed to regain some ground, albeit with a slight suspicion of being ungraceful. In reality, this guy wasn't as detestable as he seemed. Sometimes, she couldn't help but find him amusing in a strange way.

"Why won't you be serious sometimes?" Ruoxue Yao rested her chin in her hand and looked at Fei Shen, asking softly.

A gentle breeze blew, and a strand of hair fell onto Ruoxue Yao's forehead. This scene was incredibly captivating.

Fei Shen turned his head slightly away, finding it difficult to resist this woman's charm.

"Well, I have too many virtues. If I were a little more serious, I'm afraid you'd fall in love with me!" Fei Shen touched his chin, speaking somewhat self-indulgently.

"Phew!" Ruoxue Yao couldn't help but chuckle.

"Just praised you, and now you're being unserious again!" Ruoxue Yao said, somewhat exasperated.

Fei Shen shrugged, at a loss for words.

"Okay, it's almost done. I'll give you a rabbit leg, and one of the fish." Fei Shen smiled.

"Great, it smells delicious!" Ruoxue Yao exclaimed with a satisfied expression. She didn't mind Fei Shen's allocation. Her appetite could only handle this much.

"Hey, be careful, it's hot!" Fei Shen warned as he saw Ruoxue Yao reaching for the rabbit leg. Could she touch a freshly roasted rabbit with her hands?

"Wait for a moment!" Seeing Ruoxue Yao's pitiful appearance, Fei Shen couldn't bear it. He took a few steps and ran to the mountain, then picked a few large leaves from a big tree, washed them in the river, and returned.

"Good, use this to hold it!" Fei Shen tore off a rabbit leg and wrapped it in leaves before handing it to Ruoxue Yao.

"Your hands?" Ruoxue Yao looked at Fei Shen.

"No problem with rough and tough hands like mine!" Fei Shen shook his head.

For the first time, Ruoxue Yao carefully looked at a man's hands. His palms were covered in thick calluses, and the backs of his hands were filled with tiny scars. It was difficult to describe what kind of hands these were.

Looking at the simple and hearty man who was smiling, Ruoxue Yao suddenly felt a bit sorry.

Fei Shen, absorbed in his task, tore off another rabbit leg and wrapped it in leaves, then he began to indulge in his love for food. He held two rabbit legs in his hands, savoring them with relish.

Seeing Fei Shen enjoying the food so much, Ruoxue Yao didn't want to be left behind. After consuming two rabbit legs herself, she realized she couldn't eat anymore.

As she gazed at the aromatic grilled fish in front of her, she wore a look of longing.

Fei Shen, who never wasted food, cleaned his plate, devouring the two grilled fish completely. The two of them looked at each other and simultaneously burst into laughter.

Ruoxue Yao took out a tissue from her bag, and Fei Shen instinctively reached out and wiped away some residue from her mouth. Their actions at that moment displayed an astonishing level of understanding.

Ruoxue Yao finally felt Fei Shen's hand—thick, rough, yet strangely warm. When their eyes met, Ruoxue Yao's gaze dodged, but Fei Shen just smiled and didn't seem to mind.

"Miss Yao, you've been skipping work half a day already. Do you plan to continue slacking off?" Fei Shen joked.

Hearing this, Ruoxue Yao couldn't help but chuckle. "Since when did you, my bodyguard, dare to meddle in my affairs?"

Fei Shen asked with a pitiful expression, "Can I avoid a pay cut?"

"Fine, I won't cut your pay, but that grilled fish went into your stomach, so now you owe me a grilled fish. Whenever I feel like having one, you have to cook it for me!" Ruoxue Yao said.

Fei Shen shrugged in resignation. "Why are you women all so unreasonable? Just a moment ago, you looked so heartbroken. How come you're suddenly back to full spirits after eating two rabbit legs?"

Fei Shen suspected that her true source of distress might have been that she hadn't eaten breakfast in the morning and had no one to cook for her when she got home.

Seeing Fei Shen's helpless expression, Ruoxue Yao couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Let's go."

"As you said, if we don't compromise, we must learn to resist. Nevertheless, no matter what, we still have to keep moving forward, right?" Ruoxue Yao remarked.

Fei Shen shrugged, unsure about that.

The two of them went back up the mountain, got into the car, and returned to the company.

No one found it surprising, after all, Fei Shen was Ruoxue Yao's bodyguard, and, from the looks of it, there couldn't be anything more between Ruoxue Yao and Fei Shen.

"Today, thank you," Ruoxue Yao said softly as Fei Shen was about to retreat into his own small cabin.

This was the first time she had taken a closer look at this man. She suddenly discovered that this man seemed to have many qualities—he could race cars, barbecue, and even fight!

Most importantly, in that moment, the care he showed made Ruoxue Yao's heart flutter.

She didn't mind the differences in identity, status, or wealth. If this man didn't have a daughter, Ruoxue Yao thought she might fall for him!

Of course, it was just a passing thought.

She knew that all of this was impossible.

Just like her engagement, it couldn't be terminated just because she said so.

Fei Shen was stunned for three seconds, "You're being so polite, it's a bit unusual!"

"If you absolutely must thank me, I can reluctantly accept it, but you won't need to do anything else. Just raise my salary a bit!" Fei Shen chuckled.

"Because you grilled a meal for this young lady, and most of it ended up in your stomach, you think you can scam money from me by offering me a bowl of soul-soothing chicken soup? You're quite bold!" Ruoxue Yao looked at Fei Shen with disdain.

Fei Shen licked his lips, realizing that this woman had a talent for crossing bridges when she came to them.

Seeing Fei Shen looking dejected, Ruoxue Yao felt a sense of triumph.

"Well, fine, you can borrow my computer for two days. But no loud noises or disturbing anyone!" Ruoxue Yao said.

She also took pity on him for idling away his days. After all, waiting alone each day, hoping for time to pass, was not a pleasant experience.

Moreover, she realized that Fei Shen wasn't as annoying as she had initially thought. He was just a bit rough around the edges.

Seeing Fei Shen's cheerful demeanor, Ruoxue Yao couldn't help but smile.

Sometimes, being content with what you have brings happiness, just like this scoundrel in front of her.
..