Shen Xi and Madam Shen left, and Gu Lin noticed his friend still watching Shen Xi's retreating figure with a thoughtful expression.
He felt compelled to warn his friend. "Don't be fooled by her innocent looks. She's quite the 'little heartbreaker.'"
Gu Lin's friend had never been in a relationship before, and if he fell for Shen Xi, how would Gu Lin explain it to Chen Yisi's parents?
Chen Yisi looked at him with a gentle smile, "I just think your little niece is quite interesting." Gu Lin chuckled, "She is indeed interesting." Otherwise, he wouldn't have such a strong impression of her.
"Let's go. This party is rather dull. I should have gone to see my brother instead." He wondered where his brother had gotten all those injuries from - he'd almost thought someone had beaten him up.
The two chatted as they walked away.
A gentle breeze blew through a quiet corner of the countryside. Tender green leaves adorned with crystal-clear raindrops were dripping onto the rocks below with soft 'plop plop' sounds.
A small stream meandered through the landscape, with sunlight filtering through sparse leaves to dance on the water's surface, creating shimmering ripples. The river was as still as a mirror, clear to the bottom, with fish leisurely swimming about.
Jing Yi and her three companions sat in a row by the stream, waiting for fish to bite.
[Two hours have passed, and I feel like I'm going crazy. How come I'm not bored at all?]
[Me too! I could watch them sit and fish all night long.]
[I suspect the person above is mocking Jing Yi for not catching any fish, but I have no proof.]
By the stream, a tall willow tree was reflected in the clear water. As the breeze blew, the willow swayed gently, its trailing branches creating ripples on the water's surface, much like the ripples in Jing Yi's heart.
At this moment, Jing Yi was staring intently at the lake's surface. The fish were swimming all around, eating her bait but not taking the hook!
Not far away, an old man sat quietly on the shore, holding his fishing rod and waiting patiently. Jing Yi sneaked a glance at his fish bucket.
It was almost full...
Another fish took his bait! The old man's rod bent, suddenly breaking the surrounding tranquility. He leaned over to pull up a fish and placed it in his basket, his expression as calm as ever.
Jing Yi could barely hide her envious gaze. Jing Zeqian looked at her mockingly, "Jing Yi, do you think you'll manage to catch even one fish today?"
Jing Yi puffed out her cheeks, glancing at the lone fish in Jing Zeqian's basket. "Just you wait and see!" Jing Zeqian raised an eyebrow slightly, "Well, I'll be watching closely then."
Jing Zeyou smiled as he looked at the two of them, then shifted his gaze to the mountain peaks across the way. It had been a long time since he'd enjoyed such a leisurely moment.
Jing Yi glared at Jing Zeqian who was mocking her. The old man beside her looked over and said with a smile, "Young lady, your bait's been eaten again." She quickly pulled up her fishing rod, and sure enough, the hook was empty.
Jing Zeqian burst out laughing, "Hahaha, Jing Yi, are you here to feed the fish?" Jing Yi looked at her hook in disappointment.
Perhaps her expression was too pitiful, as the old man next to her called out, "Young lady, come over here and try my bait."
Jing Yi's face immediately lit up with joy. She quickly walked over to the old man's side.
"Grandpa, is it a problem with the bait?" She crouched down, offering her hook to the man and humbly asking for advice.
The old man smiled, "Yes and no." He explained further, "The bait you bought isn't as popular as freshly made bait, but more importantly, your mind isn't calm."
Getting up to check every few minutes, your movements scare away the fish that have gathered.
Jing Yi scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. She really wasn't very good at these leisure activities; she'd rather just lie down and sleep.
The old man put some bait on her hook and handed it back to her with a smile, "Here you go. Be patient, and you'll catch a fish soon. If not, you can always take one from grandpa's bucket!" After all, he had caught plenty.
Jing Yi gave the old man an obedient smile, "Thank you, grandpa." She took the fishing rod and returned to her spot.
[The old man seems like some kind of sage from another world.]
[Look at the contrast. Jing Yi has such an expensive fishing rod. It's really a case of 'all the gear, no idea.']
[Don't worry, with an expert teaching her, she should get the hang of it soon.]
[Jing Yi really has a way with older people. My parents adore her!]
Jing Yi waved her fishing rod at Jing Zeqian, boasting, "Just you wait, I'll beat you soon!" Jing Zeqian looked unconcerned, "Oh really? Well, I'll be watching closely."
Jing Yi's competitive spirit was aroused. She stopped fidgeting and focused intently on the lake's surface, just waiting for a fish to bite.
Jing Zejun smiled as she looked at Jing Yi and Jing Zeqian. Who fishes with such intense expressions? She shook her head, ignoring their competition, and settled back into enjoying the therapeutic nature of fishing.
Finally! The fishing rod moved!
Her eyes flashed with delight, but she remembered the old man's advice to wait a bit longer before reeling in.
Jing Yi was a bit nervous. The three people around her all looked over, watching her slightly moving fishing rod. Even the old man's eyes held a hint of tension.
The fishing rod began to shake violently. Jing Yi felt a surge of excitement, her eyes fixed on the water's surface as she gripped the rod tightly and began to reel in the line.
This fish seemed to be quite large, struggling fiercely and pulling on the line. The fishing rod bent into a beautiful arc. The old man quickly advised, "Don't rush to reel it in, give it some slack."
Jing Yi quickly loosened her grip a bit, but still held the rod firmly, maintaining a stable posture.
Time ticked by slowly, and the big fish's resistance gradually weakened. The old man saw that the moment was right and called out, "Reel it in now!"
The arc of the fishing rod gradually straightened as the fish was pulled closer to the shore. Jing Yi raised the rod, lifting the fish out of the water.
She was overjoyed, "Look everyone! It's such a big fish!" Jing Zeyou came over to unhook the fish and place it in her bucket.
Jing Yi turned to the old man, her face beaming, "Thank you, grandpa!" The old man waved his hand, "It's nothing, nothing at all."
Jing Yi happily looked at the plump fish in her basket, then turned to Jing Zeqian with a smug expression, "Second brother, you lost!" Jing Zeqian laughed, "It's one-all, how did I lose?"
Jing Yi compared the size of her fish to Jing Zeqian's, "In terms of size, you lost."
Seeing Jing Yi's smug little expression, a hint of amusement flashed in Jing Zeqian's eyes, but he said mercilessly, "That's only because you had expert help. At most, we're tied!"
"You're not convinced? Then let's go again!"
The two of them plunged into a new round of competition.
By the time they finished their contest, the sky had begun to darken, and the old man had already gone home. Both of them still only had one fish each in their buckets.
Jing Zeyou and Jing Zejun had caught several fish, but they each only chose to keep one large fish and released the others back into the stream.
The four of them returned to the villa with their fish. Wen Qingyan and the others had already started preparing dinner.
