Chapter 169

In December, Hangzhou was cold, but compared to the extreme chill Qin Yun had experienced in Qaidam and the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway, this temperature was nothing.

So he wore only an undershirt, over which he pulled on a hooded sweatshirt, not to mention the thermal pants underneath—impossible to wear.

Su Huan, however, was bundled up tightly on top: a thick white down jacket layered with a heavy scarf. Yet her lower half remained slender and trim, clad in fitted gray leggings and caramel-colored snow boots.

This extreme contrast between top and bottom left Qin Yun stunned.

After getting in the car, Qin Yun held back for a long time, but finally couldn't help asking: "Aren't your legs cold?"

"Not cold?" Su Huan glanced at her legs and shook her head. "These pants are thick and warm—I feel no chill at all. Plus, they show off my figure. Don't you think they look good?"

"Good-looking, good-looking." Qin Yun rubbed his nose, suddenly recalling a somewhat crude joke.

Milk needs warmth, ham needs refrigeration—yeah, definitely crude!

The time was still early; when Qin Yun arrived at the scenic area's parking lot, it was barely past eight, the roads completely uncrowded, probably because it was the weekend.

And since the weather was cold, few people wanted to rise so early to visit the scenic spot.

The two arrived at Jiuxi Road, the starting point of the scenic area, where maple trees lined both sides of the path.

This season, the maple trees had shed their emerald green, replaced by deep red; the ground was carpeted with fallen leaves, soft underfoot like a plush rug.

At this hour, there were hardly any people.

Qin Yun wore his camera around his neck, occasionally finding angles to capture several beautiful shots of Su Huan.

"Take me looking beautiful—if you make me look ugly, you're in trouble."

Su Huan waved her fist in threat.

Qin Yun laughed. "I can't guarantee anything else, but photography—I've trained specifically for it. Even if I closed my eyes and shot, the results would win awards."

Su Huan snorted, clearly disbelieving.

After walking a while, a clear pool appeared before them. The water reflected the crimson leaves along the shore, mist gently curling above the surface—beautiful.

"Su Huan, stand on that rock by the pool. Yes."

Su Huan obeyed.

"Now slightly turn your side, gently rest one hand on the tree trunk, let the other hang naturally—yes, just like that. Tilt your head a little toward me, lift your lips slightly—good… perfect. So beautiful."

Qin Yun watched the frame, slowly crouching to include the red leaves and mist within the shot.

'Click—!'

As the camera froze the moment, a scene blending crimson leaves, mist, and a gentle smile was preserved in the lens.

"Let me see, let me see!"

Su Huan ran over, her face full of curiosity.

"Don't rush—I'll send the photos directly to your phone. That's easier."

Saying this, Qin Yun connected the camera to Su Huan's phone and transferred all the previously taken photos.

The instant she opened the first photo, her lips parted in surprise.

"You… you really can?"

Qin Yun smirked, his eyes lingering for a moment on her cherry lips.

"So you didn't believe me at all."

Scrolling through her phone's album, Su Huan found every photo captured her in stunning beauty—even she felt she'd never looked this good.

Her figure was perfectly framed by the environment; every smile, every gesture, every movement was flawless.

When the final photo appeared, Su Huan sucked in a sharp breath, contributing a little more to the greenhouse effect.

The image was clean, yet paradoxically veiled in a gauzy haze, like a fairyland. She, leaning on the tree trunk, smiled tenderly, evoking an atmosphere where the world felt wonderfully beautiful.

Looking at herself in the photo, Su Huan swore she'd never taken a picture this beautiful before.

That natural, unforced grace, combined with the ambiance of the setting—so beautiful.

"I'm going to print this out and put it by my bed." Su Huan looked up at Qin Yun, eyes bright with delight. "Take more photos later—this is amazing. I never knew you were this good at photography."

Qin Yun sighed and nodded. "Understood, Young Lady. Your humble servant will do his utmost."

Su Huan burst into laughter and waved her hand. "Come on, let's keep going."

Thus, they walked and shot along the way. Whenever they found a suitable scene, they paused to take several more photos; sometimes Su Huan would hold her phone and drag Qin Yun into a selfie.

Anyone who's taken selfies with a phone knows: to fit both people in the frame, you either need long arms or you have to get very close.

So Su Huan's phone album soon filled with many photos of the two pressed tightly together—on first glance, they looked incredibly intimate.

They crossed brooks, stepped over stone pillars, and sat on pavilions—each step revealed a new scene, leisurely and carefree. Gradually, Qin Yun even forgot he still had a checklist task hanging over him.

Laughter became the best commentary on their journey.

Following Ganlong Road, Longjing Village lay ahead, flanked by terraced tea plantations. In winter, the tea fields were a deep emerald green; from afar, morning mist wrapped them like a landscape painting.

Stepping into the tea plantation, the view opened up instantly.

Tea bushes spread along the hillsides; taking a deep breath, the air carried a faint, sweet fragrance.

Su Huan hurried up a few steps. "Come here—shoot here. I'm sure it'll look amazing."

But she forgot the winter ground: dew dripped slowly from the tea leaves, making the path far less stable than flat pavement. Her foot slipped unexpectedly.

"Ah—!"

Su Huan cried out, her body tilting toward a nearby tea bush—she already imagined the humiliating fall in her mind.

But the next instant, a pair of strong hands firmly gripped her waist, then gently pulled her back.

"Be careful."

Had Qin Yun not reacted so swiftly, someone else would have left her sprawling helplessly among the tea bushes.

Su Huan patted her chest. "That scared me half to death."

As soon as she spoke, her entire body froze—now they were nearly pressed together. She looked up and saw Qin Yun's clean, handsome face; their breaths seemed tangled in that moment.

The instant Su Huan's eyes met Qin Yun's, he too froze.

He unconsciously held his breath, yet his gaze could not tear away—for an instant, the world seemed to contain only the two of them.

Qin Yun did not move, nor did Su Huan; gazing at the face so close before her, she felt how tender his eyes were at this moment, her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably.

A light breeze blew past; distant figures appeared like NPCs, each listening to the other's heartbeat, as something called ambiguity slowly spread around them.

At this moment, Qin Yun's left hand still encircled Su Huan's waist—he had completely forgotten any mission.

A primal emotion began to govern his mind.

Gazing into Su Huan's eyes, Qin Yun lowered his head slightly, his gaze falling upon her rosy lips—tentative, restrained. Su Huan's heart pounded wildly, and she snapped her eyes shut.

What this meant, Qin Yun knew all too well.

The next instant, the two made zero-distance contact; boundless sweetness flooded Qin Yun's heart in an instant. As for the system's notification, he paid no heed. He did not act recklessly—only gently touched, savored, and with his right hand, he naturally drew Su Huan fully into his embrace from behind.

Long, long…

Lips parted, Su Huan's face flushed, her eyes hazy; she gently rested her head upon Qin Yun's chest, then clasped her arms tightly around his waist, as if trying to merge her entire being into him.

"Qin Yun, I like you."

Like a murmur, like self-talk, Su Huan spoke this confession, delayed for ten years.

As a man, being the first to receive a woman's confession, Qin Yun was delighted. At this moment, he cast aside all his reservations, lowering his head to inhale the scent of her hair.

He whispered: "Su Huan, I like you too."

"Really?" Su Huan lifted her head. "I've made it so obvious, yet you kept avoiding me—do you truly like me?"

Qin Yun nodded firmly: "Mm. My last marriage made me hesitate, robbed me of confidence to give anyone happiness. I feared repeating the same mistake."

Su Huan immediately said: "No, happiness is something we create together—not one person giving, the other taking. I'm not that kind of person."

Pulling Su Huan into his arms, Qin Yun sighed: "I know. I'm just… regretful."

"Regretful about what?"

"Regretful that in college, I ignored your hints."

"Hmph, so you knew I liked you back in college?"

"Only recently found out," Qin Yun chuckled bitterly. "The Matchmaker had already tied the thread—but I forcibly cut it. Luckily, you mended it again; otherwise, I'd have lost you forever."

"Hehe… good you finally know. Then you'd better treat me well."

"Don't worry—I'll treat you well."

"Mm, or Mom will punish you for me."

"Seriously? So you got close to my mom just so you two could team up and punish me?"

"It's a safeguard," Su Huan declared. "A weak woman like me needs a protector, doesn't she?"

They parted, naturally took hands, naturally walked through the tea garden—the familiarity of lovers felt as if it had always been this way, without a single hesitation.

Yet the stirring emotions remained stirring, the heartbeats remained fluttering.

Though not grand or filled with vows of eternity, this quiet mutual affection had, at this moment, shattered the thin veil between them, becoming inseparable.

Su Huan was overjoyed—ecstatic. She felt this was the happiest day of her twenty-eight years, the very moment Qin Yun said he liked her.

She would firmly remember it, grip him tightly, and never, like the fool Song Ya, let go so easily.

Qin Yun was also overjoyed—ecstatic. He felt life might take wrong paths, but fate would correct them, guiding one back onto the right road.

Looking back, those four years in college—how that girl had subtly drawn near, only to be ignored again and again—perhaps it had already sealed his fate.

Yet no matter what, this mutual affection between them was what mattered most. Fortunately, they were both young, and there was still time—life's road stretched long, very long.

On their way back, Su Huan suddenly pulled Qin Yun's hand and asked: "Do we really keep calling each other by our full names? Shouldn't we use nicknames?"

Qin Yun laughed: "Sure. I'll call you CEO, you call me Chairman."

"Stop it," Su Huan punched his chest, then thought. "How about you call me Su Su, and I call you Yun Yun?"

"Ugh~"

"I'll kill you—is it that disgusting?"

"Hahaha, no, it's just… never mind, it really is a bit disgusting."

"Aaaah—I'm furious! I'm going to beat you to death!"

Under the afternoon sun, their shadows flickered faintly through the woods, growing longer and longer; their laughter and playfulness made life seem wonderfully beautiful.

At this moment, perhaps, the embodiment of happiness is just like this!

…

For Su Huan, newly tasting love's sweetness, intimacy was always tempting—as if his lips held endless charm, never enough to kiss, wishing to cling forever.

For Qin Yun, who had endured marital failure, intimacy with Su Huan stirred an irresistible urge; though no further step was taken, simply holding her made his heart surge.

They were perfectly in sync, until ten at night, when Su Huan finally let Qin Yun leave.

Of course, now that they had just begun, their intimacy was limited to embraces and kisses.

Reluctantly leaving Su Huan's neighborhood, Qin Yun returned to the hotel, took a cold shower, and calmed his heated body.

Then he turned to the system panel, finally able to receive the task reward.

【Daily Check-in Task Completed. Reward: Parkour Skill +1】

【Parkour Skill LV1: Kid, run! Nothing can stop your steps】

In an instant, all parkour techniques flooded into him. Yet no dramatic physical changes occurred—clearly, his current physical condition made parkour feel like using a cannon to swat a mosquito.

"Not bad. More skills never hurt."

No sooner had he spoken than the system reacted again.

【Ding! Host's current abilities meet Parkour Skill upgrade conditions. Parkour Skill now LV2】

【Ding! Host's current abilities meet Climbing Skill upgrade conditions. Climbing Skill now LV2】

Qin Yun was stunned—this acquired Parkour Skill had triggered a chain reaction, upgrading both Parkour and Climbing simultaneously.

Instantly, warm currents surged through every part of his body, enveloping him in soothing warmth.

About ten minutes passed before this transformation slowly faded away.

He looked at his skill list: three LV2 skills glowed brightly and vividly—Wilderness Hunter LV2, Parkour LV2, Rock Climbing LV2.