Chapter 274, Hitting a porcelain tree (Fourth Shift)

The shrill screams behind gradually disappeared.

Karina, holding up her skirt, caught up to Ye Jiuliang’s pace and, looking at her profile, pressed her lips together in a demure smile.

"I really don’t know why he likes a thug like you."

This "he" naturally referred to Li Mochan.

Ye Jiuliang paused, her eyes dark as midnight shimmered with a shining glint, and she asked with a sly smile, "If I’m a thug, why are you so close to me?"

Karina was at a loss for words.

She bit her lip and muttered, "Where did you get those bugs just now?"

Ye Jiuliang lowered her head, kicking pebbles on the ground, and said indifferently, "Caught them from a tree."

Upon hearing this, Karina rolled her eyes in an inelegant manner.

That’s when she finally noticed the clothes Ye Jiuliang was wearing.

Her tone full of disdain, she exclaimed, "Ye Jiuliang, I really doubt whether you are a woman, who dresses like you do at this kind of gathering?"

Ye Jiuliang curled her lips and glanced at the floor-length gown on Karina, "Or should I, like you, wear a dress and sweep the leaves here like a broom?"

"..."

She really wanted to hit her.

The fists she clenched loosened and then tensed, tensed and then loosened again.

Seeing Karina’s puffed-up anger, Ye Jiuliang chuckled lightly, "You look quite like a goldfish."

"Ye Jiuliang!" Karina yelled through gritted teeth.

Ye Jiuliang dug at her ear, "I can hear you, no need to shout."

"I’ve never seen anyone as annoying as you, both thuggish and shameless," Karina fumed.

With her arms crossed, Ye Jiuliang’s lips curved into a mischievous smile, "Didn’t I just remind you to watch your manners that day to avoid a wardrobe malfunction? I didn’t say your panties were black or that they had lace edges. Why do you keep calling me a thug?"

Karina’s eyes widened, her cheeks burning hot.

"You, you, you..."

She breathed heavily, clearly very agitated.

Ye Jiuliang watched, feeling she might faint at any second.

She curved her lips and said, "Alright, stop staring at me. I know I’m good-looking."

"Ye Jiuliang, do you have no shame?" Karina barely recovered her voice, regretting that she had come to the gathering today.

Meeting Ye Jiuliang, she figured she’d be angered into losing a few years of her life.

Ye Jiuliang’s eyes flickered, "Do you want to play something fun?"

The change in topic was a bit abrupt, and Karina hesitated.

"What?"

"Have you been to the back hill here?" she asked.

Karina shook her head honestly.

Ye Jiuliang asked, "Do you want to go take a look together?"

"I wouldn’t go to such a place, it’s filthy," Karina turned away, disdainfully saying.

Ye Jiuliang didn’t press further, "Alright then, I’ll go roast a chicken by myself."

"Wait a minute?" Karina showed astonishment.

"Roast chicken? Where did the chickens come from here?"

Ye Jiuliang raised her eyebrows, "Of course, by catching one."

"You’re going to catch chickens in the back hill?" After gathering her thoughts, Karina swallowed.

Where on earth did this oddball come from?

Ye Jiuliang said, "Is there a problem?"

"Nonsense, Ye Jiuliang, you’re here to attend a gathering today, what lady of noble birth does things like you do?"

And she still wants to go to the back hill to catch and roast a chicken to eat?

She must be crazy.

Ye Jiuliang sneered lightly, with great interest looking at her, "Living a life like those prim and proper ladies, do you think that’s interesting?"

Looking into her bottomless dark pupils, Karina’s face revealed her awkwardness, "Hmm?"

Without further explanation, Ye Jiuliang stepped away, "Hey, the fruit on the back hill tastes pretty good, follow me if you want some."

Stunned, Karina watched her leave and, after a moment’s hesitation, followed.

The back hill was rarely visited by anyone.

With towering ancient trees and lush greenery, the place had a somewhat eerie atmosphere.

"Ye Jiuliang, what kind of place is this?" Karina asked, trailing behind Ye Jiuliang with her hands lifting her overly long skirt, her high heels making it inconvenient to walk.

"What, are you scared?" Ye Jiuliang, with a lollipop in her mouth, teased indistinctly.

Karina snorted coldly, unusually refraining from snapping back.

Suddenly, the figure in front stopped.

"Why aren’t you moving?"

Ye Jiuliang slightly lifted her chin, gesturing to her.

Following her gaze, Karina saw several fruit trees with eye-catching, golden oranges.

"Can you climb trees?" Ye Jiuliang asked as she walked over and slapped the trunk of a fruit tree.

Karina’s eyes widened, "Ye Jiuliang, you’re not seriously thinking of making me climb the tree to pick these darn oranges, are you?"

She must be joking.

Ye Jiuliang nodded calmly, "Are you afraid of heights?"

"I am not about to join in your madness. If you want to climb, go ahead. I definitely won’t," Karina said, flatly refusing without a second thought.

Ye Jiuliang clicked her tongue, "You obviously have never experienced the fun of climbing trees."

"I’m not a monkey, why should I climb trees?" Karina complained.

Ye Jiuliang smiled with pursed lips, stepping on the tree with agile movements, she quickly climbed up.

Meanwhile, Karina watched with lips slightly parted.

Very much in shock.

Was she transformed from a monkey or what?

Ye Jiuliang sat on the tree, her straight legs swinging in the air, "The view is really better from up high."

She playfully weighed an orange in her hand and, looking down, saw Karina’s astonished expression and said amusingly, "Are you really not coming up?"

Looking up at her sitting in the tree stirred a bit of envy in Karina’s heart.

She was too proud to admit it, "I am not a monkey."

"What’s wrong with being a monkey for once? There’s no one else here," Ye Jiuliang said as she found a vine and casually threw it down, "If you don’t come up now, I’m leaving you here by yourself."

Biting her lip tightly, Karina gazed at the vine that was thrown down, her eyes flickering with indecision and a hint of eagerness to try.

After a long pause, she took off her high heels and grabbed the vine.

She had barely climbed a step when she fell backwards, landing sprawling on the ground.

Ye Jiuliang facepalmed, she really was at her wits’ end.

She even suspected that Karina had deliberately collided with the tree.

Standing up and steadying herself against the tree, Karina’s expression showed a hint of embarrassed discomfort.

Looking up, she saw not the mockery she expected on Ye Jiuliang’s face.

Instead, she was met with comforting words, "It’s okay, take it slow. Hold the vine, put your right foot up first..."

Doing as she was told, Karina climbed and fell, fell and climbed, repeating the process several times until she finally got the hang of it.

Ye Jiuliang reached out and pulled on her arm, easily lifting Karina up, who was startled and quickly steadied herself.

"Don’t let go, I’m scared," she clung to Ye Jiuliang’s arm, her voice trembling.

Ye Jiuliang laughed, "Hey, you’re not calling me a pervert anymore?"

At that, Karina glared at her, still not daring to let go of her arm.

"I won’t let you fall, have an orange," Ye Jiuliang picked an orange and handed it to her.

Karina huffed, "I don’t want the one you picked, I can do it myself."

With that, she swallowed hard, mustered up her courage, and tugged at the orange closest to her.