Chapter 70: Harvesting Wheat

His gaze swept over the empty cup and kettle on the bedside table, passed over the thick blanket tightly covering her body, and finally came to rest between them.

Her right hand was now tightly held in his warm palm, and she could even feel the thick callus on his palm from long‑term weapon grip at her knuckles.

She did not pull her hand back immediately; only her fingertips twitched imperceptibly.

A dazed feeling of having survived a disaster, intertwined with bodily fatigue, left her momentarily speechless.

A burning‑like dryness rose from deep in her throat.

She swallowed hard, trying to ease the discomfort.

Li Qingxuan immediately sensed her need.

He released her hand, quickly picked up the kettle on the low cabinet, poured a small cup of warm water, and carefully brought it to her lips.

"Drink slowly." His fingertips steadied the cup's base, his motion gentle and focused.

Li Feifei held his hand, sipping the water in small mouthfuls; the warm liquid flowed over her dry throat, bringing a hint of cool relief, and her muddled thoughts cleared a little.

After a few small sips she slightly turned her head, indicating she could drink no more.

Li Qingxuan set down the cup, his gaze returning to her face as he carefully examined her complexion—now flushed, markedly improved from last night's pallor.

"Are you hungry?" he asked, his eyes scanning the tray of warm porridge and a few light side dishes, "Shall we eat something first?"

Li Feifei's eyes also fell on the steaming food, and a faint stir rose in her stomach.

After a long unconsciousness, her body truly felt a strong hunger signal.

She nodded, slowly sat up, and the blanket slipped from her shoulders, exposing a large expanse of smooth skin and delicate collarbones.

The cool morning air brushed over her bare skin, sending a slight shiver; she instinctively tried to cover herself, arms crossed in front, and her cheeks flushed with a faint pink.

Li Qingxuan's gaze lingered on her shoulder for a moment, then shifted to the steaming bowl of porridge on the tray; his Adam's apple moved almost imperceptibly, he reached out to gently lift the slipped corner of the blanket, his fingertips brushed her cool skin and quickly withdrew, the motion as swift as a falling leaf.

"Be careful not to catch a chill." His voice was lower than before, deliberately calm, as if the brief flash of springlight had never happened.

He nudged the tray closer to her, scooped a small spoonful of warm rice porridge, and brought it to her lips, saying, "Take it slow."

"It's fine, I'll do it myself—you haven't had breakfast either, have we? Let's eat together." Li Feifei took the spoon from his hand, scooped a spoonful of warm porridge, blew on it gently, then put it in her mouth, "Mmm, so fragrant."

Li Qingxuan occasionally glanced at Li Feifei; the food on the plate disappeared quickly, yet his movements were not rude.

He set down his empty bowl, his gaze sweeping over the remaining half‑bowl of porridge and side dishes in Li Feifei's bowl, without urging her, just watching quietly.

Seeing Li Qingxuan put down his chopsticks, Li Feifei hurried to speed up her eating, and soon finished every morsel on the table.

Li Qingxuan gathered everything together and went out to wash it.

Returning to the bedroom, Li Feifei was already dressed; seeing Li Qingxuan enter, she rose and said, "Let's go check the wheat in the greenhouse—it should be ready for harvest today."

"Are you feeling up to it? Maybe you should rest a bit longer before we go." Li Qingxuan walked to her side, looked at her, and said.

"I'm fine, I've recovered—yesterday I was just exhausted; a night's sleep fixed it, and I won't push myself." Li Feifei clung to his arm, pulling her toward the bedroom door.

"What exactly happened yesterday? Where did all those snakes come from?" Li Feifei asked curiously as they walked.

"I'm still baffled," Li Qingxuan scratched his head in confusion. "As soon as I stepped out yesterday, a swarm of snakes came toward us from the mist, and I don't know whether they were drawn by the warmth or by the Chi Tiger Cub."

As they spoke, they arrived at the wheat field area.

The light in the wheat field area, softened by special tubes, glowed a warm white like midday sun, falling evenly on the heavy heads of grain, as if gilding the field with a golden edge.

In the air, the distinctive fragrance of grain drifted softly; as the two approached, the golden wheat waves seemed brushed by an unseen breeze, the full heads swaying gently, and the awns caught a pale gold halo in the light.

Li Feifei released her hold on Li Qingxuan's arm, stepped forward, closed her eyes slightly, and drew a deep breath, as if she wanted to fill her lungs with the area's fresh air.

When she opened her eyes again, a glint of focused light flickered in her bright pupils; she slowly raised her hands, palms down, toward the wheat before her.

There was no earth‑shaking sound, only a strange rhythm, like the pulse of life quickening, that silently spread through the greenhouse.

Visible to the naked eye, the wheat heads that were already nearing ripeness turned a purer, richer gold, as bright as molten metal.

At the tip of each head, the tiny, seemingly condensed essence of life—a milky fluid—dried and solidified instantly, announcing that maturation was complete.

The last trace of pale green on the stalks quickly faded, replaced by pure gold, and the stems grew straighter.

Li Qingxuan stood a step behind her, watching silently, able to clearly perceive the changes taking place in the wheat field.

Li Qingxuan watched her focused profile; a dawn‑like radiance seemed to flow from her fingertips, creating a mysterious resonance with the wheat field she had sparked, nurtured, and now harvested.

The greenhouse fell silent except for the soft rustle of plump grains rubbing together, like countless flecks of gold striking each other.

Finally, Li Feifei lowered her hands, turned around, her face mixing the fatigue of completing a great task with pure joy; her smile was like sunlight breaking through days of gloom: "All right, we can harvest now."

Li Qingxuan nodded, his eyes gentle.

Accompanied by a faint motor hum, the concealed overhead rail system activated; several precisely structured silver robotic arms, like awakening metal serpents, glided silently along their preset tracks to hover above the wheat field.

They unfolded smoothly, the multi‑function harvesting heads at their tips locking into place with a crisp "click."

"Begin harvesting." Li Feifei tapped the control panel to confirm, and the robotic arms instantly switched to work mode, efficient and precise.

The sharp, high‑frequency vibrating blades lightly sliced the stalks at their base, cutting, gathering, and conveying the wheat in neat swaths.

Next, the threshing drum spun at high speed, separating the plump grains like golden rain, which flowed through internal ducts into the large storage container below.

The stalks were collected by another arm, compressed into blocks, and neatly stacked in the corner—valuable fuel and raw material for organic fertilizer.

The whole harvest proceeded quietly and efficiently, with only the low hum of machinery, the rustle of falling grains, and the rich, sun‑kissed wheat aroma filling the air.

Li Feifei held her breath, her eyes locked on the real‑time data displayed on the control panel.

【Harvesting in progress】

【Wheat (unhulled): Harvest progress 100%】

【Threshing completed】

【Net weight calculating】

After a few seconds, the number representing the net weight finally settled on the screen, flashing with a bright light.

【Net weight: 1200 catties】

"One thousand two hundred catties!" Li Feifei gasped, hardly able to believe her eyes.

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