The afternoon sun was a tormentor, scorching the roadside trees until their leaves curled, and beating down with a cruel intensity that drew sweat from every pore. Su Yue, ever practical, braided her hair into a neat fishtail, letting it fall over one shoulder. Her straw hat, a comforting shield, shaded part of her face, keeping her surprisingly cool. She wondered if it was the “Goldfinger,” the mysterious influence she felt, that had changed her. She used to dread the heat, sweating easily. Now, not only was her skin better, but even in this oppressive heat, she remained fresh and clean while others wilted. No wonder Jiang Ci likes to hold her so much, she thought.
She turned to look at him, the harsh sunlight illuminating the scar on his left cheek. It stretched from his temple to his jawline, a half-palm’s worth of uneven, twisted skin, like hideous insects crawling across his face. But as she truly looked, a startling thought took root: the scar seemed… smaller.
“What are you staring at me for?” Jiang Ci asked, his voice cutting through her thoughts. Even blind, he was unnervingly aware.
“Jiang Ci, I’ve noticed your scar has genuinely gotten smaller,” Su Yue said, stopping. She stood before him, tilting her head slightly, and even dared to reach out, her fingertips gently tracing the jagged mark. She felt the twisted, raised lines beneath her touch seemed softer, less pronounced. “Really, I’m not lying. You can touch it yourself.” Her voice was soft, filled with a sudden, happy surprise.
Why would Jiang Ci’s scar suddenly shrink? Was his face healing? Then, a chilling thought struck her. Could the “Goldfinger’s” power be shared? She gazed at his face, wide-eyed with astonishment. He couldn’t see the changes on his own face, or hers, but she could. Twice before, she’d dismissed it as imagination, but now, his scar was clearly smaller than the last time she’d touched it.
His cold fingertips brushed her face, a faint tickle. Jiang Ci’s lips twitched. “So what if it’s smaller? Are you happy?” he asked indifferently.
“It’s getting smaller! That means your scar might heal, of course I’m happy!” In the sunlight, Su Yue’s beautiful dark eyes reflected the bright glare, shining with a lively sparkle.
“Yes, of course you’re happy,” Jiang Ci sneered. “You won’t have to see my disgusting face anymore.”
Su Yue frowned. “I told you a long time ago, don’t bring up old grievances.” Cheapskate!
Jiang Ci scoffed. “What you said is like water poured out; it can’t be taken back.”
She knew, from the book’s description and her own memories, how much the original Su Yue had loathed Jiang Ci, even complaining directly to him over the phone. No wonder he remembered. Thinking this, she placed her hand on his waist, rose on tiptoes, and whispered softly, “It’s not disgusting.”
Jiang Ci tilted his head, making no sound. Su Yue took off her hat and her mask. The sun, a harsh glare, beat down on her face, making it hot and flushed. She stood on tiptoe again, pursed her lips, and then her mouth met the scar on Jiang Ci’s left cheek.
She didn’t pull away immediately. Her soft lips lingered on the twisted, uneven skin, without a hint of revulsion. Jiang Ci’s entire body tensed. The basket in his hand dropped to the ground. He gripped Su Yue’s waist, preventing her from moving away. “Su Yue!” His voice, usually calm, held a grinding, almost furious edge.
“I heard you, don’t be so fierce,” Su Yue said, looking up at him with bright black eyes, a mix of shyness and a playful smile hidden within them.
The softness, the moist warmth, the faint scent of milk at the tip of his nose—all combined to tighten Jiang Ci’s brows. A strange, suffocating feeling swelled in his chest. “Who asked you to kiss my face?” he demanded, his expression cold, his tone cutting. “Su Yue, your boldness is growing.”
“I’m proving it to you,” she said. She was held tight by his hands around her waist, and the grip tightened, causing a small ache. “Don’t say I dislike your face. I touched it, I kissed it, and I felt no disgust.” Her fingertips touched his scar again. “If your face gets better, I’ll be very happy. If not, that’s fine too.”
After a long moment, Jiang Ci spoke, his voice low. “Men don’t need to care about how they look.”
“But you were so handsome before, and it’s a pity you couldn’t recover,” Su Yue blinked, speaking honestly.
Jiang Ci’s furrowed brows relaxed. His gaze, though sightless, seemed to soften. “Su Yue, did you put honey on your mouth?”
Su Yue put her mask and straw hat back on. She gently removed Jiang Ci’s hands from her waist, picked up the fallen basket, and placed it back in his hand. “I won’t let you taste it. Come on, it’s scorching out here.”
The path up the mountain was a small, worn track, likely trodden by many feet, the roadside grass bent to one side. As they climbed higher, the dense trees began to shade them, blocking the sun’s harsh rays, making the air much cooler.
Suddenly, Su Yue saw them: the loquat trees her grandfather had mentioned. Clusters of loquats hung from the branches, some already a ripe, inviting orange-yellow. She swallowed, unable to resist, and quickly picked one. Her thin, white fingertips deftly peeled the outer skin, and Su Yue held the bright, juicy pulp to Jiang Ci’s mouth. “Take a bite and see if it’s sweet.”
The succulent fruit brushed his lips. Jiang Ci opened his mouth, his expression blank, and took a bite. The sweet and slightly tart loquat juice spread across his tongue. Su Yue watched his face. He showed no reaction, but she knew he didn’t dislike it. She fed him the remaining half, then picked one for herself, savoring its taste. Sweet and sour, the flesh juicy and delicious.
Su Yue ate several in a rush before taking the basket from Jiang Ci and beginning to pick. When she couldn’t reach a fruit, she instructed Jiang Ci, who, despite his expressionless face, didn’t complain. He simply reached out, pulled the branches down, and allowed Su Yue to pick them.
At the Fang family’s house, Li Yanmei, who had been watching TV, watched her son enter, laden with bags. She looked surprised. “Why are you back? And carrying so much? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be back for dinner?”
Fang Qi placed the bags on the table, gasping for breath. He was exhausted; he had spent the entire afternoon running around town to buy these. “What’s all this?” Li Yanmei casually opened a bag and found boxes of bright red cherries. The other bag held fresh red grapes, durians, mangoes… all fruits. “Why did you buy so much fruit? How expensive is this?” She patted Fang Qi’s arm, her face pained by the thought of the cost.
“It’s not too expensive. Didn’t you want to eat them the day before yesterday?” Fang Qi lay back in a chair, tiredly. “I’ll pack it up later and take it to the next door.”
“Send it to the next door?” Li Yanmei sounded reluctant. These fruits looked very expensive, far better than what she usually bought from street vendors.
“Yeah, we ate their dumplings today, so we’ll give them some fruit,” Fang Qi replied. “Mom, don’t be reluctant. If you want to eat it, I’ll buy more for you in the future.” Seeing the look on her face, he knew exactly what she was thinking.
“Send it if you want,” she said, resigned. Her son had bought the fruit, so she couldn’t argue.
“By the way, Mom, I saw the old woman’s granddaughter next door. I met her when I went out this afternoon,” Fang Qi mentioned casually. “She’s really become thinner and whiter, completely different from before.”
“Yeah, you thought I was lying,” Li Yanmei said, taking out the fruit and beginning to sort through it. Of course, the best ones would be kept at home. A box of cherries could cost hundreds of dollars. She had seen others, especially girls, buy these expensive fruits.
“I also saw a man with her, Mom, do you know who it is?” Fang Qi asked.
“A man? That must be her husband. But Granny Fang didn’t say what kind of person her granddaughter married.” Li Yanmei paused in her sorting. “Before, I asked you if you were interested in her granddaughter. Their family is so rich. If you married her, the seven-figure car at the alley would be yours, not to mention a villa.”
Fang Qi remembered that his mother had indeed asked him about it. But at that time, he found the woman ugly, and he considered himself handsome, with all his girlfriends being good-looking. There was no way he would marry a “black and fat” woman. If she had looked like she did today, he would have listened to his mother and married her.
Fang Qi was tall and thin, handsome and fair, with a charming, sunny disposition. He was very popular with girls; many in the village liked him. That’s why both Li Yanmei and Fang Qi believed that any woman would fall for him if he wanted her to, even a rich girl.
“It’s not too late,” Fang Qi narrowed his eyes.
“It’s not too late? She’s already married. The owner of the supermarket in town has a daughter who’s interested in you. Even though she’s not as rich as the next door, her family is decent. If you marry her, the supermarket could be yours to manage someday,” Li Yanmei said. She hadn’t planned to tell him, but now that he mentioned the family next door, she brought it up casually.
Fang Qi glanced at his mother in disgust. “Mom, what’s a small supermarket? How can you compare it to the old lady next door’s family? That small supermarket isn’t worth as much as Su Yue’s car.”
“Isn’t it? Such a big difference?” Li Yanmei didn’t understand. She just thought the supermarket’s business was good, so it must make good money.
“I saw today that the man the old woman’s granddaughter married has a bad face. She was probably too ugly before, so she ended up with a man like that,” Fang Qi mused, touching his chin. “Compared to me, if I just beckon, that woman will definitely be charmed by me.”
“Mom, didn’t you say this house is too old and too small? If I marry that woman, I’ll move you to a big villa in the city and hire people to serve you every day.” The more Fang Qi thought about it, the more proud he became. He regretted his past arrogance. If only he had married that woman sooner, he would be driving a luxury car and living in a grand villa now.
“Can you do it? She’s already married,” Li Yanmei said, a little doubtful. After all, her son was so perfect; how could a woman who had already married someone else deserve him?
“That’s not a problem. When I’m rich, I’ll have no shortage of women,” Fang Qi scoffed, feeling his mother was short-sighted. Li Yanmei always thought the Fang family next door was foolish. Their daughter married into wealth, but they didn’t follow to enjoy it, choosing to stay in their poor village. If she had money, she would have been living in a big villa long ago. Now, with her son’s words, her heart was stirred with new possibilities.
On their way down the mountain, Su Yue accidentally stepped on a loose stone and twisted her ankle. “Su Yue, I’m the blind one. You have normal eyes, and you can still step on stones. That’s truly stupid,” Jiang Ci sneered, gloating. Su Yue glared at him, this hateful man who reveled in her misfortune. She tried to move her foot; it hurt. It seemed she would be needing crutches to get home.
She leaned heavily on Jiang Ci, her weight pressing on his arm, her sprained foot causing her to limp awkwardly. “Are you planning to go down the mountain at the speed of ants?” Jiang Ci raised his eyebrows, a laugh in his voice.
“Shut up! I’m in agony right now. Jiang Ci, do you have any sympathy?” Su Yue didn’t want to talk to him anymore.
Jiang Ci’s lips curved. Then, he bent down, his back straight. “Come up, I’ll carry you.”
“You… you carry me?” Su Yue looked incredulous. She knew how proud this man was.
“I don’t want us to be stuck here after dark,” Jiang Ci said casually.
Su Yue didn’t care about his teasing. Her eyes softened, and without a hint of politeness, she put her arms around his neck and leaned onto his back. She smiled, whispering into Jiang Ci’s ear, “Thank you for your hard work.”
Her warm breath tickled his ear, an almost unbearable itch. Jiang Ci resisted the urge to rub it. He easily lifted her onto his back. “Watch the road. I’m not responsible if you fall.” He said, then deliberately gave a small jostle. Su Yue gasped, quickly hugging him tightly, pressing her whole body against his back. “Jiang Ci, don’t play around, it’s dangerous!” she cried, afraid of falling. There were so many small stones on the ground; a fall would be agonizing.
Jiang Ci hooked his lips. “Oh, then you’ll have to hold on tighter.”
The path was tricky. At first, Su Yue was nervous, wary of Jiang Ci’s teasing. But as he walked steadily, her tension eased. “Jiang Ci, am I heavy?” Su Yue asked.
“Lighter than a bamboo pole,” Jiang Ci’s voice was hoarse.
What nonsense! Su Yue inwardly scoffed. Couldn’t this man say anything nice? She tightened her hold on Jiang Ci, and her eyes inadvertently fell on his ears. To her surprise, both of his earlobes were flushed red.
“Jiang Ci, your ears are red!” Su Yue exclaimed, truly surprised. How could a man like Jiang Ci have red ears? She couldn’t help but reach out and touch it. Her cool fingertips met his hot ear. “It’s still hot. Jiang Ci, are you shy?”
Jiang Ci’s body froze. His clear voice held a hint of annoyance, but also a touch of something else—a sly amusement. “Who’s shy? You rubbed against me like that, I’m not dead, so why wouldn’t I react?” His voice deepened, a soft rumble. He chuckled. “I was wrong. You’re not like bamboo poles.” Those bamboo poles were straight and hard; how could they compare to her soft touch? Su Yue was stunned, and it took her a moment to truly understand what Jiang Ci had implied. Her face instantly flushed crimson. She twisted her fingers on Jiang Ci’s ear. “Jiang Ci, you have no shame!”