My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 23 Part 2

Zhou Zheng couldn’t help but silently thank his father for mentioning the Ji family—otherwise, how would he have ever met such a handsome ger? Though Zhou Zheng was honest and simple, seeing Ji Taoyu made his heart flutter uncontrollably.  

Ji Taoyu clutched Huang Manjing’s hand. "It’s just my hands and legs, they hurt a bit, and I can’t walk well. Luckily, Brother Huo passed by and gave me a ride back."  

Huo Shu barely paid attention to Ji Taoyu's complaints to his parents. As soon as he entered, he noticed the unfamiliar man standing off to the side - in the same spot where You Lingxiao had stood last time.  

He might not have thought much of it, but the young man was terrible at hiding his emotions. From the moment Ji Taoyu entered the yard, his eyes were glued to him and never left.  

"Huo-lang, thank you for bringing Xiao Taozi back. This child keeps troubling you."  

Huo Shu slowly withdrew his gaze. "No trouble."  

Ji Taoyu noticed Huo Shu looking elsewhere and followed his gaze, finally spotting the stranger in the yard. His face flushed slightly as he whispered, "Mom, who’s that?"  

Ji Yangzong quickly answered, "That’s Zhou Zheng, the second son of Village Head Zhou from the neighboring village. He came today to help me repair the fish pond."  

Ji Taoyu suddenly remembered who this was. He blinked, then nodded politely in greeting before quickly excusing himself: "My knees hurt too much, I’ll go inside and apply some medicine."  

Huo Shu pulled out a large bundle of wild chrysanthemums from under his arm. "Take these."  

Ji Taoyu hurriedly accepted them and shamelessly told his parents, "I-I picked them."  

Huang Manjing, distressed over her child’s injuries, scolded lightly, "Even after falling, you’re still thinking about these things. Always causing trouble for others, you should properly thank Huo-lang."  

Ji Taoyu thought to himself that if Huo Shu hadn’t insisted on him going to town, he wouldn’t have fallen in the first place, so why should he thank him?  

But with his parents watching, he obediently said, "Thank you, Brother Huo."  

Seeing mother and son go inside, Ji Yangzong said, "Thank you again for today, Huo-lang. Have some tea before you leave."  

He glanced toward the shade of the pergola, where Zhou Zheng stood. Based on his understanding of Huo Shu, the man would likely decline and leave immediately upon seeing someone else there.  

He said this just to be polite—after all, they were fellow villagers now, and there would be plenty of chances to repay the favor later. There was no need to rush.  

To his surprise, Huo Shu replied, "Alright."  

With that, he led his horse to the same tree he had tied it to last time, then walked straight to the pergola and sat down.  

Ji Yangzong: "…"  

Is something wrong with this guy today?  

Thirsty, he must be really thirsty.  

Forcing a smile, Ji Yangzong said, "Ah Zheng, have a seat too. This is Huo Shu from our village."  

Zhou Zheng scratched the back of his head, his mind still floating somewhere after seeing Ji Taoyu. He vaguely heard Ji Yangzong say something.  

But when he turned back, the pergola was already occupied by a cold, imposing man staring right at him.  

Zhou Zheng inexplicably felt a chill down his spine, thinking it was just sweat from the earlier labor cooling in the wind.  

He sat down awkwardly across from Huo Shu, noting the man’s unapproachable demeanor. He didn’t dare strike up a conversation, feeling as if he were sitting on pins and needles.  

Huo Shu, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease.  

Only when Ji Yangzong brought out tea did Zhou Zheng finally breathe a little easier under the strange tension.  

"Ah Zheng, Huo-lang, have some tea."  

Ji Yangzong poured tea for both. Zhou Zheng lifted his cup and said eagerly, "Uncle Ji, I have plenty of fry at home. I’ll bring you some good ones in a couple of days."  

"That’s too much trouble."  

"No trouble at all. We’re neighboring villages, I can come and go quickly with my donkey cart."  

Seeing Zhou Zheng’s enthusiasm, Ji Yangzong guessed he was quite taken with Ji Taoyu. He didn’t point it out, feeling pleased. "Alright, bring over some good fry when you can. We’ll pay the proper price, don’t refuse, or I’ll feel bad asking for your help again."  

Zhou Zheng grinned honestly. "Sure."  

Then, wanting to curry favor with Ji Taoyu, he considered probing Ji Yangzong for hints about what the ger liked so he could bring gifts next time. But when he glanced at Huo Shu’s icy expression, he swallowed his words.  

Ji Yangzong, too, felt awkward with the silent giant sitting there. It would be rude to ask him to leave, but his presence made things uncomfortable.  

After a moment, Ji Yangzong tentatively said, "Huo-lang, Master Qiao hasn’t returned yet. When I went to his house for tax registration this morning, Bai niangzi said he’d be back in two days. I’ll let you know as soon as he’s back."  

"Thank you, Village Head."  

"No need for formalities among fellow villagers."  

Ji Yangzong then added, "Stay for dinner. I’ll ask your aunt to make some dishes to go with wine."  

Huo Shu replied, "No need."  

Ji Yangzong saw that Huo Shu declined dinner but showed no sign of leaving. He sighed inwardly, completely unable to figure out what the man was thinking.  

Zhou Zheng, however, took the hint. Reluctantly but resignedly, he said, "Village Head Ji, it’s getting late, I should head back too."  

"Ah Zheng, stay for dinner!"  

Zhou Zheng stood up. "Thank you for the offer, but my elder brother is coming home tonight, and my mother asked me to eat with them. Next time."  

"In that case, I won’t keep you."  

Ji Yangzong saw him to the gate before returning. As soon as he stepped back into the yard, he saw Huo Shu also rising to his feet.  

"Village Head, I’ll take my leave too."  

"?"

Ji Yangzong clasped his hands behind his back, suppressing his bewilderment. "It’s still early, stay a while longer."  

"No."  

With that simple refusal, Huo Shu untied his horse and left without another word.