Chapter 321 - 205: Lu Fan: A Direct Showdown?! I Am the Child’s Father

Chapter 321: Chapter 205: Lu Fan: A Direct Showdown?! I Am the Child’s Father

As she spoke, she kept her head down. Her eyelashes were long, her nose was delicate, and her lips were slightly pursed. She looked very focused.

Lu Fan copied her, pinching off a vegetable leaf.

"Like this?" He held up the leaf in his hand, like an elementary school student seeking praise.

Jiang Yixia glanced over and nodded. "Not bad," she confirmed.

"’Not bad’ means it’s good enough." Lu Fan chuckled and continued picking.

The two of them squatted there in the vegetable patch, one teaching earnestly, the other learning diligently.

Occasionally, a few leaves would fall to the ground, and Lu Fan would pick them up and ask if she wanted them.

Occasionally, a bug would crawl by, and Jiang Yixia would flinch away slightly. Lu Fan would then reach out and shoo the bug away.

As they were picking, Lu Fan suddenly spoke up. "Did you use to work here a lot as a kid?"

Jiang Yixia nodded. "Mhm. I’d help my parents after school. We had more land back then, so they couldn’t manage it all themselves."

"No wonder you’re so quick and skilled." Lu Fan watched her practiced movements, his tone tinged with admiration. "I never did any of this growing up. I’m all thumbs."

Jiang Yixia shot him a look and feigned a complaint. "I can tell."

The two people in the vegetable patch were very close—so close they could hear each other breathe.

Jiang Yixia suddenly remembered that many years ago, they had worked together just like this.

Back then, in their rented apartment, she had planted a few pots of flowers on the balcony. Lu Fan, always clumsy, would try to help her water them, spilling water all over the floor and getting an earful from her.

He used to look at her just like this back then, too, with a smile in his eyes.

’Those were the days.’

Her heart was suddenly in turmoil, and the movements of her hands slowed.

"What’s wrong?" Lu Fan noticed something was off and asked softly.

Jiang Yixia shook her head without a word and went back to picking vegetables with her head down.

But her hands were trembling slightly, and she was bruising the edges of the leaves she picked.

Lu Fan watched her, silent for a few seconds. Then he suddenly spoke, his tone serious. "Yixia."

Jiang Yixia didn’t look up, but she answered, "What is it?"

"I’m sorry," Lu Fan said.

Jiang Yixia’s hands froze.

Lu Fan continued, his voice filled with guilt, "These past few years, I’ve let you suffer all alone. I know a simple ’sorry’ isn’t enough, but I still have to say it."

Jiang Yixia kept her head down, her expression hidden.

Lu Fan looked at her and said shamelessly, "I’m not asking you to forgive me. I’m just asking you to let me make it up to you. Let me be good to you, good to our child, and good to your parents. Let me do something—anything."

Jiang Yixia was silent for a long time.

Finally, she said, "Do whatever you want. You don’t have to ask me."

They went back to picking vegetables, but the atmosphere had changed.

It wasn’t as awkward, nor was it as forced.

It was just two people, squatting in the vegetable patch, picking vegetables in peace.

The sun finally set.

Jiang Yixia stood up, looked at the basket overflowing with vegetables, and said softly, "That’s enough. Let’s go back."

"I’ll carry it." Lu Fan also stood up, taking the basket from her hands with a smile.

Jiang Yixia didn’t refuse and turned to walk back.

Lu Fan followed her, his pace neither fast nor slow, falling perfectly in step beside her.

The sound of a dog barking echoed in the distance. Wisps of cooking smoke rose from the village homes; it was dinnertime.

Jiang Yixia suddenly felt that an evening like this wasn’t so bad after all.

After walking for a bit, she suddenly spoke, her voice low. "Were you serious about what you said earlier?"

Lu Fan paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "Yes."

Jiang Yixia stopped and turned to face him.

The sky had already darkened, making it hard to see his expression, but she could feel the warmth in his gaze.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, she just sighed, turned back around, and continued walking.

Lu Fan caught up to her and said softly, "No rush. Take your time to think about it."

Jiang Yixia didn’t say anything, but a small part of her heart seemed to soften.

...

When the two of them returned to the house, Pan Lanfang was standing in the doorway, looking out for them.

Seeing them return together, with Lu Fan even carrying the basket of vegetables, her face bloomed into a wide smile. She hurried over to greet them. "Oh my, you picked so much? Come in, come in."

Jiang Guoqiang also came out of the house. He looked at the basket of vegetables and nodded in satisfaction. "These are fresh. We’ll stir-fry a few extra dishes tonight."

"Uncle, Yixia picked all of these. I was just helping out," Lu Fan said with a smile as he put the basket down.

"Helping out is still a contribution. Make sure you eat more later," Jiang Guoqiang chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder.

Jiang Yixia glanced at him but didn’t expose his lie.

’This guy was clearly there to learn, yet he’s making himself out to be some kind of hero.’

Pan Lanfang cheerfully carried the vegetables into the kitchen, and Jiang Guoqiang followed her in to help.

The two of them were left alone in the main room again.

Jiang Yixia sat on a chair, head bowed, lost in thought.

Lu Fan sat down beside her, not speaking either, simply keeping her company.

The clatter of pots and pans came from the kitchen, along with the occasional sound of Pan Lanfang and Jiang Guoqiang laughing and talking.

It sounded like Pan Lanfang was talking about Lu Fan. Her voice was hushed, but her laughter was loud.

Jiang Guoqiang was laughing along, saying something like, "This young man is not bad."

The aroma of food slowly wafted out, making one’s stomach grumble.

Jiang Yixia looked toward the kitchen, her heart suddenly filled with complex emotions.

’How long has it been since Mom and Dad were this happy?’

Ever since she had returned to the village with her child, the old couple had surely been weighed down by many things, even if they never said it out loud.

The village gossip, the pointing fingers from relatives—they had shouldered it all in silence.

But now, because of Lu Fan, they were laughing so happily.

She stole a glance at Lu Fan. He was sitting perfectly upright with a faint smile on his face, looking very earnest and well-behaved.