No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

The three groups took different routes, while Shi Qiao's group was taken to the other side of the hillside.

Shi Qiao held the tattered map, skipping and hopping with every step.

This activity was like an escape room for her.

I remember when I was in junior high school, she often went to escape rooms with her friends. She always played the role of the mother hen, followed by a string of chicks.

The two stopped at the entrance marked with red tokens, sat on a large rock, and waited quietly for the sun to set completely.

Shi Qiao tilted her head slightly, glancing at Pei Jingnian's expressionless profile. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and her gaze was fixed on something else.

Why is this guy suddenly so silent?

Come to think of it, Pei Jingnian had never ventured into a secret room with her before.

Every time I tried to contact him before, he always had various excuses to avoid me.

Shi Qiao has heard words like "busy," "bored," and "childish" so many times that she's practically worn out.

[This is so annoying! Of all places, it has to be this one that looks haunted.]

How am I supposed to act cool in front of my wife now...?

This kind of activity is completely meaningless; it's just trying to drive a wedge between my wife and me.

[But soon I'll have another chance to hold my wife's hand, hehe...]

[Hehehe, holding my wife's hand (#^.^#) Oh no! I'm so scared, so scared, so scared o(╥﹏╥)o Hehehe, holding my wife's hand (#^.^#) Oh no! I'm so scared, so scared, so scared o(╥﹏╥)o……]

Shi Qiao froze, her smile suddenly becoming harder to suppress than an AK.

Hey—

She suddenly moved closer to Pei Jingnian, her body exuding the scent of lemon and sea salt after a shower. She lowered her head slightly, directly entering his line of sight.

"Pei Jingnian, you've suddenly become so quiet. Is something on your mind?"

She gently poked her arm with her index finger. "You're not so scared that you can't even speak properly now, are you?"

She covered her mouth, squinted, and said in a cheeky tone, "No way, no way, a grown man like you is afraid of ghosts~"

"Oh~ I remember some people telling me before that this kind of game is especially boring and childish~ Turns out they were just being stubborn~"

Cool.

She was so happy.

Shi Qiao waved the tattered map in her hand and added:

"Alright, Pei Jingnian, if you're really scared, just wait for me at the entrance..."

"No." Pei Jingnian looked up, supporting himself on one hand beside her leg, his fingertips accidentally touching her left little finger.

The sun had completely sunk below the horizon, but its afterglow still lingered like silk threads around Pei Jingnian's wispy hair.

Shi Qiao dreamt of the days when she used to chase after Pei Jingnian.

And so, those with clean, unblemished eyes and brows, bathed in sunlight, are always favored.

My heart skipped a beat for half a second.

Shi Qiao, trying to cover up her fear, fanned her face with the tattered map. "Oh, oh, you seem quite scared."

Pei Jingnian's fingertips traced along the gaps between my fingers. "If I say I'm afraid, will you protect me?"

His warm breath tickled her eyelashes.

Shi Qiao's eyes flickered, "Well... it's not impossible."

Pei Jingnian's eyes sparkled, and his lips parted and closed several times.

If I say I'm afraid, will my wife not like me...?

[A timid guy is definitely not my wife's type. What if she loses interest in me?]

But I'd rather die than separate from my wife, sob sob.

Besides, it's not safe for my wife to be alone.

His inner voice struggled incessantly, leaving Shi Qiao feeling dizzy.

She... really doesn't think much of timid guys, always feeling that they're pathetic and not cool at all.

However, if the other party is Pei Jingnian.

It seems that it is not impossible.

"Pei Jingnian," Shi Qiao said quickly, "even if you're really scared, it's okay."

A blush crept up her neck and up to her ears.

How could she have said that!

"No... I mean, everyone has things they're afraid of!"

"Like me, I'm still afraid of thunder and stuff, aren't I?"

As darkness fell, her attempts to draw became increasingly futile.

"There's no hard and fast rule that boys have to be brave, right?"

"So I won't...dislike...or look down on you just because of something like this..." she quickly retorted, biting her tongue in the process.

She talked so much in one breath that she almost suffocated, so she simply turned her back and took several deep breaths.

"Alright, it's about time..."

A sudden warmth enveloped her back, and long, warm arms embraced her tightly from behind. Soft lips lightly touched her neck, letting out a soft kiss.

"Yes, I'm scared."

"Little dog, will you protect me in a little while?"

"I'm terrified."

He pronounced the last four words slowly, the opening and closing of his lips projecting onto her neck, sending a jolt through her skin like an electric current, melting into Shi Qiao's very bones.

The two hearts resonated in unison, yet it felt chaotic.

Honey, I love you so much.

There are even more than yesterday.

Is this a special effort my wife put into comforting me?

Her arms tightened even more, aggressively covering every inch of her exposed skin.

It was as if he wanted to devour her whole.

But my wife is like a little sun; she's so good to everyone.

The thought of my wife being so gentle with other men makes me feel so sad.

If only... this were only done for me.

I want privileges that only I can enjoy.

He couldn't resist kissing her again, his lips slightly parted as he sucked on her delicate skin, his wet tongue, mixed with the heat, penetrating her skin.

The kiss was loud.

Shi Qiao tensed up, and just as Pei Jingnian was about to kiss her again, she quickly blocked his lips between her neck and his.

She gently hooked her other hand around his index finger, and almost forced the next sentence out of her throat:

"I...I don't know what to do when you're scared."

"Holding hands...that should be okay, right?"

The burning sensation on her face was so intense that she couldn't even imagine how red her face would be.

Pei Jingnian visibly froze, his dark eyes suddenly gleaming.

"it is good."

"Honey, honey, does that mean I'm the first one?"

Is this a privilege I only have because I'm afraid?

[My wife has never pampered anyone like this before, right?]

Shi Qiao pulled Pei Jingnian to his feet, saying, "Pei Jingnian, if we don't set off soon, we'll fall too far behind them."

As day turns to night, the moon, hidden behind layers of clouds, finally breaks free from its cage and casts its bright white light.

Their hands were tightly entwined together.

Shi Qiao followed the map and walked into the forest.

That said, Pei Jingnian was indeed much more candid during this trip.

Several times, my thoughts and words were in sync.

Although she had no idea what she had done, she had achieved the effect of making her lips appear subtly upturned.

Her progress is quite good too.

She didn't notice the sweet smile that unconsciously graced her face, and the healthy baby-like curves that puffed out her cheeks.

Furthermore, she and Pei Jingnian voluntarily switched to holding hands.

The two walked deeper into the secluded path.

To prevent Pei Jingnian from being scared, she thoughtfully kept him chatting about random things the whole way.

They could initially rely on the moonlight to discern the path, but the further they went, the denser the bushes became, and the intertwined branches almost completely blocked out most of the light.

Then, under Shi Qiao's unwavering leadership—

They got lost, looking so fresh and lovely.