Disabled Childhood Sweetheart: A Humble Puppy Begs for the Young Lady's Pity

Three months later.

The biting spring rain washed away the winter's chill, and flowers and trees sprouted and unfurled their branches, filling the entire city with vitality.

Starry Technology, President's Office.

Operations Director Li Wei gently placed the "Exploring Ancient Villages" project proposal on her large desk, carefully considering her words before speaking:

"Boss, you've always valued this project the most, this time...aren't you going with the team?"

Zhou Jingchen casually flipped through a few pages, his dark eyes showing little emotion, his voice low and steady:

"No need. You can go. Make sure you don't miss anything that needs to be photographed or recorded."

"Okay, I understand," Li Wei replied, turning around and closing the door behind her as she left.

The office fell silent instantly.

Zhou Jingchen leaned back in the leather seat, his dark gray bespoke suit outlining his tall and slender figure, making his face appear even more handsome and aloof.

The sunlight streamed in through the window, casting soft shadows on his hard jawline and straight nose. Yet, his clear and clean eyes held an unyielding weariness and melancholy.

It's been three months.

She vanished as if she had disappeared into thin air, leaving no trace. She never even returned to the rented little house in Wanxingyuan.

He sent people to install streetlights in the community and even replaced the motion-sensor lights in the stairwells, but she ran away.

Zhou Jingchen slowly pulled open the drawer under his desk, inside which lay a velvet box.

Open it, and a crescent-shaped necklace lies in the center, its chain gleaming with a faint rust.

It turns out that she had been wearing this necklace all along.

Why did she risk her life to jump into the river to retrieve the necklace?

Is this necklace more important than her life?

She said she didn't like Zhou Jingchen, so why does she keep his things and cherish them so much?

The two grew up together and their deep childhood friendship transcended the conventional definitions of kinship or friendship.

He still wasn't sure if Wenxi's feelings for him were only familial or friendly, or... if there were some other feelings involved.

Over the past few months, he racked his brains, thinking it over and over again, and finally cautiously arrived at a definite answer:

Zhou Jingchen was extremely important to Wenxi, more important than her own life.

This single thought was enough to fill his heart with overwhelming joy.

Zhou Jingchen picked up his coffee, took a sip, and casually flipped through the plans on the table.

He was absent-minded and distracted; the densely packed words on the paper pieced together to form the image of a girl.

But now she's nowhere to be found...

The office was quiet, with only the rustling sound of papers turning.

Suddenly, as his gaze swept over the "List of Accompanying Personnel," he was abruptly stunned, his mind going blank for a few seconds.

Seemingly thinking he had misread it, he narrowed his eyes, picked up the document, and brought it closer to examine it—

After a long pause, Zhou Jingchen suddenly let out a low chuckle from deep in his throat.

The melancholy I felt just moments before seemed to be blown away by a sudden gust of wind.

His peach blossom eyes curved into crescents, his thin lips pursed slightly, and his gaze became meaningful.

-

The bumpy bus swayed along the dirt road, and most of the passengers were drowsy, including Wenxi.

Her head was tilted against the car window, bobbing gently with the swaying of the car, as she slept soundly.

Wenxi's height stopped at 1.68 meters. When she was in junior high school, her mother was worried that she wouldn't grow taller. But during her three years of high school, she seemed to have been given hormones and suddenly grew a lot taller.

She wore a simple pink sweatshirt and jeans when she went out. The faded fabric hugged her slender figure, and her beautiful long hair was tied low over her left shoulder with a thin hair tie. Simple, clean, and pretty.

Her long legs were curled up awkwardly in the not-so-spacious seats, already a little sore and numb, so she slightly adjusted her posture.

Nothing particularly noteworthy has happened in the past few months. Wenxi visited her mother a few times, each time arriving at the hospital in Song Xianglin's car, intentionally avoiding someone.

The money I earned from several odd jobs was barely enough to cover my mother's medical expenses.

Jiang Qi broke up with her boyfriend and quit her customer service job. The pay was low, the work was demanding, and her boss liked to bully people. She had a fiery temper and resigned in a fit of anger.

Wenxi initially stayed with her for a month before planning to move out, not wanting to trouble her any further.

But Jiang Qi grabbed her wrist, her eyes wide open:

"Why are you leaving? I live alone and I'm so lonely. You can stay and keep me company."

She refused to accept the rent, so Wenxi had to find another way.

Every day when she goes grocery shopping, she always makes sure to buy extra meat, eggs, and dairy products. Every few days, she brings Jiang Qi some snacks and small accessories, subtly expressing her gratitude in these small daily moments.

That day, the two were having dinner when Jiang Qi suddenly raised her phone, her eyes sparkling with excitement, and asked:

"Little Magpie, is there a high-paying part-time job you'd like to take?"

Wenxi put down her chopsticks: "Hey! Where are you? What are you doing?"

"It's a company my friend works for. Apparently, they're hiring part-time assistants for content gathering in some ancient village. The pay is 300 yuan per day for ten days, room and board included. Shall we go together?"

"Okay." Wenxi smiled and her eyes crinkled.

So the two of them came.

There were about a dozen people on the bus. They were all dressed casually, knowing they were going into a village, and had brought only everyday clothes.

There are three part-time assistants: Wenxi, Jiang Qi, and another boy named Yi Heng.

Although she's called an assistant, she's really a "jack-of-all-trades," handling all sorts of odd jobs and tiring tasks, carrying equipment, organizing documents, assisting staff, and doing everything.

The bus departed from Linshen and traveled for more than six hours before finally arriving at its destination—Yunzhi Ancient Village.

This is a She ethnic village hidden at the border of Fujian and Zhejiang provinces. The Lan clan has lived here for generations, more than 800 years ago.

The village is nestled against the rolling green mountains and faces the babbling Jingxin Creek. Stilted houses are built against the mountainside in a staggered pattern, with black tiles, rammed earth walls, and carved wooden windows with birds and flowers, exuding a rustic and timeless charm.

Wenxi gradually learned about these things from casual conversations among her fellow passengers.

It is said that the ancient art of weaving She brocade is still preserved here. The villagers can make fragrant black glutinous rice, and in their spare time they love to dance lively folk songs. The customs of mountain worship and weddings are also well preserved. Surrounded by mountains and rivers, the area is full of rich She ethnic customs.

Wenxi leaned against the window, gazing at the green hills and clear waters passing by outside, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

This is good too; I can make money and find some peace and quiet at the same time, just like I'm on vacation.

The bus stopped at the village entrance, but couldn't go any further in.

The group, carrying their luggage, got off the bus in twos and threes.

The accommodation was specially arranged by the village chief; it consisted of several empty stilted houses, which were usually used to receive tourists and visiting leaders.

They carried their luggage and followed the village chief.

Moss grows in the cracks of the stone path underfoot, and the stilted houses on both sides are built with locally abundant cedar wood, with exquisite and intricate carvings on the wooden windows.

When the wind blows, the copper bells on the eaves ring out with a clear and melodious sound.

"Wow!" Jiang Qi couldn't help but exclaim, "This is so atmospheric! It's totally capturing the essence of ethnic minority culture!"

Wenxi watched intently, a smile playing on her lips: "Once Mom gets better, I'll definitely bring her here to stay for a few days. The scenery is beautiful, it must be very comfortable."

The rooms in the stilted house were prepared in advance, one room per person, with bamboo beds, neatly folded quilts, and a faint scent of sunshine.

Wenxi went into her room, put down her luggage, stretched, and loosened her muscles that were sore from being curled up in the car.

Before she could even rest for two minutes, she heard Jiang Qi calling her from outside: "Little Magpie! Come on, let's go help move the equipment!"

The three hurried to the village entrance, but the bus had already left, leaving only boxes of various sizes piled up by the roadside.

Several villagers dressed in She ethnic costumes stood around, curiously observing these young outsiders.

Wenxi rolled up her sleeves, about to move a heavy box at her feet, when a hand suddenly reached out and gently stopped her.

"Wenxi, you move this, be gentle."

A handsome young man handed her a small cardboard box, then bent down and easily lifted the large box.

After saying that, he picked up the rather heavy box himself, and the group walked together toward the stilted house where the cameraman lived.

Jiang Qi raised an eyebrow and smiled mischievously, "Handsome, how did you know her name was Wenxi?"

The boy scratched his head and smiled shyly: "I heard it when they called roll just now."

"Then do you know my name?" Jiang Qi pressed.

The boy paused for a moment, then shook his head sheepishly.

Wenxi quickly smoothed things over, smiling at him, "Thank you. May I ask your name?"

"My name is He Li, you can just call me Xiao He." He Li looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome appearance and a gentle and cheerful demeanor when he smiled.

He pointed to another boy next to him who was helping to move things, "Xiao Qi is also from our company."

"My name is Jiang Qi." "I'm Yi Heng." Wen Xi also introduced herself with a smile, "The three of us are part-time assistants."

He Li nodded and walked forward, carrying the box.

Wenxi and the others followed, and she casually asked, "What do you do at the company?"

He Li smiled and said, "Me? I just do odd jobs for the boss. I do whatever he tells me to do."

"So what's the main purpose of your trip to the ancient village?" Jiang Qi leaned closer and asked curiously.

"There's a lot." He Li slowed down and patiently explained, "We're digging into local historical and cultural materials and talking to the elderly in the village and the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage."

It records the origin legends of the village, the stories of family migration, and the background of the construction of these ancient buildings;

In addition, I need to film folk customs, such as panoramic views of the village, architectural details, the daily work of the villagers, and the production process of traditional crafts—all of these must be recorded.

"Wow, this is quite a project." Jiang Qi raised her knees to hold the box in her arms more securely.

Yi Heng, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but ask, "I heard you're from a big company?"

"I guess so." He Li smiled. "Do you know Xinghe Forum? It's our company's website."

"Star River Forum?!" Jiang Qi and Yi Heng exclaimed in unison.

Jiang Qi's eyes widened in surprise. "I refresh it every day! I even have an account! So Xinghe belongs to your company!"

Wenxi hadn't been online much and wasn't familiar with these things, so she just listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

The group carried boxes, walked along the stone path, and passed by stilted houses. When they got tired, they stopped to rest and chatted enthusiastically.

He Li spoke of his boss with great admiration:

"Our boss is amazing. He founded Xinghe Forum when he was in college. He's young, talented, and incredibly handsome..."

While speaking, his eyes would unconsciously drift towards Wenxi.

Jiang Qi looked as if she had just discovered some juicy gossip, and immediately gave a meaningful look.

It took two trips to move all the equipment.

Throughout the entire process, He Li took extra care of the three girls, especially Wen Xi.

Whenever she reached for a heavier box, he would always snatch it away quickly and hand her the lightest one, saying, "You take this one, it's not heavy."

Wenxi felt a little guilty. She was there to work, and she couldn't let the company's employees do the heavy work.

But before she could react, He Li had already picked up the heavy box.

"Teacher, is there anything else I can help you with?" After moving the last box, Wenxi wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at the cameraman in charge of the equipment.

The cameraman was a long-haired man with an artistic style. While tidying up his equipment, he politely thanked Wenxi and the others, saying, "That's all, thank you."

By the time we finished our work, it was nearly evening.

The village arranged for a large pot of food, and everyone sat around a long wooden table, the aroma of the food filling the air.

Wenxi then gradually began to recognize all the people.

The team leader, Sister Li Wei, is decisive and efficient, but she doesn't have any airs of a leader.

Xiao Zhe, who was in charge of taking photos, was the most handsome among the group of boys, and he took pictures everywhere with his camera.

There were also several staff members responsible for scanning and interviewing, all of whom were easy-going young people.

In the time it took to eat a meal, everyone became familiar with each other.

He Li was very gentlemanly. When the village brought out a big pot of black rice, he took the initiative to get up and serve rice to each of the girls, his actions were meticulous and thoughtful.

When dividing the roast chicken, he specifically picked out the biggest chicken leg and put it into the Wenxi bowl.

Wenxi choked on the chili peppers in the dish and coughed twice. A glass of warm water was immediately handed to her.

Jiang Qi saw it all clearly, and couldn't help but nudge Wen Xi with her elbow, muttering in a low voice:

"Hey, don't you think this guy might have a thing for you?"

Wenxi lowered her eyes, used her chopsticks to pick off most of the chicken leg meat, put it into Jiang Qi's bowl, and smiled, "Don't talk nonsense."

Jiang Qi didn't believe it. She scanned the table and found that not only He Li, but also the photographer Xiao Zhe, kept glancing towards Wenxi out of the corner of his eye.

She leaned close to Wenxi's ear and lowered her voice even further: "Sister, being pretty is an asset. They all have eyes for you."

"Why don't you take this opportunity to find a boyfriend? Look at them, they all work for big companies, definitely high-quality men."

Wenxi chuckled: "Why don't you find one for yourself?"

When dinner was over, it wasn't completely dark yet.

At the edge of the distant mountains, the setting sun, like blood, dyed the entire forest a warm orange-red, making everything seem gentle.

Li Wei clapped her hands, signaling everyone not to leave: "Our boss will be here soon, so we'll have a short meeting to assign tasks for the upcoming period."

Everyone responded in unison, "Okay, Sister Wei!"

Not long after, He Li's phone rang.

He answered the phone, responded twice, and stood up, saying, "I'll go to the village entrance to pick you up."

Jiang Qi's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Wen Xi's arm, her voice full of excitement:

"Are they going to pick up their boss? My god, I'm finally going to meet a big shot from the Star River Forum!"

Wenxi smiled and nodded, her eyes crinkling with a gentle glow as the setting sun cast a soft halo on her face, making her exceptionally beautiful.