Era: Rise from the Wilderness

Lu Ruoxi's eyes crinkled into crescents as she ate: "This meal was so worthwhile!"

"Of course! I won't go wrong with the location!"

Li Yunjing let out a burp, picked his teeth with a toothpick, and said with a smile.

After finishing her meal, Lü Ruoxi took out five yuan from her small wallet with a cartoon pattern to pay the bill.

Spicy diced pork was 2.5 yuan, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar was 0.8 yuan, two bowls of rice were 0.4 yuan, and two bottles of soda were 1 yuan, totaling 4.7 yuan. The proprietress gave me 0.3 yuan in change.

"Come on, I'll take you to a nice place."

Li Yunjing said mysteriously.

"Where?"

Lu Ruoxi asked curiously.

Never mind that, just come with me!

Li Yunjing shook his head and did not answer.

The two pushed their bicycles away from the entrance of Ma Ji Stir-fry.

The midday sun was so intense it made people dizzy, and there were hardly any pedestrians on the streets.

"Where are we going?"

Lu Ruoxi asked curiously.

You'll know when you get there.

Li Yunjing kept it a secret.

He led the way, riding north of the town.

After crossing several streets, a concrete bridge appeared ahead.

This is the main passage connecting the north and south of the town. Under the bridge is not a river, but a waterway leading to the sea.

Seawater flows in during high tide and flows back into the sea during low tide.

After parking the bicycle at the bridgehead, Li Yunjing led Lü Ruoxi to the center of the bridge.

The bridge railings are made of cement and have been worn smooth by the years.

"Look down."

He pointed to the water under the bridge.

Lu Ruoxi carefully leaned over the railing and looked down.

The midday sun shines directly on the water's surface, allowing you to clearly see a meter below.

Sure enough, schools of fathead fish were swimming in the water, each one as long as a hand and with a round body.

"This is a bighead carp!"

Li Yunjing explained from the side, "This kind of fish has plump and delicious flesh, and it's best eaten braised in soy sauce or stir-fried in oil."

As they were talking, an even bigger fish swam by slowly, as long as a child's forearm.

Lü Ruoxi exclaimed in surprise, "It's so big!"

"This one must weigh at least a pound."

Li Yunjing estimated, "If we can catch one, it'll be enough to make a big pot of fish soup."

The two leaned on the railing and watched the fish for a long time.

Schools of bighead carp darted through the shadows of the bridge piers, with one or two occasionally leaping out of the water, flashing a dark, glistening light in the sunlight.

How did you know about this place?

"I asked Lu Ruoxi."

"I come here often."

Li Yunjing said, "Later we'll go down from the bridge and go straight in to catch fish. It's much better than using a fishing rod!"

He paused, then added, "It's a pity we didn't bring a net. Otherwise, with nets at both ends and a barrier in the middle, our small buckets wouldn't be enough; we could have caught at least twenty or thirty pounds!"

"I've discovered you know everything!"

As Lü Ruoxi imagined that scene, she couldn't help but laugh.

Sunlight shone on her face, and her eyelashes cast delicate shadows on her cheeks.

"Of course, dear Miss Lü, please call me the know-it-all!"

Li Yunjing held Lü Ruoxi's hand and carefully walked to the bridgehead.

There is a gentle slope leading down to the bottom of the bridge, but the slope is very steep and covered with slippery moss in many places.

"I'll get off first, you follow me."

As Li Yunjing spoke, he put the plastic bucket in his mouth, grabbed the rocks on the shore with both hands, and slowly moved downhill.

He moved with practiced ease and quickly descended to the bottom of the bridge, which was more than two meters deep.

The muddy ground beneath my feet was slippery, mixed with tiny seashells and weeds.

"Get down!"

After regaining his footing, he looked up and shouted, "Slow down!"

Lu Ruoxi peered down from the bridgehead, a little scared: "It's too high..."

"Don't be afraid, I'll catch you."

Li Yunjing opened his arms wide, "Step on that protruding rock, yes, that one."

Lü Ruoxi took a deep breath and slowly climbed down, imitating him.

Her feet, clad in sneakers, tentatively explored the rocks, her fingers gripping tightly against the cracks.

Sunlight shone from behind her, gilding her with a golden edge.

"Yes, take your time..."

Li Yunjing looked up at her from below, staring at her intently.

Just as Lü Ruoxi was about to take the last step, the stone beneath her feet suddenly loosened!

"what!"

She gasped in surprise and lost her balance.

Li Yunjing reacted quickly, stepping forward and catching her steadily in his arms.

The immense force forced him back half a step, but he managed to hold on tightly with both arms.

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

Lu Ruoxi pressed her entire body against Li Yunjing's chest, and could clearly hear his strong heartbeat.

The boy's chest was firm and warm, and he carried a faint smell of sweat and the salty tang of the sea breeze.

Her face flushed bright red, and she didn't know what to do with her hands.

Li Yunjing was also stunned.

The girl in his arms was soft and light, her hair brushing against his chin, bringing a fresh fragrance.

This was the first time he had held Lü Ruoxi so closely since his rebirth!

No, it's the first time in two lifetimes.

The two embraced in the shadows beneath the bridge, neither moving.

The sound of the flowing water under the bridge faded into the distance; only the pounding of our heartbeats echoed in our ears.

Several seconds passed before Li Yunjing reacted and gently released his hand: "Are you alright?"

"N-nothing..."

Lu Ruoxi hurriedly stood up straight, lowered her head to straighten her clothes, and the tips of her ears turned bright red.

A subtle atmosphere permeated the air.

Li Yunjing coughed lightly, bent down to pick up the plastic bucket that had fallen to the ground: "Um... the fish seem to be..."

"What are you wearing in your pants?"

Before she could finish speaking, Lü Ruoxi suddenly pointed to his side: "It's rock hard."

Li Yunjing was stunned for a moment, then realized that he had acted impulsively just now!

I lost my composure a bit when we were hugging just now.

"Oh, this..."

His face flushed red, and he subconsciously bent over, letting his loose undershirt cover it. "It's...it's a stick, for self-defense."

This explanation was obviously a bit far-fetched, but Lü Ruoxi didn't investigate it further.

She just stared curiously at Li Yunjing's reddened ears, feeling a little strange.

It's just a stick, isn't it?

Why are you still embarrassed?

"Let's just slack off."

Li Yunjing quickly changed the subject, stepping into the water first. "Look, the fish are all back!"

Sure enough, the fish that had been startled earlier slowly gathered back together.

Schools of bighead carp swam around the bridge piers, their silvery-white scales shimmering in the sunlight.

Li Yunjing took off his sandals, rolled up his trousers, squatted down, and slowly put his hands into the water.

The water was so clear that you could see the fish swimming around.

He held his breath, aimed at a plump bighead carp, and slammed his hands together!

"Splash!"

Splashes of water!

The fish slipped through his fingers, its tail splashing water all over his face.

"puff……"

Lü Ruoxi couldn't help but laugh out loud, "You can't do this either!"

"Mistake, mistake."

Li Yunjing wiped his face and continued trying, still unconvinced.

This time he was much more careful, like a heron hunting for food, his whole body almost lying on the water's surface.

Seize the opportunity and strike with lightning speed!

caught!

A palm-sized fathead fish struggled desperately in his hand, its tail slapping the water's surface and splashing up a spray.