Chapter 460 - 252: The Winter Vacation Battleground Is Coming??

Chapter 460: Chapter 252: The Winter Vacation Battleground Is Coming??

The two of them got busy on the lawn.

There were lots of fallen leaves—a mix of ginkgo and smoketree—blanketing the ground.

Wen Wan used a broom to sweep the fallen leaves into piles, and Jiang Sifan bagged them up.

While they were working, Wen Wan suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky.

"What is it?" Jiang Sifan asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking how blue the sky is." Wen Wan smiled. "You spend so much time in the city, you forget what a truly blue sky looks like."

Jiang Sifan glanced up as well.

The sky really was blue—a pure, clean blue, with a few white clouds drifting lazily by.

"If you like it, we can come every week," Jiang Sifan said, then added, "Besides, we have to come work every week anyway."

Wen Wan laughed and went back to sweeping.

After they finished pulling weeds, they tilled the soil along the flowerbeds and gave everything a good watering.

Wen Wan made several trips back and forth with the water bucket. Sweat beaded on her forehead, plastering her bangs to her skin.

Jiang Sifan glanced at her, then pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her. "For your sweat."

Wen Wan took it, dabbed her forehead, and handed it back. "You too. You’ve got sweat on your face."

Jiang Sifan took the tissue, gave his face a quick wipe, and went back to work.

Just then, there was a stir at the entrance of the main house.

Lu Fan came down from the second floor. He was wearing a set of dark loungewear, and his hair was uncombed and messy, but he seemed to be in good spirits.

He stood in the doorway, observing the two of them working on the lawn for a moment before nodding.

Lu Fan walked over. He surveyed the clean lawn and tidy flowerbeds, then glanced at the dirt on their hands and the sweat on their faces. He nodded again, his tone even. "Not bad. You’re thorough."

Jiang Sifan looked at him, still a little uncomfortable. "I owe you money. I have to work to pay it back."

Lu Fan didn’t respond to that. He stood on the lawn for a moment longer, then said, "The roses need to be fertilized. Remember to bring some fertilizer next week."

Watching his retreating back, Wen Wan whispered, "Is that Uncle Lu’s way of... trying to make conversation with you?"

Jiang Sifan just gave an awkward laugh and didn’t reply.

At two in the afternoon, they finished cleaning their tools and returned them to the shed.

Old Luo packed a bag of oranges for them, saying they were grown on the manor’s trees and that they should take them back to school to eat.

Wen Wan tried to decline, but Old Luo insisted, saying that if they didn’t take them, it would mean they were looking down on him.

Wen Wan had no choice but to accept, thanking him with a smile.

On the bus ride back to school, Wen Wan leaned against the window, cradling the bag of oranges.

Jiang Sifan sat beside her, dozing with his eyes closed. His head bobbed a few times before finally coming to rest on Wen Wan’s shoulder.

Wen Wan didn’t move, letting him rest there.

It was almost four o’clock by the time they got back to school.

The two of them had a bowl of wonton soup at a small eatery near the school gate.

Jiang Sifan checked his phone, then walked Wen Wan back to her dorm.

Then, at seven o’clock that evening, he arrived punctually at He Lingyi’s house.

He Lingyi answered the door. She was wearing pink loungewear with her hair down, and she smiled. "You’re here? Come on in."

Jiang Sifan changed into a pair of slippers and walked into the living room.

On the coffee table sat a fruit platter, snacks, and two cups of milk tea.

Aunt Zhang poked her head out from the kitchen, greeting him with a smile. "Xiaojiang, you’re here! Have you eaten? I made some braised pork ribs; I’ll bring some out for you two in a little while."

"I’ve already eaten, Aunt Zhang. Thank you," Jiang Sifan replied politely.

He followed He Lingyi into her bedroom, sat down, and took out his textbook and notebook.

He Lingyi sat down as well, settling in close beside him.

"What are we studying today?" He Lingyi asked, tilting her head as she took a sip of her milk tea.

"Derivatives. Did you understand what we covered last time?" Jiang Sifan asked, opening his textbook.

"I understood some of it, but I couldn’t do the last few problems." He Lingyi put down her milk tea, took out her workbook, flipped to a dog-eared page, and pushed it in front of him.

Jiang Sifan looked at the problems, picked up a pen, and began writing out the steps on a piece of scratch paper, explaining as he went.

He Lingyi leaned closer to watch, and a strand of her hair fell and brushed against the back of his hand.

He discreetly shifted his hand to the side and continued his explanation.

After about half an hour, He Lingyi said she was tired and wanted to take a short break.

She leaned back on the sofa, hugging a throw pillow. She watched Jiang Sifan for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Brother Sifan, when does your winter break start?"

Jiang Sifan put down his pen and thought for a moment. "Probably mid-January. As soon as exams are over."

"So, are you going straight back to Yangcheng for the break?"

"Yeah, back to Yangcheng."

He Lingyi nodded, her eyes shifting thoughtfully. "Is Yangcheng fun? I’ve never been. I hear they have a lot of great food."

Jiang Sifan smiled. "It’s pretty nice. There’s definitely a lot to eat. Dim sum, roast goose, claypot rice... it’s all delicious."

He Lingyi sat up straight, a wide grin on her face. "In that case, can I come visit you in Yangcheng for winter break? I’ll just stay for a few days, book my own hotel. You can just show me around."

Jiang Sifan’s smile froze.

Seeing his reaction, her brows furrowed slightly, and her tone took on a pouting quality. "What’s wrong? You don’t want me to come?"

"It’s not that..." Jiang Sifan scratched his head. "It’s just... I might be a little busy during the break."

"Busy with what?" He Lingyi pressed.

Jiang Sifan hesitated. "Lingyi, you really want to come?"

"Of course! I’ve been wanting to go to Yangcheng for ages," she said, already pulling out her phone to search. "Mid-January, right? I’ll look at flights now."

Jiang Sifan opened his mouth, wanting to say something but not knowing what.

「After the lesson.」

Jiang Sifan stepped out of the apartment building into the chilly night air.

He pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt, shoved his hands in his pockets, and started walking toward the school.

The streetlights stretched his shadow out long before him. He walked with his head down, his thoughts in a jumble.

’He Lingyi says she’s coming to Yangcheng... What will Wen Wan think when she finds out?’

He didn’t know.

All he knew was that he’d cross that bridge when he came to it.