I really didn’t mean it!

Zhao Dongchuan rode his bicycle with Tian Runye on the back seat, her hands awkwardly unsure where to rest, finally settling on gripping the support frame beneath the seat to maintain balance.

At this time, the roads in the county town were not smooth, with potholes visible here and there, and although Zhao Dongchuan tried his best to maintain balance, the road conditions were truly poor.

Suddenly, a hidden small pit appeared ahead, causing even Zhao Dongchuan, with his superhuman reflexes, to involuntarily jolt his hands. Although he quickly regained his composure, he couldn't avoid stumbling a bit. Tian Runye couldn't help but let out an "Ah!" in fright, and her hands instinctively wrapped around Zhao Dongchuan's waist.

It was only after she recovered that she realized the position of her hands was inappropriate.

This made her extremely embarrassed. Zhao Dongchuan naturally noticed this too, but he couldn't actively bring up such a matter, so he could only remain silent and pretend not to know.

Tian Runye's face suddenly turned red, as if she had a fever, perhaps thinking of something. She suppressed her inner nervousness and unease, quickly withdrew her hands from Zhao Dongchuan's waist, and once again gripped the support frame under the seat.

"Dongchuan, thank you, please let me down. The school is just ahead, I can walk a few steps and I'll be there!" Tian Runye quickly spoke up, seeing that they were nearing the school, asking Zhao Dongchuan to stop.

"You're carrying such a heavy bag, it won't be easy to walk. How about I still take you to the school dormitory?"

"No, no, you still have to go back to Shuangshui Village, don't delay. Otherwise, it'll be too late and unsafe!" Tian Runye quickly said.

Seeing Runye's insistence, Zhao Dongchuan naturally gave up. He also guessed what Runye was worried about; she clearly didn't want people to see him and her arrive at school together, fearing it would cause misunderstandings.

Zhao Dongchuan wasn't afraid, but he understood her concerns. After all, Runye already had enough gossip surrounding her; another "rumor" might make it difficult for her to teach.

"Alright, then I'll be going. You be careful!" Zhao Dongchuan turned his bicycle around and waved goodbye to Tian Runye.

Tian Runye hugged her heavy bag, watching Zhao Dongchuan's receding figure, and couldn't help but be lost in thought for a moment.

But she quickly came to her senses, shook her head, put the bag on her back, and turned to walk towards the school.

She hadn't walked many steps when she heard someone calling her.

"Runye! Runye!"

A woman in a plaid shirt called out to Runye.

This person was a teacher from Runye's school, and they shared a dormitory.

"I saw you from far away and called you, why didn't you answer me!"

Runye apologized, "I'm sorry, I just... I didn't hear you!"

"Just now, I think I saw you on the back seat, holding someone's waist? Was that Li Xiangqian!" The female teacher said with a chuckle.

"Didn't you say you didn't like Li Xiangqian? Why were you riding on his bicycle and holding his waist?"

"No, you must have seen wrong!" Tian Runye naturally couldn't say that person wasn't Li Xiangqian, fearing it would lead to greater trouble, so she flatly denied it!

"My eyesight is good, it was clearly you!"

"Quick, tell me, who was that person?" The female teacher relentlessly pursued Tian Runye with questions.

Tian Runye naturally ignored her!

Seeing that Runye ignored her, the female teacher felt rebuffed and lost interest in asking further questions, so she followed Runye into the school.

Runye secretly breathed a sigh of relief when the female teacher stopped pressing her!

If she hadn't held his waist, she could have said it was her younger brother from the same village, but having held his waist, if she said that, people would certainly not believe her.

"This pit, it's really a trap!" Runye couldn't help but complain about the potholes on the road. She decided she would find a stone later to fill that pit.

Zhao Dongchuan rode his bicycle through the unique mountains and ravines of the yellow earth, and thinking of the scene just now, he couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.

Heaven knows, he really didn't do it on purpose!

That pit was so well hidden, he actually didn't notice it!

He didn't want to fall in love. He had already transmigrated, who would fall in love as a decent person~~

After a bumpy journey, by the time he arrived at Shuangshui Village, it was already past four in the afternoon. Zhao Dongchuan greeted the villagers as he hurried towards his cave dwelling, and on the way, he even ran into Sun Yuting, who was busy writing "slogans."

"Teacher Zhao, you're back!" Sun Yuting, wearing a blue hat, with a strip tied around his waist, carrying a dry tobacco pouch, a lime bucket in one hand and a brush in the other, was greeting him.

"Uncle Yuting, you're busy!"

"Yes, there aren't many people in this village who can write wall characters. If I don't do it, no one will! No rest for the weary!" Sun Yuting said with a smile.

Zhao Dongchuan dismounted his bicycle and pushed it while chatting with Sun Yuting, and soon entered his cave dwelling.

He parked the bicycle in the courtyard and looked inside the house. Having been uninhabited for several days, it was already covered in dust. The yellow earth plateau was indeed dusty.

Zhao Dongchuan drew some water from the watercylinder, took a rag, and began to wipe things down.

He also swept out a floor full of dust, and it took him quite a while to clean it up.

Just as he finished tidying up and was resting on a wooden stool, a tall, thin man walked in from outside the door. He was wearing a polyester work uniform and had a sturdy build. It was Sun Shaoan, whom he hadn't seen for many days.

"Little Zhao, you're back!" Sun Shaoan said with a smile.

"I came back from work and saw your courtyard gate open, so I knew you were back!"

"How is it, what are you doing, going back and forth between Shuangshui Village and Huangyuan City like this?" Sun Shaoan asked, puzzled. He really couldn't understand why someone who worked for the government kept running to the countryside.

"I'm doing all this for you guys..." Zhao Dongchuan inwardly grumbled, looking speechless!

"If it weren't to participate in the plot, to see if I could trigger system missions, and to help these people along the way, he would have long since gone off to explore the world, instead of messing around here!" But he couldn't tell him this, so he could only use the excuse he had given before.

"It's for writing a book. Our Shuangshui Village has many good stories, many events that can be used as material!" Zhao Dongchuan said to Sun Shaoan.

Shaoan nodded, half-understanding, and after a moment of silence, he said, "I'm getting married to Xiulian during the New Year!"

"I heard Shaoping say that you often go to Runye's Second Uncle's house. If you happen to meet..." After a pause, Sun Shaoan continued, "If you happen to meet Runye, please tell her... I... I'm sorry to her, and ask her to find a good family to marry into!"

Sun Shaoan seemed to have mustered a great deal of courage to say this to Zhao Dongchuan.

He had tears in his eyes, his eye sockets red, and slowly stood up. Without waiting for Zhao Dongchuan's reply, he walked out of the courtyard.

He walked step by step, his feet feeling as heavy as if filled with lead.

Seeing this, Zhao Dongchuan could only sigh helplessly...