The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 202: Embrace

This was the first time Sang Luo ventured deep into the mountains alone with Shen Lie, heading into areas rarely visited by others.

With a clear goal—not hunting—they focused on following animal tracks, avoiding other wildlife, and specifically searching for sheep.

Without needing to look out for others, Shen Lie’s attention, apart from safety, was mostly on Sang Luo. In the winter, there were still edible plants to forage in the mountains, especially in these untouched areas. However, Shen Lie only took what they needed for the journey.

This felt very different from previous trips, which were all about finding food. Now, it was more about resonating with the forest, reminding Sang Luo of the awe she felt the first time she saw Yun Valley.

By mid-afternoon, as dusk approached, they found a suitable place to rest. They hunted a pheasant to roast, threw a few pieces of yam into the fire, and Shen Lie took some water from a bamboo tube to wash a few jujubes they had picked along the way, handing them to Sang Luo.

Sang Luo took the jujubes, smiling.

Having someone like Shen Lie by her side, if there weren’t any worries about random people disrupting their peace in the inner parts of the mountains, this life would actually be quite good.

By evening, they had spotted a deer in the distance, but still no signs of mountain goats. Shen Lie began searching for a place to stay the night. They found a small cave, and Shen Lie, skilled in building shelters, quickly set to work with Sang Luo’s help. Before nightfall, they had not only made a door but also burned the ground inside the cave for cleanliness, spread thick layers of cattail grass, and placed two wolf pelts—one as a mat, the other as a cover. They built a stone ring to contain a fire, making the cave both comfortable and warm.

Shen Lie used the branches and leaves cut for the door to create a barrier outside the wooden door, providing good concealment and an obstacle. Once everything was settled, he let Sang Luo rest while he prepared to lay some cattail grass at the cave entrance.

Sang Luo watched and suddenly said, “Don’t you find it cold with the wind blowing in?”

She moved inward and patted the spot beside her, “I’ll share half the space. I’ll use the other wolf pelt to cover us. You’ll be close to the fire and won’t be cold, right?”

Shen Lie was taken aback. Cold? He quickly shook his head, “Not cold.”

The cave was quite small, just a few steps to the wolf pelts. One pelt wasn’t very wide—ample for one person but cramped for two. Shen Lie spread the cattail grass along the edge of the bed to make a bit more room, then sat down on the outer side, his heart pounding.

Sang Luo stared at him for a while, clearly seeing his Adam’s apple bob nervously as he sat upright, even breathing cautiously.

Suddenly, she felt a mischievous urge. Leaning slightly toward him, she asked, “Shen Lie, are you nervous?”

Shen Lie instinctively leaned back a little but stopped himself. The proximity made his Adam’s apple movement even more noticeable.

At twenty-eight, or rather twenty-nine, Sang Luo found it hard to look away.

His brows, eyes, nose, lips, jaw—half-illuminated by the fire, were even more defined and… tempting.

How many times had she wanted to taste them?

With the two of them so close, Sang Luo didn’t know if her breathing had slowed or quickened. She only knew that, at this moment, she seemed to be seized by desire.

Looking at Shen Lie, their gazes intertwined, and she couldn’t look away. As the deep affection and heat in his eyes became more evident and his breathing heavier, he inched closer. Sang Luo finally realized what was happening and moved back.

Seventeen years old, she reminded herself, still a month shy of eighteen.

She cleared her throat to cover her fluster, “Let’s sleep early.”

Then she quickly lay down, wrapping the wolf pelt around her.

As she turned her back to Shen Lie, she realized what she had almost done—she had nearly given in to her urge to taste those perfectly shaped lips.

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears.

With Sang Luo moving away, Shen Lie felt a sudden emptiness. His breathing grew heavy as he turned to look at Sang Luo. From his angle, he could only see half of her face, eyes closed, her long lashes visible.

Did she just… Shen Lie’s Adam’s apple bobbed. Was it just his imagination?

A mix of emptiness, disappointment, and a blossoming joy intertwined and clashed within him.

He lay down carefully, initially on his back, but his mind was filled with the earlier moment when their gazes met. His thoughts were entirely on Sang Luo, unable to resist for long. Initially, he glanced sideways at her, then gradually turned his body toward her.

“Ah Luo.”

He tentatively called out softly.

Sang Luo’s eyelashes fluttered. Pretending to sleep felt too childish, so she simply opened her eyes and turned slightly to respond.

“You just now…” Shen Lie, inexperienced in matters of the heart, hesitated, unable to articulate more than the beginning of his question.

Sang Luo’s lips curved up. Following her heart, she turned to face Shen Lie, lying on her side with a smile in her eyes. She raised her hand, her fingertips hovering near his lips before gently pressing them.

Hmm, craving your allure.

She didn’t say it aloud, but Shen Lie somehow understood. His breathing became noticeably heavier.

The scene from his dreams materialized, only with the roles reversed. His chest heaved, his hand lifted slightly. Before he could react further, Sang Luo moved closer, matching his action, resting her cheek near his shoulder.

“Shen Lie, when the time is right.”

Some things, once you start, become hard to stop.

The voice was soft, yet incredibly tender, so gentle it made one’s heart tremble. Her cheek lightly pressed against his neck, making Shen Lie feel as if he was holding the entire world in his arms.

His half-raised hand slowly descended, gently and cautiously resting on Sang Luo. Seeing that she did not push him away, he carefully embraced her, his heart swelling to the point of bursting with emotion.

Summoning some unknown courage, he lowered his head slightly, almost touching her hair, and softly asked, “Ah Luo, you like me too, don’t you?”

Just a bit closer, and he could kiss her.

Sang Luo chuckled softly, reached out, and hugged him. A barely-there warmth seemed to brush against his neck as she said, “Goodnight.”