CHAPTER 476: CHAPTER 463: HOT SPRING SCENERY

Han Qiwu turned around to look.

Xiao Shu was carrying a small backpack and holding two cartons of milk in his hands, enthusiastically waving at Han Qiwu.

"Don’t yell randomly. This is my teacher. Just call her sister," Han Qiwu said, patting Xiao Shu’s head. "This kid’s from the boss of the town’s breeding farm—really clever."

"Huh, this is your teacher? She looks much younger than you! Sister is so pretty, and my older brother is very handsome. You can consider him," Xiao Shu said earnestly, his face full of sincerity as he looked up at her.

"Shoo! Go home and do your homework," Han Qiwu said with a smile. Of course, though he said that, he slipped a big strawberry into Xiao Shu’s hand.

This kid, really getting cheeky these days.

After obediently saying goodbye to brother and sister, Xiao Shu happily bit into the delicious strawberry.

In life, having a sweet mouth can take you far.

After wandering around for a while longer, the sky gradually became overcast, and the wind started picking up. Both of them were wearing short sleeves and shorts, and the chilly air was biting through.

Han Qiwu recalled the weather forecast from yesterday, which had mentioned today’s cloudy skies. He turned and suggested, "Why don’t we head back? It’s getting too windy outside."

"Okay, it’s actually getting a little cold," Tang Qingying said, rubbing her arms lightly.

Han Qiwu took a small blanket off the back of the pony, opened it up, and wrapped Tang Qingying’s upper body with the clean side.

Since there were no buttons on the blanket, he had to hold onto the knotted part with his hand.

"What’s this? Are you packing me up for delivery?" Tang Qingying teased with a playful smile.

Han Qiwu, holding the pony with one hand and gripping the knot with the other, laughed and replied, "In a little while, I’ll ship you back to the city."

"No way! There are rules about that—empty packages aren’t allowed. At the very least, I have to be properly fed before shipping," Tang Qingying said seriously, shaking her head.

"Haha, fine, I’ll make sure you’re well-fed before sending you off."

On the way home, the temperature dropped further, carrying the feel of a late spring chill. By the time they reached the door, Tang Qingying couldn’t help but sneeze several times. After entering the house, she curiously asked, "Hey, Han Qiwu, where’s that hot spring you mentioned before?"

Han Qiwu suddenly remembered and looked out the window before answering, "It’s not far, just behind my backyard. Want to change your clothes while I pack up the food? We can eat with the wooden trays in the hot spring."

"Yes, yes!" Tang Qingying’s eyes lit up immediately upon hearing his suggestion.

Such excitement!

After coming to an agreement, Han Qiwu went into the kitchen to scoop out the braised venison he had been stewing and packed it into a lunchbox. This time, he had specifically added some potatoes while cooking, making the aroma richer and the texture smoother.

As for the rice, since Mr. Tang was here, it had to be the premium dragon-grain rice.

The fragrance was irresistible.

Once everything was ready, Han Qiwu noticed that Mr. Tang wasn’t finished preparing yet, so he used some ingredients around the house to cook a batch of spicy crawfish to snack on later.

As for the small river shrimp he had planned to sauté, he decided to save those for another time since there was already so much food.

Finally, he quietly used a piece of wood to make a large wooden tray for serving. Then he changed into his swim trunks.

All set.

"All done! Anything else you need my help with?" Tang Qingying appeared before Han Qiwu wrapped in a towel.

Luckily, Han Qiwu wasn’t holding the food at that moment; otherwise, he might’ve dropped it all.

He was a little stunned.

Tang Qingying had a great figure—despite being busy with experiments, she never skipped out on exercising. Wrapped in a towel, her presence was all the more alluring.

*Ahem* "No, nothing else. Let’s head out. But first, put this on," Han Qiwu said, handing Tang Qingying a black blindfold.

"Oh, a little mystery, huh?" Tang Qingying snorted lightly before taking the blindfold and covering her eyes.

Han Qiwu picked up the wooden tray with one hand and gently held Tang Qingying’s small hand with the other, slowly leading her toward the hot spring.

When their hands first touched, Tang Qingying instinctively tried to pull hers back. But the next second, remembering that her eyes were blindfolded, she consciously reached out again.

She wasn’t sure why she was acting like this.

If it were before, she would’ve never agreed to be blindfolded or hand-held.

What had changed?

Leading the way, Han Qiwu noticed this too, and a strange ticklish sensation arose in his heart.

To avoid raising Tang Qingying’s suspicion, he deliberately took a detour around the yard for a while.

When they arrived at the hot spring, Han Qiwu reluctantly let go of Tang Qingying’s soft hand.

Before this, he had never imagined that her hand would feel as soft as cotton candy.

Han Qiwu untied Tang Qingying’s blindfold and cheerfully announced, "Alright! Surprise!"

When Tang Qingying opened her eyes, she felt as if she had stepped into a fairyland.

The irregularly shaped hot spring pool was shrouded in thick mist. The faint scent of sulfur in the air wasn’t overwhelming. Nearby, on the wooden tray, spicy crawfish and braised meat-filled lunchboxes were neatly placed. Beside them, a small bag held four onsen eggs, and there were two bottles of warm milk afloat on the edge.

"Wow!"

Tang Qingying turned to Han Qiwu with sparkling eyes, feeling an urge to give him a hug.

"The water isn’t too hot, but you should adapt to it slowly," Han Qiwu said with a warm smile. Seeing Tang Qingying’s reaction filled him with satisfaction.

"I’ll go in first," Tang Qingying said as she walked to the stone platform, removed her towel, and set it aside. She was wearing a two-piece swimsuit that perfectly outlined her flawless figure.

Amid the rising mist, Han Qiwu felt as if he were looking at a goddess from the heavens.

She was breathtaking.

Wearing a swimsuit for the first time in front of Han Qiwu, Tang Qingying sneaked a glance at his dumbfounded expression, feeling quite pleased with herself. However, soon after, she felt shy and quickly hid herself in the mist after testing the water temperature.

After staying in the water for a while, she noticed Han Qiwu still dazed on the shore. Helplessly laughing, she called out, "What are you staring at? Aren’t you cold? Get in and grab some food already!"

"Oh, right," Han Qiwu snapped out of it, let out an awkward laugh, and quickly stripped down before sliding into the water, floating lazily.

The hot spring pool wasn’t too big, so even with Han Qiwu and Tang Qingying sitting on opposite sides, their feet occasionally brushed against each other.

After a few minutes of soaking, Tang Qingying couldn’t hold back any longer.

"How about we eat? The hot spring is making me even hungrier."

Han Qiwu couldn’t help laughing. "Go ahead and eat, but don’t blame the hot spring for it." He grabbed two bottles of milk and passed one to Tang Qingying, saying, "Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

After taking a small sip of milk, Tang Qingying eagerly scooped up a big bite of the braised meat and rice and took a mouthful.

"Ahh, this is so delicious! The rice is amazing!"

"If it’s good, eat more," Han Qiwu said, peeling one of the onsen eggs he had placed in earlier that morning with perfect timing.

He cracked open the onsen egg and poured it over Tang Qingying’s bowl of braised meat and rice. "Try it like this."

Without waiting for him to finish, Tang Qingying scooped up a big spoonful of the egg-covered braised meat and rice and stuffed it into her mouth.

The already delicious braised meat and rice reached a new level with the addition of the onsen egg. The flavors layered and the texture became even silkier. The rich egg flavor blended with the savory meat, creating a bite of pure bliss.

Seeing Tang Qingying enjoying her meal so much, Han Qiwu smiled and peeled a crawfish, handing it to her. "Try the crawfish too."

"Sure!" Tang Qingying opened her mouth to accept the crawfish meat.

Such happiness!