CHAPTER 360: CHAPTER 353: TROUBLE ARRIVES

Chen Zhuzi’s complexion didn’t look good; standing up, he said, "It’s fine if you stay, but let me be clear, if something happens to you, don’t blame me for not warning you!"

Chen Zhuzi turned and walked towards the door, and when he stepped over the threshold, he looked back and added, "Let me remind you again, it’d be better for these pretty girls to go out less."

After Chen Zhuzi returned to their own room, his words caused both Li Anqi and Song Mengshi to panic, their faces slightly pale.

Zhu Yunxiu also looked quite distraught and asked with unease, "What does Master Chen mean? Professor Ma, should we leave this place?"

Li Anqi and Song Mengshi also expressed their fears, and the three beautiful girls showed a pitiable demeanor, triggering a strong protective instinct in the male classmates, each one ready to play the hero.

"Li Anqi, Song Mengshi, Zhu Yunxiu, don’t worry, with so many male classmates here, even if something happens, we will protect you."

"Yes, nothing will go wrong, I think that Master Chen is just trying to scare us."

"Relax, I’ve trained in martial arts; if there really are bad guys, I’ll take them down with just a few punches and kicks."

....

The male students talked over each other, which eased the minds of Li Anqi and Song Mengshi a bit, and they showed gratitude on their faces, timidly saying, "We’re lucky to have you guys here!"

The male students felt exceedingly warm inside, finding Li Anqi and Song Mengshi to be so endearing. Though they weren’t as attractive as He Sisi and Shangguan Feifei, their disposition was sweet, and they spoke so charmingly!

Zhu Yunxiu still felt unsettled, and Sisi whispered to her, "These days, don’t go anywhere alone, try to stay close to Feifei and me."

"Sisi, Feifei, thank you," said Zhu Yunxiu with appreciation.

"And the same to you, Ah Liu, don’t stray from us," Sisi turned her head to remind Mo Liu.

Mo Liu’s face flushed as he replied softly, "I’m not a girl, so there’s no need to worry."

"Some men might fancy someone like you."

Shangguan said this with all seriousness, but the comment sounded off no matter how you heard it, and Zhu Yunxiu’s face turned red in an instant. Sisi wanted to laugh, but fearing Mo Liu might feel embarrassed, she could only hold back.

Suddenly, Mo Liu’s face turned deathly pale, his eyes vacant, sweat beading on his forehead, and his body trembled slightly.

"Ah Liu, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Sisi’s words snapped Mo Liu back to reality. He quickly regained his composure and said vaguely, "It’s nothing," before hastily leaving.

There was definitely something wrong. Sisi squinted at Mo Liu heading outside, perhaps Mo Liu had recalled something unpleasant? Sisi had some thoughts, but she didn’t dwell on them, not wanting to probe too deeply.

Upon exiting the room, Mo Liu took a deep breath of the fresh air outside and felt a bit better. He found it strange, what had just happened? It was as if some scene had flashed before his eyes, but it was too blurry to see clearly.

What exactly is it? Mo Liu had many questions in his heart. Over the years, there have always been some hazy images flashing through his mind, mixed with the painful cries of a little boy.

Who is this little boy? Why does he cry so painfully? Why does he always appear in Mo Liu’s dreams?

Mo Liu sighed helplessly.

In the following days, Professor Ma took them to do landscape painting in the mountains. The six waterfalls of Lupan Gorge were not all located in the same place, with the first and second falls being the most outward, while the other four were inside the mountains at some distance. The sixth waterfall, the furthest inside, was the most magnificent.

Three days passed, calm and peaceful, not a single incident occurred. Liu Xuelian, who never learned her lesson, began to speak sarcastically again, "I told you, in these peaceful times, what could possibly happen? Truly a case of being timid as a mouse!"

"Yes, indeed. If we had listened to some people’s suggestions and left this place for somewhere else, how could we have captured such beautiful scenery?" Song Xuelian couldn’t stand the silence either.

"Alright, everyone, let’s say less. He Sisi was also concerned about everyone’s safety. Let’s finish painting the third waterfall quickly, and we can move on to the fourth waterfall tomorrow. I heard there’s a large field of wild lilies below the fourth fall!"

Chang Yun Huan asserted his authority as squad leader and feigned concern for Sisi, which only made Sisi dislike him even more.

"Wow, wild lilies! What a pity it’s not their blooming season."

Song Meng Shi exclaimed exaggeratedly at first, then showed an expression of regret.

Chang Yun Huan smiled and said in a mysterious tone, "It’s not certain, though. I think the flowering period for wildflowers in the valley should be quite long. Didn’t ancient sayings also state, ’Though the fragrant flowers of April have withered in the world, peach blossoms in the mountain temple start to bloom’?"

"Right, Squad Leader Chang, you really know a lot!"

Song Meng Shi’s admiring look made Chang Yun Huan quite pleased. The frustration he had felt recently because of Sisi seemed to have eased now, proving to himself that he was still very charming; Sisi had only been an accident.

Although Chang Yun Huan wasn’t all that great, what he said did indeed turn out to be true. Below the fourth waterfall, there was indeed a vast expanse of wild lilies—red, white, yellow, pink—dense and dazzling, in full bloom, incredibly beautiful.

The majestic waterfall cascaded down, resembling an inverted Milky Way, and the air was filled with a mist of water droplets. Below the waterfall lay a valley of beautiful lilies, with ethereal mist swirling around—perhaps even a heavenly paradise couldn’t compare.

Everyone picked up their paintbrushes and focused on their artwork, carefully capturing the beautiful scene before them.

Before they knew it, noon had passed, and everyone reluctantly put away their paintbrushes. Sisi took out her camera and started taking photos with Shangguan and others. Some classmates also brought cameras; they took turns taking pictures for one another, creating a lively atmosphere.

On the way back, the classmates were all in high spirits, still discussing the beauty of the fourth waterfall they had just witnessed. As they approached the entrance of the village, three laughing and joking men came toward them.

The three men had a bit of a ruffian air, and their appearances were rough looking. The one on the left was tall and burly, with a fierce-looking face, squinty eyes which were slightly crossed, wearing a military green shirt with none of the buttons done up, revealing a strong chest, and dense black chest hair.

Another one was thin and sallow, with sharp features and a short stature, probably didn’t have even a bowlful of flesh on him if one tidied him up thoroughly.

The third one looked somewhat more normal, at least resembling a human, but he was too fat and not very tall, slightly better than Huang Debiao—a winter melon that’s just a bit longer.

These three were Jin San, Chen Liu, and Ma Lao Si. Chen Liu was the one with crossed eyes, Jin San had the sharp monkey features, and Ma Lao Si was the long winter melon. They had pulled off a big job the night before and were in a great mood!

The three were on their way to Widow Hu’s house in the village. Widow Hu had two daughters, and Jin San and his friends were regular visitors to them and their mother.