Chapter 121

"How did you know?" Mr. Weting meant, how did Eva know his former title?

Eva did not answer directly. Instead, she circled him a few times before saying, "Look at you—your attire: a white shirt with a pleated collar, a black vest, black tight-fitting breeches, a pair of white silk stockings, small black leather shoes, and that curled ponytail at the back of your head. From head to toe, you are dressed like a medieval aristocrat. It isn't hard to guess your status. Plus, you really are a Count! So, calling you 'My Lord Count' is perfectly correct!"

As Eva spoke, the corners of Mr. Weting’s mouth twitched more and more noticeably. Finally, he lowered his head, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Eva watched him, puzzled. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Yu Wenxi spoke up then, his tone somewhat stiff, as if he were suppressing something. "No, Eva, you are quite right. Let’s go now." Without waiting for Mr. Weting, who stood there, or acknowledging the still-confused Eva, he pulled her away.

The dense forest stretched to the end of a path that disappeared from sight. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches, falling in dappled patches on the path and on the shoulders of Yu Wenxi and Eva, while the melodic chirping of birds echoed intermittently.

"Oh?" Eva exclaimed, looking at the surrounding scenery. "When did we get out here?"

Yu Wenxi shook his head and smiled. "We’ve been out for a while. Look," he said, gesturing behind them, "the castle is already far behind us."

Eva followed the direction of his finger and realized they had indeed walked quite a distance.

"By the way, what was up with the Count just now?" Eva returned to the question she had been pondering.

"It was nothing. His shoulders were probably stiff, so he was loosening them up. You know, when people get to a certain age, they aren't as energetic as they once were," Yu Wenxi said with a straight face.

Eva looked at him, half-doubting, but Yu Wenxi met her gaze with complete seriousness, not flinching at all.

"I see. I suppose we should let the Count rest more often in the future," Eva said, feeling relieved that there was no suspicious expression on Yu Wenxi’s face.

Yu Wenxi’s lips curled into a happy smile, his spirits lifted.

Back in the castle, Mr. Weting, who was reading a magazine and drinking coffee on the living room sofa, suddenly let out a massive sneeze.

He puzzledly brushed the curls from his forehead, wondering, *Could I have caught a cold? But it’s summer!* Unable to figure it out, he returned to his magazine.

"Father, are you feeling unwell?" Avril asked with concern as she happened to come downstairs just as he sneezed. She walked with a lady’s grace and sat on the sofa opposite him.

Mr. Weting glanced at her, then lowered his head, flipping through the magazine as he asked seemingly casually, "How have you two been getting along lately?"

Avril picked up a newspaper from the stone table and flipped through it as well, answering, "We went rowing on the Thames yesterday. We just chatted a bit."

"Anything special?"

"No."

"What is his view on the marriage?"

"On the day the engagement was announced, he wanted to call it off in public," Avril said, turning a page.

"And now? Does he still feel the same?" Mr. Weting closed his magazine, set it on the table, and picked up another.

"Yes, I believe so. He mentioned it while we were on the lake."

"What do you plan to do next?"

"Just keep dragging it out for now, and finish our own business first."

"Do you think he will just sit by passively?" Mr. Weting finally looked up, eyeing her with a wry smile.

"He will," Avril replied, looking up from her newspaper. She smiled gently at Mr. Weting with a meaningful look.

"You are truly my daughter," Mr. Weting said, one eyebrow arched with a smile.

"Father is too kind; I am unworthy of such praise," Avril said, modestly lowering her head.

Mr. Weting suddenly lost his smile, his expression reflecting a mix of nostalgia and confusion. "Have you been studying Chinese culture all this time?"

Avril looked up at him, then lowered her head again, answering in a steady tone, "Yes, Father."

"I see." Mr. Weting only uttered a single word before falling silent, seemingly lost in a distant memory. Seeing this, Avril said nothing more and quietly rose, leaving the space to him.

In the woods behind the castle, two shadows moved—one skipping ahead, the other following with a steady gait. In the distance, the sound of flowing water could be heard.

"Wow, there really is a creek here! The water is so clear." Following the sound, Eva quickly found the stream. She ran over, eagerly cupped a handful of water, and called out happily.

Watching her joy, Yu Wenxi smiled indulgently and walked to her side, looking at the water.

"I told you. Since this creek is entirely within the Weting estate, outsiders don't usually come here, which is why it has remained so pristine."

"Yes, in today’s society, people are so obsessed with 'progress' that they have long forgotten the beauty and purity of nature. To still have such a natural environment where we live is a great stroke of luck."

"Indeed," Yu Wenxi sighed.

Eva could clearly see Yu Wenxi’s reflection in the water. He had a pair of sea-blue eyes she loved, which looked exceptionally clear in the stream. Suddenly, she frowned. Why did the image in the water blur?

It seemed as though a flash of golden light had passed through!

Such a familiar color!

And that figure that suddenly appeared!

Who was it? Who was that?

A breeze passed, ripples spread across the surface, and the figure vanished, leaving only the clear reflection of Yu Wenxi.

Eva was puzzled. Perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her. Deciding not to dwell on it, she waited until Yu Wenxi was distracted, then quietly scooped up a handful of water and splashed it toward him.

With a splash, Yu Wenxi’s white shirt was soaked through, revealing the hint of his wheat-colored skin beneath.

"Hahaha!" Eva laughed triumphantly.

Yu Wenxi felt the sudden chill on his chest, followed by the sound of her silver-bell laughter. Watching her, he smiled helplessly.

He then scooped up some water and splashed it back at her, but he aimed only at her legs. He didn't dare splash her upper body or head, fearing she might catch a cold.

"Hey, why are you so boring? The whole point of a water fight is to get soaked! Splashing only my legs is no fun at all!" Unable to stand his "gentle" tactics any longer, Eva offered her "instruction."

"Eva, you can't. You haven't fully recovered yet. If you get too wet, you'll catch a cold!" Yu Wenxi said with unyielding seriousness.

"But this is no fun!" Eva pouted, very dissatisfied.

Seeing her unhappy, Yu Wenxi felt a pang of regret. He thought for a moment and said, "How about this? I’ll teach you how to catch fish, and later we can roast them."

"Catching fish? Roasting them?" Eva looked at him with skepticism. With his refined appearance, he looked like a pampered young master—she couldn't believe he would do such "lowly" work.

Seeing her expression, Yu Wenxi knew what she was thinking. He felt a bit helpless, but what could he do? It wasn't his fault he was handsome! He would just have to prove it with action.

Yu Wenxi found some branches on the bank, sharpened the tips with a small knife, and then, with the branch in hand, he took off his shoes and socks and rolled up his trousers. To Eva’s surprise, he stepped into the water.

"You—" Eva started to ask, but he interrupted.

"Shh—" Yu Wenxi gestured for silence. He turned his gaze toward the clear water, focusing intently, waiting for the fish.

Eva watched him for a while. Seeing how serious he was, she became interested and lowered her head to look for fish as well.

Wow! There really were fish!

Eva was amazed, but she didn't dare move a muscle. Her eyes widened as she watched a fish play around her legs before swimming toward Yu Wenxi. The sensation of the fish pecking at her legs was quite pleasant, yet she felt a twinge of sadness as it swam toward him—it meant it would soon become her meal.

Still, she was curious about his technique.

She watched as Yu Wenxi’s gaze tracked the fish’s movement. At the closest moment, he thrust the spear into the water with lightning speed!

Eva watched every motion, her eyes glued to the scene.

With a splash, Yu Wenxi lifted the spear. At its tip, a large, plump fish was wriggling—or rather, struggling in its final moments.

He held the spear up and turned to smile at Eva, as if asking for praise: *See? My technique isn't bad, is it?*

Eva was completely captivated by his handsome and skillful fishing, having long forgotten her earlier sympathy for the fish.

"Eva, go back to the bank. I’ll clean the fish, and you can eat soon," Yu Wenxi said, walking over to help her onto the shore. He made her sit down obediently. "Do you know how to roast fish?"