"Do you want to start with cultivating the seedlings or planting the flower trees?" Yansen asked casually.
Qin Li considered for a moment before asking cheekily, "Can't we do both at the same time?"
Yansen turned to her, his gaze steady. Then he leaned forward and lightly tapped her on the nose, a faint smile playing at his lips. There was a tenderness in his expression, mixed with a kind of indulgence that made Qin Li's heart flutter unexpectedly.
"Ah!" she yelped, stepping back. The brief contact sent a strange jolt through her, like an electric current running up her spine. She clasped her nose with both hands and glared at him. "Don't touch my nose again!"
"Why not?" Yansen asked, his tone unbothered.
How could she possibly tell him that his touch made her all tingly and weird? That was way too embarrassing! She huffed. "Just... no reason!"
Yansen shrugged, clearly not taking her protest seriously. Instead, he pointed toward the tools they had picked up earlier that morning. "Bring those over."
"Got it!" Qin Li responded, quickly wheeling the tools over in a pushcart.
The seedling tray was a simple square plastic box divided into small compartments—eight rows and eight columns, creating sixty-four neat little cells.
Back in China, Qin Li had been so consumed by work and chores that farming—or even keeping houseplants—had never crossed her mind. Watching Yansen methodically demonstrate the process, she felt like a complete novice.
"You start by adding a layer of sand to each compartment," he explained, his hands moving with precision. "Fill it about two-thirds full, then sprinkle in the seeds—three or four per cell, spaced about two centimeters apart. This way, the roots won't get tangled. Cover them lightly with a thin layer of soil—don't bury them too deep. Finally, water them gently. That's it. Done."
It seemed straightforward enough, but Yansen added one more step: labeling each compartment to avoid confusion. "When the seedlings grow, they'll all look similar at first. You'll need the labels to tell them apart."
Following his instructions, Qin Li planted every seed she had—vegetables and flowers alike. She stepped back, surveying her work with pride.
"Should we put this outside in the sun?" she asked.
Yansen shook his head. "Not necessary."
Her brow furrowed. "But I thought sunlight was essential for plants to grow?"
"They need light, yes, but not direct sunlight," he clarified.
Yansen disappeared into the small shed, returning with a chair and some tools. He climbed onto the chair and started drilling into the ceiling.
"What's he doing now?" Qin Li wondered aloud, watching him work.
When Yansen glanced down and saw her standing there with her mouth slightly open, he softened visibly. His voice, usually steady and firm, took on a gentler tone. "Hand me the LED grow lights."
"Huh?" Qin Li snapped out of her daze with a confused sound.
He silently gestured toward the box on the ground. Realizing her mistake, she hurried to grab the lights, sheepishly mumbling, "Oh, right, right."
She handed him the unopened package. Yansen gave her an exasperated but amused look. "Unpack it first."
He tossed her a pocketknife. Qin Li fumbled with the blade, struggling to figure out how to open it. When she finally succeeded, she could hear Yansen chuckling softly above her, making her face burn. How had she gone from competent office worker to total klutz in front of this man?
When the package was finally unwrapped, she passed the lights up to him. As Yansen leaned down to take them, the chair wobbled slightly. "Hold the chair steady," he instructed.
Without thinking, Qin Li wrapped her arms tightly around his leg.
Yansen froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "I meant the chair, not me."
Embarrassed, Qin Li let go quickly, rubbing the back of her neck with a sheepish grin. "You need to be more specific!"
With the grow lights securely installed, Yansen jumped down from the chair and switched them on. The small shed was immediately bathed in an eerie blue glow, transforming it into a space that felt more sci-fi than gardening.
Qin Li, unnerved by the sudden darkness, instinctively moved toward the door to let some daylight in. But in the dim light, her foot caught on a discarded box, making her stumble. Before she could hit the ground, Yansen grabbed her arm and spun her around, pinning her gently but firmly against the wall.
"W-what are you doing?" she stammered, her eyes wide with surprise.
His intense gaze bore into her, his features shadowed by the blue light. Qin Li tried to steady her racing heart, but the proximity—his warm breath, the faint scent of tobacco on his clothes—made it impossible.
"Want to know how the grow lights work?" His deep voice resonated in the tiny space, sending a shiver down her spine.
Before she could respond, he leaned in closer, his hand sliding to her shoulder. His lips hovered mere inches from hers, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Qin Li could feel the heat radiating off him, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe.
Then—BAM!
The shed door flew open, flooding the room with daylight.
"What are you two doing in here?" Thomas's booming voice shattered the moment like a sledgehammer.
The fleeting intimacy vanished, replaced by a mixture of awkwardness and irritation. Yansen straightened up, stepping away from Qin Li as if nothing had happened.
He glanced at her, his tone neutral but pointed. "If you're still curious about the lights, ask Thomas."
Qin Li's mind screamed in frustration. Who cared about the stupid lights anymore? Let them and their so-called "principles" rot in the shed for all she cared!
Thomas's ears perked up immediately. This was his domain! His enthusiasm boiled over as he grabbed Qin Li's arm. "Oh, that's my specialty! LED wavelengths match the light spectrum needed for photosynthesis and photomorphogenesis. They provide pure monochromatic or composite light, balancing radiation to stimulate growth…"
Qin Li yanked her arm free and stormed out of the shed, but Thomas trailed after her, his voice rising with excitement. "Wait! I'm not done! These lights don't just help seeds germinate—they can regulate flowering, fruiting, plant height, even the nutrient composition. And no pollution! You know why? Because they generate minimal heat, reducing thermal load…"
Thomas buzzed around her like an annoying fly. Annoyed, Qin Li gave him a shove. "I've failed physics my entire life. Don't waste your breath explaining the mechanics to me!"
"But I'm educating you!" Thomas persisted. "There's still so much more—"
Before he could finish, Qin Li turned and shouted, "If you say one more word, you're having spaghetti for dinner tonight!"
That shut him up immediately. Nothing scared Thomas more than missing out on one of Qin Li's home-cooked meals. He scurried off without another peep.
"Damn Yansen," Qin Li muttered under her breath. "Evil schemer, always playing tricks on me!"
As she stomped out of the shed, Yansen called after her, "Close the door."
With an audible slam, she shut it, putting all her frustration into the motion.
Yansen was outside in the sunshine, digging a hole with his shovel. Hearing the loud bang, he looked up, and to her surprise, a rare smile softened his rugged features.
The sight melted away her irritation. Somehow, his smile had the power to flip her mood like a switch. His sleeves were rolled up high, revealing strong, corded muscles that flexed with every powerful motion of the shovel.
"A man. A real man," Qin Li muttered to herself, utterly entranced. Even watching him dig dirt felt like a cinematic experience.
She pulled out her phone, recorded a ten-second clip using the built-in camera, and uploaded it to her social media with the caption:
"Me and my team, building our Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms."
The video showed Yansen hard at work, Thomas's figure in the background, and the breathtaking scenery surrounding them. The lush garden sat nestled against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, with clear blue skies above and vibrant green grass below. The whole scene was a picture-perfect postcard.
Her notifications blew up almost instantly. Friends liked the video and bombarded her with questions: "Where is this?" "Is it a tourist spot?" "Are you starting a farm-stay?"
Playfully, Qin Li replied: "Coming soon, if I open one!"
Even Sun Yi chimed in with a message: "I'm glad to see you're doing well."
Her smile froze. She scrolled back to re-read his message, her expression darkening with every word. "Doing well"? More like giving him a thunderbolt to the chest!
Although she had impulsively blocked Sun Yi after their last fight, she'd unblocked him a few days later. Letting him stew in oblivion would be too kind; she wanted him to see her thriving. She wanted him to regret everything.
Talking to mutual friends, Qin Li had heard all about Sun Yi's current struggles. After marrying that girl he cheated with, life had gone downhill. His wife, Xu Jing, was so insecure about his fidelity that she constantly monitored him, picking fights over every interaction with another woman. At home, Sun Yi had become a henpecked husband, bottling up resentment but too afraid to lash out for fear of upsetting their unborn child.
At first, sneaking around with a younger, prettier woman had been thrilling—romantic dinners, secret dates. But now? Real life had set in. Eating out constantly wasn't sustainable, and Xu Jing couldn't cook a decent meal to save her life. She couldn't even handle basic house chores. The housekeeper's food wasn't to his taste, and their home lacked the warmth Qin Li used to provide.
It was poetic justice. The man who had traded stability and trust for lust was now paying the price.
Qin Li smirked to herself as she scrolled through her messages. She felt no sympathy—only a deep sense of satisfaction. Karma was real, and Sun Yi was living proof.
Yansen, noticing her standing alone with a sly grin, walked over to investigate. Glancing at her phone, he frowned at the unfamiliar characters on the screen.
"Who were you chatting with?" he asked, his curiosity evident.
"Friends," Qin Li replied breezily.
"Your ex-husband?"
She shook her head. "Nope."
Yansen didn't press further. He wasn't the type to pry.
After a pause, Qin Li changed the subject. "You have so many properties here. Have you ever thought about opening a farm-stay or something?"
"A what?"
"Like a countryside retreat. Tourists come, stay a few days, and experience rural life. It'd be a hit!"
Yansen shook his head. "I don't like strangers."
"That's such a waste! This place is so beautiful—it'd attract tons of people!"
"I don't have time to manage something like that."
"I could manage it!" Qin Li offered enthusiastically.
Yansen tilted his head, his expression neutral. "Does that mean you've decided to stay?"
She grinned. "If you open a farm-stay, I'll stay."
But Yansen simply shook his head, his voice calm and firm. "I don't like making deals like that."