Although this was in open-minded America, where teenagers matured earlier, such a direct question still caught Lin Yuan off guard.
Seemingly realizing something, a slightly flustered voice quickly came from behind her.
"No, what I mean is, just like boys like to take girls to watch horror movies, isn't it all to have a chance to play the hero?"
"As far as I know, excellent hunters always appear in the guise of prey."
"Are you saying that if a girl doesn't have the intention of disguising herself as prey, she won't even give a boy the chance to watch a horror movie with her?" The celestial maiden truly possessed both beauty and wisdom, understanding with just a hint.
"Telepathy, unspoken understanding, knowing each other's thoughts—you can call this kind of romantic interest whatever you like. A lickspittle will never experience the joy of a mutual pursuit."
"Lickspittle?"
"Uh, you probably have a lot of… those kinds of suitors around you, right?" Lin Yuan suddenly realized that this term didn't exist yet.
But Liu Yifei quickly guessed what he meant; this was an experience every beautiful woman had.
She smiled, not saying much more.
The two walked hand in hand, the scenery along the path becoming increasingly beautiful, and the sound of a stream faintly reached their ears.
Turning a bend, a waterfall appeared before their eyes.
Calling it a waterfall, it was actually just a small stream, splashing down from a cliff about twenty meters high.
But the scenery was quite nice; the water splashed up by the waterfall in the pool reflected a small rainbow under the sunlight.
The stream water was clear, and the stones at the bottom were clearly visible in the shimmering light.
"Look, there are fish in the water!" Liu Yifei pointed at the small fish in the stream, shouting in surprise.
"Want me to catch one for you?"
She quickly nodded repeatedly: "Yes!"
Lin Yuan shook his head as he took off his shoes and socks, rolling up his pants to his knees before stepping into the water: "These fish are too small for me to catch, but getting you a few big crabs is no problem."
"There are crabs here?" Disbelief was evident in her eyes.
In autumn, crabs are plump. The stream here flows into the Hudson River not far before reaching the sea, which is where green crabs thrive.
"Of course. Tonight, we'll cook crabs. Come down and feel for them together." Lin Yuan smiled, extending an invitation.
Liu Yifei hesitated for a moment, then still shook her head.
Today, she was wearing a dark green plaid woolen mini-skirt, and going into the water would require taking off her black opaque tights, which wasn't very convenient.
"Come on, this water is clear and clean, not polluted."
"But it's polluted by your feet! Look! The fish are all floating up!"
Lin Yuan felt a burst of exasperation; this little girl was becoming increasingly mischievous.
His luck was good today; he quickly pulled out a female crab weighing about six liang (approx. 300 grams) from a hole.
Holding up his spoils, Lin Yuan proudly shook them.
"There really are crabs? And so big!"
"Want to come down and catch them together?"
Lin Yuan extended the invitation again. Thinking about her having to take off her tights to enter the water, a restless feeling surged in his heart.
"Alright, but I have to take off my tights first. You turn around, and don't you dare peek!"
Tights that encased her bottom and legs were considered a girl's intimate clothing, and taking them off in front of Lin Yuan would inevitably make her shy.
So Liu Yifei went around a large rock before slowly taking off her tights, revealing a pair of long, jade-white legs.
Lin Yuan didn't think much of it. After securely tying up his spoils, he continued searching for the next crab hole.
But just then, Liu Yifei's startled cry suddenly came from behind him.
"Ah!"
She didn't really encounter a bear, did she?
Lin Yuan quickly went around the large rock and ran towards her.
He saw Liu Yifei sitting on the ground, her tights not yet completely removed, still hanging at her knees.
"What happened? Are you alright?"
"No, it's just that the stones on the ground are so sharp. I lost my balance and fell when taking off my shoes." The girl's face was flushed.
Lin Yuan didn't leave. Instead, he stepped forward, put his arms under her knees, and lifted her in a princess carry.
"I…"
"Let me do it, lest you hurt yourself again."
As someone who had lived two lives, Lin Yuan knew deeply that at the right moment, a man must never be a coward.
If the timing was wrong, it would seem reckless.
Missing the opportunity would only leave regret.
If he didn't know how to advance the relationship, he would forever remain just a friend.
She was still a young girl with thin skin. Lin Yuan merely carried her to the stream and gently placed her on a stone to sit down.
Then Lin Yuan squatted down, first helping her press down her skirt hem, ensuring no accidental exposure.
Then he lifted her foot and helped her slowly roll down the tights hanging at her knees, along her tender white calves.
Liu Yifei's face grew even redder. She instinctively wanted to pull back her jade-like foot, but Lin Yuan held it firmly.
"Don't mess around. I'm checking if there's any broken skin or bleeding."
"Who's messing around? You're holding my foot." She protested a little but didn't say much more.
Lin Yuan held her ankle, carefully examining her feet:
The insteps were fair and moist, with delicate blue veins clearly visible.
Her ten toes were crystal clear and round, and the soles of her feet showed a healthy, faint pink color.
A fairy truly was beautiful from head to toe. In front of her, everyone would be a warden, Lin Yuan sighed inwardly.
"It's good that there's no broken skin. You can rest assured."
After checking, Lin Yuan put down her jade-like foot and casually rolled up her tights, tucking them into his pocket.
Seeing Lin Yuan's actions, Liu Yifei, whose cheeks were already flushed, became even redder, like the crab after it had been cooked.
"Why are you taking my socks?"
"You're wearing a skirt with no pockets. These tights are long and black, so they can't be put on the ground. It would be hard to notice if bugs crawled in."
Lin Yuan's reasons were always so well-founded!
"Alright then. My feet… they don't smell, do they?" She still had some concerns.
How should he answer this question?
Should he say that even a celestial maiden's foot-washing water was fragrant?
Or that it's well-known that a beautiful woman's foot odor is a bonus point?
All the above answers were too vulgar and would lose him major points!
Lin Yuan was speechless for a moment. He couldn't possibly actually sniff them and then seriously say they didn't smell, could he?
These were pantyhose; if he really sniffed them, it wouldn't just be the smell of her feet.
How could Lin Yuan do such a thing?
It would be too frivolous and disrespectful to her.
So he smiled and said, "My nose isn't good, so I can't smell anything. Besides, with our relationship, who would disdain whom?"
Seeing Lin Yuan say this, Liu Yifei breathed a sigh of relief.
She stood up, walked barefoot to the edge of the stream, and first tested the water temperature with her toes.
After finding it acceptable, she slowly stepped into the water.
The so-called beauty, on the other side of the water.
Lin Yuan looked at the beautiful figure in the water, truly breathtaking, like a forest fairy.
In my previous life, I actually missed out like this?
The idea that he must hold onto her tightly in this life became even firmer in Lin Yuan's heart.
"Come quickly, we need to catch more crabs to eat tonight." Seeing Lin Yuan staring at her blankly, she smiled and waved, calling out.
"Okay, let's have a competition to see who catches more."
"You go over there! You scared my crabs away!"
"You're cheating! Don't steal my crabs!"
Laughter echoed through the stream valley, filled with the essence of youth.