All About Love

A young man walked over and introduced himself, "I'm Kong Yunru. Let's be friends."

"Shen Mohua." She gave him a small thankful smile. Even if the two men across from her were worse than scums, at least this man seemed to be honest and upright.

"Hear that? Shen Mohua is now my friend. I'm a generous man, I'll double the bullying back if you don't stop." Kong Yunru glared in warning, his hands ready to grab the sword on his back if need be. "If you still want to live, I suggest you remove yourself from here."

Bald Man hesitated for a moment. He glanced regretfully at his poor teeth on the ground. Thief Man pulled Bald Man and hurriedly scurried off with his minions, recognizing the identity of the young man.

"Yunru, thank you. You are a true gentleman." Grandma Shen spoke loudly with pride.

He scratched his neck out of habit when feeling embarrassed, "Eh... I'm not as good as you said."

Shen Mohua gladly thanked him again. For the rest of the night, they check in to another inn.

Grandma Shen slept soundly on the bed while Shen Mohua sat on the ledge of the window, her legs dangling carelessly.

She held the necklace from Ou Junsan. Such a beautiful and unique treasure was the Ou's family heirloom.

Shen Mohua had placed it on herself to take care of the precious engagement token. If she were to meet him and not have it, she would be ashamed.

Hopefully, he too, had taken just as good care of the token she gave.

---

Kong Yunru made a great impression on her grandma.

The next morning, Grandma Shen was still continuously complimenting him. "This Yunru, what a handsome and well mannered man. Mohua, what do you think of him?"

"He's nice... but we have to go." She quickly ended the topic as they exited the inn towards their carriage.

"Yunru!"

Shen Mohua watched as Grandma Shen called and walked towards Kong Yunru, who was about to leave.

Seeing the elder making her way towards him, Kong Yunru stopped what he was doing. "Grandma Shen, good morning..."

In the end, a brown and blue carriage traveled on the road together. Shen Mohua wanted to knock herself for not her grandma's idea.

Grandma Shen claimed she was afraid of thieves on their travel after the encounter last night, and asked to tag along with Kong Yunru and his companion.

Coincidentally, Kong Yunru was heading to the capital too. Neither he nor Shen Mohua could say no to the elder.

"Yunru is not only handsome and skilled, but he is also such a gentleman..."

Grandma Shen gave him endless praises in the carriage until they stopped to take a rest.

Shen Mohua jumped out as soon as she could. It was not hunger that motivated her to move to quick. Rather, it was Grandma Shen's endless speech that lasted for the last four hours...

After all the food were spread onto a large blanket on the grass, Shen Mohua pretended not to see Grandma Shen handing a drumstick to Kong Yunru.

She wasn't bitter at all, in fact, she wanted to laugh. Kong Yunru's hesitation and his red cheeks were all too familiar and amusing.

"Mohua, can you get my friend? He should be down the river." Kong Yunru helplessly asked as Grandma Shen piled food onto his plate.

"En, don't worry. Just focus on finishing that mountain of food..."

Shen Mohua held her laughter as she walked away. When she was far enough, she burst out into laughter.

In Grandma Shen's eyes, any child was like her own. All the kids in their village loved Grandma Shen for her kindness. Her amazing personality came first, her mesmerizing storytelling was a bonus.

Down the river, a man sat by the white wildflowers. His face was slightly tilted towards the sun.

While she was still a distance away, he had already known her presence. "Who's there?"

As he was faced in the other direction, all that was visible to Shen Mohua was his wide back. His sudden question combined with the fact that his low voice sounded daunting, caused her to trip on her own feet.

Her face burned red in embarrassment and she was glad they were not face to face. "I-it's me, Shen Mohua."

"Shen Mohua."

He simply spoke her name, but her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She didn't do anything wrong, yet, she felt as if she had wronged him.

This man's aura was too strong. 'Did he called her or did he simply tested her name on his tongue?

Should she answer or remain silent?

What if she just ignore him...?'

She contemplated how to respond over a long silence. In the end, a single sound came out, "Huh?"

"Didn't you come looking for me?"

Right, she came for him. "Yunru said for you to come eat."

He didn't respond to her. Instead, he asked, "You... You're engaged?"

Shen Mohua was surprised. She didn't expect that he paid attention to her conversation with Bald Man. Nonetheless, she wasn't in a hurry to eat.

She sat down and leaned backwards on her hands. Her face tilted towards the sun, following the same action as him. "I am."

"Do you know him? Have you even seen the man?"

Behind the sun, the sky was cloudless blue. Soft refreshing breezes came gently, every now and then.

She smiled. All she knew of her fiancé was his name. "No."

He laughed dryly at her response. "How foolish. A lifetime is a long time, you know."

"Is it?" Her finger brushed on the petals of a flower by her side. "I suddenly feel a lifetime is not that long."

"You don't know if you'll be able to love him once you see him... " His voice trailed off as he laid onto the soft grass. "If there is no love, marriage is nothing more than an enteral prison."

Love him? Could she learn to love Ou Junsan? Her gaze fell from the flower to the ground.

Growing up in their small village, she spent most of her time outdoors enjoying nature. She had not have much experience with love.

'How does one fall in love?

How should one deal with a loveless marriage?'

Has he loved before?'

Shen Mohua wanted to turn around and ask him. Maybe shared a conversation as mutual strangers.

"Don't turn around," He spoke again. "You don't want to take responsibility for one man while engaged to another."