After Land Xiaoying had delayed him so much, it was already past class time. Lu Yun sighed and stepped out of the woods, thinking that since going to class would only mean being scolded by his homeroom teacher, why not just skip the lesson—let things unfold as they may. He locked up his bicycle, carried a half-bag of wheat, and walked into Liu San’s small grocery store. “Xiaoyun,” said Mrs. Liu, who was busy putting away goods, “why haven’t you gone to class? If your uncle finds out, he’ll surely give you a good scolding.” She looked up as someone entered—the very person she had just been speaking to—and couldn't help but ask. Liu San didn’t dare tell her he had skipped class. After a quick thought, she frowned and said, “Mrs. Liu, I… I’ve got a bad stomach ache—it’s really painful. Do you have any medicine here?” Mrs. Liu immediately set down what she was doing and briskly walked over to examine Lu Yun carefully. “You were fine just a moment ago—how did this sudden pain come about? Didn’t you eat an ice pop?” Suddenly catching sight of the soiled stains on his chest, she gasped, “Did you fight with someone? You’re all muddy now.” “No, truly—I’ve only got a stomach ache. Oh my goodness, it’s unbearable! Mrs. Liu, please hurry—do you have any medicine?” Lu Yun let out an exclamation, pretending to be in excruciating pain and bent over low; beads of sweat appeared on his forehead from the effort of holding still. Mrs. Liu was now alarmed and quickly helped him sit down on a small folding stool. “Just wait a moment,” she said. “I’ll go find something for you.” She went through boxes and shelves, searching diligently—until she couldn’t find even one medicine tablet—and grew increasingly anxious. “Xiaoyun, just stay here—I’m going out to buy something for you.” “But it’s still about three or four miles to town,” Lu Yun added with a gentle smile. “It’s getting late now—it would be dangerous for you to go out alone at this hour.” “Then let me brew you a cup of red sugar water first,” Mrs. Liu said, moving over a small stool and standing on it to reach the shelves. As she reached for the shelf, she murmured, “I thought I’d seen it here before—how come it’s gone now?” That day, Mrs. Liu wore a simple floral dress that revealed her slender, youthful legs—no sign of aging at all, as if she were still in her early twenties. After searching without success, she stood on the counter and began to walk slowly from shelf to shelf. Each step was deliberate, yet with the wide sleeves of her dress, she ended up revealing herself completely to Lu Yun. Lu Yun’s heart quickened—this woman was truly stunning. Her curves were full and well-defined; her posture was graceful and exposed just enough for him to admire. He had no choice but to watch, even when it wasn’t his intention to. His eyes never wavered, and he found himself completely entranced by the sight. He swallowed hard, only to be startled by Mrs. Liu’s voice. She’d finally found what she was looking for—her hand stretched out in a smooth, steady motion as she stood on one leg, balancing perfectly with her arm extended. Lu Yun couldn’t help but watch her with wide eyes. The scene was so vivid—the lines of her body accentuated and flowing—every detail of her grace and allure fully revealed. It was too much for him. His breath grew heavier; the urge to act surged within him, almost reaching a point where he felt compelled to reach for his backpack or even draw out a weapon. “Found it!” Mrs. Liu called out with delight. “Xiaoyun,” she said as she reached down from the counter, “where have you been staring?” She noticed Lu Yun gazing up at her with an expression of deep admiration—his eyes shining like lamps—and remembered how she had stood on one leg while reaching for the sugar earlier. Her face flushed instantly, turning rosy and deeply crimson, like a perfectly ripe apple. “Eh…,” Lu Yun startled, stammered, “I—I wasn’t looking at anything.” He quickly lowered his gaze and began drawing circles with his fingers on the floor. “You little thing!” Mrs. Liu chuckled. “You haven’t even grown your hair properly yet—how can you be so bold in watching women? When you grow up, I’m not sure what kind of man you’ll turn out to be.” She thought back to all the times she had been admired and noticed by men over the years—the very places that were once private now exposed—and instead of being annoyed, she found herself laughing heartily. Lu Yun stayed silent, afraid she would report him to his homeroom teacher. “Why aren’t you speaking? You have courage enough to watch—yet not the nerve to admit it?” Mrs. Liu smiled and stepped forward, squatting down so that her two snow-white legs were completely open and exposed. “You just go ahead and enjoy yourself—you’re not some proper housewife.” Lu Yun glanced at her once, then quickly lowered his head again. “Mrs. Liu, I’m truly sorry—I didn’t mean to do it on purpose. It was all because of my old father, Land Feng—thanks to him, you’ve ended up like this.” Mrs. Liu sighed and laughed bitterly. “Ah! The fate of a beautiful woman—isn’t that tragic? Now, how about your stomach ache? If it’s gone, you should head back to class right away.” “Mrs. Liu,” Lu Yun said, still perspiring—he had sweat from both the effort of pretending and from being startled—“I’m still in so much pain—it’s completely impossible for me to go to class today. Can I just rest here a little while?” “That will do,” Mrs. Liu replied, standing up again and brewing a cup of red sugar water. She handed it to Lu Yun. Lu Yun gulped down the warm drink quickly before following Mrs. Liu into the back room where they both sat on a single bed. Mrs. Liu chatted with him for a few minutes before heading out to gather her goods. Now lying on the bed, Lu Yun’s eyes darted rapidly—first ignited by Xiaoying’s charm, now rekindled by Mrs. Liu’s warmth. He couldn’t help but long to return home and have an intense, passionate encounter with his sister-in-law right then and there. “Xiaoyun,” Mrs. Liu’s voice came softly through the door, “would you like something to eat? How about a bowl of noodles I’ll make for you?” Lu Yun glanced at her thoughtfully—then, in sudden inspiration, cried out, “Mrs. Liu—I’m really suffering badly!” “How is that? Still in pain? Maybe you’ve even developed a rash?” Mrs. Liu hurried into the room and saw Lu Yun rolling around on the bed with discomfort. She immediately rushed over to attend to him. Lu Yun lay down obediently as she gently climbed onto his body, placing her hands firmly across his back and pushing downward from top to bottom. With crisp, satisfying sounds—crackling like a wooden board—Lu Yun cried out, “Mrs. Liu! I’ve really developed a rash now—I’m feeling much better.” “You’re such a hassle!” Mrs. Liu laughed, patting him gently on the head with her hand. Closing his eyes, Lu Yun smiled and said, “Actually, your hands are quite soft—your touch doesn’t even hurt at all.” “I won’t waste any more time,” Mrs. Liu said. “I have to go back to work—I’ll just leave you here to rest now.” She began to climb off him. “Wait!” Lu Yun suddenly rolled over and cried out urgently. Mrs. Liu was caught off guard, gasped, and landed with a soft thud on the inner side of the bed, exclaiming, “You little rascal! Didn’t you even say anything before you turned over? You’ve knocked me flat!” “Mrs. Liu,” Lu Yun said, his eyes now bright red as if he were an eager wolf, “I’m so uncomfortable—I’d really like to do something with you right now.” Mrs. Liu paused for a moment, surprised—but then laughed out loud. “I knew all along you weren’t here just for rest—you’ve been lingering with your own plans in mind! The door’s still open—didn’t you think someone might walk in and discover what we’re doing? I can only imagine how you’d be caught off guard!” Lu Yun smiled, saying, “Mrs. Liu, wasn’t it intentional when you reached for the sugar earlier—you made me look at you on purpose? You’ve already encouraged a minor offense—how could I possibly be afraid?” “You little sly one,” Mrs. Liu said with admiration. “But right now—I can’t give you anything. Not today. I’ll have to wait until after school, and then we’ll see how far I go in teaching you a lesson.” With that, she reached down and touched the spot on Lu Yun’s body where he had already begun to feel the warmth of her touch—her hands gently brushing over his chest, then resting lightly on his waist. “Very well,” Lu Yun sighed softly, looking both tired and resigned. ... Rural Woman in Bloom – Chapter 4, Scene Complete!