Chapter 18: Honest Men Are Hard to Find

After lunch, the drizzle outside showed no sign of stopping.

When Lin Ruannan, hobbling on her injured leg, tried to clear the dishes, Bai Cheng'an stopped her again.

She pouted. Didn't this man realize that being too kind to others could make them develop unrealistic expectations?

The fact that this log cabin was so tidy even when he lived here alone made sense now.

Despite his rugged appearance, this man had a meticulous heart.

After tidying up everything in the house, he boiled a pot of hot water for Lin Ruannan.

"I need to go out for a bit. I might not make it back in time for dinner. If you get hungry, just make yourself something to eat. Don't worry about me."

"Where... where are you going?" Lin Ruannan asked, frowning as she glanced at the rain outside.

Although the rain seemed light, it was enough to drench someone.

"I've set some traps in the mountains. I need to check if I've caught anything. If there's prey and I don't retrieve it, it will be ruined after soaking all night."

He explained as he took out a raincoat and a bamboo hat from a chest.

Even though it was just ordinary gear, he wore it as if he were embarking on some grand mission.

Watching him leave the cabin, Lin Ruannan sighed deeply.

Since ancient times, gentle men have been the hardest to let go. The tenderness hidden beneath his rugged exterior was even more irresistible.

She was already reluctant to let this man go.

After leaning against the table to rest for a while, she noticed that the drizzle outside seemed to be easing up.

Bored, she decided to find something to do, so she bought some large potatoes from her supermarket.

Wolf tooth potatoes were one of her favorite snacks. Since she had nothing else to do, she decided to try making them herself.

If successful, she could sell them in the street market, which could also bring in a decent income.

She immediately got to work, peeling and cutting the potatoes, then frying them until crispy. She mixed them with a well-prepared sauce and added some special spices.

The enticing aroma quickly filled the kitchen. After tasting a couple, she found them perfectly replicated!

It seemed that aside from her stuttering, her hands and feet were quite adept.

After devouring a bowl of wolf tooth potatoes, she found there were still plenty left in the pot. She decided to save them for Bai Cheng'an to try.

Having eaten too much rice at lunch, she wanted something different for dinner. Fortunately, Bai Cheng'an had bought some flour, making noodles a reasonable choice.

Using the last piece of meat left at home, she planned to make delicious fried sauce noodles.

The fresh noodles from her portable supermarket saved her the trouble of kneading dough. By the time Bai Cheng'an returned, the inviting aroma of fried sauce filled the cabin.

"What are you making?" he asked, carrying four wild rabbits tied with a rope on his back. Before entering the cabin, he shook the water off his raincoat.

The mountain's heavy rain had soaked him despite wearing the raincoat and hat.

His muddy boots were so dirty that their original color was unrecognizable.

Seeing Lin Ruannan's gaze on his muddy boots, Bai Cheng'an hesitated, then took them off and left them outside before stepping in.

This action made Lin Ruannan frown.

An autumn rain brings a chill. After a whole day of rain, the temperature had dropped noticeably compared to yesterday.

Even wearing the new clothes Bai Cheng'an had bought her, she could feel the chill. How could he walk around barefoot in such weather?

"There's an old pair of cloth shoes in the chest over there. Can you get them for me?" Bai Cheng'an, standing on the floor, had rainwater dripping down his pants.

Lin Ruannan didn't respond but quickened her pace.

She hurried to the chest, took out the old cloth shoes he mentioned, and also grabbed a set of his clothes.

She had already prepared hot water in the pot. Frowning at the man in front of her, she said, "Wash... wash up and then change."

The autumn rain was very cold, and even though Bai Cheng'an was in good health, he shouldn't be left to chill like this.

He had been so kind to her, and Lin Ruannan naturally didn't want him to get sick.

"Is the water ready?" Bai Cheng'an handed her the rabbits while taking the clothes from her hands, his voice rich and soothing.

"Mm." Lin Ruannan, holding the four damp rabbits, was at a loss for what to do.

The rabbits were already lifeless, but they looked plump.

Such adorable rabbits would be best cooked as spicy stir-fried rabbit chunks. The heads could be made into delicious spicy rabbit heads, which she could finish all by herself.

"Leave the rabbits outside for now. I'll handle them after I wash up. It's cold outside, so close the door."

Bai Cheng'an had already taken the clothes and entered the room. Seeing her engrossed in the rabbits, he spoke softly.

Lin Ruannan nodded again; she really didn't know how to deal with the rabbits.

After placing the rabbits down, she limped over to fetch water for Bai Cheng'an, but he didn't need her help.

"If you've already made dinner, eat first if you're hungry. Don't wait for me."

He gently took the wooden ladle from her hand, his voice murmuring softly near her ear.

Standing so close to him, she could feel his warm breath gently brushing against her neck.

She looked up at the rugged man in front of her, her heart skipping a beat.

Although he appeared rough with unkempt stubble on his face, Lin Ruannan found him perfectly attractive. His features and demeanor were exactly her type.

Handsome and capable, and more importantly, gentle and considerate—such a man was rare even in modern times.

"What are you staring at?" His deep, earnest voice interrupted her thoughts as he scooped out the water from the pot.

With a slight blush on her ears, Lin Ruannan smiled. Her enchanting eyes shifted from his face, and she turned to cook the noodles.

The sauce for the fried noodles was already prepared, but the noodles needed to be cooked fresh. Otherwise, they'd turn into a sticky mess.

Bai Cheng'an was quick with his bath. When he emerged from the room, he was wearing clean cotton clothes.

Smelling the fragrant noodles in the room, the rugged man couldn't help but glance at Lin Ruannan.

Engrossed in her own thoughts, Lin Ruannan wasn't intimidated by his gaze.

She smiled at him until his ears turned red before she finally looked away.

"Here are the noodles." She handed him the bowl of freshly made fried noodles, her smile radiant.

So radiant that Bai Cheng'an was reluctant to look away.

It wasn't until she offered him the wolf tooth potatoes that the rugged man snapped out of his daze.

"What is this?" He asked in a deep voice, staring at the plate.

"Try it." Lin Ruannan's voice was soft as she gently picked up a piece of potato with chopsticks and brought it to his mouth.

Having developed feelings for this man, she naturally followed her heart in her actions.

"I can do it myself." Bai Cheng'an quickly took the potato she offered and put it into his mouth.

His expression was awkward, clearly startled by Lin Ruannan's bold move.