The First Bloom 2

The sudden voice sent a jolt through Jianyu's body. He spun around instinctively, shovel already in motion to strike—only to find his attack whistling harmlessly through empty air. A bored-looking Zhenfeng sidestepped the swing with effortless grace, barely moving a muscle.

"Whoa, easy there, killer," Zhenfeng drawled, crossing his arms. His expression was unimpressed, as if he had been expecting this all along. "Weak combat skills. See?"

Jianyu's heart pounded in his chest, and he quickly lowered the shovel, his grip tightening as he tried to regain composure. "Zhenfeng?" His voice was tinged with disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Zhenfeng raised an eyebrow, giving Jianyu a once-over like he was appraising a particularly clueless animal. "I could ask you the same thing, sneaky farmer boy. I heard you stomping around like a baby elephant this morning. Figured you were up to something suspicious, so I followed you."