10

The turning point came one day not long after.

It suddenly started to rain heavily.

I was wearing a new pair of shoes that I really liked, but they couldn’t get wet.

However, there were puddles everywhere at school.

After the evening study session, all the classmates had left.

I was still staring at the ground, feeling completely helpless.

I thought that if it came down to it, I could always buy another pair.

He stood behind me, lightly coughed, and jokingly suggested, “How about I carry you back?”

My eyes lit up instantly.

After all, no one would see.

I nodded vigorously.

He crouched down, wrapped his arms around my knees, and easily picked me up.

I held the umbrella while he carried me.

Perhaps the night was enchanting, and our gazes met with an unreserved directness.

The atmosphere gradually became thick.

My heart raced to the point where I found it hard to breathe.

Just as I was about to lose my mind, a loud sound erupted.

It was a fart that came out suddenly and forcefully.

My instinct told me that if I continued, it would keep happening.

I immediately pretended to cough to distract myself.

When we reached the dormitory door, he wanted to say something, but I was too scared to hear it, fearing I wouldn’t be able to hold it in.

I quickly turned and ran away.

Perhaps it was heaven’s way of preventing me from falling in love too early.

Whenever I got close to him, I would fart loudly because I got nervous.

This was seriously damaging to my image.

I even went to see a doctor about it, hoping for some answers.

The doctor said I was perfectly healthy and that it was just because I was too emotional.

I was genuinely frustrated; this world felt absurd.

Having to fart loudly in front of the person I liked was more uncomfortable than anything else.

To keep up my good image, I could only pretend to be expressionless and enigmatic.

My open affection turned into a secret crush.

Several times, when Luke got close to me, I almost broke my facade.

The more expressionless I was, the closer he would come to tease me into laughing.

I was helplessly going crazy.

“Stay away from me!!!!”

After several instances, Luke also consciously kept his distance from me.

He seemed downcast every day.

When I asked him, he remained silent.

I was puzzled.

Couldn’t he sense the subtle affection in my gaze? Time flew by, and one never knows if the person they saw yesterday will say goodbye tomorrow.

My dad fell ill and needed surgery.

He could no longer travel long distances.

This meant he needed to return to his hometown to settle down.

My dad was accepting of it, and my mom naturally supported him.

They were concerned about leaving me alone in a strange city so far away.

So I only stayed for a semester, and before I had the chance to say goodbye to everyone, I was already on my flight out.

That day happened to be my birthday.

Much later, I found out that a boy had waited a long time for me with a cake until the last candle had gone out.

I still hadn’t figured out if Luke had feelings for me, and my phone was stolen in the hospital.

I couldn’t recover it even after filing a report, so I had to get a new SIM card.

I felt truly heartbroken.

It wasn’t about the money, though.

It was about the regret.

The world is vast, and it takes fate to cross paths again.

I had considered looking for him.

I was just afraid I wouldn’t mean as much to him as I imagined.

Or perhaps, to him, I was no different from a fleeting cloud.

So I chose to focus on the present, improve myself, and then chase the moon reflected in the water.

After completing my master’s in finance in the UK and returning home, I saw him again on the big screen later.

Only then did I realize he was a star.

By then, he had already risen to become a star in the entertainment industry.

My mom encouraged me to join the company, but I hesitated for quite a while.

My dad noticed my hesitation and encouraged me to pursue whatever I wanted while I was young, assuring me they would have my back.

So the next day, I signed with our family’s entertainment agency.

11

After two years in the industry, I hadn’t taken any easy routes.

As I watched Luke move further away, he had become a grand slam actor, while I wasn’t even worthy of shining his shoes.

Don’t even ask—just regret! After being in the industry for so long, this variety show was the closest I had ever gotten to Luke.

After my revelation, the whole country knew that I, Naomi, had a crush on someone for six years.

And my well-meaning yet clumsy crush gaze became a meme that spread like wildfire.

The only silver lining was that everyone still didn’t know who I had a crush on.

The live stream’s popularity soared.

The director was thrilled and didn’t call for a halt.

Linda twirled her hair and grinned, “The person who can make Naomi crush for so long must be pretty amazing; no wonder you look down on everyone.”

I simply nodded.

Luke sat opposite me, his gaze taking in all of me.

“Indeed, no matter who it is, compared to him, everyone else is just a side character.”

If you meet someone too stunning when you’re young, you’ll end up like me, unable to forget them for six years.

I watched Linda bask in her little victory and added nonchalantly, “Including you, you’re also a supporting role.”

Her expression soured.

The comments quickly lit up.

[Some people are so full of themselves, don’t they worry about getting burned?]

[Hahaha, I said don’t provoke Naomi, she attacks indiscriminately when she’s mad.]

[How excellent is he? Even my brother is overshadowed!]

[Is he in the industry?]

[Naomi has no manners at all, my Linda was just being kind.]

While the netizens were gossiping, they didn’t forget to vote our group last.

The reason being, Luke seemed real, while I seemed fake.

At noon, the first-place group was enjoying a seafood feast.

The second-place group was having barbecue.

Only Luke and I had plain water with steamed buns.

Not even a pickled vegetable.

He ate elegantly, while I felt a twist in my gut.

I mindlessly took one bite after another, with a blank expression.

Inside, I was crying.

I really should be embarrassed.

How could I let a rich kid end up like this?

[Hahaha, I’m dying of laughter, the production team is serious.]

[I’m impressed, Naomi really knows how to drag others down.]

[I’m dying to know, has anyone dug up who Naomi’s crush is?]

[Same urgency +10086.]

[This batch of netizens is not helpful.]

I looked at the man.

12

After six years, the youthful innocence had faded, replaced by a noble aura, his features more striking than ever.

Every gesture exuded mature charm.

Perhaps sensing my guilty gaze, he lifted his head, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He comforted me, “It’s okay, Naomi, eating isn’t important.”

I felt even guiltier.

[Naomi wakes up in the middle of the night and has to slap herself.]

[Luke is too gentle!]

[What qualifications does Naomi, a nobody, have!!!]

[Is there a second half to that sentence? What’s the second half?]

[What matters is who you’re eating with!]

I quietly clenched my fists, vowing to win next time.

After finishing the meal, the director continued to stir things up.

They brought in bamboo baskets, hoes, and peanut seeds.

The soil had already been loosened in advance.

Our task was to help the farmers with planting.

It was said to test the cooperation between partners.

Finally, we would be ranked according to completion time and quality.

Linda’s face darkened; she had specially worn a red dress paired with high heels.

Bella also looked somewhat stiff.

I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

To keep it simple, I wore my workout gear.

I glanced around and noticed that everyone looked a bit off.

I leaned back a bit to stay out of the camera’s view and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Thanks to my dad, who used to take me out to the fields when I was a kid, I picked up a bit about farming.

He curved his lips and habitually ruffled my hair.

Meanwhile, I was immersed in the upcoming competition, completely unaware.

When it started, the other groups were still fumbling around.

Luke walked towards the hoe.

I quickly shoved him aside, grabbed the hoe, and took off.

Time was of the essence.

“You just need to carry the basket and scatter the seeds.”

Digging holes is just too much work.

Luke had never done it before, and if he wasn’t careful, his hands could easily get blisters.

[What is Naomi doing?]

[Naomi’s style is too unappealing, only picking the easy tasks.]

[You upstairs must have no common sense; digging holes is clearly more exhausting.]

[I’m just a bystander, and I’m siding with Naomi.]

I was responsible for digging holes while he scattered seeds.

At first, he struggled to keep up with me.

Whenever he was too fast or too slow, he would quietly look up at me, as if checking whether I was angry.

I got so caught up in winning that I forgot to keep my cool.

Without thinking, I playfully punched him.

“What are you looking at? Hurry up.”

He took it in stride without getting annoyed.

Instead, he looked like a kid who just got some attention, a small smile creeping onto his face.

I was getting into the groove, and the hoe felt more natural in my hands.

After getting a little scolding, Luke started to work better with me.

He stepped back, grabbed seeds, and scattered them.

I moved forward, dug holes, filled them with soil, and dug again.

As my hair came loose, he instinctively stepped in to help tie it back with his clean hand.

Not noticing him bend down, I looked up and brushed against something warm and soft.

My heart skipped a beat, and I nearly dropped the hoe.

A minute went by.

No reaction.

I let out a big sigh of relief.

[No kidding, her speed could rival my grandfather, who has been a farmer his whole life.]

[Welcome to the immersive farming experience featuring a female star.]

[Her digging technique is so natura.]

[I’ve got to say, they really give off that old married couple vibe.]

[Even the king of heaven would get a hoe!]

[Is it really that hot? Their faces were both flushed.]

[Why do I feel like the vibe between them is off?]

[Where’s the CP army?]

At this point, the non-celebrity group was already fumbling around with their farming.

Although their hoeing posture was all wrong, they were at least making some progress.
The most surprising thing was Linda’s group.

Her face was scrunched in displeasure, seemingly forgetting this was a live broadcast.

“Director! I’m here to record a show, not to farm! This is disgusting, what’s going on?”

Chris beside her looked awkward, unable to soothe her.

The director’s team had prepared replacement clothes and shoes for her, but she threw them aside.

[What the heck, isn’t Linda usually very gentle?]

[It’s the production team’s fault; she came here looking beautiful, who wants to be sent out to farm?]

[Upstairs, I see Naomi’s group is quite willing.]

[I feel sorry for my Linda, who wants to be like those country folks?]

[What’s wrong with farming? Everyone can farm; is she Linda so noble?]

The director stood his ground.

It wasn’t until her agent called her that she reluctantly complied.

By the time our group came ashore to rest, the other two groups were still in the fields.

In the end, unsurprisingly, Luke and I win the game.

The regular folks’ group and Linda’s group were neck and neck, neither completed the task.

During the day, I exerted myself too much, which left me sore and tossing and turning all night.

As I opened the door, I noticed the door to the opposite room was also open.

A man in silk pajamas walked out, the snug fabric clinging to his tall, well-built frame, exuding a subtle sexiness.

“Are you feeling unwell?”

I nodded instinctively.

He took out a bottle of essential oil and said casually, “Come on, let me give you a massage. Otherwise, you’ll be in more pain tomorrow.”

I felt a flutter in my heart.

But I was also afraid of close contact; I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

Eighteen-year-old Naomi couldn’t bear to fart in front of someone she liked.

Let alone twenty-four-year-old Naomi.

Seeing my hesitation, he slowly lowered his eyelids, his expression downcast, radiating loneliness and melancholy.

He self-deprecatingly said, “Am I being overly sentimental? I forgot you still dislike me as always.”

“Well, it’s just half a year as desk mates; how can that compare to someone else who can make you remember for so long?”

My heart felt like it was in a vice.

I couldn’t explain to him.

On a whim, I grabbed his hand and walked into the room.

“I’ll massage, massage, massage, right now.”

The man followed half-heartedly, a hint of barely noticeable triumph flickering in his eyes.

Until I lay on the bed, I suddenly realized the position felt a bit off.

So close.

It was too late to backtrack now.

I could only bury my head in the blanket and surrender.

Ugh, the allure of a handsome guy led me astray.

I silently reassured myself, it’s fine, everyone farts.

Some things just can’t be held back.

A warm hand gently pressed against my back through my clothes, the pressure was just right.

The sore spots were gradually kneaded away.

It felt pleasantly soothing.

As he pressed on my neck, the scent of oil filled the air.

He found just the right spot.

I let out a soft moan.

“Ouch, be gentle.”

He chuckled lightly.

“You really know how to enjoy.”

To be honest, he was really good at this.

I unconsciously let out a comfortable hum.

In the stillness of the night, it felt both sudden and ambiguous.

Suddenly, the person behind me paused.

He frowned slightly and sighed with a hint of helplessness in his tone.

“Little ancestor, can you please keep quiet?”

I suddenly realized what was happening, and my face flushed red.

I’m sorry.

I feel guilty.

But your thoughts are problematic too! After I calmed down, the only sounds in the room were the rapid thumping of our hearts, gradually syncing together.

Our breaths intertwined, making it hard to tell whose was whose.

Eventually, I couldn’t even remember when I had fallen asleep.

How strange.

Why didn’t I fart this time? Have I become more composed? In my hazy state, I felt a familiar scent approaching.

A fingertip gently poked my face.

The voice seemed to come from between clenched teeth: “You’ve made me reflect for six long years.”

After a moment, he turned me over and gently tucked the blanket around me.

The sound of his footsteps faded away.