Chapter 123 Keeping Guests in the Snow

"No."

Bi Lei was a little confused: "What do you mean, 'nothing'?"

Wang Ruizhe said solemnly, "I never find you ridiculous."

Having said that, Wang Ruizhe naturally couldn't keep pestering him. However, giving up was out of the question.

Seeing that he showed no intention of persisting, Bi Lei assumed he was just another one who would back down easily. Although she was somewhat attracted to Wang Ruizhe's looks, compared to her own ambitions, it was really nothing.

She figured Wang Ruizhe would probably leave tomorrow. She figured she'd give him good food and lodging, and that would be enough to get rid of him. So, she gave him the best room in the whole village. She had originally been living there herself, but Bi Lei quickly packed her things and moved in with Bao Yiting.

"The sheets, duvet cover, and pillowcases are all newly changed. This is how things are here. If you're cold, just plug in the electric blanket." He then pointed to the power strip on the floor.

"What do you want to eat? Don't mention anything too difficult, I can't make it."

Wang Ruizhe raised an eyebrow: "You want to do it yourself?"

"Of course!" Actually, when Bi Lei first arrived, she also outsourced her washing, cleaning, and meals to an elderly woman in the village. She paid her on time. Back then, her eyes were clear yet naive. She was always at odds with the villagers and couldn't get anything done.

Later I found out that the people felt they couldn't even endure this little bit of hardship, and they didn't believe she could change their lives and lead them to prosperity!

I'm used to doing it myself, so it's not too bad, and I don't feel tired at all.

"I'm not picky about food, I'll eat the same things as you."

Bi Lei nodded and turned to leave.

Wang Ruizhe called out to her from behind, "I slept in your room, what are you going to do?"

"It's okay, I'll move in and squeeze in with Tingting." She left those words behind and walked out of the room without looking up.

Wang Ruizhe felt frustrated. Was he really that unwilling to be in the same space as him?

Little did she know, Bi Lei dared not linger too long. A lone man and woman, the night was dark, and Wang Ruizhe looked like a male vixen. If she stayed any longer, she feared she might make a mistake!

A little while later, the food was ready. Bi Lei came over to call him to eat: "Would you like to eat in your room, or come out to eat?"

Wang Ruizhe never had the habit of eating in his bedroom.

"Let's eat together, it'll be more lively."

"I thought you had some kind of habit of not speaking while eating or sleeping."

He shook his head: "No. A little noise while eating is fine."

Bi Lei's cooking skills were mediocre; she made a bowl of watery noodles with three misshapen eggs lying on top. She then took out a bottle of sauce from the cupboard.

"This is my mom's homemade beef sauce, it's so delicious. A spoonful mixed into noodles is especially fragrant." Bao Yiting watched silently from the side, but in her mind she was already making plans.

Bi Lei is extremely possessive of her food; she's only allowed to eat this sauce twice a week. It seems she isn't entirely indifferent to this boy after all.

After that gathering at Shi Shi's house, she learned a bit about these young men. They were all from wealthy families, second-generation officials. Her best friend had a heart full of patriotism, wanting to lead the villagers out of poverty through her own efforts. She naturally supported her, but Lei Lei wasn't good at using resources effectively.

In Bi Lei's eyes, Wang Ruizhe was just an ordinary suitor. But she felt that he was just a stepping stone for her best friend to leave this place.

The noodles weren't very tasty, but they were warm and comforting, easing his hunger. That night, back in his room, he slept in Bi Lei's bed. He pulled the white lace-trimmed, floral-patterned blanket over himself and gently inhaled its scent.

It had a very light, pleasant soapberry scent, unlike the rich fragrance of laundry detergent. To him, it still smelled wonderful. His ears felt hot, and his face was burning. He simply thought he was "drunk." He soon fell into a deep sleep.

Bi Lei had originally planned to send the guests away the next day, but a heavy snowfall made her swallow her words. Although a timely snowfall is said to bring a good harvest, the heavy snow was also very inconvenient.

As it happened, Wang Ruizhe had no intention of leaving, so he naturally settled in.

Unfortunately, the heavy snow did not stop as Bi Lei had hoped; instead, it seemed to be getting heavier and heavier.

"This isn't some desolate wilderness. You should go back sooner rather than later. You've been out for so many days, won't you lose your full attendance bonus?"

Wang Ruizhe was almost amused by this silly girl. Did she really think so little of herself? Did she think she wasn't even worth a few days of perfect attendance bonus? Or did she think she couldn't survive without perfect attendance?

He was about to speak in rebuttal when a heart-wrenching cough erupted from his mouth.

"Are you running a fever?" What a weakling!

Bi Lei had just come in from outside and was still warm when she placed her hand directly on Wang Ruizhe's forehead, making him shiver from the cold.

"I'm fine, I just need two fever reducers."

“You don’t look like you’re alright, and there’s no cold medicine here.” Bi Lei felt that her forehead was very hot.

Afraid he'd become mentally impaired from the burns, Bi Lei quickly grabbed Wang Ruizhe's coat, scarf, and gloves, which were draped over the armrest of the stool, and piled them on him. "Hurry up and get dressed, I'll take you to the village clinic."

Having a fever is no joke; he was indeed feeling unwell. He felt dizzy and lightheaded, but Wang Ruizhe insisted on putting on his coat and heading towards the door.

Bi Lei pushed over a men's bicycle. She straddled it with her long legs, placed her hands on the handlebars, and beckoned to him, "Get on!"

Wang Ruizhe stared at her in disbelief, but unfortunately, snow was falling heavily. His gold-rimmed glasses were covered with a layer of breath as he opened his mouth.

Seeing that he was hesitant to get in the car, Bi Lei pulled him over: "Come on, young master! This is all we have." There isn't a clinic in every village, so how could they have this kind of facility? The two were rushing to the next village.

There was a small car in the village, a beat-up old car she bought for less than 10,000 yuan. For safety reasons, she didn't dare drive it, worried about an accident on the road. After all, the roads here are nothing like those in the city; there are no guardrails on either side, just potholes or ditches. The car didn't have snow tires, and if it slipped and went into one, it would be ruined.

She was thinking that once the snow subsided, she would quickly go back and organize people to shovel the snow and clear the snow from the roads, otherwise it would be even more troublesome if the roads became icy later.

When Wang Ruizhe got into the back seat of Bi Lei's car, he thought to himself, "She's definitely the girl I like. She's just different from everyone else."

When they arrived at the village clinic next door, the two men were bruised and battered, which startled the old doctor on duty.

"Have you run into robbers?"

Wang Ruizhe already had a fever, and after falling five times along the way, his mind became foggy.

Bi Lei, looking quite resilient, said, "The road was slippery, and he fell off his bike. You should check his temperature! He's already weak; don't let him get a fever and become mentally unstable."

Is he physically weak?

Wang Ruizhe asked himself, "Is being in a relationship absolutely necessary? Is life more important or love?"