The system is very abstract, fortunately I am also.

Chapter 421 Flowers Inserted on Flowers

If someone were to ask Lin Li now, "Lin Li, are you happy?"

Lin Li would definitely shake his head firmly: "My surname is not Hu, my surname is Lin."

But happiness.

This moment is incredibly pleasant and comfortable.

The grey-blue Moonlit Lake spread out under the overcast sky, with one or two clumps of withered yellow reeds occasionally swaying in the wind on the shore.

Chen Yuying wrapped her arms around Lin Li's waist, feeling the warmth from his back through his clothes and the slight undulation of his muscles as he pedaled.

He was as comfortable and at ease as she was.

Chen Yuying then looked up, because at that moment the bicycle turned a bend in the road where the trees were a bit more lush, and a "different" view appeared on the lake shore.

It's actually just a wishing well by the lake, or a wishing lake.

It's not a traditional standalone pool with a sculpture fountain, but rather a design integrated into the lakeside.

A platform, neither too big nor too small, was built around the shore, slightly above the water level. The edge of the platform jutted into the shallow lake water, and in the center of the platform stood a large stone carp, completely submerged in the lake water, its huge mouth open and facing upwards.

Wishing wells always have a target, and here the target is clearly the mouth of a carp. Being able to throw a coin into its mouth is considered a good omen.

Around the stone carp and in the area of ​​water the carp was facing, the lake water was crystal clear, and you could see a large number of coins that hadn't been thrown in, lying quietly in the crevices of the pebbles at the bottom.

Wishing wells are quite common in real life—for example, buses are also wishing wells, where you can throw in a coin to grant your wish to go to some of your destinations, so they're not anything rare. Plus, this place doesn't really promote them, so they're not a popular spot for taking photos.

Therefore, tourists on the lakeside trail are few and far between, mostly walking past or resting on benches in the distance to enjoy the view of the lake.

There were only one or two young people on the shore at that moment, making it seem rather deserted.

But this quietness suited them just fine; if the place were crowded with people, Lin Li and Chen Yuying would have lost their interest.

They parked the car, locked it, and walked side by side toward the wishing well.

"There's even a change machine! Our meticulous planning suddenly seems a bit redundant," Lin Li said to Chen Yuying with a smile, pointing to the coin dispenser not far away.

“The coins that come out of that cold machine are different from the coins I take out of my warm backpack. Mine are better.” Chen Yuying raised her chin slightly, her words filled with smiles and pride. She didn’t think so.

Lin Li thought Chen Yuying was right.

As I approached the wishing well, I saw only a young man in a gray hoodie casually tossing a coin into his hand.

Hearing footsteps beside him, he subconsciously turned around and glanced at Lin Li, who was closest to him. He merely raised an eyebrow, but when his gaze swept over Chen Yuying, it froze instantly, and an undisguised amazement and daze flashed across his eyes.

Then, when his gaze swept over Lin Li, he showed an undisguised envy, jealousy, and hatred, as if to say, "What makes this guy so special?"

Lin Li keenly caught the gaze, turned his head to meet the young man's eyes, and then a cold smile appeared on his lips.

The young man named Xiang Zhicheng immediately looked away from the two men and turned his gaze back to the stone carp in the pond.

He took a deep breath, clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and silently and rapidly opened and closed his lips a few times, as if in devout prayer. Then, gathering his strength, he shouted at the stone carp, "My wish is to find a partner!!"

The moment he finished speaking, the coin in his hand was thrown out forcefully.

The coin made a crisp sound as it fell into the water. The throw was actually quite accurate, but the trajectory of the coin after entering the water was unpredictable. For example, this coin did not fall into the mouth of the carp as expected, but instead wobbled onto the fin of the carp, and then fell down the slope to the bottom of the pebbles.

A frustrated voice came from the side; it was so close.

Lin Li's eyes lit up, and he patted Chen Yuying on the shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Chen Yuying looked at him in confusion.

"This pool is amazing!" Lin Li exclaimed in surprise.

"Hmm?" Chen Yuying tilted her head slightly, somewhat puzzled: "How did it work?"

“Unlike other feudal superstitions that try to hide things, it gave a direct and concrete response!” Lin Li explained earnestly. “Did you hear that? This person just shouted ‘I want to find a partner,’ and threw a coin in, and the wishing well immediately replied with ‘Lonely for life.’ Isn’t that a response?”

"Loneliness... huh?"

Chen Yuying was taken aback at first. When she came to her senses, she suddenly pursed her lips and lowered her head, but her shoulders trembled slightly, and a few suppressed breaths escaped from her throat.

But a smile still managed to peek out from between her fingers that were tightly covering her mouth. Then, realizing that covering her own mouth was pointless, she turned to cover Lin Li's mouth instead.
"Keep your voice down! The person involved is still here!"

Xiang Zhicheng: "..."

late.

I heard it all!!

And you weren't even speaking quietly!
Don't think that just because you're pretty you can do whatever you want!
"Dude! It's 'a gurgling sound,' not 'a life of solitude'! Don't spread rumors! That's not what the gods meant!" Xiang Zhicheng couldn't help but step forward to argue with Lin Li.

Lin Li looked bewildered: "Yeah, a life of loneliness."

"Hey, you're so stubborn, aren't you?"

"Damn, why are you so vengeful... But," Xiang Zhicheng shook his head helplessly, paused, and said frankly, "Brother, your girlfriend is indeed ridiculously beautiful, no wonder you got angry just now."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuying's laughter subsided, and she looked at Xiang Zhicheng with some confusion.

Why are you saying this? It's as if he knows Lin Li.
"My rival in love," Lin Li explained when he saw the girl's confusion.

Chen Yuying suddenly realized that Lin Li's reminder made her remember—this voice belonged to the one who had only been heard in the forest but never seen.

However, because there is a subtle difference between speaking at a normal volume and shouting, she didn't notice it at first.

No wonder Lin Li didn't lower his voice when he spoke. Normally, Lin Li would know to avoid talking badly about strangers.

"Isn't it beautiful!" Lin Li then looked at Xiang Zhicheng, his tone slightly boastful.

"Sigh, what have I done to deserve this..." Xiang Zhicheng stroked his chin, his gaze shifting between Lin Li and Chen Yuying, and finally shook his head: "It's like a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung."

"What are you saying! She's a flower too!" Lin Li angrily stepped forward, grabbed Xiang Zhicheng by the collar, and said angrily.

Xiang Zhicheng and Chen Yuying: "..."

Xiang Zhicheng remained silent for a long time before finally bursting out laughing: "Dude, you're unbeatable."

Then, he pointed to Moonlit Lake:
"You know, I often come to Yuexi Lake. In the summer, there are many lotus flowers in the lake, but many people shake those lotus flowers in order to take pictures. It's very rude."

But I see you, brother, are a fellow flower, so you must be able to empathize and understand, so you certainly wouldn't be so shameless, would you?"

"Although I'm not as good as you say, I really don't shake lotuses." Lin Li withdrew his hand, appreciating Xiang Zhicheng's praise, and said modestly.

Xiang Zhicheng gave a thumbs up.

"Next time you'll be the cow dung." Chen Yuying said with some dissatisfaction when Lin Li returned to her side.

“Received,” Lin Li turned to look ahead, “Alright, let’s ignore this single dog and make our wishes.”

Chen Yuying nodded, looking helpless against Lin Li.

“I’ll go first, I’ll make a wish—” Lin Li’s hands, which were clasped together in prayer, suddenly separated, and one of them pointed at Xiang Zhicheng, “He will never find a partner in his life.”

And the instant he finished speaking, Lin Li aimed at the carp's mouth and tossed a coin into it.

I hear of a life of solitude again. A coin traces a perfect parabola, enters the water, sways but doesn't change direction, and lands precisely in my mouth, disappearing without a trace.

"I did it! My wish came true!" Lin Li shouted happily.

Chen Yuying blinked.

Xiang Zhicheng: "(；☉_☉)?"

Hey, wait! What did you just wish for?
"Hey! Hey! Wait! Ptooey! Quick, ptooey! Take this wish back!" The coin disappeared for several seconds before Xiang Zhicheng suddenly realized what was happening and looked at Lin Li with shock and a bit of panic.

This person was actually Cao Pi's father-in-law who framed Yue Fei for treason—Zhen Ji's father is wicked!!
Are you turning a wishing well into a cursed well?

“Words spoken are like water spilled; they can’t be taken back.” Seeing Xiang Zhicheng’s reaction, Lin Li looked up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, his voice low and sorrowful: “Like a broken heart, no matter how you try to repair it, there will always be cracks.”

Xiang Zhicheng: "..."

Are you embracing a melancholic and sentimental mindset?
And why does your girlfriend look like she's used to it?
"It's okay, it's okay," Xiang Zhicheng said, shaking his head and forcing a smile to comfort himself. "As we all know, wishes don't come true if you say them out loud. Dude, you were talking so loudly just now, the carp definitely won't grant your wish. It's okay."

"I see. So you mean it will happen as long as we don't say it out loud, right?"

Lin Li raised an eyebrow, took out another coin, and stared meaningfully at Xiang Zhicheng. Just as Xiang Zhicheng felt uneasy and tried to stop him, he immediately threw the coin again, accurately landing it in the carp's mouth.

"Nice! I hit it again!" Lin Li smiled happily, then looked at Xiang Zhicheng: "Dude, want to guess what I just wished for?"

Xiang Zhicheng: "(；゜○゜)?"

"I...I won't guess." Xiang Zhicheng's Adam's apple bobbed, and he shook his head.

"Yeah, it's good that you don't know." Lin Li nodded with a very understanding smile.

"Holy crap!!!" Xiang Zhicheng completely broke down and let out a wail.

Finally, he placed his last hope in Chen Yuying, his eyes pleading: "Miss Chen, Sister Chen, Mother Chen, can you please do something about your boyfriend...?"

Wa, when did you arrive?

Lin Li warily stood between the two.

"It's your mother, so you should call her that!"

—Lin Li was not doing this for himself, but to stand up for Lin Ziwei and Lin Shouying.

Don't be afraid, Dad's here!
Chen Yuying covered her face and chuckled, but still held back her laughter, gently tugging at Lin Li's sleeve: "Alright, Lin Li, stop fooling around."

Lin Li looked somewhat innocent: "I didn't cast a curse. I swear on my life and my love for you, the wish I just made was that he could find a partner soon, really." Chen Yuying blinked; she believed Lin Li was telling the truth.

Xiang Zhicheng: "!"

Could it be... that I've wronged this person?

The next second, Lin Li covered his mouth in "horror": "Oh no, I said it out loud, it can't be done now!"

Xiang Zhicheng: "...?"

Wait a minute, isn't this a multi-pronged scheme?

Xiang Zhicheng smiled with relief.

Tolerable or unbearable.

He stretched his limbs, cracking his knuckles, then gave Lin Li a cold laugh before turning around with all his might! He raised his leg angrily and fled!

I can't afford to offend him, so I ran away.

What's so great about a wishing well? It's just a coin pool! Nobody cares about its blessings!

"Why did you leave?" Lin Li asked, watching the other person leave.

Chen Yuying smiled and shook her head.

“Now this pool is ours to keep,” Lin Li said, looking back at Chen Yuying. “What do you plan to wish for?”

"Of course, it's a wish that's related to the two of us," Chen Yuying chuckled softly, clutching a coin in her hand.

"Then what you expect will definitely become a reality," Lin Li replied casually but confidently.

“I think so too.” Chen Yuying nodded in agreement and tossed the coin.

The coin traced an arc and entered the mouth with a soft sound.

Although Chen Yuying didn't care whether she hit the target in the wishing well or not, she was still unexpectedly overjoyed when she actually succeeded.

Looking down at the girl with bright, sparkling eyes, Lin Li's eyes were equally bright: "It seems that your wish will come true, and we're not the only ones who think so."

—He didn't use any abilities just now.

After tossing all the remaining coins, some hitting and some missing, the two returned to their bicycles and continued riding.

……

"Are you tired?"

As the road beneath the wheels gradually turned uphill, and the oncoming wind seemed to bring a bit of resistance, Chen Yuying wrapped her arms around Lin Li's and patted him gently, her voice filled with concern.

"Don't worry, it's just a small lake," Lin Li said, his mouth still filled with the sweet fructose Chen Yuying had given him earlier, his tone light and cheerful.
"Don't even mention circling the lake, I could even take you to the Tour de France!"

"Sigh, why don't you hold a Tour of China cycling race? Otherwise, I'd sign up right now to show you the power of love."

"Huanzhong is going too far..." Chen Yuying laughed out loud.

Chen Yuying believes that athletes participate in competitions to show the world their ranking, but they should never do so to show the world their trophy number.

If the Tour of China were set in ancient times, perhaps a more accurate description would be: exile.

By the way, exile usually involves a distance of three or eight thousand li, but in the central region it is forty thousand li.

As you continue cycling, you gradually reach a blind spot that was previously invisible after leaving the "Rime Path". A wooden viewing platform extending into the lake appears ahead, where many tourists gather to rest and play.

The view here is expansive, the water is shallow and clear, and a flock of wild ducks and several fearless pigeons are gathered on the shore, swimming or pacing around several spots on the shore where there are obvious signs of feeding.

Lin Li, who didn't even need Chen Yuying's reminder from behind, knew that Chen Yuying was still upset that she had only fed him after feeding him for half the day, so he parked his bicycle steadily next to the bike rack at the entrance of the viewing platform and locked it.

"Come on, let's go take a look." Lin Li naturally took her hand.

After buying a few bags of grain feed from vendors outside the observation deck, the two stepped into the bustling area.

After receiving the feed from Lin Li, Chen Yuying eagerly walked towards the railing at the edge of the viewing platform.

The ducks seemed to sense that it was feeding time and immediately quacked and gathered around, while the pigeons flapped their wings and landed on the nearby railing.

Chen Yuying picked up a pinch of grains, but first scattered them in the area where a few ducklings, who were a little too far away to squeeze forward, were.

The ducklings immediately lowered their heads happily to peck at the food, making soft, delicate chirping sounds.

The girl rested her elbows on the railing, cupped her cheeks in her palms, looked at them tenderly, a smile playing on her lips, and coaxed them softly, "Eat slowly, don't rush."

Sunlight fell on the girl's profile, and Lin Li's heart stirred at the sight. He took out his phone and pointed the camera at this beautiful moment.

Upon noticing the camera, Chen Yuying smiled and made a few peace signs, transforming into a fully automatic photo-taking machine. Seeing Lin Li nod in satisfaction, she reached out expectantly, "How did it turn out? Let me see."

"Not bad, pretty handsome." Lin Li handed his phone to Chen Yuying.

Chen Yuying: "..."

When Chen Yuying saw Lin Li's face in the first photo in the album, her heart skipped a beat.

Sure enough, the latest seven or eight photos in the album were all selfies of Lin Li shoving his face right up to the camera, looking like a fruit fly.

I got fooled again!

I pointed my phone at myself on purpose so I would be discovered!
"Why is it a pre-processed step?" But Chen Yuying asked knowingly, her face expressionless.

"What?! It's the front camera?" Lin Li looked surprised and scratched his head. "I was just admiring your beauty. Strange, I thought I was using the rear camera. How could this happen?"

“It’s alright,” Chen Yuying shook her head, stood up and went to Lin Li’s side, making a gesture of pushing Lin Li: “I have found some evidence, and the truth will soon surface just like your corpse.”

"Hahahaha-"

Lin Li laughed heartily. He was ashamed that Chen Yuying could say such things so seriously and naturally.

"If you can't take pictures, leave it to me!" Chen Yuying was displeased that Lin Li was still so happy.

"Keep feeding them. This time, I'll take a serious picture of you. Leave it to me! Go over here and squat down. I'll take a picture of you and the ducks together—" Lin Li said with a smile, giving instructions.

Chen Yuying was skeptical, but she still obediently followed Lin Li's instructions.

Before Lin Li could even finish taking the photos and show them to Chen Yuying, an auntie standing nearby exclaimed, "Young man, you took very good photos!"

The photo, captured on the phone, shows a gray-blue lake and distant mountains in the background, with flocks of ducks and pigeons and a few rare water birds in the foreground. Sunlight filters through thin clouds, dancing on the shimmering waves. But the true center of the picture is Chen Yuying, with her head slightly tilted and a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Auntie," Lin Li replied politely.

"Could you take a few pictures for me too?" the aunt immediately asked.

"Sure, but Auntie, my photography skills aren't actually that great." Lin Li accepted first, but then immediately put on his armor.

“This child is so modest,” the aunt waved her hand, immediately handed her phone to Lin Li, and then struck a pose.

Lin Li began taking photos.

The shutter sound from her phone wasn't off. After hearing the clicking stop, she looked at Lin Li expectantly: "How were the photos?"

Lin Li looked at the result of his work, his expression slightly complicated: "Auntie, I made you look very young in the photo."

"Wow, that's amazing!" The aunt nodded excitedly. "Then take a few more pictures, I'll move to a different spot—"

"Auntie, I haven't finished yet. There are some settings on your phone that I don't know how to use, and the photos look a bit too young..." Lin Li said somewhat awkwardly.

Seeing Lin Li's expression, Chen Yuying's heart skipped a beat, and she stood up and went to his side.

After looking at the picture carefully, it wasn't the situation Chen Yuying had imagined—the aunt was photographed as her grandson.

only.

It was worse than Chen Yuying had imagined.

"Too young? What do you mean by too young?" the aunt asked, somewhat puzzled. "How young?"

Lin Li: "Looks thirty years younger..."

"Thirty years old, oh my, isn't that perfect? ​​Auntie also wants to go back to being eighteen..."

Lin Li: "It's 300,000 years old."

Auntie: "(；☉_☉)?"

Didn't understand.

The woman, puzzled, walked over to Lin Li and looked at her phone.

I didn't see my own photo on my phone.

For some reason, a comical Homo sapiens was displayed on the screen.

Auntie: "Haha, who is this monkey?"

"..."

"..."

Aunt: "That's not right."

(End of this chapter)