The group walked through the peach blossom forest for about ten minutes. Cheyenne felt that as she walked further in, her heart beat faster, though she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.
Her vision became a bit blurry, and there seemed to be a strange smell. Just as she wanted to carefully sniff the scent, it seemed to vanish. In the air, aside from the fragrance of the trees, there was only the earthy smell of the soil and various scents coming from the villagers.
As she was lost in thought, a gust of wind came, and the smell returned. Along with the somewhat bewildering figure in front of her, she couldn’t help but feel a bit weary.
Sean’s continuous chattering brought her back to her senses. Only then did she feel more awake.
It was Melody who first noticed something amiss about Cheyenne. She turned back and saw Cheyenne with a slight sweat on her forehead, her steps involuntarily slowing down, falling behind the group. Her fair, delicate face had turned a bit red.
Thinking it was due to the sun, Melody kindly handed Cheyenne a wet towel.
“The UV rays on the mountain are strong, Miss Lawrence. Your fair skin can’t withstand such exposure. Try to walk in the shade, it’ll be cooler.”
Cheyenne took the towel and wiped her face. The strong smell of alcohol on the towel was familiar to her, and she finally felt a bit more comfortable. The strange smell disappeared as well.
“Thanks, Melody.”
“Oh, don’t mention it, Miss Lawrence, being Sean’s older sister, you must still be quite young. To have achieved so much at such a young age… My daughter is already 24 and still living off me, not a bit as successful as you.”
Cheyenne had never seen Melody’s daughter, so she didn’t know how to respond. As for her age, it was no secret, already documented on Wikipedia.
“Well, everyone has their own path, Melody. There’s no need to worry. Actually, I’m not that young anymore. I’m 25 this year and already have two children.”
When she mentioned that she had two children, Melody looked surprised. Cheyenne’s face was just too deceptive. You could say she was eighteen, and people would believe it.
“Twenty-five with two kids. I thought successful people like Miss Lawrence would marry late, but this is normal. In our village, girls usually get married and have children by the age of 20 if they don’t go to school.”
Cheyenne showed no reaction to her words on the surface, but she was starting to feel annoyed.
So what if she didn’t study and got married at 18? Many graduates and doctoral students wanted to be her assistant, but she thought they were too slow.
In consideration of this person having taken care of Sean, she patiently endured. At this moment, Cheyenne even admired herself a bit.
When did she become so patient?
Maybe it was because she had two children. Being a mother made her more patient than before.
Cheyenne selectively changed the subject and softly asked about something else.
“Melody, do you feel dizzy when you enter this forest?”
At this, Melody lowered her head, her bangs covering the panic in her eyes. Her hands clenched slightly under her long-sleeved earth-colored shirt, sweat trickling from her palms.
Seeming afraid that not answering promptly would arouse Cheyenne’s suspicion, she quickly raised her head and flashed her a kind smile.
“No, of course not. Miss Lawrence, do you feel dizzy?”
Cheyenne nodded truthfully, “It’s not too bad, probably just a mild case of heatstroke. I used to bring an umbrella whenever I went out.”
Melody discreetly pursed her lips. It was already October, and the outdoor temperature ranged between 27 and 28 degrees Celsius. The temperature on the mountaintop would be even lower, around 24 to 26 degrees. Such a temperature should be comfortable for most people, but Miss Lawrence still found it hot. She truly lived up to her title as a pampered heiress.
Umbrella necessary for going out? That seemed too delicate. Melody wondered how Cheyenne’s husband could tolerate her. Of course, these were just Melody’s internal musings. Outwardly, she still treated Cheyenne with utmost respect, even offering to support her since she seemed unsteady in high heels.
“If Miss Lawrence feels dizzy, let me support you and walk slowly. Be careful not to trip.”
However, Cheyenne disliked being touched by anyone other than those she trusted.
“No need, thank you, Melody. I’ll just walk a bit slower,” she replied, speeding up and walking over to Sean.
Without hesitation, she placed her hand on his arm, gazed at him with a haughty and lazy expression, and lightly parted her red lips.
“I feel dizzy; could you support me?”
Sean stared at the fair hand resting on his arm, surprised because it was the first time she had initiated physical contact like this.
However, he quickly recovered from his surprise and blushed with shyness. “Alright, sis, I’ll walk slower for you.”
Cheyenne looked at his blushing ears, so bashful as if he were a 17 or 18-year-old teenager in love. She couldn’t resist teasing him.
“Weren’t you in a relationship at 16? Haven’t you been with any other women these years? Why are you so shy? It’s embarrassing for our family.”
Sean’s face darkened at the mention of his teenage relationship. It wasn’t really a relationship; it was just a senior girl confessing her feelings for him, and he agreed because she could introduce him to online games. They broke up within a week because he was terrible at the game.
Since then, Sean became enthralled with Arena of Valor and acquainted himself with a group of delinquents, forgetting his true nature in the process. Later, he met Mikaela, someone he loved and hated. His gaze turned distant as he stared ahead.
“No, I just want to focus on studying and restore our family’s reputation.”
Upon hearing this, Cheyenne smiled generously, patted the back of his head, and said, “Good, having such determination is admirable. I know quite a few nice young girls; when you’re ready and at peace with yourself, I’ll introduce you.”
“No, big sis, please don’t. I just want to study hard and improve myself every day!”
Sean thought about how she was half a shoulder shorter than him, and it would be tiring for her to raise her hand. So, he obediently bent down, allowing her to touch his head. It felt a bit embarrassing for him because he felt like a dog being teased.
He must admit that Cheyenne’s familiarity with this gesture was due to her playful interactions with Chance at home every day. Sean wasn’t the first person to have this thought; Kelvin and Cierra had felt the same before.
“We’re here!”
Yehuda, who was leading the way, whispered. Everyone’s footsteps ceased.
Cheyenne looked up and saw a small mound before her. Unlike other places, this mound wasn’t filled with peach trees. Instead, it was surrounded by a fence and had a small wooden house in the center.