Chapter 126: Ding Heng's Secret Base

Saturday morning.

Zhao Yanxi opened her eyes groggily, and what she saw was the man's well-defined jawline.

Ding Heng was still asleep, and his arm naturally wrapped around her waist.

Memories of last night gradually returned to her. Zhao Yanxi gently moved her legs, which felt sore and weak, as if she had just run three thousand meters.

She's been thoroughly exhausted by the man again...

Zhao Yanxi gently turned over and changed direction.

Noticing the movement in his arms, Ding Heng instinctively tightened his arms and then continued to sleep.

Zhao Yanxi reached for her phone on the bedside table, and the screen lit up—6:42 AM.

As usual, I opened my WeChat Moments, and the first post was Lin Man's update. She was eating breakfast with her makeup on.

The caption was just two words: [Stealing a moment of leisure]

After Lin Man's WX application was approved last time, the two exchanged brief greetings.

"Hello, I'm Lin Man."

"Hello, I am Zhao Yanxi."

And then there was no more.

Lin Man didn't care at all where Zhao Yanxi got her WeChat account, nor did she care why Zhao Yanxi added her.

It seems that to her, it was just another insignificant person on her friend list, not worth asking any further questions.

Zhao Yanxi put her phone back on the bedside table, closed her eyes, and pondered again the question Wen Jing had repeatedly asked.

Even if it's confirmed that Lin Man and Ding Heng are having an affair, what does she want to do? What can she do?

To tear each other apart and pull each other's hair?

That's so embarrassing, and Ding Heng will definitely be angry.

Pretending not to know?

I feel so suffocated...

Should we talk to Lin Man in person?

What should we talk about? Should we tell the other person, "Please stay away from my boyfriend"?

On what grounds?

She wasn't even Ding Heng's only girlfriend...

Zhao Yanxi opened her eyes, stared at the ceiling, and sighed.

Forget it, if I can't figure it out, I won't think about it anymore.

She shrank down, burrowing into the covers, ready to wake the man and greet him with a good morning.

……

An hour later, at the hotel's buffet restaurant.

The four-person table by the window is bathed in sunlight.

Zhao Yanxi returned to her seat, her plate piled high with food.

Wenjing couldn't help but mutter, "Are we going to finish all this?"

Zhao Yanxi picked up her chopsticks and said matter-of-factly, "There's nothing I can do. I expended too much energy tonight, and someone refuses to help..."

Her quiet little face flushed slightly as she buried her head in her food without saying a word.

Ding Heng was drinking coffee when he heard this. He put down his cup and gently flicked Zhao Yanxi's forehead.

"Thump."

"Ouch!"

Zhao Yanxi covered her forehead, looking aggrieved.

Ding Heng ignored her and turned to Wen Jing: "Is everything ready?"

Wenjing nodded: "Yes, I carefully checked all the camping gear yesterday and packed it all in your car."

"What about food?"

"Yan hope and I went shopping yesterday. We bought snacks, fruit, bottled water, and some instant food. They're all in the trunk."

Ding Heng nodded in satisfaction and then looked at Zhao Yanxi.

With her mouth full of bacon, Zhao Yanxi mumbled, "Don't look at me, I'm responsible for being beautiful!"

"Thump."

I got hit on the forehead again.

Ding Heng said irritably, "You're in charge, so don't even think about slacking off when we get there."

Zhao Yanxi pouted, genuinely aggrieved this time: "I packed my things yesterday, don't worry, I promise I won't slack off..."

Wenjing chuckled to herself.

The weather has been sunny and pleasant lately.

On a whim, Zhao Yanxi invited Hua Yue and Hua Qing to go camping in the countryside.

The location was chosen by Ding Heng. It was in the suburbs where his maternal grandparents lived, and further north was a favorite place that Ding Heng used to frequent when he was a child.

It wasn't one of those trendy campsites; there weren't many people there. It was more like his childhood secret base.

After finishing their meal, the three packed their belongings and drove away from the hotel.

Nearly an hour later, Ding Heng stopped in front of his maternal grandparents' shop.

Hua Qing's white new energy vehicle was parked not far away, charging at a charging station.

On a small stool outside the convenience store, Hua Qing peeled an orange, while Hua Yue petted a cat.

An elderly woman with gray hair was sitting in the middle, chatting happily with them.

Ding Heng called out, "Grandma!"

"Heng Ya is here!"

The old lady got up to go to greet him, but her gaze suddenly fell on her grandson's back.

Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing walked over one after the other.

She was poised and elegant, with a smile in her eyes.

She is well-behaved, petite, and adorable.

Before the old lady could figure it out, Zhao Yanxi quickly stepped forward and greeted her with a smile: "Hello, Grandma! My name is Zhao Yanxi."

Wenjing followed closely behind, her voice shy: "Hello, Grandma... I... my name is Wenjing..."

The old lady looked at this and then at that.

"Alright, alright, you're all good children. Come in and sit down!"

She beckoned the two girls inside, and before they could react, she grabbed Ding Heng's sleeve and dragged him into the inner room.

As soon as the curtain was drawn, the old lady's face immediately hardened: "Hengya, who are all these people?"

Ding Heng calmly replied, "Friend, didn't I already tell you we were going on a camping trip together?"

"You said you were bringing a few friends, but you didn't say they were all girls!"

The old woman looked at her suspiciously: "Which one is your girlfriend?"

Ding Heng chuckled and replied, "That depends on you, Grandma. Who do you want as your granddaughter-in-law?"

"Go! Go! Go!"

The old lady slapped him in an annoyed tone: "Are you making fun of an old woman like me?"

Ding Heng smiled and dodged the question, not responding: "Grandma, have you prepared everything for me?"

The old lady glared at him, turned around and walked to the corner of the inner room, opened a large freezer, and handed a heavy plastic bag to Ding Heng.

"Look, I bought the meat myself, and your Uncle Qiao's family helped with the marinating and processing. They've been in the barbecue business for over twenty years, so don't worry!"

"How much?"

Ding Heng took it and weighed it in his hand; it was quite heavy.

The old lady raised her hand and gently patted the back of his head: "You little brat, do you think I'm asking you for money? Take it, take it!"

Ding Heng didn't stand on ceremony. He went out of the inner room, put the meat into the insulated box in the car, picked up two large buckets of mineral water, and then casually took two of his grandfather's treasured fishing rods.

The old lady followed him out and reminded him, "Be careful, it gets chilly in the mountains at night, wear more clothes."

"Know."

Ding Heng closed the car door and turned around: "By the way, Grandma, a shipment will be arriving soon, remember to sign for it."

The old lady was taken aback: "What is it? Don't give it to us old folks..."

Before she could finish speaking, the car started and slowly drove away.

"Hey, you silly child—"

As the old lady watched the two cars disappear at the end of the road, she was about to turn back when a van suddenly stopped in front of the shop.

The car door opened, and four or five workers jumped out, holding slips of paper: "Excuse me, is this Sun Yu Store?"

The old lady nodded: "Yes, what's wrong?"

The worker handed over the form: "Sir, please sign for this."

The old lady took the form and pen, glanced down at it, and saw a densely packed list of things.

"What are all these?"

The workers have already started unloading: "New TV, refrigerator, sofa, massage chair... there's quite a lot of stuff. Don't worry, we'll move it in and arrange it for you, get rid of the old stuff, and make sure everything is spotless."

The old lady stood there, stunned, her pen motionless for a long time.

She looked up at the now empty concrete road.

You brat, where did you get so much money?

…………

In the car, Zhao Yanxi asked curiously, "Brother Ding Heng, where are we going?"

Ding Heng kept everyone in suspense: "You'll find out in a bit!"

The car drove on the highway for nearly ten minutes, then suddenly turned and drove onto a rugged and bumpy mountain road.

Wenjing usually gets carsick, and this time she even leaned against the window and vomited.

Finally, after the car plunged down a steep slope, Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing's view opened up.

On a flat riverbank covered with pebbles, a mountain spring flows down the mountainside and into a small pool below.

Wenjing, who was truly naive, exclaimed in amazement when she saw the thin, slow-moving stream on the cliff face.

"Wow, a waterfall!"

"What waterfall? Little Jingjing, can't you be a little more respectable? It's not even as loud as our shower!"

Zhao Yanxi teased her, and Wenjing shyly touched her head.

Actually, it's not the little rabbit's fault. After all, Zhuzhou, where she grew up, is a purely industrial city with no natural scenery to be seen.

Unlike Zhao Yanxi, whose family could go on trips during winter and summer vacations.

Ding Heng parked the car, went to the edge of the pool, scooped up a handful of water to wash his face, and then turned back to direct Hua Qing to find a place to park.

This place is located at the angle between two mountains, with most of the area surrounded by mountain walls covered with lush trees, giving it a tranquil and secluded paradise feel.

Zhao Yanxi stood on the riverbank, looking around, her watery eyes sparkling with excitement: "Brother Ding Heng, this place is so beautiful! How did you know about this place?"

Ding Heng lifted his coat and quickly wiped his face: "When I was around ten years old, I often rode my motorcycle with my childhood friends to play, especially in the summer, we would dive right in to take a shower."

"Childhood friend?"

Zhao Yanxi suddenly remembered something and muttered softly, "Is it that childhood friend who gave me my first kiss?"

"Do you still remember?"

"So you two were splashing around in the water naked back then?"

"You won't be jealous about something that happened when I was ten years old, will you?"

"No way!"

Zhao Yanxi pouted, clearly not speaking her mind.

Hua Qing also got out of the car and quietly enjoyed the scenery, while overhearing the conversation between the two.

Does his childhood friend refer to Long He?

Ding Heng began taking things out of the car one by one: "Don't be jealous. Come again next summer, and I'll swim around naked with you a couple of times."

"Go! Go! Go……"

Zhao Yanxi looked slightly shy, then asked curiously, "But is it really safe to swim in this water?"

Ding Heng chuckled and said, "Why not? The water in the pool is all mountain spring water; it's perfectly safe to drink..."

Zhao Yanxi cautiously moved closer to the edge of the pool. The water was crystal clear, and you could see the fine sand and pebbles at the bottom. It really gave you the urge to dive in.

It's a pity, it's December now, and there are two outsiders, Hua Qing and Hua Yue. Zhao Yanxi doesn't want the two sisters to take advantage of her man...

If it really comes next summer, it will only be her and Ding Heng, and at most Wen Jing will be brought along. We'll have to pick out a couple of swimsuits then.

Especially Xiao Jingjing, her figure in a swimsuit would definitely be amazing, we have to think of a way to prevent her from stealing the spotlight...

"Stay here tonight, and drive back if anything happens."

Ding Heng pulled a camping tent out of the trunk and threw it on the riverbank.

Zhao Yanxi excitedly stepped forward to help. It was her first time properly setting up a tent for camping, not just casually pitching a shed in a tourist area.

Unfortunately, less than two minutes later, Ding Heng gave her a good scolding for her clumsy attempts, and she could only angrily go to help Hua Yue and Hua Qing wash vegetables.

Wenjing knew her own limitations and knew she couldn't help with setting up the tent, so she took out the grill, cleaned it carefully, and prepared to burn charcoal.

Wearing clothes to work is too troublesome, so Ding Heng simply takes off his shirt; the temperature of around 9 degrees Celsius no longer has any effect on his body.

Start by leveling the ground, removing all the large pebbles, and then drive the anchors into the ground.

The tent surface required a bit more work. Ding Heng worked it until it was perfectly smooth without a single wrinkle before stopping. Finally, he laid out the moisture-proof mat and the air mattress, and then threw in the warm sleeping bag.

While he was working, the girls, except for Hua Yue, would steal glances at him from time to time, their eyes following the sweat dripping down the man's muscular physique.

"Hey, hey, hey, let's get to work! Can't you all concentrate?!"

Hua Yue uttered a question, which made the three of them lower their heads in unison.

After hanging up the camping light, Ding Heng turned to look at the girls.

"Both tents are set up, come in and give them a try!"

Zhao Yanxi was still holding a grudge because Ding Heng had just criticized her for being clumsy, so she turned her head away haughtily and ignored him completely.

Wenjing happily pounced over and lay down on the bouncy air mattress.

The tent's small yet cozy space gave her a strange sense of security, and she rolled around, letting out satisfied sighs.

"Hey, Jingjing, you're actually enjoying this?"

Zhao Yanxi couldn't hold back any longer and rushed into the tent to argue with Wenjing.

After Hua Qing crawled into another tent to make sure everything was in order, she suddenly poked her head out and asked, "There are only two tents, Ding Heng, where will you sleep tonight?"

Ding Heng pointed to the car: "I'll spend the night in the car."

Is this appropriate?

"If you're worried, senior..."

Wenjing and Zhao Yanxi were making a ruckus in the tent, while Hua Yue was focused on washing vegetables.

Ding Heng seized the opportunity to lean close to Hua Qing's ear and gently exhale a breath of stale air.

"Remember to come keep me company tonight!"