Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 19

Upon hearing these words, a flicker of mischief passed through Chi Shuang’s eyes, and she couldn’t help but glance up at Jiang Qi.

Their gazes met instantly.

Bathed in that gentle, shimmering look, Jiang Qi felt her breath catch in her throat. For the first time, besides her ears, even her neck and cheeks flushed with a delicate pink hue, like soft clouds drifting across her skin.

Fortunately, no one else seemed to notice. Jiang Ran was completely absorbed in the fish in the pond, while Shang Chumu had also grown somewhat intrigued. The two of them waded into the water first.

The pond water was no longer clear, it could even be described as murky. Catching fish in such conditions relied entirely on luck.

Unless, like an experienced master, one could detect the presence and size of fish beneath the surface by observing the water’s flow and subtle ripples.

But for novices like them, it was truly a case of “fishing in troubled waters.”

Though it had rained earlier in the afternoon, the weather hadn’t turned cooler. Instead, it remained stiflingly hot, while the water at the bottom of the pond felt refreshingly cool.

Almost everyone was bent over, hands plunged into the water, with only a few children randomly spearing fish with makeshift harpoons.

Chi Shuang, free from any celebrity airs, imitated the others and dipped her hands into the water. Before long, she managed to catch a small, lively flatfish, its scales shimmering with iridescent colors under the sunlight.

Jiang Qi didn’t rush to catch fish right away. Instead, she stayed on the bank, observing the techniques of the more skilled individuals around her.

Naturally, she wasn’t shy about asking for advice. Her thirst for knowledge had always been strong. Though she spoke little and her expression wasn’t particularly gentle, her sincerity and striking beauty made up for it.

A nearby aunt was more than happy to share her expertise on various fishing methods.

Tang Qiluo and Yan Xu were both diligently trying to catch fish but had little to show for their efforts.

Jiang Ran splashed around wildly and finally managed to pull a loach out of the deeper, muddier part of the pond.

However, the slippery mucus coating the loach’s skin stirred a faint sense of disgust in her. Her hands trembled slightly, and the little loach she had just caught slipped free, returning to its natural habitat.

“Oh no, I forgot to bring a basket,” Chi Shuang lamented, holding the only small fish they had caught.

It was then that everyone realized that even if they managed to catch fish, they had nothing to put them in.

In short, they had all forgotten.

Tang Qiluo raised his hand and volunteered, “How about I go back and get one? I’ve been fishing here for a while with no luck, I’m probably just not cut out for this.”

He smiled wryly.

“Alright,” Chi Shuang nodded, then lowered her gaze to the little fish in her hand, pondering what to do next.

By then, Jiang Qi had already learned the aunt’s techniques and was walking toward them.

The pond was deeper in the center and shallower at the edges. Jiang Qi used her hands to dig a small pit in the already drained muddy bank.

Chi Shuang’s eyebrows twitched as she watched those slender, clean fingers become coated in mud, a strange feeling stirring in her heart. “What are you digging a pit for?”

Jiang Qi didn’t answer. In just a few moments, she had finished digging the small pit. She then washed her hands in the not-so-clean pond water, scooped several handfuls into the makeshift pit, and said, “You can put your little fish in here.”

As she spoke, she didn’t look at Chi Shuang but instead focused on smoothing the edges of the pit, making it more rounded.

For some reason, Chi Shuang felt that this version of Jiang Qi was glowing. And during a certain period in the past, her Jiang Qi had always been glowing.

It felt like a fishbone stuck in her throat.

Before Jiang Qi could turn around, Chi Shuang quickly composed herself. She smiled gently at Jiang Qi and said, “Xiao Qi is so resourceful. Otherwise, I’d still be holding onto Xiao Yu’er~”

Her tone lifted slightly at the end, sounding almost like a coquettish whine.

Really, her self-control was lacking.

Jiang Qi closed her eyes briefly, trying to cover up her emotions as she remarked, “The sun is a bit too bright.”

But it was just a small episode.

By the time Jiang Qi caught her first fish, Tang Qiluo had already brought over the bamboo basket. “Here, perfect timing!”

“Thank you.” Jiang Qi placed the decent-sized crucian carp into the basket. Then, she stuck a branch into the bank near the water, hung the basket on it so that half of it was in the air and half in the water.

As soon as Shang Chumu saw Jiang Qi’s success, he grew envious and came splashing over, clinging to her. “Sister Jiang, please teach me!”

Relying on himself alone was clearly not an option, and Jiang Qi had no intention of keeping her skills to herself. She lowered her head to observe the water’s surface. “Don’t just reach in and grab the fish directly. They’re not stupid, unlike you. They’ll dart away at the slightest disturbance.”

How could she attack him like that! Shang Chumu grumbled inwardly. But he seemed to understand and stood still, carefully watching the movements in the water.

The others followed suit, and soon, Chi Shuang caught a large fish as well.

It was a grass carp, weighing about three jin. Everyone was thrilled, with this fish as a backup, their grilled fish dinner was secured.

“Wow, Xiao Shuang is amazing!” Yan Xu praised with a smile.

A three-jin fish was no small feat, and live fish were far stronger than one might expect. Yet Chi Shuang held the fish effortlessly with one hand, showcasing her arm strength.

Jiang Qi nodded and, in a rare moment of teasing, said, “Thanks to Xiao Shuang, you’ll have to eat more of the grilled fish tonight.”

Chi Shuang smiled, flicked the water off her hands, and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It was only then that Jiang Qi noticed a tiny mole behind her earlobe.

Beautiful and delicate.

“Of course, I’ll eat more. I even abandoned my idol image to catch this fish!”

Nothing could stop the little flatterer from praising Chi Shuang.

While observing the water’s movements, Jiang Ran chimed in, “My Sister Chi doesn’t need any idol image! Even if she were catching turtles, she’d still look gorgeous!”

Chi Shuang: “…” Ridiculous.

Normally, Shang Chumu loved joining in the fun, but this time, he remained unusually quiet. Suddenly, he noticed some movement.

Got it! His eyes lit up with excitement as he reached out and grabbed!

The moment he touched it, he sensed something was off, the “fish” was too long and a bit thin. But he didn’t dwell on it, as there were plenty of fish species he didn’t recognize.

Shang Chumu lifted the wriggling creature in his hand, the wildly twisting oval head, the small, shiny, alert eyes, the slender body.

It was…

“A snake!” Shang Chumu’s expression froze for a few seconds before he could no longer hold back. He shut his eyes and, losing control, flung the “snake” away.

And so, a graceful arc traced through the air. The writhing figure landed on Jiang Qi’s arm before dropping back into the water.

Jiang Qi: “!!!” Damn it, I’m scared of snakes too!

The quick-witted uncle next to her swiftly scooped the “snake” out of the water, pinched its neck, and weighed it in his hand: “Quite heavy.”

Jiang Qi almost instinctively shifted at least two meters away without a second thought.

The uncle chuckled and explained to them, “This isn’t a snake, it’s a ricefield eel. It’s delicious.”

“No, no!” Shang Chumu stared in horror at the creature in the uncle’s hand and took another step back.