"That reason… sounds like it's all about work."
Luke chuckled, not committing to an answer.
Seeing his reaction, Gao Yuanyuan mustered up her courage, reached out, and grabbed his hand.
Please, don't pull away! she thought to herself, her heart racing. Taking this step was already embarrassing enough—getting rejected would be like having her pride stomped into the ground.
Luke felt the nervous tension in her soft, cool hand. Without overthinking it, he gently held it, and he could sense her instantly relax.
They'd spent the whole day filming together, so holding hands didn't feel like a big deal. No need to make it awkward.
Truth is, ever since he got the system, his life had started intertwining with more and more women, their fates tangled up in ways he hadn't expected.
He wasn't some saint with a moral high ground—he just didn't want to be too casual about things.
Deep down, he had a soft spot for Gao Yuanyuan. Otherwise, he wouldn't have thought to recommend her for the role in the first place.
By now, the sky had gone completely dark.
A silver full moon hung in the inky night, casting a glow over the poplar forest, where the leaves rustled softly in the breeze.
"The moonlight's gorgeous tonight," Gao Yuanyuan said.
Come on, say the breeze is gentle too, she thought to herself.
"The breeze… feels a bit stiff," Luke teased.
"What? You're the worst!" Gao Yuanyuan huffed, playfully nudging him, though her tap was so light it barely counted.
She was clearly annoyed he didn't follow the romantic script and instead poked fun at her acting earlier.
Luke was about to say something when—
"Awooo~"
A chilling howl cut through the night, startling them both.
"What was that?!" Gao Yuanyuan gasped, spinning around to look. In her panic, she misstepped on the path and tumbled to the ground.
Luke crouched down to check on her. "Twisted your right ankle. Does it hurt?"
"Not too bad. What was that sound?"
"Wolf howl."
He remembered Meng Tao's warning before they set out. Didn't think they'd actually run into one.
"Wolves? There are really wolves here?"
"We're in the grasslands," Luke said matter-of-factly. "There's forest and water nearby. Wolves aren't exactly a shocker."
"What's it howling about?"
"It's calling its pack. Sounds like they've got their eyes on us."
"What do we do? Look! Over there!"
Following her pointing finger, Luke spotted seven brownish-yellow grassland wolves charging toward them under the moonlight, their eerie green eyes glinting.
"Run! Get back to camp and get help!" Gao Yuanyuan urged, pushing him. "My ankle's shot—you can't escape if you're stuck with me."
By the time I get back with help, you think you'll still be in one piece?
Luke smirked, reached out, and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. I'm a kung fu master, remember?"
"Empty-handed? Even a kung fu master can't take on a wolf pack! Don't be reckless—"
Before she could finish, Luke flicked his right hand, and three silver streaks shot out.
"Awooo~"
"Yelp~"
About twenty meters away, the three wolves leading the charge stumbled as if struck by something invisible, tumbling across the ground.
Gao Yuanyuan's eyes widened in shock as Luke reached into his pocket again. This time, she saw it clearly: he was holding three coins.
Before heading out, Meng Tao had warned him about wolves, but Luke hadn't taken it too seriously. With his master-level throwing knife skills, a few coins in his pocket were enough to handle any danger.
Sure, coins didn't have the range or power of a proper throwing knife, but they were easy to carry. They could still hit accurately up to twenty meters—rivaling a handgun's precision.
Wolves are smart and brutal. Realizing their prey wasn't easy pickings, the pack turned tail and fled. The three injured wolves limped after their companions, disappearing into the distance.
"I almost became wolf chow tonight," Gao Yuanyuan said, still shaken. "Good thing you were here."
"Told you not to worry. See? We're fine," Luke said with a grin.
"So, real-life martial arts masters actually exist?" she said, like she'd just discovered a new world.
"Not as wild as those kung fu movies you watch, but still within reason," he replied.
"That's still crazy impressive. Taking down a wolf pack with a few coins? Can I learn that?"
"You can try, but you won't pick it up."
Without the system's help, even Luke couldn't have mastered it.
Her spark of excitement fizzled out at his words.
"Let's take care of that ankle," he said.
Gao Yuanyuan suddenly remembered she was still on the ground, her ankle throbbing faintly.
"Cold compress first," Luke said.
"Shouldn't it be a hot compress for a sprain?" she asked.
As an action actor, Luke knew his stuff. "For an acute sprain, you get some busted capillaries under the skin. Cold compress first to shrink the blood vessels and stop the bleeding. After twenty-four hours, then you switch to heat to get the blood flowing and reduce bruising."
"Trust me, I'm a pro at this." He scooped her up and carried her to the riverbank nearby.
It was late summer, early fall, and the nighttime river water was refreshingly cool.
Luke set her on a dry rock, knelt down, and rolled up her jeans to reveal her pale, smooth calf. Before she could say anything, he slipped off her white cotton sock, exposing her delicate foot.
Holding her foot gently in one hand, he scooped up cool river water with the other and poured it over her ankle.
The icy sensation seemed to travel from her foot straight to her heart.
But even the cold water couldn't douse the warmth rising inside her.
"Ooh~" she let out a soft gasp.
"Does it hurt? I'll go lighter," Luke said.
"Just let it hurt," she mumbled.
"What?"
Gao Yuanyuan didn't answer. She tilted her head back so he couldn't see her face, her slender neck tracing an elegant curve in the moonlight.
In that moment, a saying popped into her head: There are two paths to a woman's heart—one you don't talk about, and the other is her feet.
Truer words were never spoken. She bet even Eileen Chang and some old-school poet would give that a thumbs-up.
"All done. It should start going down by tomorrow," Luke said, standing up.
"Mm," she murmured.
"No walking tonight. I'll carry you back."
"Okay."
Luke hoisted her onto his back and started toward the film crew's camp.
Neither said a word.
Gao Yuanyuan rested her chin lightly on his shoulder, her soft breaths brushing his ear. A faint fragrance—maybe her hair, maybe her skin—lingered around him.
He could feel the warmth and softness of her pressed against his back, her legs in his hands full of a subtle, elastic give.
If she'd been stiff as a rock during filming earlier, now she was melting into him like a gentle stream.
Just as he opened his mouth to say something, golden text flashed before his eyes:
[First time completing a "hero saves the day" moment. Reward: Host gains skill: Blade Technique (Master Level)]