Chapter 139: Huang Juan's Tenderness

Before handing the funds over to Gao Xinhua, Yang Tian paid a visit to his company to inspect the situation. Restricted by capital limitations, the office was quite modest. However, everything was just as Gao Xinhua had described: he was ready at a moment's notice. As soon as the funds arrived, the equipment could be purchased promptly, and the company would be up and running in full swing to produce the first batch of energy-saving lamps.

In fact, the very moment he handed the money to Gao Xinhua, Yang Tian's face beamed with a sense of accomplishment, yet his heart harbored a subtle anxiety. This time, Zhang Xiuxous unconditionally helped him complete the order, essentially spending money to buy him experience. Even if it resulted in a loss, she certainly wouldn't hold him accountable for any consequences.

Yet, if it truly failed, he wouldn't feel at ease. It wouldn't necessarily crush his confidence, but to squander so much of Zhang Xiuxiu's money all at once—how could he possibly face her?

Returning to his lodgings after work, Yang Tian was drenched in sweat, but his heart felt remarkably clear. He had finally gained some practical experience in interpersonal relations and witnessed the cold indifference of the corporate world. At the same time, he felt a lingering nervousness; after all, now that the money was gone, whether it could be recovered and generate real profits was something he couldn't be entirely sure of.

Feeling restless, he instinctively reached for a cigarette!

Just as he was about to light it, he caught sight of Huang Juan entering through the doorway. It was mid-autumn, and though the weather had turned cooler, it was far from freezing. She wore the latest autumn fashion for young ladies: knee-length denim shorts paired with sheer stockings that hugged her calves, and snow-white flat shoes. Her upper body was clad in an off-white blouse—though calling it a blouse was a slight stretch, as the sleeves were short with Huang Juan's favorite puffed cuffs, and the hem was edged with delicate, subtle lace. It perfectly captured the natural gentleness and innocent sexiness of a young maiden. Coupled with Huang Juan's reserved nature, which made her reluctant to outwardly display her emotions, she appeared exceptionally graceful under the gentle evening light.

Yang Tian knew that if this feminine outfit were swapped for denim cutoff shorts, long-legged sheer stockings, and a sleeveless T-shirt, it would look even more youthful and alluring. However, Huang Juan's personality dictated that she would never dress like that; she seemed hesitant to reveal her slender, beautiful legs to the public.

Even so, Yang Tian could still tell that Huang Juan, whose figure was just beginning to blossom, already possessed a pair of captivating, enchanting legs.

She walked slowly into the room, her cascading long hair swaying softly, diffusing a subtle, lingering fragrance that instantly brought a line of Xu Zhimo's poetry to his mind.

"Most of all, that gentle lowering of the head, like a water lily battered by a cool breeze, brimming with shy grace." The words slipped out before Yang Tian could stop them. He felt that this verse captured Huang Juan's exact demeanor at this very moment.

"You like Xu Zhimo's poetry too? Xiaotian, you're getting bad again, actually picking up Xu Zhimo's romantic ways!" Huang Juan lowered her head with a blushing smile, reached into her backpack, and pulled out a large, bright red apple, handing it to him.

"What? Only Xu Zhimo is allowed to be romantic, but I, Yang Tian, can't learn a thing or two?" Yang Tian accepted the apple with a teasing chuckle. From her blush, he could tell that she enjoyed his praise. What young girl didn't like being complimented?

"Thinking of smoking again?" Huang Juan's face remained flushed. Glancing down and spotting the cigarette still in his hand, she asked with a soft, gentle laugh.

"Ah, well, whenever I feel troubled, I just want to smoke a few!" Only then did Yang Tian realize he was still holding the cigarette.

"Another troublesome matter? Can you tell me about it? If you can forget your worries right here with me, then you won't need to smoke at all!" Huang Juan smiled sweetly, two deep dimples blooming on her pale, rosy cheeks. She slowly extended a soft, slender hand and gently pulled the cigarette from his grasp.

"This..." Yang Tian was momentarily speechless. He knew this was Huang Juan's tender expression of care. Suddenly, he realized that smoking was a mistake. While there was nothing inherently wrong with men smoking, it was precisely because of his smoking in his past life that Huang Juan had never dared to get close to him. Even though she didn't hold those same taboos now, he felt he shouldn't simply reach for a cigarette whenever he pleased. A bad habit from his past life remained a bad habit; even if no one pointed it out as such, he had no business continuing it.

"What? Is confiding in me really less appealing than smoking?" Huang Juan laughed softly, resembling a devoted young housewife.

"Not at all, I was just worried about disturbing your studies!" Yang Tian replied with a sincere smile.

"What's there to worry about? I get tired from studying too, and I need to rest and relax sometimes! Oh, right, I recently learned a head massage technique that can quickly relieve a person's fatigue. Would you like to try it?" Huang Juan flashed a playful smile. In truth, she had been learning this massage technique for nearly a year—ever since Yang Tian started running his internet cafe. Seeing how exhausted he looked every day, she had wanted to find a way to help him unwind. Unfortunately, they were still high school students then, and with so much time dedicated to studying, many relaxation methods were simply impractical. But a massage was different; it could be done anytime, anywhere, requiring little time while yielding quick results. Thus, Huang Juan had secretly practiced this skill with great dedication. She used herself as a guinea pig every time, paying close attention to which pressure points and what amount of force felt most comfortable. Though she hadn't reached a professional standard yet, she had certainly grown quite proficient.

"Alright!" Since Huang Juan was offering to give him a massage, Yang Tian readily agreed. Her massage would undoubtedly feel much better than smoking!

Seeing him agree, a smile as gentle as water instantly bloomed across Huang Juan's face. She gently guided Yang Tian to sit on the bed and began massaging his head.

She started at his forehead, gently cradling both sides of his head with her palms before placing her thumbs softly against his brow, beginning a delicate kneading motion. Moving from the center outward, and then from the edges back to the center, she massaged him with the careful devotion one might show toward a precious work of art.

Setting aside her massage technique for a moment, the mere petal-soft pressure of her touch instantly relaxed Yang Tian completely—a profound relaxation that made him forget everything else, as if he were lying amidst a heap of soft petals, feeling enveloped in tenderness all the way to the depths of his heart. The faint, natural fragrance of those petals instantly smoothed the turbulent waves of his mind into tranquility and serenity.

That subtle fragrance resembled the wild orchids blooming at the edge of Da Liushu Village. He knew it was Huang Juan's unique scent—not the artificial aroma of chemical perfumes, but the innate fragrance of a young girl's body.

After a short while, Huang Juan gently released his forehead and skillfully pressed her middle fingers to his temples. The wind-soft pressure made Yang Tian feel so comfortable he nearly drifted off to sleep.

Noticing this, a look of fulfilled satisfaction crossed Huang Juan's face. She suddenly realized that she wasn't entirely useless to him after all; she could bring him comfort, too. Every time she saw how exhausted he was on her account, she had secretly sworn to share his burdens—or at the very least, to make his life a little more comfortable.

"Does it feel good?" Huang Juan asked softly, her voice as gentle as a breeze brushing across one's face, carrying waves of faint fragrance.

"Mhm, I almost want to fall asleep!" Yang Tian smiled with contentment. This tenderness was something he had never experienced before his rebirth, and he was more than willing to keep striving for the sake of all this.

"Then in the future, whenever you have worries, I'll massage your head for you, and you won't smoke anymore, okay?" Huang Juan leaned close to his face, asking with a smile that carried the triumphant joy of a petty scheme successfully carried out.

"Alright, but what if I have worries every single day?" Understanding her intentions, Yang Tian felt a deep surge of warmth, yet couldn't resist teasing her with a counter-question.

"Then I'll massage your head every single day until you don't have any worries left!" Huang Juan extended a slender, delicate index finger and gently tapped Yang Tian on the forehead.

"Oh, right, aside from my head, can you massage other areas too?" Yang Tian suddenly opened his eyes and asked with a mischievous smile.

"Xiaotian, you're so bad! Where on earth are you thinking of having massaged? We're still students, you shouldn't have thoughts like that!" Huang Juan's face flushed crimson as she said this in shy annoyance, the redness spreading all the way down her neck.

"Don't let your imagination run wild; I just meant that if possible, could you help massage my neck and back? Sitting in front of the computer every day makes my cervical spine pretty sore!" Yang Tian raised an eyebrow, continuing to tease her with a grin.

"Fine, Xiaotian, you're teasing me again. See if I don't beat you up!" Even shyer now, Huang Juan realized they were no longer little children. At their age, whenever they grew close, there was always an innate curiosity about the opposite sex mingled with a reluctance to tear away that veil of modesty, leaving their hearts fluttering and innocent with racing pulses.

Seeing his mischievous smile just now, she had thought he was harboring improper thoughts, only to realize he was merely toying with her. Unable to contain her frustration, the young girl simply tackled Yang Tian onto the bed just like they used to do when they were kids, raising her soft little fists and pounding playfully against his chest.

The blows didn't hurt at all; instead, they felt slightly ticklish and comforting. Thus, Yang Tian made no move