Chapter 207: Chapter 207: The Little Girl Picking Persimmons

Chapter 207: The Little Girl Picking Persimmons

Chloe Collins wasn’t the first time a man confessed his feelings to her.

But this gentle and unexpectedly subtle approach was probably the first for her.

She lay on her side with one hand under her head, looking at the night sky through the skylight, her expression peaceful and calm.

Her crossed legs swayed unconsciously, as if she was very content.

Unknowingly, she closed her eyelids and fell asleep.

A dream drifted in through the skylight—

On a scorching summer day, a gentle breeze rustled through the mountains, sweeping across the temple inside and out.

A thirteen-year-old girl was courageously climbing a two-story tall persimmon tree under the blazing sunshine. The cool breeze couldn’t blow away the thick beads of sweat on her forehead.

She carried a small bamboo basket on her back, filled with five large ripe persimmons.

The persimmon tree was very old, and its fruits were big and round. At this time of the month, each persimmon was almost glowing red, and many had already fallen to the ground and smashed.

The ones at the very top had been pecked by birds like sparrows, and there weren’t many left that could be picked.

So she had to climb to the top and scramble out onto the peripheral branches to get them.

The master never allowed them to pick the persimmons, so she had sneaked here this time.

Thankfully, the tree was located in a remote spot, with only a guest courtyard next door. Most people couldn’t make their way there.

Originally, she wasn’t very fond of persimmon fruits, but when the medical staff member named "Big White" got injured and took lots of medicine, he suddenly mentioned that his mouth was dry, and he wanted to eat something sweet.

She immediately thought of the persimmons here and came to pick them without telling him.

Once she had picked them, she would take them to be chilled by the mountain spring water for an hour or two. When they were taken out, they would be fresh, juicy, and ice-cold with every bite.

However, the tree branches were rather fragile. She carefully stepped on each one, using her handmade loop to hook the few extended branches and pick the slightly softened ripe persimmons before gently placing them in the basket.

"Hey! You climbed so high, come down quick!"

There was a sudden sound of panic from the courtyard next door.

Chloe glanced down and saw Mr. Ford below the courtyard wall. He spread his arms wide, as if worried that she might fall.

Chloe picked a persimmon and called out in a delicate voice, "Don’t worry, Uncle, I won’t fall."

"Hey, a young lady shouldn’t be climbing so high. If you want to eat fruit, come down quickly. I’ll make a clipper for you."

"Clippers can easily squish the persimmons, and there aren’t many on this tree. Plus, it’s been a long time since I’ve done this. It’s faster for me to pick them myself. Don’t worry; I’ll be down soon."

After saying that, she put a few more persimmons behind her and smiled at the man below.

Just then, she saw Ford’s face suddenly pale as he pointed behind her, his arm trembling.

"Don’t, don’t move! There’s a snake hanging behind your ear!"

However, his words were ultimately too late. Chloe had already turned to look behind her when he pointed.

In that moment, she saw a snakehead straightening like a spoon, its forked tongue flickering as it stared at her.

As a reflex, Chloe dodged the snake’s attack!

Unprepared, her left foot found nothing but air. The tree branch she was holding onto snapped with a crisp sound.

Wind whooshed past her ears as she plummeted from the tree in less than two seconds.

Smack, smack, smack!

The persimmons in the basket hit the ground and turned to mush.

But she was caught securely by someone, narrowly escaping disaster.

She opened her eyes and saw the man’s slightly protruding Adam’s apple, his skin pale.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read