The Country Beauty 468, Main Text 468 - Stinking Proud 468 - Stinking Proud After dinner, Lu Yun returned to his dormitory to change the dressing. Liang Hongyu insisted on helping him, but Lu Yun was afraid that upon seeing the blood-soaked, flesh-laden wound, she would be overwhelmed. After much persuasion, he finally convinced her to come with him to the dormitory—this is the textual content of Chapter 468 of "The Country Beauty." As expected, after Lu Yun fell asleep, the ancient-dressed figure reappeared in his dreams once again. This time, Lu Yun finally began to notice that although this was a martial arts manual, it encompassed techniques involving fingers, palms, and claws. Observing the figure carefully in action, he gained a fresh understanding of the style. Waking up and reaching classroom time, Lei was already at the dormitory, still lying on his bed, snoring softly. "Lei, wake up—it's time for class," Lu Yun gently pushed him and called out loudly. Lei stirred sleepily, turning over and opening his eyes to look at Lu Yun. "Yun-ge, what's up?" "It's almost time for class. Come on, let's wash our faces and head back to the classroom," Lu Yun rose from the bed, gave a call, and stepped out ahead. Lei wiped the drool from his lips, jumped off the bed, and followed. "Yun-ge, wait for me," Lei rubbed his still-drowsy eyes and hurried up to catch up. Lu Yun turned to look at him and chuckled, "Just now I was talking in my sleep—were you dreaming about playing the 'arching the bull' game with Xiao Jing from your family, weren't you?" "What? I was talking in my sleep?" Lei was taken aback and blushed, saying, "Cloud Brother, you absolutely mustn't tell anyone about this—this could kill me. The content is from Chapter 468 of 'Rural Beauty.'" Lu Yun smiled to himself, knowing that Lei hadn't actually said anything in his sleep—he had merely just woken up and had been trying to find a topic to stay alert. He hadn't expected Lei to have actually had a romantic dream. "Needn't worry," Lu Yun laughed, then suddenly tightened his brows. Lei had been about to say something, but upon seeing Lu Yun's furrowed brows, a sudden pang went through his heart. He asked, "Cloud Brother, what's wrong?" "Nothing," Lu Yun replied casually. Yet, he began to grow increasingly worried about Lei. Having grown up in this very place, Lei was bound to share the same traits as the villagers—full of energy but unable to channel it effectively. If he were to handle the matter with Xiao Jing, he would surely have to give up early, perhaps at first without much difficulty. But over time, Xiao Jing would inevitably grow dissatisfied. Unconsciously, Lu Yun recalled the pack of cigarettes Yang Yanping had given him, then shook his head, dismissing the thought. While these cigarettes could certainly boost one’s courage, excessive consumption would undoubtedly take a heavy toll on one’s health. Soon reaching the canteen, Lu Yun turned on the tap, leaned his head under the stream, and wiped his face, thinking to himself that he was being unnecessarily anxious—after all, such habits among the elderly here were simply part of the routine, and surely the women would have grown accustomed to them as well. "You still haven’t washed! Go wash and then return to your classroom," Lei said, his mind occupied, standing by the tap. Lu Yun kicked him squarely in the back, urging him on. "Oh. Yun-gong, are you really okay?" Lei glanced at Lu Yun and said softly. "What could possibly be wrong with me? Hurry up, don't dawdle." Seeing Lu Yun's mischievous smile again, Lei immediately felt reassured and likewise leaned under the tap, taking a thorough, refreshing shower. Lu Yun asked, his face suddenly flushed, as if he were thinking of spring or something equally vague. Wang Shiyu sat awkwardly on the chair, her mind in turmoil. Suddenly, she straightened her face and said coldly, "Nothing really. I just wanted you to remember our agreement." Man! Lu Yun wiped a bead of sweat. Was this really that important? She acted like a spoiled wife, all stiff and pretentious. He immediately replied, "Don't worry—I've promised, and I'll keep my word." Yet in his heart, he was quietly wondering how utterly dull she could be, changing her attitude so swiftly. "Wait," Lu Yun pressed, "I have a feeling you're holding something back. What exactly is it that's making you act this way? You're making me feel like my skin's being scratched by cats—really, are you trying to keep me from delivering a good lecture?" Wang Shiyu's face suddenly flushed, and she shook her head vigorously, yet couldn't bring herself to speak a word. Lu Yun played it straight and said, "Look at you—your face is as red as an apple! Did you suddenly fall in love with me? If you say so, I won't have to go into the woods and get kicked senseless by you. I'll never be able to bear it if you keep kicking me to death, and I won't even be able to stand up to you with a punch of my own!" Upon hearing this, Wang Shiyu was completely taken aback. Her face was indeed as rosy as a fully ripe red apple, and she scolded softly, "What are you talking about? I never act so foolish! I'll wait until I knock you senseless in the woods!" Lu Yun looked utterly dismissive, "Love is love—why be so reserved? Do you really expect me to go after you?" Wang Shiyu was completely driven to the edge, lifting her pink fists and smacking them hard against Lu Yun's nose, her cherry-red lips shouting, "You keep talking nonsense! You keep talking nonsense!" No longer the cold, cautious, and always-on-guard demeanor she used to have toward Lu Yun. Lu Yun sidestepped, avoiding Wang Shiyu's punch, and whispered, "Pay attention to your image—Xiao Yu's watching. If she sees you, she'll definitely think there's something romantic between you and me." Wang Shiyu was utterly speechless by Lu Yun's sheer self-absorption. How could this man be so self-centered? He wanted to give him a solid beating, yet he genuinely feared being misunderstood by Li Hongyu. With a surge of frustration, she muttered, "You're so ungraceful!"