I am the real heiress, and Leo is the real heir. For ten years, lost and alone, we depended on each other to survive. We made a pact: if one of us was found, they would take the other with them. But when his family found him, he gently pushed me away. "The other 'son' is here too. The car is full. I'll come back for you next time." I knew he wouldn't come back. Later, after losing the battle against the imposter son, he returned to me, disheartened. "Raising fish and planting trees isn't a bad life. I'm willing to spend the rest of my days with you like this." I shook my head, waving the DNA test result in my hand. "This time, it's my turn to go home." "And my family? They don't have a fake daughter." 1 When the village chief ran up to tell me Leo was back, I was rolling up my sleeves, picking passion fruit, sweat dripping from my forehead. I froze for a moment, then wiped the sweat and smiled. "Well, treat Mr. Billionaire nicely. We're struggling to find buyers for these passion fruits anyway." It had been three years since Leo left. In those three years, he never came back to see me, nor did he come back to pick me up as promised. From heartbreaking agony to silent disappointment, and now to a calm smile—I guess I've grown up. Growing up means focusing on reality. Leo is a wealthy heir now. Buying my passion fruit should be a piece of cake for him, right? "Luna, aren't you going? Maybe Leo came back to get you," the village chief said, happy for me. I pinched a fragrant passion fruit in my hand and shook my head. "No, I need to finish the harvest. If I don't pick them now, they'll overripen." The chief was surprised but seemed to understand. He sighed and ran down the hill. I continued to bury myself in work with the other villagers, racing against time. Dizzy from the heat, I looked up to see a thin figure standing before me. I paused, then greeted him. "Mr. Vance, you've lost weight." 2 Leo Vance had lost weight. I remember when he left three years ago, he was a tall, vibrant young man with a handsome face that looked out of place in the countryside. Everywhere he went, widows tried to flirt with him. Now, he was thin, silent, and gloomy. The only thing unchanged was that devastatingly handsome face. Reunited now, my eyes still went straight to his face. He didn't speak, just stared at me intently. His eyes were red, lips trembling, as if he had suffered a great injustice and desperately needed a hug. I instinctively took a step forward, then stopped. I didn't want to hug him. In the past ten years, I had hugged him countless times. He was a proud person, stubborn since childhood, never willing to lose. He once fought a homeless man for half a burger, getting beaten bloody, just to bring it back for me to eat. Then he cried silently in pain while I held him all night. He clashed with villagers for his adoptive mother, roaring like a madman with a sickle in hand, then collapsed exhausted into my arms, where I held him all night. When he missed home, staring blankly at the sky in the middle of the night, I held him all night too. This ambitious boy had never left my embrace. But three years ago, he left without hesitation. 3 That day was supposed to be the day Leo and I officially led the villagers in planting passion fruit. I was on the mountain fantasizing about a bountiful harvest and making big money. But Leo suddenly went down the mountain and met the family he had dreamed of. By the time I excitedly ran down, he had finished pouring out his heart to his family and was packing his meager belongings. I hugged him tightly, weeping with joy. "Leo, this is great! You finally reunited with your family!" His body stiffened, and he was silent for a moment. Surprised, I wiped my tears and looked at him. "What's wrong? Aren't you happy?" He was happy, actually. But beneath that joy in his eyes, there was a different emotion hidden. "Happy," he answered with one word, looking at the mountain outside the village. "Aren't you busy? The villagers don't know farming techniques; you need to guide them constantly." "Busy or not, I have to come see you! You've been found by your family!" I didn't catch the subtext in Leo's words, rambling on instead. "Great! We'll have money, and we can help the villagers develop. Perfect!" Leo fell silent again. I finally realized something was wrong. Leo was happy to see his family. But he wasn't happy to see me. I pursed my lips and deliberately punched him lightly. "Cat got your tongue? You're not thinking of dumping me, are you?" I asked in a joking tone. But Leo's tone was serious. He hesitated, his eyes flickering. "My parents adopted a son. He came too, so..." He paused, looking away. "So, the car is full. I'll come back for you next time." 4 My head felt like it exploded. The car is full? I saw that car from a distance. It was long and huge, more spacious than Old Man Wang's truck. How could it be full? I'm not stupid. I immediately understood what Leo meant. But ten years of feelings are hard to cut off. I really couldn't believe it, nor did I want to. So, moments before the tears gushed out, I kept joking. "If there's no room inside, I can sit in the trunk! Or the roof works too, haha." My forced laughter sounded like the sharp cry of a dying duck. Leo exhaled heavily, turning his back to me. "Luna, wealthy families in reality are more exaggerated than in novels. They care more about matching status. "I was betrothed since childhood. I have to marry someone for alliance. It's not up to me." With every word he said, my tear ducts collapsed a little more. By the time he turned to look at me, my face was covered in tears. Yet he remained calm, his tone full of ambition. "I am the heir to a wealthy family. There is also a very favored adopted son at home. If I take you back, it will definitely drag me down. "I can't afford any mistakes. I don't want my biological parents to think I'm a useless person ruled by emotions. So, you must stay!" I was crying my heart out, unable to refute a single word. Leo's eyes flickered. He hugged me, his voice softening. "Be good. Wait for me to come back for you." 5 Leo did come back eventually. Standing alive among the passion fruit trees, standing in front of me. But I simply greeted him politely, calling him Mr. Vance. Leo blinked his wet eyes, pursed his trembling lips, a flash of doubt in his gaze, seemingly unable to understand why I was so indifferent. Actually, I should have excitedly thrown myself into his arms. Or joked like many years ago: "Oh look, crying again? Come here, Mommy will hold you." And he would glare at me angrily: "I'll beat you until you call me Daddy!" We played wild back then. Now, we can't play anymore. I broke the silence. "Mr. Vance, look, our village's passion fruits are ripe. Sales aren't good this year. Can you help?" Leo didn't look at the passion fruit. His gaze stayed on me. Finally, he spoke, voice hoarse. "Luna, you're not happy to see me at all." "I am! I don't know how happy I am. Our mountain full of passion fruit depends on you!" I shook his hand enthusiastically. Genuine enthusiasm. Because I was really afraid this year's fruit would rot in the field. Leo said nothing, just squeezed my hand. Living in luxury, his hands were now fair and tender like bamboo shoots. In contrast, mine were calloused, rough, and dark. "Luna, you've suffered," Leo said, gently stroking the back of my hand, his eyes red again. Goosebumps rose all over me. I yanked my hand back. "Mr. Vance, please have some self-respect. Let's talk about passion fruit." He froze on the spot. I proactively handed him a business card. "Mr. Vance, our Almond Village passion fruit is famous far and wide. Planting history dates back to before the Reform and Opening Up. Guaranteed plump and juicy..." Actually, the planting history was only three years, and we lost money for three consecutive years. Leo stared at my card, speechless. I pointed to the number on it. "Mr. Vance, you can contact me anytime. We'll supply however much you want!" With that, I took a sip of water and walked toward the mountainside. Back to picking!
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