Chapter 17: Flaunting Love So Early in the Morning?

An hour and a half later, they arrived at Rural Retreat.

The place Dylan had called to book was run by an elderly couple, who smiled warmly as they greeted Ursula and the group. They stayed in a two-story tiled house, where the rooms on the upper floor were tidy and clean, inviting them to choose their own.
The small village nestled next to the mountains, and all the acres of land below were leased by the villagers to cultivate fruit trees. This season, the watermelons and peaches were mostly ripe, and visitors could pick and eat them as they wish.

"Wow, what a hidden paradise!" Dylan exclaimed with excitement, invigorated by the unfamiliar surroundings and the fresh air. "Melbourne is fun, but it lacks a certain vitality. This place, on the other hand, is the perfect vacation spot."

Ursula chuckled and said, "You might not think so after staying here for a few more days."

"As long as Matthew's here, I'm happy to stay as long as possible." Dylan hummed, the affectionate nickname slipping out unintentionally, causing Ursula to stiffen and look down to hide the loss in her eyes.

After changing his clothes, Dylan, eager for a midday meal of fish, dragged Matthew to the fishpond for fishing, insisting that Ursula and Timothy come along. Ursula reluctantly went with them.

Next to the fishpond lay the watermelon farm, where the green vines sheltered watermelons of varying sizes. The largest ones were no bigger than an adult's hand, with golden flesh that was far tastier than the red variety.

Timothy fixed his fishing rod, picked a small watermelon from the farm, and used his pocket Swiss knife to cut it open with ease, handing half to Ursula. "Try it."

Ursula took a bite and nodded with a smile, "Mmm, it's so sweet."

"Really? Let me try." With that, Timothy bent down and took a bite from Ursula's half, leaving her in stunned silence, slightly at a loss. "Not bad, we should take one back with us."

"You two are really showing off?" Dylan yelled, visibly annoyed.

Timothy just laughed it off, "You chose to watch, who's to blame? Besides, we never said you couldn’t show off your love with Matthew ."

Ursula pursed her lips and glanced over, only to find Matthew casually watching her, oblivious to others, which made her heart skip a beat. She quickly lowered her head, clutching the piece of watermelon in her hand.

Why was he looking at her with those eyes, what did it mean?

Dylan snorted twice, not to be outdone, she pulled Matthew close and flaunted their affection, using endearing terms excessively sweet. Ursula listened with furrowed brows, her heart even more uncomfortable.

Dylan proclaimed, "Timothy, the one who catches the least fish later has to wash the dishes!"

Timothy wasn't pleased and teased her back, "My girlfriend has taken care of the meals these last few days, you think catching a couple of fish is impressive? Just remember, no washing dishes, no eating."

"Matthew, see how he's bullying me!" Dylan clung to Matthew's neck, pouting as she cooed at him, "You definitely have to show off your culinary skills later and quell his arrogance, him being so cocky despite not being able to cook!"

Matthew glanced over towards Timothy and the others with a nonchalant "Okay."

The fishing haul over two hours was impressive, they got many fishes. Matthew reeled in a sizable grass carp, which brought immense joy to Dylan, who couldn't help but sneak in a little taunting at Timothy.

After getting home, Ursula took all the ingredients to the kitchen, filled a large basin with water and placed the fish inside to keep them alive for a couple more days. Just as she was about to come out with a kitchen knife to kill the fish, she saw Matthew walking towards her.

"It's okay." Ursula put the knife on the sharpening stone, and smoothly said, "You really hate the smell of fish, and it would be a problem just leave it to me. Besides, this isn't my first time dealing with fish…"