He Tiantian smiled and said, "Qi Xiaoyan is absolutely right."

She now has a very high calorie requirement, so eating well at every meal is essential to ensure her body has enough energy. Not for any other reason than to keep her body healthy every month so she can provide the sacred blood needed for the Snake King's cultivation.

"I'm here!" He Tiantian walked over. Since she had already taken the little tortoise away, there was no need for it to stay here.

"Oh, Sister Tiantian, you're here!" Qi Xiaoyan said. "Come on, it's time for dinner. We couldn't find you and were worried about you, so we came out to look for you."

"It's okay, I'm an adult, what could possibly happen to me!" He Tiantian said with a smile. "Let's go, I'm hungry too."

Niu Dajun was overjoyed to have found He Tiantian, relieved that he no longer had to blame himself.

Qi Xiaoyan grabbed He Tiantian's hand and asked, "Sister Tiantian, what are you doing here?"

"I just thought this little park was nice, so I came to take a stroll. I saw a kitten and played with it for a while," He Tiantian explained. Even though Qi Xiaoyan was her best friend, she wouldn't tell Qi Xiaoyan this secret.

She didn't tell her parents!

He didn't even tell Huo Yingjie.

No one else knew; it was her secret.

"Oh, I thought you were lost," Qi Xiaoyan said. "Sister Lili treated us to dinner today and made your favorite, big meat wontons. They're all ready, just waiting for you to cook them when you get back."

"Great, that's my favorite food." He Tiantian said with a smile, and followed Qi Xiaoyan and Niu Dajun to Taoyuan Restaurant.

When Niu Lili saw them arrive, she told the chef in the back to quickly make wontons and bring them inside to eat, as she had to go out and do other things.

After Niu Lili finished her work, she came over to chat and laugh with Qi Xiaoyan and He Tiantian.

Niu Lili was full of energy, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Taking a moment to steal a glance at Niu Lili, He Tiantian blinked and asked softly, "How's it going on your end?"

Niu Lili smiled through her cigarette and said, "We've already started chatting."

Qi Rongjun learned from his brother that Guo Cuicui had taken a liking to someone else. He felt a little disappointed and awkward, but not too sad. Now that things had come to this point, it was the best possible outcome, and he wasn't angry.

When Qi Rongjun received Niu Lili's letter, he was a little surprised. He had met her once and was deeply impressed by her tall stature and bright eyes. He replied to Niu Lili on a whim.

Niu Lili talked about interesting things that happened at the restaurant, and Qi Rongjun talked about some interesting things that happened in the army. As they went back and forth, they started exchanging more letters.

"Hehe, congratulations." He Tiantian clasped her hands in a fist and palm salute. If a man isn't interested in a woman, he usually won't reply. Even if he does, it's just out of politeness, and he won't reply with much.

Niu Lili smiled and said, "It's all thanks to you. By the way, I heard that Guo Cuicui is already engaged to Qin Hai."

"Huh?" He Tiantian was taken aback. "That's pretty fast. Doesn't that mean she got what she wanted?"

“Yes, it’s just that it’s become a bit ugly,” Niu Lili said. “That Qin Hai is a scoundrel. He was having an affair with Guo Cuicui, taking advantage of her, and then denying everything after using her. But Guo Cuicui isn’t one to be trifled with either. She’s wary of Qin Hai. When Qin Hai distanced himself from her, she went directly to Qin Hai’s house with a bed sheet. If Qin Hai didn’t agree, she would accuse him of rape.”

"Bed sheets?" He Tiantian was taken aback. "What do you need bed sheets for?"

Seeing He Tiantian's puzzled look, Niu Lili blushed and scolded, "Little brat, if you don't know, don't ask. Anyway, there's evidence of Qin Hai taking advantage of you on there."

Upon hearing this, He Tiantian suddenly realized, "Oh, so that's what it is!"

A woman's first blood, a man's ***** This Guo Cuicui is a real character!

In his past life, he had completely suppressed Secretary Qi's family.

This life will also be a grand and spectacular one!

Putting aside Guo Cuicui's character flaws, He Tiantian actually admires her quite a bit in some ways!

Cherish your life!

They dare to love and hate!

The attitude of "If you don't let me have a good time, I'll make your whole family suffer" is not something everyone can learn!

"To be honest, Guo Cuicui is really amazing," He Tiantian praised. "Most people can't compare to her."

Niu Lili nodded and said, "She is very powerful. She is willing to risk her life and dare to pull the emperor off his horse. Guo Cuicui has lost her virginity. If she doesn't go all out, what will become of her? However, only someone like Guo Cuicui can control someone like Qin Hai. A more reserved girl would probably jump into the river and commit suicide."

Upon hearing the news of someone jumping into the river to commit suicide, He Tiantian immediately thought of Qi Xiaoyan.

Looking up at Qi Xiaoyan and Niu Dajun not far away, who were chatting and laughing quietly, He Tiantian felt that her efforts had not been in vain!

That's perfect!

"Oh right, Tiantian, I just remembered that Qi Xiaoyan and my cousin are engaged. I want to win over Qi Rongjun now. If it works out, how should we address each other? It'll feel like our families are exchanging betrothal gifts, won't that be a bit awkward?" Niu Lili said with a bitter face. She had only thought about Qi Rongjun's heroic spirit before, but she didn't expect there to be this ethical issue.

To be honest, there's no difference in generation, but the age difference, plus the marriage between Qi Xiaoyan and Niu Dajun, does make things a bit... a bit awkward!

He Tiantian thought about it and agreed, but she didn't care about these things and comforted her, "First, you are not related by blood; second, the family or individual is not well-off and cannot find a wife, so they arranged a marriage exchange; third, you are not different in generation or age, so you can each call each other by your own names."

Niu Lili thought for a moment, as if she had figured it out: "Yes, it's not that I can't get married, and it's not that Qi Rongjun can't find a wife, so we don't meet the conditions for a marriage exchange. Besides, our ability to face difficulties head-on is a symbol of free love."

“Well said,” He Tiantian said. “Do it according to your own wishes.”

He Tiantian said that because Niu Lili is a good girl and Qi Rongjun is a gentleman.

This kind of relationship deserves everyone's blessings!

The two talked for a while longer before Niu Lili and Qi Dajun went back.

He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan live in Niu Lili's dormitory.

The next morning, Niu Dajun went to pick up He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan and took them to the bus station.

At that time, the bus station only had a few buses, and it was very small.

Niu Dajun went to buy tickets. He arrived quite early and managed to get a seat near the front.

He Tiantian found a seat for herself and let Qi Xiaoyan and Niu Dajun sit together.

The car started, and with a few roars of the engine, it drove out of the station.

At first, in the county town, in order to avoid pedestrians, the car kept stopping and starting. Some people who were not used to riding in cars got carsick, and some even vomited.

He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan are in good health and did not experience motion sickness.

Niu Dajun is a veteran, and he has ridden in even bumpier vehicles, so he doesn't get carsick.

Once we left the county town and drove on a smooth road, the car finally became stable, and my motion sickness improved somewhat.

With five hours to go, He Tiantian closed her eyes to rest, pretending to sleep.

Qi Xiaoyan glanced at He Tiantian secretly, and seeing that He Tiantian's breathing was deep and even, she assumed that He Tiantian was asleep, so she whispered to Niu Dajun.

He Tiantian found it amusing. When lovers who understand each other are together, nine out of ten sentences are nonsense, but when they say them, they still find it interesting and enjoyable.

The way Qi Xiaoyan and Niu Dajun were together reminded her of how she was with Huo Yingjie.

How fun and sweet!

Oh dear, seeing other couples being all lovey-dovey makes her miss Huo Yingjie.

Thinking of his gentleness, his strength, and his pity.

Huo Yingjie previously said he would definitely come to see her during his vacation, but I don't know if he will.

He Tiantian was also conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to see Huo Yingjie to relieve her longing; on the other hand, she was worried that Huo Yingjie was working too hard and harming his health, and she couldn't bear to part with him.

I don't want to think about it anymore; the more I think about it, the more I miss it!

"Gurgle gurgle mi!" He Tiantian chanted the spell, wanting to see the Snake King and the newly acquired little spiral turtle.

The Snake King opened the barrier, and He Tiantian saw the interesting side inside.

The Snake King was furious, and the little tortoise looked bewildered, like a child who had made a mistake.

"What's wrong with you all?" He Tiantian asked in her heart, hoping that the little tortoise could come up with a way to alleviate this year's drought.

When the Snake King saw He Tiantian, he became somewhat hesitant, turned his back, and said, "Ask that idiot!"

He Tiantian looked at the innocent and adorable little spiral turtle and asked, "What exactly happened?"

"I peed!" The little tortoise raised its head, its innocent eyes sparkling.

"Huh?" He Tiantian was utterly astonished. "You're a stone statue, how can you pee?"

The little tortoise was unhappy and said, "I am a tortoise. My original body was broken, so my master gave me a stone statue body, but I have all the functions of a real tortoise. I drink water from the river, I drink rainwater in the square. I can not only pee, but I also need to eat! I'm hungry, I'm hungry..."

He Tiantian was dumbfounded and said, "Are you a stone statue? What do you eat? We're in a car right now, and I don't have anything to give you to eat!"

"I need to drink water," the little tortoise replied. "I need to drink enough so I can excrete more water."

He Tiantian's eyes lit up, and she said, "You mean you can pee two times with one sip of water..."

It seemed a bit indecent, so He Tiantian didn't continue. Even though the two people opposite her were the Little Turtle and the Snake King, they could talk, so He Tiantian treated them as humans, on equal footing with her.

"Yes, that's how you understand it," the little tortoise said seriously, without showing any embarrassment.

"Do you only drink water?" He Tiantian asked, puzzled. Why would that be?

The appearance and harm of this little spiral turtle were new to He Tiantian, and now this fantastical digestive system was even more baffling.

"Because I'm a Whirlwind Turtle!" the little Whirlwind Turtle said. "I'm a stone statue, only possessing a spirit, but ultimately without a physical body, so I can only drink water. I'm hungry, I'm hungry..."

The snake king grew impatient, jumped up, and whipped the little tortoise a few times with its tail, cursing, "Don't make a sound! You have two choices now. First, shut up and bear it. When we get home, I'll get you some water to drink. I guarantee you'll like the water there. Second, I'll seal you up right now and throw you out."

"Ah..." The little tortoise was stunned, blinking its big, innocent eyes. "We're friends now, how could you throw me out? You're the Snake King, you're my boss, how could you throw me out?"

The Snake King was taken aback and said awkwardly, "So what if you're a friend? So what if you're the boss? You've disturbed my cultivation, so it's unacceptable!"

The Snake King has always been like this: if he's in the right, he won't let it go; if he's in the wrong, he'll be even more unforgiving.

"Alright!" Under the Snake King's wrath, the little tortoise hung its head dejectedly and huddled to the side, looking very aggrieved.

Seeing this, He Tiantian comforted him, saying, "Little Turtle, just bear with it for now. When I get to Huai City, I'll put you down where there's water so you can drink your fill."

Upon hearing this, the little tortoise quickly turned its head and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Okay, okay, Sweetie is so good!"

He Tiantian smiled, finding the little spiral turtle with its split personality quite interesting. One moment it was adorable, the next it was manic, and then it was rascal. If it hadn't admitted itself to being a genuine stone statue, He Tiantian wouldn't have believed it.

"Alright, I'm going to cultivate now." The Snake King blocked the barrier from the outside world. Seeing He Tiantian being so kind to the little guy, he was particularly annoyed. He Tiantian had never been this nice to it before!

He Tiantian was taken aback. She wanted to say something else, but the Snake King blocked her.

What's wrong with the Snake King today?

Extremely irritable!

Bored out of her mind, He Tiantian actually fell asleep this time!

When I woke up, we had already traveled more than half the distance, with over an hour's journey remaining. (To be continued.)