For the first time in several years, Shen Du set foot in the place where Ye Zhao lived.

The courtyard was desolate in early winter. The wisteria on the wall and the trees in the yard had all lost their leaves. Only some bonsai were still green, and a few well-cared-for potted plants were still blooming. They looked very sad in the cold wind.

Compared to the bleakness outside, the house was bustling with activity. People were chatting and roasting meat around the stove, and their laughter reached Chen Du's ears through the window. He came back to his senses and walked into the courtyard.

Yang Xu followed behind him, looking around. He found that although the courtyard looked a bit desolate now, it was very clean. Various potted plants and greenery were arranged in a pleasing manner. If it were spring or summer, the courtyard would definitely be lush and green. No wonder it was called Green Field.

Are you... looking for someone?

The two walked straight toward the house when a hesitant voice suddenly came from behind them.

Yang Xu turned his head and saw a young man carrying a basket of charcoal. He smiled and said, "Yes, hello, we're looking for Ye Zhao."

Xiao Lin looked the two of them over, and upon hearing this, turned her head and shouted loudly into the house, "Sister Zhao Zhao, someone is looking for you."

The noisy sounds inside the room suddenly quieted down for a few seconds, and then continued to ring out.

The next second, the door in front of Shen Du was opened from the inside, and Ye Zhao's face appeared behind the door. She was stunned for a moment when she saw Shen Du, then smiled and said, "You're here?"

Today she wore a gray pullover hoodie, her hair was tied in a bun, her face was fair and clean, with a few wisps of hair on her forehead, and her eyes curved when she smiled, revealing red lips and white teeth.

Shen Du had never seen her smile at him like that before, and for a moment he was a little taken aback. It wasn't until Xiao Yuanbao ran out of the house, happily calling out "Daddy," that Shen Du came back to his senses.

Upon hearing Yuanbao's voice, the people inside fell silent, craning their necks to look outside. Xiaolin stared wide-eyed at Yuanbao and Shen Du with surprise, his gaze shifting back and forth between them.

Ye Zhao quickly turned to Shen Du and said, "Please sit inside."

Chen Du nodded, bent down to pick up the gold ingot from the ground, and went inside. He had only taken a few steps when he paused slightly.

All the people in the room turned their curious gazes to him. For a moment, Shen Du felt like a monkey being watched in a zoo. His previously gentle expression suddenly became serious, and he adopted a cold and hard demeanor.

It was Cheng Yu again who waved to him: "President Shen, please sit here."

Everyone then withdrew their gazes, but the lively atmosphere suddenly quieted down, and the few people who had been laughing and joking fell silent.

The meat sizzled on the grill, releasing a delicious aroma that filled the room. However, the previously lively atmosphere suddenly quieted down after the arrival of two unexpected guests. Although no one spoke, everyone was secretly observing the two.

Little Yuanbao sat on Shen Du's lap, chattering away.

Xiao Lin brought over two sets of bowls and chopsticks and placed them in front of the two of them. Ye Zhao said, "Let's just have some barbecue. If you don't mind, you can have some with us."

Before Chen Du could answer, Xiao Yuanbao chattered on, "Daddy, Uncle Lin's grilled meat smells so good..."

Yang Xu also looked at the food on the table and said with a smile, "It smells so good, your cooking skills are really good."

Kobayashi smiled modestly: "It's alright, barely edible."

As he spoke, he enthusiastically used serving chopsticks to put several pieces of meat on their plates, saying, "Try it, it's freshly grilled..."

Yang Xu didn't stand on ceremony, picked up his chopsticks and said with a smile, "Do you all mind if we eat together?"

Yang Juan hurriedly said, "We're so happy to welcome you! Please try Brother Lin's cooking."

Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "That's right, it's more lively with more people, young man, don't be shy."

Yang Xu broke the silence, and the group started chatting again. However, they were still somewhat reserved. Although they chatted back and forth with Yang Xu, they rarely spoke to Shen Du, since his serious and unsmiling appearance made him seem unapproachable.

Ye Zhao felt that since he was a guest, it wasn't appropriate to treat him coldly, so she tried to start a conversation with him.

"Where did you come from?"

Chen Du paused for a moment, then looked up and met Ye Zhao's gaze. He realized she was asking him a question, so he pursed his lips and replied, "I'm going to Qingzhou on a business trip and preparing to return to B City."

Cheng Yu glanced at Ye Zhao with some surprise, then lowered her head and ate in silence.

Ye Zhao nodded and said to Chen Du, "Xiao Lin's cooking is pretty good, have a taste."

Upon hearing this, Chen Du nodded, then picked up his chopsticks and slowly and deliberately put a piece of meat into his mouth.

As the charred, fragrant meat entered his mouth, the aroma of the meat spread with each chew. Chen Du looked up at the crowd. Their faces showed smiles, satisfaction, and tranquility, as if some subtle emotions were rising from the depths of their hearts, gradually dissolving his cold, hard exterior.

Seeing that he was eating, Kobayashi looked very satisfied and began grilling the meat even faster.

Seeing that he had eaten, Ye Zhao breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "The weather has been rather cold these past few days, so I've packed a few warm clothes for Yuanbao. Please ask Auntie to make sure he gets some extra clothes."

Chen Du slowly ate the meat on his plate, and nodded upon hearing this: "Okay, I understand."

Seeing that he had started eating, Yang Xu breathed a slight sigh of relief and chatted with the others more enthusiastically, finally making the atmosphere in the room lively again.

Everyone was engrossed in their conversation, chatting away. Chen Du glanced at them every now and then, and suddenly a phrase came to mind: the everyday joys and sorrows of life.

Ye Zhao was worried that he would feel neglected, so she would still say a few words to him from time to time. She wasn't exactly enthusiastic, but she didn't make him feel cold either.

The happiest little Yuanbao was enjoying his food and play. He even secretly showed off Shen Du to everyone, leaning against him and pouting as if to say proudly, "Look, this is my dad!"

Ye Zhao thought that Shen Du would go back after picking up Yuan Bao, but unexpectedly, after finishing the meal, Yuan Bao suddenly pulled Shen Du to go out.

The little brat declared he wanted to take Chen Du outside for a stroll. Ye Zhao had no choice, and Chen Du didn't refuse, so she could only watch them go out.

Cheng Yu watched the two figures disappear at the courtyard gate, then nudged Ye Zhao and said, "He looks very different."

Ye Zhao didn't react much upon hearing this, only saying, "Really? I didn't notice."

Cheng Yu sighed, "Anyway, I think there have been big changes. It's good. As long as he loves Yuanbao, that's enough."

After saying that, she suddenly remembered something and frowned, saying, "But it's been several years, how come I haven't seen him date anyone?"

Ye Zhao was slightly taken aback, then realized that something was indeed amiss. According to the plot of the book, the male and female leads should have fallen in love by now, right? Why hasn't there been any news about it yet?