After dinner, my parents went for a walk.

The young women were still chatting around the stove.

The firewood in the stove crackled and popped as Ivan quietly watched Cheng Zhi, as if he had something to say.

The gaze was quite obvious, and Cheng Zhi couldn't help but notice it. So she smiled and met Ivan's eyes. "Is there something you want to say to me?"

When Ivan was called out, he didn't flinch. He looked embarrassed and said, "I do want to say something, but I haven't found the right words yet... I don't know how to say it."

Cheng Ye laughed when he heard this. He came over and patted Ivan on the shoulder. "You'd better hurry up and tell me. My sister has gotten the map now, and she could leave at any time. If you don't tell me now, you might miss your chance."

Ivan had spent more than two years with them, and this did indeed sound like something Cheng Zhi would do.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll tell you then."

Ivan sat up straight and faced Cheng Zhi, saying, "I admire you. From the first day I met you, I felt that you were a particularly determined girl. After spending so much time together, I often can't tell whether I like you or admire you. Even now, I still can't tell."

These words startled Cheng Ye and Xiao Feiran so much that they dared not move.

Cheng Zhi herself was also surprised; she hadn't realized it at all if Ivan hadn't said it himself.

Seeing Cheng Zhi's reaction, Ivan quickly explained, "Don't be nervous, I'm not confessing my feelings, I'm just expressing my own feelings."

Cheng Zhi nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "It's an honor to be appreciated by a handsome foreign man. Thank you for telling me this."

Ivan said with a wry smile, "Perhaps it's the wrong time and place. If we were still students, I would definitely pursue you."

Cheng Zhi also cooperated by saying, "If you had pursued me back then, I would definitely have said yes."

But they both knew there were no "what ifs" in this world, so they looked at each other and smiled, ending the conversation.

After they had talked for a while, Ivan was about to go back. Cheng Ye was afraid that he would be sad on the way, so she followed him upstairs.

Upon hearing the reason, Ivan burst out laughing. "Hahaha, I'm not that fragile."

As the evening breeze blew by, he looked at the swaying shade of the trees and said, "I knew all along that we couldn't be together, so I rehearsed it beforehand so I wouldn't be sad."

Cheng Ye had never been in a relationship, nor had she given much thought to that.

He thought about it for a moment, then asked with some confusion, "How could I not be sad? The thought that it's completely impossible makes me feel terrible."

Ivan replied, "But I can still see her, so I'm still happy before we part."

Cheng Ye still lacked experience; he couldn't empathize with such thoughts at all. "If it were me, I would do everything I could to keep her here, or go with her."

Ivan smiled and shook his head. "It's not that simple. You'll find out when you fall in love with a girl."

Compared to the silence of the woods, Cheng Zhi's house was much more lively.

Huang Yiyi cupped Cheng Zhi's face in her hands, scanning it from all angles. "I have everything you have, so why doesn't anyone appreciate me?"

Cheng Zhi: "..."

How come they're so well-informed!

Zheng Wan shook her head regretfully, "I almost had a mixed-race goddaughter."

"Almost? You're way off!"

Cheng Zhi was impressed by their wild imaginations.

She shook off Huang Yiyi's hand, stood up, and said, "I called you here to discuss going home, not to gossip!"

While grilling, Chen Siyu said, "Alright, now we can get down to business. Don't be in a hurry."

Cheng Zhi paused briefly to gather her thoughts, and after a minute she said, "This time I plan to put my parents in the space, and let them out after we arrive safely."

Huang Yiyi asked, "What about Lu Yuan's parents and Shen Lingfeng's father? The boys don't know anything about them."

Cheng Zhi explained, "Don't worry, Chen Yiyi and I have discussed it. We'll set off in two groups. We'll scout ahead, and they'll cover the rear, so we won't be together. They won't know."

Zheng Wan then raised a new question, "Will my parents agree? My sister definitely won't!"

Cheng Zhi reassured Zheng Wan, "We're not going to imprison them. They can come out if they want to. They can switch shifts or drive for us."

Once these two issues are resolved, they'll be fine.

Standing at a distance, Xiao Feiran asked, "When do we set off?"

Cheng Zhi said, "Let's leave the day after tomorrow. We'll tidy up the place a bit and then leave."

We've been saying we're leaving, but suddenly it's the day after tomorrow, and everyone's a little sad to see us go.

Huang Yiyi sighed and said, "It would be great if Qi Yanche could suddenly appear at the door."

After they reached an agreement, the girls went home.

Xiao Feiran walked over and took Cheng Zhi's arm. "You're amazing now. You don't need paper, pen, or whiteboard anymore. You can figure everything out just with your brain."

Cheng Zhi could hear the reproach in his voice. She pinched Xiao Feiran's forearm. "I just think about it when I'm chopping wood every day. You can't expect me to just zone out all the time."

Xiao Feiran patted her with his other hand, "Sometimes you really don't need to think so much, you still have us."

As soon as Cheng Ye entered, he saw his two older sisters snuggling together.

He feigned anger, "You're not including me in this 'sisterly brother and sister' drama again?"

Cheng Zhi and Xiao Feiran opened their arms to him, saying, "Come here, your big sister will definitely give you a good hug."

Cheng Ye: "..."

There's definitely something fishy going on!

Cheng Ye wasn't fooled; he simply bypassed them and went back to his room.

Cheng Zhi and Xiao Feiran couldn't help but laugh when they saw how cowardly he was. They walked up to Cheng Ye's wooden screen and knocked on it twice.

Cheng Ye cautiously peeked out, "What are you doing?"

Cheng Zhi cleared her throat. "You were a minor before, but now you're 20. This time when we go home, you can be in charge of driving."

This was incredibly good news for Cheng Ye.

He yelled and jumped out from behind the screen, grabbing Cheng Zhi's shoulder and asking, "Really?!"

Cheng Zhi nodded, "Really, this time you can drive. You can drive an off-road vehicle or a motorhome, whichever you prefer."

Cheng Ye was overjoyed. He jumped up and down a couple more times, then grabbed Xiao Feiran's hand and spun her around. "Feiran-jie, did you hear that? Cheng Zhi finally agreed!"

The child got carried away with his words when he was excited, so Cheng Zhi slapped him across the face. "You dare call me by my full name? Be careful, or I'll take back your driving privileges!"

Cheng Ye covered the top of his head and bowed very humbly, "It was my overstepping my bounds, sisters, please go to sleep."

After saying that, he skipped and hopped back behind the screen.

Xiao Feiran was both amused and exasperated. "You two are really... unbelievable."