"Oh, I was just pointing randomly."

Nan Xian's smile was sly, which startled He Mingxiao for a moment before he also broke into a smile.

The two of them opened the envelope together.

It was indeed a valuable clue—it contained detailed records of the average lifespan of the villagers of Buxian Village, as well as their probability of being hospitalized due to illness.

The average life expectancy is quite surprising, and the morbidity rate is also much lower than the national average.

From this perspective, this place is indeed a blessed land with outstanding people and beautiful scenery.

Nanxian felt that the village was like a vase, bright and beautiful on the outside, but empty inside, and far less impressive than its appearance.

Looking around, the village paths are clean and tidy, with few fallen leaves to be seen, and the houses on both sides stand neatly, presenting a picture of a prosperous and beautiful new rural area.

But there was no one there.

She could hardly feel the warmth and humanity of everyday life here.

Thinking back carefully, the first time she stayed at the Qian family's house, the elderly couple were overly hospitable, as if afraid they wouldn't stay. At the time, Nan Xian noticed their movements were slightly stiff, but she assumed it was just due to their age and didn't think much of it. But now—

She recalled the puppet show she had once seen. No matter how skillful the puppeteer was, a puppet is not a real person, and it will always reveal flaws.

The elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Qian, were like a pair of puppets being manipulated.

"It's snowing."

He Mingxiao's voice pulled her wandering thoughts back to reality. Nan Xian looked up and saw that snowflakes had indeed begun to fall from the sky.

This is Qingcheng's first snowfall of the year. The snowflakes are like tiny, glistening ice balls, smooth and even, swept up by the north wind, making a soft rustling sound, like dancing fairies descending to earth.

The snow in the capital is always magnificent; the heavy, fluttering snowflakes can coat the entire city in a pure white coat overnight.

This was the first time she had ever seen snow in Jiangnan so gentle and graceful.

Nan Xian tilted her head back, slightly lost in thought. A snowflake landed on the tip of her nose, melting from her body heat and leaving a cool sensation.

He Mingxiao leaned closer to her, his warm fingertips gently wiping away the little bit of moisture.

He muted both of their microphones, gently placed his hand on her shoulder, and whispered in her ear:

"Suddenly an old friend comes to mind; looking back, the mountains and rivers are already in autumn. If we can share the snow someday, we can consider this a lifetime of growing old together."

Nan Xian's heart skipped a beat, and she looked up to meet his gaze.

His eyes shone with hope and earnestness as he silently awaited her response.

They were so close that Nan Xian could even hear his heartbeat.

Each beat, faster and faster, was like a prisoner facing final judgment, humbly hoping for the judge's verdict.

After a long while, she remained silent, gently lowering her eyes and looking away.

Nan Xian was conflicted. On one hand, she still couldn't forget those ten years in her previous life and was still entangled with He Mingxiao. On the other hand, she wanted to abandon everything that bothered her and yearned for a newer, more independent life.

Unable to respond to He Mingxiao, she could only remain silent.

He Mingxiao's smile turned bitter. He looked at her; her eyelashes were slightly lowered, and her cheeks and ears were slightly red from the cold wind. She gently sniffed.

His heart softened instantly, and his heartache for her took over. He swallowed back the question he was about to ask, "If you don't want to respond to me, why did you extend an olive branch to me?" and instead took off his scarf and put it around her neck.

The scarf was large, covering most of Nan Xian's face. She could smell his familiar and elegant fragrance as she breathed in it, and her ears burned. She instinctively wanted to refuse.

He Mingxiao helped her adjust her scarf and whispered:

"Don't worry, I'll have them cut this part out."

Nan Xian was taken aback. She wanted to say that this was not what she meant, but she didn't know how to say it, so she could only nod and agree with him.