Xu Nian had come to the capital and was enjoying a rare day of leisure. She was discussing with Gu Zhan when to bring their two children, Da Bao and Er Bao, back.

Suddenly hearing a commotion outside, she had to stop talking and open the window to look into the courtyard.

"What's wrong?" The woman's voice was extremely shrill, and Gu Zhan easily heard the sounds coming from the courtyard and asked.

With her small frame and the need to protect the child, Liu's daughter-in-law was no match for Wang Jinmei. Before long, she was roughly pushed aside.

The infant, still in swaddling clothes, cried loudly in fright. Xu Nian frowned, lifted her foot, and walked out: "Wang Jinmei is just acting crazy again. Let's talk later."

He strode to the center of the courtyard, standing about two meters away from Wang Jinmei, and asked, "Auntie, what's your act this time?"

"Oh dear! Why is my life so miserable!" The moment Wang Jinmei met Xu Nian's gaze, her initial arrogance vanished, and she couldn't muster any more breath. She simply sat down on the ground and threw a tantrum. "Everyone else can get work, but I can only watch my husband do all the hard labor by himself. Aren't you a fortune teller?! How come you can't even find me a job?!"

? ? ?

Shamelessness truly knows no bounds.

[You shrew, how dare you blame the streamer when you can't find a job yourself?]

Ignore her; she's an ungrateful wretch!

Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Xu Nian spoke with a stern face amidst the children's crying and Wang Jinmei's tantrum. Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the people returning from work to hear: "Auntie, you're not getting any younger! There are so many jobs in the capital, and a job as easy and lucrative as you imagine is probably just a dream."

"I'm not your provider. If you're incompetent and incorrigible, then there's no hope for you!"

"Nothing happened yesterday, right?" Another day has passed, and Gu Zhan, who had made an appointment with Xu Nian to pick up the child from the Minister's residence, arrived at the courtyard early in the morning.

He ate breakfast with her, and as he was leaving, he caught a glimpse of Wang Jinmei secretly glancing in his direction. When she saw him quickly look away, he couldn't help but ask her with concern.

Xu Nian waved her hand dismissively, her eyes sparkling with mischievousness: "General, you're underestimating me too much. Wang Jinmei is nothing to be afraid of."

It smugly shook its head, like a cat that had gotten a good deal. It couldn't hide its joy no matter what.

[Ahhhhh, I'm totally shipping them! I'm totally shipping them!]

[My God! Announcer, look at the general's eyes! Oh my god! If this isn't love?!]

[Burp! I'm so full from eating dog food so early in the morning.]

Oh my god, what a bunch of ancestors!

After taking a few quick steps forward, Xu Nian thought to herself that everyone in the live stream was like a magnifying glass, and the burning sensation on the tips of her ears just wouldn't go down!

Even though they had already created some distance between them, Gu Zhan's clingy, almost skein-like gaze seemed to linger on her like a shadow!

Wake up, wake up! Xu Nian, you still need to go back to the modern world!

He silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra several times before suppressing the heat on his face and ears. When the person looked up, a carriage appeared in front of him.

The reddish-brown BMW stood in front of the carriage, its tail swaying leisurely. A hand covered in calluses reached out in front of it. Xu Nian looked up in a daze, glancing at Gu Zhan and then at the carriage in front of her.

"The Minister's residence is in the east of the city, while this is in the north. It's more convenient to have a carriage here."

The general was so handsome that when he slightly softened his expression, his eyes seemed to be filled with some inexplicable love.

Xu Nian's heart, which had finally calmed down, began to wander again. It wasn't until the carriage slowly started moving and the curtain brushed against her cheek that she finally came back to her senses.

[The streamer is shy!]

[The general is spoiling you too much! Please, just get married already!]

[Those of you shipping this couple, please tone it down a bit. The streamer is going back to the modern era. Are you suggesting the general and the streamer are having a cross-time romance?]

Wow!

If the carriage curtain was just a way to bring Xu Nian back to her senses, then the comments on the screen were like a bucket of cold water poured over her head!

Her girlish fantasies were completely dashed. She sighed inwardly and tried to change the subject, saying, "Gu Zhan, I didn't realize. Your carriage looks ordinary from the outside, but the inside is surprisingly spacious and wonderful?"

The soft, plush material under the car's rear end is clearly expensive. It's incredibly soft and comfortable, and there's even ice inside. It perfectly insulates against the summer heat; who would guess the interior would be like this just by looking at the plain canvas exterior?

"I'm glad you like it." Knowing that she was someone who knew how to enjoy life, Gu Zhan had arranged for a carriage like this as soon as he learned that she was about to arrive in the capital.

It will be convenient to go anywhere in Beijing in the future.

Unaware of Gu Zhan's thoughts, Xu Nian chatted casually with someone and soon arrived at the Minister's residence.

The gatekeeper clearly had received orders beforehand. Upon seeing Gu Zhan, he didn't ask any questions, but respectfully bowed and sent someone to fetch the steward.

In just a moment, a man who looked to be no more than forty years old hurried over. His face was full of smiles, and his curtsy to Xu Nian was impeccable.

"General, Miss Xu, this way please. My master and your younger brother are in the front hall. Please come with me."

Xu Nian has been here for the past six months, either fleeing famine or on his way to flee famine. Even though he had seen the magnificent and opulent buildings of a certain city lord, he still couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of culture when he saw the carved beams and painted rafters of a truly wealthy family.

From the main gate to the outer courtyard, the entire space exudes an elegant and tranquil feel. Yet, it doesn't appear shabby at all; the artificial mountain used for landscaping alone is clearly of high quality.

"This way, please." The butler led them to the reception area in the front hall. "Master, General Gu and Miss Xu have arrived."

Suddenly I feel like I'm wandering through the gardens of Suzhou!

[The lives of wealthy families in ancient times were indeed governed by strict rules, evident in both stillness and movement.]

"Sister!"

"Da Bao, Er Bao!"

No sooner had the steward finished speaking than the two impatient children rushed out like a shot. These teenagers had been having a wonderful time at the Minister's residence lately.

Having been separated from her loved ones for so long, she couldn't help but burst into tears and sob softly in her sister's arms upon seeing them again.

Xu Nian couldn't help but tear up. She'd raised her younger brother for so long; it would be a lie to say she didn't have feelings for him. Even knowing they would be alright, her heart trembled with relief when she saw the two children truly safe and sound, even a little plumper.