The next day, Zhan Chunlan went out alone. She still had a land deed for Haicheng in her hand, and she wanted to go and see it. Although the land deed was practically worthless, she felt it was hers, even if that feeling was a little shameless.

She carefully examined the address on the land deed: No. 27, Lane 113, Ninghe Road, Jing'an District, Haicheng City.

Jing'an District wasn't far from her guesthouse; it was only five bus stops away. In the early morning, the streets of Haicheng were filled with the sounds of bicycle bells as people hurried to work. Zhan Chunlan sat by the window, watching this city, both familiar and unfamiliar, flash by—familiar because she had read so many descriptions of it in books, unfamiliar because this was the first time she had truly walked its streets.

After getting off at Ninghe Road Station, she followed the house numbers to find her way. The alley was much quieter than she had imagined, with typical Shikumen buildings on both sides, their mottled walls telling stories of bygone years.

At the entrance of Lane 113, several elderly people sat on small stools, basking in the sun and chatting in Wu dialect. They all cast curious glances at the unfamiliar face. Zhan Chunlan took a deep breath and mustered her courage to walk towards the dark wooden door of No. 27.

The door was ajar; she gently pushed it open, revealing a spacious courtyard. In the corner stood an old well, its rim worn smooth; against the east wall grew a lush oleander, its pink blossoms swaying in the morning light. An elderly woman wearing an apron was hanging laundry to dry; upon seeing her, she asked, "Who are you looking for?"

Zhan Chunlan was momentarily speechless, hesitating about how to explain her purpose. Just then, an elderly gentleman with a full head of white hair, wearing reading glasses and holding a newspaper, came out from the inner room. He sized up Zhan Chunlan for a moment, then suddenly asked in Mandarin with a Jiangcheng accent, "Young lady, is your surname Zhan?"

These words struck Zhan Chunlan like a thunderbolt, leaving her stunned and nearly dropping the land deed. Sunlight filtered through the oleander leaves, casting dappled shadows on her face. At that moment, time seemed to stand still; even the water droplets dripping from the clothesline became exceptionally clear.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; she just nodded blankly.

Seeing her nod, the old man's eyes flashed with understanding, tinged with a touch of emotion. He slowly folded the newspaper and gestured for Zhan Chunlan to sit down on the stone bench by the well.

"This little Western-style house," his gaze fell on the lush oleander tree, as if looking back through time, "was originally owned by a lady surnamed Zhan. She was a very remarkable woman; not only did she single-handedly support the family business after her husband's death, but she was also a patriotic businesswoman."

Several elderly residents had gathered in the courtyard, listening quietly to the old man's story.

"That was during the War of Resistance against Japan," the old gentleman continued. "At the beginning of the war, Ms. Zhan sold all her possessions to support the resistance, leaving only this house. She said she was going back to her hometown of Jiangcheng, and before leaving, she specifically instructed her neighbors and the government..."

The old woman's voice was deep and clear: "She said this house is to be left to a young girl surnamed Zhan. One day, she will come herself with the land deed."

Zhan Chunlan subconsciously gripped the land deed in her hand, the paper making a slight rustling sound in her palm.

"The government appreciates Ms. Zhan's righteous act and has preserved this property all these years without expropriating it," an older woman nearby interjected. "However, the house has been empty for over twenty years and is in terrible disrepair. A few years ago, when housing was extremely scarce, we were the only families who were allowed to move in. This was partly to alleviate the housing shortage, and partly to encourage the residents to maintain the house."

Another man chimed in, a hint of pride in his voice: "Yes, these families were all carefully selected. Not to brag, but none of the residents here are the kind of troublemakers who like to vandalize." He glanced somewhat nervously at Zhan Chunlan. "The neighborhood committee made it clear to us that as long as the legal holder of the land deed appeared, they would assist with the transfer of ownership. It's just… this house can't be fully returned to you anytime soon…"

Zhan Chunlan didn't know how to deal with it. She just thought that even if she could transfer the property, in this day and age, she couldn't live alone in such a small villa. Wouldn't that make her a target? "I don't have any plans to ask everyone to move out for the time being. I will follow whatever the government arranges. I will listen to the government."

The old gentleman nodded and said gently to Zhan Chunlan, "Young lady, if you're not in a hurry, you can come and visit often. Every blade of grass and every tree here still retains its original appearance. That peach tree was planted by Ms. Zhan herself."

The sun shone brightly, and the well water rippled with light. Zhan Chunlan gazed at the small Western-style house before her, her heart filled with unease. If the fact that the land deed belonged to someone surnamed Zhan could be considered a coincidence, then why was she so certain, so many years ago, that a young girl surnamed Zhan would one day return with the land deed? She hadn't heard of any other wealthy relatives with the surname Zhan in her family.

Besides, only Zhan Zhiqiang from her family was lucky enough to come to Jiangcheng to develop his career; everyone else was still digging in the Xiangshu Brigade. She found this land deed at a scrap metal recycling station in Jiangcheng; it was hidden inside a beautiful, luxurious bedpost. Did she know she would find it and have the opportunity to come to Haicheng?

Zhan Chunlan's steps were a little stiff. Looking at the group of kind-faced people in front of her, she felt a chill run down her spine. She felt that everything here was very strange and dared not stay any longer. She hurriedly said goodbye and ran out.

Back on the bustling street, surrounded by crowds, she finally felt a sliver of warmth and could barely be considered alive again.

She walked aimlessly along the sidewalk, her brow furrowed. What on earth was going on?

Lost in thought, she didn't notice what was in front of her and "bang!" she crashed solidly into a strong chest.

"Ouch!" A slight pain shot through her forehead, and Zhan Chunlan snapped back to reality. She hurriedly took a step back, not even bothering to rub it, and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It was my fault..."

"Comrade Zhan?"

A familiar male voice, tinged with surprise, rang out overhead.

Zhan Chunlan covered her forehead and looked up. Backlit, a tall and upright figure stood before her, impeccably dressed and exuding an air of distinction. When she saw the sharply defined features and the questioning look on his face, she froze.

"Wang... Brother Wenfeng." She originally wanted to politely call him Comrade Wang, but then she remembered that when she was at the Xiao family's house, Ms. Fang Yun had asked her to call him brother along with Xiao Cheng, so she changed the way she was going to address him.

A knowing glint flashed in Wang Wenfeng's eyes, and a slight smile played on his lips: "It's you. What brings you to Haicheng?"

"I came on a business trip with my colleagues to Haicheng Food Factory for training," Zhan Chunlan answered honestly, her heart still pounding and a hint of inexplicable nervousness lingering in his presence.

"How long are you going to stay?" he asked casually, as if it were a friendly chat.

"About a month."

Hearing this, Wang Wenfeng raised an eyebrow and said with a hint of reproach in his voice, "So you didn't come to see me when you got to Haicheng? I could have shown you around Haicheng."

Zhan Chunlan quickly explained, her cheeks flushed: "We've been staying in the Haicheng Food Factory for the past few days for training, and today is our first day of free time. And what a coincidence that we ran into you."

“Alright, since today is a free day, let’s not waste it.” Wang Wenfeng readily agreed, his tone gentle but not swaying. “Come with me, I’ll treat you to dinner, consider it a welcome dinner.”

"That's not right," Zhan Chunlan said instinctively, "How could I let you spend so much money?"

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Wang Wenfeng smiled, as if he had been prepared, and gave her a reason she couldn’t refuse. “If you really feel bad about it, you can give me a potted plant like you did to thank your aunt. My mom loves taking care of these plants, she’ll definitely be happy.”

These words struck a chord with Zhan Chunlan. Her eyes brightened, her unease lessened considerably, and her tone became lighter: "Really? You know what, I actually brought a pot with me when I came, just in case I was lucky enough to run into you and could give it to you. If it weren't for the review materials you gave me back then, I might not have been able to get into the pastry factory, let alone have the opportunity to come to Haicheng to see the world."

Since they're all in her space anyway, if she runs into them, she can give one away; otherwise, it would seem like her space is useless.

Looking at the sincere gratitude in her eyes, Wang Wenfeng shook his head and said with certainty, "That's the result of your own hard work. You could have passed the exam even without my help." His words carried an affirmation of her abilities, easily overshadowing the sense of gratitude she wanted to emphasize, making his good intentions seem even purer.

Sunlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows between the two. The street remained bustling, but the unsettling gloom from before seemed to have quietly dissipated in their back-and-forth conversation.