Jiang Mianmian lowered her eyes and did not respond.
Huo Junyu didn't say anything, he just sat quietly to the side.
"Brother, Little Yuzu!" Huo Junyang said, feeling wronged. "You don't have to be so petty, do you? I really came here today to apologize sincerely."
Huo Jingnan pinched him from behind, and Huo Junyang quickly blurted out, "I... I shouldn't have been so rude, I shouldn't have caused trouble for Pei Nian time and time again, and I shouldn't... I shouldn't have made such a scene at Uncle Ashan's house!"
"sorry!"
As he spoke, Huo Junyang snapped his legs together, stood at a standard military posture, and then bowed at a ninety-degree angle!
Huo Junyu looked at him, a forced smile appearing on his face.
"If Jingnan hadn't been holding you captive, you wouldn't have come, would you?"
"Hehe..." Huo Junyang scratched his head sheepishly.
Huo Jingnan was no ordinary person. It was only under his militaristic "high pressure" that Huo Junyang obediently apologized.
"However, although Brother Nan taught me a little lesson..." he explained, "I'm here to apologize sincerely! Actually, I regretted arguing with Pei Nian after we had our fight. She's a girl, after all, and arguing with her made me seem very ungentlemanly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he looked at Jiang Mianmian ingratiatingly.
"Besides, Pei Nian saved my grandma! It would be a bit ungrateful of me to treat her like this, wouldn't it, Xiao Youzi?"
"Alright, we're all family!" Huo Jingnan laughed. "Look at this second young master, haven't you never seen him so humble before? How about we just let this go?"
Huo Junyu hesitated for a moment, then patted Huo Jingnan on the shoulder.
Huo Jingnan then said, "Is Pei Nian at the Lu family's house? Let's go there now. The Second Young Master said we should admit our mistakes to her in person, haha!"
"Brother Nan!" Huo Junyang gave him a wink and smiled awkwardly.
"Wait," Huo Junyu called out to them, "Pei Nian... she's no longer with the Lu family."
"What?"
“She’s gone.” Jiang Mianmian stood up and said calmly, “She left me a letter, and then I don’t know where she went. I’m looking for her.”
Huo Junyang cried out "Ouch!" while Huo Jingnan stood frozen in place, not moving an inch.
"Then, I'll search with you!" Huo Junyang said. "Brother, which places have you searched?"
"We've searched everywhere we can," Huo Junyu sighed softly. "Including the bars and small restaurants where she used to work, and even the low-rent apartment where she used to live, we've searched everywhere, but we can't find her anywhere."
"She didn't leave any message?"
Huo Junyu showed the letter to his younger brother.
Huo Junyang froze, his fingers tightening slightly as he gripped the letter.
This time, however, he didn't act impulsively. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "Although Pei Nian has an eccentric personality, she's genuinely good to Xiao Youzi! In this matter... I can't completely side with my mother-in-law..."
"Mother-in-law, huh?" Huo Junyu glanced at him.
"She is Ranran's mother after all, what am I supposed to do?"
"Alright," Huo Junyu waved his hand, "Let's not talk about her for now, finding Pei Nian is the priority."
"Oh, right!" Huo Junyang suddenly had an idea and looked at Jiang Mianmian, "Little Youzi, during the time you've spent with Pei Nian, have you noticed any particular characteristic about her?"
"Um?"
Huo Junyang slapped his thigh, "What kind of best friend are you! This girl doesn't follow the usual path, can't you tell!"
All eyes turned to the second young master.
"So, we can't find her the usual way!" Huo Junyang shrugged. "The places you've been looking at are all places she frequents, but think about it, if she really didn't want you to find her, would she go to those places?"
Huo Junyu and Jiang Mianmian exchanged a glance and suddenly realized.
"Go on!"
"I..." Huo Junyang scratched his head, "That's all I can think of."
"..."
"But we can think about it along these lines!" Huo Junyang tried to smooth things over. "For example, Xiaoyouzi, you two are such good friends, have you ever whispered anything to each other? When you whispered, did she mention where she wanted to go in the future?"
Jiang Mianmian frowned.
At that moment, Huo Jingnan suddenly recalled the scene of their picnic in the wild.
They seemed out of place amidst the lively crowd, sitting quietly by the river. Later, when they joined the group, they barely exchanged a few words.
Later, Huo Jingnan handed the grilled meat skewers to Pei Nian. She said thank you, and he said you were welcome. That's how they gradually became familiar with each other.
Pei Nian asked him at the time, "Were you a special forces soldier?"
He smiled proudly, "He's a sniper in the special forces."
"Oh... so will you go back to the army in the future?"
"Probably. I've signed up for the UN peacekeeping force, and I won't hesitate if my country needs me."
"That's great...it makes me want to join the army too."
"You're a girl..." Huo Jingnan swallowed his words halfway through, knowing that Pei Nian would definitely dislike such a statement.
So he changed it to: "For a girl like you, joining the army is not bad!"
Pei Nian rarely smiled. "Where was your former unit?"
"It's to the west," Huo Jingnan pointed, "You have to keep going west."
"West of Yangcheng?"
"It's not that close!" Huo Jingnan laughed. "Once you leave the central city, you still have to go west, it's a long way."
"I will definitely go."
...
Huo Jingnan jolted awake from his reverie.
When Pei Nian said those words, her face showed a resolute expression. He thought it was just a little girl making a wild claim, but now it seems, perhaps…
Huo Jingnan suddenly turned around and ran out the door like a madman.
"Hey, where are you going?" The other three people were chasing after him.
However, his figure quickly disappeared into the distance, and Huo Junyang speculated: "Is he going to find Pei Nian?"
"Is that even a question?"
"But how can we find him in this state?"
“Maybe,” Jiang Mianmian said softly, “that Niannian said something special to him.”
*
Huo Jingnan didn't know whether what he was doing was right or wrong.
He quickly packed his luggage and drove westward. He had already left the central city, but still hadn't seen Pei Nian.
He was feeling a bit irritable, so he parked his car on the side of the road. It was evening, the setting sun was painting the clouds red, and birds were fluttering their wings, preparing to go home, but there was still no news from the person he was waiting for.
Can he still take her home?
Huo Jingnan lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.
He felt a pang of regret, a heavy weight pressing on his heart... If only he had known she would leave without a word one day, he would have...
Huo Jingnan pounded on the car door several times, the smell of nicotine filling the small, cramped space.
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