After getting off the plane, Zhou Zuizui and the others picked up their luggage and went outside. She saw Lin Mu and Qiuqiu standing at the door waiting for them.
Zhou Zuizui's eyes lit up as she felt the temperature of the ancient town; it was absolutely comfortable.
"Sister, over here."
Zhou Zuizui chuckled and waved her hand, "I saw it."
Qiuqiu ran over immediately and couldn't help but look at Zhou Zuizui: "I'll carry the things."
Zhou Zuizui didn't stand on ceremony with her and pointed to Wei Yi's: "Let Wei Yi carry it, her things are a bit heavy."
"Okay." Qiuqiu showed her two little tiger teeth and smiled slightly at Duan Weiyi: "Hello, Sister Weiyi, I am Qiuqiu."
Duan Weiyi was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously: "Hello, Qiuqiu."
Xia Wen was familiar with the two men, only Duan Weiyi was a little unfamiliar. However, Qiuqiu and Lin Mu were both very outgoing and wouldn't be too unfamiliar with her. After getting in the car for a short while, Weiyi also got to know the two men.
Instantly, she felt an even stronger longing for the ancient town.
It would take about an hour to get back to the ancient town from the airport, but no one was in a hurry; everyone was chatting and laughing in the car.
Zhou Zuizui listened to Qiuqiu's chatter and felt happy.
Wei couldn't help but chat with Xia Wen: "I think you seem to be in a good mood since you came here."
Xia Wen nodded and said softly, "After all, it's a place I've always liked." She paused for a moment and then said, "Haven't you noticed that I like it here too?"
Duan Weiyi exclaimed "Ah!" and then belatedly realized, "Yes."
But for some reason, her attention was first drawn to Zhou Zuizui. She couldn't quite explain why, but undoubtedly, aside from Duan Ziyu, this was the first time she had paid such special attention to someone's emotions.
She thought it might be because they had both experienced the kidnapping together and had become acquainted through life and death.
Duan Weiyi told himself this.
Xia Wen patted her head and smiled faintly: "Wei Yi, are you hungry? I'll take you to get some late-night snacks later. The late-night snacks in the ancient town are super delicious."
"Okay, okay."
Duan Weiyi came out, holding his phone: "My brother called me."
Xia Wen glanced at it and smiled, "You answer it."
"good."
"Hello." Duan Weiyi's voice was soft and sweet, which sounded particularly pleasant.
"Brother, we just got off the plane and are now in the car." Duan Weiyi couldn't contain her excitement and couldn't help but share with Duan Ziyu, "The weather here is so comfortable. It's still very hot, perfect for wearing short sleeves."
Duan Ziyu felt a pang of sadness as she listened to the little girl's voice.
"You're so happy you didn't even remember to call your brother?"
Duan Weiyi said "Oh," and pouted, "It wasn't on purpose, I was only less than ten minutes late."
Duan Ziyu: "…………"
Not even for a minute.
He took a deep breath, suppressing his urge to run away, and said in a deep voice, "Okay, take care of yourself, and contact your brother anytime if anything happens."
"Okay, brother too."
After hanging up the phone, Xia Wen couldn't help but laugh to herself.
Duan Weiyi stared at her, bewildered: "What are you laughing at?"
Xia Wen patted her head, sighed and said, "You're our only one, so cute, we'll miss you."
"What are you willing to give up?" Duan Weiyi didn't understand Xia Wen's implied meaning.
Xia Wen shook her head, unwilling to say more: "It's okay, it's okay, we're fine as we are."
She asked in a low voice, "Did your brother say anything?"
Upon hearing this, Duan Weiyi's attention was indeed diverted. She nodded and mumbled, "My brother seems a little angry. He said I haven't called him even though I've been in the car for ten minutes."
She muttered to herself, "I just forgot."
Xia Wen chuckled and nodded in satisfaction: "That's right, we forgot."
As soon as he finished speaking, Duan Weiyi looked at Xia Wen and asked, "Sister Xia Wen, aren't you going to call President Tang?"
Xia Wen: "…………"
She looked at the little girl in front of her seriously and pinched her cheek: "Why did you call President Tang, sister?"
"Isn't President Tang your boyfriend?" Duan Weiyi asked in a low voice, "Or is President Tang still pursuing you?"
You noticed?
Now it was Xia Wen's turn to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
Duan Weiyi nodded seriously, thinking about the scene that night, and muttered, "It's obvious. When we were eating that day, when you asked what you wanted to eat and what you liked to eat, didn't you notice that President Tang moved the dishes in front of you?"
She was sitting right next to them and saw it with her own eyes.
In these matters, Duan Weiyi was not as slow-witted or clueless as they had imagined.
"Then what is this...?" Xia Wen paused, surprised.
Duan Weiyi was not surprised at all that Xia Wen had seen through her. She smiled slightly and said, "A brother can only be a brother."
Xia Wen suddenly realized, and after a moment of silence, she patted her head and coaxed, "How come Wei Yi's thoughts are so mature?"
She seemed clueless, oblivious to Duan Ziyu's feelings for her, but that was just everyone's perception, Xia Wen thought. Perhaps Duan Weiyi had sensed her brother's feelings and his dependence on her, Duan Ziyu, long ago, but to her, her brother was still just her brother.
As for the reason, Xia Wen didn't want to ask, and Duan Weiyi wouldn't want to say either.
Duan Weiyi smiled and turned to look out the window: "Look, it's so beautiful outside."
"yes."
The two successfully changed the subject and started talking about local architecture.
Duan Wei kept staring at the scenery outside the window, his eyelids slightly lowered, completely obscuring his thoughts.
It wasn't that she didn't understand; on the contrary, she had understood these things long ago. It's just that so many years have passed, but those events from back then are still vivid in her mind. She didn't run away from Duan Ziyu, but she told herself in her heart that there was a limit, and she couldn't go too far.
An older brother can only be an older brother.
Thinking about it, she subconsciously reached out and touched the corner of her lips.
The journey to the ancient town was smooth. As soon as she got out of the car, the few people who were still in the shop all ran out to look at her.
"Welcome back, boss!"
Zhou Zuizui chuckled and smiled, "Thank you, thank you, everyone, that's enough."
She smiled and said, "You've worked hard."
There were still quite a few customers in the store. When they saw her, they raised their eyebrows in surprise. Some acquaintances looked at Zhou Zuizui with some surprise: "Wow, the most beautiful boss is back. We haven't seen you in so long."
Zhou Zuizui was both amused and exasperated: "No, I did come back halfway through."
The man laughed, "It really has been a while."
As he spoke, he shook hands with Zhou Zuizui.
Zhou Zuizui arranged for Xia Wen and Wei Yi to stay in the courtyard behind the tavern. Knowing in advance that they would be coming back, Qiu Qiu had prepared rooms for them. Xia Wen and Qiu Qiu stayed downstairs, while Zhou Zuizui and Wei Yi stayed upstairs.
The only one was filled with curiosity and excitement about this place. She followed Qiuqiu around the backyard. Stepping on the wooden floor, she couldn't help but say, "This voice is so nice."
Qiuqiu chuckled softly: "Sister Weiyi, this is your room."
"good."
"Thank you." Duan Wei looked around. The room was decorated very well, and it was clear that it had been specially tidied up. There were also some of her favorite little dolls.
"What is this?"
"My sister asked me to buy it," Qiuqiu said. "You'll like it."
Duan Weiyi really liked it. She felt safe only when she cuddled the bear to sleep at night.
After making the arrangements, a few people stayed behind to watch the shop, while Xia Wen and Zhou Zuizui took Wei Yi out for a late-night snack.
Along the way, they ran into many old acquaintances, and when they saw Zhou Zuizui, they couldn't help but express how much they missed her.
"ZuiZui is here."
"Yes, I'm back."
The boss looked at her and smiled: "It's been a long time since we've seen you. Everyone has missed you."
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "Yes, I missed it here too. It's still so comfortable."
"It's more comfortable than in big cities, isn't it?"
"yes."
As the two chatted, the owner handed her a menu: "Order whatever you like tonight, it's on me."
Zhou Zuizui chuckled: "That's not good, but we can still eat late-night snacks."
The owner waved his hand: "Don't be shy, eat up."
Zhou Zuizui handed the menu to Wei Yi: "Wei Yi, this is the place to eat. The barbecue here is very delicious and very flavorful."
"Okay, thank you, sister."
Duan Weiyi looked at Zhou Zuizui, who was chatting and laughing, with a hint of envy in his eyes. Zhou Zuizui was particularly popular here. It seemed that every shop owner knew her and could chat with her. She herself was also very talkative and could chat with people about any topic.
Xia Wen looked at her and said in a low voice, "Your sister has been in this ancient town for a long time, and everyone knows her."
She said softly, "This is an ancient town with a very simple and honest folk culture. Although many people come to visit every year, most of them are not influenced by profit; they are all very kind."
This is why Zhou Zuizui likes this place.
If you treat the people here well, they'll repay you with five, or even ten. Zhou Zuizui was also a stranger when she first arrived here; she gradually became friends with the people and got to know them.
She has helped many people, but sometimes it was just a small favor that she didn't think much about and didn't remember. However, she remembered all of these people and would subconsciously take care of them every time they met her.
Take this barbecue restaurant for example. When it first opened, it had very few customers, and the food was relatively average. Because it was quite far from Zhou Zuizui's little bar, she only happened to pass by here once and had a late-night snack with Qiuqiu.
I learned about the owner's predicament by chance. He has a disabled daughter who needs to be taken care of, so he is desperately trying to make money. He just came to the ancient town and rented a place to open his business. Many people are not used to the taste of his barbecue. It is also a new store, so there are no reviews or reputation.
That period was really bad. After Zhou Zuizui found out, she would often bring Qiuqiu over to order something. Occasionally, she would even take the initiative to introduce the barbecue to customers who wanted to drink and eat in the store, so that they could order takeout.
Over time, she would give the owner feedback every time she came to eat, pointing out areas for improvement. As a result, the business gradually improved. The owner remembered everything Zhou Zuizui did, and from then on, whenever she came to eat, the owner would either not charge her or give her various gifts.
Although Zhou Zuizui would always slip money to the boss, he would always give her a discount.
In short, the boss always remembered the help she had received and was always thinking about how to repay her.
…………
After ordering, Zhou Zuizui watched the busy owner and couldn't resist trying it herself.
"Only one thing, I'll grill some barbecue for you tonight."
"OK."
Only one's eyes lit up: "I want to try it too."
"Okay, let's try it over there. We can't keep the boss waiting."
The boss smiled and said, "It's alright, you can try whatever you want."
Zhou Zuizui nodded and smiled, explaining the barbecue techniques and precautions to Wei Yi.
While they were having barbecue, Shen Nan called, and Zhou Zuizui answered without hesitation.
The first thing Shen Nan saw wasn't his wife, but a table full of barbecue food, still steaming, the aroma practically leaping out of his phone.
"You guys... you're already eating?"
Zhou Zuizui smiled and then turned the camera towards herself: "How is it? Does it look delicious?"
Shen Nan was silent for a moment: "Is this the shop you always talk about?"
"Mmm." Zhou Zuizui nodded: "Yeah, it's been a long time since I've had this. The owner's cooking has gotten even better."
Hearing this, Shen Nan felt a little jealous: "Why didn't you take me with you last time?"
Zhou Zuizui choked for a moment, ate a skewer of pork tenderloin, and then thought for a moment before saying, "When you came last time, were we on good terms?"
"What do you think?" Shen Nan looked at her coldly.
Zhou Zuizui laughed: "I don't remember."
She exclaimed, "It's a pity my hand is still injured, otherwise I could have grilled a whole table of food by myself tonight."
Shen Nan: "..."
He was very sour, very jealous, and very angry.
But seeing the person smiling so happily in the camera, I felt that it was all worth it, and that the decision to let her go back to the ancient town to relax was the right one.
"Remember to digest your food before going to sleep, but don't stay up late either."
"Okay, Captain Shen." Zhou Zuizui looked at him with a smile: "What are you doing right now?"
"I'm on the playground, video chatting with you."
Shen Nan was lying on the training field, wrapped in a jacket, letting the wind blow through him. But he wasn't alone; Gao Zhuo, Xiao Tong, and Bai Feiyang were still running and training there. Occasionally, sounds could be heard coming from their direction, sounding quite excited.
Zhou Zuizui heard this too and couldn't help but ask, "Why do they have to run but you don't?"
"He brought it on himself."
Gao Zhuo noticed Shen Nan was in a bad mood and challenged him to a match, but lost. Xiao Tong couldn't resist joining in and lost too. Bai Feiyang wasn't bad either, but he still lost. Shen Nan's punishment was for the three of them to run five laps as extra training, which gave him time to video chat with his wife.
Hearing this, Zhou Zuizui was both amused and exasperated: "Fine, then stop bullying them."
"No."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Zhu collapsed next to Shen Nan and complained to Zhou Zuizui, "Sister-in-law! The captain is bullying us!"
Zhou Zuizui raised an eyebrow: "Really? How did you bully me?"
Gao Zhuo said indignantly, "He deliberately cheated."
"Isn't that because you guys aren't smart?"
In this respect, Zhou Zuizui is a complete husband fanatic; whatever her husband does is right.
Gao Zhuo: "...I forgot why I came here to suffer."
Shen Nan gouged out his eyes: "Get away from me, don't lie down next to me."
Gao Zhuo: "…………"
Feeling wronged, Gao Zhuo silently moved to a small corner and lay down next to Xiao Tong, letting out a deep sigh: "When will I ever find a boyfriend?"
Xiao Tong: "It's still early, Captain Gao, you're not even forty yet."
Gao Zhuo choked for a moment, then slapped him across the face without hesitation, incredulously asking, "You mean I won't find a girlfriend until I'm forty?"
Xiao Tong: "I even underestimated it."
Gao Zhuo: "Get to training! Forty laps!"
Bai Feiyang coughed, not quite understanding: "What's so great about a girlfriend? Training is much better."
Gao Zhuo chuckled and looked at him with disdain: "You're young and arrogant."
When he was younger, he didn't think girlfriends were anything special, all that nagging and clinging. But now, looking at Shen Nan, he thinks having a girlfriend or wife is great, and he wants to find someone to be all lovey-dovey with too!
Gao Zhuo is envious, Gao Zhuo longs for it, Gao Zhuo wants to find a girlfriend!
That evening, while scrolling through her WeChat Moments, Zhou Zuizui also saw a post by Gao Zhuo.
Handsome and dashing: I also want to find a girlfriend!
Many people left comments below:
Shen Nan: Go to sleep.
Xiao Tong: It's still early, Captain Gao.
Bai Feiyang: Oh, you can't find it.
Lin You: What kind of person should we look for?
Zhou Zuizui chuckled and replied: How about I introduce you to someone?
After sending the message, she lay on the bed and poked Lin You: What's wrong with you? You still haven't won someone over?
Lin You: No, aren't we friends?
Zhou Zuizui: Tsk, friends chatting for so long?
Lin You: Is Gao Zhuo just clueless, or what? It feels like you're not getting to the point.
Zhou Zuizui: I think it's because she's not perceptive.
Lin smiled again, not in a hurry to continue the topic: By the way, how is it over there?
Zhou Zuizui: Eat well, drink well, sleep well, everything is fine.
Lin You: That's good. Everyone misses you. Your resignation has been approved. I've packed your things. Come and pick them up when the time comes.
Zhou Zuizui: Okay, thanks.
Lin You: Let's have a meal together when we get back.
Zhou Zuizui agreed, and the two didn't continue their conversation. She glanced at the time, sent a message to Chen Nan, snuggled into her long-missed bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
The next morning, Zhou Zuizui had a rare good night's sleep.
She felt that the place was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, but it was raining outside. As soon as she woke up, she heard the sound of water dripping from the eaves, which sounded particularly pleasant.
Zhou Zuizui listened intently for a while and heard people talking downstairs; it was Qiuqiu and Weiyi.
"Qiuqiu, how do I do this?"
"These are bamboo shoots, the first ones to come out here. We just need to break them apart. I'll cook later."
Duan Weiyi's eyes lit up as he looked at Qiuqiu: "Lunch, Qiuqiu, can you call me when you're making it? I want to learn too."
“Okay,” Qiuqiu said. “My sister isn’t very good at cooking, and she doesn’t like to cook.”
Wei smiled and said, "But I will do it."
“Yes, I can,” Qiuqiu said. “My first meal here was cooked for me by my sister.”
Upon hearing this, Duan Weiyi became curious about Qiuqiu: "Qiuqiu, where are your mom and dad?"
Subconsciously, Qiuqiu paused for a moment before lowering her head and saying, "I don't have a father or mother. They were going to sell me, but my sister saved me."
It was Zhou Zuizui who pulled her out of the cage.
Wei Yi paused for a moment, then apologized softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."
Qiuqiu laughed, "It's okay, I'm used to it. I'm doing very well here. Lin Mu and the others are taking care of me, and my sister is also looking after me." She said with a smile, "I want to stay in this little tavern for the rest of my life."
Looking at her like this, Duan Weiyi inexplicably thought of his own situation.
She was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Actually, I'm just like you."
"What?" Qiuqiu looked at her in surprise.
Duan Weiyi smiled gently: "I don't have a father or mother either." She said: "As far back as I can remember, I lived in an orphanage. You know, orphanages are where many children who are not wanted by their parents are abandoned. And our orphanage is not well managed."
Back then, you had to fight for a meal.
If we hadn't been more assertive earlier, we wouldn't have gotten a single bite to eat.
Later, she was adopted, but less than six months later, that family abandoned her and sent her to another orphanage.
This family was slightly better off; at least she could get enough to eat. But the other children always bullied her because she was new. Every orphanage has a tyrant, the kind of domineering and immature type. And then…
Duan Weiyi suddenly remembered the day she met Duan Ziyu. He looked like a little prince when he came over, dressed in a white suit, and seemed out of place in the orphanage. She watched from the corner, not daring to approach him.
All he knew was that the other children couldn't help but crowd around, and the headmaster was explaining things to him.
Duan Weiyi didn't dare to look too much and secretly went to the backyard to stay with the cats in the kitten orphanage. It was then that she ran into Duan Ziyu, who was just strolling around.
The two looked at each other, and she instinctively tried to look away, but Duan Ziyu grabbed her.
She still remembers him asking her, "Do you want to leave here?"
Duan Weiyi was silent for a moment, then nodded: "I've thought about it."
Nobody doesn't want that.
That afternoon, she was taken away. She stayed in a hotel that night, and three days later, she returned to the Duan family home with Duan Ziyu.
That was the first time she realized that rich people didn't just exist on TV; they existed in the real world too.
…………
Seeing her like this, Qiuqiu instinctively wanted to interrupt.
"My only sister."
Duan Wei smiled and looked at her with a slight curve of his lips: "It's nothing, I just feel that we are both quite lucky."
Qiuqiu nodded: "Yes, we are all lucky."
Zhou Zuizui never expected to hear Wei Yi bring up this matter on his own initiative. For some reason, it seemed to have triggered a switch in some function of her body, and tears flowed uncontrollably.
She was thinking how wonderful it would be if she hadn't been taken away back then.
When Zhou Zuizui got up and came downstairs, Wei Yi looked at her eyes and paused for a moment: "Sister, why are your eyes swollen?"
Zhou Zuizui hummed in agreement and patted her head: "I watched a movie before going to bed last night and cried."
Wei Yi: "Oh no, I'll get some ice for my sister."
"good."
Over the next two days, Zhou Zuizui got to know a few people at the store and had a great time. She even missed Duan Ziyu's calls. Zhou Zuizui also got a little carried away and completely forgot about her husband.
On the third day, Zhou Zuizui was sleeping when she suddenly felt something was wrong.
She frowned, feeling the approaching breath on her face.
"Shen Nan?" she asked, following the scent.
Shen Nan chuckled softly, lowered his head to kiss the corner of her lips, and hummed, "I thought you weren't awake yet."
Zhou Zuizui opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise: "Why are you here?"
Shen Nan raised an eyebrow: "It's not just me."
Five minutes later, Zhou Zuizui looked at the two additional men who had appeared in the courtyard and fell silent.
Author's Note: Captain Shen: I can't let my wife forget me.
Mr. Tang: I need to make a good impression on my future wife.
Tzuyu: I can't let my sister forget me...
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