It was only after hearing Tang Ning's explanation that Su Ya realized the extent of her misunderstanding.
It turns out that this beautiful, movie-star-like Tang Ning wasn't her brother's girlfriend as she thought. Instead, she was the generous and kind employer her brother had met in Qing City. Unfortunately, things were too rushed yesterday; her brother hadn't had time to introduce her to the kind employer's name. Not only that, but the photo he showed her was of her back, so she didn't even know what she looked like. That's why… that's why…
Once Su Ya understood everything, her face immediately turned bright red. She was so embarrassed that she almost blushed as she stammered an apology to Tang Ning.
If she's already like this, then what about Su Mo, the person involved?
The black-haired boy, his face flushed, left the main hall and went to the courtyard. His eyes were fixed on the persimmon tree, which was laden with red persimmons that looked like little lanterns, as if he wanted to pick a couple to taste. In reality, he was so embarrassed and ashamed that he wished he could dig a hole in the cement ground with his toes and bury himself in it.
By this time, the sudden rain shower had long since stopped, and the sun had come out. The air after the early autumn rain was slightly cool, and the wind was blowing gently, quickly taking away the burning heat on Su Mo's face.
When his stagnant thoughts started working again, he suddenly heard Tang Ning and her sister laughing from inside the house.
"Hahaha... Is that so?"
"Of course, and also, do you know Sister Tang Ning..."
Turning his head with some surprise, Su Mo was astonished to find that, without him noticing, his younger sister had suddenly become so close to Tang Ning. They were talking about something that made Tang Ning laugh incessantly, and then he heard—
"Don't let my brother's current appearance fool you. When he was little, he was as beautiful as a porcelain doll. In kindergarten, little boys would bring him snacks every day. They did it for half a semester before they found out he was also a boy. They immediately started crying and screaming, trying to pull down my brother's pants. They couldn't stop them. Then my brother took off his pants without hesitation to show them... Hahaha, that boy immediately burst out crying, and snot bubbles were coming out of his nose!"
Su Mo: "..."
What a filial sister!
After gritting his teeth and saying this to himself, Su Mo was about to rush into the house and cover his sister's mouth, drag her aside and give her a good talking-to.
But just as he was about to lift his foot, he suddenly stopped when he saw Tang Ning's profile, which was smiling as brightly as spring flowers.
Then, he just stood there in the courtyard, staring blankly at Tang Ning, unable to look away.
Because of her seating position, Tang Ning didn't notice Su Mo's unusual behavior, but Su Ya, who was sitting directly opposite her, saw her brother's expression clearly.
With that look in his eyes, coupled with the anxiety and nervousness he felt last night, Su Ya knew perfectly well that her brother had most likely developed feelings for this Sister Tang Ning. He had always been like that. When Uncle Li brought the two of them back and taught them how to deceive, he once said that her brother's personality was a waste of his good looks. His likes and dislikes were all written on his face, and he was not quick-witted at all. He didn't have half of her talent.
Unless it rains blood, he'll probably never learn how to scam anyone again.
Now, there's no red rain falling from the sky, yet her brother has still become enlightened. There's no other reason; Uncle Li died the year after he said those words, and then she was diagnosed with that money-consuming disease. Under the burden of life, even if he wanted to remain oblivious, he probably wouldn't have much of a chance.
But now that she's met someone she likes, her brother's true nature has started to show again.
That's just...so stupid!
Su Ya secretly chuckled to herself.
She wasn't jealous at all. Although she had been relying on her brother for many years, she wanted him to be happier, much happier.
So when she heard that Tang Ning wanted to go to Wenshan for a stroll, she immediately recommended her silly older brother without even thinking.
However, a heavy rain delayed us quite a bit, and it's getting late now. Even if we go to Wenshan, we probably won't see much scenery, and it's still very cold in the mountains.
In response, she quickly pushed Su Mo forward, "Sister Tang Ning, you've been so kind to my brother. Now that you've come to our town, it's only right that we show you the proper hospitality. Sister Tang Ning, if you're not in a hurry to go back, let my brother take you to Wenshan Mountain tomorrow morning. The mountain air is so fresh in the early morning!"
Hearing Su Ya's suggestion, and since Tang Ning was also thinking about traveling, she nodded immediately.
Her nod made Su Mo so happy he didn't know what to do. Perhaps the previous embarrassment had really affected him too much, and the young man impulsively invited Tang Ning to stay for dinner.
Before Tang Ning could say whether she agreed or not after his attempt to persuade her to stay, Su Ya had already started winking at the clueless Su Mo. What good food could her brother possibly have at home? Besides, there were Aunt Liu and her two third wheels around. It was still early, so why not take Tang Ning to town for a stroll and spend some time alone with her?
Will her brother really be destined to be single forever?
It's unclear whether Su Mo understood Su Ya's look, but he quickly changed his tune, saying that although Wenshan couldn't be seen now, there were still some interesting places in the town. Since it was still early, he might as well take her to see them, since there were still two or three hours before dinner, and they had nothing else to do anyway.
Upon hearing this, Tang Ning immediately smiled and nodded.
After taking only two steps, Tang Ning stopped in her tracks, noticing that Su Ya hadn't followed. "Isn't Xiao Ya coming with us?"
"I...I'm not feeling well. The doctor told me not to be exposed to drafts too often, and I haven't finished my homework yet, so I won't go."
Before Su Mo could speak, Su Ya had already given the most perfect explanation.
Since she had already said that, Tang Ning naturally wouldn't force her. She greeted Su Ya and then walked out with Su Mo.
This caused Su Ya, who was left behind by the two men, to slowly curl the corners of her mouth as she watched their departing figures.
She asks for nothing but that her brother be happy for the rest of his life; that would be the best thing for him.
Meanwhile, walking along the street beside Tang Ning, watching her long hair gently blown up and down by the wind, her cheeks seemed to be bathed in a soft golden light as if by the not-so-strong sun, and even the fine downy hairs on her cheeks could be seen clearly.
As she was looking at him, Tang Ning noticed his gaze and turned around, laughing, "Why are you looking at me? Is there something wrong with my outfit today? I followed your outfit guide exactly, from head to toe, without adding a single personal touch. It can't possibly be wrong, right? Or is it my makeup? Well, all those everyday, subtle makeup looks you prepared for me are too difficult. Just the eye makeup alone takes me ages to achieve the effect I want, so I had to keep it simple. It can't be that my simple makeup ruined the whole look, can it?"
Tang Ning was somewhat helpless.
"No, no, you look great like this, you look great no matter how you dress!"
Su Mo, who had accidentally blurted out his innermost thoughts, almost bit his tongue.
However, Tang Ning didn't pay much attention to it. Instead, she reached out and patted his shoulder, laughing, "You have good taste!"
Seeing that she hadn't noticed what he said, Su Mo didn't know whether he felt relieved or a little disappointed.
Just as he was struggling with his decision, he suddenly felt Tang Ning gently tug at his hoodie sleeve. "Su Mo, over there, isn't that the famous Su He Fried Chicken Frames in your town? I'd heard about it before I came to Wenshan..."
Seeing Tang Ning's eyes light up, a hint of surprise flashed across Su Mo's eyes. "I thought someone like you wouldn't like to eat that kind of thing..."
Hearing this, Tang Ning looked at Su Mo beside her with amusement, "What kind of person am I? Should I be sitting in a high-end restaurant every day, eating expensive steaks and caviar, and sipping red wine?"
Before Su Mo could even answer, she burst out laughing.
"Come on, rich people are still people. Besides, I'm probably not old enough to need to take care of my health yet. Eating fried food occasionally shouldn't be illegal, right? Let's go, there are more and more people over there. If we get left, we're really doomed!"
After saying that, Tang Ning grabbed Su Mo's sleeve without hesitation and started queuing up.
After queuing for a full twenty minutes, the two finally emerged, holding the still-warm oil paper bag.
Tang Ning couldn't wait to try a piece, and then a happy smile appeared on her face. Putting everything else aside, the occasional consumption of fried food really made her feel good!
It was then that she realized that Su Mo, who was standing opposite her, was only holding the chicken frame in his hands and did not intend to take a bite. Not only that, but he was also staring at the corner of her mouth.
Before she could even ask, Su Mo pointed to the corner of her mouth, "You got chili sauce on it..."
"Yeah?"
Tang Ning tried to wipe it, but it wasn't clean.
Seeing this, Su Mo quickly put the oil paper bag in his hand on the stone block by the roadside, took the napkin from Tang Ning's hand and began to carefully wipe her face, avoiding her lipstick.
After wiping for a while, Su Mo finally finished cleaning and stared unblinkingly at Tang Ning's lips, which were so close to his own. He smelled her familiar scent, and in an instant, his heart began to pound erratically in his chest. Even though he hadn't eaten anything, he suddenly felt as if his mouth was dry.
"Are you done?"
Just then, Tang Ning suddenly asked a question.
Upon hearing this, Su Mo was startled. He coughed lightly to cover it up and quickly took a step back.
"Okay...okay."
"Eat it quickly, it won't taste good if it gets cold!"
"Um!"
Su Mo nodded vigorously, not daring to look at Tang Ning beside him again, and began to eat the fried chicken frame in big bites. Unexpectedly, the other party's chili sauce was so authentic that he choked after only a couple of bites.
"How are you? Did the hot sauce choke you?"
Seeing him like this, Tang Ning quickly asked what was wrong, and then hurriedly started searching around. Finally, she saw a small supermarket not far away. Tang Ning patted his back lightly, "Wait here for me, I'll go buy you a bottle of water right away!"
Without even waiting for Su Mo's reply, he saw the green light and immediately walked across the street.
Unable to speak for a while, Su Mo could only watch helplessly as she walked further and further away. He coughed several more times before finally feeling much better.
Unexpectedly, at that moment, a hand suddenly patted his shoulder from behind.
Noticing the commotion, Su Mo frowned and subconsciously turned his head.
Then he saw a pretty woman standing behind him with a smile. "Su Mo, you're Su Mo, right? The former campus heartthrob, where are you making your fortune now? Why are you suddenly back in Xiping Town?"
Although the woman's tone made it sound like she knew him very well, Su Mo was quite certain that he had absolutely no recollection of the person in front of him, and naturally, a hint of unease appeared on his face.
Seeing his expression, the woman immediately understood and said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "Really? You don't remember me at all? I pursued you for two whole years back then, writing you love letters every day, making sure everyone in the school knew I liked you. And now you don't even have a memory of me? I shouldn't have changed that much, right?"
Seeing that the woman automatically showed a hint of rejection in Su Mo's eyes as soon as she mentioned that she had once pursued him, she quickly explained, "No, no, don't misunderstand, school heartthrob. Back then, that was back then, and now is now. I was ignorant and caused you a lot of trouble. Now I'm already married. I just came up to catch up with you!"
Hearing her say that, Su Mo's expression softened slightly.
Then he saw the woman in front of him and said with a mischievous smile, "The one standing next to you just now, is that your girlfriend? Impressive, she's got looks. I didn't expect our school heartthrob to have such high standards. No wonder he doesn't even look at us plain girls chasing after him!"
As soon as she spoke, a faint blush swept across Su Mo's face.
"no……"
He denied it.
"No? How could that be? I saw it clearly from across the street just now. The way you treated her was so gentle and considerate. Apart from your sister, I've never seen you treat anyone like that. You have no idea what you used to be like. You were like a walking iceberg every day, and you and little cutie Su Ya didn't look like siblings at all. That unapproachable demeanor made all of you in the school wonder if you were going to end up alone?"
"Now... tsk tsk, you're not getting any younger, you're at the age to get married. If you like someone, just say you like them, why won't you admit it? Do you want me to give you a mirror to look at yourself? Your eyes are practically glued to her!"
The female classmate joked with a smile.
But this made Su Mo's pupils shrink sharply; he liked it...
He likes Tang Ning?
They even liked it so much that it was obvious to outsiders...
Tang Ning, who had just paid at the small supermarket, heard that Su Mo's favorability rating had risen to 68. She raised her eyebrows in surprise and glanced at the water in her hand.
She only bought him a bottle of water, and her affection level increased?
Isn't this person a bit too materialistic?
She also bought the fried chicken frame just now, so why doesn't he increase his favorability towards her?
Tang Ning, unaware of what had happened to Su Mo, was lost in thought when she looked up and saw a pretty girl with delicate features standing next to Su Mo.
Upon seeing the girl, Tang Ning curled her lips into a smile, but still quickly walked over.
“Su…”
Before she could finish speaking, a fast-moving electric scooter suddenly sped out from the alleyway beside her.
"Watch out, Su Mo, you..."
Because of his position, Su Mo, an old classmate, immediately noticed the danger Tang Ning was in not far behind the two of them and quickly gave her a warning.
Before she could finish speaking, Su Mo, who was standing in front of him, rushed over like the wind and pulled Tang Ning directly into his arms, holding her tightly.
"What's wrong with you? You're not watching where you're going while riding your bike. If you hit someone, you'll be in big trouble!"
The old classmate who rushed over with him quickly reprimanded him.
"I'm so sorry, I really didn't see it..."
The cyclist kept apologizing in his local dialect.
"Never mind, nothing's wrong with me..."
Tang Ning, who was being held tightly by Su Mo, said in a muffled voice, "Su Mo, you're holding me too tightly, I can't breathe."
Upon hearing this, Su Mo seemed to snap out of a daze and released his embrace from Tang Ning, hiding his trembling fingers behind his back. His pale face remained unchanged.
Seeing him like this, Tang Ning looked up and smiled at him, "What's wrong? Were you scared? I'm really fine, I didn't bump into anything, I'm perfectly alright."
"Um……"
Su Mo responded softly.
Seeing that Tang Ning was really alright, the old classmate who was teasing Su Mo finally had the leisure to tease Su Mo, and his gaze towards the two of them became even more ambiguous.
You're so concerned about her, yet you say you don't like her.
Upon receiving such a gaze, Su Mo did not turn his head to look. He simply stared blankly at the tips of his shoes, his heart pounding with fear. For the first time, Su Mo clearly felt his care and concern for Tang Ning.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that he felt his breath almost stop when he saw Tang Ning in danger just now.
So, he really likes Tang Ning?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, a unique sweet feeling suddenly filled his heart.
He likes Tang Ning.
The more he thought about it, the more joyful Su Mo felt, to the point that he didn't even know what to do.
"...Su Mo, Su Mo!"
Just then, he suddenly heard someone calling him.
Coming to his senses, Su Mo immediately looked up and saw his old classmate, who had helped him finally see things clearly, waving at him with a smile, "What are you thinking about? I'm going home now, see you next time!"
As she spoke, she smiled at Tang Ning again, then turned and walked towards home.
After watching her figure disappear around the corner, Tang Ning turned to Su Mo beside her and asked, "Who was that just now?"
"Um?"
Unprepared for Tang Ning's question, Su Mo paused for a moment before replying, "A former junior high classmate..."
"Really? When I saw you two standing together just now, I thought she was your ex-girlfriend. She's quite pretty!"
Tang Ning joked with a smile.
"no!"
Upon hearing Tang Ning's words, Su Mo denied it without hesitation, "Really, no, she's just my junior high school classmate. If she hadn't greeted me just now, I probably wouldn't have remembered that I had such a classmate. Really, you have to believe me. Besides, she's been married for a long time. What she just told me is really not my ex-girlfriend!"
Seeing Su Mo's extremely anxious appearance, Tang Ning paused for a moment, then nodded, "I believe you, why are you so nervous?"
Hearing this, Su Mo seemed to have been touched on something, and lowered his head slightly. Then he saw Tang Ning hand him the water she had been holding. "Here, your water. Does your throat hurt anymore?"
"Much better..."
Su Mo said weakly.
"Are you still going to drink?"
Tang Ning asked with a smile.
"drink!"
Su Mo quickly took the water, but his movements were too hasty, and he accidentally pinched Tang Ning's finger. He quickly withdrew his hand, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
"What are you laughing at?"
Tang Ning drank her own water and glanced at him with amusement.
"What's so funny!"
Su Mo squeezed the hand that had touched Tang Ning's fingers tightly and hurriedly replied.
"You silly boy!"
Tang Ning smiled helplessly and started walking forward.
Seeing this, Su Mo quickly followed, the setting sun casting long shadows of the two of them.
After Su Mo escorted Tang Ning back to the guesthouse and watched him go inside, he reluctantly turned his gaze away. Then he felt something strange coming from behind him. He turned around abruptly and saw a sneaky figure quickly disappearing into the corner.
Even though he chased after the person to the corner of the wall immediately, he still couldn't see what the person looked like.
This gave Su Mo a bad feeling!
Meanwhile, on the other side, at the Pei family's ancient castle.
Pei Yuan looked at the photos of Tang Ning and Su Mo that had been sent to his phone, including one of the photos of the boy holding Tang Ning tightly in his arms when she was in danger.
It's unclear how long Pei Yuan stared at the photo, but he slowly stood up, looking expressionlessly at the ongoing interrogation scene before him. He then turned and walked out, his eyes dark and deep.
"If he doesn't confess, cut off his outstretched hand. At the same time, prepare the fastest plane ticket back to China for me, economy class."
After coldly uttering those words, Pei Yuan had only taken two steps when a scream that sounded inhuman came from behind him.
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