Chapter 254: You’re Here?

Chapter 254: Chapter 254: You’re Here?

Gu Nuan Nuan was still in a good mood all the way back to her home in Lihua Village.

"Did you tell your grandpa?" Seeing her smile, Zhang Minzhen couldn’t help but ask happily.

"I did, and I also told Second Uncle and Second Aunt." Gu Nuan Nuan cuddled up to Zhang Minzhen’s arm, then proceeded to reenact her entire conversation with Chen Suxiang—both what Chen Suxiang had said and how she had shut her down. Finally, she looked up smugly, fishing for compliments. "Mom, aren’t I smart?"

"Yes, you’re right, you’re the smartest! I’ve never met a child as clever as you, one who can tell right from wrong and won’t be so easily led astray." After hearing her daughter’s story, Zhang Minzhen was disgusted by Chen Suxiang’s delusional fantasies. But she was also deeply moved by her daughter’s cleverness and unconditional trust in her, so she pulled her into a hug and gave her a big kiss.

Under Gu Nuan Nuan’s influence over the past two or three years, she had changed a great deal. Most noticeably, she had become far more cheerful, optimistic, and confident. Her main way of interacting with Gu Nuan Nuan was through praise, so much so that she had gotten into the habit of complimenting her from time to time. It would feel strange if she went too long without doing so.

"Hehe, well, what do you expect from me?" Gu Nuan Nuan’s complete lack of modesty made Zhang Minzhen laugh even harder. They only stopped when they heard a car horn honk at the gate. "Could your uncle be back?" Zhang Minzhen said as she walked over to the door. She peeked through the small side gate and saw a car door open. Out stepped Luo Xiaohu and a casually dressed Luo Hongyi.

Behind her, Gu Nuan Nuan pouted. Her Divine Sense had already scanned the entrance and spotted Luo Hongyi. With a huff, all her good cheer vanished into thin air. She whipped her head around and stormed back to her room.

"Hongyi, you’re here?" Zhang Minzhen was pleasantly surprised to see Luo Hongyi.

"Aunt Zhen." Luo Hongyi smiled as he greeted Zhang Minzhen. "I happened to have some free time, and I figured since Xiao Hu starting school is a big deal, I’d come over and take him myself."

"Godmother, with my big brother taking me to school, you all can relax. Uncle won’t have to take time off to make the trip," Luo Xiaohu chimed in cheerfully. He was overjoyed that his brother had made a special trip to take him to school in Beijing; he hadn’t been able to stop grinning since he found out.

"Then it’s settled. You can go with your brother. Just don’t forget to call and let us know you’ve arrived safely." Zhang Minzhen saw no reason to object. She then turned to Luo Hongyi and asked eagerly, "You’ll be able to stay for a few more days this time, won’t you?"

"I’m afraid not. After I take Xiao Hu, I have a rather important business deal to discuss, so I can only stay for two nights. I’ve already booked a flight to Beijing for the morning after tomorrow."

Luo Hongyi answered Zhang Minzhen earnestly, a smile on his lips, but his eyes kept drifting toward the house. He knew Gu Nuan Nuan was hiding from him again and sighed internally. ’This time, I have to find a chance to talk to Nuannuan alone.’

Inside her room, Gu Nuan Nuan sat absentmindedly at her desk. She had grabbed a book at random, but after what felt like an eternity, she still couldn’t focus.

’Pathetic.’

Gu Nuan Nuan cursed herself under her breath. In the end, she tossed the book aside, flopped onto her bed, and pulled the covers over her head to sulk in peace.

Zhang Minzhen had to call Gu Nuan Nuan three or four times before she finally trudged out for lunch. She didn’t want to eat but couldn’t come up with a good excuse. Pouting, she sat at the table and watched Luo Hongyi chatting warmly with her grandmother and mother. The sight of them placing food on each other’s plates made her chest tighten with frustration. The more she watched Luo Hongyi, the more she found him an eyesore, and she couldn’t resist glaring at him when she thought no one was looking.

The angrier Gu Nuan Nuan acted, the happier Luo Hongyi became.

He found a certain bittersweet joy in the situation. ’Her being angry at me is a good thing,’ he thought. ’It’s much better than in our past life, when she ignored me completely.’ As he thought this, his subtle gaze on Gu Nuan Nuan softened, and the corners of his lips curved upward, making his face—now decades younger—radiate a unique and undeniable charm.

’Such good looks are a complete waste on a scumbag like him.’

Gu Nuan Nuan lowered her head, nearly burying her thunderous expression in her rice bowl. She vented her frustration by stabbing furiously at the grains of rice.

The worst part was, even though her anger was so obvious, her grandmother and mother were completely oblivious. The two of them just kept piling food onto Luo Hongyi’s plate. Zhang Minzhen was especially guilty, adding a piece of braised wild fish to his bowl while she rambled on, "You said last time that braised fish was your favorite, so I made some specially for you today. Eat up! And look at you, you’ve gotten thinner since you were last here. Are the dried fish and meat I send you not enough?"

Zhang Minzhen looked at Luo Hongyi with concern. "Now that you’re starting your own business, I heard from Xiao Hu that you’re running all over the country and not eating properly, just grabbing a quick bite here and there. I’ll send you more from now on. You should keep our family’s dried fish for yourself. It’s completely wild, so it’s especially good for you. The ones I send are already cooked, so even when you’re busy, you can just stick some in your pocket. If you get hungry, you can eat it straight from the bag, no problem."

"I will," Luo Hongyi nodded. "And besides being delicious, that dried fish also seems to be very beneficial for cultivating my Inner Strength. It feels even better than the kind the family sells."

"Of course it is. The dried fish the family sells is from the farm, but the ones we send you are wild-caught from the mountains. The difference isn’t huge, but it’s there. Ahem, you silly boy, why are you acting like such a stranger and buying dried fish elsewhere? If you want some, just write to us. It’s so much easier," Wen Xiu chided from the side.

Zhang Minzhen nodded, giving him a similar chiding look.

The dried fish she sent to Luo Hongyi was always made from the fish in the Fish Spring. Eating that fish was exceptionally good for one’s health, so it was no wonder she was a little biased.

"I didn’t buy any from anywhere else," Luo Hongyi explained. "One of my clients had some sent over from their family. I just happened to be there when they were cooking and got to try some."

"Oh, so that’s what happened." Wen Xiu and Zhang Minzhen were finally satisfied. Then Zhang Minzhen asked curiously, "You must have a great relationship with your clients if you’re visiting each other’s homes for meals."

"Our relationship is pretty good, but not so good that we’d normally visit each other for dinner. It was just a coincidence, and they were so enthusiastic—their wife and kids all insisted—that I felt I had to stay. It would have been rude not to. Mmm, but Aunt Zhen, what I miss most when I’m away is your cooking. After eating your food, everything else tastes bland by comparison.

And the dried fish and meat you make are just incredible. Good ingredients are one thing, but your skill is what makes me truly envious. It’s become a real problem—every time you send a package, I wrap it up tightly and hide it away for myself, but you have no idea, my business partners must be part hound. Their noses are so sharp, they can sniff it out no matter how well I hide it and come swarm me for a share."

Luo Hongyi said this with feigned annoyance, which sent Zhang Minzhen into a fit of laughter. Wen Xiu and Luo Xiaohu were also listening with great relish, completely oblivious to Gu Nuan Nuan’s strange mood.

Luo Hongyi chuckled along, then added with a hint of pride, "But don’t worry, they can never out-snatch me. Anything they get is because I intentionally go easy on them. After all, if I didn’t share something that delicious, they’d really start to hate me."