The Zhao family parents had never met Lu Nian until now.

However, she thought about it and realized that Zhao Tingyuan and Zhao Yayuan, the two brothers, had vastly different personalities and appearances.

She couldn’t imagine what kind of parents could raise such different children.

Yet, during holidays or her birthday, the Zhao family parents always prepared gifts for her, which Zhao Tingyuan delivered along with their regards.

They were meticulous in their manners, showing a lot of thoughtfulness.

Moreover, Zhao Yayuan had helped her many times.

So, Lu Nian really couldn’t refuse and nodded, “Mm.”

Seeing that she didn’t seem to have any resistance, Lu Zhihong was quite satisfied. “Then you should go. Take a good rest these days and don’t play too wildly when you go out, or else you’ll ruin your image when you meet Rulan and the others.”

Lu Nian silently nodded.

She walked out of the room, digesting what Lu Zhihong had just said, and felt a slight heaviness in her heart.

Since when did he appreciate Qin Si so much?

She had a natural fear regarding all interactions between Lu Zhihong and Qin Si.

What exactly was she afraid of? Who was she afraid might harm whom? She couldn’t tell.

The departure date was set for a few days later.

She had nothing else to do at home, spending her days in an air-conditioned room and occasionally eating ice cream. Miao Miao had already prepared all the items needed for the trip.

Sitting on the small sofa, Lu Nian scooped a spoonful of ice cream and logged into her Sea Rabbit account out of boredom.

Suddenly, she remembered something.

She had submitted a manuscript to “Star Strike” before.

Lu Nian quickly logged into her email and found that there was already a reply, informing her that one of her pieces had been selected and offering a price higher than she had expected, asking if she was willing to accept.

The price was much higher than she had imagined.

Lu Nian hurriedly set down her ice cream to reply, and the other party happened to be online as well.

After a few exchanges, she had dealt with the matter, feeling quite pleased.

Previously, many people had approached her for commissions, both public and private.

Due to preparing for the college entrance examination, she had refused them all.

But now, she was starting to consider it.

Lu Nian’s daily expenses were covered by the Lu family.

Lu Zhihong was generous with money, letting her spend freely without questioning her.

However, every expense on the card he gave her was recorded, and Lu Zhihong was fully aware of her spending.

Except for the New Year’s money, which he didn’t track, Lu Nian could save and spend that money freely.

Whenever she wanted to do something secretly, she used that money.

But that wasn’t a long-term solution.

She thought far ahead.

If one day she could completely break free from the Lu family’s constraints and live the life she wanted, the first thing she needed was financial independence.

Only then would she have basic confidence.

As long as she had a skill to earn money, she wouldn’t fear being cast out.

She sat up straight and posted a new status, pinned to the top.

@Yu Lu: Starting today, I’m accepting commissions, both private and commercial. QVQ. If you have any special requests, feel free to message me.

Lu Nian’s account had been around for several years, and she had unknowingly gathered quite a following.

She thought about it.

Since she was just starting in this field, it wasn’t convenient to set high prices.

After some deliberation, she chose a price she felt was appropriate.

Shortly after posting it, she was overwhelmed by the flood of private messages.

“Yu Lu is actually accepting commissions!”

“This is such a bargain, www, give me a dozen!”

She quickly edited the post, indicating that she was temporarily not accepting more requests.

So, over the next few days, she stayed at home, doing nothing else but drawing. Occasionally, she watched videos to learn and improve her artwork.

Although her work hadn’t been published yet, the payment from “Star Strike” had already arrived.

She secretly went to the bank, opened a new account, and deposited the money she had earned in the past few days.

Although compared to her previous allowance, it wasn’t much, it was enough to make Lu Nian very happy.

After all, this was the first money she had ever earned by herself.

It felt like a sense of accomplishment, like farming.

She carefully put the card away.

Currently, the demands the Lu family made of her were mostly within her acceptable range, but if things got worse and exceeded her tolerance, this money might become her lifeline when she broke away from the Lu family.

To live decently, she could only rely on her own planning.

After all, she didn’t have anyone else to depend on.

Finally, the day of departure arrived.

Lu Nian knew most of the people going to Fenghe, but she wasn’t very close to them.

They were either classmates from Class Two or friends of Zhao Yayuan.

The Lu family’s car took Lu Nian to the airport.

Lu Yang helped her with her suitcase.

He had never had a good impression of Zhao Yayuan and, as they passed by, said in a voice only they could hear, “Mind your limits.”

After all, it was still uncertain which of the two brothers the families intended for her, and Zhao Yayuan wasn’t necessarily anyone to Lu Nian yet.

Zhao Yayuan couldn’t be bothered to respond.

He waved at Lu Nian, “Come on, let’s go.”

Someone teased, “Yo, Second Young Master Zhao is taking his girlfriend out?”

Lu Nian tried to explain, “No, we are…”

Zhao Yayuan waved the person off, “Scram, don’t make stupid jokes.”

Fenghe was a coastal city, and at this time of year, many people came to cool off and travel, especially graduates who had just finished their college entrance exams.

Their plane arrived in Fenghe, and according to the plan, they were supposed to have a casual day in Fenghe, taking pictures, before catching an early morning flight to Nanbin the next day.

Lu Nian felt a bit nervous, and she didn’t feel quite at ease while playing and eating with the group.

She thought a lot about the situation with Nan Qiao.

Before leaving, she had gone to Cheng Mingying’s room once more.

After much consideration, she had secretly taken the pendant from its hidden compartment and brought it with her, driven by an inexplicable instinct.

In the evening, they went to the beach.

Lu Nian didn’t feel like moving much and just sat by the edge of the sand, watching everyone else having a great time in the distance.

Suddenly, she thought.

If she were with someone she liked, maybe she could be as happy as those people.

This thought made her feel down again.

Her phone suddenly buzzed with a message.

Lu Nian looked at it in disbelief.

It was from Brother Ming.

She pursed her lips and opened the message.

Brother Ming: Nian Nian, finished your exams? Want to come over and hang out? The brothers will treat you. Eat whatever you want, play whatever you want.

Lu Nian smiled and replied: Thanks, Brother Ming, but I’m traveling with my classmates these days. Maybe another time.

Brother Ming: Oh, where did you go? Is it fun?

Lu Nian casually took a photo.

Because she had to report to Lu Zhihong, she had gotten into the habit of taking pictures casually.

The photo showed a deep blue night sky, a coastline, the tide, and the beautiful scenery.

Lu Nian: I’m in Fenghe, it’s pretty fun.

Brother Ming: Have fun. When you get back, let me know, and I’ll treat you.

Lu Nian: Sure.

The photo didn’t show Lu Nian herself, just the scenery.

Huang Mao, with his sharp eyes, noticed a corner of the photo. “Isn’t that a guy there?”

The photo didn’t show people, but since Lu Nian took it, it was naturally from her perspective.

The guy was very close, seemingly sitting right next to her, the distance and position clearly not that of a stranger.

Only a corner of the photo showed it, but it was obvious that it was a man’s hand.

Xiao Qu: “It should be.”

Huang Mao was puzzled, “But Qin Si is at school. He said he was going for a summer internship but didn’t mention going to Fenghe.”

Xiao Qu: “…” That would only mean it wasn’t Qin Si.

“Nian Nian is actually out with another guy???” Huang Mao finally reacted, jumping up in righteous anger, “And went to Fenghe, standing so close in broad daylight? Which shameless guy is this?”

Brother Ming had already sent the photo to Qin Si.

He sat back, legs crossed, leisurely typing, “Nian Nian is having fun with someone close. She’s showing off her love to us, having a great time in Fenghe.”

Xiao Qu covered his face, “Is this really okay?”

Brother Ming put away his phone slowly, “Who cares? That brat’s bad temper needs to be curbed. Do you think he deserves Nian Nian with that attitude?”

On the other end, someone saw: …

The next night, Fang Deng sent him the location, “Boss, did you make a mistake? They’re supposed to go to Nan Qiao, not Fenghe.”

Nan Qiao?

Seeing those two words, his handsome brows furrowed. Without much hesitation, he changed the location of his plane ticket.

Grabbing some essentials, he headed straight to the airport.

Fang Deng asked, “Boss, are you going there directly?”

Without even taking a break? At least rest for a bit first.

After all, going to Nan Qiao wasn’t that convenient, requiring hours of flying.

Originally, Qin Si had already booked a ticket back to Ancheng.

He had been busy before, working tirelessly with exams and everything, and he had finished everything early.

He had booked the ticket back to Ancheng, seemingly not wanting to delay a second longer.

He said briefly, “Go bring that idiot back.”

Nan Qiao wasn’t a good place, especially for Lu Nian.

Did that Zhao guy consider what might happen if he took her there after all these years?

Among the accomplices of the Nan Qiao kidnapping case, some had already been released from prison.

It seemed wherever she went, she would stir up some trouble.

He remembered the year of ninth grade, when he had almost secretly escorted her for a month.

The moment he saw the robber holding a knife to her, his feelings at that moment…

11 o’clock at night.

Zero Degree Hotel’s entrance.

Lu Nian wore a hat and a mask, carrying a small backpack, sneaking out of the hotel.

“That’s the village over there, don’t even bother wearing a skirt,” Zhao Yayuan said. “Remember to buy a good pair of walking shoes, short sleeves and long pants are enough. Otherwise, if you can’t walk later, you’ll have to ask me to carry you.”

Lu Nian replied, “…Even if I can’t walk, I won’t let you carry me.”

After deleting their previous chat history, Lu Nian had prepared according to his instructions.

Her small suitcase was left in the hotel in Fenghe, and she only carried a small backpack with some necessary toiletries.

With a high ponytail, a baseball cap, a short-sleeved T-shirt, high-waisted jeans, and boots, she originally had a slender waist, but now it looked even more delicate.

Her legs were long and straight, her face was originally a standard innocent and pure face, but now it looked more serious.

The original delicate charm added a touch of boldness.

She waited anxiously, occasionally looking down at her phone, and finally saw Zhao Yayuan come out.

Zhao Yayuan glanced at her a few more times.

“Is this okay?” Lu Nian asked, “Do I need to change anything else?”

“There’s nothing else to change.” He smiled slightly, “You look great.”

Their flight was in the early morning.

“I’ve called a car,” he didn’t waste words, “Let’s go.”

The two headed straight to the airport, boarded smoothly, and the plane was scheduled to arrive in Nanbin at six the next morning.

“There’s no plane or high-speed rail there.” Zhao Yayuan said, “I’ve called someone I know who can take us to Nan Qiao, but there are no cars inside Nan Qiao Town. We’ll have to walk from there.”

Lu Nian nodded.

“You should get some rest.” Zhao Yayuan said, “You might not be able to hold up tomorrow.”

Lu Nian did feel a bit tired.

After being highly stressed, she was now relaxed, and her eyelids were fighting.

She asked a flight attendant for a blanket and fell asleep directly.

The girl’s body leaned against the window, sleeping quietly, her long eyelashes, pink and soft cheeks, exuding a sense of innocence.

…

The next day, after rushing all the way, they finally arrived in Nan Qiao.

Zhao Yayuan was right; it was indeed a simple little town.

Looking around along the way, Lu Nian felt a strange sense of familiarity, especially when she saw the towering mountains in the distance, hidden in the clouds and mist.

Zhao Yayuan paid attention to her expression all the way.

Casually introducing, he said, “That’s a school, but there are hardly any people left inside.”

“And the breakfast buns sold in that shop aren’t tasty at all.”

Stopping, Zhao Yayuan said, “Let’s have lunch at my grandma’s place.”

“Okay,” Lu Nian replied.

Before they came, Zhao Yayuan had already said that he would only be responsible for bringing Lu Nian here.

As for everything else, she could discover it on her own.

If Lu Nian didn’t want to delve deeper, she could just treat this as an ordinary trip.

Qiu Lan was a very kind old lady, with more than half of her hair white.

She wore a light-colored local cotton jacket, had a kind face, and was very easy to get along with.

“This is Nian Nian,” Zhao Yayuan said.

Lu Nian stood at the door, feeling a bit shy and hesitant to go in.

“Xiao Ya brought a girl home.” Qiu Lan was very happy, coming up to hold Lu Nian’s hand.

Her palm was warm and gentle, making people feel very relieved.

Zhao Yayuan had always been a rebellious character since he was a child.

Let alone girls, he didn’t have many friends who played well.

Lu Nian smiled and pursed her lips, “Grandma, hello.”

Qiu Lan led them inside, “Xiao Qiu isn’t here, he went out early this morning.”

“That elementary school we saw earlier,” Zhao Yayuan shrugged, he told Lu Nian, “He’s probably there. When he’s free, he often goes there because they lack teachers, and he volunteers to help for free.”

Lu Nian nodded.

Qiu Lan asked Zhao Yayuan to pour tea for Lu Nian, then pulled her to sit on a bamboo chair. “That’s my grandson, Qiu Li, about your age.”

Lu Nian nodded; he should be Zhao Yayuan’s childhood friend.

Zhao Yayuan had mentioned many times that he had a childhood playmate.

“I find you very familiar-looking.” Qiu Lan smiled warmly, holding Lu Nian’s hand, “How old are you this year? Where are you from?”

Lu Nian answered one by one.

Suddenly, a dog barked outside the courtyard.

Zhao Yayuan said, “He should be back.”

For some reason, Lu Nian’s heart suddenly beat faster.

It was a strange feeling, not fear, nor any romantic fluttering, but a mysterious and inexplicable sensation.

The door opened.

In walked a teenager wearing a white shirt and black pants, with black hair and fair skin, clean and neat.

He looked into the room, and his gaze met Lu Nian’s.

It was a pair of warm and clear black eyes.

Zhao Yayuan put his hands behind his head and said nothing.

The room fell silent.

Qiu Lan realized something was wrong and called softly, “Xiao Qiu.”

“…Hello,” Lu Nian said awkwardly.

His eyebrows and eyes were gentle and soft, but in just that moment, his gaze towards her was extremely complicated.

Lu Nian could hardly say anything.

She recognized him; he was the young boy in the photo in Zhao Yayuan’s room.

Sitting opposite her, Qiu Li’s emotions had already returned to normal. “I’m Qiu Li.”

Lu Nian almost thought that what had just happened was her imagination.

Lunch was plentiful, with stir-fried bamboo shoots, dried mushrooms, carp, and mountain chickens.

Although there were many vegetarian dishes, the ingredients were fresh and delicious, and the taste was excellent.

“It’s all made by Xiao Qiu,” Qiu Lan said, “I don’t know if it suits the taste of you city kids.”

“It’s delicious,” Lu Nian said.

She wasn’t in good health and was often picky at home, so she rarely ate so much.

“You’re very skilled,” she smiled at Qiu Li, feeling a bit embarrassed, “I’m this old, and I still can’t cook a single dish.”

Mainly because she didn’t have much opportunity to try, and she was clumsy.

Lu Nian clearly liked the plate of stir-fried bamboo shoots, but it was the furthest from her.

He silently smiled and changed to a clean pair of chopsticks, picking up some bamboo shoots for her.