Early the next morning, Lu Nian woke up surprisingly early.

Nan Qiao liked it when it was foggy, especially in the early morning.

Groggily, she rubbed her eyes and sat up in bed, only to find that the sheets and blankets had been changed.

Fragmented memories from last night rushed into her mind.

She remembered herself crying and making a scene, forcing him to confess, and then…

“…” Lu Nian murmured.

She looked around the room, noticing that the bed next to hers was empty, devoid of warmth.

It seemed like it had been empty for a while.

Where did he go?

As Lu Nian sat up in bed, the door opened, letting in the morning sunlight.

The man stood there, tall and slender, already dressed and groomed, presumably having taken a shower.

With clean black hair and flawless skin, he looked even more upright and elegant.

Lu Nian, still sitting on the bed with her black hair cascading over her snowy shoulders, stared at him blankly.

Wasn’t last night a dream? After confessing, everything was a blur…

Remembering those hazy moments, she couldn’t help but blush.

Even last night in bed, he had been reserved and restrained, but really… very sensitive.

Seeing her sitting there, seemingly lost in thought with her big, dark eyes, he pursed his lips and stood still.

After that happened…

He had thought a lot.

Now, he was afraid that the first thing she would say to him would be to regret it, to take back what she said yesterday, telling him not to take it seriously.

But she didn’t.

Lu Nian snapped out of her reverie and jumped out of bed, her voice cheerful, “Why are you up so early? Have you had breakfast?”

He looked down, “No.”

“Do you want to go out for breakfast?” he finally asked, “Or should I bring something back?”

He had just looked around outside and roughly understood the surroundings.

Over the years, Nanqiao had changed somewhat.

Lu Nian thought for a moment, “Let’s go out.”

As she got up, she suddenly remembered that she hadn’t brought anything with her.

Everything seemed to be left at Qiao Li’s house.

She felt a bit embarrassed.

The man silently placed a shopping bag next to her on the table.

It contained the toiletries she needed, all brand new.

Lu Nian muttered to herself.

Compared to Qin Si, her life skills were really close to zero.

Nanqiao was a small town, naturally lacking in fancy dining options.

However, they weren’t the kind of people who cared much about that.

Lu Nian had been a young miss for over ten years, accustomed to various carefully crafted dishes.

She actually liked this kind of rustic street food.

She always felt like he was watching her, but then again, it seemed like he wasn’t.

The soy milk in the cup was warm, just right.

He remembered she didn’t like green onions, so he had carefully removed them with his chopsticks.

Such meticulous service.

“You don’t have to be so careful,” Lu Nian said sincerely, “I wasn’t tired last night.”

His ears turned bright red.

He remained silent.

As if nothing had happened, Lu Nian knew he had become more thin-skinned.

Seeing him like this, she couldn’t help but itch to tease him, but considering they were in public and knowing his personality, she sighed and had to temporarily suppress that thought.

He stood up and handed her the vinegar bottle.

His black T-shirt collar slipped down a bit, and Lu Nian suddenly noticed something.

It was his collarbone, with the mark she had bitten into it.

Not very deep, but not shallow either, it was particularly noticeable on his fair, jade-like skin.

She knew that there were even more marks hidden beneath his clothes, in more private places.

She had always particularly liked that tiny, bright red beauty mark of his.

His collarbone was well-shaped and sensitive.

Lu Nian had been especially careful with it last night, and his reaction had pleased her even more.

She couldn’t help but ask, “Does it hurt?”

His fingers stiffened for a moment, seeming unsure of what she was asking.

“I bit you,” Lu Nian clarified.

Qin Si almost knocked over his soup bowl.

Lu Nian smiled, finally deciding not to tease him anymore.

Maybe there needed to be a gradual process of adaptation.

Anyway, there was still plenty of time ahead.

Outside, the mist swirled, shrouding everything in a hazy light, making Nan Qiao’s scenery truly unique.

After breakfast…

Although she really wanted to continue leisurely spending time here with him, there were still some things that needed to be dealt with.

Lu Nian hesitated for a long time before finally calling Qiao Li.

Zhao Yayuan and Qiao Li had arrived in Nanbin.

“How are things now?” she asked.

Qiao Li’s voice sounded much lighter now, “Still no results from the tests, but Yayuan’s spirits have improved a lot. The doctor said she needs to rest more, go outside and breathe fresh air, and maintain a good mood.”

But if Zhao Tingyuan and Su Qingyou weren’t dealt with, it would continue to be a threat.

After hanging up the phone, Qiao Li said, “Nian Nian called.”

Zhao Yayuan had been very depressed lately.

He said, “Hmm.”

“Is she with that person?”

Qiao Li could only nod.

He sighed, a hint of self-deprecation in his tone, “Am I useless? I’ve let myself sink to this point, and I don’t even understand what’s going on. I need you guys to come and rescue me from home.”

Qiao Li saw it all.

Actually, back then, Zhao Yayuan was still immature, although his health was poor, he was still a carefree young master.

His engagement with Lu Nian had been opposed by his entire family, and then Qin Si had intervened halfway, becoming a competitor he had never taken seriously before.

After that, he hadn’t said anything, but forced himself to grow up quickly.

Originally, his health was weak, and he was overworked.

Ambushed by Zhao Tingyuan and Su Qingyou on the way, he sank into despair, even too lazy to save himself.

That incident had a big impact on him.

It wasn’t just because of Lu Nian, but more because that incident had exposed him naked, revealing that he wasn’t as free as he had thought, but merely a puppet controlled by his family.

Just like what that man surnamed Qin had said.

Qiao Li advised, “It’s not that serious.”

“Yayuan, you have to cheer up,” he sighed, “After this, there are still many things to solve.”

….

After hanging up the phone…

Lu Nian furrowed her brows, looking somewhat worried.

The matters concerning the Zhao family, if Su Qingyou and Zhao Tingyuan weren’t resolved, it would always be a time bomb for Zhao Yayuan, and running around outside wouldn’t solve anything.

She glanced at Qin Si.

She trusted him completely and was very willing to seek his help.

However, Zhao Yayuan had always had a resistance towards him, not willing to accept Qin Si’s help in the slightest.

Fang Deng had actually come to help her under the guise of her senior brother, but Lu Nian and Qiao Li had decided not to tell Zhao Yayuan about Fang Deng’s other identity.

Lu Nian also understood this.

After all, the embarrassing engagement between her and Zhao Yayuan was still a thorn that lay between them.

He put down his phone suddenly and said, “There’s trouble in the Zhao family. Zhao Quan got angry at home.”

Zhao Quan?

She suddenly remembered, it was certain that Zhao Quan had directly witnessed that incident that night.

The man’s voice was as cold and magnetic as ever, exceptionally pleasant to listen to. “Zhao Rulan and Jiang Wenyin are still in Southeast Asia negotiating business.

They plan to destroy the raw material factory they agreed upon. They’ve just received an investment from Lu Zhihong.”

He continued, “Yesterday, Lu Zhihong came to Nanqiao. We received the news from Zhao Da.”

Lu Nian felt a bit dizzy after connecting these three pieces of information.

Her eyes suddenly brightened. “Are they colluding? The matter with the Zhao family’s raw material factory is actually instigated by Zhao Tingyuan and them?”

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. “It must be.”

“In that case, we don’t need to intervene anymore. We just need to make the Zhao family notice it on their own, starting from getting Zhao Yayuan’s grandfather to investigate the suspicious raw material factory.”

After all, Zhao Quan hadn’t died yet, Zhao Tingyuan’s foundation was unstable, and there was still nearly two years before the original plot where Zhao Yayuan was imprisoned.

Su Qingyou’s family couldn’t provide her with much support, and Zhao Tingyuan’s capabilities were insufficient.

Now was the time when his foundation was unstable.

If they could provide strong and concrete evidence to let the Zhao family see the sinister intentions of those two, they could directly leverage it to nip the danger in the bud.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was okay.

“Am I very clever?” she asked Qin Si, feeling a bit smug.

Her eyes were shining brightly, giving her a particularly lively and playful appearance.

The faint curve of his lips rose slightly, but he said nothing.

“I’ll contact Yayuan and tell him about this idea.”

The faint smile on his face quickly disappeared as he stood up silently to pack his luggage.

Every time, whenever she took the initiative to contact Zhao Yayuan, he would be unhappy.

Even though they had shared an intimate night, and she had already confessed her feelings to him.

“Just friends,” she sighed. “I don’t have that kind of feeling for him.”

She murmured, “See, I won’t help you like that. Last night…”

She gestured, implying more than what was said.

His face turned red instantly, and he stumbled a bit.

Lu Nian wrapped her arms around him from behind, rubbing against his broad and straight back.

She breathed in his scent comfortably, feeling his back stiffen as if he was uncertain about her unabashed intimacy.

“Still shy,” Lu Nian teased with a smile in her voice.

They had already done such intimate things together, yet he was still shy.

After informing Zhao Yayuan on the phone, they spent some time touring around Nan Qiao.

They weren’t in a hurry to leave.

They had known each other for so many years and had lived together for so long.

It felt like they had never really started a formal relationship.

Lu Nian asked, “What about your company?”

“It’s all been handed over to Minghong and them,” he said.

He had already arranged everything in advance.

The next ten days were all holidays, so he could stay and accompany her.

An assistant called to inform him that Lu Zhihong had accepted all conditions and voluntarily agreed to be supervised, ensuring that he would never appear in front of Lu Nian again.

After resolving this matter, he remembered her tearful appearance that night and decided not to tell her about it for the time being.

Because of his experiences in his youth, Qin Si was meticulous in his work and had a strong ability to handle life matters.

He didn’t like having people around him, so this trip was just the two of them, and he took care of everything for her.

Since their teenage years, Lu Nian had always felt that there was nothing he couldn’t do, no matter how difficult the task.

Although he spoke fewer words, he could be considered a very responsible boyfriend.

Over these past few days, she had been pampered like a big baby and didn’t need to worry about anything.

Although she felt like she had been a bit of a big baby when she was a young lady.

Lu Nian felt a bit embarrassed and offered to help with some things.

He lowered his eyes. “Don’t want to?”

Being able to take care of her like this, do these things for her, and see her rely on him, although he felt ashamed to admit it, it gave him a great sense of satisfaction.

Lu Nian, “…”

Actually, she was quite willing, but she felt it might be a bit too troublesome for him.

But then she thought, Qin Si was her boyfriend, her man.

It was normal to rely on him a little, so she suddenly felt at ease.

After being here for so long, it was actually the first time that she could let go of her reservations and fully trust and rely on someone.

It felt really good.

When they returned to Ancheng and just settled in, Qin Si received a call from Ming Ge.

“Huang Mao’s wife has given birth, a chubby little boy. Where have you been for the past few days? Couldn’t even get through on the phone.” Ming Ge sounded excited. “Hurry over to take a look, remember to bring a big red envelope.”

Qin Si’s vacation hadn’t ended yet, and Lu Nian had nothing to do for the time being.

“She’s given birth? Is it a girl or a boy?” Lu Nian was excited, climbed up onto the sofa barefoot, and leaned over his shoulder to listen.