Douluo Continent: Thunder Roar

Jiang Nannan remained standing there, her head bowed low, without uttering a word.

Sunlight filtered through the bamboo leaves, falling on her but not reaching her downcast eyes; no one saw the bitterness welling up in her eyes.

Hmph, I'll bring Mom over tomorrow.

Ask her to keep an eye on my little brother, Xiaoyu.

Mom is such a good soup maker, little brother Xiaoyu will definitely love her.

This is what you call the mother-in-law's offensive. Mom will definitely become the best mother-in-law, and then little Yu will know how good I am as Mom's daughter.

Zhang Lexuan stood to the side, holding the cup of tea that had long since gone cold, a faint smile still playing on her lips.

Her gaze swept across Ma Xiaotao's face, then fell on Wang Dong'er, and finally lingered for a moment on Jiang Nannan's lowered eyelashes, a barely perceptible hint of speechlessness flashing in her eyes.

How could I be so blatantly ignored?

But this emotion vanished in an instant, as quickly as a gust of wind sweeping through a bamboo forest, and his face remained calm and composed, without revealing anything.

I will not lose.

She muttered something to herself, not knowing who she was arguing with.

The atmosphere in the bamboo forest was as subtle as a taut string.

Wang Dong'er glared at Ma Xiaotao, who leaned triumphantly against Ling Yu. Jiang Nannan kept her head down and remained silent, while Zhang Lexuan's eyes held a hint of amusement as she watched the show unfold.

Just then, Jiang Nannan suddenly raised her head.

Her eyes were still a little red, but her face had regained its gentle smile, as if nothing had happened.

"Dr. Xiaoyu," she said softly, her voice gentle and without any hint of unease, "are we going to the clinic today? I have the key."

As she spoke, she took out the brass key from her sleeve and gently twirled it between her fingers. "I got it the day we signed the contract, and I've been thinking about when to take you to see it. Since everyone's here today, how about... we go together?"

Ma Xiaotao raised an eyebrow and looked at Ling Yu: "The clinic? The one Nannan took you to sign the contract with last time?"

Ling Yu nodded: "Mm."

Ma Xiaotao's eyes lit up, and her tone carried a hint of smugness: "I've heard about it for a long time, and I originally wanted to go with her last time." As she spoke, her gaze swept across Jiang Nannan's face, and a hint of "Don't even think about getting rid of me this time" flashed quickly in her eyes.

Wang Dong'er snorted from the side, her tone tinged with resentment: "You seem to know quite a lot."

Ma Xiaotao replied confidently, "Of course, I remember everything about Xiaoyu."

Wang Dong'er was speechless, and could only glare at her fiercely.

Ma Xiaotao tightened her grip on Ling Yu's arm, a bright smile on her face: "Let's go, let's go see what Xiao Yu's clinic looks like."

As she spoke, she lifted her foot and walked out, pulling Ling Yu along with her.

Ling Yu glanced down at the arm that was being held, remained silent for two seconds, and finally followed after her.

Jiang Nannan led the way, the key in her hand gleaming faintly in the sunset; Wang Dong'er followed on Ling Yu's other side, occasionally glaring at Ma Xiaotao; Ma Xiaotao, on the other hand, proudly linked arms with Ling Yu, completely ignoring Wang Dong'er's gaze; Zhang Lexuan brought up the rear, watching the boisterous backs of the young people ahead, she chuckled softly, her laughter as light as the wind in the bamboo forest, and then followed them.

Shrek City East Gate.

A few people stood in front of the mottled wooden door. The setting sun had already fallen behind the eaves, and only the last trace of orange-red light remained on the horizon, dyeing the entire alleyway a warm color.

The door was still the same old door, with most of the vermilion paint peeling off to reveal the grayish-white wood grain underneath. The signboard on the door had long been removed, leaving only a few rusty iron nails embedded in the door frame, showing the marks of time.

Jiang Nannan stepped forward, inserted the brass key into the lock, and with a gentle turn, the door opened with a "click".

She pushed open the door, stepped aside, and said softly, "Come in."

Ling Yu was the first to step inside. The shop was even emptier than the last time he came—the landlord had cleared away the last bit of clutter, leaving only the row of old wooden cabinets against the wall.

The setting sun streamed in through the two large windows facing the street, bathing the entire shop in a warm, orange sea of ​​light. Countless tiny dust particles floated slowly in the beams of light, like luminous plankton in the deep sea, adding a touch of delicate vitality.

Ma Xiaotao followed Ling Yu in, looked around, nodded, and said, "It's quite big, brighter than I imagined."

She released her grip on Ling Yu's hand, walked to the window and looked outside. Then she turned back, her gaze falling on Jiang Nannan, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

This place was found for Ling Yu by Jiang Nannan. She spent so many days looking at so many places before finally choosing this one.

Turning her gaze away, Ma Xiaotao strolled around the shop, then pushed open the small door at the back. Inside was a small courtyard with a well in the corner. Half of the wall was covered with lush green ivy, and a sage tree that hadn't yet blossomed grew in the corner, exuding a touch of elegance.

She glanced at it twice, then turned and went back into the shop, walking up to Ling Yu and asking, "Will you be living here from now on?"

"Mm." Ling Yu nodded.

"Since everyone's here, let's get this place ready today. We'll buy furniture tomorrow and move in the day after," Jiang Nannan immediately chimed in, her tone brimming with excitement. "I'll clean the wooden cabinets. The wood isn't damaged; once they're cleaned, we can use them temporarily."

As she spoke, she walked to the wooden cabinet in the corner, squatted down, opened the drawer, and gently and carefully brushed the dust off the cabinet wall with her fingertips.

Seeing this, Wang Dong'er immediately came over, raised her chin, and said confidently, "I'll help too, I'll sweep the dust off the floor."

As she spoke, she looked around, trying to find cleaning tools, but found the shop empty, and couldn't help but frown.

Zhang Lexuan spoke up at the opportune moment: "I'm going to the general store at the alley entrance to buy a broom, rags, and a bucket; it's on my way."

Ma Xiaotao paused for a moment, then, seeing everyone else getting to work, she didn't want to fall behind. She scratched her head and said, "Then I'll help too. I'm strong, I'll help you move the wooden cabinet to a suitable position."

As she spoke, she walked to a wooden cabinet, reached out to move it, and her movements carried a hint of defiance.

"Be careful, the cabinet is heavy." Ling Yu reminded her, stepped forward, and together they supported the cabinet, gently moving it towards the wall to avoid the spot where the beam of light shone.

With the combined efforts of several people, the entire shop was quickly cleaned up.

Ling Yu nodded, his gaze sweeping over the cleaned-up shop before turning to the people in front of him. A barely perceptible warmth flickered in his eyes as he softly said, "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard work!" Wang Dong'er immediately said, her tone tinged with pride. "Anyway, I have nothing else to do."

Ma Xiaotao waved her hand and said matter-of-factly, "Why are you being so polite with me? I'll be coming here often in the future, so it's only right that I help you clean up."

Zhang Lexuan smiled and said softly, "We're all friends, it's only right to help each other. I'll go with you tomorrow to buy furniture; more people means more help."

Jiang Nannan nodded: "I'll go too. I know a furniture store nearby that's very cost-effective and the items are sturdy."

Seeing their serious expressions, Ling Yu paused for two seconds before saying again, "Thank you."

At this moment, the last rays of sunset disappeared, dusk completely fell, and the streetlights lit up one by one. The warm yellow light shone through the bright windows, falling on the clean shop and on the people inside, making it feel especially warm.

"We're almost done packing," Zhang Lexuan said, glancing at the sky. "Let's head back first and meet up again tomorrow morning to go buy furniture together."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Ling Yu took one last look at the cleaned-up shop, a hint of expectation in his eyes, then turned and walked out of the clinic with everyone. Jiang Nannan closed the door behind her and locked it. The figures of the group gradually disappeared into the warm light of Wutong Alley.