Reborn in 2006, I met Mr. Zhou from the past.

Zhou Chenyu turned her head and noticed her subtle emotional fluctuations. She understood that she was worried about her, so she pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Everyone is born, grows old, gets sick, and dies. It's just that when you really get to that point, it's a little hard to accept."

"In our lives, we will all part ways with our relatives, loved ones, and friends; this is the norm."

Su Fengnan walked slowly with her head down, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhou Chenyu looked into the distance again: "Have you heard this saying?"

"What?" Su Fengnan asked softly.

"Living towards death." Zhou Chenyu smiled slightly.

Su Fengnan stopped again, looked at him, and was speechless for a moment, with indescribable emotions churning in her heart.

She simply smiled and said nothing more. When a person understands the relationship between life and death, their heart becomes open-minded, courageous, and positive. No matter what happens, they will not have wasted this journey of life.

She hadn't expected Zhou Chenyu to be so insightful. She was happy for him. The words she wanted to say to comfort him were abruptly cut short by his statement about facing death with a sense of purpose.

Composing herself, Su Fengnan began to examine the treasures in the stream. She saw small fish and shrimp, but could only look and watch as they scurried away. What she most wanted to find were small snails; if cooked properly, they were as delicious as crayfish.

After walking for a while, Su Fengnan saw many small snails at the stone-built river crossing.

"Wow! Brother Zhou, look! There are so many little snails here!" She excitedly squatted down and reached into the water to pick them up.

The water wasn't deep, but it was icy cold and a bit chilly.

"Hey, be careful not to get your clothes wet." Zhou Chenyu squatted down as well, looking at the snails in the river. "You like to eat these?"

"Hmm, have you eaten them?" Su Fengnan replied while piling up the snails she had picked up next to him.

"no."

Su Fengnan laughed: "Then you're in luck. We'll pick them up and I'll stir-fry them for you to try. They're delicious. This stuff is all protein and very nutritious."

Zhou Chenyu's face stiffened: "Is it really edible? Won't it be unclean?"

"Hey, if that's what you think, then you're out of luck." Su Fengnan said with a nonchalant expression, picking up the food on her own.

Having picked up everything within reach, she prepared to take off her shoes and wade into the water. Before Zhou Chenyu could stop her, she had already nimbly taken off her shoes and socks and stepped into the water.

Ah, kids who grow up in the countryside just don't care about details.

Su Fengnan tied her skirt in a knot at her knees and groped around in the water with both hands. Her small, white feet were touching the water, and Zhou Chenyu could hardly bear to look: "Come up quickly, the water is too cold, you'll catch a cold if you stay in there too long."

Su Fengnan looked up at him, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter: "Brother Zhou, do you have any plastic bags in your car? Or a large mineral water bottle? If so, could you get one for me?"

"Come on up! If you want to eat, I'll buy it for you when we get back to the city."

"Brother Zhou, come down too!" Su Fengnan smiled, her eyes crinkling.

She knew she looked terrible right now, but she didn't care. She wanted to live her life freely and unrestrainedly like this.

Seeing that she was quite quick, having already collected a small pile of items in the water, Zhou Chenyu hesitated for a moment before finally taking off his shoes and socks and getting into the water.

He was a pampered young master, always well-protected since childhood. He had never had this kind of experience before. It was too difficult for him. But because it was the young girl's request, he decided to give it a try.

Before long, the two of them had collected quite a bit, enough to make two large bowls of stir-fry. Zhou Chenyu didn't want her to stay in the water for too long, so he pulled Su Fengnan towards the shore.

Unexpectedly, Su Fengnan lost her balance, slipped, and twisted her ankle.

"Ah—" She grabbed Zhou Chenyu's arm. Luckily, Zhou Chenyu had a steady footing and caught her, preventing her from falling into the water.

"Are you alright?" Zhou Chenyu asked anxiously.

Su Fengnan moved her foot and looked down at it: "It seems to hurt a little, but it's not serious. Let's go upstairs first."

Zhou Chenyu helped her sit down on a rock by the river and examined her foot. Only then did he notice that she had cut her foot and it was bleeding.

"You're bleeding." Zhou Chenyu looked up at her, his eyes filled with heartache and guilt. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If I hadn't pulled you, you wouldn't have gotten cut."

Su Fengnan didn't feel much pain yet, and said with a smile, "It's okay, it's okay, I'll just put some medicine on it when I get back."

She looked around and saw some dried mugwort leaves not far away, so she said, "Brother Zhou, could you pick some of those dried leaves over there for me?"

"What's the use of that leaf?" Zhou Chenyu asked.

"Those are mugwort leaves; they have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Hurry up and get me some."

Zhou Chenyu quickly retrieved the mugwort leaves. Su Fengnan put them directly into her mouth, chewed them, applied the juice to the wound, and then put on her socks and shoes.

She got up and tried to walk a few steps, but it still hurt a little.

"I'll help you to the car first, then I'll come back and load these snails," Zhou Chenyu said.

Su Fengnan glanced at the pile of spoils on the ground and could only nod in agreement: "Alright."

Actually, Zhou Chenyu didn't know that Su Fengnan had been collecting some water from the river and putting them into her spatial storage. She planned to make them at home once they returned to Zijiang. But of course, she couldn't reveal this secret.

Zhou Chenyu quickly put on her shoes and helped Su Fengnan walk towards the car. She walked very slowly with a limp. After walking a short distance, Zhou Chenyu couldn't bear to watch anymore and felt extremely sorry for her. So she said in a consultative tone, "Do you want me to carry you there? That way it will be faster and you'll suffer less."

Su Fengnan glanced at the distance to the parking lot; at her current speed, it would probably take her several more minutes to walk there.

Just as she was hesitating, Zhou Chenyu spoke up again: "Don't be stubborn, come on, I'll carry you."

After saying that, he had already half-squatted down in front of Su Fengnan.

Looking at the broad, sturdy back in front of her, Su Fengnan hesitated for a few seconds before finally climbing onto it. She didn't want to waste time, nor did she want to disappoint Zhou Chenyu's kindness.

On the way back to the city, Zhou Chenyu seemed to be in a particularly good mood. He didn't know why, but being with Su Fengnan always made him feel especially relaxed, a feeling he had had since they met.

Today was especially special. He had never experienced things like catching fish and shrimp in the river or picking snails, things that were usually only for children, but after doing them, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

Seeing that he was in a good mood, Su Fengnan realized that picking up the snails hadn't been a waste.

The atmosphere in the carriage was warm and relaxed. Su Fengnan turned her head slightly and said in a light and expectant tone, "By the way, Brother Zhou, after we get back, the snails need to be soaked in clean water overnight. I'll make them when we get back to Zijiang tomorrow. If you're not busy then, come to my house and have a taste."

Zhou Chenyu gripped the steering wheel, his eyes catching the little girl's smiling face, and he couldn't hide the joy in his eyes. He nodded slightly: "Okay. Are you going back tomorrow?"

"Okay." Su Fengnan nodded gently, then said considerately, "I want to look at houses tomorrow morning, and rent one as soon as I find a suitable one. If you're busy, don't worry about me, we can take the bus back."

Zhou Chenyu frowned slightly, still thinking about how to arrange things, when the sound of her phone broke the silence in the car.

He answered the phone, and Zhao Chuan's anxious voice came through the receiver. As the call continued, Zhou Chenyu's previously relaxed brows instantly tightened, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.

He hung up the phone and threw it back onto his seat. Although he was furious inside, he tried his best to hold back in front of Su Fengnan. He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Sit tight."

As soon as he finished speaking, he slammed on the gas pedal and the car shot forward.

"ah--"

Caught off guard, Su Fengnan was startled by the sudden acceleration and lurched forward. She cried out in surprise, her right hand instinctively gripping the roof railing tightly.