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

Seeing her eyes slightly redden as she struggled to hold back her tears, Zhou Chenyu felt a pang of reluctance. He reached out and took her hand, gently instructing her, "Grandma doesn't know yet. I told her I was going to the mountains to gather herbs and would be staying for a while. When you go to see Grandma later, please don't give yourself away."

"Ah..." Su Fengnan suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with astonishment, "Brother Zhou, you..."

"I've been to the mountains before and stayed for a week, and this time will be the same," Zhou Chenyu explained gently, trying to mask the heaviness of parting with a light tone. "Grandma is old, she'll just think I'm looking for some folk remedy again, she won't suspect anything."

"Alright then." Su Fengnan had no choice but to nod in agreement.

Looking at the man in front of her, she felt a mix of emotions.

Did Brother Zhou fabricate this white lie to prevent the old man's condition from worsening if he knew the truth? And it couldn't be a simple work issue; there must be something else he doesn't want the old man to know. Sigh, never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore. The more I know, the more confused I become, only adding to my worries.

During the meal, the two talked and cleared things up. Zhou Chenyu felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders and relaxed completely. However, Su Fengnan felt as if her stomach was stuffed with wet cotton, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Every bite of food tasted like cardboard.

In fact, Su Fengnan disliked parting, especially in close relationships.

Fortunately, this separation only lasted a week, which was still within an acceptable range. If it had been a long separation, she thought they probably wouldn't have ended up together.

Back in Zijiang, she stayed home, immersing herself in her personal space, wanting only to be alone. However, she also prepared some things for Zhou Chenyu to take with him on this trip.

I don't know how long I stayed in that space, but when I came out, the night was already deep. My phone screen showed three missed calls, all from Zhou Chenyu.

There is another one, Ning Xiaojun.

Su Fengnan glanced at the time and her heart sank—oh no, she'd miss evening self-study.

She first called her homeroom teacher to ask for leave, and then sent a text message to Ning Xiaojun explaining the situation.

Finally, he dialed Zhou Chenyu's number.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Hey, Nan'er, are you home?" His voice carried a hint of tension that was barely perceptible.

"Yes, Brother Zhou. I just fell asleep and my phone was on silent, sorry."

"So you skipped evening self-study?"

"Yes, I've taken the day off."

"I'll wait for you downstairs and take you out to eat."

Su Fengnan subconsciously shook her head, even though he couldn't see her: "No need, Brother Zhou, I can just make something to eat at home. Or... could you come up here? I have something for you."

In fact, Zhou Chenyu had already left home and headed towards Su Fengnan's house when she received the call, and she was already at Su Fengnan's doorstep in the meantime.

As soon as she finished speaking, he chuckled softly, "Then open the door."

I heard his indulgent chuckle on the phone.

Su Fengnan was taken aback, turned to look at the door, and then jogged over.

As soon as the door opened, Zhou Chenyu hung up the phone with a smile, stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and pulled her into his arms.

"Do you know how worried I was when you didn't answer the phone..." His voice was low and husky, and his warm breath brushed against her ear, causing a slight shiver to run through her.

Before he could finish speaking, he lowered his head, his nose gently brushing against her cheek, finally finding her lips and covering them with his. At first, it was a gentle peck, as if to soothe her, or as if to confirm her presence, but soon, that tenderness transformed into a surging possessiveness.

His tongue pried open her teeth, plunging deep into her mouth to savor its sweetness, with an undeniable domineering force that stole her breath away.

This kiss, carrying his longing, his worries, his domineering nature, and his undisguised, intense love, completely overwhelmed her.

The next morning, Zhou Chenyu dropped Su Fengnan off at the school gate. As she was getting out of the car, Su Fengnan handed him a file folder: "Brother Zhou, this is the project plan I wrote. Could you take a look at it? I'll be waiting for your good news."

Before Zhou Chenyu could even speak, Su Fengnan got out of the car and hurried towards the school gate. Zhou Chenyu shook his head helplessly, put away his file bag, and drove away from Zijiang. Although his flight didn't take off until the evening, he still had several tasks to handle in Zhucheng during the day.

Until he boarded the plane, Zhou Chenyu's thoughts were still on the daily necessities that the little girl had specially prepared for him.

Toothpaste, toothbrush, towel, a few ounces of fresh tea, and a small bottle of clear spring water.

"Brother Zhou, these are specially prepared for you. You must use them. Don't leave them aside. I'll be checking them when we get back." The little girl's earnest words of advice are still vivid in my mind.

"Okay, I'll definitely use it," he replied with a smile.

Looking back now, Zhou Chenyu couldn't help but chuckle. His little girl was such a meticulous person, worrying about everything for him. Actually, he didn't need to go to such lengths to prepare these things.

However, the thought that she had prepared it for him personally filled him with warmth.

However, Zhou Chenyu was unaware that Su Fengnan had soaked the toothbrush and towel in spiritual spring water; even the toothpaste and tea were secretly mixed with a little spiritual spring water.

Su Fengnan couldn't predict what unforeseen twists and turns Zhou Chenyu might encounter on this trip. She only hoped that these objects, imbued with her feelings, could quietly protect him at crucial moments.

After Zhou Chenyu left, Su Fengnan's life returned to normal. She routinely went between school and home, immersing herself in writing in her spare time, and occasionally inquiring about the trivial matters of preparing for the dessert shop.

This week, she visited Zhou Chenyu's maternal grandmother twice. Each time, she specially prepared delicious dishes that the elderly woman liked and brought them over. At the dinner table, looking at the table full of food, the grandmother couldn't help but talk about her grandson's recent situation.

Su Fengnan's heart tightened, but she smiled gently and naturally. She served her grandmother a bowl of soup and coaxed her softly, "Grandma, don't worry, he has secured a big project this time. He said he will come back and have a good meal with you after he finishes this busy period."

Upon hearing this, Grandma's wrinkles instantly smoothed out, and she smiled like a flower: "Good, good, being busy is the way to succeed. Don't overwork yourself, eat more."

Seeing the old man's unguarded smile, Su Fengnan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and hid her worries deep in her heart.

However, a week had passed as planned, and Zhou Chenyu was supposed to return. Su Fengnan kept an eye on her phone, but she never received any news of his return.

……

No sooner had Hai Ge completed all the formalities than Su Fengnan finalized the trial operation discount plan. In order to be able to personally oversee the opening day, she specifically chose a weekend.

Standing at the entrance of the store, Su Fengnan looked up at the words "Su Yue Shi Guang Dessert & Baking". Seeing that all her hard work over the past few days had finally come to fruition, she breathed a long sigh of relief, her heart filled with the satisfaction of a settled life.