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

Seeing his brother's concerned expression, a fleeting hint of melancholy flashed in Zhang Wenhao's eyes. He had once harbored a slight affection for Su Fengnan, but when he met her, she was already with someone else, so he wisely gave up the idea. Now that his brother was asking around, he figured it wouldn't yield any good results either.

"I don't know her very well." Zhang Wenhao pulled himself out of his thoughts and slowly began to speak. "I met her when I was saving Xinrui, and I've only met her twice since then. She and Xinrui have become good friends." He paused, then added, "She now runs a dessert shop, and she's quite skilled; her pastries are delicious."

He didn't mention a word about the first time he met Su Fengnan. There was no need to reveal those secret thoughts and feelings that belonged only to him to his brother.

After summarizing it in a few simple sentences, he stopped there.

"That's all?" Sun Zile stared at him with disbelief.

"Hmm," Zhang Wenhao met his gaze and asked in return, "Otherwise what? What else do you want to know?"

"Hey, you young master, can you really decide your own marriage?" Zhang Wenhao's tone shifted, becoming more serious. He stared at Sun Zile, giving him a meaningful reminder, "Su Fengnan is still young. Don't cause her any trouble. Take my advice, and get rid of those inappropriate thoughts as soon as possible."

These words were subtle yet pointed, carrying a hidden meaning. Zhang Wenhao knew perfectly well that Zhou Chenyu was not someone to be trifled with. He just didn't know how much of this warning Sun Zile would take to heart.

Faced with his friend's warning, Sun Zile merely glanced at him indifferently, let out a cold snort, and nonchalantly uttered four words: "I know what I'm doing."

Actually, it was only after Sun Zile met Su Fengnan during his trip to Zhucheng that he developed some different feelings for her. Ultimately, he simply wanted to learn more about his savior. But when he suddenly realized he seemed to have missed the best opportunity to get to know her, a wave of regret washed over him, turning into a lingering sense of resentment.

As for the future... he felt that Su Fengnan was still young, and the future was long. The world is unpredictable, so who could say for sure?

With the Hope Primary School matter finally settled, Sun Zile stayed in Zhucheng for a few days before setting off back to Hangzhou. He had to go back to deal with some troublesome people and matters, after which he would have time to stay in Zhucheng for a while. Even though he still felt somewhat unwilling, he could only comfort himself—there would be plenty of time in the future.

No sooner had Sun Zile left than Zhou Chenyu's "Moon View Bookstore" officially opened. For the signboard, he specially commissioned a renowned calligrapher to personally inscribe the words, which were then meticulously crafted and carved onto a wooden plaque by a master craftsman. The simple yet elegant plaque, hanging above the doorway, instantly imbued the entire shop with a refined and scholarly atmosphere, perfectly complementing the neighboring dessert shop and becoming a unique scene on the street corner.

On opening day, Su Fengnan took a day off to help out. She not only helped manage the store, but also generously offered a joint promotion on pastries and drinks from her own dessert shop to support the bookstore's promotion.

Looking at the busy young girl, Zhou Chenyu felt a sense of warmth and thanked her gently, "Nan'er, thank you for your hard work today."

"Oh, I should be thanking you." Su Fengnan smiled, her eyes crinkling. "You can come and rest anytime you're tired from working at the shop. This is your territory too, so don't be shy with me."

Looking at her bright smile, Zhou Chenyu's eyes softened with indulgent tenderness. Su Fengnan laughed heartlessly and replied, "Okay."

Before we knew it, it was already December, and the weather was getting colder and colder. Although it hadn't snowed yet, the rain was incessant, and the air was damp and chilly, seeping straight into our bones.

Su Fengnan has been staying at school and attending classes as usual, and the dessert shop business has been temporarily put on hold. Right now, she's sitting at her desk, sending her third novel manuscript, which she's been polishing for a long time, to her editor. This time, she's again chosen the historical romance genre, tentatively titled "The Three Daughters of the Duke's Mansion." After all, historical romance has been a popular genre for decades, with a stable audience. She doesn't want to take too much risk, aiming only for a steady and solid approach, hoping to write a work that is no less successful than her previous works.

Not long after the manuscript was sent, the Penguin account kept buzzing with messages. Su Fengnan opened the chat box, and Editor Song's message appeared before her eyes: "Xinyuan, the beginning of your novel 'The Three Daughters of the Duke's Mansion' is so captivating! Especially the subtle power struggles between the legitimate and illegitimate heiresses, and the setting of the real and fake heiresses is even more delicate than in your previous book. Hurry up and finish the outline while the iron is hot, and let's aim for it to be available by the end of the year!"

Hearing the editor's affirmative tone, Su Fengnan's tense shoulders finally relaxed, and a light smile appeared on her lips as she replied, "Don't worry, I've sorted out the core plot. I'll send you the detailed outline in the next few days."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Zhou Chenyu was expected to spend far more time in Zhucheng than in Zijiang. The reason was simple: someone had suddenly appeared by his side, claiming to need his help.

Pan Wanxi had been staying in Zhucheng for over half a month under the pretext of sketching. However, in these past ten days, she had only seen Zhou Chenyu a handful of times; most of the time, it was Assistant Zhao who dealt with her.

These past two days, she has finally run out of patience and is now acting cute and charming in her hotel suite.

"Assistant Zhao, I need to see Young Master Zhou. Tell me where he is, and I'll go find him myself." Pan Wanxi's tone was still as sweet and gentle as ever, but her slightly upturned eyes and the depths of her gaze were full of hidden calculation.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Pan, Mr. Zhou's schedule is very full lately, and he really can't spare the time... If you have any needs in your daily life, just let me know and I'll take care of them." Assistant Zhao politely declined.

"He's too busy to see me, but has he been eating and resting properly? No, I have to see him, otherwise I won't feel at ease..." Pan Wanxi's eyes reddened slightly as she pulled back the gauze on the easel, revealing several oil paintings in front of Assistant Zhao. "Assistant Zhao, look, these are all paintings I did these past few days. I'd like to ask Young Master Zhou for some pointers. I'm planning to hold a small art exhibition next year. I really have something important to discuss with him, I'm not just being unreasonable."

Her voice was extremely soft, and her posture was impeccable. Assistant Zhao watched her flawless performance, sighed inwardly, and could only take out his phone to call Zhou Chenyu for instructions.

After the call connected, Zhou Chenyu's indifferent voice came through the receiver: "What is it?"

Assistant Zhao immediately gave a concise report of the situation at the hotel. After a brief silence, Zhou Chenyu's tone revealed a hint of nonchalant coldness: "Ignore her excuses. Tell her I don't have time to look at graffiti by irrelevant people. If she's really bored, let her go back to Kyoto as soon as possible."