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

"Su Su, you said you got to know Zhang Xinrui and her brother because you saved them?" Ning Xiaojun lowered her voice, her tone full of disbelief. "You were so brave in that situation! But... you saved his sister, didn't Zhang Wenhao and the others properly thank you afterwards?"

Su Fengnan stared at the ceiling and casually replied, "Um...yes, he treated me to dinner."

"That's it?" Ning Xiaojun's eyes widened, clearly surprised by the answer.

Su Fengnan turned her head and looked at her in the dim light, her expression calm: "Otherwise what? Anyone would lend a hand in that situation."

Seeing her friend's nonchalant expression, Ning Xiaojun sighed softly and murmured thoughtfully, "That's true... But that Zhang Wenhao, he really is amazing to his sister, always ready to help her. He really seems like a reliable older brother."

"Hmm... Go to sleep."

Su Fengnan responded softly, then reached out and turned off the bedside lamp. The room instantly fell into darkness. She closed her eyes, but the expression on Ning Xiaojun's face when she inquired about Zhang Wenhao earlier kept flashing through her mind.

The night was deep, and Su Fengnan lay in the darkness, her thoughts a tangled mess. She wondered to herself: Could Junjun have developed feelings for Zhang Wenhao? Please, no! Putting everything else aside, Zhang Wenhao's attitude towards relationships was truly unfathomable. Besides, judging from his composed demeanor, he clearly wasn't someone with naive romantic experience. What if Junjun unwittingly plunged in and suffered heartbreak later…?

With this worry in mind, Su Fengnan's consciousness gradually faded, and she finally fell into a deep sleep.

In the depths of winter, the days are short and the nights are long, and the next morning was still dark. Su Fengnan and Yanzi got up early and went to the shop. Seeing that Ning Xiaojun and Su Fengxia were still fast asleep, they tiptoed out, not wanting to wake them. Once inside the shop, Su Fengnan found a moment and quietly slipped Hai Ge a large bottle of spiritual spring water. Hai Ge's expression tightened, and he carefully put it away before turning and disappearing into the kitchen to get busy.

It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that Su Fengxia and Ning Xiaojun cooked their own meal at their lodgings. After eating and drinking their fill, they leisurely went to the shop to meet up with Su Fengnan.

No sooner had they arrived than the Zhang siblings followed. After a few pleasantries, they all got into the car. With the engine roaring, Zhang Wenhao gripped the steering wheel steadily, carrying a car full of laughing girls, heading straight for Wangrong Ancient City in the winter morning light.

On the ancient city's cobblestone streets, dappled sunlight and shadows danced. Zhang Xinrui, beaming with excitement, held up her camera and waved to the crowd: "Come on, come on, let's take a group photo! Brother, come here and be our photographer!"

"Fine," Zhang Wenhao stopped and sighed, feigning helplessness. "Not only do I have to be your free driver, but I also have to be your part-time photographer, right?"

"Hey bro, who told you to be the only man here? This is your chance to shine!" Zhang Xinrui retorted confidently.

Zhang Wenhao deliberately curled his lip and said sourly, "Hmph, can I please not take this opportunity?"

"No way!" the girls exclaimed in unison, bursting into laughter.

However, Zhang Wenhao's role as photographer didn't last long before Su Fengnan replaced him. It wasn't for any other reason than that his photography skills were rather lacking, and Su Fengnan herself didn't particularly like being in the picture, so she simply took over control of the camera. As it turned out, changing people was the right decision. Su Fengnan seemed to have an innate eye for beauty; the ancient city was full of scenic views, and she captured breathtaking moments with minimal effort, simply pressing the shutter button.

As they explored and searched for delicious food, the lively atmosphere of the ancient street captivated the girls. They tried almost every single dish, their mouths never stopping.

"Wow! This braised pig's trotter is so tender, it melts in your mouth, and it's not greasy at all!" Ning Xiaojun took a bite of the freshly cooked potato cake, gasped from the heat, but still couldn't bear to spit it out, and exclaimed indistinctly, "And this potato cake, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, paired with this houttuynia cordata dipping sauce, it's absolutely amazing!"

Zhang Xinrui held a bowl of rose-flavored ice jelly, her eyes squinting with satisfaction: "It tastes best chilled! That rice porridge was so sweet it almost made my teeth fall out, this ice jelly is just the right way to cut through the sweetness."

Su Fengnan held a small bowl of steaming hot brown sugar ginger and jujube tea, blowing on it gently as she chuckled and teased, "You two eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you. It's sunny but still quite chilly today, a sip of sweet rice cake will warm your stomach, won't that be nice?"

"Wow...this grilled tofu is so delicious!" Su Fengxia exclaimed, chewing with relish. "Especially the chili powder, it's fragrant, numbing, and spicy—absolutely amazing!"

Throughout the journey, Zhang Wenhao stayed at a leisurely pace beside the girls, occasionally stepping forward to pay the bill. His generous and considerate older brother demeanor made the girls beam with joy and shower him with praise.

Ning Xiaojun, taking advantage of the moment when no one was looking, couldn't help but steal glances at Zhang Wenhao's profile. For some reason, she always felt that this man possessed a reassuring warmth, as comforting as the winter sun.

The group strolled along, sampling food as they went, eating their way from one end of the street to the other. The lively atmosphere of the streets, mingled with the cheerful laughter of the girls, filled their trip to the ancient city with an indescribable sense of comfort and satisfaction.

On the bus back to the city, the girls were so exhausted that they slumped over and soon fell fast asleep by the window. They had truly pushed themselves to the limit that day.

The carriage fell silent, broken only by the sound of even breathing. Half-asleep, Su Fengnan caught a glimpse of the man's profile as he focused on driving, and a sense of reassurance washed over her—this man was indeed reliable.

Zhang Wenhao first safely delivered Su Fengnan and the others to their homes, and only after confirming that they had all entered safely did he turn his car around to take his younger sister Zhang Xinrui home.

……

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Zhou Chenyu was embroiled in a silent family feud. New Year's Day should have been a warm time for family reunions, but ever since he was persuaded to return to the capital, he was met with endless harassment and constant gossip, which was driving him crazy.

The family banquet was held at the Zhou family's old residence, with all the relatives from the eldest uncle, eldest aunt, and youngest uncle's branch of the family in attendance. Old Master Zhou, who had just been discharged from the hospital, sat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally acquiescing to Zhou Chenyu sitting down beside him.

This pushed Uncle Zhou's seat to the side. Uncle Zhou Jizhong was a kind-hearted man and didn't show the slightest displeasure, but his younger uncle and aunt couldn't sit still and started spouting sarcastic remarks without thinking.