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

As the door was gently closed, the previously stagnant air inside seemed to begin to flow again.

Looking at the tightly closed door, Old Master Yuan shook his head helplessly, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, and handed it over: "You..."

Pan Wanxi took the handkerchief, but didn't wipe her eyes immediately. Instead, she lowered her gaze, letting a tear hang precariously on her eyelashes. After a while, she gently pressed the handkerchief to the corner of her eye, her voice still trembling slightly: "I was too abrupt, upsetting Brother Chen Yu and making you and Grandpa Zhou laugh at me."

Grandpa Yuan sighed and patted the back of her hand: "It's not your fault. This kid has always been so cold and aloof, like a rock that can't be warmed up. Don't rush him, take it slow."

Upon hearing this, Pan Wanxi raised her head and gave a gentle yet understanding smile: "I know, Grandpa Yuan. I just... I just really want to fit into this circle."

She lowered her head, placed the neatly folded handkerchief on her lap, and unconsciously ran her fingertips along the edge.

Outside the door, Zhou Chenyu quickly arrived at the garage. The garage was dimly lit. Zhou Chenyu walked straight to the car, opened the door, and sat in the driver's seat.

A brief silence fell over the carriage. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Zhao Chuan." His voice was as cold as ever, without a trace of emotion. "Investigate Pan Wanxi's background. I need to know whose niece she is, and how she became Elder Yuan's granddaughter."

The person on the other end of the phone quickly responded.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Chenyu casually tossed it onto the passenger seat. Interesting. This "beautiful woman," who had just returned from abroad and was already eager to cultivate relationships, probably harbored secrets far more fascinating than her pitiful appearance.

He tilted his head slightly, glanced at the old house through the car window, then looked away and started the engine.

The black sedan smoothly drove out of the garage and quickly disappeared at the end of the road.

……

The three-day New Year's Day holiday passed in the blink of an eye. When Su Fengnan and her two companions returned to Zijiang, they specially hired a car to go back. They had so much stuff that the trunk was full of bread, most of which were brought back by Su Fengxia for her classmates.

A small portion of them were given to their respective classmates by Su Fengnan and Ning Xiaojun.

Back in Zijiang, Su Fengnan quickly restarted her life, returning to the peaceful routine of daily routines. She and Zhou Chenyu developed a perfect, unspoken understanding—warm yet not clingy. Each day, they only needed to exchange a few simple words on QQ to confirm each other's well-being before tacitly throwing themselves back into their busy lives.

As final exams approached, academic pressure gradually increased, but life also delivered a timely surprise. That morning, her phone screen lit up with a bank deposit notification. Su Fengnan's second novel, "Rebirth: If Life Were Only As We First Met," had successfully sold its film and television rights, and the after-tax royalties of 336,000 yuan were safely deposited into her account. Watching the numbers flash on the screen, she breathed a long sigh of relief; a weight had finally been lifted from her heart. This sense of accomplishment, earned through her own writing, was more real than any empty promise.

Overjoyed, her first thought was of him, and she clicked on his familiar profile picture.

"Good morning, Brother Zhou! I have some great news to share: the film and television rights fees for my second book have arrived! (accompanied by a smug emoji)"

Zhou Chenyu quickly replied: "Good morning, Nan'er, congratulations! You're amazing!"

"Hehe, not bad! How's it going on your end? Are you able to make it back for the New Year?"

"Don't worry, it will be soon."

"Okay, did you miss me?"

"Silly girl, (followed by a hugging emoji)."

Brother Zhou misses me too. Su Fengnan looked at the screen and couldn't help but smile, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.

Then she sent another message: "Brother Zhou, my parents are coming back for Chinese New Year this year, but they haven't even arrived yet, and the living room is already overflowing with packages. They even bought all the winter clothes for my uncles' families! Do you want me to prepare some for you too? (with a tongue-out emoji attached)"

"It's kind of you, Uncle and Aunt, to think of me. I'll visit them when I go back for the Lunar New Year. Don't stay up too late studying for finals, and take care of yourself."

Her heart skipped a beat—she wasn't ready to meet the parents so soon. But she obediently typed out her reply anyway: "We'll arrange it when you get back, no rush! Yes, ma'am~"

Closing the chat window, Su Fengnan still had a smile on her lips. Returning to the living room, she looked at the several huge packages she and her younger sister had brought back yesterday and shook her head helplessly. Just as she squatted down to unpack the packages, her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket, the screen flashing the word "Mom."

As soon as the call connected, Su Fengnan looked at the cardboard boxes all over the floor and complained with a mix of laughter and tears: "Mom, why did you send so much stuff again! This is way too much."

On the other end of the phone, Su's mother couldn't stop laughing, and the sound of packing tape being torn could be heard in the background: "What do you know, child? It's gotten colder there, I was worried about sending it to you. Besides, your father and I are doing great business at our online store, we can't afford a little something with the money we earn!"

"Yes, yes, you guys are the best." Su Fengnan said with a smile as she tidied up the brand-new winter clothes. "I think you also bought clothes for Uncle and Second Uncle, right? All these bags and packages, aren't you worried about the shipping costs?"

"What's a little postage? We didn't have the money before, but now that we're a bit better off, what's there to fuss about when we bring them some things..." Mom rambled on, her eyes brimming with undisguised pride.

Hearing her mother's radiant voice on the phone, Su Fengnan couldn't help but chuckle, though her eyes welled up slightly. It seemed her parents' online store was indeed doing very well, giving them a renewed sense of confidence and making their longing for their family even more tangible.

After hanging up the phone, Su Fengnan took a deep breath and continued tidying up the packages on the table. When she opened one of them, she paused—it was a whole box full of local Hangzhou delicacies and snacks.

The menu features crystal-clear water chestnut cake, sweet and sticky osmanthus-flavored glutinous rice lotus root, fragrant Longjing tea cake and osmanthus cake, melt-in-your-mouth dragon beard pastry and exquisite lotus flower pastry... Further down the menu, there are glistening and tempting braised duck, Hangzhou-style sausage, and even beggar's chicken and West Lake lotus root starch. Finally, a bag of fine Longjing tea leaves sits neatly on top.

Su Fengnan sighed and rubbed his forehead. His fingertips touched the cool packaging paper, but he knew perfectly well who else could do something like emptying a specialty store, except for that rich and powerful guy.

She took out her phone, found the number, and dialed. It rang only once before being answered almost instantly: "Feeding?"

"Brother Sun, did you send these snacks? I received them, thank you." Su Fengnan's tone was calm and impeccable.

"You're welcome. Do you like it?" The man's voice came through the airwaves, carrying an undisguised expectation.

"It's fine." She neither said she liked it nor disliked it, her tone was just right.