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

The two men stared at each other from a few steps away, their unspoken exchange understood only by the two of them. An outsider, unaware of the situation, would have easily mistaken them for old friends reunited and exchanging pleasantries.

Su Fengnan stepped forward, subtly interrupting the undercurrent between the two. She smiled gently, her eyes crinkling, "Brother Sun, it's been a long time. We came in a hurry, and we're sorry to have troubled you."

Meeting Su Fengnan's clear eyes, Sun Zile's arrogance vanished instantly. A gentle smile returned, and his voice softened: "You're welcome. Come on, the table's been reserved. Let's sit down; the food will be served soon."

After saying that, he turned around and led the way, deliberately slowing his pace to wait for everyone to catch up.

The group followed him across several tables and took their seats on the outer side.

Before long, the dishes were served one after another. Sun Zile pointed to each plate and introduced them to Su Fengnan: "This is salt and pepper mantis shrimp, this is stir-fried clams, and this is braised razor clams with pickled mustard greens. The razor clams are especially plump, you two can eat more."

Plates of steaming seafood filled the table. People ate and chatted, clinking glasses and laughing in the night breeze, creating a lively and relaxed atmosphere.

The group ate, drank, and chatted, their conversation flowing freely throughout the meal. Sun Zile would occasionally introduce fun places to visit in Hangzhou, as well as various local delicacies. Before they knew it, most of the seafood on the table had been eaten.

As night deepened, the number of diners on the street gradually dwindled.

Zhou Chenyu glanced at the time; it was already past midnight. He said, "It's getting late; we should head back."

Everyone stood up.

Zhou Chenyu looked at Sun Zile: "Thank you for your hospitality today. Let's go back to the hotel first."

Sun Zile's smile remained unchanged: "No need to be so polite, I'm not just treating you. Everyone should enjoy the meal."

The group then said their goodbyes.

As he was leaving, Sun Zile had a feeling that Zhang Xinrui must have had a reason for coming to Hangzhou, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy, so he asked, "Xinrui, do your parents know you're in Hangzhou?"

Zhang Xinrui, holding Su Fengnan's arm, was momentarily at a loss for words. All eyes were on her, and no one dared to break the silence. After a moment, she murmured softly, "I don't know, I came to find you."

Sun Zile froze, momentarily at a loss for what to do. His first instinct was to dodge, but with Zhou Chenyu and Su Fengnan watching, he couldn't just back down like that.

He quickly concealed his surprise and composed himself: "Then you should go back and get some rest. We can talk about it tomorrow."

Zhang Xinrui felt a surge of joy and readily agreed with a "Okay," then pulled Su Fengnan forward.

Two assistants followed behind them. Zhou Chenyu lagged a few steps behind, gave Sun Zile a few brief instructions, and then quickly followed.

Sun Zile was left standing alone in the night, filled with melancholy.

……

The next morning, as dawn was breaking.

Zhou Chenyu and Su Fengnan packed their luggage and prepared to set off for Wencheng. Before leaving, Zhou Chenyu took out his phone and dialed Sun Zile's number.

When the call connected, Sun Zile's sleepy voice came from the other end of the receiver.

"Young Master Zhou, so early?"

Zhou Chenyu spoke calmly, without any unnecessary pleasantries, and went straight to the point: "Sun Zile, Nan Nan and I are about to leave Hangzhou for Wencheng. Zhang Xinrui is still here; she came specifically to see you. Keep a close eye on her safety from now on. Otherwise, you know the consequences."

Sun Zile, on the other end of the phone, was startled, and his remaining sleepiness vanished instantly.

He had been full of hope, thinking he might find another chance to see Su Fengnan. Last night, after hearing Zhou Chenyu say that this trip was to formally visit Su Fengnan's parents, he felt stifled all night and finally managed to fall asleep, but he never expected to receive such a phone call so early in the morning. At this moment, he was filled with resentment and almost wanted to explode.

After a brief silence, Sun Zile forcibly suppressed his surging, complex emotions and replied in a low voice, "I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Sun Zile held the phone, his expression inscrutable.

He originally went to the late-night snack party to see Su Fengnan, but in the end, he had to take on the responsibility of looking after Zhang Xinrui. He knew Zhang Xinrui's feelings for him, but he could never allow anything to happen between himself and his best friend's sister.

Inside the hotel room, Su Fengnan was saying goodbye to Zhang Xinrui.

"Xinrui, Brother Zhou has extended the hotel room fee for three more days, so you can stay here without worry. If you encounter any problems here, remember to contact me immediately."

With a hint of reluctance on her face, Zhang Xinrui still carefully remembered her best friend's instructions: "Then I'll transfer the room fee to Brother Zhou."

"Oh, no need. Brother Zhou won't hold it against you for such a small thing. Your safety is the most important thing right now."

"Thank you, Fengnan. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Remember to let me know you've arrived safely."

"Yes, I will."

At this moment, Zhou Chenyu finished his phone call and walked over, saying calmly, "We should go."

Su Fengnan waved to Zhang Xinrui: "I'm leaving now, bye-bye."

Su Fengnan and Zhou Chenyu got into the car. There was no other assistant in the passenger seat; only a driver was present to take them to their destination.

The car left Hangzhou and headed south along the highway.

Su Fengnan took out her phone and sent a message to her father: "Dad, I've left Hangzhou and will arrive in Linyang Town this afternoon. I should be able to have dinner with you in time."

Upon receiving the news, Su Guoyuan, who was far away in Linyang Town, was overjoyed and immediately called back.

The phone rang only once before Su Fengnan answered, "Hello, Dad."

"Xiaonan, are you alone or with friends? Your mom said you're bringing friends back, is that true? Please be careful on the road."

Listening to her father's series of questions and instructions on the other end of the phone, Su Fengnan turned her head to look at Zhou Chenyu beside her and replied softly, "Dad, we're fine on the road and will arrive this afternoon, don't worry."

"Okay, I'll go to the market now to buy groceries and wait for you to come back for dinner."

"Um."

As soon as the call ended, Su Guoyuan didn't have time to say another word to his wife. He turned around, grabbed his coat, and rushed out. Wen Xiaofen peeked out from the kitchen and only saw his back as he strode downstairs without even saying goodbye.

By the time Wen Xiaofen caught up with him at the door, he had already gone downstairs.

"This guy, he ran out right after the call, didn't say a word, rushed out like a madman, I don't know what he was in such a hurry for." Wen Xiaofen muttered to herself as she stood at the door, then turned and went back to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

Su Guoyuan strolled slowly through the market. Before, when his health was poor and money was tight, he couldn't bear to touch seafood. Now that his business had taken off and life was better, he bought some every few days to treat himself and his wife to nice meals. Since his daughter was visiting, he was determined to let her try some.

So he picked a little bit of each of the following: crabs, shrimp, scallops, and razor clams, and ended up filling a whole big bag.