In the evening, with many relatives gathered for a family dinner, Shen Du had to pick up the elderly lady in advance. After a simple cleanup following lunch, he prepared to head out.
"I'll try to come back early to keep you company," Shen Du said as he grabbed the car keys.
"No need," Yao Nian replied, feeling somewhat puzzled. "Why are you in such a hurry to return from a family gathering?"
His expression shifted slightly, as if he recalled something.
"What's wrong?" Yao Nian noticed his momentary distraction.
"Nothing," Shen Du quickly snapped back to reality and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Don't order takeout for dinner. I'll arrange something for you. If you take a taxi, remember to send me the license plate number."
"Alright, I got it," Yao Nian urged him. "You should go now; I'm not a child anymore."
Shen Du raised an eyebrow. "Are you already tired of me?"
"How come I never noticed you could be so chatty?" she muttered under her breath.
"Things are different now," Shen Du said as he leaned closer to her ear, his voice dropping slightly. "After all..."
His tone trailed off, and the breath he exhaled felt both ticklish and electrifying.
"...we've shared a bed."
Yao Nian's face suddenly flushed red, inevitably recalling the solid sensation pressed against her leg in the darkness of last night.
In a fit of embarrassment and anger, she reached out and pinched his cheek hard. "You can't say that!"
Shen Du chuckled, allowing her to vent her feelings, finding her shy demeanor irresistibly cute.
When they arrived in Darong City, it was still early. Shen Du decided not to head straight to the hotel but rather return to see the elderly lady first.
As soon as he parked, a message from Yao Nian popped up on his phone—she had sent it five minutes earlier, saying she was about to head out to find Qiao Shuzhen.
Although the sun outside was bright, the temperature remained low. Shen Du reminded her to bundle up before going out.
The young girl quickly sent him a selfie.
Wrapped in a thick pink checkered scarf, her eyes were bright and cheerful, with a hint of mischief. The cold wind had slightly reddened her nose, adding to her youthful charm.
Shen Du stared at the screen, unable to suppress a smile. He saved the photo and set it as his phone wallpaper.
The door to the elderly lady's house was ajar, and he could hear his mother's hearty laughter from inside; it sounded quite lively.
As he pushed open the door, a woman sitting on the side sofa turned her head towards him.
Shen Du was taken aback.
The atmosphere in the living room froze for a moment.
His mother immediately waved at him, saying, "Oh, I was just about to call you! Ren Ran is here; she came to see your grandmother."
The woman stood up and smiled at him. "Long time no see."
Shen Du nodded slightly. It had been almost two years since they broke up, and he couldn’t quite understand why Ren Ran would suddenly visit.
Ren Ran seemed to notice his confusion and explained with a smile, "I just returned to the country two days ago. I happened to be passing through Rong City and thought I’d drop by to visit Grandma."
She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and added somewhat apologetically, "I didn’t expect Uncle and Aunt would be here too."
His mother looked at her with a warm smile. "Ren Ran, it’s been almost two years since we last met, right? It’s nice of you to come see us, and you brought so many gifts—what a treat!"
Shen Du quickly noticed several beautifully packaged gift boxes on the coffee table.
His father took a sip of tea and asked gently, "How long do you plan to stay this time?"
Ren Ran glanced at Shen Du before replying with a smile, "I don’t plan on leaving; I’m preparing to stay in the country for development."
His mother expressed her delight, "Really? What made you decide to stay all of a sudden?"
"Well, my parents are both in the country, and being alone outside always feels like there’s no sense of belonging. Plus, the current environment here has more opportunities for growth," she explained.
Xu Zhengnan walked out of the room holding little Rui Rui, who had just finished his milk. "I remember that Sister Ren Ran studied fashion design. Are you looking for a job related to that now that you're back?"
Ren Ran playfully teased the baby in her arms and replied with a smile, "I’ve partnered with some friends to start an independent designer brand. We’re planning to open a studio first; we’re still in the process of selecting a location."
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