Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

The door to the hotel suite was finally opened at noon on the third day.

Lin Bufan walked ahead, dragging two light suitcases in his hands.

Zhu Suosuo followed closely behind. She had changed into a more casual off-white linen dress, her long hair was loosely tied up, and although she wore no makeup, she looked radiant. Her eyes and brows exuded a languid yet satisfied charm, and the smile on her lips was deeper and more relaxed than when she arrived.

Jiang Nansun walked last, gently closing the door behind her. She had also changed her clothes, wearing a simple white cotton T-shirt and light blue jeans, her hair tied in a neat high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and graceful neck. The deliberately maintained coldness and aloofness on her face had faded considerably. Although her expression was still more reserved than Zhu Suosuo's, her eyes had lost some of their icy sharpness and gained a softer glow, and even her gait seemed lighter.

The three of them first went to the restaurant for a late lunch. During the meal, Zhu Suosuo talked enthusiastically about her expectations for Yunmiao Village, occasionally exchanging a knowing glance with Lin Bufan. Jiang Nansun didn't talk much, but she would quietly agree, or when Lin Bufan put food on her plate, she would purse her lips slightly and lower her eyelashes, but she didn't refuse.

After the meal, Lin Bufan rode his motorcycle back to Yunmiao Village with the two of them. Considering the limited accommodations in the courtyard, he first went to the town and checked Zhu Suosuo and Jiang Nansun into the hotel where they had stayed before, settling their luggage before setting off again.

The motorcycle wound its way along the country roads, a gentle breeze carrying the fresh scent of the fields. Zhu Suosuo sat behind Lin Bufan, her arms naturally around his waist, her cheek pressed against his back, occasionally pointing to the scenery along the roadside and chatting softly. Jiang Nansun sat at the back, his hand lightly supporting Zhu Suosuo's waist, his gaze sweeping over the receding green trees and field ridges, lost in thought, his profile serene and gentle in the afternoon sunlight.

……

A windy courtyard.

For three consecutive days, Lin Bufan had not been seen. Life in the courtyard seemed to continue as usual, but something seemed to be missing.

Hu Youyu continued to ponder his "creative inspiration" and music, occasionally playing and singing with his guitar; Da Mai, with his laptop, quietly typed in his room, only coming out for some fresh air when someone called him; Nana bustled back and forth between Youfeng Restaurant and the courtyard.

Ever since that day when Ma Qiushan had an "in-depth" conversation with Sang Biao, he has become Sang Biao's "lackey," serving this master Sang Biao every day!

There's nothing we can do; the client is the boss!

Chen Nanxing had been quite happy these past few days. With Lin Bufan gone, she could finally get some rest. During the day, she helped Nana at the small restaurant, or strolled around the village with Da Mai and Xu Hongdou. In the evenings, she would curl up in her room watching dramas and reading books, in a very good mood. Only occasionally, when it was quiet at night, she would look in the direction of the next room and purse her lips, muttering to herself, "That scumbag who forgets the old for the new."

Xu Hongdou behaved much the same as usual. She got up early as usual, meditated as usual, and greeted and chatted with the people in the courtyard as usual. However, a careful person might have noticed that in the few days that Lin Bufan was away, she seemed to talk less than usual, her smile was a little fainter, and sometimes she would unconsciously drift off into thought, staring in the direction of the courtyard gate, lost in thought.

The afternoon sun shone through the wooden lattice windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor of room number six. Xu Hongdou folded the last piece of clothing, her gaze drifting unconsciously to the quiet courtyard outside the window. Her fingers lingered on the fabric for a moment before she finally spoke, her voice soft and gentle, as if casually mentioning, "Nanxing, don't you think... the courtyard seems a bit deserted these past few days?"

Chen Nanxing was leaning against the headboard scrolling through her phone when she heard this, her fingers pausing on the screen. She looked up at Xu Hongdou, who had her back to her and seemed focused on tidying clothes, a knowing yet mischievous smile slowly spreading across her lips. She put her phone aside, sat up straight, and deliberately dragged out her words: "Quiet? Is it? Isn't Teacher Hu still making noise playing the piano in the room? Isn't Da Mai still quietly typing away? Sister Nana and Xiao Guan are busy as bees... Oh—" She changed the subject, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the back of Xu Hongdou's head: "Are you wondering why that big fly hasn't been buzzing around bothering me for days?"

Xu Hongdou paused almost imperceptibly while folding clothes, then resumed her normal pace, her tone flat, even carrying a hint of deliberate disdain: "Who asked him? He can go wherever he wants. It's good to have peace and quiet as long as he's not around."

Chen Nanxing blinked, looking completely innocent as he asked, "Huh? How did you know the person I'm talking about is Lin Bufan? Don't tell me, Hongdou, you miss Lin Bufan?"

Xu Hongdou turned around, put the folded clothes into the wardrobe, and said in a slightly annoyed tone, "Didn't you call him 'Big Fly' first? In this yard, besides him, who else deserves that title?"

Chen Nanxing tilted her head and thought for a moment, then chuckled, "It seems...it really is true." She looked at Xu Hongdou's seemingly calm profile, her eyes darting around, and decided to stop beating around the bush. In a gossipy tone, she said, "He hasn't had time to hang around us these past few days. I heard he has two beautiful girlfriends from Shanghai. They came from afar, so he had to do his duty as a host and act as their escort."

Xu Hongdou paused slightly while tidying the wardrobe, but quickly continued, her voice even more subdued than before: "Oh, I see." She closed the wardrobe door, walked to the small table by the window, sat down, picked up her water glass, took a sip, and asked seemingly casually, "So... you don't have any thoughts at all?"

"Thoughts?" Chen Nanxing sat cross-legged on the bed, propping his chin up with his hand, laughing carefree. "What thoughts could I possibly have? If I were angry about this, we'd be fighting tooth and nail that night!"

"Chen Nanxing!" Xu Hongdou put down her water glass, her cheeks slightly flushed, and glared at her angrily: "I'm talking to you about serious matters. Can't you be serious for once? Can't you stop being like this all the time..."

"Okay, okay, seriously," Chen Nanxing raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, but the smile on his face hadn't completely disappeared: "Don't glare at me."

Xu Hongdou glared at Chen Nanxing again before looking away, waiting for Chen Nanxing to continue.

Chen Nanxing sighed first, then said with a helpless expression, "Hongdou, to be honest... I have no choice."

That beast's fighting power... you've experienced it firsthand, how could I possibly withstand it by myself?

I thought you could help me share some of the burden, but who knew you'd be so useless? You couldn't even last one time, and I have to carry the load all by myself.

"Chen Nanxing!" Xu Hongdou's face instantly turned red. She grabbed a cushion from the side and threw it at him, both embarrassed and annoyed. "If you keep doing this, I'll really get angry!"

Chen Nanxing chuckled as he caught the cushion and tucked it into his arms: "I'm just stating the facts! Do you think you can handle this yourself? I clearly remember one night, someone even begged me for help..."

"Chen Nanxing! You still dare to talk!" Xu Hongdou was really anxious now, her ears turned bright red, and she got up to pounce on Chen Nanxing and cover his mouth.

Chen Nanxing was prepared and nimbly rolled onto the bed, and the two immediately burst into laughter and playful squabbles. Pillows and thin blankets became weapons, and laughter and playful scolding mingled together.

"You'll stop talking nonsense! Don't bring it up again!"

"Ouch... I was wrong, I was wrong! Red Bean Heroine, have mercy!"

……

When the two of them, both panting and with slightly disheveled hair, lay side by side on the bed, the atmosphere gradually calmed down. Sunlight streamed quietly through the window, and the faint sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking drifted from afar.

Chen Nanxing stared at the ceiling, the playful smile on his face slowly fading, and his voice softened: "Red Bean..."

"Hmm?" Xu Hongdou turned her head to look at Chen Nanxing.

“Actually…” Chen Nanxing paused, as if choosing her words carefully, “From the day I decided to be with him, I knew this day would come. How could someone like him belong to only one person? I was mentally prepared for this.”

Xu Hongdou was silent for a while before asking in a low voice, "Then...aren't you upset at all? Aren't you jealous?"

"To say there was absolutely nothing wrong would be a lie," Chen Nanxing said frankly. "But to say how uncomfortable it was... it doesn't seem that bad."

Chen Nanxing turned over to face Xu Hongdou, her eyes clear: "I think being with him already fulfills most of my imagination and expectations of love. When we're happy, we're genuinely happy, and when we're excited, it's exciting enough... That's good enough. If you try to have it all, you're more likely to end up with nothing and just make yourself tired."

Xu Hongdou listened quietly, her eyelashes trembling slightly. She recalled Lin Bufan's seemingly outrageous but ultimately logically sound words, and Chen Nanxing's consistently carefree nature, and a complex mix of emotions welled up within her.

"You're really optimistic." Xu Hongdou finally just sighed softly.

"What good will it do if I can't see things clearly?" Chen Nanxing shrugged, his carefree smile returning. "It's pointless to make things difficult for yourself. Besides..."

She deliberately dragged out her words, leaned closer to Xu Hongdou, and said with a wicked smile, "Isn't it because I still have you with me? We're comrades-in-arms, after all. It's better to cover for each other and share the pressure than to be alone, right?"

Xu Hongdou couldn't help but punch Chen Nanxing again, but this time the force was much lighter: "I will never be your comrade-in-arms!"

Just then, the sound of a motorcycle engine approached from afar, followed by familiar voices and light footsteps.

Chen Nanxing immediately sat up in bed, peeked out the window, and winked at Xu Hongdou: "Look, speak of the devil. The escort service is over, and the main character is back—with guests too."

Xu Hongdou also sat up, tidied her slightly messy hair and clothes, and her expression returned to its usual gentle and calm state, only with a faint, indistinct light in her eyes.

The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Lin Bufan walked in first, followed by two strikingly beautiful women with contrasting styles. Zhu Suosuo smiled brightly, taking in the scenery of the courtyard; Jiang Nansun was quieter, her gaze sweeping over the courtyard with a hint of scrutiny and curiosity.

"Oh, everyone's here?" Lin Bufan spotted Chen Nanxing peeking out of the window of room six and Xu Hongdou following behind her. He smiled and said, "Perfect, let me introduce you two."

As soon as Lin Bufan finished speaking, Zhu Suosuo's gaze shifted from the scenery in the courtyard to Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing, who had just stepped out of the room. Her eyes lit up, and a bright, undisguised smile of curiosity bloomed on her face. She took two steps forward and spoke confidently and clearly, "Oh! This must be Chen Nanxing, right? You're even more beautiful than a statue!"

Her gaze then shifted to Xu Hongdou beside her, and a hint of amazement appeared on her face: "This one, without a doubt, is Xu Hongdou! If the boss hadn't given me prior notice, I would have thought you were Rose!"

Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing were both taken aback upon hearing this. They exchanged a glance and saw surprise in each other's eyes.

Chen Nanxing, being more direct, immediately asked, "You know Rose too?"

"We're more than just acquaintances!" Zhu Suosuo smiled and took a few steps closer, her eyes filled with familiar intimacy: "We're best friends, we just met up a couple of days ago."

Jiang Nansun also walked over at this moment. She stood beside Zhu Suosuo, nodded slightly to Xu Hongdou and Chen Nanxing, and said in a soft and gentle voice: "Hello, I am Jiang Nansun."

Xu Hongdou smiled gently and introduced herself. Chen Nanxing waved with a grin and also gave his name.

With Zhu Suosuo, a natural-born social butterfly, and Chen Nanxing, an equally confident and straightforward straight man, the four women quickly became acquainted and started chatting casually.

They started their conversation with their shared love of roses, and chatted all the way to the local customs and culture of Yunmiao Village, their respective work and lives, their interests and hobbies, beauty and hair care, and their beauty and skincare secrets...

Before they knew it, the atmosphere became more and more harmonious, and the laughter grew louder. Lin Bufan initially tried to chime in, but was quickly and naturally "blocked out" by the women—they were so engrossed in their conversation that it was as if only the four of them remained in the courtyard.

After some time, Zhu Suosuo suddenly clapped her hands and suggested, "This village looks really nice, and the sunshine is so good. It's such a waste to just stay in the yard! Hongdou, Nanxing, you know your place, why don't you take Nansun and me out for a walk?"

Chen Nanxing immediately responded, "Great! I'll take you to see some scenic spots, and there's also a tie-dye workshop that's really interesting!"

Xu Hongdou smiled and nodded, "Let's go, the sun is just right now, it won't be too hot."

The four women reached an agreement and turned to leave. Lin Bufan quickly followed, "Hey, wait for me, I'm leaving too..."

"Forget it!" Chen Nanxing turned around, winked at him, her bright smile carrying an undeniable air of disdain: "It's so inconvenient for us girls to go shopping with a grown man like you. You're just staying in the yard... um, reflecting on your actions?" She deliberately emphasized the word "reflect," which made Zhu Suosuo chuckle, and a faint smile also flashed across Xu Hongdou's eyes. Jiang Nansun, on the other hand, turned his head slightly, pretending not to see Lin Bufan's helpless expression.

"No, I can help you carry your things..." Lin Bufan tried to struggle.

"No need, we weren't planning on buying much anyway." Chen Nanxing waved his hand and pushed Zhu Suosuo and Jiang Nansun towards the door: "Let's go, let's go!"

Xu Hongdou gave Lin Bufan one last look, her gaze calm and unwavering, yet it made Lin Bufan swallow the rest of his words. The four women quickly walked out of the courtyard, laughing and chatting, leaving Lin Bufan alone in the empty courtyard, listening to their laughter fade into the distance.