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

Before the sun had completely set, lighthearted laughter and footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard gate.

Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Zhu Suosuo, and Jiang Nansun have returned.

They carried small trinkets and snacks bought from the village, their faces flushed with the afterglow of exercise and filled with relaxed smiles. Chen Nanxing was talking animatedly, Zhu Suosuo listened with a smile, Xu Hongdou's lips curved slightly, and Jiang Nansun also showed a gentle expression. The atmosphere among the four was harmonious and natural, as if they had been friends for many years.

An enticing aroma wafted from the kitchen. Lin Bufan had just finished plating the last dish when he turned around, saw the four women, and smiled, "You're back just in time. Wash your hands and eat."

Dinner was served at the large wooden table in the restaurant.

At this moment, more than a dozen dishes had been laid out. Although the number was not as large as a banquet, the exquisiteness of each dish was enough to take one's breath away.

A dish called "Crystal Shrimp Cup" features translucent shrimp curled up in a winter melon bowl carved into the shape of flower petals, drizzled with a light amber sauce, and gleaming enticingly under the light.

The "Lotus Pond Stir-fry" next to it features lotus root slices as thin as cicada wings, stir-fried with bright green snow peas, fresh white lilies, and orange-red carrot slices. It is colorful, full of wok hei (wok aroma), and has a refreshing and fragrant smell.

The soup in the center is served in a purple clay pot. It is "Yunnan ham and bamboo fungus stewed pigeon". The soup is clear like tea, but it is fresh and fragrant. A few goji berries float on the surface, and the bamboo fungus is like gauze. You can tell from the appearance that it is cooked to perfection.

There's also "Squirrel Mandarin Fish," fried until golden and crispy, with a glossy red sauce;

"Snowflake Tofu" is as fine as hair, and it looks like a blooming chrysanthemum in the clear soup;

"Golden Broth and Jade Cabbage" uses only the tenderest part of the cabbage heart, which is simmered in broth until flavorful and arranged in the shape of a lotus heart... Even the most ordinary smashed cucumber looks uniform in size, drizzled with just the right amount of garlic and vinegar sauce, and is emerald green and tempting.

The air was filled with a complex aroma: the smoky fragrance of fried food, the rich and mellow flavor of stewed soup, the fresh and vibrant taste of stir-fried dishes, and a faint sweet fragrance emanating from some unknown dessert.

Although it lacks the grand scale of the Manchu Han Imperial Feast, its exquisite craftsmanship and delightful presentation, showcasing both color and aroma, are in no way inferior in terms of dedication and skill.

Everyone sat together in the courtyard, eating and chatting about everything under the sun, with laughter filling the air.

Because Sang Biao found the large wooden table inconvenient, he set up a separate table with Ma Qiushan and enjoyed Ma Qiushan's personal service!

After dinner, it was completely dark. Lin Bufan rode his motorcycle and took Zhu Suosuo and Jiang Nansun back to their hotel in town.

Once in the room, Zhu Suosuo took off her coat and turned to Lin Bufan, saying, "When we were shopping this afternoon, we ran into Ma Qiushan and Sang Biao. I chatted with them briefly and they seemed pretty good."

My initial idea is to invest in "Brother Biao's Paradise" to establish a new tea brand, which will be operated as a subsidiary of "Brother Biao's Paradise" and managed by Ma Qiushan.

The specific equity structure and operational details will be discussed in more detail when Ma Qiushan goes to Shanghai.

Lin Bufan leaned against the wall by the door and nodded: "Okay, you know more about business than I do, so you can handle it."

Zhu Suosuo stretched out her hand, palm up, and looked at Lin Bufan with a smile: "Then, Mr. Lin, what about my formula? When are you going to give it to me?"

Lin Bufan grasped Zhu Suosuo's hand and pulled her closer to his chest: "I'll find some time to study it as soon as possible and send you the formula when it's ready. Don't worry, it won't delay anything."

"That's more like it!" Zhu Suosuo snuggled into Lin Bufan's arms. "By the way, Nansun and I are flying tomorrow afternoon. You don't need to see us off. We can just take a taxi to the airport. It's convenient."

Lin Bufan was somewhat surprised: "Why don't you stay a few more days? There are still some places worth visiting around Yunmiao Village."

Jiang Nansun, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa by the window, watched the two of them cuddling together again and said irritably, "So you said you were going to stay a few more days! But because of someone, you've wasted all your time in the hotel!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Bufan touched his nose somewhat awkwardly, realizing that he had indeed stayed in the hotel for a rather long time!

However, there's nothing that can be done about it. After all, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and it's only natural to feel reluctant to leave!

Besides, didn't anyone object at the time?

Zhu Suosuo laughed heartily in Lin Bufan's arms, her unrestrained manner showing no embarrassment whatsoever!

To avoid getting bogged down in the topic, Lin Bufan immediately started a new one: "By the way, Nansun, didn't you say you were going to come see your mistress? Aren't you going?"

Jiang Nansun glared fiercely at Lin Bufan: "Lin Bufan, if you can't speak properly, then don't speak. Nobody will think you're mute. That's the village's old lady, what 'second wife'... that sounds awful."

Zhu Suosuo straightened up from Lin Bufan's embrace and replied with a smile, "I've already met them. Hongdou and Nanxing led us to meet them this afternoon. My goodness, if I hadn't already met Zhenzhen and Rose, I would have been shocked!"

As she spoke, Zhu Suosuo sat down next to Jiang Nansun and affectionately put her arm around her shoulder: "That grandma really looks exactly like Nansun's grandma. I was stunned when I saw her."

Jiang Nansun, held in Zhu Suosuo's arms, lowered her head slightly and spoke softly: "It does look quite similar... but Grandma is very kind, always smiling, and even gave us some of her homemade milk fan to eat."

Zhu Suosuo, Jiang Nansun's best friend, immediately noticed the subtle sadness in her words.

She tightened her grip on Jiang Nansun's arm, her smile growing even warmer. She deliberately teased him, saying, "Oh, it's alright! If your grandma doesn't love you, there are others who will!" As she spoke, she gestured towards Lin Bufan, her eyes sparkling, "Look at him, how hard he's been trying to love you these past few days! His back must be killing him!"

"Zhu Suosuo!" Jiang Nansun's face flushed red, the sadness she had felt moments before instantly replaced by embarrassment and anger. She reached out and pinched the soft flesh on Zhu Suosuo's side. "What nonsense are you spouting! You have no sense of propriety!"

"Oh! I'm just telling the truth!" Zhu Suosuo laughed and dodged while adding fuel to the fire: "Boss, don't you think so? Don't you feel especially sorry for our Nansun?"

Lin Bufan watched the two bickering and wisely chose not to engage, simply leaning against the door and smiling. He knew Zhu Suosuo was using this method to distract Jiang Nansun from her little emotional outburst, and it seemed to be working well.

After a while, Jiang Nansun stopped, panting, and tidied her messed-up hair and clothes. The blush on her face had not completely faded. She glared at Zhu Suosuo, but she was not really angry.

Lin Bufan checked the time, straightened up and said, "It's getting late. I have to go back tonight. I still have some things to do in the courtyard. You should all get some rest too."

Zhu Suosuo also stopped joking and came over to straighten Lin Bufan's collar: "Be careful on the way back."

Jiang Nansun also nodded slightly at Lin Bufan.

Lin Bufan left the hotel and rode his motorcycle back to Youfeng Courtyard. The country road was exceptionally quiet at night, with only the roar of the engine and the sound of the wind accompanying him.

When I returned to the courtyard, it was quiet, with only the warm yellow light shining from each room.

Lin Bufan tiptoed to Nana's room and noticed that the window was open. He decided not to go in and went straight to the window.

At this moment, Nana was sitting at her desk in the room, her phone propped up in front of her, adjusting the angle. There was also a glass of water on the table.

Hearing the noise, Nana turned her head and saw that it was Lin Bufan. A genuine smile appeared on her face!

"You're back?"

"Just arrived!" Lin Bufan rested his arm on the windowsill, leaned slightly into the room, and said with a smile, "You continue, don't worry about me. I'm just checking, in case... um, in case the internet is slow or the computer breaks down, I can help take a look."

Seeing Lin Bufan's "guarding" posture, Nana's lingering tension dissipated considerably: "You jinx, wish me well."

Despite saying that, Nana didn't chase Lin Bufan away. Instead, she felt that the figure outside the window made the room feel less empty.

Nana took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, her fingertip hovering above the screen for a few seconds before finally pressing the familiar "Start Live Stream" button.

Almost instantly after the broadcast started, a large number of viewers flooded into the live stream. The barrage of comments and bullet screen messages began scrolling rapidly, almost too fast for the viewers to keep up.

"Nana-chan! It really is you!"

"Nana-chan, you've finally appeared! We missed you so much!"

"How dare this fraudulent charity worker go live?"

"Get out of the internet, you show-offs!"

"Watch your mouth, you guys! Where's the building manager?"

"Nana, don't be afraid, we believe in you!"

"Explain the donation. Why was only 50,000 donated? Did you pocket most of it?"

……

There were bound to be a lot of negative comments, but if you compare them, you'll find that the proportion of malicious comments in Nana's live stream this time was significantly lower than before, and Lin Bufan deserves some credit for that!

Because many of these were hired by Lucy through Lin Bufan's request to recruit online trolls and moderators!

A complex mix of emotions washed over her, and Nana's breath hitched slightly. Instinctively, her eyelashes fluttered as she glanced out the window.

The person outside the window wasn't looking at their phone screen, but just quietly watching her. When their eyes met, they nodded slightly, their gaze calm, as if to say: See, it's nothing serious, it was all expected.

That one look calmed Nana down. She refocused on the screen, not immediately responding to the pointed questions, but first taking a deep breath, giving a natural smile, and waving at the camera: "Hello everyone, I'm Nana-chan who loves to sing. Long time no see."

Her voice came through the microphone with a hint of tension that was barely perceptible, but she quickly suppressed it.

"I'm doing this live stream today mainly to chat with everyone, talk about where I've been and what I've been doing lately, and also... respond to some things." Her tone was calm as she began to recount her life after leaving the live stream studio, choosing to come to Yunmiao Village, working at Youfeng Bistro, learning to make coffee and flower cakes, and describing the village's tranquility and simple daily life. She spoke of the initial discomfort she felt upon arrival, and also of the peace she gradually found.

In the live chat, support and skepticism remained mixed.

"Running away won't solve the problem!"

"Yunmiao Village? Is that the wood carving village that's been all the rage lately?"

"Nana seems to be in good condition and doesn't look like she has something to hide."

Stop changing the subject! Talk about donations!

……

Nana saw the comments urging donations. She didn't shy away from them. She picked up her water glass, took a sip, and then looked directly at the camera with a serious expression: "I've explained the donations from the previous birthday live stream many times. Today, I'll explain it one last time."

Next, Nana described the situation in detail again: the gifts she received during her birthday live stream amounted to about 30,000 yuan. She took out 20,000 yuan of her own savings, making a total of 50,000 yuan, which she donated to the public fundraising account of the sick fan through official channels.

With Nana's explanation, the tone of the comments shifted further towards a positive direction.

"So that's how it is. I knew Nana wasn't that kind of person."

"Donations are a matter of goodwill; any amount is a token of appreciation. Those who force donations are the truly despicable ones."

"Words alone are not enough. Where is the evidence? Where are the screenshots?"

"Is the person upstairs blind? Or just heartless? Nana already posted evidence before, are you deliberately pretending not to see it?"

"Support Nana! Those spreading rumors are going too far!"

……

Amidst this growing wave of support, there are still some extremely malicious and filthy comments, with language that is utterly offensive.

Nana noticed this as well, and immediately took a deep breath, her eyes becoming even more determined!

"After arriving in Yunmiao Village, I originally just wanted to find a quiet place to live for a while and forget those unpleasant things. But recently, I've found that some things can't be avoided. Not only me, but even the small restaurant where I work has received a lot of harassing phone calls."

At this point, Nana paused for a moment. The person outside the window remained in that position, like a silent background, yet she felt she could lean on him.

"Therefore, I have decided to break my silence. I have retained a lawyer and initiated legal proceedings against the continued rumors, defamation, personal attacks and harassment. Relevant evidence, including screenshots of online comments and recordings, has been notarized and preserved."

Nana's words were clear and powerful, and when they were transmitted through the internet, the live chat exploded!

"Support rights protection! The internet is not a lawless zone!"

"This should have been done a long time ago! Sue those keyboard warriors!"

"Nana is so cool! I love her!"

"I'm a little worried; going through legal proceedings won't be easy..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Nana seems to be prepared!"

……

Just then, several gift effects floated across the screen!

[A "Diamond of Eternity" is sent to Nana: Go Nana! You're the best!]

[Red Bean sends a sea of ​​flowers: Nana, don't be afraid, we're all here for you.]

[Master Ma: Nana, relax, the road ahead is long!]

Crop circles: ...

[Master Lin's first disciple: ...]

Looking at these unfamiliar yet familiar nicknames, Nana knew that her friends in the courtyard were all awake, watching from the other side of the screen, supporting her in their own way. This was no longer a battle she was fighting alone.

Nana couldn't help but glance out the window again. This time, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned upwards, revealing the first truly relaxed and warm smile since the live stream began. This smile was captured by the camera.

"Thank you... thank you everyone." Nana's voice choked a little, but she quickly composed herself, her smile becoming even brighter: "Thank you also to all my friends who have always believed in me and supported me. I will be fine, and I will continue to live my life to the fullest. Yunmiao Village is beautiful, and the coffee and flower cakes at Feng Xiaoguan are delicious. I welcome everyone to come and visit in the future, and to sit down and chat like friends."

“As for those who are still maliciously slandering me,” Nana said, her smile fading, her tone calm yet powerful, “my lawyer’s letter will be sent. See you in court.”

The live stream ended in a complex but clearly supportive atmosphere.