I arranged a marriage for you, not made you invincible under a disguise.

The morning air was exceptionally fresh.

Shen Sixi walked along the country road, full of energy and relaxed, showing no signs of having stayed up so late the night before.

Zhong Mengze wasn't as energetic as her; he kept yawning as he walked.

Since returning from graduation, he has been sleeping in the early hours of the morning and waking up in the afternoon every day; he has never gotten up this early before.

Uncle Zhong and Aunt Zhong couldn't stand his lifestyle. At first, they would always scold him, but now they're too lazy to scold him anymore and just let him be.

If it weren't for Shen Sixi and the others, Zhong Mengze wouldn't have gotten up so early today.

He figured that since Shen Sixi had said she would save Elder Huang, she would definitely take action today. If he overslept, wouldn't he miss it?

Zhong Mengze yawned again and asked Shen Sixi in a muffled voice, "Sister, do you have a plan? This trip of yours must be more than just a simple walk, right?"

Zhong Mengze was particularly concerned and enthusiastic about rescuing Huang Lao.

It wasn't just because he admired and trusted Mr. Huang, but also because he felt that doing this was cool and impressive, like a chivalrous hero in a TV series, standing up for justice.

However, he was still very self-aware.

He knew that the great hero was Shen Sixi, and he was just the great hero's little follower.

Zhong Mengze asked Shen Sixi mysteriously, "Sis, did you come out to familiarize yourself with the terrain?"

"Not bad, you were clever this time." Shen Sixi gave him an approving look.

Zhong Mengze paused for a moment, then scratched his head sheepishly: "Hehe."

Shen Sixi couldn't bear to look at his silly appearance and looked away.

the sky is very blue.

A grayish little bird flapped its wings and flew away from her.

She did come out to familiarize herself with the terrain, but it also helped her relax.

With such beautiful weather and fresh air, it would be a shame not to come out for a walk.

As she walked, Shen Sixi saw a familiar face.

—It was Ning Xiaochuan, whom she met at the Ning family's house last night.

Ning Xiaochuan is a few years younger than Zhong Mengze. When he sees Zhong Mengze, he calls him "Brother Ze" from afar.

Zhong Mengze replied, "Hey, Xiaochuan, good morning."

Ning Xiaochuan jogged over, smiling, and said, "Good morning, Brother Ze. I heard from Aunt Zhong that you were back a while ago, but it's rare to see you."

Zhong Mengze chuckled twice: "Our schedules are different, our schedules are different."

Why are you up so early today?

"But you can't always stay in bed, right? Hahaha."

Shen Sixi stood to the side, quietly observing Ning Xiaochuan.

Yesterday the light was too dim, and the distance was too far. Although Shen Sixi saw Ning Xiaochuan, she could only see a vague outline, which was not clear.

Upon closer inspection today, she noticed that Ning Xiaochuan looked extremely haggard. Though he smiled, the smile didn't reach his eyes.

He still has faint bruises under his eyes.

Zhong Mengze also noticed that Ning Xiaochuan looked very unwell.

Zhong Mengze wasn't particularly emotionally intelligent, but he wasn't so bad as to bring up sensitive topics. Seeing this, he didn't mention Ning Yuan, but instead earnestly advised Ning Xiaochuan, "Xiaochuan, take good care of yourself. Uncle Ning, Aunt Ning, and Grandma Ning still need your care."

Ning Xiaochuan paused for a moment, then forced a smile: "Don't worry, Brother Ze, I know everything."

After speaking, Ning Xiaochuan noticed Shen Sixi, who had been standing silently beside Zhong Mengze, and asked, "And who is this?"

He looked at Shen Sixi with a scrutinizing gaze.

Zhong Mengze: "Oh, this is...this is my friend."

Shen Sixi gave Ning Xiaochuan a friendly smile: "Hello."

Ning Xiaochuan nodded quickly: "Hello, hello."

Shen Sixi looked at Ning Xiaochuan, as if she had discovered something, and let out a soft "Eh".

She suddenly moved closer to Ning Xiaochuan.

Before Ning Xiaochuan could react, she had already taken a fallen leaf from his shoulder and retreated as if nothing had happened.

Ning Xiaochuan blushed for some reason.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, looked away from Shen Sixi, and turned to look at Zhong Mengze.

"Ahem, Brother Ze, I have something to do, I'll be going now, you guys take your time."

Zhong Mengze waved to him casually, "Let's go, let's go back and get some rest."

"Okay." Ning Xiaochuan nodded and quickly ran away.

Shen Sixi threw away the fallen leaves and looked thoughtfully at Ning Xiaochuan's retreating figure.

Zhong Mengze: "Shall we go, sis?"

Shen Sixi nodded.

Just as the two were about to leave, they suddenly heard a melodious tune.

"Where is that music coming from?" Shen Sixi stopped in her tracks.

Zhong Mengze: "The village broadcasting station."

"Your village has a broadcasting station?"

"Yes! They play music every morning at eight o'clock sharp, it's so annoying."

"Oh."

……

After wandering around outside for less than an hour, Shen Sixi and Zhong Mengze returned to the Zhong family home.

By this time, Shen Tu Rong had already gotten up. She was wearing pajamas and sitting at the dining table, eating and chatting with Aunt Zhong.

Judging from the situation, the two seemed to have nothing in common and were both making small talk, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Shen Sixi entered the room, and the two stopped talking and looked at her.

Shen Tu Rong: "Sister Xi, it's so early! I just got up. You went out for a walk and you're back already? Why didn't you wake me up? I wanted to go out for a stroll too."

Shen Sixi: "I wanted to call you, but you didn't get up."

Shen Tu Rong muttered, "Oh dear, this is way too early."

Aunt Zhong interjected, "It's alright, you can call Xiao Ze anytime you want to go out, and he'll take you."

Zhong Mengze: "Yes, I'll take you there!"

Shen Tu Rong nodded perfunctorily: "Oh, okay."

Her ultimate goal wasn't to go out for a stroll; she wanted to ask Shen Sixi what her plans were.

How could they rescue Elder Huang? Shen Tu Rong wanted to know.

After breakfast, Shen Tu Rong immediately went to find Shen Sixi and pulled her to a secluded place.

Shen Sixi kept looking at her phone.

She had Bluetooth earphones in her ears, and I couldn't tell what she was listening to, but her eyes were serious and focused.

"Sister Xi, stop playing on your phone, I have something to ask you." Shen Tu Rong pulled Shen Sixi aside, looking mysterious.

Shen Sixi took off her headphones.

Shen Tu Rong looked around and, seeing that no one was around, asked, "Sister Xi, what are you planning to do about Old Master Huang?"

Shen Sixi remained calm and said, "Don't rush, wait a moment."

"Wait? Wait for what?" Shen Tu Rong asked, puzzled.

Shen Sixi: "You'll find out soon enough."

After saying that, she put her headphones back on.

Shen Tu Rong nodded as if he understood, and didn't ask any more questions.

Shen Tu Rong thought to herself, "Shen Sixi is so calm because she must have a solution."

The day passed uneventfully.

Xiao Hua and Hong Yu were both sent away by Shen Sixi, and it was unclear what they were going to do. Shen Tu Rong and Shen Sixi stayed at the Zhong family's house, sometimes watching TV, sometimes playing on their phones, and sometimes chatting with the Zhong family members.

Most of the time, it was Shen Sixi who was talking to the Zhong family.

Shen Tu Rong stayed close to Shen Sixi and had little to talk about with the Zhong family.

Shen Sixi chatted with Aunt Zhong, and before long, she subtly steered the conversation toward the Yu family.

She inquired about the specific situation of the Yu family from Aunt Zhong.

Aunt Zhong wasn't a person overflowing with sympathy, yet when the Yu family was mentioned, she couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.

Aunt Zhong: "The Yu family is so pitiful. The old are old and the young are young. I don't know how they will survive in the future. The child is only eight or nine years old. He is so well-behaved that it breaks my heart."

Shen Sixi: "Where are the child's parents?"

Aunt Zhong: "He's missing! Not long after the child was born, the child's father left, saying he was going to learn a trade. But he never came back. Two years later, the child's mother went out to look for the child's father, but she also disappeared without a trace. The elderly and the child are left behind, and life is very difficult for them."