The dating reality show host just wanted to give up, but the rich girl fell for him.

In the early morning in Jiangnan, the damp air carries a refreshing chill.

The room was lit by a warm yellow light, and on the octagonal table sat a sturdy corrugated cardboard box.

Lin Mo stood by the table, holding a roll of coarse gray cloth in his hand. He moved slowly, rolling up a dozen carving knives, chisels, and a wooden mallet of varying lengths into the cloth.

The wooden handles of these old buddies have long since developed a warm, smooth patina.

"Brother Lin, why are you calling me to pick up a package so early in the morning?" A young man in a courier uniform walked in, rubbing his hands together, bringing a gust of cold wind with him.

Lin Mo looked up and smiled, then casually stuffed the wrapped tool roll into the cardboard box and filled it with bubble wrap for shock absorption.

"The journey to Beijing is long, and these metal lumps won't pass security on the plane. Checking them in might damage the blades."

He ripped off some tape and sealed the cardboard box tightly with a "rip".

"Send it directly by air express and insure it."

The deliveryman quickly scanned the code, affixed the label, picked up the box, and headed out the door.

Lin Mo then turned around, dragged his black suitcase over, and spread it out on the bench.

Wang Cuiping came out of the kitchen, carrying a heavy, old-fashioned glass jar in her arms.

The jar was carefully wrapped in three layers of sturdy plastic bags, with the openings tied tightly.

Even so, a faint, fermented, mellow, salty aroma still wafted in the air, carrying the unique spiciness of wild chili peppers.

"This pickled mustard greens was sealed in jars and pickled last month, and it's just cooked through."

Wang Cuiping carefully placed the glass jar in the very center of the suitcase and padded it with several soft clothes around it.

"Things are expensive in the capital, and the food is bland. You'll definitely find it hard to get used to when you first open your shop. This pickled mustard greens are great with rice, and they're also delicious with noodles."

Lin Mo looked at the large jar that took up half the box, and a helpless yet gentle smile appeared on his lips.

"Okay." He didn't complain about the weight, but simply reached out and pressed the gaps on the side to make sure the glass jar wouldn't wobble during the journey.

As for clothes, he didn't really pick any.

I grabbed two hooded sweatshirts and a pair of loose casual pants from the closet, crumpled them up, and stuffed them into the corner.

Fill it up, zip it up—the movements are fluid and effortless.

Lin Ankang walked over with a bowl of freshly poured hot soy milk and handed it to Lin Mo without saying a word.

The old man casually pulled a crumpled brown paper envelope from his apron pocket and stuffed it into Lin Mo's coat pocket.

The envelope was bulging and quite heavy.

"Dad, really, you don't need to." Lin Mo took a big gulp of soy milk, the rich aroma of soybeans instantly warming his stomach. "I have enough money in my card to pay the rent."

Lin Ankang glared at him, his rough hands pressing down on his son's pockets to stop him from taking anything out.

"A poor family needs to be rich when traveling. Is the capital a place where you can just get by? Opening a restaurant requires money inside and out, and you also have to spend money to cultivate relationships."

Old Lin's tone was stiff, but his eyes revealed an unconcealed concern.

Lin Mo felt the thickness of the contents of his pocket and didn't refuse anymore.

"Don't worry." His tone was calm, reassuring and relaxing. "When we get there, I'll set up a small restaurant to sell home-style dishes, and I'll take on some carpentry work to pass the time."

Lin Ankang sighed and waved for them to leave.

"Go ahead, don't miss your flight. Don't act impulsively, but don't let anyone bully you either."

Lin Mo nodded, picked up his suitcase, and pushed open the slightly ajar door.

The old neighbors outside were slurping their breakfast when they saw Lin Mo come out and greeted him with smiles.

He responded with a smile to each question, his leisurely demeanor making it seem as if he were merely going to buy a bottle of soy sauce at the entrance of an alley, rather than venturing into a bustling city thousands of miles away.

Under the reluctant gaze of his parents, Lin Mo's tall figure gradually disappeared into the morning mist of Jiangnan.

……

At the same time.

In the capital city, thousands of miles away, the sky was so gloomy it seemed to press down.

The cold wind howled outside the window, but the bedroom on the second floor of the Jiang family's villa on the hillside was warm and cozy because the underfloor heating was turned on at full blast.

Jiang Ruoyun was lying on the Persian carpet without any regard for her image.

She was wearing a large brown bear pajama, which wrapped her up like a ball, and the two small round ears on the hood drooped listlessly on either side of her head.

A top-of-the-line digital drawing tablet is placed in front of me.

As a highly talented art student, her previous works have always been known for their detached, sophisticated, and stream-of-consciousness style.

But at this moment, the screen displays a scene full of everyday life.

A bowl of lard noodles topped with bright green scallions and coated in a rich sauce.

Next to it is a picture of a red sausage with its outer skin slightly cracked and sizzling with oil.

Jiang Ruoyun held the pressure-sensitive pen, her delicate brows furrowed tightly.

Frustrated, she zoomed in on the canvas, trying to add a reflective touch to the edge of the sausage to make it look more like the crispy texture she remembered.

He made a stroke, then undone it.

Change the color, draw another stroke, then undo.

"No...that's not right at all!"

Jiang Ruoyun put down her pen in frustration, buried her face deep between her arms, and only her hairy back of her head was visible.

No matter how realistic the drawing is, it doesn't convey the mouthwatering aroma from the screen.

It's even harder to depict the man standing in front of the old stove, wearing flip-flops, looking nonchalant yet able to make the everyday life of the kitchen seem more vibrant.

She rolled over on the carpet, sprawled out on her back, and stared blankly at the magnificent crystal chandelier above her.

"Big liar."

She pouted and muttered something under her breath, her voice carrying a hint of grievance that she herself didn't even realize.

They promised to come to Beijing, but it's been so many days and they still haven't sent me a flight number.

The chat history on her phone was still stuck yesterday afternoon on an emoji she sent.

She clicked on the input box several times, wanting to ask, "When are you coming?", but her pride as a young lady held her finger down.

Why should I always have to ask first?

Just as she was biting her lip and sulking, a faint voice drifted in through the crack of the half-open balcony door.

The bedroom is on the second floor, and the sunken garden of the villa is directly below the balcony.

"...Yes! In Nanluoguxiang!"

That was her father, Jiang Jianguo's, voice, blasting loudly.

Jiang Ruoyun was stunned for a moment, and her droopy bear ears seemed to stand up instantly.

In her memory, her father had always been a business tycoon who remained calm even when Mount Tai collapsed before him, and rarely lost control of his emotions like this.

Curious, she climbed up from the carpet without even putting on slippers.

Like a thieving kitten, she tiptoed to the French windows and quietly peeked through a crack in the curtains. In the garden below, several precious Podocarpus macrophyllus trees trembled in the wind.

Jiang Jianguo, dressed in a dark bespoke suit with a cashmere coat draped over his shoulders, was pacing back and forth on the stone path, holding his phone.

His face flushed red, and his brows furrowed into a deep frown, making him appear extremely angry.

"What's so great about staying in that run-down alley? There isn't even a proper parking space, and the jianbing guozi stall at the alley entrance dares to sell a set for eighty yuan!"

Jiang Jianguo launched into a frantic speech into the phone.

"Haha, he's from out of town, renting a run-down courtyard in that chaotic place to open a restaurant. Does he think people from Beijing are easy to swindle, or does he think I, Jiang Jianguo, am too weak to fight anymore?!"

Jiang Ruoyun, who was hiding behind the curtains, slowly opened her eyes.

Are you from out of town? Renting a courtyard to open a restaurant?

Downstairs, Jiang Jianguo's voice still echoed in the wind, his tone full of frustration and disappointment.

"Keep an eye on that yard! Send more people, in 24-hour shifts!"

"Use your brains! Don't let him find out! He's incredibly cunning; if he knows I'm investigating him, he might just run off with my precious daughter again!"

Jiang Jianguo suddenly stopped in his tracks. He took a deep breath, lowered his voice slightly, and his tone became strangely awkward.

"Also, that kid doesn't look very robust. I've been to that dilapidated courtyard before; it's shady, drafty, and freezing cold!"

"You...you immediately find a few people, pretend to be distant relatives of the landlord, and have them tear down all those drafty, broken wooden windows!"

"In short, keep a close eye on him! Don't let him get too comfortable! He's driving me crazy."

After saying that, he angrily hung up the phone and strode into the living room on the first floor.

Behind the curtains on the second floor, there was a deathly silence.

A few seconds later.

"Nanluoguxiang...people from out of town...opening restaurants..."

As Jiang Ruoyun softly murmured these keywords, her previously somewhat dim peach blossom eyes suddenly burst forth with astonishing light.

The clues in her mind flashed together like lightning.

The chairman of a prestigious group is busy with international mergers and acquisitions every day. When does he have time to care about the rental problem in a dilapidated alley in the Second Ring Road?

They even need to send someone to keep an eye on him?! How can a calm and rational father be so angry, yet he's simultaneously cursing and subtly protecting his own?

Who else could it be but him?!

Jiang Ruoyun's "love radar" emitted a piercing roar at this moment, instantly reaching full capacity!

"He's here..." Once a woman's intuition is triggered, all pretense and concealment become meaningless.

Jiang Ruoyun suddenly turned around, the wide hem of her pajamas drawing an excited arc in the air.

Her cheeks, which had been pale from lovesickness, were now flushed with a vibrant blush.

She felt her blood boiling with excitement. She stepped over the drawing board on the floor and dashed barefoot towards the walk-in closet deep inside the bedroom. In the spacious closet, motion-sensor lights turned on in rows as she walked.

The walls were lined with the latest haute couture, limited edition trench coats and exquisite silk dresses from major luxury brands.

But Jiang Ruoyun didn't even glance at them.

She yanked open the spare wardrobe in the far corner and frantically rummaged through a pile of odds and ends that she rarely wore.

"Where is it...where did that dress go...?"

As she rummaged through drawers and cabinets, she couldn't help but bite her full lower lip, while the corners of her mouth kept turning up in a bright yet slightly silly smile.

"Hmph, trying to hide it from me. It's a bit windy today, you'd better dress warmly."

Finally, she pulled out a slightly thick black windproof coat from the bottom of the closet.

This garment has no conspicuous logos, but it is an absolute weapon against the biting cold winds of the north.

Jiang Ruoyun hugged her coat tightly to her chest, a sly glint in her eyes like that of a little fox, her chin slightly raised.

"If you don't come looking for me, I'll personally come and confront you!"

Want to set up camp in Nanluoguxiang? Want to surprise me?

No way!

She excitedly turned around, ran to the dressing table, grabbed her car keys and phone, and prepared to "escape" immediately.

however.

Just as she turned on her phone screen, ready to check the navigation...

A glaring red warning banner suddenly popped up from the top of the screen.

[The meteorological observatory has issued a red alert: Affected by a strong cold front, Beijing will experience a sharp drop in temperature and gale-force winds of level 7 tonight!]