Qiao Yushan stood at the door, frowning as he listened to Aunt Luo recount the entire incident. A flicker of loneliness crossed his eyes, and the force in his hand lessened.
"Slap—"
The backpack fell to the ground with a clang.
"Hey! Isn't this your treasure?" Yao Jian hadn't expected that Qiao Yushan, who seconds ago wouldn't let anyone touch it, would just throw it away.
The young master's toys were all incredibly valuable; who knew how much money was lost in that one fall.
The childishness on Qiao Yushan's face completely faded. He cast a cold glance at the bag that Yao Jian had picked up.
Since the owner of the gift was no longer here, the gift had lost its value.
"Just a few pieces of jade."
He spoke so casually now, as if he hadn't been the one guarding it through the night, or the one who had spent a fortune.
Qiao Yushan looked back at the courtyard gate. His life had been too comfortable, making him almost forget that An'an had a father, and that Huo Rou had never said she would stay here forever.
Hmph.
Seeing his expression, Aunt Luo pulled him aside. "Young Master, has Miss Huo misunderstood something?"
She recounted what had happened when she tried to persuade Huo Rou to stay.
"Young Master, if you like someone, you have to fight for them. If you continue like this, you... you'll lose your chance."
She had interacted with Qin Ningyi and knew what a great temptation the tenderness of a man like him could be to a woman, which was why she was even more anxious.
"Master said that the person I like has someone else?" Qiao Yushan was stuck on this sentence, replaying everything he had said to Huo Rou in his mind.
She seemed to have misunderstood something.
"No wonder Master has never been guarded against me or worried about me all these years," Qiao Yushan gave a bitter smile. He thought that Huo Rou hadn't noticed his obvious feelings because she was slow-witted; turns out, this was the crux of the issue.
Meanwhile, Qin Ningyi slowly applied the brakes, and Huo Rou, beside him, slowly woke up.
"We're here," Qin Ningyi said softly.
He glanced back at the sleeping An'an and couldn't resist asking Huo Rou, "What did you mean by that sentence you said to Aunt Luo at Grandpa Nong's house just now?"
Her firm assertion that Qiao Yushan liked someone else had piqued his interest.
Huo Rou recalled and shook her head slightly. "You're interested in gossip now?"
She didn't think it was a big deal and frankly told Qin Ningyi, "Xiao Shan probably likes Yao Jian."
They always arrived at her place one after the other, and the two of them often hung out together. One was lively, the other reserved, and she had noticed Qiao Yushan's attention towards Yao Jian.
"Xiao Shan said he doesn't like women. I only realized his feelings after observing him for a while."
After speaking, Huo Rou opened the door and got out, not bothering with Qin Ningyi's reaction.
Qin Ningyi sat in the car, watching Huo Rou's retreating back, and a smile spread across his face.
"Dad?" An'an opened his eyes and saw Qin Ningyi's incredibly bright smile. He was a little curious. "Did something happy happen?"
He rarely saw his father smile so happily.
"Dad is very happy to have met your mother."
He was grateful that such a perceptive yet oblivious Huo Rou could firmly like him.
"That's indeed something to be happy about," An'an nodded seriously in agreement.
Huo Rou had already unlocked the door. "An'an's awake? Come in quickly."
She had only returned to get medicinal herbs this time, so Huo Rou hadn't intended to alarm the neighbors and had specifically asked Qin Ningyi to drive into the courtyard.
After parking the car, Qin Ningyi began to survey the courtyard. This was his first time stepping inside. The last time he had seen the interior was when Huo Rou was packing and video-calling him.
Entering in winter, the scenery here was different again.
A thin layer of snow covered the courtyard. The green plants were not as vibrant as before, making the small courtyard seem more spacious and serene.
Returning here, Shenfeng was very happy. As soon as he got out of the car, he started running, with the wind in his paws, full of joy.
Huo Rou opened the door to the main hall and beckoned Qin Ningyi. "Come in and sit."
Qin Ningyi expertly helped her remove the dust cover, while An'an ran to find the air conditioner remote. Unlike Grandpa Nong's house with heating, it quickly got cold here in winter if you didn't move.
He had to take care of his mom and dad!
"Sit for a bit, I'll check the situation in the backyard." Huo Rou walked to a screen inside the house, lit it up, and operated it for a while. The basic situation of the crops in the backyard was displayed.
Just as she selected the area with the medicinal herbs and was about to click the "harvest" button, An'an leaned over. "Mom, Mom! Let's go ourselves."
Compared to waiting for the results, An'an preferred to do things himself, especially since it was for his dad!
"Alright, there's enough time. I also want to see your backyard," Qin Ningyi was the first to agree with An'an's suggestion.
When he had come here before, he had really wanted to see the place where Rou had lived. Now that he had finally arrived, of course, he had to go.