"You still dare to say it." Whenever this matter came up, Lu Siyuan was furious, his voice involuntarily raising, "I was so anxious and worried waiting for you, and you were out shopping, couldn’t you have come back to say something before going to buy more?"
He had never seen such a worrysome child.
Shen Mianmian dug at her numb ears, "Can’t you speak a bit softer? My ears are about to go deaf from your yelling."
The little brat, all her energy’s gone to her head, huh!
"If I spoke softly, you wouldn’t remember the lesson."
Lu Siyuan’s voice grew even louder.
"Try yelling at me one more time," Shen Mianmian retorted with her own temper flaring, glaring with eyes wider than his, her voice louder than his as if she were a ruffled rooster.
Her yelling made Lu Siyuan inexplicably calm down a bit, his attitude softening instantly.
He jumped onto the oxcart and muttered quietly, clearly lacking confidence, "You think being louder makes you right? So fierce, who would dare to marry you in the future?"
"Mind your own salty radish and stop worrying about others."
Shen Mianmian glared at him fiercely, and boy, that yelling really did the trick; no wonder everyone liked to yell at others, the deterrent effect was truly strong.
"I give you an inch, and you take a mile..." He stopped halfway through his words, suddenly pausing and staring at the adhesive bandage on Shen Mianmian’s ear, asking, "What’s this about?"
She had only been away for a while; how had she gotten hurt already?
"It’s nothing." Shen Mianmian’s gaze flickered, and she began to make things up, "I got scraped a bit when I was buying stuff."
He was hot-tempered, and if he knew that Wang Erfeng was the one who hit her, he would definitely start trouble tomorrow. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
Lu Siyuan wasn’t the slightest suspicious, but he noticed that Shen Mianmian had changed her hair tie as well. Knowing she hadn’t brought money with her, it didn’t need a second thought—it must have been He Nan who gave it to her.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he felt a tinge of melancholy.
When He Nan returned to the car, Ruan Yiyang was lying in the passenger seat sleeping. Hearing the noise, he opened his eyes and glanced sideways. Seeing He Nan had returned, he immediately sat up straight, asking with interest.
"Did you sort everything out?"
He Nan responded expressionlessly, obviously not wanting to delve into the topic.
Ruan Yiyang, however, had no intention of letting it go, "What’s your relationship with that young girl?"
"A friend," He Nan said.
Ruan Yiyang latched onto the emphasis in his words. That girl wasn’t very old; He Nan introduced her not as a sister, but a friend—that piqued his curiosity even more.
"Nan, since when do you make friends, and even with minors?"
He Nan shot him a glance, "You came to Licheng and started digging for gossip right away?"
Ruan Yiyang touched his nose, "I wouldn’t dare."
He sighed, speaking with a tinge of regret, "I wasn’t surprised when you enlisted; I knew you always had that dream of serving your country. But I never expected you to suddenly discharge and come back. Do you know how furious the old master was when he found out?"
Remembering that scene still scared him; that was the first time he saw the elderly He head so furious.
He Nan had always been outstanding and was the pride of the He Family. His enlistment was his own choice, as well as a carrying of family honor.
He didn’t disappoint, earning top honors multiple times. If he had continued on, his future was limitless. When everyone was filled with expectation and pride, he resolutely chose to discharge.
This was unexpected to everyone.
The old He master was enraged and refused to let him enter the family home; He Nan vanished as though evaporating from the human world, disappearing for a year or two.
The old master’s temper was stubborn, and he endured two full years without seeking any news of him. Unexpectedly, after several years, when they saw He Nan again, he had already gone into business.