Beauty Amid Osmanthus Fragrance

Among the fragrant autumn flowers, none can compare to the osmanthus. The tree is a tree in the moon, and its fragrance is heavenly. However, its flaw lies in the fact that it blooms all at once, leaving no room for anything else. What goes up must come down; this is the inevitable principle of waxing and waning. All those who attain wealth and glory in one fell swoop are like the magnolia in spring and the osmanthus in autumn.

This means that if you want to make osmanthus mooncakes, you have to collect osmanthus flowers quickly during their blooming season, as the blooming period is very short. Also, once they're made, you can't eat too many at once, otherwise there won't be any left.

As Liu Chang'an and An Nuan stepped out of their home, they could smell the faint fragrance of osmanthus blossoms on the road. In Liu Chang'an's memory, the osmanthus blossoms at Xiangtan University always bloomed relatively early. Although they were not as famous as the cherry blossoms in many places in Junsha or other universities, South Hunan was a traditional production base for osmanthus products. Once the flowers bloomed, even the sporadic commercial activities could bring a lot of popularity to these flowers.

"Last year, my mom and I were in Hangzhou. There was a restaurant called Osmanthus Whisper Mountain Lodge where we ate Tiger Running Spring Beef, Basil Curry Shrimp, Hand-peeled Longjing Shrimp, Hazelnut Sauce Foie Gras Scallion Pancake, Sea Cucumber and Yam Puree, Osmanthus Almond Tofu..." An Nuan recalled, smelling the fragrance of osmanthus.

"I remember the name of this dish clearly."

"That's right, my mom only ordered these few dishes for a few days, I was so sick of them. She also bought osmanthus wine and osmanthus plum blossom tea, which are still untouched under the coffee table." An Nuan shook her head, "Women like this kind of thing, just putting on an act."

"One day... one day I commented on your mother's selfie, saying her name easily evokes images of middle-aged menopausal women." Liu Chang'an felt he should tell An Nuan, "I checked, and I can't access her Moments anymore; she deleted me."

"You're spouting nonsense!" An Nuan was overjoyed.

"The problem is, we've talked about some things before, and we brought them up again today. I said pretty much everything... and she's starting to have doubts."

An Nuan was unhappy.

"In other words, even though she probably knew I knew she wasn't An Nuan, she still didn't reveal that she was Liu Chang'an. As usual, she pretended to be nonchalant and assumed that I was An Nuan, acting as a middle-aged stranger online... making friends with her online, even though she knew I wasn't a young girl."

Liu Chang'an's speech was long, but An Nuan grasped the key points—a basic reading comprehension skill—and understood it. An Nuan grabbed Liu Chang'an's hand and nervously asked, "Does she know that I do?"

"They probably don't know yet. I don't have any acquaintances on WeChat, and I don't have any clues to provide her. Just keep your phone safe, and you'd better delete me."

"That won't do!" An Nuan firmly refused. Deleting her boyfriend's WeChat was no different from breaking up. "I've reset my phone password. She won't be able to see it again."

Liu Chang'an nodded. Actually, it wasn't a big deal. He hadn't flirted with Liu Yuewang. The topics he brought up were all normal. It was just that Liu Yuewang felt embarrassed about being caught pretending to be a little girl, and Liu Chang'an hadn't exposed her, which was also cooperating with her. He figured she would understand.

"That's good. One of my biggest worries is gone. You won't have to talk to her about random things anymore." An Nuan pointed to herself and said confidently, "Talk to me instead. I can imitate everything you'd expect from a pretty girl."

"What are you pretending for? I don't like anyone who isn't themselves." Liu Chang'an said dismissively.

An Nuan sweetly clung to Liu Chang'an's arm and shook it a hundred times.

The two chatted idly until they arrived at the library. Liu Chang'an suddenly remembered something, "The textbooks haven't been distributed yet, and we don't have any books. What are we going to study here for?"

"I brought my books," An Nuan said, carrying a small schoolbag.

"You can store books here too?" Liu Chang'an asked, skeptical, pointing to a small backpack.

"Not only did I pack two books, but I also brought chocolates, milk, jelly, and a star-shaped cup!" An Nuan added hesitantly, "Lipstick, eyelash curler, tissues, a cute little mirror, a comb, long socks..."

"Why are there long stockings?" This is practically a spatial artifact, for that palm-sized backpack.

Why are you interested in stockings?

Isn't it natural for men to pay attention to stockings?

"That's true."

"Otherwise, do you think I watched you play basketball all the time when we were in high school just to see your mediocre skills?"

"Stop it! Keep shaking, don't stop!"

As Liu Chang'an and An Nuan walked, they encountered Bai Hui, who had changed her clothes. Although Liu Chang'an said that An Nuan looked ordinary in her military training uniform, he was just teasing his girlfriend. In fact, An Nuan was far from ordinary with her tall, slim waist, long legs, and stunning face. Bai Hui, on the other hand, looked much more ordinary in her military training uniform. After all, wearing a hat made her face look a bit rounder, and the loose uniform prevented her chest from being noticeably protruding. She couldn't even wear wedge heels, so she didn't look as tall as she usually appeared. Judging from her dance videos, people who weren't very familiar with her might not recognize her as Bai Hui, who had once rivaled An Nuan in popularity at the affiliated high Affiliated High School.

Bai Hui looks completely different now. Wearing a Lolita dress and carrying her Hermès bag, she walks around campus looking like a fairy and attracting attention. Her wig is a golden, wavy perm, and her round cheeks are as cute as a doll. The slightly sheer lace on her chest reveals her snow-white skin, which is neither too revealing nor too revealing, but still outlines the plumpness that is rare for a girl of her age.

When Bai Hui saw Liu Chang'an and An Nuan, her expression was naturally a smile with the enthusiasm of a classmate, a touch of reserve, and a hint of mockery. She knew that An Nuan would stick to Liu Chang'an even in college, since they weren't even on the same campus, yet she still came over to go to the library together.

"Liu Chang'an, what happened to your hand?" Bai Hui asked with concern. Liu Chang'an's arm was shaking back and forth like a doorknob with a loose screw.

"She was holding my hand and shaking it for a while, then got tired of it and asked me to keep shaking it so she would continue, which meant she was still being affectionate. It was a reward for me." Liu Chang'an seemed very happy and satisfied with this reward.

"You're talking nonsense! You were the one who wanted to shake it, not me!" An Nuan's cheeks flushed with a blush that resembled the color of another flower in this season. She stomped her feet in embarrassment, but thankfully she was in front of Bai Hui, so her words had some positive effect.

Bai Hui didn't mind at all that the two of them saw her roll her eyes at them as she looked up.

An Nuan held Liu Chang'an's hand down to stop him from shaking, but Liu Chang'an struggled a few times to show his dissatisfaction.

Bai Hui thought about it carefully. A girl swinging her arm around a boy's could indeed be considered a reward... But what about An Nuan? Was that also a reward? Bai Hui's gaze swept over An Nuan's chest with a hint of arrogance.

For a girl like me to hold a boy's arm, that's the real reward! The most wonderful reward, the true reward!

Even if Liu Chang'an's arm broke from shaking, he probably wouldn't feel anything, right?

This is the advantage of having a large bust size.

"Let's go study together." Thinking this, Bai Hui invited with a calm and gentle smile.

An Nuan found Bai Hui's behavior a bit strange, but she couldn't refuse her old classmate. Was her plan to take Liu Chang'an to a quiet corner to read and eat, occasionally glancing at each other and playfully punching one another? As long as they were hidden away and no one was around, it wouldn't be considered inconsiderate, right?

Unfortunately, An Nuan was overthinking things. She had previously hung out with Han Zhizhi at Hunan University and hadn't paid much attention to the library's study rooms. Only when she went in did she realize how many students were passionate about learning. Even though it was only the beginning of the semester, many students weren't slacking off. After all, many understood that in this day and age, if you can't rely on your parents and have to work hard yourself, you shouldn't waste a single moment of your university years... otherwise, you'll be wasting your entire future.

From elementary school to the college entrance examination, they have been working hard, even risking the hopes of their entire family, and have finally arrived at the place where they can gain the capital to compete. Ordinary people have no reason to relax.

What my parents can't give me, I'll create myself. I imagine many people who spend their days and nights here share this ambition to defy fate.

Best wishes to all students who are studying diligently in university and striving to become better versions of themselves.

An Nuan, Liu Chang'an, and Bai Hui found a corner and sat down quietly. An Nuan and Liu Chang'an sat together, while Bai Hui sat down opposite them.

An Nuan took out the books first. She took a calculus textbook for herself and brought Liu Chang'an a copy of Toriyama Sekien's picture book "Night Parade of One Hundred Demons". She was already familiar with Liu Chang'an's tastes, and although math was her weak point, she often saw Liu Chang'an and Gao Dewei using methods outside of the high school curriculum to solve problems in high school.

"Utagawa Kuniyoshi's 'The Yokai in the Song,' 'The Tamaguri Princess of the Dragon Palace'..." Liu Chang'an flipped through the books, then lowered his voice and said, "This 'Hyakumonogatari' game involves telling one hundred ghost stories, extinguishing one candle for each story, and when the last candle is extinguished in the last story, the real ghost will appear. When will we play this game?"

"Childish, go play with Zhou Dongdong." An Nuan took out a star-shaped cup to eat, gave Bai Hui a jelly, and gave Liu Chang'an a piece of chocolate.

Liu Chang'an is reading a book.

Bai Hui also started taking things out of her bag. She took out a pomegranate, a power bank, a bottle of water, a makeup box, a book on career planning, a charging cable, and two mobile phones.

An Nuan also took out another bottle of milk, just one, and gave it to Liu Chang'an. Actually, she brought two bottles, but she felt it wouldn't be right for her and Liu Chang'an to drink it and not to give any to Bai Hui. But if she gave it to both Liu Chang'an and Bai Hui, wouldn't that just make things difficult for herself? So she decided to pretend there was only one bottle and give it to Liu Chang'an. Bai Hui would probably think that it was only natural to give one bottle to her boyfriend when there was only one.

Liu Chang'an looked up and saw that, sure enough, girls nowadays bring a lot of random things to study sessions, even though they might not actually use them.

Liu Chang'an continued looking at the original illustrations of the Monster Island series, and was quite satisfied when An Nuan nudged him, discovering that the two girls had already packed their bags.

"I'm going to Bai Hui's dorm to play!" An Nuan said in a low voice.

Liu Chang'an couldn't understand it. Did you guys have a good relationship or a bad one?

Girls' friendships are as unpredictable as the weather—unpredictable, impossible to divine, and not to be taken seriously.

"I won't invite you." Bai Hui was rather reserved in front of Liu Chang'an today, since his girlfriend was there. She didn't want to be seen as a manipulative woman.

Therefore, her tone was also subtly reserved, although Liu Chang'an did not notice any difference.

"You guys go ahead, I'll stay and study for a bit longer." Liu Chang'an nodded. The three of them arrived at the library at 6:30 and left a little after 7:00. As expected, the freshmen were putting on an act when they first came to the library to study.

An Nuan and Bai Hui left Liu Chang'an, who was intently studying the ghost paintings, and walked out of the library hand in hand.

"Liu Chang'an is sometimes like a little kid, actually liking to look at those picture books." Bai Hui shook her head. "I only liked reading ghost stories when I was little. Boys really do have some ways of never growing up."

"Liu Chang'an likes things that are illusory, unknown, and difficult to understand or access in the real world." An Nuan's understanding was different. "By the way, are your roommates easy to get along with? I never expected you to live in a dormitory."

"I've been walking to and from school for three years now, and I don't want to have to do this every day in college. I don't have Liu Chang'an's patience; he walks around like he's enjoying the scenery. I can't really say what will happen to my roommates yet. Everyone's going to be easy to get along with since it's the beginning of the semester, but you'll see when conflicts arise over time." Bai Hui pointed to her little skirt. "Like when I wear Lolita fashion, I think it's fine for everyday wear if it's not too outrageous, but two girls can't accept it. They think it's too flashy, and we even discussed it... Now it's just a discussion, but maybe later they'll be saying I'm crazy behind my back."

An Nuan was pondering how Bai Hui could bring up Liu Chang'an in every conversation, but An Nuan was supportive of Bai Hui's clothing choices. "Although I'm not really suited to this cute style, I think it's your freedom. It's really too much for many people to label others as oddballs just because they have hobbies they can't understand. I remember now, doesn't your cousin's assistant, that rich girl, also like to wear these kinds of little dresses?"

"Yeah, a lot of people wear them, even people worth hundreds of billions wear them." Bai Hui had long since gotten used to the strange looks she received for wearing a little skirt. "You can try it too. When we get to the dorm, you can try mine on. There's no such thing as plus or small sizes or different bust sizes for Lolita fashion, it's just a matter of whether it suits you or not."

Why emphasize bust size? An Nuan's expression was natural, showing no sign of doubting whether Bai Hui was doing it on purpose.

"I really want to give it a try; maybe some styles will suit me perfectly?" Of course, girls are genuinely happy about this.

"Hehe, I just want you to give it a try. If I can successfully introduce it to you, that would be great. I hope there will be more Lolita fashion enthusiasts at school..."

Does our school have any Lolita fashion groups or clubs?

"There are Lolita fashion groups, but not clubs. Lolita fashion enthusiasts usually join anime clubs, Hanfu clubs, and the like."

Are you planning to get one?

"I don't have that kind of influence, and I don't think I have the time or energy."

"That's true..."

As the two were chatting, they hadn't gone far when they encountered Qin Zhiqiang, Wei Xuanyi, and Sun Shutong, who were walking towards the library.

An Nuan had met them before, especially on the first day when she asserted her dominance, making it clear that Liu Chang'an had a girlfriend. Seeing the three of them, she naturally smiled and waved, "Are you here to study?"

"We... we're here to scout the location..."

"No, we're just here to get familiar with the surroundings."

Where is Liu Chang'an?

"He's inside, we're leaving now." An Nuan also introduced the beautiful girl next to her, "This is my friend Bai Hui, also a freshman, a super pretty girl."

"Hello." Bai Hui gave a faint smile, then turned her head away.

An Nuan understood what Bai Hui meant. Bai Hui felt that things were quite different from high school. She didn't really care about the opportunity to meet more people and show her charm. Bai Hui turning her head away meant that she wasn't interested in continuing the small talk.

We're leaving now.

The three of them stood there dumbfounded, watching An Nuan Bai Hui leave.

"Another beautiful girl who has broken through the dimensional barrier."

"What's so great about breaking through the dimensional barrier? Do you think it's paper?" Wei Xuanyi stared intently at the backs of the two girls, refusing to admit Qin Zhiqiang's point of view, but these girls were so beautiful, neither of them was any less attractive than Zhu Juntang!

An Nuan might be prettier and more of a super cute girl, but does that difference even matter? If you have a girlfriend like that, why would you want to be picky?

"Liu Chang'an is right. When you earn 100 million, earning another 100 million isn't so difficult. When you meet a beautiful girl, you can meet many beautiful girls, because beautiful girls' friends are all beautiful girls." Sun Shutong glanced at Qin Zhiqiang, who was lost in thought. "Qin Zhiqiang, why don't you try pursuing him? It seems you and Liu Chang'an have a good relationship. If you ask him for his number or something, he won't refuse to give it to you, will he?"

"Pretty girls are just something to look at and enjoy," Qin Zhiqiang said, snapping out of his reverie. "I don't have money for dating. There's a gacha event this month, I'll just spend 648 yuan first."

"It's true that beautiful girls' friends are all beautiful girls, but how come Liu Chang'an knows so many beautiful girls?" Wei Xuanyi said, somewhat annoyed.

"How do you know that Liu Chang'an knows this girl named Bai Hui?" Qin Zhiqiang asked.

"They were studying together just now, how could they not know each other?"

"Oh."

The three of them walked into the library together and saw Liu Chang'an sitting in the far corner of the study room, engrossed in reading.

"Great, you're starting to study seriously now."

The three of them went over and glanced at the books Liu Chang'an was reading. They immediately understood why the books his cousin had chosen for him were a jumbled mess, containing all sorts of things but none of them related to his academic major.

"Good evening." Liu Chang'an nodded in greeting and continued reading.

Sun Shutong sat down next to Liu Chang'an, a slight smile on his face. "Just how many beautiful girls do you know?"

Liu Chang'an looked at the three of them and, sensing they didn't seem inclined to leave, picked up his book. "Didn't you come here to study? Let's go outside and talk."

The three of them had only come to familiarize themselves with the surroundings, so they went out as well.

"You two should have the advantage of being close by. Those beautiful girls I know aren't easy to pursue, are they?" Liu Chang'an gave Sun Shutong and Wei Xuanyi a friendly look.

Wei Xuanyi and Sun Shutong's restless hearts were instantly doused with a layer of ice water, and at the same time they felt that Liu Chang'an might know how Zhu Juntang had dealt with them.

"Actually, Yan Qingcheng is quite pretty too." Qin Zhiqiang was trying to persuade Wei Xuanyi and Sun Shutong.

Qin Zhiqiang felt that the two of them had gone a bit overboard. On the first day they met Liu Chang'an's girlfriend, An Nuan, they probably had this idea in their minds: Liu Chang'an's girlfriend is so beautiful, why can't they find someone similar? Liu Chang'an's example gave them an inflated sense of confidence, so they probably felt that whether it was Zhu Juntang or Bai Hui from earlier, they might be able to get her if they pursued her.

"Yan Qingcheng..." Wei Xuanyi smiled. Actually, she wasn't bad. With that kind of height, she at least had long legs. Her looks were second only to Zhu Juntang in the class. But with someone who scored 100 here, who would pay attention to someone who scored 80?

"Don't worry, Xiangtan University a tradition of holding dances, both by teachers and students. There are also many freshman social events. Don't worry, the sophomores and juniors are even more eager than you. They'll organize a lot of activities. You can just blend in. They don't only allow girls to participate and not boys." Liu Chang'an kindly advised them not to focus their attention on Bai Hui. Ever since that night at the hotel when Qian Ning and Lu Yuan misunderstood Bai Hui, Liu Chang'an felt that Bai Hui had changed. Whether it was Wei Xuanyi or Sun Shutong, let alone pursuing Bai Hui, it would be difficult for them to even hang out with her often.

"You're still single in your second or third year? Do you think freshmen are easy to fool?" Qin Zhiqiang chuckled.

"It's only natural to make the most of one's strengths. In a relatively unfamiliar environment, girls are more likely to seek dependence and security. If they take advantage of this, their chances will indeed be greater. The seniors' actions make sense." Liu Chang'an didn't look down on it. He had observed the pursuit of mates for countless years, and there were no new tricks. From male crows bringing shiny things to female crows to the various methods men use now, they are all pretty much the same.

However, these are all based on the pursuit of equality. Once men have the capital of power, they don't need many other means. For example, Tacitus's Chronicle records that Nero, the most famous and most debauched of the four emperors of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, along with his mother Agrippina, became a specimen of debauchery. Agrippina herself often went to brothels to satisfy herself. Later, in order to ensure that her son could succeed to the throne, Agrippina poisoned her husband. At the same time, in order to secure her own position, she distributed her vast wealth to Nero and successfully seduced Nero. However, Nero still killed Agrippina.

Nero was truly remarkable. He never needed to give girls anything glittery or expensive. He killed his wife Octavia, married the famous beauty Poppaea, and then had her killed after she became pregnant. He also raped his priestess, castrated the man she loved, and then raped him. He even held a wild banquet and dressed himself up as a bride to marry someone else.

This is only a very small fraction of the total. Considering the emperor who was deposed for stealing the Empress Dowager's carriage, Liu Chang'an felt it necessary to introduce Shangguan Dandan to "The Debauchery of Rome".

Men are creatures who sometimes seem to have their brains hidden in their lower abdomens, doing things that are incomprehensible and beyond the comprehension of the brain. So what's wrong with these young boys on university campuses, whose brains aren't yet fully developed, being keen on pursuing partners? Liu Chang'an fully supports them.

The group chatted as they walked out of the library. After walking a short distance to the right, they encountered Lin Feng and another boy who appeared to be an older student.

"Where are you all going?" Lin Feng asked Liu Chang'an and the other three after greeting them directly.

"Just taking a walk."

"I'm assigning you a task." Lin Feng took out his phone. "These are the two girls we just met. Either one will do. Find out their contact information."

The other three people were looking at Liu Chang'an, while Liu Chang'an was looking at another boy.

"I'm Minister Yuan from your college's student union. They seem to be freshmen, and I'd like to get to know them. Most of the students studying here are from our School of Biology or the school next door," the upperclassman said gently.

"Shall we get to know each other?" Sun Shutong laughed. "You're so reserved, senior."

"Call him Minister Yuan," Lin Feng emphasized, his expression clearly showing displeasure.

"It's alright, I'm just a regular student." Minister Yuan patted Lin Feng on the shoulder, indicating that he didn't mind.

"I know she has a boyfriend." Wei Xuanyi pointed to the photo on Lin Feng's phone.

"Ah... I particularly admire this girl; she's lively, tall, and has a scholarly air about her. The other girl's clothes are a bit outlandish and too flashy." Minister Yuan nodded.

"She has a boyfriend," Qin Zhiqiang reminded her again cautiously.

"We can compete fairly," Minister Yuan said confidently. He didn't have a virginity complex and didn't mind it. As long as the girl was with him, she could cut ties with her exes cleanly.

"Go back and compete fairly with your dad for your mom, okay?" Liu Chang'an said calmly.

Minister Yuan paused, wondering if he had misheard. Lin Feng, enraged, couldn't help but gloat. The three in the dormitory were speechless. Wei Xuanyi and Sun Shutong involuntarily took two steps back, adopting an indifferent, spectator's attitude. Even Qin Zhiqiang was a little worried for Liu Chang'an. Although Liu Chang'an had a cousin who was a counselor, wasn't such irritability inappropriate?

After Liu Chang'an finished speaking, he ignored the group and walked back. It's fine to be enthusiastic about pursuing a spouse, but Liu Chang'an no longer supports it.

After Liu Chang'an left, Lin Feng seemed to realize he needed to vent his anger. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "Don't stop me, I'm going to beat him to death today. How dare he talk like that?"

Minister Yuan quickly patted Lin Feng on the shoulder, "Lin, calm down."

"Minister, what do you suggest we do? This guy just needs to be taught a lesson. Just say the word, and I'll go drag him back and apologize to you right now." Lin Feng said indignantly, but without losing his temper. While acting like a brute might be pleasing, the downside is that it makes him seem incompetent and too hasty.

"You all heard Liu Chang'an insulting me just now, right?" Minister Yuan pointed at the three people in front of him. He wasn't some hot-tempered young man; he wouldn't fly into a rage over such a trivial matter, looking utterly humiliated.

Wei Xuanyi and Sun Shutong hesitated for a moment and remained silent. Qin Zhiqiang said somewhat awkwardly, "Senior... ah, no, Minister Yuan, Liu Chang'an's Hunan-accented South Hunan is so broken it's hard to understand."

Minister Yuan smiled slightly, not minding at all. People wouldn't openly betray someone to their face, but he already knew who to contact privately.

"So you're saying you know this girl has a boyfriend, and her boyfriend is this Liu Chang'an from earlier?" Minister Yuan asked calmly again.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Many of them probably already knew that An Nuan had made two appearances when she registered for school, and she had been sticking to Liu Chang'an the whole time. Quite a few classmates had seen this.

"It's still fair competition. That girl isn't his property; she has the right to choose her own feelings." Minister Yuan waved his hand. "That's all for now. If you want to join the student council in the future, come find me first."

After speaking, Minister Yuan and Lin Feng left. Lin Feng glanced back at the three of them, a slight smile playing on his lips. Qin Zhiqiang lacked ambition. Wei Xuanyi and Sun Shutong could still be salvaged, but their hesitant mentality of wanting to improve yet not daring to did so clearly showed a lack of decisiveness and courage. They were not his competitors in front of Minister Yuan.

Liu Chang'an had already left Xiangtan University under the cover of night. Although he claimed that An Nuan would tell anyone trying to pursue her that they "would die," he wouldn't just casually kill this "Minister Yuan" now.

"Dying" doesn't mean killing him casually. There are ways to make him start anew, as if he had been put to the brink of death.

Liu Chang'an remained calm. He couldn't possibly have been unaware of the appearance of someone like Minister Yuan. Supermodel An Nuan was a rare resource on campus, and anyone who considered themselves capable wanted to experience the dreamlike feeling of dating a supermodel.

As for fair competition, that's a joke. Liu Chang'an's words weren't meant to insult him, but rather to advise him that only his parents would talk to him about fairness. Anyone with a normal IQ should be able to understand Liu Chang'an's admonition, which was very appropriate and timely.

Liu Chang'an returned home. The bustling city night seemed to vanish without a trace around the street corner, having no connection to this old neighborhood. Liu Chang'an lived here, but never felt like he was living in seclusion. The saying "the greatest hermit lives in the city" sounds impressive, but it's actually meaningless; it's more like deliberate affectation. It feels like these sayings were created similarly to those of some "sentence enthusiasts" on the internet, who concoct sentences that have nothing to do with themselves and that they've never experienced.

As soon as Liu Chang'an walked between the two buildings and saw the sycamore tree and the delivery truck, he felt something was wrong.

The door of the transport vehicle was opened a crack. The crack wasn't big, but Liu Chang'an could see that light was faintly coming through, indicating that someone had gone inside.

Liu Chang'an slowly walked over. Could it be a petty thief like Li Hongfang? Let's arrest him and give him a beating. If the coffin has already been stolen, then it was probably Shangguan Dandan's own choice.

Slowly opening the carriage door, Liu Chang'an saw Zhou Dongdong sitting on the carriage floor, a bucket of beans between her legs, and leisurely grabbing beans from the bucket and stuffing them into her mouth.

"Can't you have some taste? Don't just eat anything you can get your hands on, and don't eat a lot of it!" Liu Chang'an said, arms crossed, leaning against the car door as he looked at Zhou Dongdong.

"Beans are delicious too!" Zhou Dongdong turned her head and looked around, somewhat puzzled. "Where's your mom? She just called me down to eat beans with her!"

Liu Chang'an walked over and pulled Zhou Dongdong out. "Eating too many beans will cause bloating. You'll know what's going to happen when your stomach hurts and you fart."

"Can my eating skills rival those of beans?"

"What nonsense is this?"

"Maybe I'm a big eater, so I won't get a stomachache or farts like other kids when I eat beans."

"You're dreaming. Where's your mother?"

"Mom is working."

"You're not allowed to say that Egg Sister is my mother anymore." Liu Chang'an thought Shangguan Dandan was being incredibly unscrupulous. What kind of hero is she, using Zhou Dongdong... Bah, what kind of harem mistress is she?

Why? She's your mother.

"If you don't mention it again, I'll cook you mandarin fish."

"A fish I've never eaten before!"

"Um."

"Alright then." Zhou Dongdong hooked her little finger with Liu Chang'an's.

Liu Chang'an left Zhou Dongdong in his downstairs room to watch TV, then went to talk to Shangguan Dandan.

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Although I only gained a little over 200 monthly votes, I'm offering an 8600-word chapter today as a token of my sincerity. The deadline is tomorrow at 6 PM. If I get 3300 votes, I'll update 10,000 words. If not, I'll update as I see fit.