A Man's Devotion

Liu Chang'an stepped out of the glass house. The trees were dense with shadows. Looking up, he saw that the sky was already full of stars. The air in the Mount Lu was much less dusty, and the scenery had a fresher feel.

The air underground, despite the good ventilation and air purification equipment, was still somewhat stuffy, reminding Liu Chang'an of Qin Shi Huang's underground palace... No matter how vast and magnificent that man-made world of sun, moon, and stars was, it seemed small and crude compared to the real Milky Way.

He also played a part in preventing the underground palace from being further excavated back then; let that underground world remain buried forever.

The phone rang; it was An Nuan.

Liu Chang'an checked and saw many missed call reminders. He didn't even know when he had activated this reminder service, because he felt it was unnecessary. Missing calls was a common occurrence, so why bother with reminders?

"I called you so many times today, but I couldn't get through to any of them. Tell me, are you cheating on me behind my back?" An Nuan coquettishly threatened Liu Chang'an.

"I just ran into my ex-girlfriend from my past life. We met and talked for a long time... um... of course, we met underground, so there was no signal. She even said she wanted to give me a robot harem, with characters named Huang Rong, Hepburn, Bai Suzhen, Xishi, Yang Yuhuan, and so on. She also wanted to have my children, but I refused." Liu Chang'an earnestly reminded him, "Someone as charming and dashing as me has had quite a few ex-girlfriends. Be prepared."

"I'm not afraid..." What nonsense! An Nuan giggled, then became serious. "But there's a serious problem you need to explain to me!"

"You say."

"Why wasn't I your girlfriend in your past life?" An Nuan asked angrily. "In my mind, you were my boyfriend in my past life."

She was just giggling like an idiot, but suddenly she seemed genuinely sulking. Liu Chang'an couldn't help but chuckle, because he could tell that An Nuan genuinely upset because her fantasies couldn't be compared to what Liu Chang'an had just said about the inability to have a sweet relationship.

"That's probably because you couldn't forget me in your past life, and it finally paid off, which is why you were able to meet me in this life. So there's nothing to complain about..." Liu Chang'an suddenly realized the truth. "That's how it is. If I had been your boyfriend in your past life, maybe I wouldn't be in this one. Think about it."

"Ugh! That's more like it. Fine, I'll be the greater one and make a sacrifice." An Nuan agreed with him, thinking back to her unrequited love for Liu Chang'an in her past life, and felt a little self-satisfied. So she didn't mind anymore, but since she had already made sacrifices her whole life, she wanted to get a little more benefit. "Then you have to be my boyfriend in your next life! Otherwise, I'll be angry!"

"That's incredibly greedy."

"I want it! I want it! I want it!"

"Alright, since you're so good at being charming, I'll grant your request." Liu Chang'an nodded with a smile.

An Nuan was both pleased and sweet. She asked him about the details of his date with Professor Liu. Thanks to the fact that Professor Liu had been in a car accident today, An Nuan was too scared to care about the long time they spent alone together. So An Nuan didn't get jealous anymore, saving Liu Chang'an the trouble of coaxing her.

An Nuan decided that if she got jealous, Liu Chang'an would have to coax her. She decided that next time she would bring up this matter to get jealous, she would make him coax her.

Men will always like girls who know how to be charming and coquettish.

Men will always be attracted to 18-year-old girls.

Men will always like good-looking women.

Men are so loyal.

The single-minded Liu Chang'an hung up the phone, stood there gazing up at the Milky Way breaking through the sky for a while, and then sent a text message to Qin Yanan, asking if there was any food available.

No matter how lofty and elegant one's mood may be, people still need to eat.

Qin Yanan said she had made a male prostitute and asked him to come over.

Liu Chang'an saw an old man selling two baskets of bitter oranges by the roadside. These things are basically not sold in local supermarkets and fruit markets in Junsha because they are big and ugly, looking like ugly oranges. However, the taste is mainly sour. The sourness decreases and the sweetness increases after the peel turns yellow and wrinkled. At that time, he didn't know how it tasted.

Although it doesn't taste as good as most oranges, tangerines, mandarins, or tangerines, it's good for digestion, and can treat colds, coughs, headaches, fevers, etc. So, in the past, people in the countryside would often plant one or two trees in front of their homes. The elderly liked to eat it, since they had more ailments, and they would also give it to children to treat minor illnesses. Young people preferred to eat fresh and sweet fruits.

"Old man, how much are these bitter oranges per pound?" Liu Chang'an picked up a few and held them in his hand, weighing them in his hand. They were quite heavy, indicating that they weren't very ripe. Normally, these are only picked in December.

"San... Sanmao..." The old man held up three crooked fingers.

"Five cents, I'll take them all."

"May you prosper, boss! Thank you, boss!"

The old man grinned, revealing his missing teeth, and took a slightly tattered snakeskin bag. He filled it with limes, tied the opening tightly with a yarn rope, and handed it to Liu Chang'an.

The old man didn't have a QR code for receiving payments, Liu Chang'an didn't have any cash, so Liu Chang'an went to the convenience store to exchange some cash for the old man, and then went to find Qin Yanan carrying a snakeskin bag full of bitter oranges.

"So you're packing your bags and coming here to find a place to stay?" Qin Yanan found it a bit funny when she saw the burlap sack with several holes on his back... Of course, she could also see the orange peels inside, so it wasn't for bedding... If An Nuan really kicked him out later, she wouldn't take him in!

Pah, pah, what a jinx! Why did I even want him to be kicked out by An Nuan? Wouldn't that mean I'd already admitted that he and An Nuan might actually get together?

"Mount Lu is only 300 meters above sea level. A single wave from this sea of vinegar could flood you. Even if you're looking for a place to settle down, it won't affect you." Liu Chang'an opened the bag.

"Isn't this a bitter orange? There are quite a lot of them in Wenzhou, but they're not grown much here in Junsha, are they?" Qin Yanan recognized the fruit.

"There are quite a few here too... but there are fewer supermarkets and fruit markets here, while they are sold quite a lot in the towns and villages. Generally, they don't ripen until December, but I don't know why, this one already looks yellow." Liu Chang'an took one, peeled it open, ate a slice without changing his expression, and then took another slice to feed Qin Yanan.

Qin Yanan, wearing two gloves, lowered her head slightly, opened her mouth and brought it closer, taking a bite. Instantly, a burst of bitter, sour juice gushed out.

Qin Yanan immediately frowned, feeling the bitter and sour taste assault her eyes, nose and mouth, causing her to shrink back. Her body involuntarily trembled twice, and the juice of the bitter orange swirled in her mouth, making her teeth and tongue feel numb. She quickly spat it into the trash can.

"I rarely feed you, and look how disgusted you are." Liu Chang'an forcefully swallowed the bitter orange segment, forcing a smile.

Qin Yanan pulled off her gloves, took a few sips of water to rinse her mouth, and then glared at Liu Chang'an with a mixture of amusement and annoyance. "Why didn't I think about it more? Usually, if you see me wearing gloves, you'd just put an orange aside and tell me it's delicious and I should try it later... Why would you be so eager to feed me?"

"You were just as silly when you were little. This isn't the first time I've fed you something so awful. Haha..." Liu Chang'an laughed several times, always feeling happy when doing things like this.

Ye Chenyu also fed Ye Sijin, who was a child, bitter oranges that hadn't turned sweet yet.

Bitter oranges are usually harvested in winter. After being picked, they gradually ripen, the bitterness slowly disappears, and the sweetness increases. Fruit from old trees can be stored for up to six months.

The old man's bitter oranges must have been grown near a geothermal area or were a hybrid variety, making them ripen early. Liu Chang'an felt that they would naturally become sweet after two months or more of harvesting.

Qin Yanan rolled her eyes at him, but the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. When he said "when you were little," he was of course referring to her as Ye Sijin.

Even though she didn't remember, she actually felt pretty good being teased by him. She was being a bit of a masochist, Qin Yanan thought to herself as she went to the kitchen.

Liu Chang'an tied the snakeskin bag back up and went to the kitchen to see what Qin Yanan had cooked that day.

I didn't expect Qin Yanan to be so particular about food when she lives alone. She used a covered earthenware pot with a thick layer of charcoal ash, probably because it had been simmering from morning till night. It's typical of a mansion's cuisine.

The four major regional cuisines and eight major cuisines are categorized according to flavor style. There are also regional categories, such as Shandong cuisine, Henan cuisine, and "family cuisine," depending on who is eating it.

Of course, that was the old saying; now anyone can eat it.

Previously, these dishes were categorized according to the person: imperial cuisine, official cuisine, cuisine for noble families, cuisine for ordinary people, cuisine for scholars, cuisine for the countryside, cuisine for the sick, and cuisine for foreigners.

In ancient times, there were strict definitions for mansions, residences, courtyards, and dwellings. For example, in the Qing Dynasty, only the houses of imperial relatives or first-class dukes could be called "mansions".

This "mansion cuisine" was generally only affordable for royalty, nobles, wealthy merchants, and the elite; it was a general term representing exquisite taste.

For example, the well-known Confucius cuisine, Dongpo cuisine, Yunlin cuisine, Suiyuan cuisine, Tan family cuisine, etc., all have this kind of origin.

"This duck is called Xu Duck... It's probably just someone from a wealthy family, not a high-ranking official, so Yuan Mei only recorded its name as Xu Duck... When Yuan Mei ate good food at an official's house, he would always write down what official's rank it was." Qin Yanan put her gloves back on. "In mid-October, the summer heat gradually subsides and the autumn air intensifies. Male ducks are at their fattest after the Mid-Autumn Festival, nourishing yin and the stomach, making them the most suitable for autumn tonics... You ask why female ducks' skin ages while male ducks' skin and flesh don't age even when they are old?"

"The male duck's spiral eagle can grow up to forty centimeters long; it must be skilled in yin-yang replenishment," Liu Chang'an concluded, drawing on his knowledge.

Qin Yanan blushed and showed it to him.

Nowadays, girls aren't so easily shy anymore. There are dirty jokes and all sorts of lewd pictures and topics everywhere. But men, don't they like this coy and affected behavior? Like that girl who's clearly a closet pervert but likes to act innocent and pure in front of her boyfriend... This is just an example, not directed at anyone in particular.

Qin Yanan can do it too, who can't?

"Is this a Muscovy duck?" Liu Chang'an asked.

Qin Yanan nodded. "It's made with Muscovy duck, Zhenjiang Baihua wine, Qingzhou sea salt, and boiling water to remove the scum. Then, cold water and tender ginger are added, and it's sealed in this earthenware pot with parchment paper. The whole thing, along with the edge of the stove, is wrapped in a protective bag, so not a single flavor escapes. It's been stewing for a full... ten hours."

Qin Yanan glanced at her watch; it was almost time.

"Let's eat from the bowl then." Liu Chang'an went to get bowls, chopsticks, and spoons, somewhat hesitantly.

Qin Yanan unpacked the package and removed the paper wrapping. Even before opening the lid, the fragrance wafted out, reaching Liu Chang'an in the restaurant.

"Compared to many ingredients that require careful seasoning, duck is the best choice. Salted duck, fairy duck, cordyceps duck, roast duck, three-layer duck, camphor tea duck, blood duck, young ginger duck, Dongmen angelica duck, tangerine peel duck, etc..." Liu Chang'an served Qin Yanan a bowl before starting to eat himself.

"My cooking is better than the young wife upstairs, isn't it?" Qin Yanan said with a hint of pride, sipping the duck she had stewed herself. The duck meat was tender and flavorful, and the broth was rich but not greasy, making it smooth and delicious.

"Each has its own charm." Although Zhou Shuling was someone Liu Chang'an often disliked, that was only when he was alone with Zhou Shuling. Liu Chang'an had no reason to use Zhou Shuling to elevate others in front of others.

Is it a person or a vegetable?

"Um?"

"Eat up, just kidding." Qin Yanan turned her eyes away.

"Naughty." Liu Chang'an smiled and didn't take it to heart.

Qin Yanan has been thinking about something these past few days: the dreams she had of Ye Sijin and Ye Chenyu were actually real, the dreams that happened that night when Su Mei drugged her.

Without a doubt, Liu Chang'an was also a victim.

In this whole affair, probably very few people realize that Liu Chang'an is also a victim; some might even call him a scumbag.

This is typical victim-blaming... Qin Yanan remembered making an inappropriate joke that day. She told Liu Chang'an that Zhou Dongdong would be sixteen years old in ten years... Liu Chang'an was very dissatisfied at the time. He said that Chang'an and the silly child were the perfect couple. Why drag such a unique feeling into things between men and women?

At that time, Ye Sijin and Ye Chenyu represented the most perfect state of their relationship for him, a state he cherished and was very satisfied with... In the end, Su Mei destroyed this precious relationship.

As for what Ye Sijin was thinking at the time, it's impossible to know. Perhaps it wasn't just a simple brother-sister relationship; perhaps there was admiration, respect, and deep affection. She might have even been jealous of Su Mei. But to ask her to transform the feelings she had grown accustomed to and cherished into romantic love would probably make her uneasy and hesitant to make such a change without restraint.

But isn't the most crucial thing right now what Qin Yanan thinks?

That's what they say.

Qin Yanan felt the same way; what she thought was the most important thing... She just realized this, and hoped Liu Chang'an could realize this too, but she really didn't think about anything else.

So Qin Yanan quietly ate the duck.

She remembered him explaining her name, and almost couldn't help but spit out the duck meat in her mouth while laughing. However, maintaining ladylike manners while dining was a basic skill for heiresses. Qin Yanan inhaled and lifted her hips, instantly suppressing her laughter. This was a method of suppressing laughter that most people didn't know.

"Eat properly." Seeing her eyes darting around and her chest heaving, Liu Chang'an tapped the table with his fingers to remind her.

"Brother, what did you and Professor Liu do today?" Qin Yanan asked casually.

Liu Chang'an recalled the nonsensical things she had said to him at noon, such as "you've massaged me" and "you've touched me," but thankfully she was just saying it casually and hadn't mentioned asking him to massage her anymore.

She wants to have some clothes custom-made and asked me for advice.

"You're not a fashion designer or anything, what kind of advice can you offer?" Qin Yanan said somewhat unhappily. Once a woman starts asking a man for help and paying attention to his opinions, she'll become clingy, because women are extremely prone to developing dependence.

They often blindly trust a man's abilities in other areas because of his abilities in one area.

Sometimes, when I'm used to asking him for help or advice, I easily run into problems and can't feel at ease without his help.

This kind of feeling is really easy to change... especially for some single women who lack self-control, like to overthink, and are old in age but young at heart.

"I used to be a tailor. I made clothes for An Nuan. She knows my skill level." Liu Chang'an didn't think that much about Qin Yanan.

He doesn't overthink things; he doesn't consider everyone's opinions or the potential consequences. That's definitely not his mindset.

"Then make me a dress too?" Qin Yanan shuffled over in her dining chair, looking at Liu Chang'an expectantly, "Brother!"

"He's getting better and better at calling her 'brother,' even starting to sound sweet and coquettish," Liu Chang'an praised, then turned away, "You're just trying to stir up trouble again."

Qin Yanan rolled her eyes at Liu Chang'an. It was a waste of her courage to act cute like that; she herself was getting goosebumps.

She moved the dining chair back to its original position.

"Then give me a massage? A real massage." Qin Yanan emphasized the word "real," indicating that she didn't want him to do anything like just a massage or touching.

"I'm massaging An Nuan to help her develop. Do you really need to do this?" Liu Chang'an waved his hand. "Don't cause trouble. This duck needs to be eaten hot; it'll taste greasy if it gets cold."

Qin Yanan agreed with his point of view with some pride, but she finally realized that suppressing An Nuan was something she had to do herself. As her older brother, he could at most remain neutral, and might even support his beloved from behind the scenes.

Fortunately, she has the resources. How could she put the cart before the horse? Making clothes or giving massages are just ways to be on par with An Nuan. She has resources that An Nuan can only dream of. Next time, she'll use her superior skills to defeat An Nuan.

"Brother, here's a duck leg for you." Qin Yanan enthusiastically picked out the stewed duck leg, which was tender and smooth, and put it in Liu Chang'an's bowl, because she wanted to thank him for reminding her that the real weapon against An Nuan was actually herself.

Liu Chang'an glanced at her suspiciously, but didn't think too much about it. In short, as long as it wasn't Su Nanxiu, no one else could cause any major trouble.

"I met Su Nanxiu today." Liu Chang'an started talking about Su Nanxiu, "She owns a very large... organization in the underground of Xiangtan University, which has probably been operating for quite some time."

"What did she say to you?" Qin Yanan asked, very concerned.

"We didn't say much, just chatted about the past. The brothers, Ki and Peel, whom we killed in Mount Lu Valley that night, were indeed Su Nanxiu's men. The underground base in the valley is connected to the underground base inside Xiangtan University." Liu Chang'an said with some doubt, "I didn't ask her at the time why she wanted to build such a huge underground base inside Xiangtan University."

"I've noticed a few things here... First of all, you must be Professor Liu Jianshe, right?" Qin Yanan suppressed a laugh as she mentioned this name, which had a distinctly historical feel.

Qin Yanan nodded. It is said that Professor Liu Jianshe is also quite dashing, and back in the day, many teachers and students at Xiangtan University were deeply in love with him.

The key point is that Liu Chang'an said Su Nanxiu had been operating at Xiangtan University for a long time, which reminded her of some information that she originally thought was not very relevant.

"In the early 21st century, academic exchanges between Xiangtan University and foreign universities increased. On one occasion, a woman from the Hopkins University delegation was a representative of the Nikola Tesla Institute. Her behavior at Xiangtan University was quite unusual, leading some to suspect she had stolen some of the Xiangtan University's research findings, but they weren't caught red-handed. In 2004, the Tesla Institute announced the discovery of a key anti-aging gut bacterium, with related papers published in a world-renowned medical journal. Two professors from Xiangtan University, Xu Zhancheng and Ren Changhong, raised objections and accusations, claiming the Tesla Institute had stolen the research results of the deceased Professor Liu Jianshe. This matter caused quite a stir at the time, putting the two professors under considerable pressure. Keep in mind that at that time, the Tesla Institute had established cooperative relationships with numerous research institutions, universities, and hospitals in China. Even within Xiangtan University, there were many voices questioning the professors' work." Qin Yanan pulled out her phone and searched, "News from over a decade ago... Look, after the objection incident regarding the discovery of the A. muciniphila bacteria, the Zhu Family announced they would increase their investment in South Hunan."

"You mean, the Tesla Institute representative who accompanied the Hopkins exchange team was Su Nanxiu?"

"It's most likely her." Ever since she learned that Su Nanxiu was the Third Mistress, Qin Yanan had been paying attention, but she hadn't had any relevant evidence or reliable sources of information... After all, her focus always kept returning to the gossip about Ye Sijin and Ye Chenyu, and she had recently forgotten to mention these things to Liu Chang'an that she thought were not very relevant at the time.

Liu Chang'an nodded. He realized that he had sensed he was about to be exposed and had decisively changed his identity. It seemed that his premonition was correct. However, he had prepared a little too early, while Su Nanxiu's actions were a little too late... She probably wasn't called Su Nanxiu back then. In 2004, she should have been the Third Mistress.

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