Qin Yanan caught a familiar aroma. There was no doubt about it: only the most authentic Qin Family lard-and-scallion noodles could smell exactly like that.
Liu Chang'an brought out two bowls of lard noodles, grabbed a little bamboo stool, and sat down with Qin Yanan at the doorway to eat.
"How do you know how to make this?" Qin Yanan asked, surprised. Liu Chang'an's connection to her family really did seem to be as close as he claimed—closer than she'd imagined.
"Your great-grandmother loved these noodles most of all. Your great-grandfather did too. The way I make them is the most authentic." Liu Chang'an was already eating heartily.
The dish sounded simple, but making the lard sauce was quite particular. Most people just heated up some lard with ginger and garlic when they wanted to eat, and the taste was a little different. The kind of noodles you used made a difference, too. Holding the bowl of noodles tossed with scallions and lard, Qin Yanan felt as if they had come straight from her family's kitchen.
"Did your great-grandfather teach you?" Qin Yanan asked tentatively. In truth, she knew nothing about Liu Chang'an's elders.
"I taught your great-grandfather." Liu Chang'an finished eating, set down his bowl and chopsticks, and looked at Qin Yanan.
Qin Yanan thought back to when she had first met him. He had called himself her great-grandfather's "old friend." That joke, which showed so little respect for an elder, was kind of amusing?
There was a distinct trace of displeasure in her eyes. Liu Chang'an was being far too familiar with his elders.
After Qin Yanan finished her noodles, Liu Chang'an went to wash the dishes.
"Can I come in and have a look?" The little design touches outside had made Qin Yanan curious about Liu Chang'an's room. Hearing him agree, she went inside.
There was nothing special about his room. It was quite ordinary, no different from countless temporary residences, and he hadn't gone out of his way to decorate it. Only the desk against the wall stood out, piled high with books.
A sheet of white paper lay on the desk. Four characters at the top read: "To my younger brother, Ziqing."
"Ziqing" was Qin Peng's courtesy name, and Qin Yanan knew that. But who could write to Qin Peng using "my younger brother," a phrase clearly used by an older brother?
Forget status and position; just considering their ages, anyone older than Qin Peng would have to be hoping to break the world's longevity record. There couldn't be many people like that in the whole world.
Liu Chang'an had said he would write a letter, so Qin Yanan had guessed that the "Ziqing" on the paper referred to her great-grandfather. But then she reconsidered. It obviously couldn't be. No matter how irreverent Liu Chang'an was, he couldn't possibly address Qin Peng that way.
Qin Yanan set down the paper and couldn't help asking, "Did you write this?"
"This..." Liu Chang'an nodded. "My great-grandfather did."
Qin Yanan was astonished that Liu Chang'an's great-grandfather was still alive. But where was he? Had a legendary figure like that vanished without a trace, only to quietly reappear?
Bang!
Someone pounded hard on the door. A hand reached in from the morning light and crooked its middle finger before lazily lowering it. A figure turned away, leaving behind only a long shadow.
Liu Chang'an went outside, and Qin Yanan followed him.
Six people stood outside, led by Ma Benwei. His cheeks were still a little swollen and his hair was a mess, but he had changed into a stylish suit and gleaming dress shoes. He held a baseball bat upside down in one hand. The five men behind him carried no weapons, but in the cool morning air, they wore tank tops that showed off their bulging muscles. They looked imposing.
"Well, well... buddy, you sure don't lack for beautiful women..." A mature woman had a more direct, alluring charm. Her graceful curves were captivating, and the flirtatiousness in her eyes still shone through her faintly displeased expression. When Ma Shilong had first seen An Nuan, he'd been dazzled, but he'd managed to keep himself under control. Today, though, he planned to let loose. Seeing a woman like Qin Yanan, he couldn't help thinking the day's entertainment could use a little extra spice.
"Who are these people?" Seeing that they meant trouble, Qin Yanan asked.
"Heroes."
"Heroes?" Ma Benwei laughed. "Flattery won't help you now. You sure had fun livestreaming yesterday... Want me to start another livestream for you today?"
Ma Benwei was only bluffing. Someone had privately messaged him Liu Chang'an's home address yesterday, and he'd already made his plans. He couldn't go block Liu Chang'an at the Affiliated High School. If some busybody filmed him beating someone up, videos of a student being attacked at the school gate would spread like wildfire, and things would be hard to control. As a streamer himself, Ma Benwei knew that much... And livestreaming a beating would be even dumber.
"Get lost. Now," Qin Yanan said irritably. She didn't care to ask how Liu Chang'an had gotten mixed up with these people, but if he got beaten up right in front of her, she wouldn't be able to answer to her great-grandfather.
"Such a fiery temper, little beauty. Take it easy. I'll deal with him first, then your big brother will take you out for some fun. We'll livestream it. With a face that could make a guy blow his load in a second, you'll definitely become an online celebrity!" Ma Benwei genuinely loved the streaming business. He planned to become the biggest streamer around, and having a woman like the one before him help would make him twice as powerful. Even if she could only be used once or twice to draw viewers, it would still show off his clout in the streaming world. After all, none of the girls other streamers brought in to boost their popularity could compare to her—not in looks, figure, or presence.
Qin Yanan sneered and was about to act. As Qin Peng's great-granddaughter, she certainly wasn't utterly helpless. But then she saw Liu Chang'an frown beside her. He snatched the baseball bat from Ma Benwei, swung his arm, and struck him squarely on the head. He followed up with a flurry of blows, knocking down the men who hadn't even had time to react, one by one.
Qin Yanan stared in stunned silence. There was something indescribably beautiful about Liu Chang'an's movements, as smooth as flowing water. It was as if his opponents had slowed down to let him show off. In an instant, the men had all fallen over each other onto the ground... Ma Benwei included.
"He said it was because of your face... You look too much like Ye Sijin, and I don't like people using that face to say vulgar, lewd things." Liu Chang'an explained himself to Qin Yanan.
Qin Yanan found his reasoning incredibly strange. Why was he so protective of her great-grandmother?
Still, he was protecting the elder she revered most. Qin Yanan sincerely hoped she could become a woman like Ye Sijin herself, so although she couldn't understand his protectiveness, she was willing to accept it.
"I was going to hit him anyway. I just picked a random excuse," Liu Chang'an added.
Qin Yanan increasingly felt that her younger cousin was far too full of character. He was learned, talented, and exceptionally good at fighting. With Liu Chang'an's clean, efficient technique, all he lacked was the strength to kill with a single blow. Otherwise, he'd be skilled enough to serve as a bodyguard for a leader at her great-grandfather's level... Of course, she meant only his fighting skills, and fighting skills alone wouldn't be enough.
Thinking about it, she and Liu Chang'an weren't a good match, but Zhu Juntang... If Zhu Juntang got to know him, she might well fall for him. It was just that he already had a girl he liked.
A woman's intuition told Qin Yanan that, among the girls she'd seen at the Affiliated High School that day, the one named An Nuan was closer to Liu Chang'an. At the dinner table, An Nuan's eyes had often drifted toward him.
The girl was pretty, to be sure, but after graduating from high school, she would be off to college. A youthful campus romance would probably end with the growing pains. It wasn't as if Qin Yanan wanted to break them up; she only meant to introduce Liu Chang'an and Zhu Juntang. As for what happened after that, Qin Yanan certainly wouldn't interfere.
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