A Man and a Young Girl Had Also Lived Here Many Years Ago

An Nuan and Han Zhizhi played around for a while, then Liu Chang'an complained that she was hungry. Liu Chang'an thought that Han Zhizhi had gained some weight since summer. He thought it would be nice if she could share the extra weight with An Nuan. An Nuan had grown taller and gained a little weight, but because she usually trained a lot at school, her metabolism was very active, so her body couldn't save fat and she couldn't gain weight.

Fat is a good thing.

It can keep people warm when it grows on their bodies, and it can be used to render fat on pigs. Similarly, it can make people more beautiful and pork tastier.

Although there were no reservations, there weren't many people at this time. The restaurant had arranged window seats with lake views, and there were also a few outdoor seats, but they were naturally closed due to the weather.

The restaurant is called Golden Sand Hall. Like Lakeside 28, another hotel restaurant located across West Lake, it's a place where the food is delicious and inexpensive. If you don't want to be like a pervert and pursue a sense of ritual in dining or experience a so-called customized restaurant with a high-class atmosphere, Golden Sand Hall and Lakeside 28 are especially suitable for a casual meal or a gathering with friends. The only downside is that you always need to make reservations during holidays or peak meal times, so you can't just come whenever you want, which can be a bit of a hassle.

Ordering was very casual; they just ordered whatever they wanted. The girls liked desserts and pastries, An Nuan ordered the signature foie gras with scallion pancakes and Longjing steamed egg. Han Zhizhi ordered wasabi shrimp, snails with bamboo shoots and basil pomegranate buns. Liu Chang'an ordered a plate of crab roe rice for everyone. Because he thought of women, pork, and fat before eating, he also ordered braised abalone and pork belly. After glancing at An Nuan, he appropriately ordered a plate of West Lake vinegar fish, Zhenjiang vinegar ribs, and a black pepper and scallion stir-fried beef tenderloin to barely make the rice go well.

As soon as he started ordering, Liu Chang'an began to miss the stir-fried, salty, and spicy flavors of South Hunan. It was unavoidable; people from South Hunan always felt that there was nothing to eat with rice if there wasn't a dish stir-fried with ginger, garlic, and chili peppers on the table.

An Nuan ordered a bottle of sparkling water to accompany her meal. Han Zhizhi wanted to drink some alcohol, but she was afraid that if she got drunk, Liu Chang'an would leave her in the yard. If it snowed, wouldn't she become an outdoor snowman, ruining their enjoyment of the scenery? So she decided against it... The key issue was ordering alcohol. Usually, it was the host who brought it up. Since Liu Chang'an didn't mention it, she didn't bring it up either.

Actually, Han Zhizhi was a little jealous. Her best friend suddenly had a boyfriend, and it didn't seem like they were going to break up... It's the same with boys, too. Usually, two people play games together, play ball together, shower together, and act silly together. Then one day, one of them starts grooming himself up, washing his hair every day, his clothes are no longer wrinkled, his acne is gone, the bloodshot eyes are gone, and he goes on dates with his girlfriend looking refreshed and radiant. What would the other person feel?

Fortunately, Han Zhizhi and An Nuan are now separated by distance and have new friends. If they were still hanging out together every day like before, and then Liu Chang'an suddenly appeared, that would be really difficult.

"Have a scallion pancake." An Nuan thought it tasted good, so she picked one up and gave it to Liu Chang'an.

"I want some too!" Han Zhizhi exclaimed.

An Nuan chuckled and picked one up for Han Zhizhi as well.

"Can't you use it yourself?" Liu Chang'an said.

I like joining in the fun.

"I can tell."

After dinner, the three of them naturally didn't stay in the hotel. They went out for a bike ride, as bicycles are the most convenient and efficient mode of transportation around West Lake and related scenic areas.

Liu Chang'an had not been to Lin'an for some time. At the beginning of the last century, the Su Family owned many properties in this area. Some of their houses have now been converted into state-run hotels, which are quite famous. Many of the surrounding tea gardens also belonged to the Su Family at that time. During the tea-picking season, some literati would visit, because the Su Family's tea-picking girls were said to be quite beautiful. This was related to the tea brand "Daughter's Fragrance" that Su Mei wanted to manage.

At that time, Su Mei already had a good understanding of how to use gimmicks for marketing. The Su Family's "Daughter's Fragrance" tea was highly regarded and unaffordable for ordinary people, but it boosted the sales of other affordable teas produced by the Su Family.

However, because his girlfriend was Su Mei, Young Master Ye never had the chance to visit the Su Family's tea-picking girls at the tea plantation.

Nowadays, there's nothing left to see. However, some hotels are located within tea plantations, which serves as a gimmick to attract people to experience a rural life surrounded by the aroma of tea and lush greenery.

Young Master Ye had also brought Ye Sijin and Qin Peng here to play before, and Su Mei who entertained them. They stayed at the Su Family's residence here.

Now, revisiting the same places... Speaking of which, if a man travels to the same places but brings a different girlfriend each time, doesn't that seem a bit like a jerk?

Of course not. To be precise, Ye Chenyu and Su Mei were staying at the Su Family Villa for a relaxing and enjoyable time, while Liu Chang'an and An Nuan are staying at an ordinary hotel now.

That's the general idea.

"Liu Chang'an, what are you thinking about?" Han Zhizhi said loudly. She noticed that Liu Chang'an seemed lost in thought, and it seemed he was quite unhappy about being a third wheel. Otherwise, who would act like this when traveling with their girlfriend?

"I'm thinking about some historical anecdotes or stories related to this area," Liu Chang'an said.

"Then tell me." An Nuan wanted Liu Chang'an to show off in front of Han Zhizhi. After all, Han Zhizhi's understanding of Liu Chang'an was mostly based on An Nuan's descriptions. She wanted Han Zhizhi to know what it was like to travel with a knowledgeable and talented boyfriend... so that Han Zhizhi wouldn't look for boyfriends who only knew how to say things like "Wow," "666," "Let me Baidu it," or "Who is Master Hongyi?"

Upon seeing the words "Tiger Run," An Nuan immediately thought of Master Hongyi.

"We just passed by a sign with the words 'Tiger Run' on it, and it reminded me of Master Hongyi," Liu Chang'an said.

An Nuan chuckled twice, while Han Zhizhi frowned. "Who is Master Hongyi? I only know Fahai from Golden Mountain Temple... Oh, Li Shutong."

"Yes, the song we learned in elementary school, 'Outside the long pavilion, along the ancient road, the fragrant grass stretches to the horizon...' was written by him," An Nuan said.

"I know this person too, and he's joined the Xiling Seal Society, so his name is practically a household name in Lin'an." Han Zhizhi thought carefully, and many details came to mind.

"One of the founders of the Xiling Seal Society was Ye Weiming. Li Shutong was introduced to the Xiling Seal Society by a relative of Ye Weiming. Later, when Li Shutong wanted to stay at Tiger Run Temple, it was also this relative of Ye Weiming who helped him. Of course, that's not the point. The point is that this relative of Ye Weiming once bought a village nearby," Liu Chang'an recalled.

They had already ridden their bicycles to the vicinity of Lingyin Temple, and Dharma Cloud Village was not far in front of Lingyin Temple.

"Can I buy an entire village?" Han Zhizhi asked curiously.

"What couldn't be bought and sold in those days?" An Nuan sighed softly.

"This village is an ancient village with a history of over a thousand years... Now the village has changed hands again and become a hotel. The hotel's design concept is to utilize the charm of the ancient village and transform it into a wealthy village from the 18th century. It also has many tea gardens, and the hotel has a separate passage to Yongfu Temple and Lingyin Temple. The hotel can also arrange morning Buddhist services for guests," Liu Chang'an introduced like an enthusiastic hotel receptionist.

"Wow, this sounds pretty good..." Han Zhizhi said with a hint of longing. Girls tend to have a good impression of hotels that emphasize design, storytelling, and ambiance.

"Then I'll get you a room here. How about you stay here tonight?" Liu Chang'an suggested hospitably.

Han Zhizhi was dumbfounded. Had this person finally revealed his true intentions?

An Nuan blushed and remained silent.

"You've been going around in circles, spouting all this nonsense, just trying to break me and Nuannuan up!" Han Zhizhi suddenly realized. "Give up, I'll sleep with Nuannuan tonight, and I'll give her back to you tomorrow."

"Would I think that way? That I don't appreciate kindness?" Liu Chang'an rode his bicycle ahead.

You called me a dog?

"Witty."

An Nuan followed behind, biting her lip. This idiot, he only revealed himself after arriving in Lin'an ... If he had told her earlier that he had ulterior motives... she definitely wouldn't have agreed, but she probably wouldn't have called Han Zhizhi either. An Nuan was, after all, a strong and brave girl. Couldn't she resist Liu Chang'an's advances alone? These things depended on her own strong will, because he would definitely try again and again. She couldn't possibly call Han Zhizhi every time, could she?

"Actually, this hotel has a story... My father, Liu Jianshe, knew a friend named Wang An who died around the same time as him. Wang An was a regular at this hotel, and he often stayed here with a beautiful young woman."

"How beautiful?" An Nuan asked with concern, a little worried. She was used to Liu Chang'an thinking she was the most beautiful, but since Liu Chang'an had said "beautiful girl" to her face, it meant that her beauty was probably so good that even Liu Chang'an would find it hard to lie. Maybe she was a girl of the same level as An Nuan.

"What are you worried about?" Han Zhizhi knew An Nuan quite well. "Although she is a beautiful young girl, and this guy named Wang An is a friend of Liu Chang'an's father and is probably a middle-aged man, since the girl always stays in hotels with him... he must have been taken advantage of."

"But the age gap seems quite large... Liu Chang'an's elders shouldn't be that morally corrupt, right?" An Nuan became excited, though not entirely certain.

"Well... anyway, later on, this beautiful young woman got married and had children at sixteen." Liu Chang'an, riding his bicycle, couldn't help but shrug. "Don't have too much faith in the integrity of middle-aged men."

"That's amazing." An Nuan didn't know what to say.

"That's impressive," Han Zhizhi said admiringly.

"I'm a young man, I don't do that kind of thing. My girlfriend is over eighteen," Liu Chang'an said dismissively.

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I recommend a book called "Within Reach of an Enemy Country," the new book by the Riding the Wind with a Sword. It's a super exciting novel of over a million words—it's truly exhilarating!