To be honest, even as someone’s birthday approached, Lin Xinyuan still hadn’t quite decided what gift to give.
She wanted to give something ordinary, but when she thought about the jade hairpin Qin Nanfeng gave her on her own birthday—which looked like the real deal at first glance—she felt that anything she chose would be too embarrassing to present.
In the midst of this hesitation, she finally chose to give up thinking and decided to get him something practical. Digital products seemed like a good choice.
Thus, after browsing back and forth online, she placed an order for a pair of Bluetooth headphones, which cost her over 1,000 RMB.
Actually, Lin Xinyuan had always felt that Bluetooth headphones shouldn’t be that expensive.
She used a pair that cost a little over 100 RMB, and even then, she felt they were a bit pricey, let alone the ones she bought for Qin Nanfeng from a certain fruit-branded company…
However, while she was reluctant to spend on herself, the moment she remembered she was buying them for that Yellow-Haired Brat, she suddenly didn’t feel so bad about the cost.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered knitting a scarf or something similar, like the female leads in those webnovels, but as she looked up at the massive, vicious “Fireball” in the sky, she fell into deep thought and decided against that kind of gift.
To Lin Xinyuan, it felt better to prioritize practicality when giving gifts.
If she were to knit a scarf herself, not only would she not have enough time, but it would be time-consuming and limited by the season.
Besides, she found it hard to trust her own skills. It would essentially be a thankless, foolish task, so she decided to forget about it.
Anyway, there would be other opportunities in the future; there was no need to dwell on it too much…
“Junior Sister, it’s time to get up…”
In the early morning, as the sky was just beginning to turn grey, Lin Xinyuan was forcibly dragged out of her dreams by that Yellow-Haired Brat.
Filled with morning grumpiness, she rolled around in frustration like a whining kitten, not wanting to listen to him.
‘Junior Sister my foot!’
Heaven knows, because of Qin Nanfeng these past few days, she had been forced to dream about some very strange things…
Mm… it was definitely not her fault!
“Don’t want to… sleepy…” the girl murmured dissatisfiedly. She felt exhausted in both body and mind and didn’t want to get up at all.
“Do you want to visit the countryside? I’ll take you to see my grandmother.”
Lin Xinyuan was still throwing a small tantrum and intending to ignore him, but as soon as she heard those words, she snapped awake.
She sprang up from the bed in an instant, hurrying to wash up and change her clothes.
As she walked, she grumbled to herself, blaming Qin Nanfeng for not mentioning this last night and causing her to stay up late…
But at the thought of meeting Qin Nanfeng’s grandmother, even if she had already passed away, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Thinking this way, her spirits lifted a bit.
Qin Nanfeng, meanwhile, leaned leisurely against the headboard and watched the girl with a gentle smile.
Then, as if remembering something, a look of nostalgia appeared in his eyes, as if he had returned to his childhood.
It could be said that in his heart, his grandmother held much more weight than his own parents…
In the washroom, Lin Xinyuan quickly changed her clothes.
But when she lowered her gaze to look at the warm undergarments she had just taken off, her face turned red.
Like a thief, she filled a basin with water and dropped the dirty clothes inside to soak, breaking into a nervous sweat.
Honestly…
‘How did it end up like this…?’
The girl lightly bit her lower lip and patted her flushed face in front of the mirror. She didn’t dare open the washroom door until the heat had mostly faded.
Today, Lin Xinyuan dressed simply, wearing only a plain white printed shirt and blue jeans.
This was the outfit she wore most often and felt most comfortable in. Aside from her legs feeling a bit hot, there were no downsides.
After all, she was going to pay her respects to an elder who had passed away; wearing a skirt or something similar would be inconvenient…
Once everything was ready, Lin Xinyuan and Qin Nanfeng went downstairs. Grandpa Qin was already waiting for them in the courtyard.
Seeing the two come down, the old man had them eat a simple bowl of plain soup noodles. Then, he drove a three-wheeled vehicle out from the shed to take them on their way.
The distance from the town to the village wasn’t very far; it took the girl less than thirty minutes.
Along the way, the roadside fields were a vibrant green. Occasionally, they saw many vegetable greenhouses, which made her feel as if she had returned to her primary school days.
It was like an illustration from a childhood textbook where she could faintly smell the scent of books—fragrant and rich—which had been a solace during her darker times…
The countryside here was quite different from Zhannan. It wasn’t so flat that the horizon was the only thing in sight; hills and tall mountains were also visible.
Following the well-paved road, they unknowingly entered the village. Many villagers who saw them were surprised but greeted them warmly.
After all, Qin Nanfeng’s family was the most famous in Xiyuan Village.
It was the Head of the Qin family who was the most successful, driving the local vegetable industry and making the lives of these people so prosperous today.
Otherwise, this place would surely still be a poor, remote corner. Therefore, the villagers were deeply grateful to them.
Grandpa Qin nodded in response to everyone with a smile.
Naturally, many people asked about the unfamiliar girl, and as expected, they heard the “future granddaughter-in-law” explanation from Grandpa Qin’s mouth.
Those people couldn’t help but praise how beautiful Lin Xinyuan was and wished for Grandpa Qin to hold a great-grandson soon, causing her to shyly hide beside the youth.
The Qin Family Ancestral House had been renovated, and it was said to have a history of several hundred years.
After getting out of the vehicle, Lin Xinyuan felt a heavy sense of time just by looking at it from the outside.
Walking further in and observing the carved beams, painted rafters, and signs of wear, she felt that if one went back a few hundred years, Qin Nanfeng’s family must have been a prominent one.
A scale like this was impossible for an ordinary family to achieve.
The house seemed to be cleaned regularly, so there were no weeds. Instead, the flowers and plants were neatly trimmed.
Just standing in the middle of the courtyard and looking around gave the girl a sense of déjà vu, as if she had returned to ancient times…
Upon arriving at the main hall, Grandpa Qin led them to worship the Qin family ancestors.
Lin Xinyuan was very earnest about this and felt happy deep down. Grandpa Qin’s action was essentially a true recognition of her as his granddaughter-in-law, not just a verbal title.
In fact, that was exactly the case. After spending so many days together, Grandpa Qin had thoroughly seen the true nature of this shy yet gentle and virtuous girl.
The old man was extremely satisfied, even feeling that his grandson didn’t deserve her.
Because of this, Grandpa Qin had specifically sought out Qin Nanfeng. Only after confirming that the boy wasn’t playing with the girl’s feelings did he feel at ease.
‘Sigh, I suppose he’s finally turned over a new leaf…’
After staying at the ancestral house for a while and picking up offerings, paper money, and candles, they headed directly to the nearby cemetery.
In addition to Grandma Qin, Qin Nanfeng’s great-grandparents were also buried here.
Qin Nanfeng led the girl to pay respects to his great-grandfather and great-grandmother one by one before finally arriving at Grandma Qin’s tombstone.
Looking at the woman in the black-and-white photo who was in the prime of her life, appearing beautiful and gentle, the trace of a smile on her lips seemed as though it had never faded…
At this moment, Lin Xinyuan felt the flicker of nervousness in her heart gradually fade, replaced by an inexplicable warmth, because it reminded her of her own grandmother.
That gentle smile was very similar…
After helping the youth and Grandpa Qin burn the paper money, Lin Xinyuan solemnly bowed three times before slowly standing up and stepping to the side.
But before she could wait long, Qin Nanfeng took her small hand and led her straight away, only stopping when they reached the three-wheeled vehicle.
“Grandpa, this is…”
Lin Xinyuan snapped back to her senses, feeling a bit dazed. she didn’t know why Qin Nanfeng was pulling her away—weren’t they going to wait for Grandpa?
Filled with doubt, she unconsciously looked back at a tombstone in the distance.
Grandpa Qin was still kneeling there, and she noticed that the old man’s back, which was usually straight, was now slightly hunched…
“Today… is my grandmother’s birthday… and also the anniversary of her death…”
Qin Nanfeng remained silent for a moment before slowly uttering those words.
His thoughts seemed to drift far away, but soon, his gaze shifted back to the girl’s face, which was filled with realization and awkwardness.
“So that’s how it is…”
“Yes,” Qin Nanfeng responded softly.
It was like this. Even that woman shared the same fate…
So… was he still “him”? Was the reason he could return… to change this ending?
He didn’t know…
He wasn’t sure about everything he was experiencing now; it all felt like a dream.
The beauty of it all made him suspect it was just his own imagination, a grand dream of self-deception…
When one regains the most important treasure in their life only to face losing it again, he simply could not accept it…
“Xiaoyuan.”
“Huh?”
Suddenly hearing the person beside her call her name, Lin Xinyuan’s eyes were dazed.
She tilted her head in confusion—moving in a way that was lovely and cute without her realizing it.
Being gazed at intensely by Qin Nanfeng, she couldn’t help but feel shy and wanted to lower her head.
But before she could move, Qin Nanfeng used his large hand to support her chin and stop her.
The youth’s gaze was deep and gentle. At this moment, it held no desire or flippancy; it was as if he had become a different person entirely, a side of him Lin Xinyuan rarely saw.
‘He’s really serious… he looks really good…’
Lin Xinyuan’s face turned red unconsciously. Her eyes flickered away slightly, but she stubbornly forced herself to look at him to show she was listening seriously.
Looking at her shy and adorable appearance, Qin Nanfeng felt an inexplicable bitterness in his heart. His chest felt a dull ache, like ants were biting at him—both painful and numb.
Yet, in contrast, the smile he showed was resolute and sincere.
“Xiaoyuan, I love you…”
As soon as those words were spoken, the girl’s heart trembled violently. Her pupils shook, and her body quivered as she lowered her eyes, her lips trembling.
This wasn’t fear, but excessive excitement.
“Why… why say such a thing all of a sudden… it’s… it’s gross…”
The youth laughed softly, his eyes shining. “I don’t know… maybe because I like you…”
“If it’s gross, then let it be gross…”