Xie Nanyou sat in the hall, a trace of nostalgia flashing in her eyes as she looked at the familiar decorations. She pulled Xie Yuchen down to sit beside her. "How is the person I had sent over?" With that, she glanced at Xu Ansheng standing to the side, and seeing him nod, turned back to her brother.
"Don't worry, he has been settled in the guest room, and Xiao Si, who came along, is taking care of him," Head of the Xie Family said before looking at Xu Ansheng. "Ansheng, ask the kitchen if dinner is ready. Yaoyao is tired from the journey, so let's eat early so she can rest."
Xu Ansheng looked at the two of them. "Family Head, dinner is already prepared, all dishes that the Young Miss loves." He then looked at the Young Miss.
As soon as he arrived at the Xie Residence, he had cleaned house, rooting out two informants, and had Xiao Yi and Xiao Xiao arrange for two people to come in, among whom was their own cook.
"That's good. Yaoyao, let's go eat first. After you've eaten and rested, you can go check on that person." With that, he stood up and led Xie Nanyou and Xie Yuchen toward the dining room.
Before they had gone a few steps, he suddenly remembered something. "Adjutant Zhang came by two days ago, visiting late at night. He looked at that Xiaoge and left without saying much, but he said he'd come back in a few days." The last time he had seen the Adjutant was when they had first settled in Sijiu City; he hadn't expected the man to suddenly visit the Xie Residence.
Xie Nanyou nodded. "Mm, I know. I had someone contact him beforehand. There are some matters I want him to repay a favor for."
Seeing that Xie Nanyou had no intention of elaborating, Head of the Xie Family did not press further. "From now on, you make the decisions in the Xie family. If there's anything you need, just have them do it."
As they spoke, they reached the dining room and sat down. "Second Master came over to see Xiaohua the other day. When he saw Ansheng, he curiously brought it up, so I mentioned to him that you would be coming back soon. He said he must be notified the moment you return, as he wants to come see you."
Xie Nanyou's hand paused in the middle of picking up food, and she placed a piece of green vegetable into Xie Yuchen's bowl. "How is Second Master's health?" Back then, that Second Master with his handsome brows and gentle smile—she had only occasionally asked about him when she thought of him.
She also knew he had been grief-stricken when he lost his lover, but she had been busy preparing for her Lightning Tribulation at the time, and by the time she remembered it afterward, a long time had already passed.
"Second Master is in robust health. His martial arts foundation is right there; I even regret not being able to endure the hardship back then, otherwise I could be as robust as Second Master now." Realizing how inauspicious those words sounded, he quickly added with a smile, "Still, I was never one who could endure hardship anyway; I simply can't bear the bitterness of the bitter cold and scorching heat."
Xie Nanyou stared at her brother for a long time before smiling. "Brother didn't look as handsome as Second Master when you were little either; you could never learn that kind of martial arts."
Besides, with her brother wearing glasses and looking so refined, if he were out brandishing spears and staffs all day, "I wouldn't want a brother who looks scholarly on the outside but is actually a rough brute."
Head of the Xie Family laughed and nodded. "Second Master truly has a fine appearance, and nowadays our Xiaohua is no worse than Second Master was back then."
Xie Nanyou looked at Xie Yuchen and smiled. "I think so too. Xiaohua, you must study hard under your Second Grandpa and learn all of his skills."
Xie Yuchen understood only half of what they were talking about, knowing only that they were praising his master, so he nodded along.
With the meal over, Xie Nanyou bid farewell to the grandfather and grandson and went straight back to her room to rest.
Looking at the familiar furnishings in the room, she casually shrugged off her outer robe and tossed it over the back of a chair, washed her face, and lay down on the bed. The familiar sights before her brought back memories of her childhood.
Though she was not her parents' biological child, her childhood had truly been a happy one. Her parents had doted on her, and her brother had cherished her—how she missed those days.
When Xie Nanyou opened her eyes, the room was already pitch black. She sat up, gathering her slightly disheveled long hair, wearing only a single layer of inner clothing and slipping her feet into a pair of slippers that had appeared by the bed at some unknown time.
She stepped into her slippers and walked out of the room. Before she even reached the downstairs, she heard low murmurs of conversation coming from the living room.
Walking slowly downstairs, she saw the person sitting in the hall turn to look at her. Gazing at that familiar face, Xie Nanyou gently curved the corners of her lips. "What should I call you now? Rishan-ge? Adjutant? Or President Zhang?"
Zhang Rishan stood up, looking at the person who had walked over to sit on the sofa beside him. "Nanyou, Young Miss." Having not seen her for decades, he had suddenly received someone bringing a familiar box to find him the other day.
He had been wondering why this person would suddenly remember him, but upon coming to the Xie Residence and seeing their Clan Leader, he had suddenly wanted to see her—wanted to know how the girl who had left all alone after her parents passed away was doing now.
And why she had brought him the things left behind by the Buddha instead of her own, when she had clearly never sought him out before.
Xie Nanyou let out a light laugh as she looked at the surprised Zhang Rishan. "Rishan-ge should still call me Nanyou. What? Is only your Zhang Clan allowed to have secret techniques for preserving youth?" With that, she looked toward Xu Ansheng, who was standing to the side. "Ansheng, my head hurts from sleeping, get me a cup of calming tea."