Chapter Seventeen: Mid-Autumn Reunion

  Two people quarreled and didn't realize the passing of time, but Xia Fei Han still remembered the schedule of Warframe's activity time, and when it was time, he said "I'm going to class" and directly went offline.

  Practice has already told him that if he doesn't make a quick decision, she will continue to nag him.

  It's not that I don't like her nagging, it's just that she's a high school student. A malnourished and underdeveloped bean sprout, if she doesn't get enough good sleep, will really wither away.

  Looking at the blackened head portrait, she swung a powerful pink fist and said, "You heartless thing."

  Although it seems like Xia Fei's words have made him angry, his mood is inexplicably pleasant, and he even sleeps especially soundly.

  I woke up early, brushed my teeth and washed my face. As soon as I opened the door, I yawned and stretched, taking in the fresh air. Suddenly, the door to the next room also swung open, revealing An Ran standing there.

  "Hey, Xiong An'an, good morning!" Waruwaru beamed with a smile, waving her small hands, and her excessive enthusiasm made Anran take two steps back.

  Last night spent a long time, still can't figure out whether the war is secretly in love with him. The only thing that can be decided is to keep some distance from her.

  He was a little regretful, how could he easily come to her home for National Day under her instigation? They weren't that familiar, were they? At most, they had known each other for just one month - or three months if you counted their earliest clashes.

  Three months? He has known Baozi and Dashu for three years, as well as Fanwan, but he has never brought anyone home.

  With the joyful atmosphere of the first day as a foundation, on the second day, a group of young boys and girls had even more fun. Some things that seemed boring to rural children were also uniquely challenging in the eyes of these city-dwelling boys.

  On the third day of National Day, coinciding with Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhan Zhu Zhu was hospitable but couldn't disturb others' family reunion. In the morning, he took four young men to raid the orchard and loaded a car full of fruit. At noon, everyone had an early reunion dinner before returning home.

  First send summer, ladies first. After seeing the Xia family's mansion, Fan Tong and Da Shu were both excited and discouraged - Goddess, it seems that they are one step further away from them.

  Then send steamed buns, send big trees, send rice buckets, and finally, send peace.

  "It's better if I just go back myself." An Ran looked at Zhan Zhu Zhu, who was still squatting in her own car, and tactfully suggested. She wouldn't want to follow me home, would she... Oh no, it's them. Jiang Xin Yue was driving another car, but had been following behind without saying a word.

  "Hey, don't be polite, relax, I'm a strong porter, if these fruits were to hurt you, it wouldn't be good!" Zhang Dandan laughed with sparkling eyes, pretending not to understand An Ran's meaning. This was a great opportunity to infiltrate the enemy's lair, and who knows, maybe even alleviate Xiao Yi's homesickness a bit.

  "I can handle it myself." An Ran added a bit more emphasis, but unfortunately, she had just stayed at their house for two days and didn't have the nerve to say it too clearly.

  "Hey, big man, why so much nonsense? Let's go! Let's go!" Zhang Doudou turned around decisively, fastened his seatbelt tightly and faced forward, showing his determination.

  Helpless, ever since getting to know Zhan Yu Yu, it's as if he's been pulled onto a pirate ship and can't get away from her. What about his decisiveness? His fiery temper? Why do they all become useless in front of her shamelessness?

  One thing suppresses another; isn't war precisely used to overcome him?

  Helpless, he had no choice but to drive back home. The community where he lived was actually similar to Xia's, both located at the foot of Lushan Mountain, one on the west side and the other on the north side.

  "Wow, Xiong An'an, your family is also a wealthy one!" Zhan Zhu Zhu leaned against the window and looked at the residential area. The houses and courtyards were arranged in a scattered yet harmonious manner, exuding an air of high-end elegance and understated luxury with depth.

  Her tone was full of admiration, but there wasn't a hint of envy. There are indeed many girls who pursue material things, but she is not one of them.

  Indifferent and unresponsive, continue to drive silently into the morning, all the way to a water pier, more than 30 meters away, and get on a small island in the lake.

  In the center of a small island, about two football fields in size, is a group of three-story villas that are staggered and well-arranged. The exterior looks similar to those on the outside, but from the plot and floor area, the difference stands out at once.

  "Wow, Xiong An'an, no wonder you're good at swimming!" Zhan Zhan's eyes sparkled: "This is a natural swimming pool!"

  It's ridiculous, who can take a scenic lake as a swimming pool, it's totally different.

  The car had just gone down the bridge when the electric gate automatically opened. When the car stopped at the gate, two butlers were already waiting there.

  This momentum is even more overbearing than the Li Qiye's household. At least the Li Qiye's household is relatively low-key, using people who are early followers of the old master, slightly older in age, just like family members. The Xiong An'an household uses people who are obviously professionally trained.

  "Master, you're back." The two men bowed and one took over driving from An Ran while the other welcomed him.

  "Hey, I'm Anran's classmate, my name is Zhan Rourou."

  "Hello miss." The housekeeper uncle was visibly stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting An Ran's car to have another classmate in it.

  "It's done, someone has moved in, you...". An Ran originally wanted to drive them away, but the words reached her lips and she couldn't say it: "Do you want to come in and sit for a while?"

  As soon as I spoke, I regretted it and wanted to slap myself a few times... You should have said what you should say, but instead you said everything that shouldn't be said.

  "Haha, great! Great!" Zhang was overjoyed. He had been worried that he might have to sell his thick skin, but now that the other party had taken the initiative to invite him, it couldn't be better.

  Zhan Zhenzhen was directing the butler to move the fruit while she herself carried two boxes in, feeling as if it were her own home. Jiang Xinyue was still relatively reserved, dressed up especially elegantly today, so her movements were not as unrestrained as they had been over the past couple of days. She followed behind An Ran with polite courtesy, entering with gentle elegance.

  "Hey, Xiong An'an, is your dad at home?" Zhan Dudu asked as soon as he entered the house, only to find that there was no sign of An Zhi Jie.

  "Not there," An Ran replied indifferently, mentioning one pot and ignoring another.

  "Today is Mid-Autumn Festival, tell your dad to come back early and have a reunion dinner." Zhan Er said casually, but in her own home, this was a very grand occasion.

  "What's your name?" An Ran was displeased. This guy didn't have any insight at all? Didn't he know why he boarded the school? Didn't he know why he agreed to go to the Wu Guan with her?

  Because there is no one at home, it's cold and empty; because An Zhijie was too busy, so busy that he didn't even get to see his old mother for the last time.

  When his mother was seriously ill, he was still young, but he remembered that at that time, his father was busy every day and had no time to accompany his mother. He didn't understand why he had to make so much money. If it was for this family, then the family would be gone, what's the point of being so busy?

  After his father left on a business trip for an order and missed seeing his mother for the last time, he became silent. He didn't hate his father but couldn't forgive him either. This led to so many years of estrangement between father and son.

  "Alright." Zhan Zhan seemed to have completely missed the sarcasm in An Ran's words, and happily took out her phone. Just then, she saw the housekeeper uncle coming in, and immediately smiled and asked: "Uncle, what's An Shu's phone number again? I'll call him to come home for dinner early."

  Uh? Butler uncle obviously couldn't keep up with the rhythm, took a look at An Ran who was speechless, and then looked at Zhan Yuanyuan who was holding her phone with anticipation, subconsciously reported a string of numbers.

  "Oh yeah!" War fought to save An Zhijie's phone number, went home and sold it to his aunt for at least 200 yuan, then immediately dialed the number.

  The call was from An Zhijie's private number. So when An Zhijie saw the unfamiliar caller ID, he hesitated for a moment before answering it.

  "Hello? Uncle An!" A bright and cheerful female voice, tender with infinite vitality, like the willow branches that have just sprouted in spring.

  An Zhijie took another look at the phone number and confirmed that he absolutely did not recognize it: "Hello?"

  "Uncle An, I'm Xiong... no, I'm Wenzhuzhu, a classmate of Anran's. Do you remember me?" Wenzhuzhu didn't forget to introduce himself, deepening the impression: "It was when you came to school for the parent-teacher conference last time, I saw you with Xiaoyi." Wenzhuzhu originally wanted to explain something, but he couldn't say that Anran confessed to him and they were taken to the administration office, could he? Anyway, Uncle An rarely goes to school, so his memory should be vivid.

  A clever and cunning little girl immediately appeared in An Zhijie's mind, and it was really unforgettable. An Zhijie smiled, put down the pen in his hand, leaned back into the chair, and his spirit also relaxed: "Oh, it's Liuli classmate, hello. Is there anything?"

  "Hey, hey, it's nothing, Uncle An. My aunt and I are at your place now. You know that An Ran came to my house two days ago? Hey, we're back together today."

  Did An Ran go to Shan's house? This kid just told Zhou Secretary that he was going to a classmate's house to play. An Zhi Jie shook his head, remembering how uncomfortable his son had been when facing Shan before. Had his own son finally woken up a bit? ...It should be, at least, he had never brought a girl home before.

  An Zhijie would never know how helpless An Ran was being forced to bring a girl back home.

  "Hmm, I hope I haven't caused you any trouble?" An Zhijie replied politely, closing the documents on the table.

  "There's no one like him, everyone in our family loves An Ran, he's handsome, intelligent and charming, he's just a copy of you, Uncle An! " Zhang Dudu flattered at the right moment: "Uncle An, it's Mid-Autumn Festival today, what are you still busy with? Come back early to have reunion dinner!"

  Isn't this the obvious rhythm of being forced to stay for dinner? An Ran stared at Jiang Xue's excitedly chattering on the phone, and really wanted to cry. If Jiang Xin Yue wasn't present, he would have rushed over to snatch the phone away.

  "Oh, Mid-Autumn Festival, I completely forgot." An Zhijie took a look at the electronic calendar and suddenly realized. Although in her heart she was indeed a bit like An Ran, unable to keep up with the rapid pace of thoughts, but at least she reminded herself: "Okay, I'll be right back. Let An Ran take you on a tour of the house first, what do you want to eat for dinner, Uncle will order?"

  "Mid-Autumn Festival, let's just have a family reunion dinner at home. Hehe, Uncle An, I'll show you my skills tonight? You don't know, now even Xiong... that An Ran has been conquered by my cooking skills, and can eat two more bowls of rice when eating the dishes I make." Zhan Er'er shamelessly praised herself, provoking An Ran to be extremely angry and speechless beside her.

  ...admittedly acknowledges that her cooking is delicious, now it seems like she's also increasing her appetite, but what does "fold" mean?

  Whoever eats in the cafeteria and then eats a little bit more at night will end up eating a lot!

  An Ran was almost considering whether to just stop eating her cooking from now on... Uh, forget it, anyway she's already got this reputation, might as well not eat for free. Now every day's breakfast has become something to look forward to.

  "Really? Thanks for your hard work." An Zhi Jie's face broke into a smile, and for the first time, he realized that his son, who looked like a young man, still had a childish side: "From now on, you can just call him Xiong An'an, it's okay, isn't that what you young people are used to calling each other?" An Zhi Jie didn't miss the fact that every time Zhang Da Zhang mentioned An Ran's name, he couldn't help but call him Xiong An'an.

  "Haha, that's the best. Actually, calling him Xiong Anan is a term of endearment, right? We're all good friends after all." Zhan Zhu Zhu was least good at being polite, and as soon as he heard An Lao Die speak up, he immediately followed orders: "Then Uncle An, you head home early, I'll go take a look in the kitchen first."

  An Jia, apart from the two full-time butlers, all the others were hourly workers hired from a domestic service company. There were those who cleaned and tended to the garden, but none who cooked. Since An Ran was boarding at school and An Zhi Jie was mostly at the company with someone serving him, when An Jia entered the kitchen, which was bigger than two or three of her rooms combined, she was defeated by the empty fridge.

  Besides drinks, it's just water; even vegetable leaves are nowhere to be seen. Such a fully-equipped kitchen is simply a huge waste.

  Zhan couldn't bear it anymore, she had an impulse to make good use of them.

  Actionists are those who think and do, rushing out of the kitchen, directly pulling An Ran out the door, instructing him to head to the nearest supermarket to buy groceries. This way, it's also a good opportunity for Jiang Xinyue, isn't An Zhijie coming back soon? The two can spend some time alone together first.

  Zhan Zhenzhen fully believed that her aunt's fighting ability was not inferior to hers. Such a good opportunity, if not seized, would be a waste of her reputation as a romantic novelist.

  An Ran felt weak all over again after being pulled into the car by Zhan Yan, and before she knew it, her hands had habitually started the engine.

  "War... war..." An Ran felt it was necessary to explain something to her, but what?

  For someone like him who is normal, polite and has social ethics, dealing with this weirdo is like a scholar encountering a soldier, having reason but unable to explain.

  "Hmm? Xiong An'an, how about we have jade shrimp and spicy chicken dices for dinner tonight? I think you don't really like pork, mutton or beef, hmm, let's add fish then......" Zhan Wanwan took out her phone to record the menu and dishes to be prepared.

  It's undeniable that she was meticulous, and indeed didn't particularly like eating meat from four-legged animals. An Ran swallowed back what he wanted to say, forget it, today was already like this, he couldn't escape either, maybe next time, if there was a next time, he would definitely make things clear with her.

  Entering the supermarket, a small shopping cart starts moving. A little boy stands on one foot in the cart, directing: "Xiao Anzi, this way..."

  He hung his head in silence. His name was An Ran, but he really couldn't be at peace anymore. Why could she come up with so many nicknames off the top of her head? A Xiong An'an was one thing, and at least it sounded somewhat endearing, but this Xiao Anzi... didn't it have a strong flavor of An Gonggong?

  He really wants to humbly request, from now on, please just call me Xiong An'an...

  In the supermarket, they darted back and forth, with Zhan Yu commanding them to move forward or pause at will. As more and more items - dishes, seasonings, drinks, and liquor - were placed into the shopping cart, An Ran finally couldn't help but say: "Zhan Yu, isn't that enough? We can't finish all these in one meal, can we?"

  "Who said it's just one meal? There are still four days of vacation left, do you stay at home drinking air every day? Do you understand the concept of being prepared?"

  Is he thinking of him again? Why is this concern so sad yet irresistible? "No one at home to cook, I can order takeout."

  "Hey, eating too much of that stuff outside is unhealthy! You're still growing, you can't lack nutrition!" Zhan Er'er took a glance at An Ran's physique and couldn't help but compare him to Xia Fei Han in her mind - no choice, Xia Fei Han was the best-built guy she had seen so far. As for Xiong An'an, he seemed pretty good too, but not to the extent that it would make her nosebleed.

  An Ran felt a chill run down her spine under his piercing gaze, as if she was naked. But what was this expression? Contempt or dissatisfaction? An Ran subconsciously puffed out her chest, not wanting to be looked down upon - please, wasn't his physique already top-notch? How many girls would scream in excitement every time he played basketball? Was it that the clothes didn't show off his figure?

  "Hey, Xiong An'an, why don't you just come to my house for meals from now on? We're improving our food at home on weekends." High school students usually only get two days off a month, but those who live locally can go home for a longer break on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Jiang Xinyue wouldn't miss the opportunity to grab some dumplings, and had already prepared dishes at home waiting for him.

  "No!" An Ran refused without hesitation. He wanted to eliminate all opportunities for her to get close to him. His recent self seemed to be possessed, and the current situation had already completely exceeded his expectations.

  "Or I'll bring it over for you to eat?" Zhan's head tilted, smiling brightly.

  Peaceful eyes.

  She turned away calmly, and forced out two words: "Don't!"

  "This little guy, is he shy now?" Zhan Zhuang sat on the edge of the cart, and with a wave of her hand, gave An Ran a big slap on the head, laughing and scolding: "If you don't eat, then don't eat, it's better for this young lady's smooth skin not to be smoked into a yellow-faced woman in the kitchen! gogogo, let's go home!"

  Go home? Us?

  Suddenly felt a bit dizzy.

  And Zhan Zhuang was thinking, I wonder how things are going at Xiao Yi's place?

  Digression

  The stormy momentum came, and quietly invaded Xiong An'an's life...

  That's it, Lun's family has set their sights on your dad, Xiong An'an don't fall deeply in love...