Anan

009 Nan's daily life (1)

This is a three-story mansion, as grand as an estate. Li Xinyuan finds herself on the second floor, surrounded by exquisite stone carvings and sandalwood furnishings, exuding luxury and splendor.

From downstairs on the first floor comes the sound of conversation, laughter, and the clacking of mahjong tiles.

A middle-aged woman in her forties, dressed in a white uniform, walks past downstairs carrying a mop and bucket. Upon seeing Li Xinyuan, she smiles and says, "Ah Nan, awake already? Breakfast is ready, I'll bring it up right away. Madam, Ah Nan is awake!"

Li Xinyuan grasps the handrail and slowly descends the stairs.

A woman, elegantly dressed, emerges from a room followed by three women of similar age. The woman appears to be in her early forties, fair-skinned and elegant, with a graceful demeanor. Upon seeing Li Xinyuan, she wears an expression of affection and takes her hand.

Li Xinyuan recoils in surprise.

Mrs. Wu Xinhui, surprised by her son's sudden timidity, mistakes it for residual shock from yesterday's accident and embraces him tenderly. "Silly child, why are you avoiding me? Always so awkward! Is there something wrong?" She touches his forehead and, finding no fever, breathes a sigh of relief.

This time, Li Xinyuan steadies herself, allowing Mrs. Wu to embrace her stiffly, realizing the woman's identity and thinking to herself how no wonder Zhang Yanan turned out so well, with such a beautiful and graceful mother.

However, she can't bring herself to address her as "mother" at the moment, merely muttering, "I'm fine, just a bit groggy, sorry to have worried you." She manages a smile.

Mrs. Wu, taken aback, releases her and remarks to the others, "This child is so polite and refined today, unlike his usual aloof self. Although... she's quite pleased, adding, "As long as everything is fine, I can relax."

The other women chime in, praising Li Xinyuan's character and expressing admiration for his bravery in saving someone's life.

Mrs. Wu, though delighted by the praise, shakes her head. "Why would I want him to save someone? As long as he's safe and sound, I'm relieved."

The women continue to console each other, their gaze towards Li Xinyuan as if dipped in honey.

Li Xinyuan feels a shiver run down her arm.

So this is what Prince Yanan's daily life is like? Even if she were to perform a heroic feat now, wouldn't these three ladies still praise her for her courage?

From their conversation, Li Xinyuan learns that yesterday, Zhang Yanan rescued a girl who fell into the water, an act of heroism quite out of character for the usually indifferent Zhang Yanan. He himself caught a cold, took medication, and slept the whole night. Waking up this morning, he found himself in her body eight years into the future!

After the women fuss over her for a while, they finally return to the mahjong room. Li Xinyuan breathes a sigh of relief. At this moment, the maid brings up breakfast, and feeling hungry herself, she quickly brushes her teeth and admires the exquisite and lavish breakfast spread.

Mrs. Wu calls out from the mahjong room, "Ah Nan, Liu Jie has stewed bird's nest for you, make sure to have some for your health."

Li Xinyuan replies, "Oh..."

She looks at the clear and smooth soup in the milky white porcelain bowl before her. She hasn't had bird's nest before. Taking a sip, it's slightly sweet, nothing special, but she finishes it in a few gulps.

The maid Liu Jie, however, is pleasantly surprised. "Madam, madam, Ah Nan finished a whole bowl of bird's nest!"

From the mahjong room comes Mrs. Wu's delighted voice, "What's gotten into him today? So polite and obedient, unlike before when he refused to drink it, saying it's for women and claiming it's dirty bird saliva."

Li Xinyuan remains silent.

One of the women nearby says, "Haha, Ah Nan is really interesting. What's dirty about bird's nest? Even emperors and concubines in ancient times drank it. Besides, boys need to take care of themselves too. Ah Nan is handsome, drinking bird's nest will make him even more attractive, won't it?"

Liu Jie also eagerly approaches, "I stewed a pot in the kitchen, shall I serve you another bowl?"

Li Xinyuan declines, "No need, thank you, Liu Jie," with a sweet smile.

Liu Jie looks at her in astonishment.

Li Xinyuan suddenly feels regretful. She's been addressing women of this age as "elder sister" too smoothly. It seems she'll have to be more careful in the future and not behave too differently from Zhang Yanan's character.

After finishing breakfast, Li Xinyuan grabs a coat, her phone, and wallet, and walks to the entrance of the mahjong room. Pausing for a moment, she puts her hands in her pockets, lifts her chin, and lowers her eyelids coolly, saying, "I'm heading out."

Mrs. Wu seems accustomed to this "normal" Zhang Yanan and remarks, "By the way, you passed your driving test, and your dad's gift has arrived. You didn't feel well yesterday when you came back, so you probably haven't seen it yet. It's in the garage."

The trio of flatterers shower Zhang Yanan with praise, marveling at how cleverly he learned to drive and how generous his father, Mr. Zhang, is. Mrs. Wu listens with a smile, her eyes clear and full of happiness, resembling a contented and innocent woman.

Li Xinyuan, on the other hand, listens in silence. So this is the social environment in which Zhang Yanan grew up as a young man... sigh... she feels sorry for him.

---

Li Xinyuan stands before a bright red Ferrari, sighing inwardly.

However, she recalls that Fuming Group is set to go bankrupt by the end of this year, and this car will surely be auctioned off then. With that thought in mind, she remains calm, viewing the Ferrari as nothing more than a heap of scrap metal.

A playful male voice comes from behind, "Wow, Zen, is this the new car your dad gave you? Impressive."

Li Xinyuan turns around and sees a tall, slender young man wearing a thick baseball jacket and sweatpants. What catches the eye most is his hairstyle, short and spiky, giving him a handsome and sunny appearance. Li Xinyuan recognizes him; he was there the first time she saw Zhang Yanan at the headquarters, following behind him.

So he's Zhang Yanan's childhood friend. If he's managed to earn Yanan's trust for so many years, he must be reliable.

Li Xinyuan smiles at him.

Li Yumo, however, is taken aback. He immediately covers his chest with his hand, warily saying, "Why are you smiling so mysteriously? Are you going to hit me?" But upon careful consideration, he realizes he hasn't

offended the Grim Reaper recently.

This time, Li Xinyuan is the one who's momentarily stunned, then bursts out laughing. Li Yumo is even more surprised, reaching out to touch her forehead, muttering, "No fever, yet laughing so flirtatiously..."

Li Xinyuan quickly covers her mouth, evading his hand, and replies coldly, "I'm fine."

Li Yumo eyes her suspiciously, then nods in understanding, "Must be the aftermath of yesterday's heroic rescue."