Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Obvious Unresolved Feelings

Fu Chao’s smile was brilliant as he showed off with particular pride.

"Nan Zhi taught me! Xie Yu and Qi Pei’er were there too, but I was the best student!"

Just then, Qi Pei’er walked over carrying a dish.

She first shot a quick glance at Chang Mu, then retorted to Fu Chao,

"Zhizhi only complimented you once. She never said you were the best student!"

Fu Chao refused to acknowledge that.

Qi Pei’er couldn’t be bothered with him. She glanced at the time and muttered,

"I wonder when they’ll get here?"

Fu Chao thought of a certain unpleasant presence, and his smile faded slightly.

"Should be soon."

Qi Pei’er was oblivious to this and was simply worried about Nan Zhi.

"When I called her this morning, she sounded like she was in good spirits. She should be all better by now."

Fu Chao’s attention was immediately pulled back to Nan Zhi’s illness, and he once again started complaining about the rundown house the production team had arranged.

Fu Chao and Qi Pei’er’s conversation centered almost entirely on Nan Zhi, leaving Chang Mu, the newcomer, completely unable to get a word in.

She stood there all alone for a moment, struggling to keep a smile on her face.

Finally, she made up an excuse and walked away, not forgetting to lower her head dejectedly as she left.

A scene like that could easily be misinterpreted as Fu Chao and Qi Pei’er ostracizing her.

In fact, some viewers did notice this detail.

But the problem was...

Because the livestream had started so abruptly, Fu Chao and the others weren’t wearing microphones. There were only a few recording devices placed around the courtyard, so the audience couldn’t clearly hear what they were saying.

From the audience’s perspective, they only saw Fu Chao, Qi Pei’er, and Chang Mu standing by the table for a moment before Chang Mu suddenly turned and left.

The audience was confused.

[Why did the young lady suddenly leave? Her expression was so weird.]

[The wind must’ve blown something in her eye.]

[Can they move the mics closer? I want to hear what Fu Chao and Qi Pei’er are talking about! I can’t hear a thing!]

[Xie Yu is seriously the perfect man. He’s handsome, talented, makes good money, and even has his cooking skill maxed out! How is he not perfect husband material?]

[I’m going all in on the Nan Zhi and Xie Yu ship! The thought that Xie Yu made this whole table of food for Nan Zhi makes me so excited I’m literally shaking, hahaha!]

[When is Nan Zhi coming back?! Our Xiao Xie is already staring his eyes out waiting for her!]

...

Glancing at Chang Mu’s "lonely" retreating figure, Qi Pei’er couldn’t help but say to Fu Chao,

"You’d better watch yourself. Don’t let yourself get tricked and not even know it."

To her surprise, Fu Chao caught on immediately.

He smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"What makes you think I don’t know?"

At first, it sounded like a riddle.

But Qi Pei’er understood.

She gave Fu Chao a deeply surprised look, recalling how he was usually so cheerful and guileless.

"...Impressive."

Fu Chao didn’t answer.

A staff member had already run up, saying they couldn’t be heard on the livestream and needed to put on their microphones.

With a silent understanding, they both dropped the subject.

Before long, a staff member was the first to spot the silhouette of an SUV and ran in excitedly.

"Boss Nan is back!"

Immediately after, a black SUV drove over along the muddy road, still wet from the rain.

Everyone ran over enthusiastically to welcome her.

Chang Mu, lagging at the back of the crowd, frowned when she saw the vehicle.

She had a vague sense of foreboding, but still unwilling to believe it, she subconsciously took two steps forward.

The SUV came to a stop.

The rear door opened, and Nan Zhi hopped down nimbly, holding onto the handle.

"Be careful!"

Qi Pei’er rushed over to steady Nan Zhi.

Of course, Fu Chao and Xie Yu wanted to go too, but it would have been awkward on camera. It was more appropriate for Qi Pei’er to do it.

Qi Pei’er held Nan Zhi’s arm and reflexively gave it a squeeze.

"Hey, you’ve gotten thinner again! Haven’t you been eating properly these last two days?"

As she spoke, she reached out to touch Nan Zhi’s noticeably slimmer cheeks.

Nan Zhi laughed and pushed her hand away.

"Don’t exaggerate."

"Mommy!"

Nan Yi called out for his mother, but his eyes were fixed on Qi Pei’er’s hand.

Qi Pei’er was used to this and was about to laugh and tease Nan Yi a bit.

Suddenly, a chill crawled up her spine.

Qi Pei’er subconsciously turned her head, her eyes meeting a pair of indifferent, lifeless pupils from within the dark interior of the car.

"HISS."

Qi Pei’er sucked in a sharp breath as goosebumps instantly erupted on her skin!

Of course she knew Lu Shixu; she had just met him in the hospital room yesterday.

However, at that time, Lu Shixu had been relatively low-key because of Nan Zhi.

Not like now. Taking advantage of the fact that Nan Zhi’s back was turned, his gaze, as sharp and cold as a blade, landed on Qi Pei’er’s wrist.

Even if she were blind, Qi Pei’er could sense the man’s displeasure.

Nan Zhi asked, "What’s wrong?"

Noticing something was off with Qi Pei’er, Nan Zhi’s first thought was also of Lu Shixu.

She glanced behind her.

As she had instructed, Lu Shixu was sitting quietly in the car, his eyelashes lowered slightly, the sharp edges of his presence softened. He actually looked quite amiable.

But Nan Zhi knew he was definitely putting on an act.

She shot him a warning look, then lifted Nan Yi out and slammed the car door shut.

"It’s nothing."

She reassured Qi Pei’er in a low voice, then smiled at everyone as if nothing had happened.

"Why did you all come out?"

A staff member called back,

"To welcome you back, Boss Nan!"

That comment made everyone laugh.

Nan Zhi’s eyes widened in surprise.

"It’s been so long, and you’re still calling me Boss Nan? Didn’t I ask you all to change it?"

Everyone laughed and chimed in,

"We’re just used to it!"

"Even Director Xu calls you Boss Nan!"

"Nan Family’s Small Restaurant is closed now, so it really isn’t that appropriate to keep calling you Boss Nan."

"Then let’s switch to a new nickname?"

"Sister Zhi?"

"..."

Nan Zhi was at a complete loss.

In the end, she had no choice but to accept the nickname "Sister Zhi."

She and Nan Yi were swarmed by the crowd as they walked into Fu Chao’s small courtyard.

Only after they had walked some distance away did Lu Shixu lower the car window, watching Nan Zhi’s retreating figure from afar.

He saw her surrounded by so many people, beaming.

As she tilted her face up, a ray of sunlight happened to fall upon it, tracing the full and delicate contours of her profile.

Like these lush and lovely green mountains, she possessed a powerful life force that he could never hope to match.

Lu Shixu stared, unblinking, for who knows how long.

Even Tao An couldn’t stand it anymore. He felt his boss looked pitiful, staring so longingly, and couldn’t help but say,

"Why don’t you get out and have dinner with them, sir? Their director invited you previously."

The implication was that even if Miss Nan Zhi disagreed, it would be perfectly reasonable for Lu Shixu to go.

Lu Shixu replied without a second thought,

"Don’t bother her. Let’s go."

After all, there was plenty of time.

He had more than enough patience; he could afford to wait.

The car window rose. The SUV started up, gradually drove away, and disappeared at the end of the country lane.

Meanwhile, in a dark corner not far away, Chang Mu, who had been staring from beginning to end, was grinding her teeth so hard they could almost shatter.

’System, you call *this* being exes?’

’They’re so obviously not over each other!’

’How am I supposed to complete my capture mission like this?!’

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