Mr. Hu agreed last time to the Song brothers' request to deal with Lin Chuan.

A week passed in a flash, and there was still no movement from Mr. Hu's men. This drove the Song brothers to the edge of their patience.

Song Wen finally had his tooth fixed. The broken half was filled with an expensive material and sealed with medical adhesive. After looking in the mirror, his teeth looked pretty good; no gap was visible post-repair. What satisfied Song Wen the most was that his teeth seemed even whiter. He used to have black and yellow teeth from smoking and chewing betel nuts, but this time the dentist gave him a thorough cleaning.

Although it cost him several thousand yuan, it was worth it. At least now speaking wasn't an issue due to the wind, and his teeth had been somewhat whitened.

First thing in the morning, Song Wen saw that little punk Lin Chuan going into Tang Yumeng's office, which instantly filled him with resentment. Tang Yumeng was the goddess in the hearts of all male colleagues in the City Committee of Jiangbei City; a lot of men wanted to win her over, but unfortunately, no one was capable. For such a goddess, many would rather watch from afar than to dare make a move. Of course, like most others, Song Wen would rather see her destroyed than let another man have her.

"Old Two, why hasn't Mr. Hu made his move yet?" Song Wen asked, sitting back with legs crossed.

"Who knows." Song Wu replied, cigarette in his mouth, incessantly texting on his mobile phone.

"Damn, I just wish we could finish off that bastard right away." Song Wen said irritably, "Just seeing that son of a bitch every day pisses me off. Hmph."

"What's there to be angry about?" Song Wu chuckled, "Out of sight, out of mind. Mr. Hu has promised us, so he will take action sooner or later. If he hasn't moved yet, it's definitely because the timing isn't right. So, don't be impatient."

"Old Two, why have you been glued to your phone these days?" Song Wen asked, puzzled.

"Recently shook a pretty girl on WeChat," Song Wu grinned, "Planning to make a move soon. She's still a high school student, fresh and tender."

"Damn, you're such a pervert," Song Wen glanced at him, "Be careful not to get burnt playing with fire."

"Heh, what's there to be afraid of?" Song Wu smirked.

The two brothers sat in the lounge, while others were either chatting or playing with their phones. Luo Guoqing was playing Dou Dizhu with a few others. As the New Year approached, the office grew quiet. Unless it was a special department, the City Committee was mostly at ease. That meant the drivers had plenty of spare time too.

.........

Night fell.

Nuo Xiaoxi was busy at Lin Chuan's home, preparing dinner. Lin Chuan was lounging on the sofa; Mrs. Lin hadn't come back yet. Nuo Xiaoxi took on the role of the lady of the house, or rather, she already saw herself as the lady of this home. Whenever she had free time, she would come to Lin Chuan's house to clean, wash his clothes and socks, or help with cooking.

"Brother Lin, hasn't Auntie come back yet?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked, puzzled.

"I'll give her a call and ask," Lin Chuan replied.

It turned out that with the end of the year, sanitation work had increased. With leaders from the Provincial Committee coming to inspect, every street had to be spotless, with not even a leaf out of place or a fifty yuan fine would be imposed. Therefore, Mrs. Lin had to be extra cautious with the section of the road she was responsible for, cleaning it over and over again.

At eight o'clock in the evening, Mrs. Lin finally came back, her body dusty and her face weary.

"Mom, you shouldn't keep this up," Lin Chuan said with concern, quickly moving forward to massage her, "Look how tired you are, why suffer so much? We're not without money, right?"

"Auntie, Brother Lin is right, the job is too tiring," Nuo Xiaoxi also started persuading, "Brother Lin can make money now, let him take care of you."

"I'm still young," Mrs. Lin touched Nuo Xiaoxi's face and said, "While I'm young, I'll earn whatever I can. Besides, I can't sit still at home anyway. When you graduate from university, hurry up and give me a chubby grandson, then I can stay home and take care of the kids for you."

Upon hearing this, Nuo Xiaoxi's face turned bright red. She quickly slipped into the kitchen.

"Mom, look what you've done, you've scared her away," Lin Chuan glanced at his mother, "It wouldn't be good if you scared her off for good."

"Silly boy, what do you know?" Mrs. Lin looked at Lin Chuan, "Xiaoxi has taken quite a liking to you, you'd better cherish her and take good care of Xiaoxi, understand?"

"Mom, I've already said, Xiaoxi is just a student." Lin Chuan replied helplessly, "How could I ever do such a beastly thing? Besides, it'll be five years before Xiaoxi graduates, aren't you afraid I might find a girlfriend in the meantime and have a child straightaway?"

"That..." Mrs. Lin heard this and laughed, "Okay, then do as you will. Anyway, I need to hold my chubby grandson; if you find a girlfriend right away, that's good too. Better not to delay Xiaoxi."

In the kitchen, Nuo Xiaoxi overheard everything, feeling downhearted.

"Alright, alright, let's eat," Lin Chuan hurriedly called.

"Okay, let's eat," Mrs. Lin nodded with a cheerful smile.

Afterward, the family began to enjoy their meal together harmoniously. Nuo Xiaoxi sat with them, seemingly becoming Lin Chuan's future wife. Mrs. Lin was very fond of Nuo Xiaoxi, always treating her as her own daughter.

After dinner, Mrs. Lin said with a smile, "You young folks should go out for a walk. Isn't watching movies quite popular now?"

"Brother Lin, shall we go for a walk?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked with a smile.

"Sure!" Lin Chuan couldn't bear to refuse.

Putting on a thick coat, Lin Chuan walked out with Nuo Xiaoxi. The Changlin Factory was dark and quiet, and it was only upon exiting the main gate that one could see the street lights not far away, especially the bustling Huai Mountain South Road a few hundred meters away, ablaze with lights and very lively.

The barbecue stall at the entrance of Changlin Factory had already opened, and at this time, there were already quite a few people eating. Near the year's end, many people returned home, and a number of youths had come back to the Changlin Factory as well. Aunt Zhou's matchmaking business had unexpectedly boomed, with many people asking her to find them a match. Despite her booming business, Aunt Zhou never forgot about Lin Chuan and had been waiting for her niece to come back, hoping to introduce her to Lin Chuan.

Zhao Zhonghai's barbecue business was doing well.

Seeing Lin Chuan, Goudan shouted from a distance, "Master, are you coming over for a skewer?"

"Just passing by, wanted to see how you guys are doing," Lin Chuan waved his hand.

Zhao Zhonghai smiled at Lin Chuan; since the last time they worked together, it seemed like there was some mutual understanding between them. Although neither had inquired, they both knew the other was from the military. Lin Chuan had some doubts about Zhao Zhonghai in his mind, but he couldn't very well ask, as those were secrets hidden deep within the other's heart.

"Brother Lin, which university do you think I should apply to?" Nuo Xiaoxi asked.

"Aim for a good university," Lin Chuan said seriously. "Xiaoxi, we poor people don't have many options. Only through hard study can we change our lives. The only way for the poor to change their fate is through education. Hidden in books are beauties as fair as jade, and houses of gold. Understand?"

"I understand." Nuo Xiaoxi nodded and said, "I will work hard, aiming for Jiangnan University."

"Good, that's the spirit," Lin Chuan laughed heartily.

The two of them walked along Huai Mountain South Road for a while before turning back.

Although there were no romantic moments under the moonlit flowers, no snowy flurries among flurry blossoms, and no grand mountains and oceans pledges, Nuo Xiaoxi still felt immensely happy. This little girl didn't know when it began, but she had developed a heavy sense of dependence on Lin Chuan. Perhaps it was from the moment Lin Chuan first rescued her from Long Wu's clutches, or the moment Lin Chuan brought over more than a hundred thousand yuan to aid her, or perhaps it was Mrs. Lin's conversation that night that touched the heart of this maiden in the prime of youth.

Walking silently, Nuo Xiaoxi looped her arm through Lin Chuan's, resting her little head lightly on his shoulder, her face radiating with a blissful smile.

"Little girl, what are you thinking about?" Lin Chuan asked with a laugh.

"Just thinking about nothing much," Nuo Xiaoxi's voice was very soft.

"Really?" Lin Chuan asked, curious.

"Mhm," Nuo Xiaoxi nodded lightly. Actually, her mind was full of thoughts; she had always been fantasizing about what life with Lin Chuan would be like in the future, how many children they would have, whether their wedding would be grand...

A maiden in the prime of youth is always full of fantasies, their hearts brimming with anticipation and curiosity about the future. Lin Chuan said with a laugh, "If you're thinking of nothing, then let's just drop it."

"Ah?" Nuo Xiaoxi was taken aback and hastily said, "Brother Lin, is there... is there something you want to tell me?"

"Not really," Lin Chuan smiled and said, "I just think that you're still young. In the future, you'll meet better, more perfect guys. In the future, you'll meet men who are more suited for you. I hope you won't agree too hastily to what my Mom suggested. Do you understand?"

"I..." Nuo Xiaoxi was stunned and said, "Brother Lin, do you... do you not like me?"

"How could that be?" Lin Chuan laughed, "You're so pretty. If you put on a bit of makeup and the new clothes I bought you, there will be lots of guys chasing you. You're like a flower right now, just obscured by dust, you see?"

Nuo Xiaoxi pouted and said, "I don't like other guys at all. I... I..."

"What about you?" Lin Chuan asked, curious.

"I just like Brother Lin," Nuo Xiaoxi blushed as she confessed.

"Ha ha..." Lin Chuan laughed heartily, "Aren't you shy, little girl?"

"Ah..." Nuo Xiaoxi was taken aback and pouted, "Brother Lin, you're making fun of me."

"No way," Lin Chuan waved his hand.

When the two turned back towards Changlin Community, several burly men were at the entrance, one leaning against the iron gate with a cigarette in his mouth, his gaze fixed on Lin Chuan and Nuo Xiaoxi from afar. Another crouched on the ground with half a cigarette in hand, watching Lin Chuan with curiosity. The other two men sat on the grass near the factory entrance. All four men had a rather sullen look in their eyes, seemingly prepared for something.

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