Pursuing Her Best Friend after Confession Failed-Chapter 335 - 152 Li Yuan: Move Aside, I’m Going to Show Off (Happy New Year)_2

Xia Zhijin pursed her lips in a small smile as the gloom in her heart gradually dissipated, her laughter and cheerfulness returning.

After all, one must always look forward.

「...」

Amid their conversation, they soon arrived at Chen Family Village, where Xia Zhijin's grandmother lived. Xia Zhijin's mother's surname was Chen, and indeed, everyone in the village shared that name.

Li Yuan looked around. Chen Family Village wasn't large, consisting of only twenty or thirty households. Compared to the rural areas of Northern Anhui, the population was much smaller, likely due to the lower population density in the mountains.

At this time, cars were a rarity, especially in a remote mountain area like Chen Family Village.

When the Land Rover came swaying into view, the villagers all stared curiously at the large vehicle, buzzing with discussion.

"What kind of car is that? It looks quite impressive!"

"Did someone in our village buy a car? Look, the license plate is from Shancheng."

"Which kid bought a car? Quick, look, someone's getting out."

"Huh, it's a tall, handsome young man. And that girl… why does she look so familiar?"

"Doesn't she look a bit like Old Lady Chen's granddaughter?"

Seeing the villagers abuzz with gossip, Xia Zhijin suddenly felt a pang of nervousness that often comes with returning home. She nervously clutched Li Yuan's hand and pointed to a tile-roofed house at the edge of the village.

"Li Yuan, that house over there is my grandmother's. I've been living there ever since my parents passed away."

Li Yuan's eyesight was excellent. Following her finger, he saw a house made of red bricks and blue tiles with three rooms and a large courtyard. In the yard stood an old woman well past sixty and a plainly dressed little boy.

That must be Zhijin's grandmother and younger brother.

Li Yuan followed Xia Zhijin, while Yu Qiang carefully maneuvered the Land Rover along the small path behind them.

Some of the villagers from Chen Family Village approached to greet them.

"Aren't you Jin?" a farmer asked as he approached. He was a man over fifty, slightly short, with sun-darkened skin. "Weren't you off at university? What brings you home now?"

Xia Zhijin smiled and replied, "Uncle, it's the National Day holiday, so I came back to visit Grandma and Ning."

Chen Qiushi's gaze shifted to Li Yuan. The young man was very tall, a good half-head taller than him, and his clothes marked him as a city person. He looked at Xia Zhijin with a puzzled expression.

"Jin, who is this young man?"

Xia Zhijin glanced shyly at Li Yuan before answering, "Uncle, this is my boyfriend, Li Yuan."

He remembered that this girl had only just started university this year. It had barely been a month, and she was already bringing a boyfriend home?

Li Yuan quickly pulled out a pack of soft-pack Zhonghua cigarettes and offered one. "Uncle, have a cigarette."

He then took out a lighter and lit it for him.

Chen Qiushi accepted the cigarette, sizing Li Yuan up once more. He nodded to himself in approval. Based on height and looks alone, he and Xia Zhijin made a good match.

"Young man, your accent doesn't sound like you're from Shancheng. Where are you from?"

"Uncle," Li Yuan replied with a smile, "my hometown is in Hui Province, but I'm settled in Modu now."

Hearing that Li Yuan was from Modu, Chen Qiushi's expression changed, and his smile grew warmer. "Modu! So you're a big-city person."

Li Yuan simply smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.

Chen Qiushi continued, "Young man, Jin is a good girl. You must treat her well."

Li Yuan nodded quickly. "Don't worry, Uncle. I will."

Chen Qiushi smiled. "You two should hurry on back. Jin's grandmother is waiting for you."

After the man left, Li Yuan looked at Xia Zhijin. Their eyes met, and she pursed her lips in a little giggle before explaining, "Li Yuan, that uncle isn't my real uncle. He and my mom share a grandmother. He's always lived here in our hometown, and he took care of me and Ningning a lot when we were little."

Li Yuan instantly understood. Having grown up in the countryside, he was all too familiar with such connections.

Along the way, they met several other people.

"Auntie, it's the National Day holiday, so I came home for a visit."

"His name is Li Yuan. He's my university classmate and also my boyfriend."

"Yes, I missed home, so I came back to see everyone."

"He's my boyfriend; he's accompanying me home for the holiday."

With every person she met, Xia Zhijin shyly made the introduction. Li Yuan held her hand, feeling her palm grow damp with sweat. He could tell she was very nervous.

It was understandable. An eighteen-year-old girl whose parents had passed away years ago, bringing a boyfriend home right after starting university—that took a great deal of courage.

Throughout their walk, Li Yuan maintained a friendly smile, offering cigarettes to everyone he met and politely greeting all the uncles and aunties, striving to leave a good impression.

Rural villages always enjoyed a bit of excitement, especially a closed-off, remote mountain village like this where everyone shared the same surname and was related in some way. Naturally, they were all very curious about the boyfriend Xia Zhijin had brought home.

Before Li Yuan, Xia Zhijin, and the Land Rover had even reached the house, a crowd of more than a dozen women and children was already trailing behind them.

With his sharp hearing, Li Yuan could even overhear their conversations.

"Didn't Jin just start university? How is she already dating and bringing a boyfriend home?"

"That young man looks good. He's so tall, he and Jin are a good match."

"They came by car, and that car doesn't look cheap. His family must be well-off. That would be good for Jin and her brother. Since they lost their parents so young, it would be a blessing for her to marry into a rich family. That way, she could help Ning find a wife someday."