Nan Xiao frowned slightly, "When Chu Ba and the others get their certificate, we'll send them off."
Lan Yu Xi replied, "From what I gather from the old man, they won't leave until after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month."
Nan Xiao said in a deep voice, "Then we'll have to cut off his contact with the outside world."
Lan Yu Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. "The old man has eyes and ears everywhere. Do you think cutting off his contact with the outside world will prevent him from knowing what's happening?"
"..."
Seeing his silence, Lan Yu Xi didn't press the matter further.
After dinner, Elder Hong, along with his disciples, returned to the Hong Men in full force. In the past, they would celebrate the New Year at Hong Men, but this year, with Lan Yu Xi's return, they came to liven things up.
Before dark, Luo Wan Qi's family also left. However, Miao Si Qi and the others didn't descend the mountain; they went to their daughter's courtyard.
With most people gone, the half-mountain villa felt a bit deserted.
Lan Yu Xi was feeling bored when her phone rang.
Nan Xiao, sitting beside her, glanced at her phone screen and frowned upon seeing Huo Ding's name. He knew instinctively that Huo Ding's call was about Nai Nai.
As he predicted, as soon as the call was answered, Huo Ding spoke, "Yu Xi, that Nai Nai called me saying her parents have agreed to let her stay in the capital and even work at my hospital. Is this reliable?"
Lan Yu Xi's lips twitched. "Not very. I haven't seen her all afternoon. She even ate dinner in her bedroom. If Uncle Sandy had agreed to let her stay in China, she wouldn't be acting so low-key."
"Then what should I do? She's got her eyes on me now. She just called me again, saying she wants to start working as soon as possible."
"Sigh!" Lan Yu Xi sighed. "Don't give her a definite answer for now. I'll call Uncle Sandy to find out."
"Alright, I'll wait for your call."
Lan Yu Xi hung up and stared at her phone for a moment. Just as she was about to dial Sandy's number, her father, Lan Hao Lin, came down from upstairs.
"I just finished talking to your Uncle Sandy. He said Nai Nai pestered him all afternoon, and in the end, she'd rather give up her princess status to stay in China. He was afraid that if he pushed her too hard, she might do something drastic, so he compromised. However, he told Nai Nai that if she wants to stay in China, she can't use her princess title. As long as she doesn't use that identity, it won't cause trouble for Huo Ding."
Lan Yu Xi's lips twitched. "Huo Ding definitely won't have trouble, but we will. My seventh brother looks at her as if she's a plague. She can't even spend the New Year at home..."
Lan Yu Xi's gaze flickered and she saw someone hiding behind the green plants on the second floor. She stopped talking and exchanged a look with her father and Nan Xiao.
Lan Hao Lin understood and said in a deep voice, "That's your seventh brother being blind! I'm also puzzled, Lan Xiao Qi is like a block of wood, with no distinguishing features at all. What exactly does Nai Nai see in him?"
Lan Yu Xi's lips curved slightly upwards. "To each their own."
Nan Xiao lowered his gaze and smiled. "Do you want to call Huo Ding back?"
"Without you mentioning it, I'd forgotten." Lan Yu Xi picked up her phone and dialed.
"Hello, Huo Ding..."
"He just went out. Are you looking for him?" A cold female voice came from the phone.
Lan Yu Xi glanced at Nan Xiao, then smiled and said, "Sister Zi Yin, I'm Lan Yu Xi."
Huo Zi Yin said coldly, "I know it's you. Huo Ding's number is tagged."
Lan Yu Xi's smile vanished, and she rolled her eyes ungracefully. "Could you please tell him to call me back when he returns?"
"Mm." The 'mm' was squeezed out from her nose.
Lan Yu Xi pouted and grumbled under her breath, "Did she dig up my ancestral grave or steal my man... Oh! She did steal her man."
"Goodbye!"
"Wait!"
"...What is it?"
"Let's find a time to have a cup of coffee."
"I'm sorry, I'm very busy." Lan Yu Xi hung up the phone indignantly and then angrily squeezed Nan Xiao's arm.
Nan Xiao gasped in pain.
"Stop messing around!" Lan Hao Lin spoke to his daughter in a rare loud voice.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Lan Jin Song quickly walked out of the guest room. "What's wrong?"
Lan Jin Song took a step forward, separating Lan Hao Lin and Lan Yu Xi.
Lan Yu Xi looked at her father Lan Jin Song's still somewhat thin back and her heart warmed. "Dad, my dad is yelling at me."
"It's alright, Dad is here!" Lan Jin Song reassured her, patting her hand.
Nan Xiao chuckled and poked Lan Yu Xi's forehead. "Just keep being mischievous! Let's see what you do when those two start fighting."
"Nyah nyah nyah..." Lan Yu Xi stuck out her tongue at him, smiled, and stood up.
"Go upstairs and sleep. Your dad and I will play a couple of rounds." Lan Jin Song shielded Lan Yu Xi with his body until he reached the staircase, then stopped.
Lan Hao Lin was so amused he laughed. "Jin Song, do you have to? As if I would hit her."
"Let's play two rounds." Lan Jin Song didn't reply to him but walked back and sat down at the chessboard.
Lan Hao Lin raised an eyebrow slightly and sat down as well.
Fearing that the two old men might accidentally injure him during their intense game, Nan Xiao quickly went upstairs.
When he arrived upstairs, Lan Yu Xi was locked in a silent, eye-to-eye stare with Nai Nai.
Nan Xiao ignored Nai Nai and went straight back to the bedroom.
Nai Nai held back for a long time before saying with red-rimmed eyes, "I know I've caused a lot of trouble for Lan Mu Tai. I won't bother him anymore. But I still want to work in China because I made a bet with my father. If I run back before completing three years, I'll have to obey him."
Lan Yu Xi reached out and took her hand. "Nai Nai, that's quite a big bet. Do you know that my seventh brother and sixth brother change posts every three months? You're aiming for my seventh brother, but what will you do if he returns to Norcas?"
Nai Nai said with unusual determination, "He can go back, and I'll do my job. From now on, I want to be someone he doesn't dislike."
"..."
Nai Nai pursed her lips. "Sister Xi Er, you should go rest. I'm going to sleep too. Also, I'll have to trouble you for a few more days. After the New Year, I'll move into the hospital's collective dormitory."
"Nai Nai, this is your home. You don't need to move into the hospital."
Nai Nai smiled brightly. "Thank you, Sister Xi Er. I'll come back when I'm off duty."
Lan Yu Xi gave her a gentle hug before turning back to the bedroom.
Nan Xiao saw her enter and shifted his gaze from his phone, looking up at her.
"Finished so quickly?"
"I don't know if it's an illusion, but I feel like Nai Nai has suddenly grown up."
"If she can grow up, why can't you?"
Lan Yu Xi pouted. "How have I not grown up?"
"You're still the same as when you were little, pinching me whenever you're jealous," Nan Xiao complained, then looked at his bruised arm.