Just as Liu Ming'an was deeply impressed by Zhang Shun's intricate and detailed strategies for pursuing one's love interest, Zhou Yi returned, followed by several waiters from Fusheng Restaurant, all carrying food boxes.
"Brother Liu, Zhang Shun, come on! Let's eat first! It's midday, and we've been fishing all morning. I'm starving..." Zhou Yi called out loudly. Noticing Jiang Ning's absence, he asked, "Hey, where's Miss Jiang?"
Liu Ming'an rose from the stone bench and said, "She's resting. I'll go call her."
Just as he reached Jiang Ning's door and was about to knock, the door opened on its own. Jiang Ning spoke, "I heard you."
With Zhou Yi shouting so loudly, it would have been difficult not to hear.
"Then let's eat!" Liu Ming'an said with a smile.
The three of them agreed that the lighting in the courtyard was good, so they carried the table from the living room outside. The waiters helped set up the dishes and utensils, then bid farewell to Zhou Yi, saying they would return in two hours to clean up before leaving the courtyard.
There were four chairs in total, with each person sitting on one side of the table.
"I wasn't sure what Brother Liu and Miss Jiang like to eat, so I just ordered a variety," Zhou Yi said as he sat down and poured drinks for everyone.
Liu Ming'an sat next to Jiang Ning. Noticing she was still wearing her veil, he leaned close and whispered, "Jiang Ning, you can take off your veil. They're not from Lotus Flower Village; it's alright."
Jiang Ning removed her veil as instructed. Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun looked over, their eyes filled with amazement.
"She really looks like her!" Zhou Yi exclaimed.
"What did you expect?" Zhang Shun replied with a smile, understanding what he meant.
Jiang Ning's brow furrowed slightly, not comprehending what they meant by "looks like." She turned to Liu Ming'an, expecting him to explain, but instead, he picked up his chopsticks and placed a sticky rice ball in her bowl.
"Here, try this!" Liu Ming'an said with a gentle smile.
Mindful of the others present, Jiang Ning said nothing and began to eat.
Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun, delighted to see Liu Ming'an, chatted as they ate, gradually learning about Liu Ming'an's experiences over the past few days.
"We've only been apart for a few days, yet so many unexpected things have happened to you, Brother Liu..." Zhou Yi remarked after hearing the story.
Liu Ming'an just smiled without saying much. He had only briefly mentioned the incident of his house being burned down, saying that the authorities were still investigating, without revealing any information about Jiang Ning.
"But the most important thing is that you're both safe and sound!" Zhang Shun added.
"Indeed, it's fortunate that no one was hurt!" Zhou Yi agreed.
Jiang Ning, who hadn't touched the alcohol, excused herself after finishing her meal and returned to her room. She hadn't slept for two nights and was exhausted.
Liu Ming'an watched as Jiang Ning entered her room. When he turned back, he found Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun staring at him with mischievous grins.
"Oh, Brother Liu, your eyes are practically hooked on her~" Zhou Yi teased, having already heard from Zhang Shun that Liu Ming'an had admitted to liking Jiang Ning.
Liu Ming'an's ears turned red as he quietly said, "Brother Zhou, please don't make fun of me."
"Hahaha..." Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun burst into laughter at Liu Ming'an's embarrassed expression.
Inside her room, Jiang Ning lay on the bed, occasionally hearing muffled snippets of conversation and laughter. She smiled contentedly to herself.
Liu Ming'an had been out of place among the villagers in Lotus Flower Village, with no real friends. It was good that he had found kindred spirits in Zhou Yi and Zhang Shun here in town.
She thought optimistically that after the case was over and she left, even if Liu Ming'an felt sad, he would have these two brothers to keep him company and cheer him up. He'd probably forget about her before long.
With these thoughts, Jiang Ning drifted off to sleep as exhaustion washed over her like a tide.
However, Jiang Ning could never have guessed that what she assumed to be friendly conversation about poetry, current affairs, or shared experiences between Liu Ming'an and his brothers was actually two enthusiastic older brothers giving hands-on lessons on how to pursue a girl.
Zhang Shun was already married with children. According to him, he had fallen in love with his wife at first sight and then used every trick in the book to make her fall deeply in love with him in just half a year.
Although Zhou Yi wasn't married, he claimed to be a seasoned romancer. For him, winning a girl's heart was as easy as eating and drinking. He boasted that several young ladies in the Capital City dreamed of marrying him.
Liu Ming'an was dazed by their back-and-forth advice. After the meal, he ushered them into the study, respectfully serving them tea and imploring them to share their wisdom.
"First of all, when pursuing a girl, you must be gentle, not crude. You need to make her see you as a true gentleman. Before you're certain of her feelings, you absolutely cannot get physical, or she'll hate you," Zhang Shun said earnestly after taking a sip of tea.
Liu Ming'an nodded and wrote on a piece of paper:
First principle: Be a gentle gentleman.
"Secondly, you need to find opportunities to spend time together. Haven't you heard of familiarity breeding affection? The more time you spend together, the more chances she has to see your good qualities, be attracted to them, and eventually fall for you," Zhang Shun continued.
Liu Ming'an found this quite reasonable and continued writing:
Second principle: Spend lots of time together.
However, after writing this down, Liu Ming'an realized something was amiss. "Brother Zhang, I think I forgot to mention that we've been living together constantly. Back in Lotus Flower Village, we ate together, lived together, and even slept in the same bed. Moreover... I've been holding her hand while sleeping..."
Liu Ming'an's voice grew quieter as he spoke, and his ears inevitably turned red again towards the end.
"Pffft- cough cough cough... cough..."
Zhou Yi suddenly choked on his tea and began coughing violently. Liu Ming'an quickly went over to pat his back and help him catch his breath.
When he finally recovered, Zhou Yi stood up and tore Liu Ming'an's "secret tips" in half. "Brother Liu, don't listen to his nonsense. He was far worse than you back then. His wife is a distant cousin of mine. She later told me that she had liked Zhang Shun for a long time, but he kept dawdling and took forever to confess his feelings—"
"What?" The usually calm and composed Zhang Shun stood up in disbelief, urgently asking Zhou Yi, "Is what you're saying true?"
Zhou Yi realized he had accidentally let slip his cousin's secret in the heat of the moment, but since the words were already out, there was no point in denying it.
"It's true. You just couldn't understand a girl's shy and reserved nature. Otherwise, your son would be five months older than he is now," Zhou Yi said.
Zhang Shun was stunned for a moment before sitting down with a laugh. "So that's how it was..."
Zhang Shun's gaze drifted to the window, his eyes filled with intense longing. Liu Ming'an watched him, feeling a twinge of envy.
Zhou Yi then turned to Liu Ming'an, patting him on the shoulder. "Brother Liu, your situation is too complicated. Zhang Shun's advice won't work for you. You need to listen to me!"
Liu Ming'an wholeheartedly agreed, taking out a fresh sheet of paper to record Zhou Yi's "sage advice."