CHAPTER 414: CHAPTER 410: QUITE THE FEMALE THUG

Heshun Ancient Town was formerly known as ’Yangwendun’, a small border town. Due to a river outside the old town, it was renamed ’River Shun’. Later, to imply ’gentlemen in harmony and people well-disposed’, it was elegantly changed to its current name.

This is the explanation from Baidu Baike.

I don’t know if it’s correct.

There was a resistance war drama that Huai Xu really liked called ’My Group Leader My Regiment’. He watched it many times, and it was filmed right in this place. The Chanda County in the drama was essentially Heshun. It was this drama that brought a lot of fame to the area. Although ’Group Leader’ wasn’t as popular or as widely loved as the one Brother Nan liked, ’Bright Sword’, it indeed had a lot of loyal fans. Many people traveled long distances to this place just for the drama, looking for those scenes in their memories.

Even now, it remains a quiet place.

Although it was the Golden Week and there were many tourists, as you walked through the ancient town, you could easily feel its tranquility.

On one hand, it was because its commercial development was not high. It wasn’t like Lijiang, with streets lined with shops. At that time, many ordinary residents still lived inside, and each alley was filled with the scent of daily life.

Brother Nan even encountered a local dog that chased him away.

On the other hand, there were just too many small alleys, enough to make one dizzy, often leaving one unsure of their whereabouts and requiring them to check the map on their phone. Hence, many tourists didn’t like to explore these alleys; they lacked patience and were too restless. But if one accidentally walked into an alley, they would find themselves separated from the vast majority of tourists, granting them a space of their own. Looking to the left and right, the mottled walls and mossy corners were all traces of time.

Brother Nan really liked to take them through these alleys, buying a stick of candied hawthorn to eat along the way.

"Do you see this courtyard door? Doesn’t it look like the one at Little Drunk’s?"

"Don’t all the courtyard doors here look like this?"

"You contrarian."

"Does it?"

"Great minds think alike!"

"..."

"Hey, doesn’t this house look just like the one Misty Dragon shamelessly acquired?" Huai Xu suddenly pointed at a yard. "Especially this staircase, look, it’s so similar!"

"I don’t remember it clearly."

"Let me take a look..." Huai Xu’s figure flickered for perhaps less than 0.1 seconds, but he had already finished checking, his face full of regret. "It’s not the same."

"How can you remember it so clearly?" Brother Nan was surprised.

"I’m very impressive," Huai Xu said. "I’m a professional."

"What profession?" Brother Nan asked again.

"Theft," Zhou Li blurted out.

"Assassination! Gathering intelligence! Reconnaissance!" Huai Xu filtered out Zhou Li’s words, his face indifferent. "All of these require a great memory!"

"I see." Brother Nan nodded, though it was unclear whose explanation he had accepted.

They continued walking forward with leisurely steps, chatting non-stop. Sometimes they would meet a few locals, who, despite being accustomed to tourists, often took a second glance at their group of exceedingly attractive people.

Frankly, if he were walking so aimlessly under normal circumstances, with not much to see and few people around, Zhou Li would probably have found it dull. But being with them was completely different. It seemed that just being with them was inherently enjoyable, so no matter what they did, it was never boring. Even if it was just a bug on the road, the same color as the fallen leaves, they would stop and discuss it at length.

In the blink of an eye, they seemed to have walked out of the ancient town.

Up ahead was a clear stream, a small bridge, and beneath the bridge, a stone slab just submerged by the water. In the countryside, this was usually designed on purpose, allowing people to wash clothes on it.

Huai Xu’s eyes widened. "This seems like the place where Little Drunk washed clothes!"

"Really?"

"I remember it vividly!"

Huai Xu found this feeling very strange.

The scenes from the television were so vividly present beside him, giving him a sense that those stories were real. The plotlines all came to mind, stirring his emotions and endowing the landscape in front of him with a different meaning.

The sunset on the horizon was turning increasingly golden.

The golden light filtered through the branches of an old elm tree outside the ancient town, shining on the gray tiles and white walls, and moving slowly, gliding over the mottled marks on the walls.

Huai Xu transformed before them into a girl wearing a small flowered cheongsam.

The girl’s face was round and pretty, exuding a fresh and bright spirit. While her beauty wasn’t on par with the types Huai Xu typically adored, she was still pleasant to look at, possessing a certain demure beauty.

"TA-DA!"

"How do I look?"

"Do I resemble her?"

Huai Xu spun around in front of them, her cheeks flushed with the hue of the sunlight, and her hair braided into twin plaits.

Brother Nan was already getting hands-on.

Zhou Li silently handed over a mask.

Afterwards, they found a tightly shut courtyard gate. While there was no one around and it was not yet dark, Brother Nan quickly pulled Huai Xu over, removed her mask to take a selfie together, preparing to show off by posting it on his Moments feed.

Zhou Li himself was not interested, but he lacked control over his own body, so he also took two pictures.

The sky gradually darkened.

The Old Monster removed her mask and walked carelessly on the streets. Whenever she brushed past someone, it would cause them to turn around abruptly and stare at her, yet they couldn’t believe she was actually that actress, only registering surprise and curiosity.

Perhaps this was also a kind of wicked pleasure for her.

「Evening.」

「Hostel room.」

The Old Monster had already returned.

Zhou Li sat in the corridor holding Tuanzi, lost in thought. They were staying on the second floor, from where the courtyard on the first floor was visible.

The wooden stairs creaked and echoed lightly.

A pair of sweet-looking girls came up the stairs, seemingly staying in the room next door. Upon seeing Zhou Li, their eyes lit up in unison, and after exchanging a knowing look, they took a few more steps before noticing Tuanzi in Zhou Li’s arms.

"Oh! There’s a kitten!"

"Yeah! So cute! It’s still so small~~"

Hearing the voices, Zhou Li couldn’t help but turn his head to look at them.

Zhou Li had noticed them first, and as their gazes met, one of the girls sheepishly stuck out her tongue to show her embarrassment, while the other boldly squatted down next to Zhou Li, fixated on Tuanzi, and even reached out to pet Tuanzi’s head.

Tuanzi agilely dodged.

The girl didn’t mind and just looked up at Zhou Li, sweetly asking, "What breed is this? Just a few months old, right?"

Zhou Li was pondering how to answer when the door in front of them suddenly creaked open.

Brother Nan appeared at the room’s doorway, his hair still dripping wet. Just by standing there, his physique and appearance completely overshadowed the two girls, leaving them thoroughly outclassed.

He was towel-drying his hair as he glanced at Zhou Li. "You can come in now."

He also cast a glance at the other two girls.

The two girls were instantly embarrassed but tried to remain calm. "Is this kitten from the hostel? Or did you bring it with you for the trip?"

Brother Nan just hummed nonchalantly, exuding an air of indifference.

The girls got the hint that they were out of their league and quickly retreated to their room.

Zhou Li also entered the room.

Indeed, he hadn’t been sitting in the corridor out of a desire for quiet contemplation; it was because the bathroom glass in their room was quite transparent, almost as if designed for a couple’s intimacy. Since Brother Nan was going to take a shower, he had banished Zhou Li outside.

The door closed again with a creak.

Brother Nan raised his eyebrows and looked at him with a teasingly proud look. "You’re really something, hooking up with two girls in just a short time."

"They just thought Lord Dumpling was cute and came over to play with him," Zhou Li said, his face turning red.

"Bullshit."

"Really!"

"You’re just that naive!" Brother Nan rolled his eyes.

"Keep it down, the soundproofing is bad." Zhou Li’s face grew even redder.

"Can’t be bothered to argue with you..." Brother Nan stopped fussing about it and urged him, "Go take a shower. You haven’t bathed in two days since being at the Taoist temple."

"Um... then you..."

Zhou Li was just about to suggest that Brother Nan also go sit outside, but before he could finish his sentence, Brother Nan pushed him into the bathroom. He scratched his head, feeling very embarrassed, but gave up on the idea to avoid the potential arrival of two more guys who liked small animals.

「Half an hour later.」

Zhou Li came out of the bathroom and stealthily glanced at Brother Nan.

Brother Nan was half-reclining on the bed, not under the covers but lying on top with one leg crossed over the other, holding his phone and tilting his head as he watched him.

"Not bad, brother, you’ve got a nice figure!"

"..."

"Don’t be shy, it’s nothing," Brother Nan comforted him considerately. "Anyway, I’ll be experiencing it again in a bit."

"Stop talking nonsense," Zhou Li glanced towards Tuanzi.

"Heh heh~~"