1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 357 A Lively End of February
Upon receiving the mission, Claude immediately sought Ronan's help.

Today he only informed Ronan about this matter and hasn't decided how to proceed yet.

He said he would think of several solutions in detail after he got back and asked Ronan to cooperate with him to complete them.

Ronan, of course, agreed.

He also didn't want to see any conflicts arise between his best friends.

However, even after Claude left, he continued to ponder this question.

Ronan knew the villagers well, and he also knew the artists well.

Actually, everyone here is a good person; they just have different perspectives.

Ronan believed that the probability of Bonillo's tragedy happening in Lourmaran was very low.

However, as Claude said, even if the probability of it happening is very low, we cannot ignore the existence of this problem. It is best to intervene artificially at the beginning of the influx of artists to prevent future troubles.

But how do we do it?
Miss Payelia did not make things difficult for Zoe and respected her ideas.

However, faced with such trust from Miss Patricia, Zoe set even higher standards for herself, approaching this order with the same seriousness as if she were preparing to attend Gold's series of art events.

However, unlike during the preparations for Gold, she would always appear in the restaurant around 4 p.m. every day, sitting behind the cashier to observe the interaction between Louis and Vieri.

"Ugh, those two people, they're driving me crazy! They're driving me crazy!" Zoe's cheeks puffed up with anger, like a furious little squirrel.

During Ronan's time in the mountains, Feng Zhen was Zoe's "deskmate," observing and commenting together with her.

Today, when Ronan was at the restaurant, the sensible Feng Zhen gave up her seat and went to the kitchen to talk to her husband, Luo Tianhai, leaving Ronan with her 'tablemate' seat.

However, Zoe's live comments did not receive a response from Ronan. Zoe was already worried about her father and brother, and now she was even more anxious:

"Give your seat to the auntie. It's quite interesting how we go back and forth. You just ignore everything I say."

Zoe had already said all this, but Ronan, who was standing next to her, still hadn't reacted.

She shifted her gaze to Ronan and found him propping his head up with his hand, looking worried.

I can watch my dad and brother's daily life every day.

But it's rare for my boyfriend to be in a bad mood.

Zoe immediately shifted her focus, waving her hand twice in front of Ronan's eyes:

"What are you thinking?"

"Ah—" Ronan snapped out of his daze, shaking his head with a smile, "It's nothing, it's nothing."

He searched for Louis and Vieri in the restaurant:

"Louis is still eager to help Vieri with his work, but they don't even talk to each other?"

Zoe asked Ronan with some concern:

"You're not going to watch them today. What are you thinking about?"

Since achieving both fame and fortune in Gold, the young couple has been in a fantastic mood, probably the happiest two people in Lourmaran.

Zoe hadn't seen that expression on Ronan's face in a long time.

Seeing that Zoe had lost interest in observing, Ronan recounted what Claude had done to him at noon, concluding with a slight headache:

“I think it’s strange for the government to step in and resolve this matter. It seems too serious and might backfire. There was nothing wrong to begin with, but the government’s ‘reminder’ makes it seem like something is wrong. This matter should be resolved gradually and subtly, preferably in a ‘silent and gentle’ way. And I’m more suited to do it.”

The Lourmaran government treated Ronan "well," even "extremely favorably," and Ronan felt he should take the initiative to solve this problem for the government.

After listening, Zoe didn't speak immediately, but thought for a while before opening her mouth:
"This is indeed a hidden danger, but it is not impossible to solve. I think that ideas and perspectives are not irreconcilable. No one's perspective and ideas are fixed. The biggest point of conflict between the two groups is their different views on tourism. So let's find a way to make everyone have common interests."

Ronan fell into deep thought again:
“That would definitely be the ideal situation, allowing everyone to make money during the travel season,” Zoe said firmly, seeing Ronan start to think again.

"Anyway, I'll work with you to figure out a solution to this."

Ronan chuckled and patted Zoe's chin twice.
"Don't worry about this. Look how thin you've become."

As he spoke, Ronan picked up the phone in front of him:

"I asked Freddy to bring some seafood back, because we might not be able to eat it next month."

Once winter is over, fresh seafood becomes scarce in Luberon; if you want to eat it, you have to go to the coast.

Zoe is such a picky eater, so Ronan has to make sure she gets her fill of something she likes.

Zoe didn't stop Ronan from making the call; instead, she put her arm around his and said:
"But how could I bear to let you shoulder this alone? You have a lot to do too."

Without giving Ronan any chance to refute, Zoe shook Ronan's arm and said in a 'coquettish' tone:
"And I know the local villagers better than you do. I'm a native of Lourmaran. I also know artists better than you. How long have you been an artist? I have much more experience in this than you, Ronan. How about we work together from now on?"

Zoe mostly presents herself as a mature female artist, but when she occasionally acts coquettishly, Ronan simply can't resist.

He pressed his lips to her forehead while he was on the phone:

"Okay, let's go together."

Vieri made a nauseous gesture as he passed the cashier:

"You guys are even more disgusting."

Zoe's expression immediately changed, and she said to her brother in a mocking tone:

"You're not only disgusting, you're also stubborn. Your mouth is harder than the cold stone of Provence."

Vieri didn't look back, but strode away and returned to his post.

A few seconds later, Louis, who was following behind Vieri, shrugged at Zoe:

“Darling, we shouldn’t treat Vieri the way we used to. He’s now—”

Zoe buried her face in Ronan's arms and protested:
"That's enough, both of you!"

A smile returned to Ronan's face.

Spending time with family feels wonderful; it quickly helps to resolve inner conflicts and brings a lot of joy.

Once this truffle season is over, he wants to spend as much time as possible with his family.

The restaurant's reputation in Provence has visibly increased.

Pilots, businessmen, truffle brokers, and others all chose this place for their gatherings.

The day before Ronan departed for Grasse.

A dozen or so officials from the province of Vaucluse visited here; they were on a trip to a neighboring village and came here specifically for a meal.

Ronan was pleased that the restaurant had attracted another group of important people when he suddenly noticed a female official in a suit winking at him at the end of the line.

Juliet brushed past Ronan without any expression, as if she didn't know him.

However, a faint, amused voice clearly reached Ronan's ears:

"After I finish entertaining this group of important people, I'll invite you for a couple of drinks."

Ronan watched as Juliet and her entourage took their seats.

Coincidentally, he was also looking for a chat with Juliet.

(End of this chapter)