The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

The two strolled around the market for a while. Ye Shu looked at the several bags of various things in his hands and thought that it was about time. So he led Tang Xiaotao, who was still thinking about ice cream, back home.

But to their surprise, when they returned to the intersection and found the ice cream stand, they discovered it had already closed up shop, leaving only a wooden table.

"It's all your fault! You wouldn't let me buy it earlier, and now it's all gone!"

Tang Xiaotao's eyes widened, her face fell, and she immediately began to accuse Ye Shu.

Ye Shu was also a little speechless:

"Who would have thought he'd close up shop so early in the morning?"

He genuinely felt wronged; who would have thought that selling ice cream in the dead of winter would be so successful, and he left at noon.

Tang Xiaotao ignored all of that and glared angrily at Ye Shu. Here, "angry" means literally "puffed up with anger."

She's had this trait since she was little: when she gets angry, her cheeks will unconsciously clench and puff up as if they've been inflated, making her look like a pufferfish with her already chubby face.

Looking at her like this, Ye Shu felt a little sorry for her and a little amused. With that round face, it must feel so good to pinch it now.

Just as he was about to reach out and test the feel of it, he saw that Tang Xiaotao's eyes were already starting to glisten with tears.

Oh no, is she really going to cry from anger? All for an ice cream?

"Hey, sis, it's not that serious, it's really not that serious. It's just an ice pop, right? I was wrong. How about this, I'll buy you a whole bagful tomorrow, okay?"

Tang Xiaotao just puffed out her cheeks, looked at him with two pools of tears in her eyes, and didn't say a word.

Just when Ye Shu thought she was about to explode, she turned around and left.

"Xiao Tao, slow down."

Ye Shu quickly picked up his things and followed, showering Tang Xiaotao with compliments along the way, but Tang Xiaotao just kept walking forward without uttering a sound.

But Ye Shu soon realized something was wrong. Although the girl didn't say a word, her speed was getting faster and faster.

She started by walking briskly, then jogging, and when she saw the gate to her own yard, she took off running.

Although Ye Shu didn't know what she was up to, she was sure she had something bad in mind, so she had to keep up.

Sure enough, as soon as the two entered the house one after the other, Tang Xiaotao ran straight to Ye Guoqiang, pouted, and loudly accused him:

"Uncle! My brother bullied me!"

Ye Shu, who was following behind, was carrying things and was out of breath. He heard this sentence as soon as he entered the house.

He looked up and met his father's kind eyes.

"I don't."

The specific details are omitted, but ten minutes later, Tang Xiaotao was comfortably sitting cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), happily licking an ice cream cone.

His other hand was also busy, pressing on Ye Shu's lower back, which was lying next to him, but very carelessly.

Ye Shu lay on the side, his face buried in his arms, the faint pain in his buttocks and lower back making him not want to move.

After licking off a piece of ice cream, Tang Xiaotao looked at her brother who was praying devoutly beside her and felt a little guilty.

"Brother, thank you for your hard work."

Ye Shu slightly turned her head, revealing one eye as she glanced at Tang Xiaotao:

"It's not hard work, it's just bad luck. I slipped and fell on my bottom as soon as I went out to buy this bag of ice cream."

"Oh, you're the best, bro. Thanks, bro. Let me rub it for you."

Tang Xiaotao selectively ignored the resentment in Ye Shu's words and, feeling a bit guilty for getting a good deal, licked the ice cream again.

Seeing her like this, Ye Shu buried her face back down.

"Give it a little push, haven't you eaten?"

"oh."

Tang Xiaotao began to massage Ye Shu's lower back seriously.

The family hadn't eaten lunch; they'd wait for the old man and his family to return in the afternoon before preparing food together.

Ye Shu lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding her phone and looking at the screen.

Still no new information.

He made two more calls, but each time the message said, "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."

Shut down.

Ye Shu felt uneasy. After thinking it over, she found Shen Jingwan's WeChat and sent her a message:

Aunt Shen, I just called Xiaoxue but her phone was off. I can't reach her now, and I'm a little worried.

After sending the message, Ye Shu waited for a reply.

In the outer room, Grandma was chatting with Aunt, while Uncle and Ye Guoqiang were sitting on the sofa watching TV and drinking tea.

Tang Xiaotao, having finished her popsicle, was lying on the kang (heated brick bed) next to her, fast asleep. Her face was flushed, and it seemed like she was sweating on her forehead.

Ye Shu's phone vibrated, and she immediately looked at it. It was Shen Jingwan's reply:

[Xiao Shu, don't worry, Xiao Xue is with me. Her phone broke when she fell, but she's okay, don't worry.]

Oh, my phone broke. No wonder.

Ye Shu breathed a sigh of relief. As long as everyone was alright, the phone was secondary.

After chatting with Shen Jingwan for a few more minutes, Shen Jingwan replied:

【Xiao Shu, Auntie has something to take care of here, I have to go now】

"Yes, Auntie, you're busy."

After putting down his phone, Ye Shu felt at ease.

He turned over shakily, like an old man who was partially paralyzed. Ye Shu touched his belly, which was burning hot, as if it had been seared by the kang (heated brick bed).

He yawned, looked at the ceiling, felt the warm kang bed beneath him, and saw Tang Xiaotao sleeping soundly beside him. He was starting to feel sleepy too.

"Um……"

He didn't even know what he mumbled, but his eyes slowly closed, and he fell asleep.

He slept very soundly, but in his hazy state, he felt a slightly cool little hand gently touching his forehead.

He didn't even open his eyes, he just shook his head, trying to avoid the hand:

"Xiao Tao, stop fooling around."

No sooner had he finished speaking than he heard Tang Xiaotao laughing merrily to someone in the outer room, her voice drifting in through the inner door.

I rely on!

Ye Shu was startled. Tang Xiaotao was in the outer room, so who was it that was touching his forehead right next to him?!

He opened his eyes again and immediately saw a small face very close to his.

Those eyes, that nose, that mouth... isn't that Xiaoxue?!

Ah? ? ?

Ye Shu sat up abruptly, but the sudden movement caused a sharp pain in his lower back, making him wince in pain.

But he couldn't care less about his back pain now, and stared wide-eyed at the person sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

I touched my face again, and I could feel it.

It doesn't feel like a dream.

He noticed the focused look on the person in front of him, hesitated for a moment, then reached out and poked the girl's face as if making contact with the third kind.

"Xiao Nuan?"

Xiao Nuan was poked in the face, but she didn't dodge; she just responded with a sound:

"Um."

Ye Shu was completely dumbfounded. What was going on?

He looked out the window; it was already dusk. Weren't his uncles supposed to come back in the afternoon and they would eat together? Why hadn't anyone woken him? How long had he slept? And why was Xiao Nuan sitting on the edge of his kang (heated brick bed)?!

Still feeling groggy from just waking up, Xiao Nuan's sudden appearance made his already sluggish brain even more sluggish.

What exactly is going on now?

A: I'm still dreaming, actually because I miss them so much.

B: I accidentally fell asleep and ended up in a parallel world. This is Xiao Nuan in the parallel world.

C: Just like last time, Xiao Nuan came to find him herself.

Just as Ye Shu was staring at Xiao Nuan, trying to make a choice, Ye Guoqiang pushed open the door and saw his son with a look of utter disbelief. His lips twitched; he wanted to laugh, but didn't.

"Come out quickly if you're awake, your Uncle An and the others are here."

"ah???"

Ye Shu was even more confused, but she still quickly got off the kang (a heated brick bed), put on her slippers, and followed them to the outer room.

As soon as he stepped out of his room, he saw his grandmother, his father, his aunt and uncle, Tang Xiaotao, his two great-uncle families, Uncle An and Aunt Shen all sitting in the living room, chatting happily.

Aunt Shen was chatting with Grandma, while Tang Xiaotao was talking and laughing with the two uncles' wives. Uncle An was also praising how nice the air was, but said the road was a bit slippery and he didn't dare drive too fast.

Ye Shu stood at the door, too afraid to move, looking at this large family, a sense of extreme incongruity washed over her.

How come there are so many people in the house after I just took a nap?