Reborn in 2006, I met Mr. Zhou from the past.

Su Fengnan wandered around the shop, picked out a set of calligraphy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, and then saw the "Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting" and picked it up as well. The brushes and ink were new, but the calligraphy book and painting manual were used, and the whole set cost sixty yuan.

Ning Xiaojun looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Susu, are you buying this to practice calligraphy? To teach yourself?"

Su Fengnan nodded with a smile: "Yeah, we're just killing time anyway. Do you want to come along?"

"Forget it, I can't learn that, it's too literary." Ning Xiaojun waved her hand dismissively.

Su Fengnan knew that was just her personality and didn't mind. After paying, the two walked out of the bookstore together; the streets were much less crowded now.

"Jun Jun, come on, I'll treat you to hot pot noodles." Su Fengnan's stomach had been growling with hunger for a long time.

She has low blood sugar; she gets palpitations and trembling hands when she's hungry, and she's afraid she won't be able to hold on if she doesn't eat something soon.

Upon hearing this, Ning Xiaojun's eyes immediately lit up: "Great! Let's go to that best, time-honored restaurant!"

The two arrived at the old-established clay pot rice noodle shop in the county town. It was lunchtime, and the shop was almost full of people.

"You find a seat first, I'll go buy the tickets," Su Fengnan said.

Ning Xiaojun hummed in agreement, and just then saw a group of people get up, so she went over and took their seats. When Su Fengnan returned, the table had already been cleaned by the waiter.

"Susu, what's our number?"

Su Fengnan placed the receipt on the table, then sat down, leaving the things in her hands on the stool next to her.

"Number 34".

"There are four more people ahead of us, it'll be our turn soon," Su Fengnan added.

While waiting for their food, Ning Xiaojun suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Su Su, it's Wang Bo's birthday tomorrow, are you going or not?"

Su Fengnan rested her chin on her hand, hesitated for a moment, and said, "...Go ahead. What time tomorrow?"

"Wang Bo told us to meet at Rainbow Bridge at 11 a.m.," Ning Xiaojun paused, then added, "Come to my house tomorrow morning, and we'll go together."

"it is good."

No sooner had the two finished speaking than two steaming bowls of hot clay pot noodles were served. The thin noodles were smooth and tender, and the side was piled with lean meat, pork liver, wood ear fungus, bean sprouts, daylily buds, and cilantro. The most tempting thing was the dish of chili oil dipping sauce in the small porcelain bowl, which smelled so good that it made one's mouth water.

The two stopped talking and eagerly began to eat. The thin rice noodles, coated in bright red chili oil, were both fragrant and spicy, an unforgettable experience.

Because it was too hot, the two ate very slowly, chatting as they ate. By the time they finished, almost all the other customers had left.

When Su Fengnan returned home, the sun was setting and it was getting dark. Before she even entered the door, she could hear her younger sister talking to a boy.

"Junior, I'm going back now, I'll come back later."

"Senior Fang, wait a little longer. My sister went to buy study materials after school and should be back soon. You've already finished the college entrance exam, so you don't have anything to do," Su Fengxia said.

Su Fengnan, standing outside the door, felt a sinking feeling in her heart.

She knew that voice all too well.

In the week since her rebirth, she deliberately avoided thinking about him, wanting only to completely rewrite her past life.

Fang Shangyi, her senior from junior high school, was also her second husband in her previous life. Both were art students; he studied fine arts, and she studied vocal music, so they got along very well. Fang Shangyi was indeed talented, and his teachers, family, and friends all liked him. But in their marriage, a painter who could never truly support the family was too exhausting for her.

She could endure it for one or two years, three or five years. But after ten years, with two children to raise, she was truly disheartened.

Even so, she never thought of leaving.

In her past life, Su Fengnan was inherently insecure. She always felt that since Fang Shangyi was still willing to treat her well despite her divorce and lack of education, she gave him her whole heart, put him first in everything, and gave unconditionally without expecting anything in return.

But later she realized that she also longed to be supported. When the family was struggling to make ends meet, being chased by debt collectors, and she was depressed and on the verge of collapse, she wished he could step up and provide her with shelter.

Although he did manage to shoulder the burden in the end, she no longer had the chance to experience it.

The past is tangled and complicated. Every time she thinks about it, she can't tell whether the two of them are only suitable to share hardship, but not happiness.

Forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore, I'll go inside first.

She took a few deep breaths and pushed the door open to enter.

The boy sitting at the desk was Fang Shangyi.

In his youth, he wasn't strikingly handsome; he was the kind of kind with a gentle, honest look, but his eyes were particularly striking—clear, deep, and captivating. It was probably this gentle and eloquent demeanor that made her feel at ease back then, which led them step by step to become a couple.

"Hey, sis, you're finally back!" Su Fengxia exclaimed.

"You're back." Fang Shang immediately stood up when he saw her, his smile gentle.

Su Fengnan responded softly, placed the documents and books she was holding on the table, put her schoolbag on the bed, and then smiled and asked, "What brings you here, Senior Fang?"

Fang Shangyi was a little flustered, unsure of what to do with his hands, so he picked up a book from the table. Without a close look, it was hard to notice the barely concealed affection in his eyes.

"Um... the college entrance exam is over, and I'm going back to my hometown tomorrow. I came to say goodbye before I leave."

Su Fengnan clearly saw the young, inexperienced Fang Shangyi, his nervousness and eyes filled with longing for her. Then she recalled him, the middle-aged man from her past life…

Oh well, it's all in the past.

In this life, let's not get entangled anymore; it's too exhausting.

In truth, Fang Shangyi wasn't a bad person from beginning to end. He was talented, of good character, emotionally stable, and always spoke softly. It was just that he came from a poor family and had no one to support him in the traditional Chinese painting circle, making it extremely difficult for him to rise to prominence. Moreover, the circle was full of factions, making it easy for even the most talented person to be suppressed.

In her past life, she ended up with a mountain of debt and even sacrificed herself to help him.

In this life, I only wish that we may all be well.

"Oh, you're leaving tomorrow? Have you packed everything?" Su Fengnan asked calmly and naturally.

"Everything is packed."

"That's good. It'll be easier to go back home sooner. How did the exam go? Are you confident?" Su Fengnan said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"It's alright, getting into a second-tier university shouldn't be a problem." Fang Shangyi sat back down.

Su Fengxia had long since noticed that Fang Xuechang liked her sister, and she tactfully wanted to give the two of them some space: "Sis, I'm going out to buy something, I'll be back in a bit, you two chat first."

"Okay, come back soon," Su Fengnan instructed.

Her younger sister is incredibly precocious despite her young age.

"Okay, I'll be right away!" As soon as she finished speaking, Su Fengxia dashed out the door.

As soon as Su Fengxia left, the room became quiet.

Fang Shangyi felt somewhat embarrassed and restless. He hadn't contacted Su Fengnan since his confession a month ago, when she rejected him. Although Su Fengnan had said they could be friends, she hadn't really intended to have much contact with her.

Su Fengnan's mind was in turmoil; she didn't want to face Fang Shangyi. Carrying the memories of her past life, she now only felt blessings for Fang Shangyi, and then a desire to completely distance herself from him.

The consistently quiet atmosphere made both of them feel awkward.

Just then, Fang Shang glanced at the pens and paper in the bag on the table and asked curiously, "Did you buy these to study on your own?"

Fang Shangyi still held a sliver of hope that Su Fengnan would treat him differently.

"Yeah, I just bought it casually," Su Fengnan replied, feigning nonchalance.

Su Fengnan was extremely annoyed. Please don't misunderstand, I didn't buy it for you.

"Aren't you going to take a vocal exam? Won't you have enough time to learn these things now?" Fang Shangyi asked, puzzled.

After thinking for a moment, Su Fengnan decided to tell the truth, her tone slightly casual: "Um... well, I'm not planning to prepare for the art exam."

Upon hearing that she wasn't going to take the art exam, Fang Shang stared at her in surprise, then slowly asked with regret:

"You've been studying for over two years, isn't it a pity to give up now? Why do you want to give up?"