one

During dinner, the two of them had some appetizers in the courtyard. Cheng Mu Yang insisted that she try the local aged wine. At first, she hesitated, but after tasting it, she gladly filled her own glass. Indeed, the quality of the water was different, worthy of careful consideration

The most important thing is this last southern part

Then I heard Cheng Mu Yang's voice saying: "You will have to go one day."

Reading line by line, some are familiar while others have never been heard before. However, it is evident that among the four largest surnames, those powerful families are included, and perhaps those that have not been heard of are the rising stars from various inland provinces

Relentlessly shining upon the few remaining individuals, it reminded her of a term: the Last Judgment

Only three or four people remain kneeling on both sides of the main road, while the others must have been directly sunk into the river.

Upon opening it, I found that the title page was filled entirely with surnames

The rain stopped abruptly in the evening, and the water reservoir in front of the hall was filled to the brim

As the car gradually came to a stop, someone opened the door for Cheng Mu Yang

Cheng Mu Yang smiled and glanced at her back, which was partially exposed, the sunburn still quite noticeable

He shifted his gaze away from Nanbei, finally leaving the side of the car, and walked behind the person closest to him, slightly crouching down: "Where is Cheng Mu Yun? Hmm?" The person remained silent, motionless in their silence.

It is truly fascinating

Seventy years old? She thought for a moment, "For your grandfather, that is still quite young. However, at such an old age, what can they do while still looking for a girlfriend?"

In her impression, even the faces of her parents were blurred, so when Cheng Mu Yang spoke about his childhood stories with his grandfather, she listened particularly attentively

She picked it up and then realized that this invitation was special

It is truly ... ...

By now, she finally understands that the main event at this dock was arranged by Cheng Mu Yang

Given his current appearance, even if something is amiss, it is impossible to ascertain the reason. Nanbei simply gave up and continued to play with the cat. She has very unique tattoos on her middle and ring fingers, which the cat did not understand; it merely stared curiously for a while before extending its pink little tongue and gently licking a few times.

However, upon hearing Cheng Mu Yang's words, she recalled his family, the Cheng family, which has existed for over a century: "So, has your family existed since that time?"

Indeed. Cheng Mu Yang smiled in a way that seemed harmless to both humans and animals

"It was delivered this morning," he said lightly, "I estimate it is a rumor leaked from Mr. Shen's side. Recently, someone has temporarily remade a set, deliberately adding the Nan family."

"This is my father's family," he corrected her

Zhou, Shen, Cheng, Nan

Suddenly, there was the sound of something falling into the water. Then, there were continuous sounds of heavy objects falling into the water

"You and Xiao Feng go ahead and board my yacht first," Cheng Mu Yang said, lowering his head to speak in her ear, his warm breath brushing past softly. "I will come shortly after." For some reason, he seemed to intentionally stay very close to her.

Inside the box, an invitation card lies quietly.

As she held his hand, she intentionally tightened her grip and said, "Thank you."

Just as she was leaving with Xiao Feng, the middle-aged man was also speaking to the women behind him. Soon, two women picked up the child, and the rest turned and entered the cabin.

Upon entering the confines of the private dock, Cheng Mu Yang finally informed her that they were still within the borders of Zhejiang. They would take a yacht from the dock and, after entering the sea, board a cruise ship.

She squatted until her legs ached, then stood up to stretch her body and went to look at the curtain of rain in front of the hall

"I had just returned from Belgium, and my grandfather was still alive, though he was already ninety-four years old," he chuckled, finding it amusing himself. "One night, he secretly took my hand and asked me to choose a gift for his little girlfriend."

What kind of enticing business could warrant such seriousness?

North and South pursed their lips, and in the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Jiaming on the farthest yacht, who seemed to smile at her and waved his hand. Before she could react, the sound of the yacht's engine starting was heard, and Shen Jiaming's yacht unexpectedly departed from the shore.

Cheng Mu Yang discerned the implication in her words and gave her a half-smile as he remarked, "Perhaps there is nothing to be done; maybe it is merely about finding someone to talk to, passing the time, listening to some music, and reminiscing about the old stories of Shanghai"

Later? I made a special visit to present a gift to the 'little girlfriend' he mentioned, only to find that she was also a woman of seventy years of age

"There are even more interesting people in Harbin," Cheng Mu Yang seemed to intentionally pique her interest, "During the Guangxu era, the Russians built a train station in a certain place, and that is how it came to be called Harbin. Therefore, just like old Shanghai, there is a group of very Russified Chinese people there"

She furrowed her brows and remained silent

North and South chuckled, "What happened next?"

It also added some unreal halos to these twenty or so kneeling individuals

"People die for wealth, birds die for food." He deliberately left a suspense, "indeed it is very enticing"

Cheng Mu Yang noticed her reluctance to part with the scenery and opened the car window: "This time the schedule is very tight, next time let your aunt take you to explore slowly. There are many ancient tombs here, as well as numerous relics from the Spring and Autumn period to the Jin dynasty"

Throughout the afternoon, two idle individuals engaged in conversation about various topics. If it were not for the conspicuous gunshot wound on her body, she might even doubt whether she had truly known this man. This mixed-race man, who leaned back in the high-backed rattan chair while speaking, had eyes that were sometimes piercingly clear and at other times profoundly deep

Not only is she watching, but the guests on the surrounding yachts also seem unwilling to miss such a scene. Some are whispering, while others are even laughing. Meanwhile, Cheng Mu Yang remains standing by the car, his fair skin further highlighted under the lights of the night. He seems to sense the attention from the north and south, looking over here, and then gestures to her to come in.

The uneven main path made it difficult for her to walk quickly. Xiao Feng first walked briskly for more than ten steps, then stopped to wait for her. After repeating this twice, he turned around helplessly and extended his hand to her

Cheng Mu Yang merely smiled, placing his hand on the person's shoulder and gently patting it.

As we departed from Qiandao Lake, it was still dusk, and a thick layer of dense fog floated over the azure waves for hundreds of miles

She responded with a sound, indicating her agreement: "If only your grandfather were here, I would have the chance to meet the old elite of the Bund in Shanghai." Over the past two days, she had heard quite a few stories from two elderly ladies about Cheng Mu Yang's grandfather, a banker from old Shanghai, who also opened the first authentic Western restaurant in the city out of interest. And then? In his old age, he still remembered to surprise his young girlfriend with unexpected gifts, providing a romantic surprise

At the end of the main corridor, there were actually more than twenty people blindfolded, kneeling on either side of the corridor, all facing the water's surface. Beside each person stood an armed individual. She had seen such scenes before, but she did not know who could do this, and why it had to be done today.

She thought Cheng Mu Yang would get out of the car at the entrance of the long embankment, but unexpectedly, the 40 Mercedes S600s drove straight in, entering the long embankment from the riverbank. Through the car window, she could see more than forty berths in the distance, all occupied by yachts

The lights on both sides shine brilliantly like stars

The lights of the night cast a layer of shimmering glow over the yachts that are quietly anchored.

From the handwriting and patterns, it appears to be a color woodblock print watermark. It is truly thoughtful, specifically made for invitations, and deliberately crafted using woodblock printing.

The more he spoke, the more curious she became. With the slender heel of her high-heeled shoes, she gently tapped his leg and said, "I warn you, do not involve me any further. I didn't know who you were before, so I didn't find anything suspicious. Now, recalling the gunfight in Belgium, perhaps I was implicated because of you."

As Nanbei had just boarded the yacht and had not yet had the chance to enter the cabin, he could not help but look back.

On the yachts nearby, or on the paths, many people were watching. They all seemed to have a completely detached expression. She noticed a middle-aged man in an old-fashioned robe on the yacht to her right, who was also watching with great interest. The man's temples were snow-white, while the rest of his hair was exceptionally black, without any impurities, making him particularly striking.

Once the chopsticks were put down, Cheng Mu Yang suddenly said, "Tonight we set sail."

The members of the Nan family do not have long lifespans

Really? She always feels that something is amiss

Unfortunately, I cannot tolerate very cold places; otherwise, I would definitely go meet those people you mentioned

She has never had any concept of the icy and snowy northern regions

She had a faint premonition that this should be related to the "Shen Family Trip" mentioned by her brother

There are two or three middle-aged women, as well as young girls with bright and charming eyes, and two small children

The meaning is quite clear: Miss, you are indeed too slow

After Cheng Mu Yang got out of the car, he deliberately walked to her side and opened the door for her. She looked up from the car and saw the smile in his eyes, suddenly feeling as if she had returned to her youthful days in Belgium. Every time they took a taxi, he always had the good habit of taking care of every girl.

Behind the middle-aged man, there are all female relatives

She was so ticklish that she couldn't help but laugh when he withdrew his hand

The floating dock paved with wooden planks is not very suitable for walking in high heels, so actions like those of Cheng Mu Yang are quite helpful for her. Once she stood still, her field of vision instantly broadened, but she also noticed a strange scene at the same time

According to his arrangement, only half an hour was left for her to tidy up. When Nanbei returned to the bedroom, he saw an ivory-colored box placed on the bed

She watched the incessant rain falling from the old eaves, too lazy to respond to his words

Nanbei faintly uttered an "mm": "That invitation, have you prepared it for me long ago?"

Listening to her brother's tone, he did not seem to intend to participate in this matter, but why was there a mention of the Nan family on the invitation? She held the invitation in her hand, lightly fanning herself, unable to fathom how deep the waters might be this time. However, since it was Master Shen who had instructed her to accompany Cheng Mu Yang onto the ship, there should not be any major mistakes.