Le Xuanji and Hua Ying'an were overwheld with emotion upon seeing Gu Nanyan.
However, they dared not show it too openly, afraid of seeming abrupt, so they sat on the outskirts, staring at Gu Nanyan without blinking.
They scrutinized her from head to toe, confirming she wasn’t injured or unwell, before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
Le Xuanji opened her mouth to speak, but the mont she did, her eyes reddened, and tears instantly spilled over.
Wuwuwu, her Nanyan had suffered so much!
"Silly girl." Gu Nanyan raised her hand and gently poked at Le Xuanji’s tears with her fingertips. "Why cry? Aren’t you happy I’m back?"
"I am, I am!" Le Xuanji nodded hastily, then sheepishly pulled out a tissue to wipe Gu Nanyan’s hand. "It’s dirty… I’m sorry for dirtying your hand."
"It’s not dirty!" Gu Nanyan frowned, refusing to let Le Xuanji speak of herself that way. "These are the most sincere, most precious tears—proof of your care for ."
She handed Little Ruirui to Zhan's Mother, took out a tissue, and carefully wiped Le Xuanji’s tears. "The one who should apologize is . I wasn’t careful enough, stumbling into danger and making everyone worry."
Hearing this, Le Xuanji could no longer hold back. She threw herself onto Gu Nanyan’s lap and sobbed openly, releasing all the fear and anxiety she had bottled up over the past days.
Hua Ying'an’s eyes also welled up, but she was more composed and stubborn, unwilling to shed tears easily.
She tilted her head slightly, blinking rapidly to dry her eyes.
Hua Ying'an thought no one would notice her—after all, she was seated farthest from Gu Nanyan—but when she lowered her gaze, she t Gu Nanyan’s smiling eyes.
Those were eyes of breathtaking beauty and unparalleled gentleness, carrying both quiet wisdom and warm sincerity.
With just a faint glance, Hua Ying'an understood Gu Nanyan’s ssage: I’m fine, don’t worry.
Hmph. Hua Ying'an pouted slightly, grumbling inwardly. This woman is so ‘flirtatious’—she hasn’t missed a single person in this crowd.
Once everyone’s emotions had settled, Gu Nanyan gestured for Zhan Yiran to bring over the backpack she had brought back.
Zhan Yiran hurried over with the bag, curiosity bubbling. "Eldest Sister-in-law, what’s in here? It’s so heavy."
"Gifts for all of you."
Gu Nanyan opened the backpack and first pulled out a grass-woven cricket, handing it to Little Ruirui.
The little boy cupped the cricket in his tiny hands and looked up at Gu Nanyan.
"It’s for you," she said with a smile.
Little Ruirui’s eyes widened, and for the first ti, an expression flickered across his face.
Next, Gu Nanyan took out a bundle of dried wildflowers for Zhan's Mother—they could be brewed into tea.
Holding the flowers, even the battle-hardened matriarch of the Zhan Family was moved.
In such dire circumstances on that island, facing uncertainty every day, and yet Nanyan still rembered to pick wildflowers for my tea…
These flowers had clearly been carefully selected, one by one, and the process of drying them would have taken days of ticulous effort.
Zhan's Mother turned away, dabbing the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
My Nanyan… how could she be so thoughtful?
After the wildflowers, Gu Nanyan retrieved two paintings from the bag—sketches she had made during her journey back.
One depicted a rare island animal, gifted to Zhan Yiran; the other captured the island’s scenery, given to Le Xuanji.
For Hua Ying'an, Gu Nanyan presented a short wooden sword, exquisitely carved, with characters engraved on the hilt.
Hua Ying'an’s eyes sparkled at the sight.
The backpack also held exotic fruits and dried seafood, which Gu Nanyan instructed Aunt Qian to distribute among everyone.
No one had expected that, even in such harsh conditions, Gu Nanyan would rember to bring them gifts.
The weight of her affection left their hearts aching with warmth.
After distributing the presents, Gu Nanyan returned to her room to change for dinner.
As she stepped out, she found Zhan Yiran waiting by the door.
The girl had changed noticeably—once boisterous and prone to barging in unannounced, she now stood obediently outside.
"What’s wrong?" Gu Nanyan asked.
"Eldest Sister-in-law…" Zhan Yiran’s eyes reddened, and she sniffled. "Am I useless? When you were trapped on that island, I could do nothing but wait at ho for news.
"I realized how pathetic I am. I’ve always been lazy, never putting effort into anything. Because I knew—I’m a Zhan. I have Mother and Eldest Brother to rely on. I could just… drift along, carefree.
"But in that mont, I felt utterly powerless. Soone I care about was in danger, and I was helpless."
She shook her head. "I can’t keep living like this. Heaven gave such privilege—I should strive harder. I want to contribute, even if it’s just a little, for you, for Mother, Eldest Brother, and Ruirui.
"I refuse to stay the sa, waiting for others to protect ."
"Our little Yiran has grown up."
Gu Nanyan suddenly reached out, pulling Zhan Yiran into an embrace.
The girl flushed. "I’m already eighteen."
"Yes, you are. I’ll wait for you to grow stronger—to protect one day." Gu Nanyan chuckled softly.
Zhan Yiran nodded solemnly. "Mm."
Such danger must never happen again.
Dinner was a lavish spread of all Gu Nanyan’s favorites—clover cakes, golden taro pastries, soft cheese curds—dishes the chefs had previously struggled to make but now mastered perfectly.
Little Ruirui sat beside Gu Nanyan, diligently serving her while ignoring his own plate.
The entire household orbited around her.
After the al, Aunt Qian brought desserts and fresh fruit.
Then the gardeners announced they’d redesigned the backyard with new landscapes for Madam’s leisurely strolls.
The lively chatter lasted until 10 p.m., when everyone reluctantly dispersed, not wanting to exhaust Gu Nanyan.
Le Xuanji and Hua Ying'an stayed overnight at the Zhan residence.
Watching this, Zhan Yiran was puzzled. Why did Mother let outsiders stay but send Eldest Brother away?
"Silly child." Zhan's Mother tapped her daughter’s forehead. "Your brother and Nanyan have always had a rocky relationship. Now that she’s back, he’d surely scold her for ‘running off’ and getting into trouble.
"After all she’s endured, what Nanyan needs now is warmth—not lectures. I sent him away to avoid a quarrel."
Zhan Yiran bristled. "Eldest Brother is too much! How could he bla Sister-in-law? The island was an accident—it wasn’t her fault!"
Zhan's Mother sighed. "They’ve spent too little ti together and don’t understand each other yet. It’ll improve with ti."
Zhan Yiran muttered, "Sister-in-law is so outstanding, there must be many n who admire her. If Big Brother doesn’t step up, soone else might snatch her away."
Zhan's Mother sighed in worry and instructed Zhan Yiran, "When you have ti, talk to your brother. Teach him how to win Gu Nanyan’s heart."
Zhan Yiran’s eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly. "Don’t worry, Mom. I know exactly what to do."
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