When Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu returned, Fatty and Little Fox were the first to inquire about the situation.
Fatty said, "Brother Ye, what were you and sister-in-law doing just now? You got out of the car so suddenly, and in this desolate wilderness. I thought something had happened. But seeing you and sister-in-law return, you look as if you just went for a stroll?"
Little Fox also chimed in, "Yeah, yeah, Brother, what exactly were you and sister-in-law doing just now?"
Ye Tiancheng glanced at the two of them and said with a half-smile, "Saying we went for a stroll isn't wrong."
Fatty was stunned, and said incredulously, "No way? Brother Ye? Are you kidding me?"
This wasn't because Fatty felt he was being toyed with, but rather because Fatty didn't think Ye Tiancheng was that kind of person. On the way to do something important, leaving their companions and daughter behind to take his wife for a walk in the wilderness – it just didn't seem like something Ye Tiancheng would do. If it were for a walk with a hidden purpose, it would be more plausible.
Little Fox's eyes darted around, and he said, "I think Brother might only be telling half the truth, which is why it sounds like this. I don't believe Brother just took sister-in-law for a walk. Brother isn't that idle."
Ye Tiancheng chuckled, "You're the one with the sharp tongue. If I had really just gone for a walk with Mingzhu, wouldn't that prove what you said, that we were bored and had nothing better to do?"
Little Fox chuckled and said, "We haven't really eaten our fill these past few days, so Brother definitely wouldn't be bored and have nothing better to do. Therefore, we can deduce that Brother must have taken sister-in-law to do something important, right?"
Ye Tiancheng immediately patted Little Fox on the head.
However, Ye Tiancheng did explain to the others, "That's right, I wasn't just out for a walk because I had nothing to do. I was doing something important."
"I sensed what I was looking for in this direction, so I went to check. I just brought Mingzhu along, nothing else."
Fatty asked, "So, how did it go? Did you get anything?"
Ye Tiancheng nodded, then paused, and shook his head. Fatty was confused and a bit bewildered. "Brother Ye, what do you mean by nodding and then shaking your head?"
"Is there something or not?"
Ye Tiancheng said, "Why are you so anxious? I haven't even spoken yet."
Fatty sheepishly said, "Brother Ye, please tell us."
Ye Tiancheng said, "There was a gain, but it was just a gain. The sensing wasn't wrong; what we were looking for is indeed in this area. There's no doubt about that."
Fatty asked, "If that's the case, then it's a great gain. Why are you still shaking your head?"
Ye Tiancheng said, exasperated, "Look at this place."
Fatty looked out the car window at Ye Tiancheng's words. It was a place with green mountains and clear waters. He didn't quite understand what Ye Tiancheng was asking and tentatively replied, "It's a nice view, isn't it? A desolate wilderness?"
Ye Tiancheng asked, "Doesn't that place look very large?"
Fatty nodded along. It was a mountain, after all. How could it not be vast?
So, Ye Tiancheng continued, "Then, if I told you that what we're looking for is on that mountain, and asked you to find it on that mountain, how many days do you think it would take you?"
Fatty had initially thought this place was already quite small compared to their objective. But after Ye Tiancheng's question, he realized some issues. That's right, on such a large mountain, who could possibly know what the fragment of the Fuxi Qin hidden here looked like or how big it was? They had only confirmed a mountain. If they actually went up the mountain to search, how long would it take? Moreover, if they couldn't determine the size, it would be even harder to find. They might even overlook places they had already searched, wasting even more time.
So, Fatty said sheepishly, "I understand now. But narrowing down the search area is a good thing."
Ye Tiancheng nodded expressionlessly. "Yes, it is indeed a good thing."
Hou Mingzhu listened to Ye Tiancheng talking with Fatty and Little Fox. Although she knew more and knew that Ye Tiancheng wasn't telling the whole truth, she had no intention of exposing him and chose to remain silent.
Little Fox asked Ye Tiancheng, "So, Brother, what are your plans next?"
Ye Tiancheng deliberately put on a thoughtful expression and after a long while, replied, "Because it's confirmed that there won't be any particularly troublesome or difficult problems in this area, it might just take time. So, there's no need for everyone to exert themselves this time."
"And the workload for me won't be particularly large, it's relatively easy."
"Therefore, I've decided to let everyone rest well for a while. Play as you like, sleep as you like, eat as you like. We've just experienced an unfavorable environment, and before that, we were always too tense and didn't rest properly. This isn't good."
"What I mean is, we should stay here and rest peacefully for at least a month. Sharpening the axe doesn't delay woodcutting. If we keep going without rest, we'll eventually collapse from exhaustion and too much pressure."
Little Fox blinked and asked, "So, can we rest well? Play freely during this time?"
Ye Tiancheng nodded slightly. "Yes, you can play however you want, or sleep for a month."
Little Fox had actually asked this intentionally. He didn't think things would be as simple as Ye Tiancheng said. Moreover, he saw Ye Tiancheng give him a wink, knowing that there would be more to come, so he played along with Ye Tiancheng's pretense for a bit.
However, after hearing Ye Tiancheng's words, Fatty seemed a bit hesitant. "But Brother Ye, you still need to find the Fuxi Qin fragments. Is it really okay for you to be busy alone this time? Do you need our help?"
Ye Tiancheng smiled helplessly. "Of course, it's true. You don't need to help me."
"I said it myself, no one is holding a gun to my head, and I'm not being forced, so I'm definitely not forcing you."
"I truly have no problem, I can do it. You guys should just rest well and cherish this time. When I truly need it, have I ever been one to overexert myself?"
"Fatty, don't worry. If I need it, your brother will definitely not be polite. So, you just rest assured. After all, after resting well this time, if I need it again in the future, I will definitely need your help."
Fatty was quite obedient to Ye Tiancheng and trusted him immensely, even more than Ye Tiancheng trusted his own abilities.
So, Fatty finally relented and said, "Alright then, I believe what you say, Brother. But we've agreed, if it's too difficult for you alone, don't force yourself. Your brother will never stand by and do nothing."
Ye Tiancheng smiled and said, "Of course, I know that. I'm not one to overexert myself." He really didn't tend to push himself or act impulsively; it was rare for him to do so. Most of the time, Ye Tiancheng was quite calm.
The conversation in the car came to a temporary halt. Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox exchanged glances, and Little Fox understood that there were more matters to discuss later, and Ye Tiancheng would come to him for consultation, so he was mentally prepared. When Little Fox was suffering from amnesia and there were no conflicts with Ye Tiancheng, they had great tacit understanding. As long as Little Fox didn't recover, or if he recovered and didn't stand on the opposite side, Ye Tiancheng would still be willing to treat Little Fox as before. However, thinking about the relationship between Little Fox and that Ghost Fox A'Zi, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but worry. But since he thought this matter was still a long way from erupting, he wasn't too worried for now.
What was more concerning at the moment was Fatty's situation. This matter was more urgent because Shao Ying's identity was problematic, and Shao Ying was Fatty's girlfriend. This was what made Ye Tiancheng so troubled, making him hesitant to act rashly and requiring him to be cautious, to gather irrefutable evidence before making a move.
After receiving Ye Tiancheng's instructions, Hou Mingzhu quickly made arrangements. The people here were well-prepared. As soon as Hou Mingzhu gave the order, they could quickly complete all arrangements and await the arrival of Ye Tiancheng and Hou Mingzhu.
The car soon drove to a villa district. As soon as Fatty saw the scenery outside the window, he exclaimed, "Whoa! This is heavenly treatment!"
Ye Tiancheng smiled and said, "After all, this is a vacation, so the arrangements definitely won't be so hasty. At least it should make people more comfortable."
Fatty looked at the villas outside and heard Ye Tiancheng's words, and agreed wholeheartedly. "That makes sense. This is what a vacation should be like. There's no reason to live a hard life while on vacation."
"Looking at the environment this time, we can truly enjoy ourselves. Thank you, Brother Ye. It's only by following Brother Ye that I have the opportunity to enjoy such a heavenly life."
Ye Tiancheng, however, shook his head and said, "How can I take credit for this? This is clearly your sister-in-law's merit. It's because of Mingzhu that we can enjoy these things?"
Fatty quickly said, "We should thank both of you! If it weren't for Brother Ye's good fortune, I wouldn't have had this chance. I'm benefiting from it."
In other matters, Hou Mingzhu might not have been able to help Ye Tiancheng much, but in terms of daily life, Hou Mingzhu could indeed help a lot. After all, she came from a good background, and making these arrangements was easy for her.
Hou Mingzhu turned to look at them and said, "Let's not thank each other. We're all family, and saying such things makes us strangers."
Little Fox echoed Hou Mingzhu, "Sister-in-law is right. We all listen to sister-in-law. Thanking each other like this is indeed too distant."
Ye Tiancheng found their back-and-forth amusing and remained silent. It wasn't until the car stopped in front of a large villa that they all got out.
This villa was quite large, but it wasn't the entire property. This wasn't the main entrance to the villa; in fact, they had entered the villa's main gate much earlier. However, their residence was this single villa. There were actually several other houses, as well as a large garden and many other areas with various functions, which couldn't be seen all at once. To tour this villa area on foot would be impossible; they would need to drive. The car had actually taken a long time to reach this villa. Therefore, given ample room for maneuver, the accommodation Hou Mingzhu could arrange would only be better. In fact, the houses they had stayed in before were truly modest, certainly not fitting for Miss Hou. Hou Mingzhu herself lived a much more comfortable life.