Rebirth at the Start: This Fate is Too Explosive!

Chapter 334 The Little Tour Guide Points the Way to the Zhang Family.

Ye Fan watched her focused profile, not wanting to disturb her peaceful moment, and relaxed by leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes to rest.

The cabin was filled only with the steady hum of the engine and the occasional, almost inaudible gasps of amazement from Xian Zuling at the spectacular sight outside the window.

......

Two hours later.

The plane landed smoothly at Huanghua Airport.

Stepping out of the plane and onto the land of Changsha, the air seemed to be filled with a different kind of humid and slightly spicy scent than that of Nanjing.

The MPV that Ye Fan had arranged in advance was already waiting outside the arrival hall.

The driver was a kind-looking middle-aged man. When he saw them come out, he quickly got out of the car to help them put their luggage away.

"Get in the car, we're going to the county town," Ye Fan said to the driver, and then, with Xian Zuling still somewhat immersed in the afterglow of the flight, he sat in the spacious and comfortable back seat.

Xian Zuling's home is in a small county town about two hours' drive from the airport.

The car left the airport expressway and merged into the national highway leading to the county town.

Perhaps it was the exhaustion from last night's insomnia that finally hit, coupled with the mental strain of flying and the unfamiliar environment, because less than ten minutes after the car started moving, Xian Zuling's little head began to bob up and down like a chick pecking at rice.

Finally, her body slumped, and she leaned back unguarded against the spacious seat. Her breathing became even and long, and she fell into a deep sleep, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes.

Ye Fan turned his head to look at her peaceful sleeping face, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.

He gently adjusted the angle of her seat so she could lie down more comfortably, and then took a light jacket from his backpack and carefully covered her with it.

After doing all this, he signaled the driver to turn up the air conditioning temperature a bit, and then leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

The car traveled along the not-so-smooth national highway, and the slight bumps became the best lullaby.

Xian Zuling slept exceptionally soundly that night.

She didn't know how much time had passed before she groggily opened her eyes.

Outside the window was an unfamiliar street scene of a county town, and the daylight was already dim.

She instinctively turned her head to look for the person next to her—the seat was empty!

"!" Xian Zuling's heart sank suddenly, and he was instantly wide awake, his face turning pale.

A sense of panic, of being abandoned alone in a strange place, instantly gripped her.

She practically sat up abruptly, frantically peering out the car window.

The next second, her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, fell back to its original place.

Not far outside the car, Ye Fan was leaning against a roadside utility pole with his back to the car, looking down intently at his phone screen. The warm yellow streetlights outlined his tall figure.

That sense of familiarity dispelled all my unease.

She quickly opened the car door and got out of the car somewhat hastily.

Hearing the noise, Ye Fan looked up, put away his phone, and smiled naturally: "Awake? You slept really soundly the whole way. Are you hungry?"

Xian Zuling twisted her fingers sheepishly and explained softly, "I...I'm sorry, I had a bit of insomnia last night."

His voice was slightly hoarse, as if he had just woken up.

"Oh? Insomnia?" Ye Fan raised an eyebrow. "That's perfect! This meal is on you, consider it compensation for being your 'pillow' the whole way, no problem?"

"No objection! No objection!" Xian Zuling shook his head vigorously without thinking, his face showing a serious eagerness to "atone for his sins."

"Alright, let's go!" Ye Fan called out, and the two got back into the car.

After starting the car, Ye Fan remembered her mention of insomnia and casually asked, "Why are you suddenly having trouble sleeping? Was it because you were too tired from working part-time during the National Day holiday?"

Xian Zuling's body stiffened slightly, she lowered her head, and her voice became even softer: "No...no...it was just me..."

She spoke vaguely, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting with the hem of her clothes, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter further.

Ye Fan noticed her lowered head and evasive posture, understood, and did not press the matter.

She naturally changed the subject: "I'm starving! Quick, give me directions! Where should we eat? It's a promise, no expensive stuff, I just want authentic roadside stir-fries, the 'hole-in-the-wall' the better!"

Upon hearing this request, Xian Zuling looked up and carefully examined the familiar streets outside the window.

She knew the roads in the county town very well, and quickly pointed in a direction: "Then... then drive towards the back, I know a place that's really good!"

Following her directions, the car turned into a bustling but slightly old-fashioned alley, eventually stopping in front of a small shop with a sign that read "Lao Zhou Hunan Cuisine".

The aroma of cooking oil mixed with the strong scent of chili wafted from the shop, just the kind of authentic, down-to-earth flavor that Ye Fan was looking for.

"This is it!" Xian Zuling said with bright eyes.

Ye Fan told the driver to take care of his own dinner, and then he and Xian Zuling went into the small shop.

The shop is not very spacious, with only a few square tables. The floor is a bit greasy, but it is clean enough.

Local diners in twos and threes were enjoying their meal.

"Let's order. Pick two of your most distinctive dishes." Ye Fan pushed the menu towards Xian Zuling.

Xian Zuling skillfully ordered three dishes: stir-fried pork with chili peppers that was glistening and fragrant, a huge fish head covered with chopped red chili peppers, and a small dish of savory and delicious Hunan-style dishes.

Ye Fan added two more bottles of chilled cola.

The food was served very quickly.

The stir-fried pork with chili peppers is full of wok hei (wok aroma), the pork slices are tender and the chili peppers are fresh and spicy; the steamed fish head with chopped chili peppers is fragrant and delicious, the fish meat is soaked in the soup and is so tender that it melts in your mouth; Grandma's pickled vegetables are salty, spicy and refreshing, a perfect dish to eat with rice.

Ye Fan ate until his forehead was sweating, but he kept praising, "Authentic! Delicious!"

My past life's fondness for Hunan cuisine was greatly satisfied at this moment.

Seeing that he was eating with relish, Xian Zuling relaxed and ate in small bites, a faint smile on her face.

Twenty minutes later, the two put down their chopsticks, satisfied.

Having agreed that the ancestral spirit would treat them, Ye Fan sat leisurely to the side, watching her walk to the cashier.

The shopkeeper calculated that it cost a little over sixty yuan in total.

Xian Zuling carefully counted the money and handed it over.

After paying, he turned around and was about to tell Ye Fan that he could leave when he opened his mouth and said, "Hiccup..."

A shallow, cola-scented burp escaped uncontrollably.

"!!!" Xian Zuling froze instantly, her whole face turning bright red, like a ripe shrimp.

She suddenly covered her mouth tightly with her hand, almost burying her head in her chest, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground; her ears were bright red.

"Pfft... Hahaha!" Ye Fan couldn't help but laugh out loud at her embarrassed yet adorable appearance, feeling great.

Almost instinctively, he raised his hand and gently ruffled her soft hair with a look of tenderness and affection.

"It's good that you're full."

Ye Fan rubbed her head, and Xian Zuling buried her little head even lower, only revealing the tips of her ears, which were red and dripping with blood. She was too shy to look up at him.

The driver had already finished eating and was waiting in the car.

Ye Fan smiled and opened the car door: "Let's go, little tour guide, show us the way home."

Ye Fan actually knew the location of Xianzu Ling's family, but he didn't say so. Instead, he asked her to give the driver directions.

This is a subtle form of thoughtfulness, allowing her to take some initiative in her familiar environment.