On a cruise ship crossing the ocean, a certain Mr. Ming, who wished to remain anonymous, sneezed heavily.

Worried he had caught a cold, and to avoid passing it to his wife, Mr. Ming stopped standing by the ship’s rail in the wind and went back to his cabin to drink some cold prevention medicine.

…

Yan Yu drove her friend, who had come from so far away, and the two little ones back to her small courtyard.

It was a very beautiful courtyard. The design had a strong local architectural style, with peacock blue walls, and colorful tassels and handmade tapestries hanging everywhere, along with exquisite hand-painted ceramics and vibrant wall murals.

In one corner of the yard was a grape trellis, with grapes already hanging heavy and plump. Under the trellis was a low couch for cooling off and eating fruit.

Following the wooden stairs to the second floor, you could see a field of blue-purple sage in the distance, like a purple mist covering the boundless green meadow. When the wind blew, you could smell the fragrance of the flowers.

Ren Shuangmei was here on business and had to leave soon after landing, so she simply packed up the two little ones and left them with Yan Yu.

And so, for the next few days, Luo Chi and Ming Weiting got to fully experience the feeling of a package tour.

A tour specifically customized for children, with absolutely no cutting corners.

In the morning, they went to the Rainbow Beach to play in the water and see the poplar forest. For lunch, they had roasted meat and hand-pilaf rice. At night, they went to Kanas to look for the lake monster, and came home to grill skewers in the courtyard for a late-night snack.

The local orchards were just in their harvest season. The grapes were juicy and plump, the watermelons were chilled in well water and would split open with a single heavy knock, ready to be eaten. The apricots were fragrant and sweet, ready to eat right after being picked and wiped.

Yan Yu took the two boys to the orchard to eat and pick to their hearts’ content, taught them how to make jam from the fruit they brought back, and laid out the rest on the roof to dry into fruit leather. She even found time to “hijack” a passing flock of sheep with them.

The newborn lambs bounced and skipped as they walked, daring to headbutt anything they saw, but unable to win against anything. They would charge over menacingly, only to trip from jumping too high, then turn around angrily to get backup from the shepherd dog.

The two large, long-haired shepherd dogs looked heroic and had absolute authority over the flock, but they were very friendly to people. After Luo Chi hugged them and rubbed their necks a few times, their tails started wagging like electric fans.

It was Ming Weiting’s first time dealing with a dog of this size. Seeing Luo Chi get tackled by the two shepherd dogs, his heart tightened and he rushed over, only to find the two big guys fighting to nudge their heads into Luo Chi’s arms, neither willing to back down.

Luo Chi lay on the ground, hugging the warm, furry head nuzzling into his arms, and laughed from being tickled. His eyes shining, he reached a hand out to Ming Weiting.

Ming Weiting took his hand and was pulled down to lie on the grass with him, immediately becoming the new target for the one who had lost the competition.

“It’s okay,” Luo Chi tugged his sleeve and whispered to him. “They like you.”

Ming Weiting nodded.

He actually felt it was okay too, and that lying like this was very comfortable.

Although the place he was pulled down onto was grass, it felt like lying on soft wool. Looking up, the sky was a clear, washed blue, with a few floating clouds whiter than the sheep beside them.

The two shepherd dogs still preferred Luo Chi. After another fierce struggle, the one that had lost before was defeated again, and dejectedly rested its head on Ming Weiting’s shoulder.

Ming Weiting squeezed Huo Miao’s hand and turned his head to ask him, “What should I do now?”

Luo Chi did his best to lift his head from the dog’s long fur: “Thank it.”

Ming Weiting nodded. He used his other hand to take the shepherd dog’s front paw and said to it, “Thank you.”

He strictly followed Huo Miao’s instructions to complete this step. Just as he was about to ask for further guidance, he saw the dried beef jerky Luo Chi was about to hand him as a thank-you gift for the dog.

Immediately after, he heard his mother and the herdsman laughing so hard it startled the flock of sheep.

…Even the shepherd dog was stunned.

Luo Chi was very considerate of his best friend’s pride. He coughed a few times to suppress his laughter and placed the jerky in his hand: “This is more sincere.”

The shepherd dog on Luo Chi’s side had already run off with its jerky, happily munching away. The one on Ming Weiting’s side had clearly not recovered from the shock of the sudden handshake. It stared with wide eyes, tilting its head at him.

Ming Weiting came to his senses and also realized that his previous action was quite thoughtless. He handed the jerky to the shepherd dog he had just thanked.

This type of shepherd dog is one of the breeds with top-tier intelligence and a very strong learning ability. After taking the jerky, it copied the action, lifted its front paw, and pawed twice at Ming Weiting and Luo Chi’s clasped hands.

…

This time, the laughter could be heard even by the flock of sheep on the other side of the grassland.

After greeting the shepherd dogs, they brushed the grass off their clothes and stood up, heading to the pasture with the flock.

Yan Yu was already very familiar with the local herdsmen. She rolled up her sleeves and taught Ming Weiting and Luo Chi how to milk goats, sent it to be professionally sterilized, and brought it back to the courtyard.

It gets dark very late here. After bathing, enjoying the breeze, and eating chilled Hami melon and grapes, the sun on the horizon had not yet set.

Yan Yu made them milk skin and milk tea, and also portioned out some into small jars to make yogurt. The rest was mixed with black tea, boiled, and after adding a starter and kneading it, it was covered with plastic wrap to ferment, ready to be made into black tea milk bread for tomorrow’s breakfast.

Luo Chi had always been quite interested in baking. He could get started after hearing his auntie explain the process once and skillfully began dividing the dough.

Ming Weiting helped him on the side. Noticing a bit of flour on the tip of Huo Miao’s nose, he gently touched Luo Chi’s arm: “Here, you’ve got something on you.”

Luo Chi blinked, stopped what he was doing, and looked up.

Ming Weiting tried to wipe it for him a couple of times, but realizing his own hand was also covered in flour, he was only making the smudge bigger. He pulled his hand back and pointed to the tip of his own nose.

His gaze had been fixed on Huo Miao, and he hadn’t estimated the distance well, accidentally smudging his own face as well.

Luo Chi’s eyes widened. He coughed lightly and pressed his lips together.

A playful mood suddenly struck him. He also raised his hand with a serious expression to help Ming Weiting wipe his face, and as he got closer, his hand moved with lightning speed, smearing Ming Weiting’s face like a little painted cat with flour before he could react.

Ming Weiting hadn’t anticipated his move. By the time he realized it, it was too late. He immediately copied the action, using the flour he had just smeared on himself to add his own temporary creative flair.

Huo Miao’s reaction was faster than his. After only a few strokes, he nimbly ducked and ran away.

Some little tough guys are just too much at times like these.

Not only did he not quit while he was ahead, but he also jumped behind the grape trellis, his eyes curved, and beckoned quite provocatively.

Young Master Ming put away the dough he was kneading, wiped the flour from his hands, rolled up his sleeves, and gave chase.

Young Master Ming was skilled. He caught the little painted cat, who hadn’t finished being painted, on the second-floor balcony.

Luo Chi had been chased around the entire yard by him. He was out of breath from running and laughing, and couldn’t stand properly. He collapsed onto his shoulder, panting heavily, and decided to just lie flat and let him draw.

Ming Weiting was about to continue his previous creation when he looked down at his hands: “Oh no.”

Luo Chi was curious: “What’s wrong?”

“I’m out of materials,” Ming Weiting said. “I washed my hands.”

Luo Chi did have flour on his hands, but of course, he wasn’t going to provide it willingly. He hid his hands behind his back: “Why did you wash your hands?”

Ming Weiting was holding his wrist and gestured with it: “I was afraid of getting your clothes dirty.”

Luo Chi looked down at their two sets of clothes, which were already covered in patches of flour from their chase. “…”

Ming Weiting: “…”

It was the first time Luo Chi had seen him with such an expression. He coughed with laughter, then very calmly patted Ming Weiting’s hair, conveniently wiping the last bit of flour onto it: “It’s okay, I’ll wash them.”

The small courtyard looked ordinary, but after staying for two days, you would discover it had its own secrets. Out back, there was an open-air hot spring where you could lie on the rocks and look at the stars.

Yesterday’s schedule had been incredibly full. Luo Chi had a video call with his mom after returning to his room and fell asleep not long after lying down in bed. He only vaguely remembered Ming Weiting and his auntie talking outside for a long time.

Tonight, he was set on soaking in the hot spring. It was a good opportunity to wash the clothes too. The climate here was very dry, and they would be dry after hanging on the terrace for one night.

Ming Weiting took off his own jacket, took Luo Chi’s as well, and folded them neatly to the side.

After doing this, he saw that Luo Chi had also washed his hands and was sitting on the long wooden bench on the balcony, looking at the scenery. He walked over and sat down beside Huo Miao: “Are you cold?”

“A little,” Luo Chi looked up, his eyes curving. “It’s just right when two people sit here.”

As he spoke, Luo Chi had already deftly scooted closer to Ming Weiting, sitting shoulder to shoulder with him.

The evening wind was indeed a bit cool, but sitting huddled together like this, it didn’t feel cold at all. Instead, there was a strange warmth.

This warmth seemed to come through their touching shoulders, or perhaps it grew slowly from within their chests, and along with the orange-red sunset in the distance and the evening clouds dyed half pink and half gold, it made the whole world seem to suddenly quiet down and slow down.

Ming Weiting raised his hand and stroked Huo Miao’s hair: “You’re so amazing.”

He suddenly said such a thing, and Luo Chi was a little surprised. He blinked: “Because I can do laundry?”

“Not just that,” Ming Weiting said. “Because no matter what it is, you always have a way.”

Luo Chi had never thought this was something to be praised for. Completely unprepared, his ears suddenly turned red.

“They’re all small things,” Luo Chi said quietly, feeling warm. “You’re not familiar with many things on shore. It’ll be fine once you get used to them.”

Ming Weiting turned his head and asked in a low voice, “What do I do before I get used to them?”

Huo Miao was super generous: “Find me. I’ll cover for you.”

Ming Weiting looked at him seriously, then suddenly smiled and placed his hand on top of Huo Miao’s head.

Luo Chi was just feeling a bit tired in his back. Being petted and having his hair ruffled, he comfortably closed his eyes and relaxed against Ming Weiting’s shoulder.

“We need to think of a solution,” Luo Chi discussed with him. “Auntie should still like Uncle a lot.”

Ming Weiting looked down: “Why?”

He had talked with his mother late into the night yesterday and had indeed said a lot about his father, but he was still unclear about his mother’s attitude.

Ming Weiting tried to put himself in her shoes. If he were the one abandoned at the pier, discovering the ship had already left and no one would ever come back for him, he would probably use smoke signals to contact his father in the future.

Luo Chi didn’t actually know either; it was just an instinct, a gut feeling: “Auntie and Uncle’s first date was on this grassland, right?”

Ming Weiting nodded.

His father and mother had been here before.

The herdsman they met today had even mentioned that many years ago, a gentleman who hadn’t seen such large dogs much and couldn’t ride a horse, but was still quite handsome and tall, had come with his mother, who was still a young girl back then.

Because the pastures and orchards here had always been in contact with his mother, and it was rare to see other people with her, the impression was quite clear even after so many years.

When the herdsman mentioned this, his mother was leaning not far away, fiddling with the tassels on her shawl, staring at him in a daze.

Ming Weiting thought that perhaps his mother wasn’t just looking at him.

“I think this might be why Auntie has lived here all these years, keeping this little courtyard so beautifully.”

Luo Chi thought for a moment, then added in a whisper, “If it were me, I would do the same.”

If he were forced to be separated from the most important person to him, with a high chance of never being able to meet again, he would stay in the place with the deepest memories.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to leave, but that he couldn’t leave.

It was a feeling that was hard to describe, as if all his senses were connected to every detail of that place. Even if he wanted to leave, he would be held back by an unknown force.

“Even so, Father made a very serious mistake back then.”

Ming Weiting was silent for a while, then finally spoke: “He must apologize.”

Luo Chi agreed with this and nodded seriously.

These two things were actually completely unrelated. Before coming, Luo Chi had discussed this with his mom.

The deadlock between Ming Weiting’s father and mother could only be untied by themselves. Others couldn’t and shouldn’t interfere.

His mom told him that she would absolutely support all of Yan Yu’s choices; this was a sign of respect for a good friend.

However, after he and Ming Weiting discussed it for a while, they still felt that his auntie didn’t seem as happy as she appeared when she was taking them around.

Luo Chi pulled Ming Weiting to a corner of the balcony and pointed down secretly.

Ming Weiting looked down in the direction he was pointing.

From this angle, they could see the lush grapevines. His mother was sitting under the grape trellis, drinking the wine she had brewed by herself, staring blankly at the sea of blue-purple flowers.

That low table looked like it should have seated two people, but there was only one glass. The wind rustled the leaves, and as the sky darkened, the setting sun cast an exceptionally long shadow.

“Bottled-up emotions are bad for your health,” Ming Weiting said. “If Mom has something on her mind, she should let it all out.”

Luo Chi was also considering this. He had just found a guitar in the house and thought for a moment: “At lunch today, was Auntie listening to the song that person on the roadside was singing?”

Ming Weiting nodded: “Yes.”

They couldn’t understand the local language, so they had no way of knowing what the person was singing, but the melody was still particularly memorable.

Truly moving music is not limited by many factors. The emotions contained within can still be felt through the music, even if the language is not understood.

Luo Chi still remembered the tune. He stood up and softly hummed a few bars: “I think I can play it.”

Ming Weiting’s eyes lit up. He nodded and pulled him down to the ground floor.

…

Yan Yu was a little surprised when the boys suddenly said they wanted to play a song for her.

She had heard Ren Shuangmei talk about how amazing Huo Miao was countless times and had also seen those viral videos.

Unfortunately, the two families lived too far apart, and Yan Yu had an orchard to take care of here, so she couldn’t go to the seaside for bonfire parties or to play with her good friend and little Huo Miao, which had always been a great regret.

Seeing the guitar in Huo Miao’s arms, Yan Yu immediately put down her wine glass to be a super supportive audience and went back to her room to find two large glow sticks.

They were genuinely large glow sticks.

They looked like they were for professional concert cheering. Plastic casing, at least two sizes more impressive than a rolling pin. Once switched on, they would light up with colorful lights.

There was a steady light mode, a flowing color mode, and they could also transform into a flashing light bar. They were in a completely different league from the kind Luo Chi usually played with that you just had to snap to light up.

Yan Yu hurried back, handed one of the large glow sticks to her son, and sat down properly, full of expectation.

Luo Chi’s ears felt a little hot. He coughed lightly and sat up straight, holding the guitar.

…

Although he was a little nervous at first, it didn’t affect him much. After just a minute or two, his mind was completely immersed in the guitar in his arms.

The sun set bit by bit to the sound of the guitar.

The brilliant, burning sunset cast a soft, warm glow over the small courtyard. The song sung by the wandering singer was transposed to the guitar by Luo Chi, sounding both the same and completely different.

It was a very mysterious transformation. The wind in the courtyard rustled the leaves, and the long, drawn-out calls of a shepherd could be heard from a distance. The lively and cheerful melody contained a contrasting passion and gentleness that almost brought tears to one’s eyes.

Ming Weiting noticed his mother was softly singing along. After a few lines, she stopped and looked at the guitar in Huo Miao’s arms, listening with extra concentration.

The wine glass had originally been set aside, but at some point, it was picked up again.

Yan Yu listened quietly to the guitar, slowly sipping the wine in her hand. After taking a few deep breaths, her eyes suddenly turned red, and she raised her hand to rub them forcefully.

As the song ended, the sun had almost completely set below the horizon.

Luo Chi pressed on the strings to silence the last note. Yan Yu immediately grabbed her son and applauded vigorously, startling Huo Miao, who looked up, coming back to his senses.

The courtyard was mostly enveloped in darkness, making the two glow sticks particularly conspicuous, shining brightly in the moonlight and the chirping of crickets, passionately cheering for him.

Luo Chi had always thought his mom was already super enthusiastic. He was so stunned by the sudden, fervent applause that he couldn’t move, standing there with the guitar, feeling completely warm and flustered.

“Beautiful!” Yan Yu praised loudly. “Especially beautiful!”

While the two boys weren’t looking, she had had a good cry during the song. It had been a long time since she had felt so relieved.

The wine was delicious too. She had been making wine for so many years, and this year’s was the best.

…That bastard had promised her that from now on, he would only drink the wine she brewed.

They had promised that they would have a small courtyard on the grassland in the future.

The small courtyard had to have a grape trellis, because they had to make a wish under it during the Qixi Festival. It had to have a hot spring, because it was convenient for stargazing. It had to have a second-floor balcony, because they had to watch a thousand sunsets from it.

When they made these promises, Yan Yu admitted that her health wasn’t so good—or perhaps it was actually very bad.

She spent most of the day in a drowsy sleep, rarely awake. Every time she opened her eyes, she would see that bastard with bloodshot eyes, sitting motionless by her bed, watching her.

She admitted that at the time, they had made these promises as if they were last words. Yan Yu’s thought was that when Mr. Ming had time, he could bring her urn to the grassland to relax.

The view here was open and beautiful, perfect for letting out all bottled-up emotions.

And then continue to live well.

…

The wine had a strong after-kick.

Yan Yu decided to sort out her pent-up emotions and let them all out.

She wiped her face forcefully, took a deep breath, pushed herself up from the table, and stood up unsteadily.

Ming Weiting immediately stood up: “Mom.”

Yan Yu clapped her son heavily on the shoulder and then vigorously ruffled his head.

She took Ming Weiting’s glow stick, connected it with her own, and after fiddling with it for a bit, it transformed into a pair of dazzling, colorful, shining nunchucks.

Ming Weiting: “…”

Ming Weiting: “Mom.”

“Where has your father gotten to?” Yan Yu brandished the glowing nunchucks. “Is he coming over in a canoe?”