Young Master Ming’s horse-riding skills were a bit lacking, but he was already quite proficient at operating a speedboat.

At sea, if one wanted to get somewhere conveniently and quickly, a speedboat was the most common mode of transport.

Ming Weiting himself was more used to riding a motorboat, which was comparatively lighter, more agile, and faster. But his father always stubbornly insisted on only driving this old-style sports speedboat with a cabin.

He explained simply, helped Mrs. Ren and Huo Miao get on board and sit securely, then started the speedboat and turned it around.

Luo Chi had personally witnessed the quality of that sack and had also heard legends about things like tripwires for horses. At first, he was unconsciously worried, but he was soon startled by a fish that jumped onto the boat: “Mom!”

Ren Shuangmei was quick-eyed and nimble-handed. She stunned the fish with a whip, took out her personal sack, and packed it away: “Fish soup for dinner tonight.”

Young Master Ming steadily turned and swerved, crossed a dangerous shoal, and slowed down to look back, just in time to see the broom-like riding crop in Mrs. Ren’s hand. The words he was about to say stopped in his mouth.

Huo Miao was picked up by his mom and placed at the bow, specifically in charge of attracting fish from the water to jump onto the boat. He quietly told Ming Weiting: “Mom said she learned to use a broom from Auntie.”

Young Master Ming, one hand on the speedboat’s helm, was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Huo Miao was a little nervous and asked in a small voice: “What should we do?”

Young Master Ming calmly stroked Huo Miao’s hair: “From now on, we must not make Mom angry.”

…

The two boys stood properly, shoulders straight, and huddled together to concentrate on learning how to drive the boat.

Driving a boat on the grassland was a rather magical experience.

The river valley they were traveling on was quite wide, the water turbulent and rolling, turning into a sparkling silver ribbon under the sun, meandering all the way into the mountains that were bathed in golden sunlight.

The mountains here were also special. The side of the distant snow-capped mountain was also reflected in an azure blue, as if it were floating in the sky with the clouds. The block mountains, carved by massive glaciers, stood steep and majestic, like some ancient and mysterious formation.

The meadow flowed in the wind, so green it looked like melted, pure jade. The secondary forest along the river valley was lush and verdant, with hundreds of species of poplars standing tall and straight in layers. From time to time, water birds would be startled out of the reed beds, taking flight and kicking up a spray of water.

Ming Weiting slowed the boat down so that Huo Miao could see every part of the scenery along the bank clearly.

Luo Chi was already used to learning new things. Even though he had taken leave from his teacher to come out and play, he still couldn’t stay idle and had found many books to read in Auntie Yan’s study.

The current in this section of the river was very calm. As they let the small boat drift in the water, Luo Chi took Ming Weiting’s hand and pointed out which trees on the bank were Euphrates poplars, which were bitter poplars, which were white poplars, and also the most precious and rare black poplar, which he had heard could be used in medicine to treat rheumatism and burns.

This place was rarely visited by people, so there were a lot of animals. You could often see wild sheep rushing out of the woods headfirst, and water birds by the river flapping their wings and taking off in large flocks.

Huo Miao recognized the most beautiful kind at a glance, called the bluethroat. The feathers on its chin and throat were a brilliant blue that shimmered like phosphorescence. It ran very fast and would often fan its tail.

Luo Chi chattered excitedly for a while, then suddenly came back to his senses, his ears turning red: “Am I talking too much?”

“How could you be?” Ming Weiting shook his head. “Is there someone who doesn’t like to hear you talk about these things?”

Huo Miao was stunned for two seconds, didn’t speak, and just blinked his eyes gently.

Ming Weiting stroked his hair, leaned in slightly, and met the sparkling light in those eyes that hadn’t yet faded from excitement.

Ming Weiting thought of the things he had asked Uncle Lu to look into.

Perhaps there really were people who didn’t like to hear Huo Miao talk about these things, who always told him to be quiet, to not attract others’ attention.

Of course, it wasn’t Mrs. Ren—Auntie loved to hear Huo Miao talk. Throughout this journey, Auntie had listened with extra concentration, occasionally nodding in super-surprised agreement to cheer him on, which was why the boy had gotten more and more excited and had talked so much without realizing.

But if it had been the people from the Luo family, they would certainly not have given Luo Chi a chance to speak.

The mistakes made from the very beginning had become more and more absurd, gradually becoming so outrageous it made one’s teeth ache. To cover up one lie, more lies had to be told. To cover up one mistake already made, more mistakes had to be committed. In the end, the victim chosen was the one who should have been the most free and the most radiant.

“I like listening to you,” Ming Weiting told Huo Miao seriously. “I’m curious about everything you say. Every word you speak sounds the best and most interesting to me.”

Luo Chi was caught off guard by the compliment. He stood there, and his whole body instantly became as hot as a little boiling kettle.

“You just say whatever you want to say. I will listen, and I like to listen.”

Ming Weiting said, “Huo Miao.”

“My world is at sea, and that world is very quiet.”

“There’s the sound of the wind and the waves, the cries of seabirds, occasionally the sound of a ship’s horn, and when it rains, the sound of rain and thunder,” Ming Weiting said. “And then there’s not much more.”

For him, being able to hear Huo Miao speak, that Huo Miao was willing to tell him so much, willing to chat with him, was an incredibly fortunate thing.

He hadn’t known before that chatting could be so interesting, but ever since he met Huo Miao, he couldn’t help but hide under the covers with him every night before sleep, whispering for a long time.

…He still didn’t know if lack of sleep really affected one’s growth.

Over the past few days, Young Master Ming couldn’t help but secretly measure his height, and finding that there was no change from three days ago, he did feel a little worried.

But as long as he didn’t consider this point, he could chat with Huo Miao for countless nights.

“At sea, you would never be noisy, you would never cause trouble, you wouldn’t have to worry about disturbing anyone.”

Ming Weiting told him, “I like listening to you talk, listening to you tell me about all the things I don’t know.”

Ming Weiting said, “I want to always be able to listen to you talk.”

Huo Miao, all warm, pressed his lips together and nodded vigorously.

Seeing his eyes quickly curve up, Ming Weiting couldn’t help but smile too, and took Huo Miao’s hand. “This stretch of the river is very wide, and the current is not fast. I’ll teach you how to drive the boat.”

The simple operation of the speedboat wasn’t difficult. Luo Chi got the hang of it easily and drove for a short distance under Ming Weiting’s guidance.

As they approached a bend in the river, Ming Weiting stood behind him. Sensing that Huo Miao was a little nervous, he placed his hands over his from behind, helping him to steady the helm.

Ren Shuangmei leaned against the back cabin, listening to the two boys chat with a smile. Watching Huo Miao’s eyes grow brighter and brighter, more and more lively as he pulled Ming Weiting to look at birds, fish, and the reflection of the forest in the water, she couldn’t help but smile in a very good mood.

The boy, after all, wasn’t used to contact with strangers, and she had originally been a little worried. The sea was so big, if Huo Miao was wronged or unhappy about something, it would take her some time to get there even if she sped over on a motorboat.

…But now it seemed she could be completely at ease and let Huo Miao go out to sea with his new friend.

Huo Miao learned everything quickly. Holding his breath and concentrating on the helm, with Ming Weiting’s hands over his, he steadily steered the boat around the bend.

…

Mr. Ming fell into his tenth pit of the journey.

The orchard’s soil had been loosened, and the grass was soft. He knew how to break his fall, so it didn’t really hurt. But precisely because the soil was loosened and soaked with water, the visual effect of a few tumbles was quite tragic. The horse he had borrowed, after finally shaking the mud off its coat and discovering that his riding skills were quite limited and his luck didn’t seem very good either, resolutely stopped in its tracks and refused to move forward no matter how much he pulled.

Ming Bozhou had no choice but to tie the horse nearby. He called out his lover’s name while searching everywhere, then suddenly seemed to see a particularly familiar silhouette and immediately gave chase.

He was in a hurry to find her, and in a moment of carelessness, his foot slipped, and he fell into a new, unseen pit.

This trap was made quite meticulously. By the time Ming Bozhou came to his senses from the complete darkness, he had already fallen into a waiting sack that was wide open. The slipknot made from rope was also very cleverly done; the moment it was pulled, it instantly tightened securely, easily sealing him inside.

Someone dragged him out of the pit by the rope and then half-pushed, half-shoved him onto the horse’s back.

He didn’t know why the horse was so obedient in someone else’s hands. It lay on the ground waiting for the sack to be saddled, then slowly stood up and even gave a very human-like jolt.

Mr. Ming, who had weathered countless storms, was caught fast in a small dirt pit, and the jolt from the horse knocked half the air out of him. “…Xiao Yu?”

No one answered him. The sound of hooves clattered, and bells jingled and swayed.

They were the bells he had given to Yan Yu, a small string worn on her wrist.

He, the world’s number one great liar, had once sworn with great conviction that he would never leave his Xiao Yu to a distance where he couldn’t hear her bells.

The sea was so far away, how could he hear the bells?

“Xiao Yu,” Ming Bozhou, inside the sack, was silent for a long while before asking again in a low voice, “How is your health?”

Still, no one answered him, so he continued to ask.

How was her health? Did she no longer feel dizzy? Did she no longer feel discomfort in her joints from the humidity at sea? Did she no longer get sick for over half a month every time the seasons changed? Did she no longer feel so unwell that she couldn’t drink water or eat?

How had she been all these years? Was she particularly angry with him? Did she not want to see him at all? He deserved it. He had made the most unforgivable mistake, using the most inappropriate method to escape.

The information Ming Weiting had given him was actually very detailed. At that time, he had only scanned the first page before he couldn’t help but call him. Later, he sat down and read it over and over again, many times.

Ming Bozhou kept talking. He had actually prepared a whole stack of love letters when he disembarked, but at this moment, he found that all he could think of were these things.

…

He didn’t know how long he had been talking to himself, but his voice finally grew lower and lower, gradually falling silent.

Yan Yu found Ming Bozhou’s horse in the woods and led both horses home, just stepping into the small courtyard.

She tugged the reins, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out.

Yan Yu poked the finally quiet sack irritably. “Finished talking?”

The sack lay limply on the horse’s back, motionless.

Yan Yu was taken aback. She couldn’t help but frown and patted his back again. “Ming Bozhou.”

The person who had been chattering all the way gave no response at all. When she pushed him, he rolled off the horse’s back, sack and all, and fell to the ground.

The ground of the courtyard was much harder than the orchard. The sack hit the ground with a heavy thud, but there was still no reaction.

Yan Yu’s expression changed involuntarily.

She had carefully studied how to make traps, and the sack she had chosen shouldn’t have been airtight. Logically, Ming Bozhou should have at most taken a few falls; there was no way anything serious should have happened.

Yan Yu immediately took out a small knife and cut the rope, then sliced open the sack as well, revealing Ming Bozhou inside, his eyes closed and motionless.

…She had thought about it probably tens of thousands of times, how she would feel when she saw this bastard again.

Maybe she would be angry enough to want to start a fight, maybe she would still be weak and cry, and the worst and most likely scenario was that she would believe anything he said the moment he tried to coax her.

But none of them were like this.

Yan Yu called his name a few times, reached out to gently pat his face and shoulders, then went to check his breathing and heartbeat.

Perhaps because she was too nervous, she wasn’t sure if she had felt a beat in his chest, and her hand trembled so much she couldn’t tell if it was breath or just airflow.

Yan Yu couldn’t be bothered with much else. Recalling the first aid methods she had learned, she laid Ming Bozhou flat, tilted his chin to open his airway, and leaned down to give him air.

Just as she leaned down, the person who had been completely motionless opened his eyes and quickly raised his hands to pull her into his arms.

Yan Yu’s body froze.

The anxiety in her eyes quickly faded, and her expression turned cold. She struggled to get up.

“Xiao Yu,” Ming Bozhou’s voice was low and fast. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t know how else to get you to see me, to listen to me… I was afraid that as soon as you untied the sack, you would immediately throw me out of this courtyard and ride away on your horse.”

Ming Bozhou’s throat was hoarse. “I can’t catch up to you, Xiao Yu. I can never catch up to you.”

“Xiao Yu, just listen to me for a few words first,” Ming Bozhou said. “Let me look at you.”

That was exactly what Yan Yu had planned to do.

She could always be read like a book by this bastard. The thought made her even angrier, and she decisively pried Ming Bozhou’s hands away.

Ming Bozhou was quite shocked to have been dragged out of the pit by her alone. Now, having his arm twisted and being pushed away so effortlessly and mercilessly, his eyes instantly lit up. “Xiao Yu, you’re completely healthy, aren’t you?!”

Yan Yu turned her head and walked away.

“You’re healthy!” Ming Bozhou propped himself up and jumped to his feet, catching up to her in a few steps. “I knew it! I knew you would get better on shore—”

Before he could finish, Yan Yu turned and grabbed his wrist. He didn’t know how, but when he came to his senses, he had been thrown heavily to the ground again.

This fall was even harder than before. Ming Bozhou lay on the ground, grinning, and shouted at the top of his lungs, “My wife is healthy! My wife is super healthy!”

“It’s not a dream!” Mr. Ming was being particularly childish at this moment, shouting out each word loudly. “I can feel it, it hurts, it’s real!”

He seemed to have been trapped in a dead-end nightmare for too long. He was laughing and tears were streaming down his face. The dirt from his falls in the orchard hadn’t had time to dry, and after wiping his face a couple of times, he was all grimy, with not a shred of dignity left.

The dignified Mr. Ming had never been in such a sorry state, covered in mud and water. He propped himself up with one hand and sat up, leaning against the grape trellis.

His gaze followed Yan Yu fixedly, and in the tears that welled up unconsciously, there was only a smile, as if just sitting here and watching her like this could last until the end of time.

Yan Yu, seeing him like this, found that the temper she had managed to build up had all dissipated. She was incredibly disappointed in herself. “Who’s your wife?”

Ming Bozhou had no strength to move. He sat on the ground, smiling at her, his eyes filled with her reflection.

Yan Yu’s heart melted into a puddle. She cursed herself for being so weak, but still couldn’t help but go over and pull him up. “Alright, you’re so dirty. Go home and wash up first.”

“The ship was late. There’s no wife of yours here,” Yan Yu said.

Ming Bozhou was completely content. He lowered his head, beaming with delight, and even nodded sincerely upon hearing this. “I’ll pursue you again.”

Yan Yu couldn’t help but let the corner of her mouth twitch, then immediately put on a stern face and pulled him to his feet.

She planned to settle the score slowly, first letting this bastard, who clearly hadn’t slept well for days, get some rest. “Where’s my son?”

Ming Bozhou, holding her hand, gathered his strength and stood up unsteadily, then paused. “Son?”

“Yes, Weiting and the little one are out riding horses. My good friend is there too—didn’t you come on their horse?”

Yan Yu looked at the horse she had led back. “Where are they?”

The beaming Mr. Ming, led by the hand of his love, stopped in his tracks, stood in the courtyard, and fell into a brief, thoughtful silence.