Dressing Up

Before leaving the village, a light drizzle began to fall from the overcast sky. The rain was gentle, but the distant woods seemed to be cleansed by the translucent veil of mist.

The air carried the scent of fresh grass and damp soil, with a hint of coolness lingering in it.

Since there was no need to rush back to Haizhu City in the rain, Ye Shuang, Bai Yuyou, and the others sat on small stools by the doorway, enjoying slices of watermelon while taking in the scenery. Tang Keke and Duoduo played cheerfully with Dahuang, teasing the dog with tattered palm-leaf fans, rubbing its head—a picture of leisure.

Ye Shuang glanced at his phone, where a message from An Shiyu awaited:

An Shiyu: Come out for tea, yo!

As always, her personality was hard to decipher. Apart from fulfilling items on her bucket list, there wasn’t much else he could do for her.

Given his medical expertise, curing An Shiyu was beyond his capabilities.

"Life is unpredictable," Ye Shuang muttered, taking another bite of watermelon. "Seems less sweet now."

Beside him, Bai Yuyou noticed his pensive expression and quietly pressed her pale, delicate foot onto his. If there was any part of her that hadn’t been tanned since their last vacation, it was probably her feet—aside from certain other untouched areas, like her "white tiger slime" spots.

Noticing the stark contrast between her fair ankles and slightly darker soles, like two-toned ice cream cool to the touch, Ye Shuang slowly snapped out of his thoughts.

He ran a finger along her sole, and her foot instantly recoiled as she folded her long legs onto the stool. "Ticklish," she said.

Then, tilting slightly, she extended her other foot. "This one isn’t ticklish. You can touch it."

Ye Shuang couldn’t help but chuckle. Without another word, he let her rest her foot on his thigh as he turned his gaze back outside—where a golden sunbeam pierced through the misty rain, casting a faint glow over the puddles in the yard.

"The sun’s out. Let’s go."

"Mm."

Water droplets rolled off the car, shimmering under the sunlight.

Once everyone was inside, Tang Keke’s grandmother stood by the vehicle, her expression tinged with reluctance.

The cheerful old woman kept smiling, but her eyes lingered on her granddaughter Tang Keke.

Yet, in the end, she said nothing more, simply pressing a red envelope into their hands. "For good luck. May your journey be smooth and prosperous."

"Hehe, thanks, Grandma."

"Study hard, and visit more often, alright?"

"Got it!"

It seemed she had so much more to say, but all her words condensed into a simple, "Be careful on the road."

"Mom, we’re heading out," Tang's father added.

"Alright, alright. Take care." The old woman waved, with Duoduo and Dahuang standing beside her to bid farewell.

As if sensing their departure, Dahuang wagged his tail and let out a couple of whimpers, as if reluctant to see them go.

Watching the scene fade in the rearview mirror, Ye Shuang murmured, "Having elders at home really is nice."

"Yeah, but Grandma refuses to move to the city," Tang Keke replied.

Ye Shuang shook his head. "Falling leaves return to their roots."

Pressing the accelerator, the car rolled forward.

After turning out of the alley, a massive banyan tree came into view.

Ye Shuang lifted his gaze slightly and whispered, "Let’s go."

...

...

After an hour and a half, Ye Shuang and the others finally returned to the coastal city.

Leaving behind the green, mountain-encircled village, the towering steel skyscrapers in the distance, refracting sunlight to the point of near-blinding glare, felt oddly cold and distant. Though the city was more bustling, it carried an inexplicable emptiness, as if they were somehow shut out from it.

Ye Shuang couldn’t help but sigh,

“Let’s visit again sometime.”

“Right? Isn’t my place so relaxing?” Tang Keke said with a grin. The serene mountains and clear waters made for such a peaceful stay.

Everything was perfect—except for the mosquitoes.

“Mhm.”

After getting out of the car in the apartment parking lot, Ye Shuang and Bai Yuyou headed back inside.

The girl was still wearing a straw hat on her head, looking rather adorable.

“Meow-neh!” The moment the door opened, a fluffy ball of fur came charging at Ye Shuang, yowling loudly.

Even if he couldn’t understand it, the tone sounded downright foul.

“Yi Wan seems… angry,” Bai Yuyou said, then glanced at the automatic cat feeder nearby, noticing the bowl was empty.

“Did it… break?”

She walked over to the feeder and fiddled with it for a bit before reaching a conclusion.

Despite Yi Wan’s fury, the food situation was still being handled.

“Meow-neh! Meow-neh-gah! Meeeoowww!”

“Alright, alright, we were only gone for a few days. We were worried you’d run off into the fields and get lost,” Ye Shuang said, scooping Yi Wan up with one hand and plopping the cat onto his shoulder before starting to unpack the luggage.

“One extra cat stick as compensation for each day we were gone, deal?”

“Meow~” The voice instantly turned sweet and syrupy.

“Tch. Just a gluttonous little thing.”

After unpacking, Tang Keke, who had been at her own place for a while, came over to hang out—clearly incapable of staying put. Not that Tang’s father or mother seemed to mind in the slightest.

To the couple, their daughter making friends was a blessing.

They just worried Ye Shuang might find Tang Keke’s constant visits bothersome, so they always brought small gifts whenever they came by.

“Brother, are you heading out?” Tang Keke, sitting with Bai Yuyou, noticed Ye Shuang putting on his shoes and asked curiously.

“Yeah, just stepping out,” Ye Shuang replied, then added with a smile,

“What do you want for dinner tonight?”

Tang Keke raised her hand. “Can you make stuffed tofu hotpot?”

“Sure, I know how to make that,” Ye Shuang said. “My ancestors were Hakka.”

“Hehe, perfect.”

Ye Shuang glanced at Bai Yuyou, but seeing the girl’s expression of “I’ll eat anything,” he simply left.

However, Ye Shuang wasn’t out to buy groceries—he was heading to a prearranged meeting spot.

In a plaza, a short-haired girl leaned against the railing.

Her face was pale, almost bloodless, yet she was unusually dressed in a violet-black dress, her slender legs clad in thigh-high socks.

As if sensing something, she lifted her gaze slightly and spotted a white sports car pulling up.

The window rolled down, and Ye Shuang spoke, “Get in. I’ll take you for a drive.”

“You won’t even hit 120, and you call this a drive?” An Shiyu got in and buckled her seatbelt.

“Hm?” Ye Shuang also noticed An Shiyu’s uncharacteristically neat outfit, looking slightly surprised.

“Thinking something weird?” An Shiyu gave him a deadpan stare.

“No,” Ye Shuang paused, then simply smiled. “It suits you.”

An Shiyu: “…”

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a small, flushed earlobe, then murmured something in her hometown dialect.