Homecoming

After getting off the plane, Lin Yu followed the signs on the wall and left via the jet bridge.

After rounding a corner, he arrived at the airport's arrival hall.

With a quick sweep of his eyes across the crowd, he spotted the distinctive Xia Muzhu with little effort, along with Xia Yueshan, who had grown quite a bit taller, standing beside her.

Perhaps because it was a bit warm in the arrival hall, Xia Muzhu had her down coat draped over her arm. She wore only an orange-yellow high-neck sweater, her eye-catching figure making it hard to look away.

Seeing Lin Yu emerge, a flicker of delight appeared in her eyes, but more than that was a reserved tenderness. A smile flowed in the depths of her azure-blue eyes, her sweet, warm aura radiating a charm that made one uncontrollably want to drool.

Xia Yueshan beside her was much more lively compared to his sister. Upon seeing Lin Yu, he waved frantically as if gone mad, grinning widely with two rows of teeth, so happy he looked ready to jump up and down.

Looking at the two waiting for him in the crowd, Lin Yu was momentarily stunned. In a daze, it was as if he could see a distant future through them.

In the future, every time they reunited after a long separation, Xia Muzhu would be just like today, standing at the front of the crowd with a child—either lively and cute or mischievous and cheerful—gazing at him with a gentle smile and laughter in her eyes.

The word "happiness" seemed to materialize in that moment.

The future with Xia Muzhu seemed so simple it could be seen at a glance, yet Lin Yu didn't find it the slightest bit boring, only filled with eager anticipation.

He hoped it would come quickly and pass slowly...

...

Since it's here, don't let it leave!

Of course, you have to grab something like happiness firmly in your hand and live happily ever after!

Arriving before the two in his electric wheelchair, Lin Yu looked up, Xia Muzhu looked down, their gazes met, and both felt a little shy.

Even though they had already shared many intimate moments and video-called almost every night.

The separation of nearly a thousand miles, almost two months apart, had still created a slight, tiny distance between them.

It was like a piece of red-hot charcoal. If you don't stir it, over time, no matter how high the charcoal's temperature, a thin layer of white ash will inevitably form on its surface.

The method to make the charcoal glow red-hot again is also simple: just give it a little puff of air. After all, the temperature of this charcoal fire hasn't diminished in the slightest; over time, the temperature at its core has only increased.

As for who should give that puff of air, of course, it would be the thick-skinned Lin Yu.

Lin Yu wanted to take the initiative, to make a somewhat intimate gesture. It didn't need to be too intimate—a handshake, a hug—and he believed that tiny distance would instantly melt away in each other's warmth.

But awkwardly, at this moment, Lin Yu also felt a bit too shy to make the first move, so he glared somewhat angrily at the troublesome fellow in the way.

Xia Yueshan was acting as if he had never seen a wheelchair before. Ever since Lin Yu had arrived, he had been circling the wheelchair, touching here and there from time to time, full of curiosity.

"How do you control this wheelchair?"

"It feels like you were driving pretty fast?"

"I saw you zip over just now. What's its top speed?"

Xia Yueshan turned to Lin Yu, asking with a face full of novelty.

Lin Yu looked utterly speechless, wishing he could stand up and throw this electric wheelchair onto the airport runway outside, letting this big third wheel hug it and study it to his heart's content.

After perfunctorily brushing off Xia Yueshan's questions, the three of them left together.

Originally, Xia Muzhu wanted to push Lin Yu and have a quiet chat, but this task was eagerly snatched away by the clueless Xia Yueshan, which annoyed Lin Yu to no end.

"Wait, put this on."

Xia Muzhu handed over the large paper bag she had been carrying, placing it on Lin Yu's lap, saying:

"It's cold outside. This is a down jacket I bought for you. See if it fits."

The paper bag was heavy, carrying some weight on his legs. Holding the bag, Lin Yu instinctively looked up at Xia Muzhu.

Xia Muzhu responded to Lin Yu with a gentle gaze. For some reason, she suddenly found Lin Yu like this very cute and couldn't resist reaching out to touch his face.

Under Xia Muzhu's influence, Lin Yu's gaze also grew increasingly tender.

Just as the two were lost in each other's eyes, a somewhat rough hand suddenly waved between their intersecting gazes, followed by an untimely, boisterous voice.

"Hurry up and put it on."

"What are you looking at?"

"Put it on quickly so we can go back. I'm waiting to eat."

Xia Yueshan looked at the two with a puzzled expression, urging them.

Xia Yueshan!

Looking at this atmosphere destroyer, Lin Yu gritted his teeth in frustration.

Xia Muzhu also blushed slightly, turning her face away a little.

With the help of Xia Muzhu and Xia Yueshan, Lin Yu quickly put on the fluffy, warm down jacket.

Remarkably, the jacket fit perfectly. It didn't feel tight anywhere, nor was it so loose that wind could sneak in. It was extremely well-fitted.

It fit as if someone had taken Lin Yu's exact measurements to buy it.

"It fits perfectly!"

Lin Yu patted the clothes, saying with great satisfaction.

"That's good."

Xia Muzhu breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile:

"I bought it based on feeling. I was afraid it might be too small."

By the time they left the airport, it was already night. A bright full moon hung high in the sky. A low wind howled across the open fields, carrying the extreme cold of the north, tearing at everything.

They had just left the airport when a cold wind came shrieking and sweeping through.

The cold air blew into his clothes through the open collar. Feeling this long-absent chill, Lin Yu couldn't help but shiver. He quickly zipped the down jacket all the way up, fastened all the outer windproof layer buttons securely, and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. Only then did he feel warm.

The three tightened their clothes and made their way to the parking lot, quickly getting into the car.

As the last heavy car door closed, in that instant, it seemed as if the whole world fell silent, becoming peaceful and quiet.

As the only one among the three with a driver's license, Xia Muzhu sat in the driver's seat. She started the car, turned on the heater, and waited for the interior to warm up a bit before setting off to return to S City.

Lin Yu sat in the passenger seat, responding intermittently to the mischievous three thousand questions from Xia Yueshan in the back seat, while silently pondering some things in his mind.

According to the original plan, Lin Yu's itinerary upon returning was to first go to Sister Muzhu's house for a meal, then check into a hotel, and later find a place to rent for a few months until school started.

Before the holiday, Xia Muzhu had wanted to help Lin Yu find a place to stay not far from her home, to make it easier to take care of him.

However, Lin Yu had refused this suggestion, insisting on finding a place himself. Xia Muzhu couldn't sway him and had no choice but to agree.

As for the reason Lin Yu did this...

...

Watching the warm yellow light from the headlights stretching far ahead on the road, Lin Yu stroked his chin, feeling a headache coming on.

What should he do to both avoid being laughed at by Xia Yueshan and manage to stubbornly stay at his house?