Lou Mingshen pointed at the surveillance footage and told Hou Hao to check on someone.
The latter took a closer look, it was a man, tall and straight-backed, standing out like a crane among chickens. You could spot him at a glance.
“Yes, sir. And you, President Lou…”
“You go ahead. I’ll stay a bit longer.”
When Hou Hao left, he couldn’t resist glancing back. Lou Mingshen was squatting in front of the display case, absentmindedly stroking the keypad, as though he could see something beyond it.
Not daring to linger, Hou Hao hurried off to do his job.
….
Leaving the hotel, a ten-minute walk brought them to the small town at the foot of the mountain.
The town had grown because of Yuegui Manor, and was thus called Yuegui Town.
The stone-paved streets were clean and tidy, lined with shops selling local snacks, handicrafts, cafés, restaurants, and dessert shops.
The liveliness of the city met the rustic calm of the mountains here in harmony.
Ahead, a small crowd had gathered. Jiang Fuyue’s curiosity was piqued.
Xie Dingyuan held her hand. “Let’s go see?”
Turned out it was a candied-haw vendor.
He bought a skewer and handed it to her. “Try one?”
Jiang Fuyue looked around, only children were eating them, so she felt embarrassed. But Xie Dingyuan casually peeled off the thin wrapping and placed the skewer in her hand.
Now she couldn’t refuse.
She bit one. “So sweet…”
“Is it?” he smiled at her—
—and the next moment, she stuffed one into his mouth.
“You try it too.”
Xie Dingyuan: “…”
In the end, the two of them shared one skewer and moved on to the next shop.
“Mom, mom! Look at that uncle and that sister, they’re so old but still eating candied haws!”
“Eating candied haws has nothing to do with age.”
“Then when I grow up, I can still eat them too, right?”
“Yes, as long as you listen to your teachers at kindergarten.”
“Mm! I will! But why are they sharing one skewer? Teacher said sharing food is unhygienic and makes you sick.”
“Uh… because they’re a couple.”
“What’s a couple?”
“A couple is… people who can share one bite after another.”
“Then I’ll be a couple with Sister Feifei! That way we can share yummy food too!”
“Th-that’s… fine, I guess.”
“Then can I kiss Sister Feifei too?”
“W–what?!”
“I saw that uncle kiss the sister. One, two, three times! He even said it’s sweet.”
“…”
“Mom, you’re covering my eyes. I can’t see!”
….
After finishing, Jiang Fuyue tossed the bamboo stick away.
Xie Dingyuan handed her a tissue to wipe her hands.
They strolled around and stopped in front of an art studio.
“Custom portraits: one hundred yuan each, done on the spot!” A young man sat by the door with a signboard at his feet, calling out to customers.
When he saw Xie Dingyuan and Jiang Fuyue, his eyes lit up. “Hey handsome, pretty lady, want a portrait?”
Xie Dingyuan looked at the displayed samples behind him, not bad.
“How long will it take?”
“Don’t worry, real quick! Half an hour tops!”
He turned to Jiang Fuyue, silently asking if she wanted to. The girl nodded.
The two entered the shop.
“There’s a chair here, or the café corner there—pose however you like,” the artist said, pointing out examples: couples hugging, almost-kissing poses, Titanic-style back hugs, and so on.
Jiang Fuyue chose none of them.
She and Xie Dingyuan simply sat side by side on the bench. “You can start.”
The artist: “? Just that?”
But when sunlight streamed through the glass, gently falling on them, even without any pose, there was a quiet, natural intimacy and tension in the scene.
For an instant, only two words flashed in his mind—
Perfect match.
He began to draw swiftly, eyes focused.
After five minutes, Jiang Fuyue was already fiddling with her phone.
Xie Dingyuan asked, “Want a drink?”
“Not thirsty.”
Then she placed one earbud into his ear.
Soft music played. The man froze slightly.
She put in the other earbud.
A summer afternoon. A man and a woman leaning close, sharing the same song.
Blue sky. Bright sun. Gentle wind lifting the sheer curtain and ringing the windchime—
Ding—dong—
Half an hour later, the artist stopped his pen, removed the sheet from his board, and held it up to them.
“How’s this? Satisfied?”
In the picture, the woman leaned on the man’s shoulder. The man tilted his head slightly toward her. They shared the same earphones. Sunlight poured through the window, gilding them both in a soft gold.
Xie Dingyuan: “Not bad.”
Jiang Fuyue: “Looks good.”
The artist grinned. “Not to brag, but this might be my best work yet.”
The sweetness practically spilled off the page, it even made this long-time single dog’s heart skip a beat.
Xie Dingyuan paid, added another hundred, and left an address for the artist to frame and mail it.
The young man eagerly agreed.
As they left, he stared at the portrait, admiring it from every angle. The more he looked, the better it seemed.
He couldn’t resist taking a photo for keepsake.
As he found a good angle, he muttered, “Do they look like celebrities? They seem so familiar…”
Just then, a classmate from art school messaged to ask how business was going. Feeling a bit smug, he sent the blurred photo over—faces not clear, but enough to see the composition and content.
Artist: [photo]
Artist: “First order today—not bad, right?”
Classmate: “Are you sure they’re not models? Even blurry, they’re too good-looking.”
Artist: “Jealous?”
Classmate: “Get lost.”
Satisfied, the artist pocketed his phone and began framing the piece.
Meanwhile, that classmate happened to be working at a stall on the next street.
His girlfriend came by with lunch. “Go eat, I’ll watch the booth. Oh, and lend me your phone, mine’s dead.”
She took his phone and casually scrolled through messages, chat logs… and the photo album.
Suddenly, she froze. “Fan Fan! When did you draw this sketch?”
“Oh, that one? Not me. He Kai drew it. I just saved it, looked nice.”
“Oh my god! Doesn’t this look exactly like Old Xie and Sister Yue?!”
“Who?”
“My CP! YuanYue CP!”
“You used to ship that ‘LangLangDing’ thing, or ‘BoJunYiXiao,’ right? Now ‘YuanYue’? What kind of celebrity name is that?”
“Not Yuan as in round! Yuan as in abyss—Shen Yuan! This time I’ve changed tastes—neither celebrities nor singers.”
“Huh? Then who are they?”
“Heh… two geniuses among geniuses. The kind with sky-high IQs.”
“That’s not like you.”
She huffed softly. “They’re my ultimate CP. Those star pairings can step aside.”
Then she quickly sent the photo to her own phone.
“…You could at least ask first?”
“Ask after sending—too late! I’ve already stolen it!”
“Wait, didn’t your phone die?”
“Uh, just charged it a little!”
“…Forget it. Can’t win. I surrender.”
The girl saved the image, stared at it for a long time, eyes full of adoration and a delighted little smile.
Something this sweet—how could she keep it to herself?
She opened a group chat titled “YuanYue Sugar Refinery” —
📷 [image]
[Girl]: “Sisters! Warning: EXTREME SWEETNESS! Come drool with me!!”
[Reply 1]: “OMG! New content at last! @YuanYueFlagNeverFalls are you a pro artist?!”
[Girl]: “Nope, but my boyfriend’s classmate drew this.”
[Reply 2]: “Wait—does this mean a male fan joined our YuanYue army?!”
[Girl]: “Actually it’s a portrait drawn for a random couple—but they look SO much like Old Xie and Sister Yue!”
[Reply 3]: “So it’s drawn from real people? How could two strangers look that alike? The odds are almost zero! I have a bold guess…”
[Reply 4]: “Me too.”
[Reply 5]: “+1.”
[Reply 6]: “So… my CP is real now?! Holy—!!”
[Reply 7]: “Even if the image is blurry, I’ve already decided—they’re together! No one can convince me otherwise!”
[Reply 8]: “Exactly! I believe too. Amen~”
[Reply 9]: “The way Old Xie looks at Sister Yue in that pic—so soft!”
[Reply 10]: “His gaze is locked on her, no joke.”
[Reply 11]: “KSWL! KSWL! (Knock Screaming While Laughing!) Get married already!”
[Reply 12]: “Wait for me, I’m bringing the marriage bureau over!”
The boyfriend watched her squealing over the phone like a prairie dog and could only sigh helplessly.
….
At the end of the long street was a riverside; further ahead, a small river flowed by.
On a stone stele to the side, red characters read: “Qingwu River.”
Many adults were there with children: some playing with sand, others picking smooth pebbles.
Jiang Fuyue wanted to go down too.
“Slow down…” Xie Dingyuan frowned when he saw her carefully lifting the hem of her skirt, looking all wobbly.
So he simply climbed down first, then reached up and lifted her down.
Jiang Fuyue wasn’t actually that fragile, it was just that she happened to be wearing a long dress today, ankle-length. Walking normally was fine, but climbing up and down like this was inconvenient.
“Wanna go look by the river?”
Xie Dingyuan always granted her requests; naturally, he didn’t refuse.
The river water was clear, reflecting the two of them.
Jiang Fuyue smiled at the rippling surface; Xie Dingyuan smiled along with her.
To match her dress, Jiang Fuyue had worn heeled sandals, which made walking on the uneven river stones a bit difficult.
Suddenly, the man walked ahead of her and crouched down.
“What are you doing?”
Xie Dingyuan patted his own back. “Get on.”
Jiang Fuyue pursed her lips, hesitated half a second, then leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Then, with a small motion, he easily lifted her onto his back.
He deliberately gave a little bounce and said, “Too light.”
Jiang Fuyue said, “This is a standard figure.”
“It’d be better with a bit more weight.”
“What’s better about that?” She equated “more flesh” with “fat.”
He thought for a second. “…Feels better.”
“…”
A little boy nearby saw them and tugged his parent’s sleeve. “I want a piggyback! Piggyback!”
“Go play by yourself, what piggyback?”
“I wanna piggyback!”
“Do you see other kids getting piggybacks? Be good, go play.”
“But that uncle’s giving that lady a piggyback!”
The parent glanced over—uh!
“They’re grown-ups. Grown-ups can do that, but kids can’t.”
“Why not?”
“…So many whys?! Hush! Go play!”
“Waaah—uhuhuh!” The child burst into pitiful tears.
They weren’t far away, so Jiang Fuyue heard everything clearly. She couldn’t help but laugh. “All your fault, now you’ve made the kid cry.”
“How’s it my fault? If anything, it’s our fault.”
“I’m not taking that blame.”
“You’re dodging responsibility.”
She huffed softly. “You’re the one who insisted on carrying me. Put me down, then.”
He was silent for a moment. “…No.”
“That kid’s still crying.”
“Let his parents deal with it. Not our problem.”
“…” Professor Xie, when he acted shameless, no one could compare.
After walking some distance, the stones thinned out and gave way to soft sand.
Jiang Fuyue motioned for him to let her down, then walked barefoot to the river, taking off her sandals and stepping into the water.
The river, warmed by sunlight, was mild at the surface, though a bit cool beneath.
Xie Dingyuan watched her, occasionally reaching out to steady her, reminding, “Careful, the rocks are sharp.”
By the time she’d had enough, the hem of her skirt was wet through.
Even after wringing it out, it still clung damply.
“Let’s go back.” Xie Dingyuan again offered his warm back.
Jiang Fuyue obeyed naturally and climbed on.
It took over ten minutes to walk back to the hotel. Fearing he’d get tired, she suggested, “Why don’t we grab a taxi outside?”
He didn’t answer.
She thought he hadn’t heard, so she repeated it.
But he said—
“Who are you looking down on?”
Taking a taxi for such a short walk, was she implying he was weak?
“…”
Ha. Men.
And so, Xie Dingyuan carried her all the way back to the hotel, without stopping, without panting, without even breathing hard.
Whether that was real stamina or just sheer pride was anyone’s guess.
Inside the hotel, he carried her straight to their room.
Unbeknownst to them, someone saw the whole scene.
Lou Mingshen withdrew his gaze and turned away in the opposite direction.
Hou Hao looked confused—
Weren’t they going to the restaurant? Why the change of plans?
“Oh, right, President Lou, that person you asked me to look into, I found him. It’s indeed that one from the Xie family.”
Even he hadn’t expected such a big figure to show up in their small place.
Lou Mingshen didn’t look surprised. Clearly, he’d already guessed.
He’d recognized the man back when they brushed past each other in the restaurant, but had ordered confirmation to be sure.
“Didn’t expect Professor Xie to have a girlfriend and the two are even vacationing together. If netizens found out, the internet would explode. He’d be trending in minutes.”
Lou Mingshen: “…Still no sign of the thief?”
Hou Hao’s grin stiffened. The mere mention made him sweat. He spoke cautiously, choosing his words: “…The police said they’re still investigating. I’ve got people searching quietly inside the hotel too. The cleaning staff are keeping an eye out for clues.”
Lou Mingshen’s face stayed dark.
But there was no helping it. If the thief couldn’t be found, he couldn’t be found.
“Add more people. I want him found.”
Recovering the stolen inscription and photograph was one reason but he also wanted to ask in person: How had the thief cracked the password?
And for what purpose?
….
Night fell. The moon was pale and thin; cicadas chirped.
Jiang Fuyue sat on the swing in the courtyard, calling home—
“Sister!” Her little brother picked up. “Where are you? Did you eat yet?”
“I’m out, already had dinner.”
She asked about his studies, and he eagerly listed his progress like offering treasures:
“The guitar teacher said I can now play a full song by myself, no need for sheet music.”
“The drum teacher said I’ve got great rhythm.”
“The math Olympiad teacher’s strict, but he explains so well I get it right away.”
“Uncle Wu’s been busy lately, so I’ve been going to tutoring on my own and taking the bus back.”
A few words of praise from her, and he was overjoyed—no doubt blushing red with pride.
Then the phone went to Han Yunru. “Yueyue, how’s life in the capital? The air’s dry there, remember to moisturize and wear a mask when you go out.”
“Got it.”
Then came Jiang Da, with his eternal line: “Yueyue, do you need money?”
“…”
“I’ll transfer some?”
“No need, I’ve got enough.”
“Okay, but if you ever run short, call me right away!”
“Mm, okay.”
After the family call, she phoned the Han family—
“Yueyue?!” Grandpa answered, instantly thrilled.
She greeted him, “Grandpa.”
“Good, good! Having fun?”
She had told them it was a graduation trip.
They all assumed she was traveling with classmates or friends. She was responsible, after all so they didn’t ask further.
Thus, right under their noses, Xie Dingyuan had stealthily whisked away the Han family’s precious granddaughter.
In the near future, when they found out the truth, all four Han men would regret it bitterly.
Han Qishan only said, “…Stay safe, and come home soon.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up—
A warm palm pressed to her back, gently pushing the swing.
Jiang Fuyue turned to see Xie Dingyuan behind her, not sure how long he’d been there.
“Don’t look at me, sit tight, hold on.”
She obediently turned forward again.
He pushed harder; the swing rose higher. Her smile widened.
Moonlight, garden, swing—one sitting, one pushing.
The wind whistled past her ears, the scenery rushing forward, then gliding back again.
“That’s high enough…”
He slowed his push, the swing gradually stopping.
Jiang Fuyue stood, signaling for him to sit.
Every pore of his being rejected the idea. “I’ll pass.”
“You afraid of heights?”
He shook his head.
“Get dizzy easily?”
“…No.”
“Then why not?”
“Ahem. Isn’t this more of a girl thing?”
A man on a swing, how would that look?
He did have a bit of an image complex.
“There’s no one else here,” Jiang Fuyue coaxed. “No one will know.”
“…” Still reluctant.
“Then we’ll sit together?”
Only then did he reluctantly agree.
The swing was wide and sturdy enough for two.
With his tall frame—almost 1.9 meters—Xie Dingyuan made the whole swing look smaller.
Jiang Fuyue leaned her head on his shoulder. The swing swayed gently, just a small motion.
They sat quietly together, the night breeze silent and soft.
Everything felt peaceful and beautiful.
Suddenly—
“Achoo!”
She rubbed her nose.
At once, Xie Dingyuan took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
Familiar scent, comforting warmth.
“You’re not cold?” she asked.
He was only in a thin short-sleeved shirt. He shook his head. “I’m fine.”
Still, she shared the jacket halfway, pressing close until her upper body practically leaned against his chest.
Heat spread between them, flushing her cheeks and reddening his ears.
When she looked up, she caught his Adam’s apple bobbing.
On impulse, she reached out and touched it.
He jolted. “You—”
She blinked, all innocence. What’d she do?
In the next instant, he shot up. “It’s late! I’m gonna, uh… wash up first!”
And bolted.
Jiang Fuyue stood too, heading inside.
He stopped, turned, veins visible at his temple as if holding something back. “You… why are you following me?” His voice was hoarse.
“?”
“I’m not following you. I’m going to my room. It’s the same hallway…”
