After finishing dinner, Qin Lie and Chen Xi cleaned up the dishes in the kitchen together.

Qin Lie washed the dishes while Chen Xi cleaned the stovetop.

Chen Xi listened to the sound of rushing water and suddenly asked, “Qin Lie, what are you thinking?”

Qin Lie shook the clean plate and casually set it aside.

He turned back to glance at Chen Xi, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

“I’m planning to work weekdays in Beijing and return to Dunhuang on weekends.”

Chen Xi gripped the dishrag, forgetting the task at hand, staring at Qin Lie in complete shock.

“Are you kidding? Two flights every week?”

Qin Lie responded with a matter-of-fact “mm-hmm.”

“This is very normal. I know a friend from a law firm who specializes in corporate IPOs. Each project keeps him away for months at a time.”

“No matter where he goes for a project, he unfailingly returns to Beijing every week to be with his wife and children.”

Chen Xi: “That’s too extreme.”

Qin Lie smiled faintly and continued washing dishes.

“I used to think it was extreme too—”

He finished washing a plate and set it aside, saying casually, “Now I see it’s not extreme at all.”

Chen Xi’s heart was filled with mixed emotions.

“I don’t need this. There’s no need to exhaust yourself like this.”

Qin Lie said nothing more. After finishing the dishes and turning off the faucet, the kitchen suddenly became very quiet.

He turned to look at Chen Xi and called her name softly.

“Chen Xi—”

Chen Xi stopped her busy work, turned around, and looked at Qin Lie with complex emotions.

Qin Lie: “That art design job I mentioned to you—could you consider it?”

Chen Xi gripped the dishrag, momentarily speechless.

She knew this opportunity might be once-in-a-lifetime for her, and she was deeply tempted.

But reality was right here—she couldn’t abandon Grandma or leave the repair shop unattended.

Fatigue suddenly overwhelmed her. Chen Xi smiled at Qin Lie, her gaze carrying a trace of melancholy.

“Do you know? From childhood to now, my favorite animated film has always been the Nine-Colored Deer.”

The first time she saw Nine-Colored Deer on television as a child, the feeling was so wonderful—as if she had drawn that story herself.

Because she was from Dunhuang, the Nine-Colored Deer belonged to the Dunhuang people and belonged to her.

That pride remained a confident foundation in her life to this day.

“So when you told me that day about a video platform wanting to create a traditional Chinese-style animated series like Nine-Colored Deer, I was truly moved.”

She paused here and smiled gently.

“This is what I want to do,” she said quietly.

Qin Lie: “Since you’re moved by it, why not give it a try?”

Chen Xi didn’t answer Qin Lie’s question but asked instead, “This opportunity—you found it for me, didn’t you?”

Qin Lie was silent for a moment, then nodded.

“It involves my connections, but also your talent.”

Chen Xi: “Are you trying to use this irrefusible opportunity to get me to go to Beijing with you?”

Qin Lie smiled, his gaze frank.

“I did think about that initially.”

Chen Xi’s expression showed understanding. She smiled and said gently, “But Qin Lie, staying in Dunhuang is my bottom line. My grandmother is here, my repair shop is here—these are things I can’t abandon.”

Qin Lie nodded. “I know, but the art design matter isn’t that complicated for me anymore.”

Chen Xi raised her eyebrows slightly, asking with some confusion, “Why?”

Qin Lie smiled. “Because I’ve figured it out—whether you go to Beijing or not, our relationship won’t change.”

Chen Xi stared at Qin Lie blankly. A part of her heart was warmed by his words into a bright spring March, with grass growing and birds flying, so brilliant it dazzled the eyes.

But the rest remained the same rational self as always, like solid ice.

“Is it really that simple?”

She said quietly.

Qin Lie walked over and habitually reached up to pinch Chen Xi’s delicate earlobe.

“If you don’t leave, I’ll come back. It’s that simple.”

Chen Xi shook her head. At this moment, she wanted to drop this topic and give him a good hug just for that heartwarming statement.

But reason made her continue calmly, “It’s exhausting.”

She paused, then added two more words: “And expensive.”

Qin Lie laughed. He lowered his head and asked seriously, “What do I make money for?”

Chen Xi looked at him teasingly. “Don’t say it’s for me.”

Qin Lie looked back at Chen Xi teasingly. “You’re overthinking.”

Chen Xi rolled her eyes at him, though her gaze was smiling.

Qin Lie: “So I won’t get dumped.”

After saying this, he looked at Chen Xi with complete seriousness.

Both of them suddenly couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Chen Xi lifted her foot and lightly kicked Qin Lie’s leg, laughing as she said, “Get lost.”

The autumn mood drifted through the screen window, bringing the sound of crickets chirping from the base of the wall.

This autumn night that should have been somewhat melancholic was turned by Qin Lie’s few words into just another ordinary evening.

After laughing enough, Qin Lie stepped back, his expression becoming serious again.

“So Chen Xi—”

He looked at her and said quietly, “Could you put everything else aside and just consider this animation design opportunity for yourself?”

Chen Xi’s gaze flickered slightly, looking at Qin Lie with some emotion.

Qin Lie: “Go out and see the world, give it a try—see if your life could be even more wonderful.”

Outside the door at the base of the wall, San Huang wagged his tail and whimpered twice.

Fan Mingsu quickly covered his mouth with her hand.

She supported herself on her knees to slowly stand up and walked toward the main room with her hands behind her back.

San Huang followed closely behind her.

The moon had unknowingly become a thin crescent again, hanging in the clear night sky.

The shadows of one person and one dog stretched long across the ground.

The next day, Chen Xi took Qin Lie to the airport.

The third day, before parting, she emphasized several times again that there was no need for him to travel back and forth so frequently.

Qin Lie smiled and quickly kissed Chen Xi’s forehead.

Chen Xi watched Qin Lie pass through security, then turn back to wave at her.

Chen Xi also waved at Qin Lie. After his figure disappeared into the crowd, she turned toward the parking lot, walking with light steps and flowing hair.

On Saturday, Chen Xi was busy all morning. At noon, she was sitting on the sofa, eating lunch from a takeout box, when a figure quietly cast a shadow over her from above.

Chen Xi turned her head and was surprised to see Qin Lie.

She forgot to chew the large mouthful of rice in her mouth, staring at Qin Lie in a daze, with a smudge of motor oil accidentally wiped on her nose.

Qin Lie was amused by Chen Xi’s appearance and reached out to wipe her nose.

He threw his laptop bag on the sofa and asked with a smile, “Is there food for me?”

Chen Xi swallowed the rice in her mouth and said, “No.”

Qin Lie looked at her speechlessly. Chen Xi handed her takeout box to Qin Lie. “But you can have mine.”

Qin Lie took the box, plopped down on the sofa, and began eating with big bites.

Chen Xi went to find instant noodles in the cabinet, turned back with a smile, and asked Qin Lie, “When you called this morning, why didn’t you mention you were coming back?”

Qin Lie shoveled a big mouthful of rice, saying while eating, “I had an urgent call to take at that moment and didn’t have time to tell you.”

Chen Xi returned with her instant noodles and sat beside Qin Lie, suddenly turning to hug him.

“Are you tired?”

She asked.

Qin Lie smiled. “Tired. Wherever I go, there are calls I can’t avoid.”

Chen Xi pinched him. Qin Lie suddenly set down his takeout box and turned to pin Chen Xi down on the sofa.

“Did you miss me?”

He caressed Chen Xi’s cheek and asked with a smile.

Chen Xi: “I didn’t have time to miss you before you came back.”

Qin Lie lowered his head to kiss her. Chen Xi laughed and dodged.

“So next time, stay away longer before coming back.”

The two were playfully wrestling on the sofa when Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang came in from outside, chatting and laughing about the used car they had just looked at.

Qin Zhan saw Qin Lie and was so startled he stumbled.

“Bro, aren’t you supposed to be in Beijing?”

Chen Xi pushed Qin Lie back onto the sofa, ran her fingers through her disheveled hair, and stood up to ask Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang, “Have you two eaten?”

Liu Boyang nodded. “We’ve eaten.”

Qin Zhan whistled as he walked around the sofa toward the bathroom.

As he walked, he sang carelessly, “Fate brings weekend visits from a thousand miles away, but without fate, holding hands is hard even face-to-face.”

Liu Boyang, hands in his pockets, walked toward the car he’d been repairing.

Copying Qin Zhan’s carefree tone, he sang, “Ten years of practice for the same boat ride, a hundred years of practice to share the same pillow.”

Qin Zhan entered the bathroom, still harmonizing with Liu Boyang.

“If there are a thousand years of good fortune—”

Liu Boyang: “Growing old together with hearts as one will be right before our eyes.”

Chen Xi: “…”

She wanted to sew these two idiots’ mouths shut.

After lunch, Qin Lie took out his laptop from his bag and set up his mobile office right there on the sofa in Chen Xi’s shop, while Chen Xi continued repairing cars.

When Qin Lie sat for too long, he would get up and come to help Chen Xi.

When Chen Xi got tired from work, she would get two red bean popsicles from the refrigerator, sit on the sofa with Qin Lie for one each, then continue their respective busy work after finishing.

They spent an utterly ordinary weekend together.

Early Monday morning, Chen Xi took Qin Lie to the airport. The two kissed each other in the car, waved goodbye in the morning glow, and went their separate ways to busy weeks.

The second weekend, Qin Lie appeared again in Chen Xi’s repair shop.

For a moment, Chen Xi had the illusion that Beijing and Dunhuang were only separated by a commute to work.

But in another moment, Chen Xi’s heart would ache sharply.

Because she knew that between Beijing and Dunhuang lay thousands of mountains and rivers.

Sometimes Chen Xi would wonder: what did she have that was worth such wholehearted dedication from someone?

In their relationship, was there no scale for weighing gains and losses?

Another Friday arrived. Chen Xi told Qin Zhan and Liu Boyang she wouldn’t come to the shop tomorrow morning because she wanted to make lunch for Qin Lie at home.

But that afternoon, Qin Lie called to say he had two unmissable meetings tomorrow and couldn’t come back for the weekend.

Chen Xi was actually quite happy to receive this call—she hadn’t wanted Qin Lie to keep traveling back and forth every week anyway.

When she got home that evening, Chen Xi saw her uncle’s car parked at the courtyard gate.

The small courtyard was filled with the rich aroma of oil-splashed chili. Chen Xi rode her motorcycle into the courtyard, calling out with a smile, “Aunt, Uncle!”

Chen Mei and her husband came out of the kitchen, smiling as they told Chen Xi to wash her hands and eat.

Chen Xi went to her room to put down her bag. When she came out, she saw a pile of clothes on the sofa in the main room, with Fan Mingsu bent over sorting and packing them.

She walked into the main room and asked casually, “Grandma, it’s not time for down jackets yet. Why are you taking them out so early?”

Fan Mingsu put a folded down jacket into a large storage bag and looked up at Chen Xi.

“I’m going to Yangguan Town to stay with your aunt for a while.”

Chen Xi was stunned and murmured, “Why? Why do you suddenly want to stay with my aunt?”

Fan Mingsu folded a set of coral fleece pajamas and stuffed them into the storage bag, saying naturally, “Living here alone is too quiet. There are more people at your aunt’s place, it’s livelier. We can get a mahjong table together every day.”

Chen Xi: “But you still have me, don’t you? If you go to stay with my aunt, what about me?”

Fan Mingsu smiled at her.

“I’ve raised you this big—I should be allowed to catch my breath, right? You go wherever it’s lively, and I’ll go find my fun.”

Chen Xi looked at Fan Mingsu speechlessly.

Fan Mingsu nudged her aside with her elbow.

“If you’re not helping, get out of the way. Don’t be a hindrance here.”

Chen Xi had no choice but to help her fold clothes.

She asked, “How long will you stay?”

Fan Mingsu: “At least through this winter. Your aunt’s place has better heating.”

Chen Xi: “Does it?”

She didn’t think so.

Fan Mingsu said decisively, “Anyway, it’s warmer than here.”

After packing the clothes, the family ate hand-pulled noodles in the courtyard.

Fan Mingsu sat down but wasn’t in a hurry to eat. She put the oil-splashed chili that Chen Mei had made into a sealed container.

She said to Chen Xi, “Xiao Qin loves this. When he comes back tomorrow, give it to him to eat.”

Chen Xi put a big spoonful of chili in her bowl and said casually, “He’s too busy this week and can’t come back.”

Fan Mingsu nodded. “Good that he can’t come back. No matter how strong a person is, they can’t handle running around like this.”

Chen Mei peeled garlic while asking Chen Xi with wide eyes, “Does Xiao Qin come back from Beijing every week?”

Chen Xi nodded. “More or less. When he’s busy, he comes back every other week.”

Chen Mei casually placed the peeled garlic cloves beside Chen Xi’s uncle, her expression shocked.

“Young people dating these days don’t even care about their lives.”

Chen Xi laughed. “Aunt, how is it life-threatening?”

Chen Mei: “Flying in airplanes is so scary. I’d never dare to fly in my whole life.”

Chen Xi suddenly felt that the noodles in her mouth tasted somewhat bitter.

Chen Xi’s uncle listened to their conversation while picking the scallions from Chen Mei’s bowl into his own.

Every time Chen Mei came here to make hand-pulled noodles, she made the sauce according to Fan Mingsu’s taste—raw scallions and cooked garlic.

But Chen Mei herself didn’t eat raw scallions; she liked cooked scallions that were sautéed.

Fan Mingsu looked at the garlic beside Chen Mei’s husband and the scallions in his bowl, then suddenly said, “Actually, I don’t like noodles.”

Chen Xi and Chen Mei both looked up, staring at Fan Mingsu in surprise.

In Chen Xi’s memory, their main food at home was almost always noodles. Yet Grandma was now suddenly saying she didn’t like noodles.

Fan Mingsu looked at Chen Mei.

“I love rice. You and your brother are Northwest kids who’ve loved noodles since childhood, so I stopped making rice much.”

Chen Mei didn’t know what was happening tonight and murmured, “Mom, why didn’t you say so earlier?”

Fan Mingsu smiled.

“Your father knew I loved rice. Every time you kids wanted noodles, your father would insist on having rice. I knew he didn’t love rice at all—he was just being considerate of me.”

Chen Mei’s eyes suddenly reddened.

Fan Mingsu looked at the scallions in Chen Mei’s husband’s bowl and said quietly, “After your father passed away, no one knew I loved rice anymore, and I stopped loving it too.”

She looked at Chen Xi and said quietly, “When someone cares for you, you should care for them too. Don’t wait until you can’t show care anymore to feel the pain in your own heart.”