That day was during the autumn of Ah Heng’s second year in City B.

They climbed a mountain together, struck by youthful whimsy.

They walked for a very long time, Ah Heng continuously climbing toward the summit, this was an exhausting time, the final perseverance.

She hadn’t thought of turning back when a complaint came from behind: “Ugh, I’m dying here, whose terrible idea was it to climb this mountain anyway…”

Wasn’t it yours?

Ah Heng smiled, turning slightly sideways, instinctively reaching out her hand, but another hand reached out from the other side.

It was Si Wan.

Yan Xi froze. Ah Heng smiled, trying to casually withdraw her hand, but Yan Xi grabbed it: “Hey! You heartless girl, I’m nearly dead tired back here, and only now you think of me!”

Si Wan’s expression became somewhat stiff.

He withdrew his hand.

“Brother!” Er Er, running at the front, turned around and waved to Si Wan with a brilliant smile.

Si Wan gave Yan Xi a gentle look, then strode toward Si Er.

Ah Heng laughed, feeling that pulling Yan Xi was like pulling a piglet.

“Yan Xi, what exactly did you stuff in your bag? It looks so heavy.”

“Nothing much, just my pig-head slippers plus sleeping bag plus snacks plus over ten volumes of ‘Saiyuki’. Hoho, I’m Sanzo!” Yan Xi struck Sanzo’s cool gun-wielding pose, blowing away imaginary gunsmoke from his fingertip, his expression serious yet innocent.

Ah Heng wanted to spit blood: “We’re only camping on the mountain for one night, not going on an elementary school field trip!!”

Yan Xi held Ah Heng’s hand, acting boneless, walking sluggishly, looking utterly shameless: “Isn’t it all the same?”

Beautiful as a flower, Mary, back in men’s clothes, glanced at the two noisy people behind, and said with a smile: “Si Wan, you’re finished.”

Si Wan’s expression remained gentle as she replied blandly: “Mary, are you gloating?”

Mary habitually brushed her phoenix tail with her index finger: “Si Wan, I warned you.”

Si Wan looked at the maple leaves slowly turning red in the distance and laughed lightly: “It won’t be Ah Heng. Her fate with Yan Xi isn’t deep enough.”

Mary’s tone carried a slight mockery: “Yes, your fate is deep enough, a full seventeen years. If nothing goes wrong, you’ll be childhood friends for life!”

The words “childhood friends” were emphasized.

Si Wan remained silent. Si Er sneered nearby but pretended not to hear the two’s deliberately lowered voices.

“Damn! Can you stop dawdling? It’ll be dark by the time we get up the mountain.” Xin Dayi climbed huffing and puffing, naturally not noticing the undercurrents behind.

“Did you bring a lighter?” Si Wan asked.

“What?” Xin Dayi looked dumbfounded.

“A lighter.” Chen Juan raised an eyebrow, his tone contemptuous, “Don’t tell me you didn’t bring one, we’ll freeze to death on Ming Mountain tonight.”

Ming Mountain was located in the suburbs. Because it had little artificial sculpting, most of its scenery was naturally formed. Combined with its terrain and altitude matching the mountain’s original ecological flavor, it was very popular, especially in spring and autumn when many people came to visit. However, perhaps feeling it wasn’t safe enough, few people camped here.

“So what if I didn’t bring one? Tch, did you bring one? Show it to me if you did!” Xin Dayi shot back coolly.

Chen Juan snorted: “I never planned to rely on you anyway!” He turned, somewhat embarrassedly calling out, “Ah Heng, did you bring a lighter?”

Ah Heng, sweating profusely from dealing with a certain piglet, replied while managing her burden: “Didn’t bring one. No worries, there are flint stones on the mountain.”

Xin Dayi smiled: “Why does it feel like with Ah Heng around, we don’t need to worry about anything?”

Si Er pulled at her mouth: “When Lu Liu was here, I seem to have heard those words before.”

Xin Dayi raked his black hair, somewhat struck: “Come to think of it, Immortal Lu and Ah Heng are somewhat similar.”

Si Er shook her head: “Wrong. It’s Ah Heng who’s like Brother Lu Liu.”

Mary lightly mocked: “Xin Baboon, how would calling you ‘baboon’ wrong you?”

The realization came late.

That kind of gentle radiance, that intelligent detachment, he thought after leaving America, leaving Vienna, such qualities would be hard to find in this world again.

Yet, upon returning to China, he strangely saw them in a girl.

He had been observing from the side, wanting to see how far she would go, but unfortunately, she hadn’t reached the point of standing as an equal to that man. If she grew a bit more, this story might become more interesting.

Finally, they reached the summit.

Ah Heng could barely breathe, collapsed on a large blue stone, pointing at the smug youth nearby: “Yan Xi, can you not eat snacks first and rest a bit?”

This red-clothed youth sat cross-legged on the ground, practically trying to stuff his head into his bag, digging, digging, digging: “Pork ribs, my little pork ribs, where are you, come out, come out!”

Ah Heng sniffed, hehe, fortunately, she had hidden the pork ribs from the lunch box beforehand.

Before she could finish feeling smug, that fellow had pounced over. Ah Heng protected her backpack, righteously resolute like Dong Cunrui preparing to blow up the bunker.

“Ah Heng, daughter, Heng-heng, I’ll just eat two, uh, no, one, just one, hehe…” Yan Xi shamelessly coaxed.

Everyone’s skin crawled.

Xin Dayi threw a banana peel at him: “Damn, Yan Xi, are you trying to disgust people to death?!”

Ah Heng suppressed her laughter, holding back Yan Xi who had rolled up his sleeves and was baring his teeth, and said sternly: “Sit here, be good for five minutes, and I’ll give you pork ribs to eat.”

“Okay.” Yan Xi smiled with his big eyes, flashing his white teeth, utterly obedient.

Mary shuddered: “Gosh, is this still the demon Yan?”

Si Wan smiled: “Aren’t you used to it yet? When Ah Xi goes crazy he can dance like a wild demon, when he’s good he’s like a well-behaved child getting gold stars.”

Si Er snorted: “Brother Yan Xi, I’ve been around for sixteen or seventeen years and still haven’t gotten used to it, let alone Mary. It would be abnormal to get used to it.”

Xin Dayi nodded in agreement, exactly, exactly.

Yan Xi felt somewhat awkward, looking at Si Er, completely losing his usual sharp tongue, just smiling unnaturally.

When they came, everyone had brought plenty of food. Sitting under the maple tree, they were covered in tree shadows. During the meal, Xin Dayi and Mary’s bickering served as seasoning, and the meal was filled with constant laughter.

They had started up the mountain quite late, and now, after finishing their meal, the sun was already tilting west, hanging over Ming Mountain slowly sinking, waiting for the coastline, warmth sinking, hoping for deep sleep.

“Let’s gather some firewood.” Si Wan looked up at the sky and spoke.

Six people split into three groups: Xin Dayi and Mary, Yan Xi and Si Er, and Si Wan and Ah Heng.

Ah Heng glanced at Si Wan, though finding this grouping strange, she said nothing, just following her toward the east.

Ming Mountain had just had rain a few days ago, tree branches were scattered everywhere on the ground. Stepping on them felt soft and comfortable, but most branches weren’t dry, making them troublesome to gather.

“Ah Heng, look ahead.” Si Wan remembered something and smiled, pointing forward.

“What?” Ah Heng was puzzled, then carefully distinguished the sound, “Oh, the stream?”

Along with falling maple leaves, there was a gentle gurgling sound flowing.

Si Wan nodded: “It was two years ago, during the middle school graduation trip, that Yan Xi discovered it.”

Ah Heng rubbed off dead leaves from the dry firewood, squinting her eyes, smiling: “He had already returned by then?”

“Hmm?” Si Wan’s eyes widened slightly, brows furrowing, an expression of questioning confusion.

“The break from school.”

“Ah, that… yes… Yan Xi had already returned by then.” Si Wan smiled faintly, lowering her head, her right fingertip lightly touching the place over her heart.

They fell silent for a while, then returned after finishing gathering wood, everyone else had returned too.

Dayi and Mary’s gathering was decent, most of it usable. As for what Yan Xi and Si Er gathered, most couldn’t be used.

“As expected.” Si Wan smiled sideways at the young master and young miss, “That’s why putting two troublemakers together prevents them from causing problems.”

One coldly sneered, and one showed disdain, looking somewhat similar this way.

Perhaps children born to wealth all had this talent for being pampered and idle.

Ah Heng thought for a moment, just smiled.

The sky grew darker, the moon rose high, and tree leaves began to rustle, swishing with the wind, swirling in their ears.

Having found flint stones, everything was left to Ah Heng. In her childhood, she often spent nights in the mountains with her adoptive father, and these minor tasks like gathering firewood and starting fires were familiar, not difficult matters.

Ah Heng had everyone break dry branches, stacking them in a scattered pattern. She took the flint stone, and expertly struck it several times, bringing it close to the wood pile. A tiny spark, and instantly it caught fire, burning brightly, illuminating the mountaintop and the young faces.

Xin Dayi and Yan Xi cheered, the two holding hands in excitement, making a fuss, jumping into a grass skirt dance.

Move, octopus arms.

Sway, move, octopus arms.

Swaying, while making Tarzan’s classic roar.

The rest of the people sweatdropped.

Sigh, what a mess.

“I bet even Tarzan isn’t as amazing as my daughter.” Yan Xi opened his arms, smiling with his little vanity soaring high.

“It’s not you! Quick, the audience is watching, follow the rhythm!” Xin Dayi bared his teeth with a bright, shining smile, and grabbed Yan Xi’s hand, swinging it as they continued their grass skirt dance.

Si Wan and Si Er laughed uncontrollably.

Ah Heng helplessly covered her face.

“A pair of idiots, tch!” Chen Juan pursed his lips, but the smile in his eyes was warm and gentle.

After the two silly boys finished fooling around, everyone sat in a circle around the bonfire. Xin Dayi enthusiastically suggested: “Hehe, let’s tell ghost stories, what perfect atmosphere, what perfect ambiance!”

Si Wan and Chen Juan were both brave and although Si Er had been sickly since childhood, her personality wasn’t one to back down, so everyone nodded in agreement.

Ah Heng had no objections, but when she turned her head, Yan Xi seemed to have suffered a major blow, his whole body stiff.

“Brother Yan Xi has always been afraid of these ghostly and supernatural things.” Si Er laughed.

Yan Xi raged: “Who says this young master is afraid!”

“Then I’ll start telling now!” Xin Dayi laughed eerily, “What I’m telling you today happened on Ming Mountain.”

Every one shuddered, Yan Xi trembled, trembled, endlessly trembled…

“Three years ago, there was a group of students, just like us, who came camping on Ming Mountain. The next day, when they were going back on the bus, there was a girl with an especially long braid who got on, but her braid got caught in the door, and then, the bus started moving…”

“Then what?” Yan Xi wiped a forehead full of cold sweat.

Xin Dayi deliberately scared Yan Xi, lowering his voice: “Then, that long-braided girl was dragged to death by the bus.”

Yan Xi was frightened, his forehead covered in sweat.

Ah Heng frowned, feeling this story seemed familiar…

Everyone else was listening intently, not daring to breathe.

“A few years later, another group of brave students heard that Ming Mountain was haunted by a long-braided female ghost. During their graduation trip, they came to Ming Mountain to look for that ghost. One particularly brave one left the group, searching alone, but by midnight, still hadn’t found anything…” Dayi continued nonstop, deliberately raising his voice at scary parts to create sound effects.

Yan Xi stared blankly at Xin Dayi, sweat dripping continuously.

Ah Heng smiled, gently hooking her pinky with Yan Xi’s, made a shushing sound, and carefully stood up.

Everyone’s attention was on Dayi, completely missing Ah Heng’s stealthy movements.

“Then, someone tapped that student’s shoulder from behind, all their hair stood on end, and a ghostly voice came from behind…” Xin Dayi’s spit flew everywhere.

“Are you looking for me?” came a ghostly voice.

Someone tapped Xin Dayi’s shoulder.

Xin Dayi turned around, froze for three seconds, then screamed: “Ghost! Waaaaaah!!!”

He clutched his head, tears streaming!

Everyone froze, looking at that “ghost” who casually turned off the flashlight shining on their face, revealing black eyes, black hair, and a gentle, clean face.

One, two, three, everyone couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter together.

Xin Dayi felt something was wrong, trembling as he turned around – it was actually Ah Heng.

“Ah Heng!!!” Xin Dayi was furious.

Ah Heng held the flashlight thoughtfully: “If I remember correctly, this story was played on the movie channel’s midnight theater two days ago, seems like it was ‘The Terror of the Long Braid’?”

“Xin Dayi!!!” Everyone cracked their knuckles.

The horrifying atmosphere instantly dissipated.

Everyone chatted for a while longer, then feeling sleepy, pulled out sleeping bags to prepare for bed.

Yan Xi, however, kept staring at the bonfire, reading his manga with interest.

Ah Heng laid down a layer of branches, and when it felt soft enough, took out her sleeping bag. Glancing back inadvertently, she saw the sleeping bag in Si Er’s hands and froze.

Looking back at Yan Xi, he was still flipping back and forth through the pages where Sanzo shot his enemies.

“Ah Xi, aren’t you sleeping?” Si Wan closed her sleeping bag, heavy with sleepiness, her eyes barely staying open.

Yan Xi shook his head, his eyes not leaving the book.

Seeing this, Si Wan’s mouth pulled into a smile as she closed her eyes, turning slightly to the side in a sleeping position.

As for Xin Dayi, in just a few minutes, he was already snoring, presumably exhausted from pranking and being pranked.

Si Er, wrapped in a red sleeping bag, said goodnight to everyone and quietly fell asleep.

Mary didn’t sleep at first, dawdling for a long while, but seeing Yan Xi showing no sign of movement, found it boring, yawned, and curled up in the spot farthest from the bonfire, tilting her head to sleep.

As for Ah Heng, she had long since assumed the posture of deep sleep.

Closing her eyes to rest, she didn’t know how long passed until Yan Xi’s footsteps faded away, then slowly opened her eyes.

She quietly followed the footprints in the damp soil.

Where the footprints disappeared, the view suddenly opened up.

In the bright moonlight, by the clear stream, that youth sat on the river sand, hunched over, gazing into the distance, frail and slender yet seemingly steadfastly waiting for something.

Ah Heng was reminded of golden wheat stalks swaying in summer fields.

“Ah Heng.” He had already noticed her presence, waving from afar.

“Not sleepy?” she asked.

“My eyes are bigger than other people’s, so when I’m tired it takes longer to close them.” He had a belly full of twisted logic.

“Why did you give your sleeping bag to Si Er?” She frowned slightly.

She had noticed when Si Er took out that red sleeping bag.

“Er Er said she didn’t bring one.” Yan Xi smiled, his dragon-eye-like big eyes curving.

“I remember when she took out her food, she accidentally pulled out a purple sleeping bag.”

“I saw that.” Yan Xi nodded.

“So?”

“But she said she didn’t bring one.” Yan Xi spread his hands, continuing to smile.

Ah Heng made an “oh” sound, cupped sand in both hands, watching it slip through her fingers, scooping up more, leaving finer gaps, watching the sand continue to fall bit by bit.

A boring game.

“Ah Heng, let me tell you a story with sand.” Yan Xi brushed away the sand in her hands.

Ah Heng sniffed, nodding.

“Watch carefully, ahem.” In the moonlight, a pair of fair, slender hands clapped twice lightly.

Those hands scooped up some fine sand, spreading it evenly on the ground, and the youth’s slightly fresh voice began: “Once upon a time, there was a boy, a Martian more beautiful than anyone on Earth…”

His index finger was like a magic wand, lightly traced in the fine sand, and in just a few strokes, appeared a doll with long bangs and big eyes, making a peace sign with half a smile.

“Then one day, he suddenly fell in love with a fierce girl, a fierce girl, but she was cute when she smiled.”

The tip of his thumb gently carved lines between the doll’s bangs, his left hand’s five fingers sliding gently from its hairline, turning into softly natural curled long hair, the mocking smile at the mouth carefully smoothed with his middle finger, instantly becoming a warm and lovely smile.

In the blink of an eye, the magician’s wand sparked, and the proud, beautiful boy doll became a cute and playful girl doll.

Ah Heng felt her eyes must be full of surprise and admiration. Such simple things, yet everywhere showed love for life and creativity.

“Though the boy was tone-deaf, he still wanted to sing a song for the girl, his favorite ‘Fleeting Time’.

‘Oh, time is fleeting in my world, but always in your way. When life is a photo, you are in my photo and stop day after day.’

…”

The youth hummed softly, his right hand’s five fingers sliding smoothly across the doll, becoming a musical staff, and the doll, after sculpting, turned into many lively musical notes.

“But… the girl said she didn’t understand, thought the boy’s strange illness hadn’t been cured yet, then got scared and cried, and ran away.”

He spoke carelessly, scooping up another handful of sand, his slender fingers slowly releasing the sand grains glinting silver in the moonlight, bit by bit burying the musical notes.

Everything returned to how it was before.

Ah Heng thought for a moment, then smiled and concluded: “Yan Xi, you have a secret crush on Lin Wanwan.”

Yan Xi yawned lazily: “Yes, apart from Wen Si Wan, almost everyone in the world knows.”

“Then, is it that Lin Wanwan secretly likes Si Wan?” Ah Heng suddenly realized.

Yan Xi gave her a sidelong glance: “Silly, Si Wan and Lin Wanwan have been together for a long time.”

“Is this also something the whole world knows?” Ah Heng found it somewhat difficult to process.

“Mm, except Yan Xi doesn’t know.” Yan Xi tilted his head back to look at the sky, smiling slightly.