Si Wan’s journey across the single-plank bridge in July went exceptionally smoothly—he was admitted to Q University to study finance, standing out as one of the top students among all the children in the compound. The Wen family was greatly honored, and consequently, people’s gazes toward Ah Heng also grew much warmer.

Originally, Ah Heng thought that even if Si Wan went to university, he wouldn’t leave home because Yan Xi was here. However, he packed his things and moved into the school dormitory.

The day he left, Yan Xi still hid behind her, his big eyes clean and innocent as he watched Si Wan.

Si Wan reached out his hand, long fingers still carrying the warmth of sunlight, wanting to touch the youth’s hair, but Yan Xi dodged, stepping back.

Si Wan smiled, his beautiful dimples showing, eyes bright as sunshine. He stepped forward, ignoring the youth’s struggle, and held him tightly.

Then, he let go, allowing this big-eyed youth to retreat into his puppet-like state.

He said: “Ah Heng, I’m going to try to ‘detox’ now.”

Ah Heng looked up at him, her gaze gentle.

Si Wan too was letting go…

Si Wan smiled, his gaze filled with indescribable tenderness: “Ah Heng, you’re eighteen this year, right?”

Ah Heng nodded solemnly.

“Next year you’ll be nineteen, the year after twenty, then you’ll reach thirty, you’ll marry, have children, have a complete family, have a good job; by forty, you’ll worry about your children’s growth, feel tired from work, occasionally want to walk in the woods with your equally busy and struggling husband; by fifty, your children will have grown up and gradually leave home, you and your husband will rely on each other, what they call sharing life’s joys and sorrows; at sixty, you’ll enjoy your grandchildren and family happiness; at seventy, sitting in a rocking chair, looking back on life, perhaps closing your eyes, this life will have reached its conclusion.”

Si Wan spoke lightly, calmly looking at Yan Xi, his eyes full of pain and struggle.

Ah Heng pressed her lips together, feeling somewhat afraid. Though she knew all Si Wan described was the happiness he wished for her, she felt something was missing. She blurted out: “What about Yan Xi…”

“When you’re eighteen, he’s seventeen; when you’re nineteen, he’s seventeen; when you’re seventy, Yan Xi will still be seventeen. He might never grow up in this lifetime, while you age without noticing. Tell me, where will Yan Xi be then?”

The Chinese ring puzzle in Yan Xi’s smiling face flashed a cold silver light in the sunlight, dazzling.

She stepped back, smiling as she took the youth’s hand, her fingers gentle and warm: “After all, he’s still alive, isn’t he?”

Si Wan laughed softly, looking at the two figures under the banyan tree: “Ah Heng, I’m trying now, leaving Yan Xi, seeing if I can survive without him. Someday, if you feel tired, or if Yan Xi no longer depends on you, will you entrust him to me?”

High school senior year began, and Little Xia successfully tested into Xilin as hoped. Grandfather He, though physically weak, grew much stronger with this happy news.

Mary mocked: “Why pretend to be diligent? You think a cow stops being a cow just because you drag it to the western mountains?”

Xin Dayi slapped the desk, rolling up his sleeves: “Teacher Guo, I don’t want to sit with this dead transvestite, he’s affecting my studies. Are you going to do something about it or not!”

Ms. Guo coughed, pretending not to hear clearly: “Xin Dayi, don’t make loud noises during class!”

The boys’ group spat: “Auntie Flow, don’t you dare not treat Mary like a goddess—it’s eight lifetimes of good fortune to sit next to Mary for two years!”

Xin Dayi shed tears, pointing: “I’ll expose your gender sooner or later, just you wait!”

Rou Si sneered: “Wait for what? Wait for you to spread rumors that Auntie Flow has a crush on a transvestite but ended up willingly becoming the transvestite’s bottom?”

Young Xin became furious: “Damn it, not only am I straight, even if I were gay, I’d be a top and the ultimate top!!!”

Rou Si snickered: “You, top? Top a refrigerator or a gaming console?”

Ah Heng choked on her saliva, struggling painfully to hold back laughter.

“Finally, a smile.” Rou Si glanced at the corner of her eye, seeing Ah Heng’s smile, and smiled too, his features as delicate as rose petals.

Who knows what that Si Wan guy said to her, making her gloomy all day without a trace of a smile?

Ah Heng smiled: “Mary, when I’m seventy, I want to lie in a rocking chair and think about nothing.”

Mary was confused: “What do you mean?”

Ah Heng spoke softly, closing her eyes, a gentle smile on her lips: “I’ve always wanted a family, complete, belonging only to me. By my side would be my husband, my children, and the people closest to me. I would learn to be a good wife and a good mother. When they’re happy, I’d share their happiness; when they’re sad, I’d give them happiness. And when I’m very tired, very defeated, seeing them would make me feel like I have the whole world. Such a family is what I’ve always wanted.”

Xin Dayi turned around, looked at her for a long time, raised his thick eyebrows, and spoke in a gruff voice: “That’s good.”

Ah Heng suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze sharp yet calm: “Even if you all have many objections in your hearts, you can’t question such a life? Just because this is what I chose, so you’re powerless and helpless?”

Xin Dayi was stunned: “Isn’t that right? How can others presume to decide your life for you?”

The weather grew colder, seemingly getting closer to winter. Si Wan had been in university for a while but hadn’t properly stayed at home for more than a few days.

According to Mary, he had already broken up with Lin Wanwan. That girl had made a huge scene, even running to their home, but when she saw Yan Xi sitting beside her mother in the living room, her face turned deathly pale, and she left without saying a word.

Ah Heng saw the guest out, and Lin Wanwan looked at her, her eyes full of confusion and embarrassment: “Aren’t you afraid of him?”

“Him”—did she mean Yan Xi?

Ah Heng smiled: “What’s there to be afraid of?”

Lin Wanwan grew angry: “Wen Heng, didn’t I warn you to stay away from Yan Xi? Once he touches your life, you’re ruined forever.”

Ah Heng seemed thoughtful: “Lin Wanwan, did you really like Si Wan?”

Lin Wanwan’s face grew paler: “Si Wan is handsome, gentle and considerate, and so excellent…”

Ah Heng smiled: “If you were with him, life would be without setbacks forever, right?” Then, hiding her smile, she closed the door and spoke flatly, “Miss Lin, goodbye, ah no, never see you again.”

Mother Wen shook her head: “For a young lady to rush to someone else’s home like this—she doesn’t seem well brought up. If you and Si Er ever act like this, I’ll scold you.”

Ah Heng linked arms with her mother, smiling: “Mom, yesterday I took Yan Xi to the hospital for a check-up. Dr. Zheng said Yan Xi might recover in the next second, or he might stay like this for life.”

Mother Wen sighed, feeling somewhat unsettled: “Ah Heng, in the future you should go to the best university, just like your brother.”

Ah Heng nodded, answering gently: “I will.”

Mother Wen looked at her for a long time, then glanced at Yan Xi on the sofa: “With our Wen family’s backing, you can have any job you want in the future.”

Ah Heng smiled: “I know.”

The mother steeled her heart and spoke, though reluctant, she hardened her heart: “When you’re older, your father and I will find you a suitable match in both appearance and character. What do you think?”

Ah Heng looked out the window. It was getting late. She stood up, holding Yan Xi’s hand tightly.

He smiled at her, his eyes full of innocent ignorance.

“Mom, it’s late, we should go back.”

Mother Wen shook her head, disapproving of her evasive attitude: “Ah Heng, this is a problem you must face, unless you want to be like Xiao Xi, held back by time, never growing up.”

Ah Heng turned around, her eyes full of tears: “Mom, then when I grow up, can I marry Yan Xi? I don’t want sons or daughters anymore, is that okay? I don’t want a rocking chair anymore, is that okay?”

Is that okay?

Yan Xi covered her eyes with his hands, his clear black and white eyes showing a hint of confusion.

Slowly, warm liquid flowed through his palm, completely wet.

The scorching temperature made him withdraw his hand.

So painful, so painful, not the nose, not the hand, not the foot, not the eye, where was it? Why did it hurt so much? Why would a puppet feel pain?…

She choked up, not knowing if it was joy or sorrow: “Yan Xi, wait for me to grow up, then we’ll get married, okay?”

Last year, B City had no snow. This year, as soon as December arrived, the temperature dropped.

Si Wan called home, laughing as he said: “The weather forecast shows temperatures will drop significantly in the next few days, with the first snow the day after tomorrow. You should hurry and add cotton padding to your clothes.”

Ah Heng smiled, seeing Yan Xi already dressed up like a little bear, feeling confident: “Don’t worry, this year Yan Xi definitely won’t catch a cold, one hundred percent. Before, he got sick because he was disobedient and wouldn’t dress properly.”

Si Wan fell silent, only speaking after a while: “That’s good then.”

He was reluctant to hang up, rambling about this and that. Ah Heng laughed, pulling the clumsy little bear to her side, and putting the receiver to his ear.

Yan Xi always got excited seeing the phone, hugging it happily. Listening to the endless chatter from the other end, not understanding, he kept pulling at his scarf hard. So tight, so uncomfortable… Like a child, he tugged at the warm sunflower scarf.

Ah Heng pretended not to see. To prevent him from getting cold, she had wrapped it so many times—with Yan Xi’s current intelligence, trying to untie it was truly a pipe dream.

The child’s face turned red from struggling, still unable to untie it, and then he started using his teeth, biting, biting, biting…

Ah Heng roared: “Ah, Yan Xi, don’t learn from Little Hui!”

At some point, when she wasn’t paying attention, he had become close with Little Hui, rolling around on the carpet every day like the dog, always getting covered in dog hair. Fortunately, he wasn’t allergic.

Si Wan had been instructing Yan Xi “You must be good, you must wear more clothes and be very obedient,” speaking very smoothly, when suddenly Ah Heng’s roar startled him greatly. His hand shook, and the phone fell to the ground with a crash.

The call ended.

Ah Heng wondered why Si Wan had hung up without saying anything, but her attention ultimately focused on Yan Xi’s drool on the scarf. She darkened her face, using tissues to wipe the drool from the sunflower pattern.

Whether sick or not, this person had always been generous with saliva.

Then, many years later, someone teased a certain baby, pretending to be disgusted: “Hey hey, wife, look, he’s drooling again, so much drool, wonder who he takes after…” Looking back, heartbroken.

Ah Heng was speechless, yes yes, who knows whose excellent genes they were—the baby went through one small towel a day, blowing bubbles like a bubble dragon.

He couldn’t remember her name, couldn’t speak the “Yan Xi, Ah Heng” she had taught thousands of times, but like a code in his heart, it had vaguely become irreplaceable.

Ah Heng had grown used to this appearance, preparing for a lifetime—even if Si Wan came, she would certainly refuse to entrust him.

Yan Xi was a treasure, even if he never grew up, forever stuck in old times, he was still her treasure.

Her dream of becoming a good wife and mother seemed to have grown much more distant.

Ah Heng caught a cold, her head dizzy and heavy, so she sent Yan Xi to the Wen house. It would be terrible if he got infected.

She smiled sweetly, patting his gloved hand: “Yan Xi, be good and stay here for a few days. I’ll come get you when I’m better.”

Yan Xi copied her, also smiling sweetly.

Mother Wen hurried her home, instructing her to rest well and take medicine with warm water. In front of Ah Heng, she increasingly resembled a real mother.

Ah Heng sniffled, dizzy and heavy-headed, looking at her mother with a smile: “Mom, if I weren’t sick, I’d want to hug you.”

Then, she turned, waved goodbye, and left in the cold wind.

Yan Xi realized something and burst into tears with a “waa,” wanting to chase after Ah Heng.

Mother Wen held him back, embracing him, coaxing softly: “Be good, treasure, be good. Ah Heng is just sick—if you go with her, her illness will get worse.” Then, remembering her daughter’s words when leaving, her eyes grew moist, and she gently hugged the youth again.

Ah Heng, if mom hugs this Yan Xi whom you love so much, does it equal hugging you?

Ah Heng, will this make things less difficult for you…

She curled up in bed sleeping deeply, coughing hazily, but everything around was so quiet, so relaxed, she didn’t want to wake up at all.

She wanted to have a good sleep—even if a tornado came, she didn’t want to wake up.

She was truly so tired, so tired, feeling like walking on cotton, her body completely hollow and exhausted…

In the sweet darkness was complete tranquility, this world was very warm, very safe. Relaxing all her strength, only her fingers remained, holding something, not daring to easily let go.

Heaven knows, that if lost, with her abilities, she could never find it again.

He was the person she had chosen; for him, she had given up her beloved rocking chair. She never expected him to remember such a girl, but could they please not let her lose such a young boy…

When she woke up, someone was sitting by her bed, a slender figure in a purple-red sweater, black hair falling over his forehead, bright eyes calm.

It was him.

She struggled to sit up, smiling as she asked him: “How did you run over here? Did you sneak away from mom? So naughty!”

He looked at her, his features still clean and beautiful, but somehow, something seemed different.

Ah Heng gently pulled his hand, only to find he had forgotten to wear gloves, his fingertips somewhat cold. She covered them, putting them under the blanket, starting to scare him: “Not wearing a scarf or gloves again, if you get cold, you’ll have to take very bitter medicine, get shots with such thick needles!”

She demonstrated the thickness of the needle, but the youth’s lips showed a gentle, mischievous smile.

Ah Heng rubbed her eyes, thinking she was seeing things, but he lifted her, very carefully.

Opening the window, the misty pane with a layer of icy frost blooming beautiful patterns outside had already become a white world.

The snowflakes drifted down like goose feathers, the lingering echo of a year’s beauty fading away, the flow of time in the pure white snow.

First snow.

Ah Heng smiled, in Yan Xi’s embrace, feeling somewhat uneasy. He lifted his head but that person lowered him, his slightly cool half-face gently pressing against her face, slowly, tears wetting his entire face.

He hadn’t spoken for so long, but now, with a hoarse voice, he said dryly: “Ah Heng, I’ve come back.”

Ah Heng, I’ve come back.

Keeping my promise, the first person I saw was you.