In a southern ancient town, a large number of cultural relics had recently been unearthed. Shen Mo needed to go there for a while and, feeling uneasy about leaving Jiang Xiaosi behind, decided to take her along.
This wasn’t their first trip together, but this time, their relationship was different. Jiang Xiaosi was unusually excited—after all, a trip during a passionate romance felt almost like a honeymoon.
Jiang Liu had been working tirelessly on perfecting the recipe for “Tuogu Xiang” and was about to go on a journey to gather herbs. Shen Koudan went with him, so the two groups headed north and south separately.
After getting off the plane, they had to endure a five-hour drive before finally reaching the small town at dusk.
Since their work wouldn’t start until the next day, the two decided to explore the area first. They hired a boat and drifted down the river, admiring the scenery on both sides while enjoying a hot pot meal on the boat.
Shen Mo was still getting used to interacting with Jiang Xiaosi as her boyfriend, but her boundless energy and constant laughter gradually affected his mood. He had always been a serious and reserved person, leading a solitary and monotonous life for many years. He had few friends, and the only relatives he cared about were all dead because of his mistakes. That sense of utter helplessness as he listened to their desperate cries had left a deep scar on his heart.
He had locked himself in a cage of hatred and guilt for so many years, never allowing himself to experience life’s joys. Even the slightest hint of happiness brought with it a crushing sense of guilt.
Sometimes he wondered if his feelings for Jiang Xiaosi, this innocent and naive child, were simply because she made him feel free. In her eyes, he saw a pure version of himself. Like a small, trusting rabbit that completely relied on him, he couldn’t help but want to protect her. When Jiang Xiaosi was sad, his heart ached even more. Shen Mo couldn’t be sure if this protective instinct was love, but if this was what Jiang Xiaosi wanted, he could give it to her.
They sat by the edge of the boat, with Jiang Xiaosi resting her head on his lap, gazing at the sunset in the sky. The evening glow reflected off the river’s shimmering surface, and the stilts of the houses along the banks stood against a backdrop of green hills and clear waters. In the distance, a few children splashed about in the river, playing water games.
Jiang Xiaosi held Shen Mo’s hand, her small face nuzzling his palm as she rambled on about random, childish things. Every time Shen Mo was with Jiang Xiaosi, he felt a strange mix of deep satisfaction and an overwhelming sense of unreality. Such moments seemed impossible for someone like him. He had always been harsh to others and even harsher to himself, yet here he was, compromising—softened by this love, greedy for it. He wanted to hold on to this warmth, this happiness, forever. He even began to desire the “happily ever after” that people spoke of.
After getting off the boat, they strolled along the cobblestone streets of the ancient town. On either side were quaint shops selling silver jewelry, combs, batik fabrics, and local snacks. Shen Mo still wore his usual black attire, though he hadn’t buttoned up, and his clothes billowed in the wind like a model straight out of a magazine. Jiang Xiaosi wore a pink floral chiffon dress, white sandals, and carried a fringed bag slung across her body. With a star-shaped hair clip in her bangs, she looked sweet and innocent, making her seem even younger.
Walking hand in hand over the warm cobblestones, Jiang Xiaosi would drag Shen Mo into any shop that caught her interest.
“Shen Mo, Children’s Day is coming up! Will you buy me a gift?” Jiang Xiaosi clung to his arm, acting coquettishly. Since they had started dating, she had switched to calling him “Shen Mo” as he always called her by her full name, Jiang Xiaosi.
Shen Mo couldn’t help but laugh. “A Children’s Day gift? You still think you’re a child?” Was she deliberately reminding him that he was an old man dating a little girl? Was she calling him out for being the “old bull grazing on young grass”?
Jiang Xiaosi giggled. “But there are no other holidays coming up! You need an excuse to give me a gift, right?”
“What do you want?”
“I want a ring! Let’s get couple rings!”
Seeing Shen Mo nod, Jiang Xiaosi eagerly dragged him into one silver shop after another. Since both of them were connoisseurs in this area, they couldn’t find anything they liked, so they decided to have a pair custom-made. The design was simple yet elegant, with no patterns—just a groove in the middle with a red string threaded through it. They measured their sizes, paid, and arranged to pick them up in two days.
After leaving the silver shop, Jiang Xiaosi was overjoyed, interlocking her fingers with Shen Mo’s in one hand while licking a sugar figure with the other.
They wandered until they reached a city gate, where someone was strumming a guitar and singing. Jiang Xiaosi stopped to listen to two songs before tossing some change into the guitar case.
“That was so beautiful! I heard that this town’s bar street is famous for its small performances. Let’s go check it out!”
“Tuogu Xiang is right next to a bar. Aren’t you tired of that by now?”
“Who said just because it’s close by that I go there all the time? My dad says I’m not old enough and doesn’t let me go to those kinds of places. But Li Yueyi and I have snuck into gay bars a few times.”
Shen Mo shook his head in exasperation. “We’ll go tomorrow night. It’s getting late now. Let’s find a place to stay first.”
The county had arranged for them to stay in a hotel in the city, but they decided to stay by the river for convenience. There were all sorts of unique inns with poetic names and distinctive decor.
Jiang Xiaosi, after much deliberation, chose a place called “One Night Love.” Shen Mo was speechless.
“Two rooms.”
“One room.”
They stared at each other for a long time until Shen Mo finally relented. “Fine, one room, two beds.”
The room was clean and tidy, and Jiang Xiaosi eagerly claimed the bed by the window with a view of the river. After showering, she behaved herself, lying on her bed and watching TV. But when Shen Mo emerged from his shower, with his hair dripping and his sleepwear giving him a lazy, sexy look, she couldn’t resist and pounced on him.
By the time Shen Mo finished reviewing his work documents, Jiang Xiaosi had already fallen asleep on his chest. She was even drooling, probably dreaming about something delicious…
Helpless, Shen Mo carried her to the other bed, turned off the lights, and went to sleep. In the darkness, Jiang Xiaosi’s face was barely visible, giving him a feeling of unease. Perhaps he was overthinking it, but he couldn’t shake the sense of impending trouble.
The next day’s work ended around two in the afternoon, and Jiang Xiaosi insisted on renting bicycles for them to ride.
“You get carsick, but you can ride a bike, right?”
Seeing Shen Mo’s gloomy expression, Jiang Xiaosi burst into laughter. “You don’t know how to ride a bike? Hahaha! Don’t worry, I’ll teach you!”
The idea of Shen Mo learning to ride a bike, possibly even falling and making a fool of himself, was something Jiang Xiaosi couldn’t pass up. She had her camera ready to capture the moment.
At first, she held the back of the bike, but then she quietly let go. To her disappointment, Shen Mo only wobbled a bit before quickly finding his balance and riding smoothly.
Jiang Xiaosi clicked her tongue in frustration, then ran up and jumped onto the back seat. Shen Mo, still new to biking, couldn’t balance with a passenger, and they both ended up in a heap on the ground.
Jiang Xiaosi just laughed, looking at Shen Mo’s darkened expression. She stood on tiptoe to kiss his chin and pulled him back onto the bike.
Before long, he got the hang of it. Shen Mo rode through the narrow alleys of the ancient town with Jiang Xiaosi sitting behind him. One arm was tightly wrapped around his waist while the other held her camera, snapping pictures. They occasionally stopped to try different snacks.
“If only we could stay here forever! I’m so happy I could die!” Jiang Xiaosi rested her face against Shen Mo’s back.
“Then stay here. I’ll come visit you every Children’s Day and bring you food.” Shen Mo joked, uncharacteristically showing a bit of humor.
Jiang Xiaosi playfully tickled his waist, making the bike swerve.
“Stop that! We’ll end up in the river!” Shen Mo laughed, though Jiang Xiaosi didn’t see it since she was sitting behind him.
As they coasted downhill with the wind in their faces, Jiang Xiaosi urged, “Quick, spread your arms! Let’s reenact Titanic!”
Shen Mo couldn’t help but laugh.
That evening, after a dinner of local stir-fries and attending a bonfire party, Shen Mo took Jiang Xiaosi to a bar. The night was enchanting, and as they listened to the live band, Jiang Xiaosi ate a lot of popcorn. After much pleading, she even had a bit of alcohol.
Shen Mo couldn’t handle the noise for too long, so after about half an hour, they left. As they walked by the river, the waterwheel creaked nearby, and there was a swing set beside it.
Jiang Xiaosi sat on the swing, and Shen Mo gave her a few gentle pushes before she insisted he join her.
“I can’t. I’ll get dizzy.” Shen Mo immediately refused, but Jiang Xiaosi pulled him onto the swing anyway.
Jiang Xiaosi sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his waist with a mischievous grin, her feet swinging playfully. Shen Mo didn’t last long before he started feeling dizzy. Listening to Jiang Xiaosi’s soft, sweet words, his face reddened slightly. Under the moonlight and neon lights, everything blurred together, and a sudden wave of unease washed over him. How had he allowed someone to carve themselves so deeply into his heart? To make him want to give her all his care, all his love…
“Jiang Xiaosi…”
“Hmm?”
Jiang Xiaosi tilted her head back to look up at him. Shen Mo leaned down and gently kissed her lips.
Little did he know that this would be their last kiss.
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