In fact, they had only known each other for less than a month, met twice, and had two meals together. To say they really liked each other would be an exaggeration.

But perhaps from the moment Song Mianfeng met Lu Yin Zhen, he gave Lu Yin Zhen a sense of uniqueness, as if he was treasured above all else. So when Song Mianfeng suddenly informed him that he was just one of many blind date candidates, Lu Yin Zhen felt a bit upset.

“I was just kidding.”

“I went to Mingyue for you. There weren’t any other blind date candidates. It was just you…” Song Mianfeng’s tone softened as he said this. “I’m just joking around. Don’t be mad at me.”

Lu Yin Zhen said, “I’m not mad.”

He really wasn’t angry.

Blind date candidates weren’t boyfriends, so even if Song Mianfeng really went on a blind date with someone else, he had no right to be angry or to intervene.

He just didn’t like the idea of Song Mianfeng going on a blind date with someone else.

But that was just how he felt, and Song Mianfeng didn’t need to consider it.

When Lu Yin Zhen heard Song Mianfeng say, “It’s just you,” that little bit of displeasure disappeared, replaced by a feeling of joy that filled his heart, and his lips curled into a smile.

Jokes could be playful, but words needed to be clarified. If a statement was thrown out, the other person had to catch it, that was playfulness. If they couldn’t catch it, it was like stabbing them in the heart.

It would hurt anyone.

Lu Yin Zhen said again, “I only have you.”

Song Mianfeng listened to the voice message for three seconds, replaying it several times, suddenly feeling like he wanted to see Lu Yin Zhen.

It had been a long time since he had such a strong desire to meet someone.

The cool moonlight streamed in through the window, as if white jade had shattered all over the ground, scattered in fragments.

The man sitting on the edge of the bed stared at the phone screen for a moment, then typed out a line of text message letter by letter and pressed the send button.

[Leisurely listening to the wind sleep: Are you free tomorrow? If so, let’s meet up.]

…

The cold of April still lingered, and spring colors were fading.

As the end of the workday approached, people gradually emerged from the office building, all dressed as elite professionals.

A black SUV was parked on the roadside not far away.

A man leaning against the car door was wearing a dark green hoodie, a color that was dark yet faint, like a green bamboo standing in the slanting sun.

He seemed to be waiting for someone, playing with his phone, scrolling through Weibo to pass the time, occasionally glancing up at the office building.

A man in a suit walked out of the office building casually, with handsome features and a calm demeanor.

When he saw the man standing in the slanting sun looking at him, he suddenly smiled.

His eyes were like water, softening like a gentle sunset.

The man leaning casually against the car put away his phone, stood up straight, and greeted him, “Friend, want to hang out together?”

Lu Yin Zhen approached and asked, “Where are we going?”

“Let me show you my world,” Song Mianfeng raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Are you daring enough to come with me?”

Lu Yin Zhen smiled and walked around to the passenger side, opening the door.

There was a paper bag on the passenger seat, neatly filled with cans of preserves.

Lu Yin Zhen paused for a moment, then looked at Song Mianfeng, his gaze intense.

Song Mianfeng pinched his fingertips and whispered, “I didn’t know what you liked, so I bought a little of everything.”

It didn’t seem like a big deal to buy these things to coax Song Zhanyue before, but now buying them to coax a grown man made Song Mianfeng feel embarrassed, and he dared not look at Lu Yin Zhen again.

Lu Yin Zhen got into the car, put the paper bag on his lap, and casually took out a can.

The packaging read “Sweet and Sour Bitter Spicy,” with red hawthorn fruits and the words “Preserved Hawthorn” printed on it.

Song Mianfeng started the engine, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lu Yin Zhen take one and then another—holding them out to him.

The heat that had just dissipated from his face rose again, and his hand holding the steering wheel unconsciously tightened. Song Mianfeng steadied his mind, looked ahead seriously, and opened his mouth.

Lu Yin Zhen naturally fed him the hawthorn: “It’s sweet. Try it.”

The sweetness melted on his tongue, and Song Mianfeng mumbled, “Thank you.”

Lu Yin Zhen smiled, looked down at the paper bag in his lap, and said, “Thank you.”

“Thank you for the preserves.”

Lu Yin Zhen was not familiar with the city of S, and as he watched the scenery outside the window rapidly retreat, he didn’t ask where they were going. For some reason, he felt a kind of almost blind closeness and trust towards Song Mianfeng, a feeling that was too mysterious for him to explain.

But emotions like this were inherently irrational.

The car seemed to be heading towards the suburbs, with fewer and fewer vehicles on the road, and the surrounding scenery became desolate, the flat road replaced by rugged mountain paths.

When they reached their destination and got out of the car, Lu Yin Zhen realized that the car was parked in a valley.

Underfoot was grass, and in the distance was the lakeside, the scent of earth mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees, refreshing.

The sky was filled with tiny stars, and as darkness fell, the valley was vast. With just one glance, the lake and the night merged together, the wind suddenly rising, ruffling the surface of the water.

Lu Yin Zhen heard Song Mianfeng say, “Welcome to my world.”

Song Mianfeng seemed to be particularly familiar with everything here, and he had prepared everything thoroughly. He took out a picnic mat and a picnic basket from the trunk, found a spacious and flat area, and laid them out skillfully.

As he smoothed out the edges and corners, his clothes shifted upwards due to his hand movements, revealing a small strip of skin around his waist and two shallow dimples.

Lu Yin Zhen’s eyes darkened slightly, and he crouched down, reaching out to pull his shirt down for him.

After Song Mianfeng laid out the picnic mat, he turned around and saw Lu Yin Zhen’s ears turning slightly red, which was somewhat amusing. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yin Zhen coughed lightly, feeling uncomfortable. “Aren’t you cold?”

The night was cold with heavy dew, and Song Mianfeng was only wearing a hoodie. Lu Yin Zhen was afraid that he would feel cold, so he reached out to adjust his clothes for him.

Song Mianfeng blinked, restraining a smile, and said with a serious tone, “Some people may look very elegant, but they’re actually wearing fleece-lined hoodies underneath.”

So he wasn’t really cold.

Lu Yin Zhen subconsciously glanced at his waist, where Song Mianfeng had pulled down his shirt. Song Mianfeng took out a thermos, a thermos cup, and several boxes of food and fruit from the picnic basket, and asked, “Do you want to try some?”

Lu Yin Zhen raised his eyes and looked at the young man’s neck. He could vaguely see the thin fleece inside his hoodie and the slight rise and fall of his chest with each breath.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re very bold?”

Song Mianfeng tilted his head back, leaning close to his face, almost to his lips, and whispered, “I’ve traveled far and wide, dealt with the Grim Reaper, do you think I’m bold or not.”

Getting closer, the tips of their noses seemed to touch, their breaths intertwining, and Lu Yin Zhen’s eyes became watery, causing him to lose focus.

However, after teasing him, Song Mianfeng retreated, handing the thermos to Lu Yin Zhen and stepping back crisply, getting up to retrieve a camera bag and tripod from the back of the car.

He set up the tripod in an open area, installed the camera, adjusted the angle, and started taking photos of the starry sky.

When Song Mianfeng took photos, he was always exceptionally serious and charming.

With long exposure times for the night scene, Lu Yin Zhen could only faintly hear the “click” sound every now and then. He looked down at the thermos in his hand, opened the lid, and found that the porridge inside was still warm. Then he glanced at Song Mianfeng, who was earnestly taking pictures not far away, with a shallow smile in his eyes.

After Song Mianfeng took satisfactory photos and returned, Lu Yin Zhen had finished his porridge.

The two sat side by side on the picnic mat. Song Mianfeng opened a box of sushi and started eating. When Lu Yin Zhen asked him, “Are you willing to talk about it?”

With half a piece of sushi in his mouth, Song Mianfeng made a confused “Hmm?”

Lu Yin Zhen said, “What does it mean to ‘deal with the Grim Reaper’?”

After finishing chewing and swallowing the sushi, Song Mianfeng began, “When I graduated from university at the age of 21, I began planning to travel across the country, capturing the beauty of mountains and rivers. At that time, I was in a relationship, but my partner didn’t support me, and my parents didn’t agree, so I faced various challenges, from planning routes, making preparations, to setting off, it took me about a year.”

“Then, it took me over three years to complete ‘The Collection of Mianfeng’. I encountered various emergencies on the road. To exaggerate a bit, it was a matter of life and death.”

Looking at the distant starry sky and the shimmering lake surface, Song Mianfeng remembered the sun, moon, stars, and the laughter and noise when they scouted for the best photo spots: “The most difficult time was on a snow-capped mountain, where I encountered an avalanche.”

“One of the photographers who was with me…” Song Mianfeng lowered his gaze, his expression somewhat melancholy, “didn’t make it back.”

“In that situation, just being able to survive was a miracle.” Lu Yin Zhen remained silent for a moment before speaking, “I also often deal with the Grim Reaper.”

Song Mianfeng calmly wiped his hands with a tissue, his expression calming down. “How so?”

“I’ve had poor health since I was young, with constant major and minor illnesses, taking medication year-round and often being hospitalized. Sometimes I even wonder if one night I’ll close my eyes and never open them again the next day.”

“But I dare not.” Lu Yin Zhen chuckled self-deprecatingly. “How could I let my grandparents, who have white hair, bury their black-haired grandson?”

Besides, he still carried karmic burdens on his shoulders.

“So although it’s difficult, I still try my best to survive.”

Lu Yin Zhen turned to look at Song Mianfeng. “Do you want to back out now? You still have time.”

The topic changed too quickly, and Song Mianfeng didn’t react for a moment. “Huh?”

“With this body of mine, I don’t know how long it can hold out. I earn a day’s worth of life each day. A fortune teller once told me that I have a short life and will bring calamity to my parents…”

“Lu Yin Zhen.” Song Mianfeng interrupted him, both amused and exasperated. “The Qing Dynasty has fallen, and you still believe in fortune tellers?”

Looking at him, Lu Yin Zhen’s eyes were dim, and his voice was somewhat hoarse due to being pressed too low. “My mother… suffered from postpartum depression and committed suicide by poisoning.”

Song Mianfeng asked, “What about your father?”

Lu Yin Zhen’s eyes darkened even more, and he said almost word by word, “…He’s successful in his career, and the family is harmonious.”

“That fortune teller wasn’t accurate at all.” Song Mianfeng reached out and pinched Lu Yin Zhen’s chin, sizing him up, then said, “I can also tell fortunes. From what I see, you have a prosperous and Longetivity ahead of you.”

Lu Yin Zhen suppressed the complex emotions in his heart, reaching out to hold his hand and said, “Nonsense.”

Song Mianfeng stopped teasing him and took another piece of sushi. “I have a question.”

“What?”

“Have you never been in a relationship before?”

“…No,” Lu Yin Zhen replied slowly, avoiding eye contact.

“Lu Yin Zhen.” Song Mianfeng asked again, “Are you nineteen this year, or twenty-nine?”

“…Twenty-nine.”

“Twenty-nine years without being in a relationship.” Song Mianfeng couldn’t help but laugh. “Hahaha, I’m sorry, that’s rough.”

Lu Yin Zhen kept a straight face and didn’t say anything.

After laughing enough, Song Mianfeng bent his eyes and said, “Let me teach you. In the future, don’t tell your blind dates or the people you like that you ‘won’t live long.'”

Song Mianfeng said seriously, “Firstly, it’s not good to curse yourself like that. Secondly, what if the other person takes it seriously, thinks you’re a doomed person, and doesn’t want you anymore? Will you end up alone for the rest of your life?”

This kind of speech had scared off countless pursuers of Lu Yin Zhen.

“What about you?” he asked. “Would you reject me?”