When Zhou Song came down from the mountain, his clothes were almost completely soaked. Passing by the river, he washed his face and drank a few sips of water. Earlier, he had left in a hurry and hadn’t brought a water pouch.

Catching his breath, he didn’t head home but went straight to the west village. From a distance, he could see the Zhou family’s farmyard with smoke curling up, indicating that they were already preparing dinner.

He walked over slowly, and just as he reached the door, he heard Zhou Xiaofu’s loud voice inside, shouting about how he wanted eggs for dinner, specifically fried in oil. Zhou Song paused for a moment, noticing that the courtyard door was ajar, and he didn’t bother knocking, just pushed it open directly.

Inside the courtyard, Hu Lan, who was coaxing her son, turned and was momentarily stunned when she saw him. Then, she smiled and said, “Ah, Nephew, you’re back.”

Zhou Song’s gaze landed on Zhou Xiaofu, who was looking at him with disdain, and he asked, “When did he get back?”

“Oh, don’t even mention it. This little brat ran off to stay at his buddy Zheng’s place. Right after you left, I thought of going to check on him, and sure enough, he was there, even had lunch at their place. All that worry for nothing,” Hu Lan said, scolding her son with her eyes, though there was a smile on her face.

Zhou Song remained silent, simply staring at her. Hu Lan realized a bit too late, and her expression stiffened for a moment. She then stepped forward, attempting to grab his hand, but he dodged her, leaving her awkwardly pulling her hand back. “Oh my, Nephew, you must be tired from the trip. I did think of catching up to you to tell you, but I figured I’d only get lost on the mountain. If that happened, you’d have to look for me, and since you go up there all the time anyway, I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal. If you didn’t see him, you’d just come back, right?”

“Hmph, exactly! It’s not like it’s your first time climbing the mountain. Even if you weren’t looking for me, you’re always going up there, so why the long face?” Zhou Xiaofu stood there, arms crossed, his chubby cheeks sagging as he glared.

Zhou Song turned to look at him again. Hu Lan, sensing the tense atmosphere, tried to break the ice, “Your cousin is just being foolish, don’t take it to heart. Anyway, now that he’s back, that’s what matters.”

Then she jokingly added, “Since you were already up there, why didn’t you bring back some game? I could have your sister-in-law cook some meat for you.”

She felt she had said something nice, and Zhou Song should take the opportunity to let it go. After all, it was just a misunderstanding, and she didn’t mean to deceive him into going up the mountain. She was just a mother acting out of anxiety.

But Zhou Song merely glanced at her, then turned and walked away. Hu Lan, left standing with a sour expression, glared at his retreating figure, muttering, “What’s he so full of himself for? If it weren’t for his Qian Yuan status, he’s no better than my son. Why did he even need to go up the mountain?”

Zhou Xiaofu scoffed, “Sooner or later, he’ll end up dead in the mountains like his father.”

“Alright, stop talking about such bad luck,” Hu Lan pulled her son towards the kitchen. “Let’s go and have your wife fry you those eggs.”

Zhou Song walked home with a gloomy face, feeling like his good mood had been completely ruined by that mother and son pair. Every time he dealt with them, it never ended well.

The sun was already setting, and the sky had turned a deep orange. Thankfully, it was summer, and the days were longer. Otherwise, it would have been completely dark by now. He adjusted the bow slung across his back and quickened his pace.

Walking with his head down, he suddenly heard the sound of a horse snorting nearby. There was only one family in the village that owned a horse, so he immediately looked up. Without realizing it, he had nearly reached Shen Qingzhu’s house.

A carriage was parked at the entrance, and Wu Lanshu was unloading something from it. It looked heavy, and she was struggling a bit. Zhou Song quickly approached and took the wooden box from her. It was indeed quite hefty.

Startled by the sudden help, Wu Lanshu looked up and, seeing that it was someone familiar, sighed in relief. With a smile, she said, “Oh, Zhou boy, you just came back from the mountain?”

Zhou Song nodded and didn’t say much. “Where should I put this?”

Since he was helping her out of kindness, Wu Lanshu didn’t refuse. “Just put it in the courtyard, it’s a bunch of dishes we bought, so there’s a bit of sorting to do later.”

She grabbed a lighter item from the carriage and followed him into the yard, saying as she walked, “You know, it’s dangerous to keep going up the mountain so often, no matter how skilled you are. You should go with someone next time, just in case something happens.”

Hearing her advice, Zhou Song lowered his gaze and responded, “I understand.”

As he carried the box into the yard, his footsteps suddenly halted, and his heart skipped a beat. Shen Qingzhu, who was crouched down sorting through some items, turned when he heard the noise. When he saw Zhou Song, he blinked in surprise. “Zhou Song?”

Zhou Song’s grip tightened on the box, and he pressed his lips together. “Mm,” he replied softly.

Walking behind him, Wu Lanshu glanced curiously at the two. “You two know each other?”

“Yes,” Shen Qingzhu stood up and smiled. “He helped me out today.”

“Really?” Wu Lanshu smiled warmly. She had asked Zhou Song to help while she was away, but she hadn’t expected that there would indeed be something for him to assist with. “Zhou boy has been a great help since we came to the village. You must come over for a meal sometime and eat your fill.”

“Auntie, you’re too kind,” Zhou Song said, placing the box down while sneaking a glance at Shen Qingzhu, who was still smiling. He quickly averted his gaze again. “Is there anything else to move?”

“No, that’s the last of it. Just need to tidy up now,” Wu Lanshu said with a grin. She reached into a cloth pouch and pulled out a small oiled paper package, pressing it into his hands. “I bought some pastries in town. Take them home and enjoy.”

Zhou Song hurriedly tried to push it back. “You should keep such fine things for yourselves.”

“Take it,” Wu Lanshu insisted, pushing it back into his arms. “I bought plenty. It’s just a little snack, don’t make a fuss over it.”

Shen Qingzhu, watching them, saw the tall man’s awkward expression and chuckled, “Just take it, Zhou Song. If you don’t, we’ll feel bad asking you for help in the future.”

Hearing this, Zhou Song paused in his refusal. After hesitating for a moment, he finally accepted the package. “It wasn’t much help, really. Just a bit of effort.”

“Well, it was a help to us,” Wu Lanshu smiled. Now that he had accepted it, she was content.

Holding the oiled paper package, Zhou Song could smell the faint sweetness of the pastries inside. He felt their kindness and, after a brief moment of silence, said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll head home now.”

As a Qian Yuan, he felt it was inappropriate to stay any longer.

“Alright, it’s getting late, so I won’t keep you,” Wu Lanshu said as she placed a cloth bag on the box of dishes. “I need to take the carriage around to the back.”

The two of them turned to leave the courtyard. Zhou Song had an urge to glance back but resisted the temptation, fearing he would be caught. He quickened his pace and stepped out of the courtyard gate.

“Zhou Song.”

The moment he heard his name, Zhou Song stopped abruptly and turned around.

Shen Qingzhu stood there, bathed in the orange glow of the setting sun, his simple clothes fluttering in the breeze. A few strands of his hair were lifted by the wind. At that moment, Zhou Song felt as if he could float away on that breeze, unreachable no matter how hard he tried to grasp him.

Zhou Song stared at him blankly, forgetting to ask why he had been called.

Shen Qingzhu didn’t seem to notice Zhou Song’s dazed state and said, “Wait a moment.”

With that, he turned and went back inside the house.

Wu Lanshu, who was busy calming the horse in the courtyard, noticed this and thought perhaps the young master had something to discuss. She didn’t ask, though, and simply led the horse to the back of the house. The courtyard gate was wide open, and the surrounding neighbors were all friendly, so there wasn’t any worry of gossip spreading.

Zhou Song stood by the gate, feeling a bit nervous. He unconsciously reached for the quiver at his waist, his thumb rubbing over the leather to calm himself.

Shen Qingzhu came back with a small basket in hand. Seeing Zhou Song still standing politely at the entrance, he smiled slightly and walked over.

“I was planning to return this to you when I had the chance, but this timing is just right,” Shen Qingzhu handed him the small bamboo basket, which was still neatly covered with a cloth. “Thank you again. The noodles were delicious.”

Hearing his words, Zhou Song’s eyes flickered, and he carefully took the basket, making sure not to touch Shen Qingzhu’s fingers. “I’m glad you liked them.”

Shen Qingzhu noticed the care he took and withdrew his hand, his smile becoming more sincere. His bright peach blossom eyes sparkled, full of charm.

Zhou Song didn’t dare look at that dazzling smile for too long. He lowered his gaze, tightened his grip on the basket, and mumbled a hasty “goodbye” before turning and walking off quickly, as if escaping.

Only after he had put some distance between them did Zhou Song slow his pace, eventually stopping to let out a long breath, relieving the tension in his chest.

Just now, he had unconsciously held his breath, afraid of disturbing that smile.

Looking down at the basket in his hand, he thought he had heard a light clinking sound earlier. Lifting the cloth cover, he froze for a moment. Inside, besides the cleanly washed ceramic bowl, there was a small white porcelain bottle.

He placed the oiled paper package into the basket and picked up the bottle, pulling out the soft cork and sniffing it lightly.

It smelled like medicine.

He was familiar with the scent. He often went up the mountain and inevitably got hurt from time to time, so his home was always stocked with injury ointments. However, this bottle was clearly much finer than the ones he usually bought, likely more expensive too.

But why had Shen Qingzhu suddenly given him medicine? Zhou Song was puzzled. He hadn’t…

He paused, then lifted his hand to touch the back of his ear. His rough fingertips brushed against the skin, and he felt a slight sting.

It was a small scratch he had gotten from a tree branch while searching for someone in the forest. Compared to the other injuries he usually sustained, it was nothing. He hadn’t even thought about it, already forgetting it entirely.

But Shen Qingzhu had noticed, and… he cared enough to give him medicine.

A surge of happiness rose within Zhou Song, one he couldn’t suppress. He held the porcelain bottle in his hand for a while, then carefully tucked it into his chest, afraid of damaging the fragile bottle.

By now, the sky had turned completely dark, but the little flame inside him burned brightly.

When he returned home, Zhou Song was surprised to see someone crouching in front of his door. As he got closer, he realized it was Lin Erzhu.

“Brother Song, you’re finally back!” Lin Erzhu, who had been waiting for who knew how long, jumped to his feet as soon as he saw Zhou Song, running over to him and giving him a once-over.

Without waiting for Zhou Song to ask why he was there, Lin Erzhu immediately started talking, “I heard from someone that you went up the mountain looking for Zhou Xiaofu. It’s already dark, and you hadn’t returned, so I was worried.”

So, he had been waiting here the whole time.

Zhou Song had indeed run into a few villagers when he went up the mountain, but he had been in a hurry then and didn’t say much. This news must have come from Hu Lan, who had been loudly searching for her son, likely letting the whole neighborhood know.

“I’m fine.” Zhou Song raised a hand and patted Lin Erzhu on the shoulder.

“Brother Song, you’re too kind to their family. If it were me, I wouldn’t care whether he lived or died.” Lin Erzhu was indignant. “And that Zhou Xiaofu, that coward, there’s no way he would have gone up the mountain alone. He was probably hiding somewhere, being lazy.”

To be fair, he wasn’t wrong. Lin Erzhu did understand Zhou Xiaofu quite well.

After speaking, Lin Erzhu looked up at Zhou Song, only to find that he seemed calm and unaffected by the situation. In fact, he even looked… strangely happy, as if the trouble hadn’t bothered him at all.

That was odd. Even though Zhou Song usually didn’t care about the Zhou family, he should at least be a bit annoyed after all the trouble. He shouldn’t look this pleased.

“Brother Song, did something good happen?” Lin Erzhu, curious, asked directly.

Zhou Song quickly composed himself, pushing past him to open the door. “No.”

Lin Erzhu didn’t quite believe him, but he knew that if Zhou Song didn’t want to tell him, there was no point in pressing further. He pouted and grabbed Zhou Song’s arm. “Don’t go inside. Come eat at my place. It’s already dark, and by the time you cook, who knows when you’ll get to eat.”

Zhou Song thought for a moment and decided not to be polite. “I’ll just put this basket away first.”

“What’s there to put away? Just bring it with you. If you don’t want to carry it, I’ll do it for you,” Lin Erzhu said, reaching out to grab the basket, only to come up empty-handed. He blinked in confusion.

Zhou Song switched the basket to his other hand and opened the courtyard door. “I’ll be quick.”

Lin Erzhu scratched his head in bewilderment, muttering to himself, “It’s just a basket, why’s he treating it like a treasure, not letting anyone touch it…”