What is home?

As a child, when Xia Jiao wrote essays, she carefully penned that home was a warm harbor, a shelter from the wind and rain.

Later, home became the meals her mother cooked, the fruits and vegetables her father brought home.

As she went to college and started working, home was the apartment she shared with a friend. But her roommate wasn’t skilled in the kitchen—the chicken she cooked looked like it might still cluck if given a bit of first aid, and the fish seemed like it could come back to life at any moment and slap a diner in the face with its tail.

That wasn’t really home either—just two friends supporting each other. As her job changed and relationships evolved, her roommate soon moved out. For a “Beijing drifter,” moving was a constant, not to mention the rising rent. Xia Jiao moved from one shared apartment to another, floating like a water lily in a pond, never sinking roots into the mud. A gust of wind would carry her away, and sometime later, she would drift back.

On nights when work kept her out late, Xia Jiao would look up at the deep, dark sky. Tall buildings stood everywhere, lights filled countless windows, but none of them belonged to her.

Then she met Wen Chongyue.

What he gave her was far more than just three meals a day, a warm bed, and two adorable cats.

Wen Chongyue understood her struggles with socializing, her anxieties, and her fears.

Fate is a strange thing. Before this, Xia Jiao never thought anyone would understand those parts of her. She had always been like a tiny figure hiding in a dark corner under a mushroom umbrella, an insignificant moss afraid of interacting with people. But one day, Wen Chongyue came holding a mushroom umbrella full of sunlight and smiled as he asked, “Can I sit next to you?”

Xia Jiao never expected him to give her so much in return. She had only wanted a sliver of sunlight, but he brought her the scenery of all four seasons.

Just like now—when the tightly shut door was suddenly opened, and the narrow room was invaded by an undeniable guest. No matter how much she sealed herself away, no matter how much she tried to hide, Wen Chongyue always had a way of unfolding her clenched hands, intertwining his fingers with hers, and firmly pushing open the dim and narrow alley where she had once secluded herself.

Just like how he took her through the beauty of all four seasons, Wen Chongyue’s conquest within the room was equally undeniable. His gentleness was not mere indulgence—his overwhelming physical advantage left Xia Jiao utterly powerless to resist. She was like a small silver fish on the chopping board, or like a shrimp dumpling he had prepared with his own hands—bite into it, and it was filled with savory juices, the taste rich and fragrant.

Xia Jiao was worried that her parents might return from playing mahjong. No matter how much Wen Chongyue reassured her, she refused to make a sound. Anxiety and nervousness made her hold her breath, afraid to move. She could only look up at him as the air between them was rhythmically compressed. Wen Chongyue was warm, his body radiating heat. Tilting his head slightly, he pressed his lips against her toes, gently prying apart her curled-up little toes—like tiny mushrooms—before kissing them softly.

With that, Xia Jiao’s last shred of reason completely crumbled.

Her parents weren’t home.

She was in her own house, and Wen Chongyue was here with her. The warmth and fullness of a deep sense of security filled the space between their intertwined fingers. Xia Jiao hooked her arms around his neck and called him “Teacher Wen.”

Wen Chongyue had led her astray, and she was becoming bolder. She decided to continue the unfinished dream—where, in her dreams, Wen Chongyue had removed that buzzing, lifeless object from her uniform pants. In reality, Wen Chongyue gave her an even greater treasure.

Outside, two little cats meowed and scratched at the door, while Xia Jiao left her own marks on him with her fingernails.

—

Father Xia and Mother Xia were so absorbed in mahjong that they didn’t realize it was already noon. As they walked home, Mother Xia complained to Father Xia, saying he got too caught up in the game, forgetting that Wen Chongyue was still at their house.

When they arrived, they found that Wen Chongyue had already prepared lunch. Stir-fried lamb with coriander, braised pork with tied tofu knots, four lion’s head meatballs, poached fresh mushrooms, minced celery, and cold-dressed crispy lotus root—just simple home-cooked dishes, but the aroma was incredibly rich.

The rice was nearly done steaming, and there were noodles boiling in the pot.

When the two elders walked in, Wen Chongyue was in the middle of making scrambled eggs with tomatoes for the noodle topping. Seeing them arrive, he smiled and greeted them warmly, telling them to rest because the food would be ready soon.

Mother Xia was stunned. “Jiao Jiao is still asleep? How can she sleep the whole morning?”

Saying this, she tiptoed to the bedroom door and gently pushed it open. She saw Xia Jiao sleeping soundly, sprawled out on the bed. The air conditioner was running, the window was slightly open, and there was even a faint scent of perfume in the room.

What a waste of electricity.

Mother Xia walked over and quietly closed the window. She was about to wake her daughter up but noticed Xia Jiao’s flushed cheeks, her small body curled up, sleeping so sweetly.

She hesitated—then decided to let her sleep a little longer. Silently, she left the room.

It wasn’t until all the dishes were ready that Xia Jiao finally got up and dragged herself to the table for lunch.

Her favorite dish was the boiled fresh mushrooms. The plump king oyster mushrooms were cooked until they were tender and silky, while the white beech mushrooms had a chewy texture, absorbing all the flavorful broth. She could easily eat half a bowl of rice with it.

Of course, she couldn’t escape her mother’s nagging. Mother Xia sighed about her picky eating habits and warned her that sleeping the whole morning was not good for her.

Wen Chongyue chuckled and said it was fine, but Mother Xia disagreed. “Don’t spoil her. She needs to wake up early—early risers are healthier.”

Xia Jiao shot Wen Chongyue a resentful look.

If not for him, how could she have possibly slept for so long?!

—

The two of them didn’t stay home for too long. For the last two days of the Lunar New Year holiday, they went to Beijing to visit Wen Qiming.

Before they left, Father Xia and Mother Xia stuffed their car’s trunk full of things, as if they wished they could pack up the entire house and send it with them.

Wen Qiming’s health had improved significantly. This year, he only met with students and a few old friends. For everyone else who called to ask if they could visit, Wen Qiming politely declined. He had always been a calm and easygoing person, and now, as he aged, he viewed things with even greater detachment.

On a bright afternoon, Xia Jiao sat on the sofa, cradling two cats while munching on the fruit brought by Wen Qiming’s students. Meanwhile, on the sunlit balcony, surrounded by lush greenery, Wen Qiming and Wen Chongyue were playing Chinese chess.

Xia Jiao didn’t understand card games—what Wen Chongyue and Wen Qiming usually played was entirely different from what she knew. Mahjong was also out of the question since they didn’t have enough people—the caretaker didn’t know how to play.

That left the father and son with only two game options: chess and Go.

At first, Xia Jiao watched quietly for a while, but after realizing she couldn’t make sense of it, she simply jumped back onto the sofa to continue watching TV.

Wen Chongyue was focused on the game when his father suddenly spoke. “I heard your mother moved.”

Wen Chongyue replied, “Song Liangzhou’s house was mortgaged. The bank couldn’t recover the debt, so they took the house and put it up for auction. It’s normal.”

Wen Qiming placed a piece on the board. “Has she contacted you?”

Wen Chongyue studied the chessboard. “No. But you don’t need to worry. She still has her foundation—her life won’t be too bad. She just won’t be as glamorous as before.”

Wen Qiming sighed. “I know.”

He had just placed a piece down and hadn’t even withdrawn his hand when Wen Chongyue moved. “Checkmate—you’ve lost.”

Wen Qiming froze for a moment, studied the board carefully, then let out a chuckle. “Yes, I’ve lost.”

Xia Jiao ran over. While Wen Qiming was sipping his tea, she leaned in and whispered to Wen Chongyue, “Why didn’t you let Dad win?”

Wen Chongyue said, “A gentleman doesn’t go easy in chess.”

Xia Jiao pouted. “Liar.”

She remembered it clearly—

When Wen Chongyue first played mahjong with her parents, he pretended to be a complete novice. Father Xia was so excited to teach him that he didn’t notice Wen Chongyue was losing money to them on purpose. Occasionally, Wen Chongyue would win a round, only to praise Father Xia for being an excellent teacher.

By the time they left, Father Xia practically saw him as his own son.

Wen Chongyue had even said seriously, “This was a necessary step to gain the approval of my wife’s family.”

Xia Jiao was genuinely impressed by his social skills.

No matter the industry or the age group, if Wen Chongyue wanted to, there was nothing he couldn’t handle. He was an expert at dealing with people, effortlessly solving problems that seemed difficult to her.

Perhaps influenced by him, Xia Jiao also started making an effort to socialize with new people.

Including chatting with her new coworkers.

The new hire at the flower shop was Zhang Yunhe’s apprentice, here for a six-month internship before heading back to Beijing. Her name was Hua Jing—a timid and soft-spoken girl who stammered when talking to customers. Since they were about the same age, Xia Jiao took the initiative to chat with her. From then on, Hua Jing clung to her like an imprinting baby bird, unwilling to let go.

Xia Jiao naturally didn’t think much of it. Over the weekend, the company had organized a team-building event as usual. It was scheduled for Saturday at Yangcheng Lake. A large group of them went to have fun, though the early winter scenery was not at its best. However, the picnic turned out to be quite popular.

Some colleagues even brought fishing gear and suggested going to fish near Chongyuan Temple.

Xia Jiao didn’t bring any, but Hua Jing did. Yu Qingzhen and Gao Chan also borrowed a fishing rod from their male colleagues. So, the four girls, carrying two buckets, made their way to the lakeside.

From a distance, Yu Qingzhen shaded her eyes with her hand and exclaimed in admiration, “Wow, what a great figure.”

Xia Jiao instinctively looked up and froze at the sight of a familiar figure.

Huh?

Wen Chongyue?

He was here to fish too?

It wasn’t just Wen Chongyue. Chen Zhouren was also there. The two of them stood chatting, each holding a bucket, though she couldn’t tell what they were talking about.

Yu Qingzhen clearly didn’t recognize them. They settled in a spot not far from the two men, baited their hooks, and cast their lines into the water, causing splashes. This finally caught the men’s attention. Wen Chongyue paused his conversation, squinted slightly, and spotted his wife.

Xia Jiao stood up, watching as Wen Chongyue strode toward her. The sunlight made her cheeks feel warm. She could clearly hear Hua Jing and Gao Chan murmuring in surprise. Wen Chongyue was dressed simply today—wearing a light-colored cashmere sweater with black trousers. His hair had a healthy shine, and the sunlight made his skin appear even fairer than usual, accentuating his gentle demeanor.

Before he could say anything, Xia Jiao spoke first, “What a coincidence. You’re here to fish too? Looks like you’ve caught quite a lot. Your bucket is pretty full.”

Wen Chongyue paused for a moment.

After a brief silence, he said, “Zhouren and I are here to release them back into the lake.”