Jiutiao Meijie's lips approached his ear, her voice melodious and seductively teasing.

"Where to step if not on the ground?"

"Act properly, sister," Dubian Che replied with a deadpan expression, slapping her bottom through the casual pants.

Because she was being carried, Jiutiao Meijie's casual pants were taut.

Jiutiao Meijie tightened her right hand, choking his neck.

"Dead, I'm going to die, really going to die!"

The train from "Xiatian" to "Hejin" traveled along the edge of the coastline.

The train was nearly empty, the face-to-face red seats, the clean compartment, the clear glass.

Outside the glass was the blue sea of Izu.

The closer you got to "Hejin," the stronger the essence of spring.

They sat on the same side, where they could see the sea, with Jiutiao Meijie lazily resting her head on Dubian Che's shoulder.

The sunlight fell on the aisle of the train, right at the position of their toes.

"Where is this going?" she asked.

"Hejin."

"It's not another hot spring, or some deserted place again, is it?"

"Of course not," Dubian Che assured her. "In Hejin, there's a unique type of early cherry blossoms called Hejin Cherry Blossoms. There are up to 8,000 trees along both banks of the Hejin River."

"To see cherry blossoms?"

"The entire river banks are covered in cherry blossoms. You can't see the end; it stretches for 10 kilometers."

"Ordinary."

"How could it be ordinary?" Dubian Che hugged Jiutiao Meijie's right hand a little tighter, bringing them closer together.

He continued,

"Just picture it. It's the end of March, and when the wind blows, these early cherry blossoms will flutter down like rain, all the way along the Hejin River to the Pacific Ocean."

"Ordinary."

"That's 10 kilometers of cherry blossoms. The Pacific Ocean!"

"Ordinary."

"Ordinary, ordinary, you'll see whether it's beautiful or not when we get there," Dubian Che said through gritted teeth, kissing her forehead hard and holding her even tighter.

Jiutiao Meijie snorted in contempt and disdain, still letting him hold her.

The train shook, the green sea outside the window clashed with the beach, sending white foam flying.

By the time the train reached Hejin, the cherry blossoms by the river were in full bloom.

The 10-kilometer-long pink belt of flowers mingled with the sea, the flowing river, the crowd of flower watchers, all woven together.

Hand in hand, the two walked among the cherry trees and finally stood on the head of a bridge with the distinct style of the Island Country.

"With your painting skills, Meijie, you could surely create a landscape and cherry blossom painting of the Hejin River worth a billion yen," Dubian Che gestured grandly towards both banks.

"Even if you flatter me, it cannot prevent my bad mood."

"What's wrong now?" Dubian Che turned to look at her beautiful and delicate side face.

"You say it's cherry blossom viewing, but it ends up being walking anyway," Jiutiao Meijie glanced at him.

"By your logic, traveling is walking."

"That's right," Jiutiao Meijie nodded.

"You really planned on starting off unhappy to tease me!"

"Who suggested coming to Izu?"

"…" Dubian Che fell silent, grinding his teeth. "Next stop!"

"Last chance. If it's still no good, you must obediently accept your fate, dress up as a geisha, and serve this young lady."

"Why must it be a geisha? How about a samurai?"

"'The Dancing Girl of Izu.' It was your idea, my Dubian." Jiutiao Meijie's lips revealed a smug victorious smile, staring intently at Dubian Che.

The proud and cunning beauty belonged to him—he realized that, and a warmth flowed through Dubian Che's heart.

He pulled Jiutiao Meijie into his arms, cradling her cheek with his right hand.

The two kissed on the bridge under the rain of cherry blossoms.

The Hejin River rushed continuously, flowing into the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific evaporated to become the waters of the Hejin River once more.

After a while, Dubian Che pressed his forehead to Jiutiao Meijie's, saying in a slightly hoarse voice,

"I booked a hot spring ryokan in Shuushan Temple."

"Carry me."

Dubian Che lifted Jiutiao Meijie onto his back and walked along the cherry blossom path of Hejin toward the coastal bus stop.

Apart from the cherry blossoms, vast fields of rape blossoms were in full bloom, a bright yellow expanse.

"A bus?" Dubian Che said with a hint of confusion.

"What bus?" Jiutiao Meijie asked.

"Wait a second!" Dubian Che started running.

Jiutiao Meijie looked forward.

In the distance, next to the blue signpost of the platform, a bus was slowly starting up, chugging along.

"Wait!" Dubian Che cried out as he ran.

"Ha ha ha, go for it!" The joyful laughter of Jiutiao Meijie was carried away by the wind.

"Ah—, catch it!"

Alas.

Maybe it was the bus's loud noise, or maybe the driver didn't check the rearview mirror, or maybe the bus company had a policy against waiting for people, but Dubian Che still didn't make it.

"Dammit!" Dubian Che was not even short of breath.

"Let me see…" Jiutiao Meijie peered slightly from his back, looking at the schedule. "We have to wait an hour. Do you have any excuses left?"

"Kissing?"

"Did I let you kiss me?" Jiutiao Meijie said coldly, "You kissed me without my permission, and I haven't even settled the score with you!"

Dubian Che fell silent.

"At this bus stop, it says there's a footbath ahead, let's wait over there." Jiutiao Meijie wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Alright, alright, Princess, you sit tight, Dubian will take you there."

Dubian Che carried Jiutiao Meijie on his back, and they walked along the seaside road.

Sparse clouds, with the boundless Pacific Ocean to their left.

"Meijie, can we talk about it again?"

"No."

"Anyway, I've been very happy today, and even though we missed the bus, I'm enjoying walking like this, carrying you."

"No." Jiutiao Meijie lazily rested her cheek against Dubian Che's back.

"I like you."

"No."

"I love you."

"Louder."

Dubian Che looked around, the seaside road was empty apart from them.

"I love you—"

"Who do you love?"

"I love Jiutiao Meijie—"

"Say it again."

"I lo-lo-lo-love Jiutiao Meijie—"

"Mm, good boy, I love you too."

"Then?"

"No."

"Are you playing with me?!"

"When did I agree with you?"

"..."

Seeing he wasn't speaking, Jiutiao Meijie lifted her head and whispered into his ear while nibbling:

"'Whatever you wear, I wear' still applies today."

"..."

"Geisha·Meijie" skin, unlocked?

"I love you."

"Mm."

"I love you."

"Mm."

"je t'aime."

"I know."

"te amo."

"Enough is enough."

"Ya tebya lyublyu."

The wide-angle mirror on the roadside reflected their overlapping silhouettes.

They walked for quite a while before finally seeing a sign with the words "Footbath."

Even before they got close, they could see the steam rising.

The roadside free footbath had spring water constantly flowing from the pipes, ensuring the water was clean and warm.

"Shall we soak for a bit?"

"Take off my shoes." Jiutiao Meijie didn't dismount but stretched out her foot.

Her tone was commanding but with a hint of coquettishness.

Dubian Che took off her shoes and socks for her, rolling up her trousers to her calves.

After he had done all this, Jiutiao Meijie finally stepped off his back onto the pebbled ground, her smooth and delicate feet touching the stones.

Dubian Che took off his jacket and spread it on the seat.

Once he had taken off his shoes and socks and sat down, he stretched his feet into the approximately 45-degree spring water, Jiutiao Meijie's feet still hesitated to go in.

"Is it that hot?" Dubian Che asked with a smile.

Jiutiao Meijie dipped her feet into the water and immediately frowned and pulled them back.

Dubian Che reached into the spring, scooped up a handful of water, and gently poured it over her feet.

"Mm—" Jiutiao Meijie didn't move away, barely tolerating it.

Dubian Che watched her toes clench because of the heat.

"Meijie, you're too cute!"

"Want a bite?"

"Let's talk about it tonight, tonight."

With Dubian Che's assistance, Jiutiao Meijie finally put her feet into the water.

The two sat side by side at the edge of the spring.

The Pacific Ocean was in front of them, mountains behind, a large area of cherry blossoms in the distance, and a footbath beneath.

This was the happiest moment of the day.

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