Today was the seventeenth day of the lunar month.

Zheng Zhilan told him the moonlight was bright where she was, the valleys under its cover beautiful, and the mist shimmered with a silver light.

Zhou Li felt somewhat uncomfortable.

These scenes should have been described by Qinghe and her.

Putting down his phone, he got up, put on his slippers, and walked to the window, pulling the curtain open slightly.

Yan City was still rainy, although it had stopped raining for now. The city lights turned the clouds above orange-yellow, preventing the moonlight from penetrating.

So, he drew the curtain closed again and walked back.

Huai Xu on the upper bunk stared at him, puzzled. Once there was some noise from below, she leaned over the bed's edge, peering down.

Zhou Li's phone was lit; her eyesight was excellent.

Zhou Li: It's a pity, it's raining here. It might be something the government's doing; it usually rains during the college entrance exams.

Little Zheng: Why?

Zhou Li: To cool things down.

Little Zheng: I see.

Zhou Li: Are you copying me?

Little Zheng: No.

Zhou Li: Are you free the day after tomorrow?

Little Zheng: Yes.

Zhou Li: How about we come to visit you?

Little Zheng: Sure.

Zhou Li: Good.

He thought about it and decided to ask now. He pondered for a bit, then typed quickly: What does the moonlight look like in your eyes?

Zheng Zhilan replied quickly, seemingly typing even slightly faster than him, answering his question seriously: It's a bit brighter than a regular night because the moon is very bright tonight. You can see something glowing and the halo around it. The colors are very pretty.

Zhou Li: Like looking through frosted glass.

Little Zheng: What is frosted glass?

Zhou Li: That's what your vision is like.

Little Zheng: I see.

Zhou Li: I want to experience it.

Little Zheng: Why?

Zhou Li: For a different sensation.

Little Zheng: I see.

Zhou Li scratched his head. This girl was too reserved. Even in conversation, she wasn't proactive at all. He couldn't believe that he, a self-proclaimed lazy guy, had to lead the conversation—even Brother Nan usually didn't receive this kind of treatment, unless Brother Nan wanted to hit him.

Soft laughter came from above.

Zhou Li looked up.

Their eyes met.

It was slightly awkward for a moment.

SWOOSH!

Zhou Li pulled the blankets over his head!

He started to type. His initial version was, "Don't you want to experience the world as we see it?" After scratching his head and hesitating, he removed the "don't," changing it to, "Do you want to experience the world as we see it?"

He hit send.

Little Zheng: I do.

Zhou Li: If there's a chance?

Little Zheng: Hmm, question mark.

Zhou Li: Your question mark didn't type out.

Little Zheng: Oh.

Zhou Li: I know a Demon Lord who has the ability to swap people's five senses, but the effect doesn't last long. If you're willing, truly willing, we can exchange our sight for a short time. You could see what my world looks like.

Zhou Li: But only if you really want to.

Zhou Li: Because it really won't last long.

There was a long silence from Zheng Zhilan this time.

Huai Xu's voice came from above him, "Haven't you two sorted things out yet? You really beat around the bush too much!"

Zhou Li acted as if he hadn't heard.

Two new messages appeared on the screen—

Little Zheng: I'm willing.

Little Zheng: Thank you.

Zhou Li breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhou Li: As for a more permanent solution, we'll find it slowly later.

After sending this, he pulled the blanket off his head, instantly feeling the air outside was fresher and cooler.

He was slightly sweaty from being under the blanket, and the air conditioning was on. The evaporation of sweat from his face took away heat, pleasantly cooling him. It was a perfect match for the tension he had just released.

Huai Xu's head appeared again at the edge of the upper bunk. "Don't you get tired of overthinking all day long?"

Zhou Li did not answer.

But that didn't stop Huai Xu from continuing, "I'm getting tired just listening to you! It's only because you're young. Wait until you reach my age..."

"I'll be dust by then," Zhou Li interrupted her.

"It seems the outcome of your conversation has pleased you?" Huai Xu pulled her head back a bit, showing only her eyes and above as she sneakily peeked at him. This kind of movement was usually only seen in Tuanzi or little children.

"..."

"I can't be bothered with you!"

Huai Xu completely withdrew her head.

「The next day.」

Zhu Shuang was finally liberated.

When he came out of the exam hall, the smile on his face was almost uncontrollable.

Later, the family went out for a meal together. They ate the skewers that Zhu Shuang had been craving for some time but had been afraid to eat in case they upset his stomach. After returning, Zhu Shuang immediately threw his old black-and-white phone into the trash and unsealed his new smartphone, anxiously waiting for it to charge.

Zhou Li sat on the sofa watching him quietly.

Zhou Li had been very happy after his own exams, but not nearly as much as Zhu Shuang.

Zhu Shuang was more outgoing and liked to express his emotions more. He had also envisioned many ways to enjoy his post-exam vacation and was greatly looking forward to it.

Of course, the pressure on him had also been much greater than on Zhou Li.

"Hey, why won't it charge?"

"It's broken," Zhou Li said with a smile. "Perfect excuse to buy a new one."

"Hehe..."

"Lord Dumpling has a smartphone; you can borrow it to play~" Tuanzi walked up to Zhu Shuang, looking up at him.

"Is Lord Dumpling here to comfort me?"

"Mortal..."

Tuanzi lost interest in Zhu Shuang, who couldn't understand what she was saying.

"It's turning on!"

Zhu Shuang was very excited. He turned and said, "I'm going out to play with my classmates tomorrow, so I won't be back for meals. I'll probably be back in the evening, but if not, I might be out singing or at an internet cafe. Don't worry about me."

"Be safe," Aunt Jiang still said.

"Hehehe..."

"I'm also going out for a few days tomorrow, to a friend's house," Zhou Li said as he picked up Tuanzi, stroking her from the nape of her neck to the tip of her tail.

"Which friend?" Aunt Jiang asked.

"Huai Xu's House."

"Oh, good. Be safe."

"Got it."

Old Zhou did not utter a word the entire time, just focusing on the TV screen with a look of disinterest in these matters.

「The morning of the 9th, at the base of Mingjiu Mountain.」

The sound of horse bells came along the path again.

This time Zhou Li and Brother Nan weren't riding horses; they simply placed their belongings on the horses' backs and walked ahead, laughing and talking.

The mountain village was still as tranquil as ever.

The rain had passed and the weather had cleared. As they climbed higher up the mountain, they unknowingly entered the midst of the mist.

Crossing through the Pine Forest, it became much cooler.

The group passed through the secluded village. Zheng Zhilan's figure then emerged at the front of her yard.

She stood next to a cluster of peonies, dressed in very simple, plain clothes. She looked thinner—this was the image of her that Zhou Li remembered most vividly. A subtle smile appeared on her face when she saw them.

Brother Nan waved at her, quickening his pace. "It's so cool here! A perfect retreat from the summer heat!"

"Stay a few more days," Zheng Zhilan said softly.

"Sure! I've got nothing else to do!" Brother Nan, perhaps also noticing her thinness, pinched her arm. "We'll be troubling you for meals. But if there's anything we can help with, or any farm work, like harvesting corn, just let us know!"

"Mm."

"It's been over a month since I last saw you," Zhou Li also said.

"Come inside," Zheng Zhilan said as she noticed a bead of sweat on his forehead. "It's very sunny outside. I brewed you some herbal tea."

"Great."

Stepping into the house felt incredibly cool.

An old, traditional square table was set with a pot of tea and several small bowls. Brother Nan had already started pouring the tea. Beside it was the inner pot of a rice cooker, and a faint scent of boiled corn wafted through the air.

"It really is herbal tea!" Brother Nan raised a bowl and took a sip. "I thought it was just tea that had cooled down... No wonder you said 'brewed'."

"What do you mean?" Zhou Li was puzzled.

"Pour a bowl for Lord Dumpling too!" Tuanzi didn't like missing out on any good things.

"It's like one of those store-bought herbal teas."

Brother Nan smacked his lips, praised the delicious taste, then looked solemnly at the demure Miss Zheng standing by the door. "Come clean! What else can you do that we don't know about?"

Miss Zheng just smiled shyly, bowed her head slightly, and said softly, "I was just bored in the mountains..."

At that moment, Zhou Li also had a sip. It tasted very similar to store-bought herbal tea, but he noticed it wasn't as sweet.

After thinking, he too looked at Miss Zheng. "If Brother Nan knew how to brew this tea, he'd surely boast about it to the whole world!"

Brother Nan immediately gave him a punch and made a heartbroken expression. "I can't believe that's the image you have of me!"

Zhou Li dared not say a word, only quietly shifting his gaze to exchange a fleeting glance with Zheng Zhilan.

Both of them secretly hid their smiles.

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