The Cinnabar Mole of a Beijing Circle Tycoon

As the morning light streamed through the white blinds, Shen Qingyao was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.

The spot beside me was empty, but the blankets still retained some warmth.

She rubbed her eyes and sat up, only to see Meng Jiangyu wearing a loose linen shirt, standing under the pergola on the terrace making a phone call, his voice very low.

The sunlight shone on him, making him look as if he were gilded.

Shen Qingyao put on her bathrobe, tiptoed to the terrace, hugged Meng Jiangyu from behind, and rested her cheek against his back, feeling very safe.

Meng Jiangyu reached out and took Shen Qingyao's hand, then turned and hugged the girl. "Okay, that's it!"

"Awake?" He hung up the phone, a lazy look in his eyes. "Want to lie down a little longer?"

Shen Qingyao shook her head. "I'm awake."

"I'll have someone bring breakfast over! Go wash up first!"

"No, I want you to come with me."

"Okay!" Meng Jiangyu called the housekeeper and asked him to send breakfast over.

Meng Jiangyu put down his phone, picked up Shen Qingyao, and headed to the bathroom.

The villa has a large yard, the wooden tables in the afternoon tea area are very retro, and the path leading to the swimming pool is paved with pebbles.

On the table were freshly baked croissants, lemon cake, and some fruit, with raspberry jam in a glass jar next to them.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the grapevines, scattering across the plate like golden spots.

Meng Jiangyu poured her a glass of warm milk and touched her cheek with his fingertips. "How did you sleep last night?"

"She slept very soundly." She took a bite of the croissant, the aroma of butter mixed with the taste of sunshine spreading on her tongue.

"Try this lemon cake, it's a local specialty!"

Shen Qingyao took a bite. "It tastes very refreshing!"

The two ate their breakfast leisurely, listening to the sound of the waves in the distance, and occasionally chatting about their dreams from the previous night.

"I dreamt that I turned into a fish, chasing the waves in the sea!"

Meng Jiangyu chuckled, "That's why you kept fidgeting last night."

"You're so cute!" Shen Qingyao pretended to be adorable.

"Doo!" Meng Jiangyu took a sip of black coffee. "Next time I'm going to shoot a video and make a compilation."

"No!" Shen Qingyao said angrily, "You can't!"

"Why not? You're so cute."

Shen Qingyao saw the yellow drink on the table and asked, "What is this?"

Meng Jiangyu thought to himself, "Is a child's thinking really that unconventional?"

"This is lemonade. Lemons are abundant here, so there are many foods made with lemons."

"Can I try some?" Shen Qingyao pleaded, "Brother!"

"Sure, you can have a little bit while I'm here!"

"Okay!" Shen Qingyao prepared to pour herself a glass.

"Wait a minute!" Meng Jiangyu took the bottle. "Let me pour you some!"

"All right!"

Meng Jiangyu poured half a glass, looking rather stingy. "Drink it!"

"This little bit?"

"Ugh!" Shen Qingyao huffed, "So stingy!"

"I'm doing this for your own good!"

"It doesn't taste good, it's too sour! I like it sweet and sour!"

"Then you must really like eating pineapple!"

"Of course! It's my favorite!"

Meng Jiangyu chuckled, "Eating more is good, I'll eat more too!"

"Why?" Shen Qingyao asked, puzzled.

"Pineapples are nutritious!"

"Definitely not, I can tell from your expression! Tell me now!"

"Honey, you'll find out later!"

"Oh, okay! Fine, I'll just Google it myself!"

Shen Qingyao took out her phone and searched on Baidu, then blushed and said, "You pervert!"

Meng Jiangyu couldn't stop laughing.

After breakfast, Meng Jiangyu took her hand and walked towards the beach.

The villa's backyard connects directly to a private beach. The soft white sand feels like walking on clouds, and the seawater is a clear blue. In the distance, sailboards skim across the water like white birds.

"I brought you sunscreen, do you want to apply it?" Meng Jiangyu tucked his sunglasses behind his ear, looking cool and roguish.

"Yes!" Shen Qingyao took off her sunglasses and tucked them into her collar.

He took a bottle of sunscreen out of his pocket and carefully applied it to her arm, the warmth of his fingertips mingling with the coolness of the sea breeze.

Shen Qingyao applied makeup to her face. "Ayu, you look ten years younger after changing your clothes."

"Of course, haven't you heard of the 'men get 10 off for every 30 spent' rule?"

"You even know that!"

"Of course!"

"Aren't you wearing sunscreen?"

"I don't need it!"

Meng Jiangyu's blue shirt clung to his back in the sea breeze, outlining its smooth lines.

The two lay on beach chairs, Shen Qingyao resting her head on his lap, flipping through photos taken yesterday.

He reached out to brush the stray hairs that had blown into her face, his gaze lingering on her ankles, which were clad in a light blue floral dress.

It's covered in fine sand, like a layer of stars.

"The sea here is much bluer than yesterday," Shen Qingyao said, her voice slightly distorted by the wind.

"I'll take you to Tahiti this summer; the sea there is even more beautiful." He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. "We can also snorkel and see corals."

"Okay." She smiled, her eyes crinkling, the sunlight warming her. Just as she was about to say something more, she was interrupted by the sound of waves.

"It's so comfortable lying here!"

"uh-huh!"

"I don't want to go back!"

"Aren't you worried that your classmates will study in the library and surpass you?" Meng Jiangyu joked.

"Actually, a little, but this place is just so beautiful!"

"Play hard when you play, and study hard when you study!"

"Hmm, you're right!"

"And so what if you get surpassed? I'll always be there for you in life."

"Ah Yu, did you eat candy this morning?"

"Huh? No!"

"You speak so sweetly!"

Meng Jiangyu chuckled, "I just kissed you, maybe it's because you have a sweet tongue."

"Thank you for the compliment!"

Seagulls circled over the jelly-like sea, as waves surged in one after another.

"Ayu, let's go for a walk on the beach!"

"Okay!" Meng Jiangyu stood up and pulled Shen Qingyao up.

The two strolled hand in hand along the beach.

The tide reached her feet, and the icy seawater licked the back of her feet, startling her so much that she shrank closer to him.

Meng Jiangyu picked her up in his arms.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her nose brushing against the sea salt scent on his shirt. Suddenly, she felt that time was passing slowly, like a stretched sugar thread, so sweet that she couldn't bear to swallow it.

"Look at that seagull," she said, pointing to the birds circling in the sky.

Meng Jiangyu looked in the direction she was pointing, but tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer: "Look at me!"

The sea breeze lifted Shen Qingyao's skirt and Meng Jiangyu's unbuttoned shirt. Their shadows clung to each other on the beach, warmed by the sun.

The waves in the distance lapped against the beach again and again, then receded, as if repeating a gentle incantation: hold onto this moment, hold onto this moment.

The wind on the beach was a little mischievous, swirling Shen Qingyao's skirt around her.

Holding a small CCD camera, Meng Jiangyu retreated step by step, leaving a trail of footprints of varying depths in the fine sand.

"Move a little to the left, yes, that angle." He slightly bent his knees, the camera steadily pointed at her, her reflection in his eyes. "Smile, be natural."

Shen Qingyao laughed out loud at his joke, and subconsciously raised her hand to tidy her hair, which had been ruffled by the wind. Sunlight fell on the ends of her hair, giving it a soft golden glow.

Meng Jiangyu pressed the shutter button, and with a "click," he captured her smiling face with her eyes narrowed.

He stepped back a little further, the seawater reaching his feet, the cool water wetting his trouser legs, but he seemed oblivious, intently adjusting the angle, "Let's try running a couple of steps? It'll look good in the candid shot."

Shen Qingyao then lifted her skirt and ran, the fine sand slipping between her toes, leaving a trail of light footprints behind her.

Meng Jiangyu followed her movements. The girl in the camera lens was like a happy little deer, the curve of her skirt swirling in the air, all imbued with the shape of the wind.

"Stop!" he suddenly called out to her. "Turn around and look back at me."

Shen Qingyao turned around as instructed, and the sea breeze lifted her long hair, the strands brushing against her cheeks. Just as she raised her hand to brush it away, the camera clicked again.

Meng Jiangyu put down his camera, strode over to her, and held the screen up to her face: "Look, this one is amazing."

The background of the photo is the sea, so blue it's almost tangible. She stands in the light, her eyes seem to hold shattered diamonds, and even the curve of her fingertips exudes joy.

He stepped back two paces and raised his camera. "Strike another pose, like that... the head tilt kill I learned in the ancient city yesterday."

Shen Qingyao was amused by him and kept laughing, but she still obediently did as he said, tilting her head and winking at the camera.

Meng Jiangyu pressed the shutter button even more frequently, and his camera was filled with her images.

Some were standing on the rocks, some were sitting on the beach, some were bending over to pick up seashells, and some were even sticking out their tongues as the waves splashed their skirts.

The sunlight gradually climbed overhead.

Shen Qingyao flipped through the photos, her fingertips tracing her reflection on the screen, then suddenly looked up at him: "Why do I look so beautiful in your photos?"

"Because you're pretty," he said matter-of-factly, reaching out to wipe the fine sand from her cheek. "But my previous photos weren't very good."

Shen Qingyao opened her phone's photo album. "Look, isn't it really ugly!"

Comparing the two photos, Meng Jiangyu remarked, "Apart from the different eyes, the only difference is the equipment!"

"Eyes?" Shen Qingyao looked at the photo.

Meng Jiangyu explained, "Before, your eyes were timid and lacked confidence, but now they're bright and sunny!"

Looking at herself then and now, Shen Qingyao thought, "The changes are really huge!"

"Thank you, Ayu!"

Meng Jiangyu led Shen Qingyao toward the beach chairs, saying, "Once the soul is loved, the flesh and blood will grow wildly."

The sea breeze blew in again, carrying a salty, damp scent, and swept away his words.