Kyoto Night Kiss

Lu Lexing was a well-behaved, sensible, and academically excellent child from a young age.

His personality largely inherited Lu Junhe's calm and reserved nature. He didn't do anything particularly mischievous, but because of Qu Yun's education, he was also a delicate and gentle little boy at heart.

Over the years, Qu Yun has only panicked once.

That year, her son was in kindergarten, and both she and Lu Junhe had things to do, so they had to ask the driver to pick up the child.

When she and Lu Junhe arrived home, their son was still not back.

Just as Qu Yun was about to rush out to look for him, the little guy was standing at the door, soaked through by the heavy rain, with water dripping from his sleeves.

He was holding a shivering kitten tightly in his arms, saying he had rescued it from the roadside because he was afraid Qu Yun and Lu Junhe wouldn't let him adopt it.

He pleaded, "Mom, this kitten has been hit by cars several times. The driver had to go to great lengths to catch it. The driver has a big dog at home and can't keep a cat... So... can we adopt it?"

Qu Yun couldn't bring herself to be hard-hearted. She told Lu Junhe to take his son for a hot bath, while she dried the kitten with a towel and then temporarily set up a small nest with a blanket.

Unexpectedly, this stray cat got pregnant and gave birth to three adorable kittens.

Zhao Yao got one to raise, and now he has three cats at home.

Lu Lexing is very responsible about this; he greets each cat individually before going to school every day.

Qu Yun is the same; she always has to pet her cat before going out to feel satisfied.

Time flies, and it was the last day of Lu Lexing's first year graduation. This day was also the joyous occasion of the official completion of the hotel that Qu Yun had been preparing for for several years. She had really put a lot of effort into it.

The completion ceremony will be attended by many prominent figures from Beijing.

Qu Yun got up early in the morning to put on makeup. In front of the brightly lit mirror, she lightly drew her eyebrows with an eyebrow pencil between her fingertips.

Lu Junhe stood beside her, skillfully curling her hair strand by strand with a curling iron.

The couple's matching wedding rings on their left ring fingers complemented each other, sparkling brightly.

After curling her hair, Lu Junhe picked up sunscreen and applied it to Qu Yun's back and arms. He said softly, "Raise your hand."

Qu Yun obediently raised her hand, then put it down and started applying eyeliner again.

Remembering that her son had mentioned yesterday that two stray cats at school were always being chased away by security guards, she asked, "Do you remember Zhuangzhuang's suggestion from yesterday?"

"Honey, can't we really keep two more kittens?"

Lu Junhe felt itchy all over whenever he heard the word "cat".

He said with a hint of helplessness, "I'm already sneezing every day with these three cats. Do you want the cats or your husband?"

"But..." Qu Yun lowered her arms, looking dejected.

Seeing a faint hint of disappointment in her eyes, Lu Junhe immediately softened his tone: "I know you're soft-hearted, but there are countless stray cats and dogs in this world, and we can't save them all."

Qu Yun hummed in agreement. She understood the reasoning, but she was still very disappointed.

Lu Junhe quickly pulled her into his arms, gently nuzzling the top of her head with his chin, and whispered, "But we have the ability to treat each one we encounter with kindness."

"Isn't there a vacant garden area in the hotel's backyard? Let's turn it into a pet shelter. That way, if you and your son encounter any abandoned kittens or puppies, you can take care of them there."

Qu Yun's eyes lit up, but then a few concerns arose.

She worried that if some of the hotel guests were allergic to animal fur, she would lose customers.

"If they don't want to come, they don't want to come; that's their loss," Lu Junhe said calmly.

He hugged Qu Yun from behind, looked at the two of them in the mirror, and whispered in her ear, "The hotel was just for you to pass the time. I'm glad you haven't given up all these years and have always liked it."

"It's still the same now, Yunyun. You don't need to bear any business pressure. It doesn't matter how much you earn, I'll take care of everything."

Lu Junhe paused, his eyes filled with approval: "But I know how much effort you've put in, and I believe you will succeed."

Qu Yun turned around, her eyes moist.

The overhead light lingered, and the two drew closer and closer, their breaths mingling. Just as they were about to lean down and kiss, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside.

Lu Lexing clung to the doorframe and peeked his little body inside: "Mom! Mom! I have something important to discuss with you before I go to school!"

Qu Yun immediately pushed the man in front of her away.

Lu Junhe's face darkened as he looked at his son walking in.

Qu Yun crouched down and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lu Lexing said, "Summer vacation starts tomorrow... A few classmates and I want to stay at school club after school today to watch a movie together. Mom, could you ask the driver to pick me up two hours later?"

"Of course! What movie do you want to see?"

"Minions!" Lu Lexing exclaimed before skipping away, grabbing his schoolbag and getting ready to go to school.

Before Qu Yun could fully relax, her waist was suddenly wrapped around Lu Junhe, who pulled her into his arms and then leaned down to kiss her lips.

The kiss was deep and passionate, as if in retaliation for the earlier interruption.

Qu Yun's lips uttered intermittent complaints: "Lu Junhe... slow down, you're going to kiss all the lip balm off my lips..."

The man said in a hoarse voice, "This is so-so."

"Let's try a different flavor next time."

His hands gradually became restless, stroking her lower back skin almost imperceptibly, and wanting to move upwards.

Qu Yun was so annoyed that she couldn't speak.

Why would my son still watch Minions?!

Why not just stay home and see his dad? His dad is a giant yellow man!

She was almost five seconds late for the hotel's opening ceremony.

Passing through the hotel's intricately carved solid wood gate, a whole Chinese garden resembling the landscape of Jiangnan suddenly unfolds before your eyes.

The winding bluestone path leads to the mountain stream, which flows gently around the pavilions and towers, with a few koi carp swimming among it.

Here, crabapple and magnolia bloom in spring, lotus and banana trees are planted in summer, osmanthus and red maple are planted in autumn, and wintersweet and green bamboo stand tall in winter.

Therefore, Qu Yun ultimately named the hotel "Four Seasons".

At today's completion ceremony, an elegant white marble lectern was erected in the center of the garden, with light beige gauze curtains hanging on all four sides. A gentle breeze caused the curtains to sway softly.

After a round of enthusiastic applause from the crowd, a woman dressed in a white pear blossom cheongsam slowly walked to the center of the stage.

Her waist was so slender it could be encircled by one hand, and her long hair was loosely tied into a low bun, secured only by a warm white jade hairpin. A few strands of hair fell beside her temples, softening her features.

Too many eyes were on her at once, and Qu Yun felt a tightness in her chest.

After noticing Lu Junhe's gentle and encouraging gaze from below the stage, she took a deep breath, picked up the topic, and her clear and gentle voice filled the entire garden.

"Welcome to Four Seasons Hotel, a Chinese garden hotel that I've been preparing for years to create. I've always believed that the best scenery is one that follows nature and embraces the four seasons themselves..."

Qu Yun's speech was well-organized, and her initial nervousness gradually subsided. She delivered her concluding remarks smoothly, and the applause from the audience was thunderous and lasted for a long time.

After stepping off the podium, Qu Yun went straight to Lu Junhe's side.

The man already had two glasses of champagne in his hand, which he handed to her. When they clinked glasses, he deliberately placed his glass below the rim of Qu Yun's glass and said with a smile, "Congratulations, Ms. Qu."

Qu Yun held the cold glass between her fingertips, looked up at the man in front of her, and smiled, "Congratulations to you too, Mr. Lu."

Before anyone else could approach, Qu Yun quietly tiptoed closer to Lu Junhe's ear and whispered, "Lu Junhe, through all four seasons, I will always love you with all my heart."

As the words fell, dappled sunlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves on both sides, casting golden rays down in strands.

Qu Yun raised her hand, spread her five fingers, and the wedding ring on her ring finger reflected a soft, shimmering light.

This seems to be the best moment of her life.

It seems that the best moment is always just around the corner.

She will be happy in all four seasons.

She also wants her family members to be happy.

*

The ceremony ended early.

In the evening, Qu Yun and Lu Junhe planned to go to school together to pick up their son from school.

I've already bought my first-grade graduation gift and kept it at home.

On the way, Qu Yun wanted to stop by a flower shop to buy a bouquet of flowers.

She had just picked out a few sunflowers when her phone suddenly rang in her bag.

The homeroom teacher said anxiously, "Lexing's mother, please come to the school with your husband as soon as possible. Lexing has had a minor accident..."

Qu Yun's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

Lu Junhe drove the car directly into the entrance of the school's gymnasium.

Despite still wearing high heels, Qu Yun stumbled into the venue. In the center of the huge space, the little girl sat on the ground, wearing only a pair of wet swim trunks.

His lips were very pale, and he kept his head down, not daring to look up.

The PE teacher quickly approached, his face full of guilt and self-reproach. "Parents of Lu Lexing, I am so sorry. Today, I failed to supervise him properly. Lexing suddenly got a leg cramp while swimming, which caused him to choke on several mouthfuls of water."

"I pulled him ashore immediately. There was no risk of him suffocating, but the child was probably frightened..."

Qu Yun couldn't hear these words; her eyes were only on Lu Lexing.

She cradled her son's small face in her hands, her voice trembling, "Baby, does anything hurt? Does your chest feel tight? Are you dizzy?"

In that nightmare seven years ago.

The little one drowned and left her and Lu Junhe forever.

Therefore, she became increasingly afraid of swimming and deep water.

Beside him, after confirming that his child was indeed alright, Lu Junhe frowned deeply. He called his son's full name in a low voice, "Lu Lexing, you clearly told us this morning that you would stay in the classroom after school to watch a movie with your classmates."

Why did you sneak off to swim?

The PE teacher stepped forward again, saying, "Ultimately, this is my problem. I've been observing Lexing for a long time. He's naturally suited for swimming, with long arms and core strength far exceeding that of his peers. If properly nurtured, he even has the potential to compete for the city or national team."

"I saw him try swimming once and really enjoy it... Plus, the child told me not to tell you, so I kept it from him... I'm sorry, I don't deserve to be a good teacher, and I'm willing to accept any punishment!"

Qu Yun turned her head and looked at her son in her arms.

She gently wiped the still-damp water droplets from Lu Lexing's cheek with her fingertips and asked softly, "Zhuangzhuang, why don't you want to tell Mom and Dad?"

Lu Lexing didn't even dare to look his father in the eye.

His eyes slowly reddened. "Because...because I feel that my mother doesn't like me swimming. My mother never lets me go near the river or the sea, and she doesn't even take me to the water park in the amusement park."

"I'm afraid my love for swimming will make you angry..."

These words struck Qu Yun's heart like a heavy stone.

She suddenly realized that she had never truly escaped that nightmare all these years, and had even imposed her imagined fears onto her child.

He clearly loves it so much, and he's so talented at it...

Qu Yun sniffed, her nose stinging, and hugged her son tightly.

She said guiltily, "I'm sorry, it's my fault. I was only thinking about my own fear and ignored your feelings."

Lu Lexing burst into tears.

Lu Junhe walked over and patted the mother and son on the shoulder.

After wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, Qu Yun looked intently into her son's eyes and solemnly said, "You can swim whenever you want in the future, Mom won't be angry."

"But, Lu Lexing, we've agreed that you absolutely cannot go near the swimming pool, river, or seawater by yourself. You can only swim with the supervision of an adult or a professional coach like your PE teacher, and with our permission, okay?"

Lu Lexing's previously dim eyes lit up instantly. He nodded vigorously and extended his wet little finger to Qu Yun.

"Mom, I promise I'll do what you say, let's pinky swear!"

Qu Yun smiled and stretched out her fingers, hooking them tightly together with her son's tiny fingertips.

Perhaps being both afraid and brave is also a way to cope with life.

Lu Junhe bent down, picked up his son, and went to the dressing room to change clothes.

As Qu Yun walked out of the stadium, she realized that Lu Junhe had parked too suddenly and damaged the front of the car.

Lu Junhe shrugged and said in a low voice, "Let's have someone tow the car away later."

The family of three walked side by side in the sunset.

Lu Le walked between his parents, linking arms with one of them. Every now and then, he would jump up and swing his little legs in the air, his laughter echoing like silver bells.

"Mom and Dad, I've officially graduated from first grade!"

"Tomorrow is the first day of my blissful summer vacation!"

"I want to play Go with my grandpa, and I also want to do a jigsaw puzzle with my grandma!"

Qu Yun laughed, "Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you want."

Suddenly, Lu Lexing's excited little face scrunched up.

He said anxiously, "Oh no, Mom and Dad, we have to hurry home! The three kittens haven't had dinner yet, they must be starving!"

Watching her son run to the school gate first.

Qu Yun smiled helplessly.

Beside her, Lu Junhe put his arm around her waist and gently rested her head on his shoulder.

The sunset glowed brilliantly on the horizon.

Happiness is in this year, and year after year.

_

(End of the article)

Resist animal cruelty.

The absence of sound does not mean the absence of pain.

Written on July 19, 2026, as dawn broke.