Mommy, don't be afraid, I'll bring you blind boxes and scam you out of a wealthy family to

Wenli looked up and saw her grandfather bring a ladder, climb up, and hang the string lights among the tree branches.

She remembered that the last time she entered a memory alone, the first thing she saw was this scene.

Grandpa went up and down several times, and Wen Li had to look up so much that her neck ached.

She ran to the bottom of the ladder, waved her little hand, and said in a childish voice, "Grandpa, be careful!"

Grandpa, of course, couldn't hear what she was saying.

She turned her head and saw that her grandmother was also lost in thought.

Those little lights that she had never paid attention to before, and how they appeared—were they all hung up by him, one by one?

As the sun began to set, the courtyard was almost finished being decorated, exuding a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Footsteps sounded at the door, and a person peeked out, whistling with a laugh: "Finally caught you! You've been acting all mysterious these past few days, busy with this, huh?"

Qin Zhiyuan recognized him as her neighbor who lived next door.

Duan Yuanzhou was bending over spraying water on the white roses, not even looking up: "What?"

The neighbor, ever the friendly neighbor, walked into the yard, circled around, and exclaimed in amazement, "Preparing so many days in advance, is it really necessary? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were proposing."

Qin Zhiyuan frowned upon hearing this.

No, that's not right. Proposals aren't done at home.

Duan Yuanzhou paused: "So you mean we don't need any ceremony after we get married?"

The neighbor laughed heartily: "Fine, fine, I can't argue with you."

He leaned against the door, looking at the decorations in the courtyard, and grinned mischievously. "But you really are incredibly lucky to have married Miss Qin. Forget the first anniversary, even the tenth or fiftieth anniversary deserves a proper celebration!"

Duan Yuanzhou snorted: "Of course. You're jealous?"

"No, no, I wouldn't dare."

……

Wenli's little ears perked up immediately.

She asked her grandmother, "What's a one-year anniversary?"

Qin Zhiyuan moved her lips, as if it took a lot of effort to give this answer: "It's just that... it's been a year since Grandpa and Grandma got married."

The milk dumplings counted on their little fingers.

One year.

She's only a little over three years old now.

A year, that's such a long time!

She then asked, "How old are Grandpa and Grandma now?"

Qin Zhiyuan slowly smiled: "It's been so many years."

It seems like... we've been together for a lifetime.

It turns out that today is their first wedding anniversary.

No wonder he cared so much.

They were together for a year, ten years, and several decades.

However, later on, they stopped celebrating on any of those days.

The milk ball blinked.

This must be a very—big number, even Grandma can't count it!

The neighbor wanted to gossip a little more, but Duan Yuanzhou waved his hand impatiently: "Go back now."

"Oh, what's wrong with letting me witness it!"

"No need, we both prefer some time alone." Duan Yuanzhou said expressionlessly. "Let's go, let's go, she'll be off work soon."

There was joy in his voice when he said this.

But both Xiao Wenli and her grandmother subconsciously held their breath—

They all remembered, and knew, what would happen next.

Qin Zhiyuan had already arrived home when she was called back to work by a phone call.

Duan Yuanzhou didn't utter a single complaint, but he sat in the desolate courtyard all night.

The milk ball pouted, looking like it was about to cry.

It wasn't for myself, it was for my grandfather.

She tugged at her grandmother's hand and said softly, "Grandma, Grandpa has been waiting for you for so long..."

She wanted to ask that last time.

So at that moment, she looked into her grandmother's eyes and asked, "Grandma, why don't you come back?"

Yes, why don't you come back?

Qin Zhiyuan had never seriously considered this question.

Meetings are important, projects are important, work is important.

In comparison, a meal or an anniversary can be celebrated later when you're done with your work, since there are many, many years to come anyway.

However, looking back on this day decades later, it is not just a long-prepared dinner.

Instead, it was her lover's longing heart that had grown cold.

Time and time again, year after year.

Qin Zhiyuan squatted down and hugged Xiao Wenli. She didn't defend herself by saying "Grandma has a job." She just looked at her young husband's back and spoke in a voice so low that it was almost inaudible.

"Grandma... doesn't know."

I had no idea he had been preparing for so long, or how long he had been holding onto that expectation.

Little did they know that he had kept his words of "it's okay" in his heart all this time.

Wen Li reached out her little hand and touched her grandmother's face, saying earnestly, "Well, now I know."

Qin Zhiyuan took her small hand in her own palm, her eyes welling up with tears: "...Yes, I will remember that from now on."

Before our feelings were worn down by busyness, silence, and estrangement, we were once so in love.

-

[SSR Music Rocking Chair] Family Buff (Bound to Qin Zhiyuan), Ended

[SSR Music Rocking Chair] Family Buff (Bound to Duan Yuanzhou), Activating Now

Activation successful, now in effect.

-

Everything before my eyes was like a reflection falling into the water, slowly rippling.

The world turns once again.

Little Wenli was still dizzy and hadn't even opened her eyes when she heard an angry voice: "Where am I? Who's playing a prank? How rude!"

Oh, it's Grandpa!

Hehe's "Bafu" isn't over yet. She just watched the old version with her grandma, and now she's going to watch it with her grandpa again.

Wen Litou was still a little dizzy, and she wobbled a couple of steps like a little penguin before trying to regain her balance.

Is this...the office?

She turned her head and saw her grandfather leaning on his cane, his brow furrowed with annoyance.

Grandpa and Grandma were both entering Hehe's memories for the first time, but their reactions were quite different.

Grandma remained calm, but Grandpa got angry as soon as he arrived—it was Grandpa after all.

The little dumpling immediately ran over and, as if it were second nature, decisively hugged the old man's leg: "Grandpa, Grandpa, don't be angry, don't be angry."

Duan Yuanzhou's expression softened slightly when he saw the pendant on his leg: "Little girl, what are you doing here?"

He looked around: "Is this some brat's trick? Those young people, they call it... what kind of variety show! Ha, I don't have time to play house with them!"

Wen Li blinked. "What's a 'variety show'?"

Before she could speak, the old man reached out to grab a passerby: "Hey, young man—"

The hand was passed directly to him.

The old man was stunned on the spot.

He thought he was getting old and his eyesight was failing, so he tried again.

The result was the same.

"This...this is..."

Duan Yuanzhou thought to himself, "Have I already gone to heaven?"

—I don't believe it, absolutely not! The little girl is so young, how could that be possible!

He was about to get angry, but the little dumpling was unfazed: "Grandpa, this is 'the past'."

"...What before?"

"Um...it's like...like a TV." The little dumpling tried to find the right words, adding gestures as well. "But, you can't get into a TV. But you can get in here..."

She confused even herself.

He simply ignored everything and made a definitive statement: "It is, 'before'!"

Duan Yuanzhou: "..."

What is that little girl babbling about? I couldn't understand a word she was saying.