Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

When Shen Yu'an was leaving Venice, she asked Xize at the airport where he was going next. Xize said Finland.

Shen Yu'an leaned on his shoulder and said, "Then I want to see the aurora." Xize said, "Even if we get there, we might not see it; it depends on the weather." Shen Yu'an said, "Then we'll see if we're lucky."

It was almost dark when the plane landed in Helsinki.

They switched to an SUV and continued north along a gray highway.

The trees on both sides grew shorter and shorter, and patches of ice began to appear on the road. Shen Yu'an leaned back in his seat and drifted off to sleep. When he woke up, it was already completely dark.

"How much longer?"

"Half an hour."

Where are we?

"The lake district. We're almost at our lodgings."

The car turned onto a small road, at the end of which was a wooden house.

The house was small, with dark wooden exterior walls and a thin layer of snow on the roof. A lamp was lit at the door, casting a small halo of light on the snow-covered ground in the night.

When Shen Yu'an got out of the car, a blast of cold air hit him, and he shrank his neck, his breath turning into white mist.

"Cold," he said.

Xize took the luggage out of the trunk, walked over to him, and took his hand: "It won't be cold once we're inside."

It was much warmer inside the cabin than outside. A fire had already been lit in the fireplace, and the firewood was burning brightly.

The living room wasn't big; it contained a sofa, a table, and two chairs by the window. Shen Yu'an walked to the fireplace, squatted down, and stretched out his hands to warm them in the firelight, which made his face glow.

"There's a hot spring here." Xize put down his luggage, walked over to him, and put his hand on his shoulder. "You can soak in it tomorrow."

"Open-air?"

"Yes. There's a pool behind the house, fed by a hot spring. Snow won't drift in, but you can still see it."

Shen Yu'an looked up at him and asked, "Can we take a bath now?"

"It's too late now."

"Then tomorrow."

Shen Yu'an stood up, turned around and hugged Xize's waist, pressing his face against his chest.

Xize's coat still carried the chill from outside, and the cold fabric clung to Shen Yu'an's cheeks. He flinched but didn't flinch.

"Your coat is so cold."

"Then loosen your grip first."

"Don't loosen it."

Xize looked down at him for a few seconds, but didn't break free; he simply unzipped his coat.

The shirt underneath still carried body heat, and when Shen Yu'an's face pressed against it, he could feel the warmth seeping through the fabric. His hand wrapped around Xize's back, his fingers gripping the shirt at his waist.

"Daddy."

"Um."

"You just said the hot spring is outdoors."

"Um."

"If you soak your head in the snow, will the snow melt if it falls on your head?"

"Yes. It will dissolve when it hits the water."

What if it falls on your hair?

Xize raised his hand and touched the back of his head: "It will melt if it falls on your hair."

Shen Yu'an didn't ask any more questions. After leaning back for a while, he let go and took half a step back.

The fire in the fireplace flickered, casting alternating light and shadow on their faces. He said, "Let's go to sleep first, and get up early tomorrow." Caesar agreed.

When Shen Yu'an woke up the next morning, the outside of the curtains was white.

He sat up and looked out the window. The snow was still falling, not heavily, but finely and slowly.

A layer of grayish-white ice covered the distant lake, and the trees on the shore were covered with frost. Xize was already up, standing in the kitchen boiling water. Seeing that he was awake, he brought him a cup of hot tea.

"It's snowing?" Shen Yu'an took the cup.

"It rained all night."

Shen Yu'an warmed the cup in his palms, sat on the edge of the bed, and glanced outside again: "So, are we going to the hot springs again today?"

"Soaking. Soaking on a snowy day is perfect."

Shen Yu'an took a few sips of tea, put down the cup, lifted the covers, and got out of bed.

Xize stood by the window, his back to him, looking at the snow scene outside.

Shen Yu'an walked over and hugged his waist from behind, pressing his face against his back and resting his chin between his shoulder blades, feeling his back rise and fall slightly through his shirt.

Xize turned around and kissed him on the lips.

What time did you get up?

Six o'clock.

"So early?"

"I can't sleep."

Why can't you sleep?

Xize tilted his head slightly, his cheek pressed against the top of his head: "I was wondering what you were like when you were soaking in the hot spring."

Shen Yu'an buried her face in his back, her voice muffled by the fabric: "Then you'll see in a moment."

Xize didn't reply. He covered Shen Yu'an's hand around his waist with his hand, rubbed his thumb on the back of Shen'an's hand twice, then let go and turned to go to the kitchen to continue making breakfast.

In the afternoon, Shen Yu'an changed into his swimming trunks, wrapped himself in a bath towel, and pushed open the back door.

The pool was small and round, with its edges surrounded by dark wooden planks. Steam rose from the water, turning into a thin mist in the cool air.

The snow melted as soon as it hit the water, but a layer of white accumulated on the surrounding ground. He stood by the pool and tested the water temperature; it was a little hot. He slowly put his feet in, waited a few seconds, and then sank in completely.

He flinched slightly when the water reached his shoulders, then relaxed. Xize got down and sat beside him, the water reaching his chest.

The two people's shoulders touched underwater, and the mist on the surface rose up, blurring the shadows of the trees in the distance.

"Is it hot?" Xize asked.

"It's hot, but it feels good."

Shen Yu'an leaned closer, and the water rippled slightly as he moved, patting his chest.

His arm was draped over the wooden plank by the pool, and he looked up at the snow falling from the sky. The snowflakes were small, disappearing as soon as they hit the water, and melting as they landed on his face.

Xize looked at him tilting his head back and reached out to catch a snowflake that had fallen on Shen Yu'an's forehead. Shen Yu'an flinched when his fingertips touched his forehead and opened his eyes to look at him.

"Daddy, why are you touching my forehead?"

"It's snowing."

"The snow will melt on its own."

"I'll remove it for you."

Shen Yu'an looked at him for a few seconds without saying anything. He lowered his hand from the edge of the pool, put it into the water, and touched Xize's leg at the bottom.

His fingers slowly traced along the outside of Xize's calf, past his knee, and stopped at the side of his thigh. Xize's leg twitched, but he didn't flinch.

"Touch me."

"I touched it."

Why are you touching me?

"You touch my forehead, I'll touch your leg."

Xize looked at him, his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

The mist on the water rose and dispersed between the two people, revealing their faces and then obscuring them.

Shen Yu'an's hand was still resting on his thigh, not withdrawing. The hot spring water enveloped their bodies, making their skin feel hot.

Shen Yu'an leaned over, his back against the pool wall, and turned to face Xize.

Their shoulders touched, and their knees brushed against each other underwater. He pulled his hand away from Caesar's leg, ran it along his shoulder, and stopped above his collarbone, his fingertips touching a small patch of skin that was hot from being soaked in water.

"Daddy, have you ever gone to a hot spring with other people before?"

"No."

"So I'm the first one?"

"You're the first one."

Shen Yu'an lowered his head and gently traced a line on the water's surface with his finger, creating a small ripple.

The ripples touched Xize's chest and bounced back, disappearing into smaller, fragmented waves. He looked up at Xize: "Then don't go on those dates with other people either."

"good."

"Only with me."

"Yeah, I'll only go on these trips with you."

Shen Yu'an looked at him, touched Xize's calf with her toe underwater, then pulled it back and leaned against the pool wall again.

The snow was still falling, but it was melting on the water surface more slowly than before because the water temperature was gradually decreasing.

He felt his fingertips starting to wrinkle underwater; they had been soaking for too long.

"Daddy, my hands are wrinkled."

Xize took his hand and pulled it to the surface of the water to look at it; indeed, fine lines had appeared on his fingertips.

Caesar turned his hand over, gently pressed on his creased fingertips, and then released them.

"It soaked for too long."