"Zhuang Zi'ang, are you feeling alright? Why is your nose bleeding again?" Su Yudiel asked innocently from behind.

  After cleaning himself up, Zhuang Zi'ang turned around and said, "If you button up your shirt, I probably won't have another nosebleed."

  Su Yudiel looked down, remembering the angle he had been looking at her from earlier. Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson. "You cheeky devil! I'm ignoring you."

  "Little Butterfly, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to," Zhuang Zi'ang quickly apologized.

  Of course, Su Yudiel wasn't really angry, but if she didn't pretend a little, she wouldn't seem reserved enough. She buttoned her shirt up tightly, sat down on the sofa, and turned into a silent statue.

  Zhuang Zi'ang opened the bag on the table, and a delicious aroma immediately wafted out. This little foodie had bought quite a spread. He picked up a sauced meat bun (酱肉包), took a bite, and then excimed with exaggerated praise, "Whoa! This bun is so delicious!"

  Su Yudiel's gaze shifted towards him. She swallowed, then huffed and turned her head away.

  Zhuang Zi'ang picked up another bun and held it to her lips. "If you don't eat it, I'm going to eat them all."

  "You wouldn't dare!" Su Yudiel turned her head back and took a big bite out of the bun. If Zhuang Zi'ang hadn't pulled back quickly, she would have bitten his finger.

  Then he took out the lean pork congee from the bag, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and held it to Little Butterfly's mouth. "Open wide!"

  Su Yudiel obediently opened her little mouth and accepted his offering. No foodie could resist the temptation of delicious food.

  A smile crept onto Zhuang Zi'ang's lips. "That's a good girl!" He thoroughly enjoyed the pleasure of feeding Little Butterfly.

  After a few spoonfuls, Su Yudiel felt a little embarrassed and took the bowl to eat by herself. Zhuang Zi'ang had no choice but to eat his own portion. The slight awkwardness from earlier dissipated completely.

  "Oh, by the way, I ran into that old swindler you mentioned st night. He was setting up a fortune-telling stall on the overpass," Zhuang Zi'ang said casually.

  "What did he say to you?" Su Yudiel's expression suddenly became a little tense.

  "He was spouting nonsense. I barely understood a word he said. He also conned me out of a bowl of beef noodles," Zhuang Zi'ang ughed.

  Su Yudiel, upon hearing this, let out a soft sigh of relief.

  Zhuang Zi'ang continued, "Actually, I wanted to learn a tune from him, the one I heard the first time I saw you. I don't know where it came from."

  Su Yudiel looked confused. "Really? I don't remember hearing anything."

  "Really? I remember the beginning. I'll py it for you."

  Zhuang Zi'ang picked up his bamboo flute and pyed the prelude to "Dreaming of the Butterfly." Since he hadn't practiced in a long time, he hit a few wrong notes, and it didn't sound very good.

  Su Yudiel giggled. "You py very well. Don't py it again." (This is a popur internet meme, a humorous way of saying someone is bad at something.)

  Zhuang Zi'ang's flute pying was indeed nothing to write home about.

  "What a shame. I thought this tune might have something to do with you," Zhuang Zi'ang said, putting down his flute in disappointment.

  Su Yudiel turned her head away and remained silent for a while before turning back. Her beautiful, bright eyes were slightly red. She urged him, "Stay away from that old swindler. Don't believe anything he says, or he'll swindle you out of your pants."

  Zhuang Zi'ang nodded firmly. "Okay, I'll listen to you."

  After breakfast, they took the bus. The morning sun warmly illuminated the earth. Little Butterfly's navy blue pleated skirt, like the sea, was exceptionally beautiful.

  To get from the city to Nanhua Vilge, they had to transfer buses three times. Along the way, Su Yudiel kept telling Zhuang Zi'ang corny jokes. Some of the jokes were so bad that they made the other passengers want to curl their toes in embarrassment.

  When she got tired of talking, she leaned her head on Zhuang Zi'ang's shoulder and dozed off. Zhuang Zi'ang smelled the faint fragrance of the girl's hair, a smile pying on his lips. The breeze gently lifted a few stray strands of her hair, brushing against his face, sending a tingle through him, and also stirring the young man's heart.

  During the st bus transfer, they stopped in a small town. Zhuang Zi'ang bought a bunch of health supplements to give to his grandparents.

  Only then did Su Yudiel realize where they were going and asked, "I thought we were going out to py? Where are we going?"

  Zhuang Zi'ang answered with a smile, "To my home."

  Little Butterfly blushed with embarrassment. Meeting the parents was such a nerve-wracking thing! After learning that there were only two kind old people at home, she felt a little more at ease and insisted on using her own money to buy some small gifts for them.

  Nanhua Vilge was a beautiful and peaceful little vilge. Most of the vilgers had the surname Zhuang. Perhaps the vilge's name was in memory of the True Man of Nanhua (南华真人 - Nánhuá Zhēnrén, a title given to Zhuangzi, the Daoist philosopher) from over two thousand years ago. A small stream meandered through the vilge entrance, its water gurgling and crystal clear.

  The hills were covered with fiery red azaleas. Flocks of butterflies danced among the flowers. From the mountain forests came the distinctive four-note call of the cuckoo. This scene was just like the famous lines from the poem "The Brocade Zither" (《锦瑟》):

  "Zhuangzi, in his morning dream, was bewildered by the butterfly, The spring heart of Emperor Wang entrusted to the cuckoo." (庄生晓梦迷蝴蝶，望帝春心托杜鹃 - This poem is full of allusions and symbolism, but these two lines refer to Zhuangzi's butterfly dream and the legend of Emperor Wang, whose soul turned into a cuckoo after his death.)

  Su Yudiel walked onto the stone bridge at the vilge entrance. The clear water of the stream flowing quietly beneath the bridge was full of swimming fish. Her sea-blue skirt billowed in the wind. She shouted excitedly, "Big Dummy, it's so beautiful here!"

  Zhuang Zi'ang smiled at her, recalling another famous saying: "I would willingly turn into a stone bridge, enduring five hundred years of wind, five hundred years of rain, and five hundred years of sun, just to have this girl walk across me." (我愿化身石桥，受五百年风吹，五百年雨打，五百年日晒，只求此少女从桥上走过 - This is a quote from the movie "Reign of Assassins" (剑雨), expressing deep love and devotion.)

  After crossing the stone bridge, they saw smoke rising from the chimneys of the vilge houses. In front of a one-story courtyard house, Zhuang Jianguo stood with a cane, eagerly looking out.

  Zhuang Zi'ang's grandmother was named Lin Suzhen. She was a typical rural woman, not highly educated but hardworking, kind, and frugal. Names like Jianguo (meaning "build the country") and Suzhen (meaning "simple and pure") were very common in their generation, reflecting the spirit of the times.

  "Grandpa!" Zhuang Zi'ang waved to Zhuang Jianguo from afar.

  "Zi'ang," Zhuang Jianguo called out excitedly, coming to greet him. Grandfather and grandson met, tears welling up in their eyes.

  Although Su Yudiel was usually lively and talkative, she was a bit shy when meeting Zhuang Zi'ang's grandfather.

  Zhuang Zi'ang said to Zhuang Jianguo, "Grandpa, let me introduce you. This is..."

  "No need for introductions. This is Little Butterfly," Zhuang Jianguo said cheerfully. He was all smiles at the sight of Little Butterfly.

  "Grandpa, how do you know me?" Su Yudiel asked curiously.

  "I've seen you on Zi'ang's phone," Zhuang Jianguo said, his eyes full of joy. Although his eyesight wasn't very good, and he had only seen a blurry image of Little Butterfly in the surveilnce video, he could easily guess that this beautiful girl Zhuang Zi'ang brought back was the girl he was so fond of.

  Lin Suzhen had been busy in the kitchen since early morning, preparing for Zhuang Zi'ang's return. Hearing voices outside, she quickly came out to greet them, calling out joyfully, "Zi'ang, Grandma has missed you so much!"

  Zhuang Zi'ang hurried over and hugged his grandmother tightly. "Grandma, I've missed you too."

  Lin Suzhen had learned from Zhuang Jianguo about all the hardships Zhuang Zi'ang had suffered. She was heartbroken. Now, she lovingly stroked her grandson's back, tears streaming down her face.

  Su Yudiel handed the gifts to Zhuang Jianguo. Zhuang Jianguo said happily, "It's enough that you came back. You didn't need to buy anything."

  The two elderly people could never have imagined that Zhuang Zi'ang had come back this time to say his final farewell. In just over two months, they would be separated forever by death.

  Large teardrops fell from the corners of Zhuang Zi'ang's eyes, silently soaking into Lin Suzhen's clothes.