"That's the day after tomorrow, so what can we do now?" I asked.
Tianshi smiled gently and said leisurely, "We can play as we please, and sleep after sunset. No one will disturb us."
Play as we please, sleep as we please.
Isn't this exactly what I've been pursuing?
Excited, I pulled Ali and Tianshi towards the sea of flowers.
I picked the most beautiful and vibrant flowers, and made flower crowns for them.
Tianshi was also skilled at playing, and imitated my method.
He also made a flower wreath for me, adorned with many flowers, and placed it on my head, saying with a smile, "Muye, you look so beautiful wearing this flower, like a fresh and refined little beauty."
Hearing his words, my face flushed slightly, and I subconsciously looked at Ali.
Ali showed a sweet smile, his expression pure, and he also generously praised, "Hey, it's true. Why didn't we notice before?"
"Perhaps we were too busy before and didn't look closely at Muye."
"I think so too."
Tianshi slightly turned his eyes, glancing at Ali and me.
He noticed Muye's expectant expression, always looking at Ali.
He smiled slightly, as if understanding something, and proactively stood up, saying, "You two play here. I'll go for a walk in the woods."
I became confused and asked him directly, "What's so good about walking in the woods?"
Tianshi casually lied, "It's nothing, just going to see some friends in the woods."
I said "Oh," understanding that by friends, he meant small animals.
Without delay, Tianshi turned and walked into the woods.
After Tianshi left, I cautiously moved closer to Ali and sat beside him.
Ali turned his head and saw me sitting so close, full of confusion, and asked, "Why are you sitting so close?"
I chuckled a little shyly.
Turning my head away, I couldn't stop laughing to myself. Ali, with a face full of confusion, asked me, "What's so funny?"
Seeing that I could no longer control my emotions, I quickly took deep breaths, calmed my excited heart, and turned back to look at him calmly.
Suddenly, Ali reached out and touched my face.
My heart, which had just calmed down, became restless again, and my face immediately turned crimson.
Ali looked at me with confusion and asked, "Why is your face so red?"
"Ah!"
Caught by him seeing my blushing face, I was momentarily shy and quickly turned my face away.
Ali said, "Look at you, your hair is all messy. Let me tidy it up for you."
So, he was just helping me fix my hair.
For some reason, after spending so much time with him before, I had never felt so shy as I did now.
Now that I was about to leave, my heart, instead, revealed what had been suppressed for a long time.
Seeing that I wasn't responding, Ali proactively stood up and came in front of me.
He took off the flower crown and tidied up the messy flowers with his hands.
I looked up at him and found that he was just blocking the sun.
The warm light shone behind him, making him radiant.
His slightly smiling face also appeared so gentle.
I couldn't help but reach out and touch his face.
Ali was surprised for a moment and looked at me with confusion, asking, "Muye, what's wrong? You're particularly strange today."
He still didn't understand my feelings, but should I tell him?
After leaving this world, I would never see him again, and he would never see me again.
Rather than causing pain to both of us, it would be better if nothing had ever begun.
I smiled bitterly, buried this affection in my heart, and shook my head, saying, "No, no. I was in a daze and saw light on your face. I wanted to grab it and see, but then I realized it wasn't light, it was just your face."
Hearing my explanation, Ali couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Hahaha, since when did you become so eloquent? You don't just want to touch my face, do you?"
He saw through me.
I smiled sheepishly and said, "You've figured it out."
"How could I not?"
As we spoke, I couldn't help but laugh heartily with him.
Just then, a gentle breeze blew, stirring up dandelions hidden in the grass and flowers.
The white umbrellas, like little elves, floated in the air.
I looked up and suddenly exclaimed, quickly calling him, "Ali! Look quickly, it's so beautiful."
Ali turned his head and saw tens of thousands of dandelions floating in the air, drifting into the distance.
It was like being under a willow tree, experiencing a long-awaited snowfall of catkins.
"So beautiful," Ali couldn't help but exclaim.
If only we could be as free to come and go as these floating dandelions, then there would be no more sorrow of separation.
Gazing at this stunning scene, my eyes unknowingly fell on Ali.
I thought to myself, "I never imagined that it has been so long since I first saw him. Yesterday's encounter feels like it just happened, vivid in my memory. Although I'm reluctant to part, it's enough."
Thinking this, my head felt a little hazy.
I knew I couldn't say that sentence to him, nor could I stay with him forever.
It would be better to leave a beautiful memory for each other with actions.
Suddenly, I thought of a good idea and said to Ali, "Ali, in my hometown, there's a special way to bless good friends. I also have something I want to bless you with."
Ali looked at me curiously and asked, "What is it?"
"Wait a moment."
I stood up and looked around, finally finding a long blade of grass.
I pulled it out and carefully braided it into the shape of a ring.
I originally thought of putting a flower on it, but then I thought it might not be suitable.
Looking at the grass ring in my hand, I couldn't stop smiling.
I ran back, sat beside him, lifted his left hand, and put it on his middle finger.
Ali looked at the small ring made of grass and asked with confusion, "What's the use of this blade of grass?"
"Oh, this is called a ring. It's a way of blessing that we give to good friends in my hometown. It's a wish for the recipient to live happily and healthily."
I was speaking nonsense with a serious face.
I couldn't help but wonder, "If Ali knew what a ring meant, what would he think?"
Ali stretched out his hand and looked at it carefully, but didn't find anything special.
He asked me, "You are my good friend, do you want my blessing?"
I nodded, guessing what he would say.
However, I guessed wrong.
He also imitated me, pulled off a long blade of grass, made a ring, took my hand, and put it on my middle finger, asking innocently, "Is it like this?"
My face immediately turned red, and I turned away.
My heart was pounding, and I hurriedly covered my mouth, unable to stop myself from giggling foolishly.
Ali suddenly leaned closer to me, placed his hand next to mine, and said, "This looks quite nice. Now we both have rings."
He suddenly frowned, remembering something.
"It still feels like something is missing. Oh, right, it would be better if there was a little flower."
Thinking this, he turned away, picked a small flower, and threaded it onto my ring, making a floral accent.
The simple yet delicate little flower was even more dazzling than sapphires or rubies.
"Do you like it?" he asked me.
I was shy like a flower in early spring, my heart filled with joy, and I blurted out, "I like it."
Ali extended his hand, then took mine, and brought our hands together.
He smiled foolishly and said, "Look, this way, our rings are the same."
I couldn't help but smile foolishly too, and when I looked at him, my eyes were full of starlight.
I thought to myself, after returning, I would never find such a good boy again.
Suddenly, he opened his hand and placed it on mine, interlocking our fingers, and asked with a smile, "I think this way is even better."
"Ah!"
Although I had held hands countless times and was familiar with the warmth of each other's palms, it still felt like the first time holding hands, full of emotion.
I felt a current of love travel from my hand to my entire body.
My face turned as red as a boiling teapot, about to burst.
Biting my lower lip, I slowly turned my face away, wanting to pull back, but reluctant to do so.
Ali looked at my reaction and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Your face is even redder than before."
I coughed lightly, feeling a bit flustered, but still managed to cover it up, saying, "Perhaps the sun is too strong, which is why it's so red."
Hearing my explanation, he couldn't help but laugh.
I looked at his flying smile, as beautiful and captivating as peach blossoms, and was unconsciously mesmerized.
Ali withdrew his hand and touched my forehead, saying, "You don't have a fever either. Why are you acting so strange?"
I came back to my senses and said sheepishly, "I just thought of something else and didn't come back to my senses."
"Oh, I see. I wonder what Tianshi is doing. Let's go see."
I nodded, my gaze involuntarily falling on his hand.
I quickly grabbed his hand, held it tightly, and said shyly, "I'm not very familiar with this place yet. It's better this way, so we don't get lost."
Ali thought it made sense and nodded, saying, "You're right. Let's do that then."
With that, he stood up and pulled me along.
I felt as if my soul had left my body, my face beaming foolishly as I let him lead me.
In my heart, I wished that such moments could slow down.
Entering the woods, Tianshi was nowhere to be seen, and I didn't know where he had gone.
We only found a few sika deer resting in the woods.
These deer were not afraid of people and lay down to sleep.
Ali pulled me along, walked to the sika deer, and sat down beside them.
He stroked its soft fur and said softly, "This deer is so gentle."
I perfunctorily nodded, my gaze falling on his face again, not even hearing what he said.
At this moment, I had no interest in sika deer or anything else.
I just wanted to quietly gaze at Ali, at his gentle, tender, and warm demeanor.
Just as when I first saw him, still cute and charming.
Thinking this, I couldn't help but smile foolishly again.
Ali looked up and saw me smiling foolishly again, and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with you today? You keep smiling foolishly."
I came back to my senses, waved my hand, and said, "Where? Impossible."
"You clearly are."
"Then it must be because I'm so happy."
"What makes you so happy?" He looked at me with suspicion.
I grinned and said casually, "It must be because the scenery here is too beautiful, so I want to smile."
"Is that so?" Looking at my strange behavior, he couldn't help but suspect. "Could Muye have some special hobby? Did I not notice before?"
Although he thought this, he couldn't quite pinpoint what that strange hobby was.
At night, a crescent moon, like a small boat, hung in the sky.
Beneath the moon, two tiny figures lay in the sea of flowers, gazing at the starry sky.
I pointed to the brightest star and said, "Look, that's the North Star."
"The North Star?" Ali asked, confused.
"You don't know? I'll tell you slowly."
I carefully moved closer to him, rested my head on his shoulder, and said softly, "That brightest star in the north, we usually call it the North Star. It's like it has some kind of magic, always guiding people to find their way."
"Is that a saying from your hometown?"
"Sort of. Everyone says so."
"Then, when you go back, will you still remember me?" He suddenly asked this.
I affirmed, "Yes, I'd rather forget anyone than forget you."
"Am I that important?"
"Extremely important."
Tianshi, at some unknown time, had stealthily come up behind us.
Eavesdropping on my conversation with Ali, he covered his mouth and chuckled, thinking to himself, "What a pair of young boys and girls in love."
Then, he playfully lay down on the grass, bringing his head closer to us.
I felt someone approaching and got up to look, only to see Tianshi.
I asked him in confusion, "Tianshi, what are you doing?"
Tianshi chuckled and sat up, saying, "I was afraid you two would be lonely, so I came to lie down too."
Ali also sat up and asked him, "Tianshi, where did you go during the day? We couldn't find you anywhere."
Zhang Tianshi chuckled mysteriously and said, "I walked around. This place is not as big as it looks on the surface. It has other parts that you haven't seen."
"Other parts?" Ali and I became curious.
"Yes, do you want to see?"
"Yes."
"Follow me."
"Okay."
With that, he led us towards the cliff face.
When we reached the stone wall, he blew gently on it.
Instantly, the stone door opened, revealing a deep, narrow path.
We followed Tianshi into the cave and walked along the path, going further in.
Suddenly, we heard the sound of dripping water.
Ali asked curiously, "There's water in here."
Tianshi was even more mysterious. "I'll show you something wonderful in a moment."
"Something wonderful?" Ali and I looked at each other with confusion.
Suddenly, a blue light appeared directly in front of us, and I exclaimed in surprise, "There's a blue light!"
Tianshi suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha, let's go take a look. You'll see a wonderful scene."
With curiosity, Ali and I followed Tianshi further inside.
Suddenly, we saw a large swarm of blue butterflies fluttering in the air.
Beneath them was a pool of clear water.
The blue light emitted by the blue butterflies was like the blue glow sticks waved at a school celebration, illuminating the surroundings brightly and mysteriously.
"Wow, so beautiful!" I couldn't help but exclaim.
Ali also said in surprise, "What beautiful butterflies! I've never seen so many blue butterflies before."
Tianshi said proudly, "This is the wonderful scene I told you about. I didn't know about this place either. A high monk brought me here, and then I realized there was such a secret realm."
"Truly beautiful," I couldn't help but reach out my hand, and a glowing butterfly slowly landed on my hand. I marveled, "It's really beautiful. I've never seen a glowing butterfly before."
Tianshi suddenly said, "There's something even more wonderful."
Ali and I were both very excited. "Where?"
"Watch carefully."
Saying this, he raised both hands, palms facing outwards, and injected his true qi into the water.
Bubbles immediately began to rise from the water.
Then, lotus leaves, green and lush, emerged from the bottom of the water.
Following that, colorful frogs swam up from the bottom and jumped onto the lotus leaves.
Then, one after another, they began to croak.
Tianshi chuckled and explained, "These are called seven-colored frogs. Let me show you something."
Saying this, he raised his two hands and held them in mid-air.
Then, he began to conduct them in a lifelike manner, like a conductor leading the entire audience at a music festival.
The seven-colored frogs also swayed rhythmically left and right under his direction, emitting harmonious and rhythmic croaks.
Ali and I were delighted and couldn't help but clap and cheer, "Good, good, good!"
When the performance was over, Tianshi even gave us a gentlemanly bow.
Ali and I applauded continuously.
"How was it? Not bad, right?" Zhang Tianshi said proudly.
"Amazing. I never thought it could be played like this."
"Hehehe, this is nothing. I think it's getting a bit late today, so let's go back and sleep."
"Okay."
With that, he led us out of the cave and back to the grass.
The three of us lay on the grass and fell into a deep sleep.