chapter 37

Chapter 37

The rising temperature caused the ice and snow on Du Island to melt, leaving only some lingering patches of snow and ice crystals under the roots of trees deep in the forest. The fallen leaves on the ground were exposed, forming moist mud, making it difficult to walk through the woods.

Ning Qiuyan stepped unevenly onto the path, cleaned his shoes with a branch, and instantly felt much lighter on his feet.

The air was still damp and chilly. The stones on both sides of the path were covered in fresh green moss, dotted with sparkling dew. A squirrel, dragging its bushy tail, ran past the roadside, unafraid of people, and stood on a stone, curiously observing.

Ning Qiuyan was not good at communicating with children, nor at amusing small animals.

But the squirrel was simply too cute, so he stood there, silently exchanging glances with it.

The squirrel tilted its head, and after a few seconds, scampered away on all fours.

Ning Qiuyan felt a slight sense of defeat, just as he did when Guan Heng asked him to describe the changes outside-he felt a bit dull and awkward.

He continued along the path and soon arrived by the lake.

At this moment, on the other side of the lake, through the shimmering pale blue surface, he could see the large house ahead to the left. The shadows of tree branches obscured its outer walls and windows, leaving only the black roof visible. The dock where he once played guitar was now deserted.

A small boat still floated on the lake, with a seabird perched atop it. Ning Qiuyan recalled the first time he came to the island, the night he met Guan Heng here. It felt like a long time ago, though in reality, it had only been four or five months.

Spring on Du Island was breathtakingly beautiful.

Ning Qiuyan was reluctant to leave this scenery, abandoning the idea of hurrying back to work on the puzzle, and continued walking toward the stretching ridges on the other side, with no particular destination.

Sunlight streamed in specks through the leaves and branches overhead.

The farther Ning Qiuyan walked, the more comfortable he felt, even breaking a slight sweat. He took off his hat and casually picked up a branch to hold, sometimes using it to part the grass.

He passed rows of fir trees, climbed a small hill, and listened to the babbling stream formed by melting snow. On a patch of lawn, wildflowers were even blooming.

Unexpectedly, he found himself near the Lighthouse again.

Perhaps his mood had changed greatly since his last visit, but under the clear daylight, the once dilapidated white Lighthouse seemed renewed. The gray-blue sea looked transparent, waves lapping quietly against the rocks-beautiful and serene.

Ning Qiuyan was very fond of this Lighthouse. Not only did it allow him to gaze at the sea when he felt insecure and to miss Wutong on the other side, but it was also the perfect place to daydream, like a secret base.

He pushed open the door and, familiar with the way, climbed to the top floor of the Lighthouse, coming to the railing.

There was dust and dark red rust on the railing.

He touched it without thinking, but Ning Qiuyan didn’t mind.

Bathed in sunlight, his whole body felt warm. The sea breeze brushed his face, lifting his hair and blowing away the trivial worries in his heart.

This island had a temperament similar to Guan Heng’s-every blade of grass and tree did. Mysterious and remote, it shouldn’t be exposed to the public eye. Even Ning Qiuyan, who had no real connection to it, didn’t want to see it “developed.”

Had Guan Heng ever come up here?

On some night, when moonlight covered the sea?

Ning Qiuyan suddenly wondered.

To live on the same island for a century, even while maintaining communication with the outside world, wouldn’t one still want to see what lay beyond? Otherwise, why ask about the changes outside?

Right, he remembered-Guan Heng must have been here.

He had seen a painting of this place in Guan Heng’s studio, depicting the Lighthouse, the sea, and a sunrise over the water.

A faintly incredible thought rose in his mind.

The sea breeze picked up.

He gazed at the sea, lost in thought for a while, and those strange ideas gradually blew away.

He descended from the Lighthouse, searching for the right spot based on the image in his memory.

Finally, beside a rock, he found an angle similar to the one in Guan Heng’s painting, opened his phone camera, and took a photo.

It was just the Lighthouse and the sea-no other privacy exposed-so it should be fine, he thought.

With his phone put away, a piece of Du Island now belonged to him.

In the end, Ning Qiuyan didn’t go far and arrived at the farm.

As expected, Gu Yu was there, and so was Guan Ziming.

Guan Ziming wore long plastic boots and an apron, preparing feed for the sheep in the pen. The other farmhands were carrying freshly butchered beef, likely for the next day’s banquet.

“Need any help?” Ning Qiuyan asked, standing at the gate of the pen.

Guan Ziming glanced at him, “Why are you here again?”

Everyone was busy, and only he was wandering around. Ning Qiuyan felt a bit embarrassed and said, “I came to see how you and Gu Yu are getting along.”
Gu Yu was chasing chickens in the coop.

Feathers and straw flew everywhere-the very definition of chaos.

Guan Ziming asked, “Did you invite him here?”

Ning Qiuyan replied, “Mm.”

“Thank you so much,” Guan Ziming said darkly. “Today he let two sheep escape, crushed a nest of eggs, spilled my soup, and now he plans to come every day.”

Ning Qiuyan: “…”

To express his apology, Ning Qiuyan took the initiative to open the fence and helped Guan Ziming carry the feed. Then, under Guan Ziming’s guidance, he put on another pair of tall boots and joined him in cleaning up sheep and cow manure, and tidied up the chicken coop.

Gu Yu went off to bother the other adults, but soon came running back to call him: “Brother Xiao Ning! They’re going to build a fire here and make Beggar’s Chicken for me. Come join us!”

“Thank you,” Ning Qiuyan shook his head. “I won’t eat.”

“Why not?” Gu Yu, dirty all over, looked at him with round, excited eyes. “It’s Beggar’s Chicken! The kind you see on TV, wrapped in mud! After we eat here, we’ll ride back together in their car, so we won’t have to rush for dinner.”

Ning Qiuyan had no choice but to say, “I can’t eat meat tonight.”

Guan Heng would need to feed early the next morning.

So, as usual, Ning Qiuyan, who served as a blood donor, ate only vegetarian and light food the night before, and couldn’t have breakfast the next day either.

Gu Yu didn’t understand, but being clever for his age, he rolled his eyes and didn’t ask further, running off to dig in the mud instead.

It was Guan Ziming, standing beside Ning Qiuyan, who spoke up: “You’re pretty disciplined.”

Ning Qiuyan turned to look at him. Under the gaze of Ning Qiuyan’s clear black-and-white eyes, Guan Ziming awkwardly added, “I mean, you’re not bad. You know how to do your job when you’re paid.”

Ning Qiuyan knew Guan Ziming was just eccentric, not a bad person, so he nodded. “Mm.”

Guan Ziming said, “I heard someone’s coming to buy the island tomorrow.”

“No, it’s just government officials coming to negotiate,” Ning Qiuyan said. “There will be experts too, to show them the survey reports. The island won’t be sold.”

Guan Ziming asked, “Did Guan Heng tell you?”

Ning Qiuyan said yes.

The two of them went into the shed, took off their tall boots, and changed into their own shoes.

Ning Qiuyan said, “You’re the first person on the island to call Mr. Guan by his name.”

“Otherwise, what should I call him? Sir? That’s weird.” Guan Ziming said indifferently. “He’s someone you’d have to flip dozens of pages back in the family tree to find, yet he’s still so young. I really don’t know what to call him.”

Family tree?

Ning Qiuyan thought for a moment. “Granny Bai said everyone on the island is from the Guan Family.”

“That’s right,” Guan Ziming said. “From a feudal perspective, we’re all distant branches. By my generation, we’re even more distant relatives.”

Ning Qiuyan’s understanding from historical records was limited, but Guan Heng had said himself that he’d never met his fiancée, so there would be no children. That meant the current members of the Guan Family were all descendants from collateral lines, continuing to this day. He just didn’t know how they managed it under those circumstances back then.

“You said last time you’d only stay here for two years,” Ning Qiuyan asked. “Are you leaving after that?”

“Of course,” Guan Ziming replied. “I have a lot to do.”

Guan Ziming told Ning Qiuyan that every member of the Guan Family had to stay by Guan Heng’s side for two years after coming of age-a rule set by some ancestor. Guan Ziming didn’t know the reason, but over the years, it had become a family tradition.

“After leaving, you can choose to continue your studies, join the family business, start your own venture, whatever you want.” Guan Ziming said. “He’s prepared a start-up fund for each of us.”

The “he” Guan Ziming referred to could only be Guan Heng.

“What I don’t get is why so many people come here and never leave.” Guan Ziming sounded a bit disdainful, a bit puzzled. “What’s so good about this place?”

Ning Qiuyan didn’t answer.

But in his heart, he thought Du Island was wonderful.

Guan Ziming asked Ning Qiuyan, “What about you? Will you come every month in the future?”

Ning Qiuyan said, “No, my time is shorter than yours-only six months.”

“Six months?”

“To be precise, six times. Once a month.”

“So you’ve been here…”

“Five times,” Ning Qiuyan said calmly. “Counting this time, I’ve already been here five times.”

*

As the sun set, Gu Yu finished the Beggar’s Chicken the others had made for him, and rode back in the truck with Ning Qiuyan. Both of them sat in the back, squeezed among piles of meat and eggs. After a whole afternoon, neither of them smelled very pleasant anymore.
Gu Yu invited Ning Qiuyan to play games together in the evening. The game they had played in the game room the day before was still unfinished, but before the car even arrived at the mansion, Gu Yu had already fallen asleep while muttering to himself.

The last rays of sunlight disappeared above the forest, leaving behind an orange-red shadow. The mansion, inside and out, officially entered the night, with bright lights illuminating everything.

Lu Qianque heard the car return, picked up the child, and carried him back to his room.

Ning Qiuyan jumped out of the car, and a servant came up to invite him to dinner.

The meal prepared by Granny Bai was still warm. As soon as Ning Qiuyan finished washing his hands and sat down, the dishes were served.

He was the only one at the dining table; Guan Heng was not there.

He didn’t know if it was because he had come back late, or if Guan Heng was still busy.

After dinner, Ning Qiuyan went back to his room to take a shower, then sat on his bed for a while. Finally, he couldn’t help but look up at the ceiling.

What was Guan Heng doing?

Would going upstairs now disturb him?

Ning Qiuyan took out his phone, wanting to send a message to Guan Heng, but when he unlocked the screen, he remembered there was no signal here.

Lu Qianque’s words appeared in his mind at just the right moment-“You can’t make everyone in the world like you, and you can’t make everyone satisfied with you. You should do what you want to do, be a little bolder.”

So Ning Qiuyan put away his things, put on his shoes, and walked upstairs.

The third floor was quiet at night. As he passed the lounge, he glanced inside but didn’t see Guan Heng. He hesitated for a moment, his face a little hot, but instead of heading to Guan Heng’s room, he obediently went to the puzzle room.

The puzzle pieces on the floor were scattered, just as he had left them that morning. He sat down on the floor and began to piece them together. His heart, which had been restless and uneasy at first, gradually became calm. Guan Heng was right-doing puzzles really did help him settle down.

He didn’t know how much time had passed when he heard someone speaking, very softly.

A few minutes later, Guan Heng came into the puzzle room. “Still not sleeping?”

Just like last night, Guan Heng was wearing a black robe, but his hair was tied back. Guan Heng always seemed lazy and rarely wore his long hair up. Ning Qiuyan’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at him. “Mr. Guan.”

He noticed the phone lying on the carpet-the time was already close to midnight.

“What did you do this afternoon?” Guan Heng walked over and sat down beside him, carrying a faint scent. “I heard you came back with Gu Yu.”

“I went to the farm,” Ning Qiuyan replied. “And chatted with Guan Ziming.”

Guan Heng said, “You’re about the same age, so you probably have similar topics.”

Ning Qiuyan didn’t hide anything and naturally told Guan Heng about their conversation that afternoon, including how Guan Ziming had tried every way to escape coming to Du Island at first, and how he was eventually caught and brought back. Guan Ziming’s story was thrilling and full of twists, and Ning Qiuyan chattered on to Guan Heng for quite a while before realizing that Guan Heng might not even be interested in such things.

“He’s not the first to do that, and he won’t be the last,” Guan Heng continued with the topic. “In modern society, it’s far too easy to track someone.”

It was clear that Guan Heng was in a good mood.

“That’s true, unless you don’t use a phone, ID card, or bank card.” Ning Qiuyan relaxed a little, paused, and then asked Guan Heng boldly, “Can I stay here all night?”

With his hair tied back, Guan Heng was still as gentle and elegant as ever. Once, Ning Qiuyan had asked him why he kept his hair long, and Guan Heng replied, “I can’t cut it.” Because their appearance would always remain as it was at the moment of their life’s transformation-even if he cut it short, it would immediately grow back. It wasn’t that he wanted to be different, or that he refused to accept the new era.

“What’s wrong?” Guan Heng asked. “Not sleeping?”

Of course, Guan Heng sometimes showed the kind of thinking only older people had, like how sleep was important for children.

“I want to try finishing a few more pieces, complete these patterns,” Ning Qiuyan said. “Actually, I don’t sleep much anyway. When I was working, I’d even stay up all night.”

Back when he worked at N°, staying up all night was a common thing.

Ning Qiuyan was telling the truth, but his heart was pounding.

“Also, I heard from Uncle Kang that the first batch of guests arriving on the island tomorrow will come very early, so I need to get up two hours earlier than usual. I might as well stay up all night. If it won’t disturb you, I’d like to stay here the whole time, so it’ll be more convenient for you…”

Ning Qiuyan said.

He lowered his head, his eyelashes trembling almost imperceptibly, then bit his lip.

“I’ve already showered.”