"It's just average," Dubian Che said as he took a sip of tea, "Understanding culture and learning songs are just one way to learn a language, I can also sing songs in Spanish."

"Hmm? Sing one for me," Jiutiao Meijie said with a smile.

"Sueño cuando era pequeño~" (I dreamt when I was young)

"sin preocupación, en el corazón~" (Carefree, in the heart)

"An Italian song," Jiutiao Meijie said.

"Caro mio ben, credimi almen, senza di te, languisce il cor~" Dubian Che sang in a Western style, a Neapolitan folk characteristic aria.

"Che, what are you singing?" Little Lian stopped her bicycle under the terrace.

"An Italian vocal piece, also called a song, 'My dear'. 'My dear, please believe, without you, my heart languishes,'" Dubian Che replied.

It was almost noon, and the four of them prepared to go out for lunch.

Jiutiao Meijie went back to the bedroom's walk-in closet to change clothes, and Dubian Che followed her in.

He stood by the door, watching her unbutton her pajama buttons one by one, revealing her smooth skin and delicate waistline.

"What are you standing there for? Bring me a bra," Jiutiao Meijie looked back at him.

"What color do you want?"

"Something that goes with a white T-shirt."

Dubian Che picked a light-colored bra.

A bra, a summery white T-shirt, and a long ruffled skirt reaching her ankles, Jiutiao Meijie dressed up one piece at a time.

"Aren't you going to scold me?" Dubian Che couldn't help but ask.

"The Kiyono family and the Jiutiao family are friends, working together. I don't like her, but I hope she can take over the Kiyono family," Jiutiao Meijie said as she pulled her long hair out from her T-shirt.

She turned around and said to Dubian Che, "Even you couldn't handle this matter, that's just the way she is."

Dubian Che looked at Jiutiao Meijie in front of him.

"What's wrong?"

"Meiji, you've changed a lot."

"It's all because of you," Jiutiao Meijie said, slightly annoyed.

Dubian Che wrapped his arms around her slim waist, and Jiutiao Meijie suddenly and naturally hooked her arms around his neck, their eyes locked in a tender gaze.

"If I change, will you still like me?" Jiutiao Meijie asked softly.

"Sis, I will always be yours," Dubian Che replied.

"Mmm—" Jiutiao Meijie let out a satisfied sound, "I will always be your Meiji."

"My Meiji," Dubian Che said, inhaling the scent of her hair.

◇

The two left the bedroom, and Kiyono Lin was putting a sun hat they had bought the day before on Little Lian.

"Remember to take the scenic photos, and we'll put them in the mailbox on the street later," Dubian Che reminded Little Lian.

"Yes!"

The four rode their bicycles through the light and shadow mottled, lush green forest, hearing birds chirping and the sound of rushing water sweeping over pebbles.

The tourists coming and going were mostly riding bicycles too.

They arrived at their destination—a shopping street known as "Old Karuizawa Ginza Square," home to a concentration of restaurants in Karuizawa.

They parked their bikes and, before lunch, the three accompanied Little Lian to send a letter.

A red mailbox stood at the entrance of a shop selling envelopes with various beautiful covers.

Little Lian leaned over a low table, muttering as she wrote:

"Dad and Mom, I am in a place called Karuizawa, there are forests and rivers here, but I haven't seen any rabbits. Uncle Che, Sister, and Auntie have been very nice to me, I miss you a little. Today I learned to ride a bike, and later we will go see dragonflies."

After finishing, she carefully put the letter, the scenic postcards sold by the bookstore, and the travel photos that Dubian Che had taken of her, into the envelope.

Stepping out the shop door, she stood on tiptoes before the mailbox to drop in the letter.

"Mr. Mailbox, please take care of this," she gently patted the mailbox and instructed.

"Let's go, Little Lian," said Dubian Che, "Time for lunch."

"Yes!" Taking a few steps out, Little Lian turned back for a long look at the mailbox.

It was as if she was watching how the mailbox would send out her letter, but also as if she was missing her parents.

Lunch was at a Buckwheat Noodles shop.

Dubian Che specifically wore a baseball jacket, which he used as a seat cushion for Jiutiao Meijie.

The cold buckwheat noodles in summer, served in a bamboo basket with a bowl of dipping sauce, were refreshing, appetizing, and quite tasty.

Diners could adjust the sauce to their liking, dipping some noodles into the sauce bowl just a bit before sucking them into their mouths.

Each had a serving of buckwheat noodles, and in between them were various tempura, crispy and delicious.

Little Lian picked up a big shrimp, her eyes sparkling as she looked at it for a good while before biting down.

After finishing lunch, just as they were buying ice cream, Little Lian's phone rang—it was a call from Kazuki, the girl in the princess dress.

"Che, Kazuki wants us to go to the station! We should go to the station!"

"This is the station," Dubian Che pointed to the nearby Karuizawa station.

Little Lian blinked, confused for a moment, then picked up her phone again and exclaimed excitedly,

"Kazuki, it's incredible, for some reason we're already at the station! But no worries, this means we can meet up with you sooner!"

"Right!"

"Right!"

Little Lian nodded twice, her expression as serious as a soldier receiving battlefield reports.

After hanging up the call, she said in a grave voice to Dubian Che, "Che, we need to head to 'Hoshino Resort.'"

"We'll go once the ice cream is ready."

"Is it ready?!" Little Lian quickly looked over.

Dubian Che took a brightly colored ice cream and a mocha coffee ice cream from the waiter and bent down to hand them to Little Lian.

Looking at the two ice creams in her hands, Little Lian told Dubian Che, "Che, you made a mistake, I only ordered one."

"The other one is for your friend."

"My friend?!"

"Right."

"Kazuki?!"

"Kazuki."

"Kazuki is my friend!" Little Lian said happily, then suddenly realized that Dubian Che didn't have any ice cream in his hands.

"Che, I'll give you a bite of my ice cream," she held up the brightly colored ice cream high.

"Sure, thanks."

Dubian Che was about to bend down to take a symbolic bite when Jiutiao Meiji grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

"A little kid, or even my sister, and you still refuse?" Dubian Che asked her.

"No."

"Then let me have a bite of yours."

Jiutiao Meiji passed him some of her ice cream, "Dare to eat it all in one bite, and we're getting a divorce this instant."

Dubian Che's mouth, which had been wide open, closed halfway.

After buying the ice cream, the four of them strolled to the Hoshino Resort.

Once there, they enjoyed the highly compatible natural environment of Karuizawa: mountains, water, trees, light—primitive yet not crude, exquisitely natural.

Little Lian met up with Kazuki on a lawn.

"Little Lian, come here!" Kazuki was dressed in a princess dress today, looking just like a little princess.

"Kazuki!" Little Lian ran over, handing over the mocha coffee ice cream, "For you!"

Kazuki looked at the dirt-colored ice cream with a face full of aversion.

"Ah, Lala," Dubian Che came over, mimicking the annoying tone of Kiyono Lin, "Miss Kazuki can't handle coffee?"

"Of course, I can!" Kazuki snatched the ice cream.

She stuck out her tiny tongue, tentatively approaching it while her little head desperately moved away.

Her tongue barely touched the ice cream, and she immediately scrunched up her face.

"Kazuki, you look in pain, what's wrong?" Little Lian asked with concern.

"Not in pain, not at all!" Kazuki licked a small portion again, her expression more distorted.

"Just like Miss Kazuki, to be able to finish an entire coffee ice cream, you're definitely an adult now," Dubian Che praised.

"Right, I am an adult, and I will finish it all," Kazuki said, almost crying.

In the well-maintained lawn, dragonflies lingered around.

"Little Lian, if you point your finger up, dragonflies will land on it, but you have to be a good child first," Kazuki pointed her index finger, and soon a dragonfly landed on her fingertip.

"Wow—" Little Lian stared in fascination.

"I want to try too!" she mimicked the action and pointed her index finger up, and a dragonfly hesitated for a moment before landing on it.

Dubian Che took out his phone and took a photo of the two.

"Shall we try too? Let's see who's a good child," he said, turning to smile at the two young ladies.

Kiyono Lin raised her index finger, her fair skin almost transparent under the bright sunshine.

Jiutiao Meiji also raised her flawless finger.

Soon, each of their fingertips had a dragonfly resting on it, and Dubian Che captured this moment.

When checking the album, dragonflies circled around him. Instinctually, he raised his index finger.

A dragonfly slowly landed on it.

In that moment it lingered, Dubian Che felt as if he merged with the lawn and the forest, becoming a part of this beautiful scenery here.

It wasn't something particularly interesting, but it was indeed a precious memory—of that sunny August in Karuizawa, when they let dragonflies land on their fingertips.

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