I was in my final year of high school, and my deskmate found out I was writing a novel!

"Hello, welcome to Xinjiang!"

As soon as they got off the plane, the two saw their tour guide waiting for them, holding a sign and dressed in traditional Uyghur clothing.

At this moment, the two of them felt very different. The other person was so formal, but they felt really comfortable.

"Hello there."

The two quickly greeted each other, and to be honest, they were a little nervous.

"You can just call me Gulixian. This is my brother, Aikber. He will drive us for the rest of the journey."

The tour guide not only introduced himself, but also introduced the older brother who had come over to help pull the suitcase.

The two introduced themselves, and when they arrived at the parking lot, an MPV was already waiting for them.

The hotel was also booked by Gulixian; it's the best hotel around here, after all, Ye Feng paid a lot of money.

"It's getting late. You should rest at the hotel for a while. I'll take you out for dinner tonight, and we'll start our sightseeing tomorrow."

They were indeed quite tired. The two went back to their room to tidy up and intended to rest for a while, but they were both too excited to fall asleep.

Miaomiao stood by the window gazing into the distance. She thought to herself that she had chosen a really nice hotel room; the view from the window alone was worth the price.

"Ye Feng, what do you think Gulixian will take us out to eat tonight?"

"How would I know? We'll see. If there's anything you want to eat, you can tell him."

"No, I'm just curious. I've heard there are a lot of delicious things here that we don't have back home, like those baked buns wrapped around a sheep's head—just thinking about them makes my mouth water!"

Miaomiao leaned against the windowsill, her fingertips gently tapping the sunset reflected on the glass, her eyes shining as if they were filled with starlight.

Ye Feng walked over and gently wrapped his arms around her lips from behind. Her chin rested on the top of his head, and the scent of his shampoo lingered around her nose, making her feel inexplicably at ease.

"That night, Gulixian said, 'Let's try all the local snacks!'"

"Of course! Coming to Xinjiang and not trying the local snacks would be a waste of your trip."

The two joked around in the room for a while, and then the sky outside the window gradually darkened.

My phone suddenly vibrated; it was a message from Gulixian.

"I'm waiting for you downstairs at the hotel. You can come down now, and I'll take you to dinner."

The two didn't waste any time; after tidying up a bit, they went downstairs, where Gulixian was standing in the hotel lobby.

"It's windy tonight, get in the car quickly, don't get cold."

Aikber's accent was a bit stiff, but his smile was exceptionally warm.

The car drove through the bustling streets, the aroma of roasted lamb skewers wafting from the roadside stalls, and the shouts of Uyghur vendors rising and falling. Gulixian, sitting in the passenger seat, turned to introduce the food to them.

"The area in front is Consulate Lane. Although it's not as big as the Grand Bazaar, it's a place frequented by locals, and the food there is the most authentic."

They arrived at their destination shortly after chatting. After parking the car, the four of them walked into the alley. Warm yellow lights shone from the shops, casting a gentle glow on the stone pavement.

Miaomiao spotted the thin-skinned steamed bun shop immediately; the white steam rising from the steamer, carrying the aroma of mutton, went straight into her nose.

Gulixian saw it too, and smiling, she pulled her over.

"The skin of these thin-skinned buns is thinner than paper. One bite and they're bursting with broth. You have to try them."

The old man, a Uyghur uncle with a small mustache, greeted Gulixian warmly.

"Gulixian, it's been so long! Is this your friend?"

"Yes, they are tourists from the mainland. I'm taking them to try your cooking."

Gulixian spoke a few words to the uncle in Uyghur, then turned to look at Miaomiao and Ye Feng.

"Ah Du said he would give us two extra seats, as it was his treat, and said welcome to Xinjiang."

Hearing this, Su Miaomiao was very happy, but Ye Feng's heart skipped a beat. Was he going to kill them?

However, upon learning the price, Ye Feng wanted to slap himself twice, cursing himself for being so dark-hearted!

The freshly steamed meat-filled thin-skin wrappers were served, still steaming hot.

Miaomiao carefully picked one up, gently bit a small hole, and the scalding hot soup burst in her mouth instantly. The freshness of the mutton and the sweetness of the onion blended perfectly, and it wasn't greasy at all!

Miaomiao's eyes widened, and she said to Ye Feng in a muffled voice, "It's really delicious, you have to try it!"

Ye Feng saw that there was oil on the corner of her mouth, smiled and took out a tissue to wipe it off for her, and then picked up one and took a bite himself.

It was indeed more fragrant than the mutton he had bought before. The freshness of the mutton was completely contained in the leopard meat, and the skin was as soft as a cloud.

While they were eating, Gulixian brought over two more bowls of hand-grabbed rice, the grains of rice glistening and plump.

It was topped with large chunks of lamb leg meat and golden carrots.

"This pilaf tastes best when eaten with your hands. You guys should try it."

She demonstrated by picking up a small handful of rice with her right hand and putting it in her mouth, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

Miaomiao followed her example, finding the touch of warm rice particularly novel.

Ye Feng simply grabbed a piece of lamb leg and brought it to Miao Miao's mouth.

"Eat the meat first. I could tell you'd been wanting to eat it for a while because you were staring at the mutton."

Aikber, sitting next to them, couldn't help but laugh as he watched their interaction.

"You two have such a wonderful relationship, it's like what we Uyghurs say, warmer than the sunshine on the grasslands."

As he spoke, he took out two small embroidered pendants from his pocket and handed them over.

"This was embroidered by my wife. I'm giving it to you as a gift, wishing you a long and lasting relationship!"

The pendant is embroidered with a blue eagle. The stitches aren't particularly fine, but they convey a lot of heartfelt sentiment. This isn't a mass-produced item; you can tell from the stitches that it was definitely sewn stitch by stitch.

After finishing their meal, Gulixian suggested taking the two of them to the Grand Bazaar, where there would be a bonfire party in the evening and they could see Uyghur girls dancing.

Once in the car, Aikber drove fast and steadily, while Gulixian chatted with them, which was quite relaxing.

When I entered the Grand Bazaar, it was already bustling with activity. In the central open space, a group of people were dancing around a bonfire, with the rhythm of hand drums being lively and enthusiastic.

Miaomiao was also caught up in the atmosphere, and excitedly pulled Ye Feng to look inside. She wanted to go in, but was also a little hesitant.

Ye Feng also noticed this, so he took Miao Miao's hand, said something to Gu Lixian, and then Gu Lixian smiled and took Su Miao Miao's hand from the other side, leading the two of them to join in.

Neither of them could dance, but Gulixian could, and she taught them some simple moves.

"Aikber, take out the camera and help Miaomiao and Ye Feng record this."

Gulixian was very knowledgeable; how could she not record it at a time like this? But she never expected that she would remember it all along.