Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

The next evening, they went out wrapped in thick coats. The snow had stopped, and the sky was clearer than before.

Shen Yu'an looked up and could see some sparse stars, faintly shining against the dark sky.

Caesar drove an SUV along the frozen lake shore for a while and stopped at the edge of the lake.

Shen Yu'an pushed open the car door and got out. His feet sank a little into the snow, making a crunching sound.

He stood still and turned around. In the distance were dark shadows of trees and the outlines of hills further away, while nearby, only the snow reflected the faint starlight.

"Can you see it from here?" he asked.

"I can see it. There are no lights here."

Xize took two folding chairs out of the trunk, walked on the lake for a while, and found a flat spot to put them down.

Shen Yu'an followed, wrapped a scarf around his neck, sat down on a chair, and looked up at the sky.

The sky was deep blue, and there were more stars than in the city, but they lacked that flowing light. He pulled his scarf up, covering half his face.

The night wind wasn't strong, but it was cold, and my breath froze on my scarf.

"How long will it take?" Shen Yu'an asked.

"It's hard to say. Sometimes it's an hour or two, sometimes it's all night."

Shen Yu'an didn't reply, and continued to look up at the sky.

After watching for a while, he looked down, rubbed his hands together, and put his fingers into his coat pocket. Xize, sitting in the chair next to him, wasn't looking at the sky, but at him.

Why are you looking at me like that?

"You look cold."

"What's the use of you noticing I'm cold? You're not going to warm me up."

Xize stood up and moved his chair next to Shen Yu'an, placing it side by side with his chair.

He reached out and pulled the zipper of Shen Yu'an's coat up all the way, then buttoned up the collar. Shen Yu'an looked down at his fingers as he buttoned the coat, and looked up when he finished.

"Aren't you cold when you pull my zipper?"

"I'm not cold."

"That's a lie."

Xize didn't reply. He leaned back in his chair and looked up at the sky with Shen Yu'an.

Neither of them spoke; only the wind blew across the lake, carrying the scent of ice and snow.

Shen Yu'an stomped his feet in the snow, but his toes were already numb. He pulled his feet back and curled them up on the edge of the chair, shrinking into a ball.

Xize glanced at him sideways, then stood up and moved his chair further to face Shen Yu'an. As he sat down, he reached out and pulled Shen Yu'an from his chair, letting him sit on his lap.

Shen Yu'an was completely wrapped in his coat, her back pressed against his chest, her face buried in the side of his neck.

"Are you still cold?"

"You're not cold anymore," Shen Yu'an's voice came from his collar. "You're warm."

His arms encircled Shen Yu'an's waist, slipping under his coat, his palm resting against his side. Shen Yu'an flinched slightly but didn't pull away, slowly relaxing and leaning against him.

Their breaths turned into white mist in the cold air, overlapping and then dispersing.

Shen Yu'an's face was pressed against Xize's neck, and she could feel his pulse beating under her skin.

"Daddy."

"Um."

What if we can't see it at all tonight?

"Then come again tomorrow."

What if we still can't see it tomorrow?

"Come again the day after tomorrow."

What if we never see it?

Caesar tightened his grip slightly: "Then keep going."

Shen Yu'an didn't ask any more questions. He leaned against him and waited quietly.

The stars in the sky were a little brighter than before, and some were particularly close, as if they were hanging not far overhead.

Shen Yu'an stared at one of the stars for a while until his eyes ached. He blinked twice, but the star remained lit and motionless.

After an unknown amount of time, a slight change appeared on the horizon.

At first, he thought it was a cloud; that patch was a lighter color than the surrounding sky, like a very pale gray that was slowly moving. Then the pale color began to brighten, changing from gray to light green, with a hint of purple at the edges.

"Daddy." Shen Yu'an's voice was very low.

Caesar moved his arm, lifted his chin off his shoulder, and looked up.

The green was spreading, transforming from a narrow arc into a curtain of light covering most of the sky.

The color changes, from light green to dark green, and then back to light green, with a purple edge occasionally flashing across its surface. It has no fixed shape, flowing like the wind, slowly shifting its position and curvature.

Shen Yu'an sat up straight from Xize's lap, looking up at the light. His lips were slightly parted, and his breath spread across his face.

Xize's hands were still wrapped around his waist, not letting go, his chin resting on his shoulder, also looking in the same direction.

The aurora lasted for about ten minutes.

At its brightest, the green covered the entire sky, stretching from one end of the horizon to the other, like a thin veil fluttering in the wind.

Then it slowly faded, became lighter, shrank into a small patch of pale green halo, and finally disappeared completely into the dark sky.

The stars lit up again, just like before, as if nothing had happened.

Shen Yu'an was still looking up.

He lowered his head after a long while, turning to look at Xize. Xize's chin was still resting on his shoulder, their faces very close.

"Is it pretty?" Shen Yu'an asked.

"nice."

Shen Yu'an looked at him for a few seconds: "Did you make a wish just now?"

Xize looked at him: "I didn't have time before. Let's make it up now."

"Then promise now."

Xize looked at him for a moment, then spoke in a low voice: "I hope you'll want to come see the aurora every year from now on."

Shen Yu'an was taken aback: "What kind of wish is that?"

"That's my wish."

Shen Yu'an looked at him for a while, then lowered her head and buried her face in his neck again.

His voice, muffled at the collar of Xize's neck, trembled slightly, perhaps from the cold: "Then I'll come every year from now on. You'll come with me."

Xize patted him on the back: "Keep me company."

It was past midnight when we got back to the cabin.

When Shen Yu'an pushed open the door, the warmth of the room rushed in. His face, which had been numb from the cold wind, felt a slight tingling sensation when it came into contact with the warm air.

He stomped his feet in the foyer, the snow on his shoes melting into water on the floor. Xize followed him in, closed the door, and bent down to untie his shoelaces.

Shen Yu'an looked down at the top of his head without saying a word. He waited until the man straightened up before taking a few steps into the house and sitting down on the carpet in front of the fireplace.

Xize also came over and sat down next to him.

The fire in the fireplace was almost out, with only a few pieces of burnt charcoal still glowing a dark red.

Xize added a few thin pieces of firewood, and the flames flickered up again, illuminating their faces. Shen Yu'an leaned over, turning to rest his head on Xize's lap, his face pressed against the outside of his thigh.

Xize's hand landed on his hair, slowly rubbing it, his fingertips running through his hair from the top of his head to the back of his neck, one stroke at a time.

"Why did you say that when you made your wish just now?" Shen Yu'an's voice came from below.

Which one?

"I hope I can come see the aurora borealis every year from now on."

Xize's hands didn't stop: "Because the baby likes it."

"If I come, you have to come too."

"Yes. I can come every year."

Shen Yu'an didn't reply. He rubbed his face against Xize's leg, then shifted his position, facing the fireplace.

The flames danced on his face, casting long shadows on his eyelashes. Caesar's hands continued to ruffle his hair without stopping.

"Is the baby sleepy?" Xize asked.

"A little."

"Then go to bed."

"Sit a little longer."

Xize didn't urge him. He looked down at Shen Yu'an's face, at his silhouette illuminated by the firelight, at his closed eyes and slightly parted lips.

Shen Yu'an's breathing was slowing down, from even to a slower rhythm, as if he were about to fall asleep. Xize's hand paused on his head for a moment, then gently patted his shoulder twice.

"Baby."

Shen Yu'an's eyes twitched, but he didn't open them: "Hmm."

"Let's go dog sledding tomorrow."

Shen Yu'an opened his eyes and turned his head to look at Xize: "A sled?"

"Yes. There are farms here that keep sled dogs; you can take them for a run in the snow."

Shen Yu'an thought for a moment: "What time tomorrow?"

"morning."

"Then go to sleep now."

He sat up after he finished speaking, but instead of standing up, he reached out and hugged Xize's neck, pressing his face against Xize's neck for a few seconds.

Caesar wrapped his arms around his back, his palms pressed against his shoulder blades. The two remained in this position in front of the fireplace, the fire crackling softly in the hearth beside them.

Shen Yu'an let go of his hand, stood up, and turned to walk towards the bedroom. As she reached the door, she glanced back at Xize: "Daddy, you should go to sleep early too."

"I'll go right away."

The next morning, Shen Yu'an was awakened by the light coming from outside the window.

He sat up and saw that the snow had stopped. The sky was light gray, and sunlight was filtering through the gaps in the clouds, falling on the snow and making the entire white expanse shine.

He threw off the covers and got out of bed. He stepped barefoot onto the wooden floor and looked out the window. The lake in the distance was still white, but there were several dark marks on the snow nearby, like tire tracks or footprints.

Xize walked over from the direction of the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee, and leaned against the bedroom door frame, looking at him.

"woke up?"

"Hmm. When are we going sledding?"

"We'll leave after breakfast."

It took less than twenty minutes to drive to the farm.

The farm is small, with several wooden houses arranged in a circle, and a row of sled dogs tied up in the middle of the open space, pacing back and forth in the snow.

When Shen Yu'an got out of the car, the dogs pricked up their ears and glanced at him, and a few wagged their tails a few times.

The farmer, a tall man wearing thick gloves, came over, shook hands with Caesar, and said a few words in Finnish. Caesar turned to Shen Yu'an and said, "He said the weather is nice today, perfect for a trip a bit further."

Shen Yu'an squatted down and reached out to hand the dog to the nearest one.

The dog came over, sniffed his hand, licked his fingertips, and then retreated to continue wagging its tail. Shen Yu'an chuckled, stood up, and patted the drool off his hands.

The sled was made of wood and wasn't very big; it was just the right size for two people to sit side by side.

After the farmer helped them harness the dogs, he released the brakes, and the sled started moving. The pack of dogs began to run, not fast, but very steadily.

The sled glided across the snow, making a continuous screeching sound. Shen Yu'an sat in front, and Xize sat behind him, his hands reaching out from both sides to hold the edges of the sled, encircling Shen Yu'an in the middle.

The wind blew in his face, carrying the scent of snow and pine. Shen Yu'an squinted as he looked ahead, watching the trees and snow recede into the distance.

The sled tilted slightly when it turned, and Shen Yu'an's body swayed slightly, bumping into Xize's chest before bouncing back.

"Are you cold?" Xize's voice came from behind him, carried away by the wind.

"It's not cold."

"Stubborn to the end."

Shen Yu'an did not refute. He pulled his hands back from the edge of the sled, tucked them into his sleeves, and clutched the cuffs to keep warm.

Xize moved his hand away from his side, reached out and grasped his hand, which was tucked into his sleeve, holding it through the thickness of the fabric.

His fingers gently brushed against the back of Shen Yu'an's hand before releasing them and placing them back on the edge of the sled.

The sled traveled for nearly an hour before stopping on a wide-open lake.

The pack of dogs stopped, panting, their breath dissipating in the cold air. Shen Yu'an stood up from the sled, his feet touching the snow. The ice on the lake was thick, making no sound as he stepped on it.

He stood on the ice and looked around.

Xize got down and stood next to him.

"How are you feeling?"

Shen Yu'an thought for a moment: "Slower than driving, but better than driving."

"What's so good about it?"

"It's a lot of fun."

Shen Yu'an squatted down and pressed the snow. The snow was very thick, and his fingers sank in up to the second knuckle.

He grabbed a small handful of snow, squeezed it tightly into a loose snowball, then stood up and gently tossed it towards Xize.

The snowball hit Caesar's jacket, scattered, and landed on his shoes.

Xize looked down at the snow on his shoes, then looked up at Shen Yu'an.

"You hit me."

"Just smash it."

Xize bent down, grabbed a handful of snow, and made a snowball, but didn't throw it at him.

He walked over and pressed the snowball against the back of Shen Yu'an's head. It wasn't heavy; the snow scattered on his hair and fell down the strands.

Shen Yu'an shrank his neck, and snow fell into the back of his collar, the icy touch against his skin.

Shen Yu'an turned around to face him and reached out to brush the snow that remained in the back of her collar.

A few white specks of snow still clung to his hair, glistening in the sunlight. Caesar reached out and brushed them away, pausing briefly as his fingertips touched the snow before withdrawing his hand.

"Daddy."

"Um."

"What you just did was colder than if I'd been soaking in water for a long time."

"I'm sorry, baby, I won't put it in your collar anymore."

Shen Yu'an looked at him. There was still a tiny snowflake on his eyelashes. Xize saw it, but didn't say anything. He just reached out and gently wiped the corner of his eye with the pad of his thumb.

Shen Yu'an blinked, and the snowflake was brushed off, landing on his cheek and melting into a drop of water.

On the way back, Shen Yu'an leaned on Xize's shoulder with her eyes half-closed.

The sound of the sled gliding across the snow was continuous and even, like a rhythmic background noise. His fingers rested on Caesar's hand, not gripping it, just resting on it.

"Daddy."

"Um."

"I'll come to Finland every year from now on."

Caesar flipped his fingers over and clasped his hand in his palm.

"good."