Yingqu Liuzi was pampered by her wealthy daddy.

They spent four days in Yunnan. They visited snow-capped mountains, ancient towns, and spent an afternoon cycling along Erhai Lake.

Shen Yu'an rode in front, with Xize following behind, about ten meters apart.

Halfway through the ride, Shen Yu'an stopped to wait for Xize. When Xize got close, Shen Yu'an said, "You're riding so slowly."

Xize said, "I want to watch you from behind."

Later they went to Chengdu, saw pandas, and ate hot pot.

Xize drank two bottles of water because of the spiciness, and Shen Yu'an watched him chugging the water.

When Xize put down the water bottle, he saw that there was still more than half a bowl left in Shen Yu'an's bowl and asked him if he wasn't going to eat. Shen Yu'an said that seeing him eat made him not hungry anymore. Xize didn't reply, but picked up the remaining food from Shen Yu'an's bowl and ate it himself.

On the day they left China, their mother saw them off at the airport. Just like last time, she packed a bag of food for them, but this time it was dried fruit and tea.

Shen Yu'an said he didn't need it anymore because he really couldn't fit any more, but his mother still stuffed it into his hand.

After flying for more than ten hours, they landed in Fiji.

The private villa on the island was the last stop on their honeymoon.

The white sand reflected the afternoon sun, and the sea shone with a brilliant blue light.

Shen Yu'an kicked off his shoes as he walked into the porch, and walked barefoot on the wooden floor to the seaside, where he stood at the edge of the water and looked into the distance.

Seawater surged up in front of his toes and then receded, carrying white foam.

Xize walked over and stood next to him, also looking at the sea.

"This is the last stop," Shen Yu'an said.

"Um."

"Then I went back to London."

"Um."

Shen Yu'an turned to look at him: "Aren't you reluctant to part with it?"

"What are you reluctant to part with?"

"I can't bear to take a holiday."

Xize looked at him: "You can take a break if you go home for the holidays."

"You still have so much to do when you get back."

"We can get things done, but you also need to be there for me."

Shen Yu'an turned back to look at the sea, slowly rubbing his toes in the sand, and then he took a step into the sea. The water reached his calves, and a chill rose from the soles of his feet.

Xize also took a step forward and stood next to him. The water was only ankle-deep, and the two stood side by side.

"There will be a submarine tomorrow," Caesar said.

"What can you see?"

"Coral, fish, and sea turtles."

"That must be beautiful!"

They boarded the submarine the next morning.

When the two people were sitting in the observation cabin, the water surface was not far above their heads, and the light shone down from above.

As the submarine descended, Shen Yu'an watched the water outside grow increasingly dark. Then he saw the fish.

Groups of them, of different colors, swam past the observation window, as if they had been scattered down from above by someone.

Shen Yu'an leaned closer to look; his forehead was almost pressed against the transparent cabin wall, and his breath left a small patch of mist on the glass.

After the school of fish swims past, you can see corals deeper in the water, swaying in the current.

Xize sat next to him, also watching.

Shen Yu'an looked at him for a while, then turned back to look at him and saw him quietly looking out the window with his head turned to the side. Shen Yu'an didn't call him, and turned back to continue looking.

Back on shore, Shen Yu'an sat on a deck chair by the beach and sunbathed his legs for a while. Xize brought out two glasses of ice water from the villa, handed him one, and sat down on the deck chair next to him.

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

"nice."

Shen Yu'an picked up the cup and took a sip of water.

The sun was moving westward, and the light softened from harsh to gentle. In the distance, birds flew close to the water's surface, their wings flapping softly.

They walked on the beach for a while in the evening.

Shen Yu'an's feet left two rows of footprints in the sand. Xize walked next to him, and his footprints were a size larger than his.

Shen Yu'an walked for a while, then stopped and looked back at the footprints he had left behind. He then bent down and drew two letters on the sand with his finger, then drew two more letters side by side.

Xize stood beside him watching him finish drawing: "What did you write?"

"My name and your name. Abbreviations."

Xize looked down at the four letters on the sand for a moment, then looked up: "They disappear when the tide comes in."

"Then just remember it."

Xize didn't answer. He squatted down and wrote his full name next to Shen Yu'an's initials with his finger, spelling it out completely and carefully.

Shen Yu'an squatted down beside him, watching his fingers move across the sand. When he finished writing and looked up, he reached out and touched Xize's fingers, his fingertips brushing against Xize's before he withdrew his hand.

They ate dinner on the terrace outside the villa that night.

The table wasn't big, and the two people sat facing each other. On the table were several local dishes: grilled fish, coconut rice, and cut fruit.

A sea breeze blew in from the side, lifting a corner of the tablecloth and then letting it fall again. Shen Yu'an forked a piece of papaya, put it in his mouth, and chewed while looking at the distant sea.

"Daddy."

"Um."

"Will we be able to get out again after we go back?"

Where do you want to go?

"I don't know. I just wanted to get out."

Xize looked at him: "Then come out. Tell me when you've figured it out."

Shen Yu'an lowered her head and forked another piece of papaya: "And what about you? What do you do when you don't want to come out?"

"I'll come out whenever you want to."

Shen Yu'an didn't reply and continued eating his fruit.

The sea breeze ruffled the hair on his forehead, but he didn't brush it away. Xize sat opposite him, watching him eat, barely touching his own plate.

After dinner, they sat on the terrace for a while, with Shen Yu'an leaning back in his chair looking at the stars.

The night sky on the island is much wider than in the city, and the density of stars is much greater.

Shen Yu'an pointed to one and said it was the brightest. Xize looked in the direction he was pointing and said that was Venus. Shen Yu'an tilted his head and asked him how he knew. Xize said he had read about it in a book before.

"What about the one over there?"

"It should be Jupiter."

"What else do you know?"

Xize thought for a moment: "There's also Polaris, in the due north direction. We can't see it today; it's obscured by clouds."

Shen Yu'an turned back to look at the stars for a while, then stood up, walked to him, bent down, and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

Xize raised his hand and placed it on his back, his palm against his shoulder blade. After a while, he asked if he wanted to go inside. Shen Yu'an said he would stay a little longer.

They didn't get back to the house until very late that night. The footprints on the beach had been washed away by the night tide, and there was nothing left on the sand.

But Shen Yu'an remembered what he had drawn, and he also remembered that Xize had spelled out the letters next to him completely. The sound of the waves outside the window continued.

The next day they packed their bags and left Fiji.

As the plane took off, Shen Yu'an looked out the window and saw the island getting smaller and smaller until it was finally obscured by clouds and disappeared from sight.

Xize sat down next to him, reached out and took his fingers, gripping them on the armrest of the seat.

Shen Yu'an didn't turn his head, but he spoke up: "What's the first thing you do when you get home?"

"Put your luggage down."

"The second item?"

"Take out the things you bought and arrange them."

"The third item?"

Xize tilted his head to look at him: "The third thing is to confirm that you're still here."

Shen Yu'an's fingers moved slightly in Xize's palm.

He didn't turn his head; his gaze remained fixed on the cloud-covered area outside the window. His voice was soft, tinged with a hint of amusement, and trailed off quickly. He said, "Where else can I go?"