I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

The cat rolled over, revealing its soft, fluffy belly, and the artist, in perfect harmony, gently rubbed that spot.

"If only this kind of life could continue forever."

The artist seemed to have unintentionally revealed his true feelings; the sigh was fleeting, yet it still drew Bai Zhou's attention.

"Why are you suddenly so sorrowful, sir?"

The cat hugged the artist's hand with its two front paws and asked her in confusion.

"After this trip, will you still travel the world with me? You can see me for as long as you want. Even if you get tired of me and want to get rid of me, I will not leave you."

"...Ha, you're dreaming. You think you can just chase me away? You're not some stranger, so why should I bother chasing you away?"

The artist grabbed one of the cat's paws with his backhand, gently pressing down on the paw pads, and gently scolded it, but a smile appeared on his lips.

"And what is the reason for your sigh, sir?"

The cat gently shook its head, using its soft fur to try and please the artist.

"Just like any ordinary poet, when the mood strikes, I feel sentimental about spring and autumn."

"I see."

The Seal Cat turned around again, and now had a string of ornaments on its paws.

"This is?"

The artist bent down to examine it closely.

This pendant is a waist ornament, strung together with a vermilion cord, upon which are three dark-colored scales, each no bigger than a penny, yet in both color and texture, they are no less exquisite than the finest jade. The ornament ends with a red knot, symbolizing peace and happiness.

"This is a gift for my husband."

The next moment, the Seal Cat had transformed back into a true dragon.

He wrapped his arms around the painter's bent waist and placed the string of ornaments into the painter's hands.

"Sir, do you remember what day it is today?"

"today……"

The artist was still somewhat confused.

"Today is your birthday, sir."

Seeing the artist's dazed and simple appearance, Bai Zhou couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and offer a word of advice.

"My birthday..."

The artist was stunned again.

She forgot her own birthday, but Ah Xi remembered it.

"I couldn't think of anything to give you, so I made one myself. Although I used some good materials, I'm clumsy and this is the best I could do."

"I hope you won't find it offensive, sir."

"..."

The painter slightly raised his eyes and looked at him.

"I really like this gift."

"I'm glad you like it, sir..."

Their lips met, their eyes were slightly closed, and a gentle mountain breeze caressed them.

Returning to the mountains and rivers, we will meet again (Part 3)

The setting sun was about to disappear, and the sky was covered with red clouds. It was beautiful, yet tinged with sorrow.

"Ah Xi, I am very happy today."

The painter's voice, as gentle as the wind, swirled and drifted into the dragon's ears.

"If you like it, that's good."

Looking at her face, Bai Zhou already knew what she was about to say.

But he didn't want to listen.

"Sir, if you are tired, let's go back."

The painter held his hand down, and the coolness rising from the stone table blended with the warmth of the painter's palm.

“Ah Xi, you gave me a congratulatory gift, so I also have a gift for you.”

"But as you know, I have no other talents besides drawing."

After saying that, the painter raised her other hand and placed a scroll of painting in Bai Zhou's hand.

"If you like this painting, you can take it; if you don't... you can throw it away or burn it, it's up to you."

"How could I treat your hard work like that? It should be treasured and studied slowly in my spare time."

He held the painting in his hand during the day, but did not look at it immediately.

"Hmm. That's not bad."

The artist nodded slightly, seemingly quite satisfied.

"gentlemen……"

The dragon lowered its eyes slightly, and the tip of its tail, which was wrapped around the evening tail under the table, trembled incessantly.

"When will you return, sir?"

"The sooner you finish what you're doing, the sooner I might wake up."

The artist's words are vague and unclear.

"I will strike with lightning speed and hit the target with one blow."

"..."

The artist wanted to offer some words of comfort, urging him to prioritize his own interests and avoid impulsiveness, but then, as if remembering something, he kept quiet, poured him a glass of wine, and...

"Let us return and drink together under the moon."

The painter rode the wind away, his carefree demeanor making the troubled Bai Zhou feel ashamed.

The true dragon returned alone to the Dragon Palace in the capital.

Sitting upright on the eaves of the main hall of the Dragon Palace, bathed in the cool moonlight during the day, I slowly unroll the scroll in my hand.

The vast land of the Great Yan Dynasty is depicted with countless scenic views.

By day, a magnificent eagle took flight, breaking through the clouds and soaring high in the heavens.

Then, in that vast expanse of azure sky, one could see the scenery below, mountains and rivers of the same realm, covered with forests as scales and city walls as armor, the entire thick land of the Great Yan transformed into a majestic true dragon.

"..."

The scroll was rolled up, and a smile appeared on the dragon's face.

"Hey, Ah Xi."

He sensed the call along with the aroma of roast goose.

It's an immortal, an immortal who's come with a roast goose leg for a midnight snack.

"It's so late, why isn't my sister asleep yet?"

By turning his head during the day, he saw Nian happily munching on a roast goose leg.

"If you're not asleep, why should I be?"

Nian glanced at Bai Zhou, who was staring at her, licked her lips with her red, greasy tongue, and reluctantly handed him the goose leg she had bitten into.

"You can only take one bite."

"I'm not hungry, sister. You eat slowly."

Even after all these years, how could Bai Zhou bear to bully her?

"Hmm, the goose leg smells really good, but I'm really not going to eat it."

Instead of taking the goose leg back, Nian stretched out his arm towards him again, almost shoving the goose leg into Bai Zhou's mouth.

"No, sister too, why are you eating such greasy food at night?"

"Because it tastes good."

Seeing that Bai Zhou was indeed not eating it, Nian took back the goose leg and happily ate it himself.

"Did you just come back from the night market, sister?"

During the day, you can smell the lingering scent of cooking fires clinging to the New Year.

They probably went to the food street again.

"Delicious food is good, but it's not good to eat too much at night..."

"Okay, okay, I know. Good Ah Xi, good Xiao Bai, stop nagging."

Nian shook her head, looking like she was saying, "I won't listen, I won't listen," and her white tail swayed along with her movements.

"How did you find me, sister?"

He stopped talking during the day and changed the subject.

"Hehe, I spotted Ah Xi sitting here at a glance."

Nian glanced at the smooth bone in his hand, then secretly tossed it aside, where it accurately hit a trash can dozens of meters away.

"Hey, Ah Xi, how about some water for your sister to wash her hands?"

"It's impossible."

During the day, he raised his hand and drew a circle, and a small cloud appeared inside the circle. Then, a light drizzle fell from that cloud.

"Hmm, this ability is really convenient."

Year after year, he washed his hands under the small cloud, marveling at the convenience of daytime.

"Thanks to my elder sister. Without her strong support, how could I have achieved such great things in just one year?"