Zhuang Yan watched tutorials for a long time before daring to try it. This was the first time he wanted to bring his skills to the extreme and make a perfect five-nut mooncake.

The five-nut mooncakes contain nuts that Lu Yan likes to eat; you can't choose too many, as it will easily ruin the taste.

He made several kinds of five-nut mooncakes, and he ate so many mooncakes the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival that he was full.

Homemade mooncakes, made with high-quality ingredients and the right level of sweetness, are much more fragrant than those made outside.

Zhuang Yan packed the mooncakes and specially selected a beautiful gift box and tote bag online.

The mooncakes were made by the two of them. Lu Yan tasted one halfway through. The mooncake was still warm, and the aroma of the nuts and oil spread with her saliva. It was very fragrant and the best five-nut mooncake she had ever eaten.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhuang Yan got up early, changed his clothes, and carried gifts.

Remembering that Lu Yan said she ate too many pancakes yesterday, and worried that her stomach might be upset today, Zhuang Yan specially cooked porridge. Lu Yan has a key to the house, and he figured she was still sleeping at this hour, so Zhuang Yan didn't disturb her. Instead, he sent her a text message to tell her that he had already left and that she should remember to eat breakfast when she woke up, as he had cooked porridge for her.

Not long after the text message was sent, I heard noises coming from next door.

Zhuang Yan and Lu Yan opened the door almost at the same time. When they saw each other, they were both stunned. In the end, Lu Yan laughed first.

Lu Yan wore a slip dress made of shimmering blue silk, which made her skin look even whiter. She had obviously just woken up; her hair was still messy, and her face, without any makeup, had a rosy and radiant complexion. No wonder people online call her the goddess of natural beauty.

Lu Yan adjusted her shawl: "Are you going out?"

"Yes, I made an appointment with my aunt for breakfast."

"Is the journey long? Will you feel uncomfortable if you go out without eating breakfast?"

"It's not far, it only takes forty minutes by car."

Zhuang Yan answered whatever Lu Yan asked without any reservations, and he was able to explain anything.

"Wait for me, don't go yet." Lu Yan turned around and went inside, then quickly came out with a bag, took out a bag of chocolates and a box of chewing gum, and stuffed them all into his hands.

I'm worried you have low blood sugar.

Zhuang Yan looked at the blueberry-flavored gum in his hand, then at Lu Yan's outfit today, and inexplicably felt that it matched her well, making him unable to help but think of her.

"Thanks."

Lu Yan asked again, "Will you be back tonight?"

"Where will I stay tonight if I don't come back? I promised you I would come back tonight to watch the moon with you."

Lu Yan was finally happy. She raised her hand to straighten his clothes and then urged, "Let's go quickly, or we'll get stuck in traffic."

Zhuang Yan glanced at the door behind him: "I won't close the door. Go and have breakfast. I've cooked some nourishing porridge."

"good."

"You also need to eat lunch on time. If you don't want to order takeout, there are wontons I made in the fridge." Lu Yan has a bad habit of forgetting to eat once she starts working.

Irregular eating habits, such as skipping meals or overeating, can easily put a strain on the stomach. He knew how uncomfortable stomach problems were, so he didn't want to see Lu Yan get sick.

Zhuang Yan only becomes talkative when he likes someone. Lu Yan doesn't find it annoying at all; on the contrary, she thinks his voice is very pleasant. This kind of Zhuang Yan is very attractive, making people want to stay by his side forever.

Lu Yan: "Have you forgotten? I'm going out today too."

"Will you be back tonight?" Zhuang Yan asked the same question this time.

Lu Yan stared straight into his eyes: "What if I don't come back?"

As if he had stepped into thin air, Zhuang Yan suppressed his inner turmoil and said, "Then I'll come find you."

"I'll be back, and I'll be back before you. I'll be waiting for you at home." Lu Yan gently squeezed Zhuang Yan's forearm, coaxing him while pushing him towards the elevator. "Let's go."

She watched Zhuang Yan enter the elevator and didn't return to her room until the elevator doors closed. After eating the breakfast Zhuang Yan had prepared for her, Lu Yan changed into a red dress, put on exquisite makeup, and wore expensive jewelry. Of all her outfits, only the red bean necklace around her neck was the cheapest.

She gave herself a satisfied smile in the mirror, then left the room carrying the mooncakes Zhuang Yan had made for her.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, temperatures began to drop, and the morning air was cool. Lu Yan drove along the road, which became increasingly remote and less populated, until finally, there were almost no people in sight.

We finally arrived at our destination, and outside the car was a cemetery filled with ginkgo trees.

The person Lu Yan is going to see today... is her deceased mother.

The bulging grave was covered with grass, and the tombstone was covered with moss and dust. Lu Yan reached out and pulled the grass away, then wiped the tombstone clean, her fingertips touching the name on it.

Lin Zhixue is her mother's name.

Lu Yan was not even five years old when her mother committed suicide. In the blink of an eye, 22 years have passed.

The tombstone is cleaned every year, but it still cannot stop the traces left by time; even the photos on it have become old.

Although the photo is faded, her beauty is still evident.

Lu Yan squatted on the ground, laid out the mooncakes Zhuang Yan had made, lit incense, and poured a glass of fruit wine.

"Mom, it's Mid-Autumn Festival again, I've come to see you."

"Do I look good today? I've grown up healthy and strong, just as you wished. I've been to many places, met many people, and tasted different kinds of food. I've also met someone I really like. Look, this is the necklace he gave me. Isn't it beautiful? This year, he celebrated my birthday with me, not just your daughter alone."

A wisp of smoke rose, and the air was filled with the scent of incense. Lu Yan found a spot to sit down, leaning against the cold tombstone as if she were leaning on her mother's shoulder.

It is said that children's memories are vague before the age of five, so the mother chose to die when Lu Yan was four years old.

Lin Zhixue died on a snowy day.

Lu Yan will never forget that it was Christmas Eve. Her mother dressed her in a beautiful red dress and made her an apple cake. The snow outside the window was blown onto the glass by the wind. Lu Yan liked to lie on the window and draw.

There are fireworks outside. After midnight, tomorrow will be Christmas. I heard that Santa Claus will come down the chimney at midnight to give presents to every good child.

Since there was no chimney in the house, Lu Yan opened her bedroom window. Worried that she would miss Santa's presents, Lu Yan set an alarm for 1 a.m.

The alarm clock rang, she opened her eyes and started looking for Santa Claus, then she found her mother in the bathroom outside.

Mom lay in the bathtub, soaking in the red water, and fell asleep peacefully.

Four-year-old Lu Yan tried to lift her mother out of the bathtub, but she was too weak and couldn't lift her. She also slipped and fell to the ground. She cried loudly in pain and wanted her mother to come out and hug her to comfort her.

But her mother remained silent. The water in the bathtub had long since cooled down. She touched the water and said to her mother, "Mom, the water is so cold. Please get out of the bath, or you'll catch a cold."

At that time, she didn't know what "death" was. She thought that her mother had just fallen asleep while taking a bath and that when she woke up, she would hold her and coax her to sleep, make her sweet cakes, braid her hair, and dress her in pretty dresses.