"Zhaozhao! Do you want some of this?"

After Xia Shizhao finished picking the roses, he looked up and saw Mu Tong climbing up the tree.

My heart skipped a beat. "Auntie! Be careful!"

"Catch! Ah—"

As a result, he couldn't control his strength and, covering his mouth, exclaimed with his eyes wide open, "It's over!"

A peach flew through the sky, and Xia Shizhao watched helplessly as it flew straight towards Gu Lian behind him.

This thing couldn't hurt her at all. Gu Lian caught it without even blinking, her face full of helplessness. "Aunt Mu, be careful, or you'll be too scared to come down again."

Don't worry!

The tung tree resembles a freed, mischievous monkey, darting about in the tree.

suddenly.

Click—

The sound of a branch breaking.

Xia Shizhao was closest to her and ran over quickly to catch her.

Holding the person in her arms, she sighed with trepidation, her face full of helplessness, "Auntie, you have to be careful next time. Don't climb trees when no one is around."

This condition can be considered very accommodating; it even prevented her from climbing trees.

Feeling embarrassed in front of the younger generation, Mu Tong nodded guiltily, her ears turning bright red. "I... I'll be more careful."

"You're such a grown-up," Grandma Shu sighed, but her face was full of affection, "and you still need a child to coax you."

"Mom!" Mu Tong stamped her foot in frustration after regaining her footing, then asked Xia Shizhao with concern, "Is your hand alright?"

Xia Shizhao shook his head with a smile, "Auntie isn't heavy, this weight is no problem at all."

She pointed to the roses next to her, "The ingredients for the flower cakes need to be collected again by Auntie and me."

"Of course, no problem!"

The two chatted and laughed as they ran into the rose garden, where Xia Shizhao occasionally shared some interesting facts about flowers with her.

Ling Shuang sighed from behind, "A Tong's emotions are still quite stable today."

"Indeed, this child gets along well with Atong. Auntie, could you please bring her to keep Atong company more often?"

Grandma Shu was a little embarrassed when she said this.

“This…” Ling Shuang hesitated for a moment. “I’ll ask Shi Zhao about this later. I can’t make a decision on my own.”

"Too."

Grandma Shu looked tenderly at the two busy figures in the garden and sighed, "It's been so long since I've seen Xiaotong so happy and lively."

"Yeah, she used to be the naughtiest one, if it weren't for... never mind, let's not talk about her."

Ling Shuang hesitated, unable to let go of her feelings.

If that person hadn't died, and that child hadn't been lost, Atong would be a renowned pharmacist who would shock the galaxy, instead of the child who occasionally goes mad.

Xia Shizhao cupped his hands around a megaphone and shouted, "Teacher Ling! Aunt Mu is calling you!"

Hearing the sound, Ling Shuang rushed over and looked at Mu Tong with concern: "What's wrong, A Tong?"

"This purple rose is beautiful, here you go!"

Mu Tong smiled so brightly that Ling Shuang's nose tingled with emotion. She trembled as she accepted the flower Mu Tong offered and tucked it behind her ear, just as she had done in her youth.

Just like before, she blinked her bright eyes, her face full of sincerity: "Beautiful! You look absolutely stunning in purple!!"

"Really? Then I'll wear more purple clothes."

"Okay, then I'll wear the blue one! Because you gave me a blue rose!"

Ling Shuang covered her face in embarrassment and made up a random excuse: "I need to pee, I have to go."

"Huh?" Mu Tong stared blankly at Ling Shuang, who was running away at top speed. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she looked worried. "Zhao Zhao, Ling seems to be very sad. I..."

"Go after her, I'll handle things on my end."

Xia Shizhao tilted his head, looked at her gently, his eyes full of encouragement.

"Okay, Xiaolian, can you pick some roses for Zhaozhao? I'm going to find A-Ling."

"good."

Gu Lian nodded coldly, while Xia Shizhao looked at her with an awkward smile, thinking that this child picked flowers as if she were picking someone's head.

That's really something else.

Xia Shizhao couldn't help but move closer.

"Are you afraid of me?" Gu Lian finally couldn't help but ask as she watched Xia Shizhao run further and further away.

"No!" Xia Shizhao's voice would rise slightly when he felt guilty.

"Then you don't like me?"

"Uh? Me? I like you?"

Xia Shizhao was dumbfounded.

"Um."

"No, this is the first time we've met, how could I like you?!" Xia Shizhao couldn't help but raise his voice.

Gu Liancai realized the ambiguity of her previous statement, her neck flushed red, and she scratched her head, offering a rambling explanation:

"Sorry, that's not what I meant. It's just... you don't seem to like talking to me much... I... I'm not very good at talking, so... anyway, I'm not a scoundrel!"

These words sound so familiar. Xia Shizhao looked at her hesitantly, wondering if she could speak clearly. She was sure that Liu Ruxuan and she would get along well. The two of them could hardly communicate. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "You mean, you want to be friends with me?"

Gu Lian nodded affirmatively, indicating that she agreed.

"You should have said so earlier." That startled me; I thought some troublemaker was trying to harm me again.

“My mom said you are very outstanding. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard her praise someone, so I’m very curious.”

Gu Lian scratched her head sheepishly.

"Oh, really?"

Xia Shizhao touched the tip of her nose sheepishly. After all, she rarely went to class and thought the teacher didn't mention her much, since the teacher usually called her "bastard student."

"Did Aunt Mu just pinch you like that?" Gu Lian pointed to the bruise on her wrist.

She looked down and saw that the area had turned bluish-purple.

"It seems so."

"I'm sorry, Aunt Mu is perfectly normal when she's not having an episode. She's a very nice person, please don't dislike her."

Gu Lian's tone was a little nervous.

"No, Auntie is actually a very nice person. You can tell she's a very gentle person."

Xia Shizhao chuckled and shook her head, and she felt a sense of intimacy with her. "Have you packed everything up? Does your aunt have a dryer or something?"

"Yes, Auntie used to make it too, but it's probably been idle for a long time. I'll go ask Grandpa Mu."

"Yes, yes, I'll go get it. You all come with me."

Grandpa Mu, who was standing to the side watching the two children, quickly spoke up.

Only then did the two notice Grandpa Mu's presence.

A flame ignited in Gu Lian's eyes, "Grandpa Mu! You taught me how to hide so well! You really didn't teach me all your secret techniques!!"

"Hey, you little rascal, you have to train even on your day off, can't you take a break?"

Grandpa Mu rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He never expected that even after retiring at his age, he would still have to train people every day.

When he looked at Xia Shizhao, he saw that she was also looking at him with expectant eyes.

He choked up, then waved his hand, "Alright, alright, come find me this weekend, I'll teach you."

Gu Lian and Xia Shizhao exchanged a glance and then gave each other a high five.

"Thank you, Grandpa!"

"Come on, Grandpa wants to eat flower cakes."

"I guarantee you'll be satisfied." Xia Shizhao patted his chest confidently.

She went to the kitchen, skillfully washed the flower petals, put them in the dryer, and found flour and other ingredients to start preparing.

The three of them divided the work well and worked quietly.

Xia Shizhao finished preparing the materials in his hand.

He raised his head.

Gu Lian, who was kneading the dough, looked disheveled, with a lot of flour flying onto her face and hair.

Xia Shizhao burst out laughing, letting out a merciless mockery, "What...what are you doing, hahahaha!"

"..." Gu Lian lowered her head in shame and indignation.

She had never done this kind of work before, and seeing Xia Shizhao so serious, she didn't dare to say anything. She just sat there pondering, and it seemed like she was just making things worse.

"Go and tidy up, I'll take care of things here."

Xia Shizhao originally intended to keep her from getting bored standing to the side, but who knew this child wouldn't do that.

"I'll help too!"

"Gu Lian, are you playing with flour?" Ling Shuang was completely bewildered when she saw the little white figure.

Looking at Mu Tong and Ling Shuang, Xia Shizhao noticed that both of them had red eyes, as if they had been crying. He didn't expose them, but smiled and said, "Of course you can come and help, but don't come here to play like Gu Lian."

"No way, who's like her who doesn't cook and just eats compressed biscuits when they're hungry?"

Although Ling Shuang complained, she still took a handkerchief and wiped her face. "Go wash your hair yourself. Next time I cook, you'll have to learn how to cook!"

“…Oh.” Gu Lian nodded reluctantly and left the kitchen.

Grandma Shu was also helping in the kitchen, but like Gu Lian, she only made things worse and was eventually asked to leave by Grandpa Mu.

It was lively and bustling, just like celebrating the Chinese New Year.

When Xia Shizhao was about to leave that night, Mu Tong and Grandma Shu looked at her with reluctance. If it weren't for Mu Tong's health condition, they probably would have followed her.

In the end, both of them were taken home by Grandpa Mu.