In Chapter 7, I remember that this was the first person besides my mother to hold me like this.

That day, Li Xiao ultimately couldn't stay overnight in Young Master Lan's room.

Instead, he boarded a sedan chair to return to his residence, surrounded by a retinue of attendants.

The boy's reluctant yet helpless expression before leaving was utterly delightful.

Especially when I think about Li Xiao being surrounded by a group of tall, muscular men who treated him like a little chick, and how they kept asking him to be careful, take care of himself, and whether he was thirsty or hungry, and how his fair face turned bright red with embarrassment, I almost burst out laughing.

"What are you thinking about? You look so happy."

Suddenly, I heard Lan Gongzi's gentle voice and realized that I had been distracted while practicing calligraphy.

The pen tip remained motionless on the paper for a long time, spreading out large ink dots that looked quite out of place among the rows of characters that were not particularly beautiful but were rather conventional.

I immediately put down my pen in a fluster and tried to stand up to apologize to Young Master Lan for my lack of diligence.

The latter simply patted my shoulder gently, indicating that I didn't need to get up, and then sat down in another armchair next to the table, watching me leisurely.

His gaze held no reproach, yet like any child who knows they've done something wrong, I lowered my head in shame under his gaze.

"Loquat, do you remember what I said to you the day I left you here?" The voice was calm, but full of earnestness.

Upon hearing this, I was jolted and became extremely flustered.

The sudden re-bringing of this old matter made me wonder if my performance was too poor and I failed the young master's test, so he wanted to send me back now.

"I……"

I was filled with panic, thinking of how kind the young master had been to me these past few days, and how I had failed him. I felt extremely reluctant to part with him.

Instinctively, I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could speak, tears welled up first. Tears streamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision so much that I couldn't see anything clearly.

Now I panicked even more, and I wiped my cheeks haphazardly with my fingers.

At the same time, he couldn't help but despise himself in his heart. No wonder someone as kind and gentle as Young Master Lan couldn't stand his pathetic and unlucky appearance.

...They deserved it.

I thought to myself, feeling utterly dejected.

Just then, I heard a soft sigh, and then my hand, which I had been covering my face, was gently pulled away.

Instead, there is the soft touch of a handkerchief.

While gently wiping away my tears, Young Master Lan said with a hint of helplessness, "You're such a big kid now, why do you still cry at the drop of a hat? Don't you even look at what's on your hands? Look, you've been wiping and wiping, and now you've made a big mess of your face."

When you said that, I remembered the ink on my hands when I was practicing calligraphy. I was afraid that it would all melt and smear on my face when it came into contact with my warm tears.

Thinking about this, I felt even more frustrated.

Not only was I lazy and idle, but I also needlessly dirtied the young master's handkerchief... How could there be such a stupid and incompetent person as me?

I have no idea what kind of mess I look like right now.

They had no idea what to do next.

At that moment, Young Master Lan suddenly spoke, still in that unhurried and gentle tone, now with a hint of a smile.

He said, "Alright, let's stop practicing here for today. Go wash your face and hands. The manager just sent someone over with a box of snacks. See if there's anything you like."

Young Master Lan used a tone that sounded like he was coaxing a child.

I realized what he meant and couldn't help but feel a little strange: "Young Master... Young Master, are you not planning to send Pipa away?"

My throat is dry, and my eyes feel warm; they must be swollen.

Young Master Lan seemed somewhat surprised upon hearing this. He stared at me intently for a moment, then leaned over and gently pinched the tip of my nose. He then squinted and chuckled, "When did I ever say such a thing?"

"What did you say about that day, young master..."

"Oh, that?" Young Master Lan seemed to realize something only then, and explained calmly, "I wanted to remind you not to bow your head in front of others so easily. Especially... in front of me."

As he finished speaking, Young Master Lan slowed his pace slightly, his shimmering eyes filled with seriousness.

Upon hearing this, I felt a warmth spread through my heart and eyes, and I couldn't help but want to lower my head again. But remembering what the young master had just said, I stubbornly held back my tears.

She kept her red and swollen eyes wide open, trying her best not to let the tears fall again.

I can't get rid of my incompetence all at once, but at least I can make myself look less weak.

As the saying goes, a man doesn't easily shed tears; a real man doesn't cry so easily.

I kept trying to convince myself of this, clenching my teeth tightly. Until I heard Young Master Lan sigh softly again.

While I was still in a daze, I was suddenly pulled forward and then embraced by a soft, fragrant atmosphere.

That fragrance was all too familiar to me; it was the scent of Young Master Lan… I froze instantly, completely flustered and unsure of what to do with my hands and feet in Young Master Lan’s embrace.

Although Young Master Lan had touched my head more than once, this was the first time he had ever hugged me like this.

In my memory, this was the first person besides my mother to hold me like this.

"Alright, alright, cry if you want to." Young Master Lan said, patting my back gently. His pleasant voice came from above. "You silly child. We had already agreed on things. How could you change your mind so easily? You have so many worries. If you keep going like this, you won't grow tall."

It's really hard to describe how I felt after hearing those words.

I thought I would be so moved that I burst into tears on the spot.

But in fact, I couldn't squeeze out a single tear; instead, the corners of my mouth couldn't be suppressed and turned up in a smile.

Because I am really, really... really happy!

To be held so gently in Young Master Lan's arms, to feel his warmth so closely, to be enveloped by his soft words.

As if embracing an unexpected beautiful dream, I couldn't help but close my eyes, deeply praying that this moment could last indefinitely.

However, I know clearly that everything must come to an end.

Young Master Lan acted out of kindness; he felt sorry for me because I was young and pitiful.

However, I cannot be complacent because of this and mistakenly believe that I have truly won the other person's favor.

Even though we are both in this shady place, the relationship between me and Young Master Lan is ultimately different from that between Young Master Lan and Li Xiao.

I pretended to be nonchalant and carefully broke free from Young Master Lan's embrace.

Young Master Lan naturally let go of my hand. He was wearing a dark blue coat today, so it was impossible to tell whether he had gotten any ink on my face.

When I met those beautiful, smiling eyes again, I suddenly felt a little embarrassed for some reason.

...This wasn't the first time she had made a fool of herself in front of the young master.

I was still trying to figure out what to say to hide my unease.

Young Master Lan had already moved the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone that were originally on the table, and placed a delicate bamboo food box on the table.

"You've finished crying, why don't you go wash your hands?"

Oh right, washing hands... and washing your face, I almost forgot about that!

I immediately nodded emphatically and gave a clear "hmm" in response.

The pastries that the steward gave to Young Master Lan were naturally of good quality.

Neatly arranged in small compartments, each pastry is adorned with fresh fruit and rests on a double layer of lotus leaves. The aroma of the pastries mingles with the fragrance of the leaves, making these already delicate and petite treats even more mouthwatering.

This put me in a difficult position.

After swallowing hard for a while, he finally shook his head.

Young Master Lan seemed puzzled: "You don't like any of them?"

I shook my head again and said honestly, "These pastries look so beautiful that I really can't bear to eat them."

Young Master Lan said "Oh," and looked at me with a smile: "Is it because you couldn't choose one you liked better, so you simply didn't choose any in the end?"

I pondered the meaning behind Young Master Lan's words and felt that the other party might have misunderstood.

"Well, rather than saying I can't choose one I like, it's more that I don't want to waste any of these desserts."

I carefully considered my answer, feeling rather embarrassed: "Because I don't particularly like sweets, I eat them all the same, whether they're delicious or not. In that case, I might as well give them to someone who knows about them to try, so it won't be a waste."

Young Master Lan smiled noncommittally: "Then what does Pipa think constitutes a knowledgeable person?"

Upon hearing this question, a pair of dark jade eyes suddenly appeared in my mind. The boy had snow-white skin and gray hair. He clearly had a pleasing face, but he always liked to make an annoying face.

Come to think of it, it seems that it has indeed been quite a long time since Li Xiao has visited—even though he used to want to stay in the building from morning till night.

Could it be that the body was really injured last time? But is it really possible for someone to be completely devastated by a nosebleed?

A series of question marks flashed through my mind. Seeing this, Young Master Lan asked, "Judging from your expression, are you thinking of someone?"

Upon hearing this, I choked for a moment, then shook my head in denial: "No, I was just thinking about some trivial things."

—And just an insignificant person.

I touched the tip of my nose and answered somewhat guiltily, silently completing the second half of the sentence in my mind.

"Actually, they're all the same," Young Master Lan suddenly said. "Whether it's a beautifully presented pastry or a cold, hard, and dry steamed bun, for humans, the first priority is to serve as food that can be eaten to fill their stomachs. Only when you're full will you have the desire to eat food that tastes even better."

Therefore, for the sake of living itself, delicious food is actually an additional requirement, not to mention the shape, variety, and numerous types and packaging of the food.

Young Master Lan's words left me completely bewildered. I opened my mouth, but didn't know where to begin asking questions.

After struggling for a long time, he finally managed to say, "I am stupid and do not understand what you are saying, young master."

Seeing my humble and eager gaze, Young Master Lan still smiled, but a fleeting, elusive darkness seemed to flash in his eyes, as swift as the shadow cast by a bird falling across the water.

He said, "Loquat, have you ever thought about what the purpose of life is?"

I was taken aback. How did another question suddenly appear out of nowhere, and it was even aimed at me?

I first shook my head honestly, then thought for a moment and finally answered, "Life is hard. Although I don't know why people live, I think it's already very difficult for many people to live. So for someone like me, living is living, and being able to live one more day is a bonus."

After I finished speaking, I felt rather embarrassed. Although every word came from the bottom of my heart, it sounded somewhat lacking in ambition. I hesitated whether to add anything more.

To everyone's surprise, Young Master Lan nodded in agreement.

"Yes, what else could there be?" the young man murmured, casually taking a pastry from the box and holding it to my lips.

I was stunned for a moment, then reached out and took it. Under Young Master Lan's gaze, I took a bite. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a refreshing fruity flavor mixed with a faint milky aroma.

"How about it?"

Under Young Master Lan's expectant gaze, I nodded solemnly: "It's not particularly sweet, so it's delicious."

"That's good." Young Master Lan said, then reached out and took a crumb of pastry from my cheek, then gently instructed, "Eat slowly, and remember to save some room for dinner. Snacks are enough; if you want to grow taller, you still need to rely on regular meals."

Upon hearing the last sentence, I couldn't help but glance at Young Master Lan again. After hesitating for a moment, I asked, "Does Young Master think that Pipa is too short now?"

Young Master Lan laughed: "How could that be? Pipa is cute just the way she is. But it's always good for boys to be taller."

"I see." I nodded, silently making a mental note of Young Master Lan's words.

Then, at dinner, I deliberately ate half a bowl more than usual. Even before going to bed, my stomach still felt a bit round and bulging.

"That's wonderful," I thought contentedly, feeling as if I were getting a little closer to that beautiful future.

I ate it like that for half a month straight. I don't know if I grew taller, but I definitely became more and more sleepy.

It was at this time that I happened to see Li Xiao, whom I hadn't seen for a long time.

It was a bright and sunny afternoon, and the sun was shining warmly on me, which was very pleasant.

I immediately felt that drowsiness that I've been experiencing lately surge back up.

So, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, I simply squinted my eyes as I walked. As a result, I bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction after only a few steps, and because I lost my balance, I fell to the ground.

At the same time as the sound of me falling to the ground, there was also a sneer.

When I opened my eyes, the person standing there, arms crossed and leaning over me in the sunlight, was none other than Li Xiao.

However, perhaps because the sunlight was too dazzling, the boy's already slender figure seemed even thinner.

Paired with that dark green outfit, she really did resemble a beautiful green bamboo rising from the ground.

However, when Qingzhu spoke, it was still that familiar tone: "Oh, little thing, it hasn't been that long since we last met, have you already forgotten your master?"