The tether of a child's hand, the lingering of golden light

Amidst the laughter and chatter of the fluorescent flower sea, Prince Jin was engrossed in chasing Luo Li, chanting lines like "Little wife, don't run away!" The golden light beneath his feet was dazzling. He was so focused on the pink skirt in front of him that he didn't notice the small figure darting out from his side.

"Gotcha!"

The moment the clear, childlike voice rang out, a pair of soft little hands suddenly grabbed the hem of Prince Jin's clothes. Prince Jin stopped abruptly, the inertia almost causing him to stumble and fall. Looking down, he saw Wen Zike, who was now fully awake, rubbing her eyes. The little girl looked up at him with her rosy cheeks and bright eyes. The grip on his clothes wasn't strong, but it was enough to immobilize him.

"Prince Jin, don't run away, play with me, okay?" Wen Zike tugged at his clothes, her voice soft and sweet.

Not far away, the dolls of the Ye Luoli warriors had long since returned to the size of their owners. Luo Li hovered in mid-air, watching the Golden Prince being pestered by the little girl, her eyes crinkling with laughter; the Blue Peacock gracefully landed on Chen Sisi's shoulder, flapping its wings teasingly; Jasmine stood beside Shu Yan, holding a freshly cut wild fruit in her hand, her gentle gaze falling on the group of children playing around; Liang Cai hopped and skipped over, clamoring to join the game.

Prince Jin looked down at the little one clutching his clothes, then looked up at Luo Li, who was grinning mischievously. His acting vanished instantly. He wanted to shake her off with a stern face, but when he met Wen Zike's expectant eyes, he swallowed back the harsh words that were on the tip of his tongue.

"Tsk, troublesome." He muttered with a frown, but his voice lacked its usual hostility, and he obediently stopped walking.

Seeing that he wasn't resisting anymore, Wen Zi laughed even harder, tugging at his clothes and pulling him towards the picnic blanket: "Come on, come on, let's eat something delicious together! Alfalfa's here too!"

Clover followed with small steps, her green eyes full of smiles. She looked at the reluctant but obedient Prince Jin being dragged away, and secretly thought to herself, "This Prince Jin is indeed a stubborn but soft-hearted guy."