Shen Jixue officially kicked off her vacation time at Cloud Cottage.
However, a body clock shaped by years of habit proved difficult to change overnight. Even though she had gone to sleep late and woken up early during her first couple of days, her true self quickly reasserted itself once enough time had passed.
It was another day of opening her eyes right before lunchtime. Yawning softly, Shen Jixue walked over to the window.
The living room featured floor-to-ceiling glass windows that opened out to a tea table and rattan chairs meant for relaxation. This pathway was also the shortest distance to Yun Fei’s space. After just a few steps, she could sit down at the stone table right under the shaded canopy.
As it turned out, summers in Beicheng were actually quite dry, unlike the muggy, humid heat of the south—a fact she was learning for the first time.
Up here in the north, you could leave a bag of potato chips sitting wide open without them going soft.
Yun Fei happened to walk past carrying her electric scooter keys. Catching sight of Shen Jixue’s still-groggy face, she paused for a moment to think.
“I’m heading over to Uncle Xu’s place to buy some fish today. Want to come along to the agritourist farm?”
The heavy drowsiness weighing down Shen Jixue’s eyelids instantly vanished, her eyes lighting up with an eager glow as she looked at Yun Fei.
Finding her reaction endearing, Yun Fei gave a fond chuckle and gestured with her chin for Shen Jixue to go freshen up. Whatever she did, she couldn’t exactly head out the door wearing yellow rubber duck pajamas.
“Can we go fishing?”
Shen Jixue was intensely curious, assuming Yun Fei was going to catch fish from a pond. But seeing her standing there empty-handed without any gear, she realized she had probably guessed wrong.
Yun Fei rummaged through her bag, pulled out a tube of sunscreen, and handed it over. “It’s still pretty sunny outside. Remember to wear a hat.”
The hat she mentioned was one of two woven straw hats she had bought online a few days prior. They looked quite charming when worn, though Shen Jixue had assumed Yun Fei would only make her wear one whenever she decided to take her down to the vegetable garden. She hadn’t expected to use it today.
Obediently, Shen Jixue slathered on the sunscreen and threw on a thin, long-sleeved shirt. Once Yun Fei helped tie the hat’s chin strap into a neat bow, Shen Jixue settled herself obediently onto the back seat of Yun Fei’s electric scooter.
She reached out and wrapped her arms gently around Yun Fei’s waist.
Yun Fei’s body went momentarily rigid. In truth, she wasn’t particularly used to such physical closeness with people, but that subtle stiffness faded as quickly as it had come. Twisting the scooter handle, the two of them set off down the road.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the sycamore trees, casting dappled patterns of light and shadow across the path. Shen Jixue glanced sideways at their joined shadows on the ground, feeling an overwhelming sense of freedom and joy she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. The heavy fatigue that had clung to her over the past few days melted away completely, making her feel as though she were floating in a warm bath, pleasantly lazy and content.
Sitting behind her, Yun Fei heard Shen Jixue humming a faint, sweet melody. Sensing that her tenant’s mood had brightened, Yun Fei quietly let out a sigh of relief.
It was only recently that she had noticed Shen Jixue wasn’t in the best state mentally—lethargic, lacking energy, and often staring off into space for long stretches. Occasionally walking past her room, Yun Fei would even hear her muttering about waking up with a headache. By all appearances, she seemed unwell.
Even though their relationship was technically just that of a homestay owner and a guest, Yun Fei couldn’t just stand by and watch Shen Jixue suffer like that. That was why she had taken the initiative to invite her out today.
The small town they were in was nestled beside a few rolling mountains. Though not particularly high, trekking up them still required quite a bit of effort.
The area wasn’t heavily commercialized; sometimes, picking up express packages required a trip to the big supermarket in town. Yet it was precisely because of this quiet isolation that Shen Jixue was able to truly escape the intrusive gazes she feared, immersing herself completely in the peace of the moment.
“What a shame I didn’t bring my camera. The mountain views here are so gorgeous.”
As Shen Jixue spoke, her voice was scattered by the passing wind. Not catching it clearly, Yun Fei subconsciously asked back.
“I said—it’s a shame I didn’t bring my camera!”
“What did you say?”
“I said I didn’t bring my camera!”
“I can’t hear you!”
“Oh, so you’re teasing me on purpose, huh? Just watch how I get back at you!”
Realizing Yun Fei was deliberately messing with her, Shen Jixue immediately reached out to tickle her waist. Yun Fei snapped her mouth shut, though the teasing smile on her face was clearly visible even from behind.
Beyond the shared moments over the past few days, the bond between the two quieted into something deeper amidst their lighthearted banter.
Lifting with laughter and chatter all the way, they rode the scooter right into the small courtyard of the agritourist farm. The farm’s owner was walking out carrying a large red plastic tub—the kind of massive red basin nearly every villager owned, big enough to fit a toddler inside. Catching sight of them, he immediately waved enthusiastically.
“Yun Fei! You’re finally here! I was just about to head down to scoop them up!”
Yun Fei parked the scooter and led Shen Jixue over to him with a warm smile, introducing them to each other along the way.
“This is Uncle Xu, the owner of this agritourist farm. The fish pond we’re going to belongs to him, too. Uncle Xu has the freshest fish around here. Uncle Xu, this is my friend, Shen Jixue.”
“Ah, yes, yes! Little Xue, right? Is this your first time up north? Are you getting used to things here?”
Shen Jixue wasn’t sure if all northerners were this warm and friendly, but every single person she had met so far had treated her with such genuine hospitality. She hurriedly replied, “I’m very used to it! Sister Yun Fei has been taking such wonderful care of me.”
Uncle Xu wiped his wet hands on his trousers, beaming with delight. “Aiya, it’s your first time visiting, and I don’t have anything lavish to entertain you with! You and Yun Fei go pick out a nice, big fish from the pond today—it’s my treat! On the house!”
Hearing this, even Yun Fei couldn’t help but speak up. “Uncle, there’s really no need. Let’s just stick to the price we agreed on. It’s her first time here, so I just wanted to cook something delicious for her. Please don’t go through all this trouble.”
Uncle Xu immediately shot her a look of mild disapproval. “Your friend comes to our village, so this is only right! Our village doesn’t have much, it’s a modest place so the food is about the only good thing we have to offer. If you keep arguing with me, I’ll have your Auntie come out and give you a proper earful!”
Yun Fei felt a sudden wave of helplessness wash over her. She could still hold her own in a debate against Uncle Xu, but Auntie Xu was a completely different story. No one in the entire village could win a verbal duel against her; anyone would inevitably surrender within ten rounds. Yun Fei quickly held up her hands in defeat, begging Uncle Xu to spare her.
Watching from the side, Shen Jixue found the exchange utterly charming. The local folk were so simple and down-to-earth, every bit as kind and warm-hearted as Yun Fei.
Satisfied that he had won the argument, Uncle Xu happily grabbed his net tools from the corner of the courtyard wall. It was only then that Shen Jixue realized fishing in a pond like this didn’t involve fishing rods at all—you just scooped them straight out with a large net.
Yun Fei leaned in, whispering softly into her ear, “The fish raised in Uncle Xu’s pond are exceptionally high quality. Later, we’ll secretly leave some money on his window sill. If he tells you it’s a gift, just keep complimenting how good his fish are.”
Shen Jixue nodded solemnly, looking as committed as if she had been entrusted with a vital mission.
Mosquitoes were thick around the fish pond. Uncle Xu threw on a pair of waders and a hat before stepping into the water, telling the two of them to keep their distance so they wouldn’t accidentally slip and get their clean clothes dirty.
Shen Jixue stood on the bank and rained non-stop praise on him, gushing about how lively Uncle Xu’s fish swam, how much better they were than fish anywhere else, and how nimble and quick his scooping motion was. She showered him with every flattering word she could think of, leaving Yun Fei standing nearby completely stunned.
While Uncle Xu was cleaning and preparing the fish he had caught, Yun Fei took the opportunity to slip the money onto his windowsill, covering it with a small object so it wouldn’t blow away, intending to text him after they returned.
When she turned back around, she found that Shen Jixue had already moved on to praising Uncle Xu’s immaculate fish-prepping skills. She didn’t just stop at praising him, either—she tossed in glowing compliments about Auntie Xu as well. Her silver tongue had Uncle Xu beaming from ear to ear, completely captivated by her charm.
By the time Yun Fei took the bag containing the cleaned fish to bid Uncle Xu goodbye, he insisted on stuffing two handfuls of fresh, bright green vegetables into her hands as well, telling her to stir-fry them for Shen Jixue. He even made a promise with Shen Jixue to come back to the agritourist farm whenever she had time so he could show off his cooking skills and whip up a proper feast for her to taste.
As they left the courtyard almost as if escaping a flood of generosity, Yun Fei was still catching her breath from the sheer intensity of the village hospitality. Meanwhile, Shen Jixue was already humming a joyful tune in the back seat.
“How are you so good at showering people with compliments?”
Yun Fei couldn’t suppress her curiosity. After all, a silver tongue like that wasn’t something built overnight; she suspected it had a lot to do with Shen Jixue’s past background.
“Sometimes when taking photos for clients, we have to offer maximum emotional value to get the perfect shot, you know? When some people get happy, their whole presence lights up as if coming back to life, shining bright like stars. Capturing a photograph like that makes even us, as photographers, feel truly happy.”
It was the first time Shen Jixue had ever revealed her profession, yet her tone carried a trace of bittersweet nostalgia.
Yun Fei glanced back at her over her shoulder. “Just like you are right now?”
“What?”
“Just like you are right now—shining like a star.”