Mount Paozu, Young Goku

"That stinking Zilong has been gone for four years. At first, he would chat with me on the phone every night, but then he just stopped contacting me. It's truly hateful! Once I find the Dragon Balls, I'm definitely going to give you a piece of my mind!" Standing by a stream, Bulma tossed a stone into the water while grumbling under her breath. Though her eyes shone with determination, a faint, imperceptible trace of loneliness and loss hid beneath that glow.

Just as Bulma was lost in her own thoughts, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from behind her: "Bulma, I'm sorry. I was negligent. I'll be much more careful from now on!"

Hearing this voice, Bulma's body gave a violent start. She spun around to see Zhou Zilong standing behind her with a gentle smile on his face. Four years had passed, and Zhou Zilong's temperament had become more composed and reserved, but the tenderness in his eyes had never changed.

The moment she saw Zhou Zilong, Bulma's eyes turned red. She rushed forward, raising her little fists to pummel his chest, demanding between blows, "You big jerk! You big jerk! Didn't you promise when you left that you'd say goodnight to me every single day? You only kept it up for a year before stopping. Do you have someone else in your heart now?"

Zhou Zilong retreated step after step under Bulma's assault, yet he didn't harbor a shred of resentment.

He reached out his arms and pulled Bulma tightly into his embrace, saying softly, "Of course not, Bulma. I've been waiting for you all this time. It's just that after that first year, I buried myself in training to further improve my strength. It was my oversight, and I promise it won't happen again!"

In Zhou Zilong's arms, Bulma's tears finally spilled over. She hugged him tightly, as if trying to vent all the longing and grievances of the past four years. Zhou Zilong held her just as firmly, letting her tears soak his shirt.

After a while, Bulma pulled away from Zhou Zilong's embrace, wiped her tears, and said, "Well, Zilong, let's head back to West City then. I originally came out to collect the Dragon Balls and wish for you to come back, but it looks like that's not necessary anymore!"

To deepen their bond and move the plot forward, Zhou Zilong shook his head and said, "Bulma, since we've gone through all the trouble of coming out, let's go on an adventure together. The Dragon Balls aren't that easy to find anyway; we can just search for them along the way!"

Bulma thought about it and decided that what Zhou Zilong said made sense, so she nodded and said, "Hmm, alright! You're right, Zilong, let's go on an adventure together. It's a rare summer vacation, I can't let it go to waste!"

And just like that, the two prepared to embark on their adventure to find the Dragon Balls.

Night fell, the starry sky was brilliant, and in an open area far from the city, a house transformed from a capsule stood quietly. Inside, the warm light from the windows spilled onto the surrounding grass, casting two blurred silhouettes.

"Bulma, there's something I need to tell you." Zhou Zilong's voice broke the silence of the night. He sat at the dining table, facing Bulma, who was busy preparing dinner.

Bulma turned her head, still holding a freshly cut carrot, and winked mischievously: "Don't tell me you already have a kid from those four years you were gone?"

Zhou Zilong was amused by Bulma's words. He gently ruffled her hair and laughed, "You little girl, what are you thinking about all day? What I need to tell you is that I'm actually not from this planet!"

The carrot in Bulma's hand nearly dropped to the floor. She stared at Zhou Zilong in surprise, as if trying to find some clue on his face.

Seeing this, Zhou Zilong took a deep breath and revealed his tail from his waist.

"This is..." Bulma pointed at Zhou Zilong's tail, her voice filled with astonishment.

"This is my tail. I'm actually a Saiyan from a planet called Planet Vegeta." Zhou Zilong recounted the identity Xiao Ling had given him as a story, along with some facts about the Saiyans and his own exile.

Bulma listened, mesmerized; she never imagined Zhou Zilong had such a background.

"Then... will that King Vegeta find out you're still alive? Will he send people to hunt you down?" Bulma suddenly thought of a serious problem and looked at Zhou Zilong with concern.

Zhou Zilong gently took Bulma's hand and comforted her: "Don't worry, he won't. The spaceship that brought me here was destroyed when I was a child; they won't notice anything at all. Even if they did come after me, I have the power to deal with them now!"

Only then did Bulma heave a sigh of relief. She leaned against Zhou Zilong's shoulder, feeling the warmth and sense of security radiating from him.

As the first rays of dawn filtered through the treetops, Zhou Zilong and Bulma had packed their bags, ready to continue their journey in search of the Dragon Balls.

The rest from last night left them feeling refreshed, and Bulma was especially excited about finding the third Dragon Ball.

The car drove slowly into the deep mountains. The surrounding trees grew denser and the mountain roads became rugged, but Bulma's driving skills were highly proficient, and the car moved steadily forward. Zhou Zilong sat in the passenger seat, his eyes scanning the window from time to time to observe the surroundings.

"Zilong, look at that waterfall over there, it's so beautiful!" Bulma suddenly pointed to a waterfall ahead.

Zhou Zilong looked in the direction Bulma pointed and saw a waterfall cascading down from the mountain peak, water splashing everywhere with a roaring sound. Sunlight hit the water droplets, forming rainbows—a truly breathtaking sight.

"It really is beautiful!" Zhou Zilong nodded.

Meanwhile, in a small house on Mount Paozu, a little boy with hair standing up like a hedgehog was dressed in a blue-purple vest-style martial arts uniform, paired with blue pants and black training shoes. His chubby face looked both cute and honest.

He pressed his palms together and bowed respectfully toward a spherical object—the Four-Star Ball, which had four orange stars embedded in its center and an orange exterior.

"Grandpa, I'm going out to find food!" The little boy's voice was crisp and firm. He stood up and walked out of the small but cozy house, the door closing gently behind him.

The forest of Mount Paozu was his playground. He darted through the trees, sometimes chasing small animals, sometimes climbing branches, fully enjoying the gifts of nature. His face was filled with a carefree smile, as if there was nothing in this world that could trouble him.

After playing with a saber-toothed tiger, the little boy fell into the water, hung his soaked clothes on a rock, and said, "I'll just eat fish today!"