Mount Paozu, Little Goku

"That stinky Zilong has been gone for four years. At first, he would chat with me on the phone every night, but then he stopped contacting me altogether. 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 muttering to herself. Her eyes shone with a determined light, yet beneath that glow hid a trace of loneliness and loss that was hard to detect.

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

Hearing this voice, Bulma's body gave a violent shudder. She spun around to see Zhou Zilong standing behind her with a gentle smile on his face. Having not seen him for four years, 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, raised her pink fists, and began pounding on his chest, asking as she struck, "Big jerk! Big jerk! Didn't you promise when you left that you'd say goodnight to me every day? You only kept it up for a year before stopping. Do you have someone new in your heart?"

Zhou Zilong retreated step by step under Bulma's blows, yet he didn't utter a single word of complaint.

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 along. It's just that after that time, 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 couldn't be held back. 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 herself out of Zhou Zilong's embrace, wiped her tears, and said, "Well, Zilong, let's head back to West City. I originally came out to collect the Dragon Balls and wish for you to come back, but it seems that won't be necessary now!"

To deepen their bond and move the plot forward, Zhou Zilong shook his head and said, "Bulma, since we've finally come all this way, let's go on an adventure together. The Dragon Balls aren't that easy to find anyway, so let's 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, so we shouldn't waste it!"

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, I have something to tell you." Zhou Zilong's voice broke the silence of the night. He sat at the dining table, facing Bulma as she busied herself preparing dinner.

Bulma turned her head, still holding a freshly sliced carrot, and winked mischievously: "Don't tell me you've already had a child during the 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 want to tell you is that I'm actually not from this planet!"

The carrot in Bulma's hand nearly dropped to the ground. She looked 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 the tail at his waist.

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

"This is my tail. I am actually a Saiyan from a planet called Planet Vegeta." Zhou Zilong told Bulma the story of his identity as given to him by Xiao Ling, along with some facts about the Saiyans and his own exile.

Bulma listened intently; she never expected Zhou Zilong to have 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, so they won't notice anything. Even if they did come after me, I have the ability 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 pierced through the treetops, Zhou Zilong and Bulma had packed their bags, ready to continue their journey in search of the Dragon Balls.

Last night's rest had left them both refreshed, and Bulma was particularly 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 excellent, and the car moved steadily forward. Zhou Zilong sat in the passenger seat, his eyes scanning outside the window from time to time, observing the surroundings.

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

Zhou Zilong followed her gaze 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 wearing a blue-purple vest-style martial arts uniform, matching blue pants, and a pair of black training shoes. His chubby face looked both cute and somewhat honest.

He pressed his palms together and bowed respectfully toward the Four-Star Ball—a spherical object with four orange-red stars embedded in the 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 woods, sometimes chasing small animals, sometimes climbing trees, 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. He hung his soaked clothes on a rock and said, "I'll just eat fish today!"