Er Ming crouched beneath the ancient tree beside the lake, his enormous palm propping up his chin, his lantern-sized yellow eyes half closed as though he were dozing.
His snores shook the lake's surface into faint tremors, and drool trickled from the corner of his mouth, gathering in a small puddle at his feet.
Da Ming lay coiled around the ancient tree's trunk, his serpentine eyes half closed, his long body rising and falling slowly with his breathing.
He was not asleep, but he did not open his eyes either.
Xiao Wu walked up to Er Ming and tilted her head back to look at the big, simple-minded fellow.
Er Ming's ears twitched, and his snoring stopped abruptly.
He opened his eyes, lingering drowsiness still clouding their yellow depths. But the instant he recognized Xiao Wu, they lit up as though someone had kindled a lamp inside them.
"Sister Xiao Wu!" Er Ming's voice was muffled and hoarse from sleep, but he could not hide his delight. "Where are we going to play today?"
He stood as he spoke, rubbing his enormous palms together, looking eager to get going.
"Shall we catch fish by the lake? Or pick fruit in the forest? That red fruit you said you wanted last time—I found an even bigger tree a couple of days ago. It has more fruit, and they're even sweeter..."
"Er Ming."
Xiao Wu interrupted him. Her voice was quiet, but Er Ming immediately shut his mouth.
He lowered his head and looked at the conflicting emotions written across Xiao Wu's face, instantly understanding something.
The light in his yellow eyes dimmed little by little.
"Sister Xiao Wu... are you leaving again?"
Seeing the expression on his simple-minded face, Xiao Wu felt something wrench painfully at her heart.
She drew a