The geese were highly alert. The moment they sensed a human presence, they immediately stirred, stretching out their long necks to see what was going on.
Once they saw that Lu Ao was standing outside the goose pen, they settled down again, tucked their heads beneath their wings, and went back to sleep.
After checking on the geese, Lu Ao was reassured as well. He ran back into the courtyard, turned off the lights, rubbed his hands together, and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Lu Ao was far more relaxed at home than outside. After being tired for so many days, he washed his hair and showered, then came out wrapped in a towel and flopped onto Song Zhou.
Song Zhou wrapped an arm around his waist and took him to the living room for a late-night snack.
After eating, Lu Ao brushed his teeth first while Song Zhou washed the dishes. Lu Ao climbed into bed ahead of him to wait, but he did not even know when he fell asleep.
It was not until noon the next day that a phone call woke Lu Ao.
"Hello." As soon as Lu Ao spoke, he realized his throat was a little dry.
"Lu Ao, it's me!" A familiar booming voice came from the other end. "Are you back in the country? Where are you now?"
"I'm in the village." Lu Ao rubbed his eyes. "Brother Xiang, how did you know I was back?"
Xiang Xingchang said, "Didn't I follow Qi Yan? I saw him post a vlog on his homepage early this morning to let everyone know he was safe. You work with him, so I figured you must be back too."
"Mm. What did you need me for?"
"Can't I ask you out for a drink if