Pei Yubai walked over and stood beside him, the two of them standing side by side on the top of the sand dune.
The setting sun, orange-red and round, with a small section of its edge cut off by the lines of the dunes, was slowly sinking directly in front of them.
The shadows of the sand dunes were stretched long, extending from high to low, covering the sand surface in a dark, somber manner.
Qiguan Yuan stared for a while, then turned to look at Pei Yubai.
Pei Yubai's gaze remained fixed on him, for an unknown period of time.
The red robes of Qiguan Yuan were blown by the wind from afar, and as the sleeves fluttered, they became entangled with the hem of Pei Yubai's black thin coat.
At least, that person was standing beside him again.
Qiguan Yuan casually raised his hand and tugged at his clothes. " Pei Yubai."
Pei Yubai looked at him and replied, "Mm."
Qiguan Yuan asked, "Why do you like black clothes? Perhaps white suits you better."
Pei Yubai shook his head.
Under Qiguan Yuan's questioning gaze, Pei Yubai said, "Black can cover up many things. Ever since I can remember, I've felt that perhaps I should wear black. Deep down, I always feel that I'm trying to hide something."
Pei Yubai took Qiguan Yuan's hand. " Yuanyuan, do you believe in the concept of past and present lives?"
Qiguan Yuan asked, "Why do you say that?"
Pei Yubai recalled, "Before meeting Yuanyuan, I suffered from insomnia countless times. For a period of time, which was a year before I met Yuanyuan, I always felt that there was something wrong with my mind."
"I may do things that don't align with my behavior since birth or any logical consistency I've made."
"The psychologist attributed all of this to my irregular work hours and excessive stress. Because I still can't remember what exactly my chaotic memories are. That's why I participated in the variety show ' Meng Xu.' I tried to change my environment, hoping to find something that could help me clear my thoughts."
"Why do I like wearing black? The fragments in that chaotic scene tell me that I can't let anyone see something clearly about me. It seems like it would make him sad."
Pei Yubai pulled Qiguan Yuan into his arms. "Even though I still don't know why I have those inexplicable emotions after Yuanyuan appeared, I guess that perhaps Yuanyuan was still my lover in a past life."
Qiguan Yuan chuckled, "Black doesn't suit you, Pei Yubai. If possible, I hope you'll change back to your preferred color in the future."
Pei Yubai buried his head in Qiguan Yuan's neck and gently placed a kiss on it. "Okay."
Meng Xu shouted "That's a wrap!" from the foot of the mountain, his voice carried up on the wind, broken and intermittent.
Qiguan Yuan's attention was drawn back. "Let's go down first."
The two walked down the sand dune.
They came down faster than they came up, the sand sliding under their feet, each step creating a small flow of sand.
Qiguan Yuan lagged behind Pei Yubai by one step, his gaze fixed on Pei Yubai, who was holding his hand.
Yun Yin, even though you've lost your memory, do you still care about the image of yourself covered in blood that day?
On the day Xiu Yun Yin soul was scattered, covered in blood, he ultimately became a thorn that Qiguan Yuan and he himself could never remove from their hearts.
Qiguan Yuan was terrified to see him covered in blood.
Pei Yubai was afraid of Qiguan Yuan, who cried because of his blood.
The campsite for the picnic was set up on the leeward side of the sand dunes.
Several folding tables were put together, with pots and stoves on the tabletops, and several insulated boxes containing meat and vegetables placed next to them.
All the food was purchased by the guests themselves.
As for the staff, Meng Xu also bought enough ingredients for them.
He has always been very generous to his employees.
Meng Xu believes that only bosses who make their employees enjoy their work are truly successful.
Therefore, he and Pei Yubai were remarkably in agreement on this point, offering very high salaries and excellent benefits.
If we rely on the guests to cook, only Ji Shiyu can manage for a while, but it's impossible to have Ji Shiyu cook every time.
So Meng Xu still hired a chef.
The eldest sister was already there, wearing a blue and white checkered apron, chopping vegetables.
The eldest sister couldn't possibly handle it all by herself.
So the guests were all helping out.
Shen Yuzhou squatted down beside the stove to help start the fire. When the flames leaped up, he stepped back slightly and was mocked by Cheng Yanqiu, but he did not refute it.
Lin Yanru and Su He'an were setting out the bowls and chopsticks. Actually, there was no need to set them out, since they were all disposable. It was just that the two of them couldn't think of anything else to do; all the other tasks had been taken by the staff, and they couldn't get any.
Ji Shiyu went over to help his older sister chop vegetables, while Jiang Wantang stood beside her handing her plates.
After Qiguan Yuan came down, everyone had almost finished the preparations. He sat on a folding chair at the edge of the camp and watched the moon rise from behind the sand dunes.
The sandstorms in the desert are quite strong. Even if you wrap all the food and utensils in plastic wrap, they will inevitably get covered in sand.
Qiguan Yuan quietly cast a spell, silently enveloping the area.
Everyone felt a sudden stop in the sandstorm, and they breathed a sigh of relief.
At least we won't have to eat sand anymore.
Feeling no guilt whatsoever, Qiguan Yuan leaned back in his folding chair and pretended to doze off.
Pei Yubai walked to Ji Shiyu's side.
He wanted to learn how to cook so he could use it when he lived with Yuanyuan, so he wouldn't miss any opportunity to learn.
On this day, the moon appeared white in the desert, with a faint halo around its edge, casting the outlines of the sand dunes in a silvery-gray hue.
The drone took off again, this time flying very low, hovering above the camp, its propellers kicking up fine sand.
When it landed on the sandy ground nearby, a layer of fine sand covered its wings.
Meng Xu sat down at the folding table with his rice bowl in his hand, eating the braised chicken and hand-grabbed rice that his older sister had made.
The rice was stewed with local mutton and carrots, and the rice absorbed the broth so well that it glistened with oil.
After finishing his meal, Meng Xu put down his bowl, took a cup of tea, and sat down next to Qiguan Yuan and Pei Yubai without disturbing them. After a while, he addressed everyone who was enjoying their meal. "We're shooting the starry sky and sunset tomorrow. You don't need to get up too early; just arrive before sunset."
Qiguan Yuan turned his gaze away from the moon and gave a perfunctory, listless reply.
He was sleepy.
Meng Xu didn't say much. After finishing his tea, he went back to the camp to find Shen Yuzhou and the others.
As night deepened and the moon rose higher, the silvery-gray of the sand dunes turned pale white.
In the distance, the ridgeline of sand dunes meanders under the moonlight, like a line lightly drawn with a pencil.
Pei Yubai had naturally noticed Qiguan Yuan's drowsiness long ago.
Qiguan Yuan usually stays in Cloud-Hidden Town and doesn't go out much. He spends his time reading, playing chess, and drinking tea.
When I have nothing to do, I spend most of my time sleeping.
It's perfectly normal to feel sleepy right now. Judging that Meng Xu's live stream was about to end, Pei Yubai first tidied up the tent and made sure the bedding was comfortable.
Then he walked back to Qiguan Yuan's side and carefully carried the sleeping Qiguan Yuan back to the tent.