Qiguan Yuan opened his eyes as the morning light streamed up from behind the sand dunes.
The tarpaulin on the tent roof was bathed in a pale gold light, with a thin ray of light filtering through its edge and falling on his pillow.
He sat up, his silver hair hanging over his shoulders, his coat still draped over his sleeping bag.
Pei Yubai was already awake, lying on his side looking at him. When Qiguan Yuan looked over, he couldn't help but roll over, pinning Qiguan Yuan beneath him and kissing him tenderly.
Half an hour later, the two emerged from the tent.
The desert wind was a little weaker than at night, carrying the dry scent of sand heated by the sun.
The light from the east was growing brighter, and a thin layer of gold had been applied to the ridgeline of the sand dunes, as if someone had drawn a circle around the edge with an extremely fine brush.
When Pei Yubai followed, Qiguan Yuan had already reached the edge of the camp.
His feet left shallow imprints on the sand, and the morning breeze lifted and then fell his clothes.
Pei Yubai followed and walked beside him, the two of them heading east along the low-lying area of the sand dunes.
The photographer, who had gotten up early to prepare breakfast, grabbed a piece of bread and followed at a distance with another photographer from Qiguan Yuan. He carried his equipment and jogged a few steps to steady the camera.
The live stream was shaky when it started, and the cameraman was still adjusting his pace.
Once the scene stabilized, Qiguan Yuan and Pei Yubai were already walking side by side on the ridge of the sand dune. The morning light streamed in from behind them, casting long shadows on the sand.
The comments started scrolling the moment the screen appeared. Qiguan Yuan, unusually in the mood, took his phone out of Pei Yubai's pocket and entered his own live stream.
The screen lit up, showing sand dunes and a distant horizon, with his own silhouette in the lower right corner of the screen.
He swiped his finger across the screen, and the comments scrolled from right to left.
He looked for a while, then read aloud, " Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan, you look beautiful today too."
After finishing his reading, he said to the camera, "Hello everyone," his voice trailing off slightly, as captivating as ever.
The comments scrolled even faster. Qiguan Yuan watched for a while, then his gaze settled on one of the comments.
The comment read, "[ Yuanyuan, I have my final exams coming up, I want a red string to bless me so I can pass.]"
After reading this, he paused for a moment. This was the second time Xiao Yuan Grains had mentioned wanting a red string, so he said, "We'll let you draw the red string when we get back."
The comments section was quiet for a moment after he finished speaking, then started scrolling even faster.
The person was incredibly grateful to the netizen who had brought such joy to their fans; they were absolutely overjoyed.
Pei Yubai stood next to him, glancing at his phone screen.
Everyone in the live chat immediately noticed:
[Don't let Pei Yubai speak]
[ Pei Yubai, shut up!]
[ Yuanyuan, you promised us you can't go back on your word.]
Qiguan Yuan saw the comments, turned to look at Pei Yubai, smiled, and said to them, "No regrets."
Only after receiving a clear answer from Qiguan Yuan did the Xiao Yuan Grains continue their celebration.
Pei Yubai looked away from the screen, didn't reply, and continued walking.
It's alright, it's just a red thread. Anyway, Yuanyuan is his, and no one can take her away.
Qiguan Yuan put his phone away and followed. The two walked side by side for a while. The sand dune turned a corner ahead, and after the turn, the view opened up. The sand was flat and stretched all the way to the distant horizon.
Qiguan Yuan was about to continue walking forward when he slowed down.
He saw a little boy squatting on the sand ahead, dark and thin, wearing a faded blue short-sleeved shirt, with sand stuck to his knees.
He kept his head down, his shoulders shaking. Hearing footsteps and noises, he looked up, his eyes red, his nose red, and two dried tear tracks on his face.
Pei Yubai stood next to Qiguan Yuan. The little boy's gaze shifted from Pei Yubai's face to Qiguan Yuan's, paused, and then, his voice trembling with tears, he stammered, "Brother, have you seen a camel? It has a red cloth tied around its neck."
Pei Yubai shook his head. "No."
The little boy's tears welled up again. He wiped them with his sleeve, leaving a small wet patch. He wiped them again, but the tears still wouldn't stop.
Qiguan Yuan squatted down, bringing his eyes level with the little boy's, and asked him what had happened.
The little boy sniffled and said, "Our camel got lost last night, and I've been looking for it all morning. It's our family's only camel; Dad relies on it to ferry passengers and earn money. Waaah, it's gone... what should I do...?"
After listening, Qiguan Yuan reached out and patted his head, pausing briefly on top of his head. "My cute little one, don't be sad, we'll help you find it."
The little boy's tears stopped.
Qiguan Yuan stood up, took the little boy's hand, his fingers were thin, and he gripped Qiguan Yuan's hand tightly.
Qiguan Yuan's pupil color changed briefly in the morning light, from light gray to dark red, before quickly returning to normal.
The process was so fast that it wasn't even captured on camera, and the little boy didn't even notice.
Only Pei Yubai saw it; he didn't say anything and stood next to Qiguan Yuan.
Qiguan Yuan glanced to the north. The sandy area looked flat in the morning light, and he saw the camel walking in one direction.
Qiguan Yuan cast a spell, trapping the camel in place.
He led the little boy around and headed north, with Pei Yubai beside him and the photographer following behind.
Qiguan Yuan didn't walk fast, and the little boy's steps were small; he had to take two steps to keep up with Qiguan Yuan's one.
So, taking care of the little one, Qiguan Yuan didn't leave very quickly.
Qiguan Yuan slowed his pace, holding the boy's hand as they walked at a leisurely pace. Occasionally, he would ask the boy what camels usually liked to eat. The little boy said that camels liked to eat alfalfa and didn't like to eat hay.
With Qiguan Yuan's gentle conversation, the little boy's emotions miraculously stabilized, and his eyes were filled with Qiguan Yuan.
What a gentle and handsome older brother...
After walking for about half an hour, a brown camel appeared on the sand ahead, with a red cloth tied around its neck, and it was circling around in place.
Upon seeing it, the little boy let go of Qiguan Yuan's hand, ran over, and hugged the camel's neck. "Waaah, I finally found you! You scared me to death!"
The camel flicked its tail and rubbed its head against his back.
Qiguan Yuan looked at the camel and recognized it; it was the same one he had ridden yesterday.
The little boy peeked out from behind the camel's neck, tears still on his face, but a smile had already appeared on his lips.
He ran back to Qiguan Yuan, looked up at him, and said, "Thank you, brother! Come home with me, my mother made naan."
He added after saying that, "My family's naan is the best on this street."
Qiguan Yuan glanced at the camel, then at the dark-skinned, thin boy in front of him, and agreed.
It's not very safe for such a tiny baby to walk home alone with a camel.
Qiguan Yuan lifted the little boy and sat him between the two humps of the camel, patting the humps.
Then, holding the camel's reins, with Pei Yubai beside him, they slowly walked in the direction the little boy pointed.
The camel followed behind him steadily, while the little boy sat on it, swinging his legs. Occasionally, he would urge the camel on, and it would quicken its pace.
The viewers in the live chat seemed to have noticed something while watching this heartwarming scene.
[ Yuanyuan seems to really like children]
[His voice was so gentle when he knelt down to talk to the child.]
[When I'm little, I want Yuanyuan to pat my head like that too.]