Hometown

Lu Yan said goodbye to the neighbors, picked up his suitcase again, and led Aemeath by the hand, turned the corner and walked inside.

Only after they were out of Auntie Li's sight did Aemeath finally lose her temper.

She looked down at the Coca-Cola in her hand, then looked up at Lu Yan, her face full of a sly smile.

"An ethnic minority?" Aemeath nudged Lu Yan's arm lightly with her shoulder and teased, "With your talent for making up stories, it's a waste that you're not writing novels. Have I just been naturalized by you like this?"

Looking at her adorable expression of getting a good deal while still acting innocent, Lu Yan couldn't help but reach out and pinch her cheek.

"What, not satisfied with this identity?" Lu Yan raised an eyebrow, a hint of smugness in his tone.

Aemeath snorted and leaned her head on Lu Yan's shoulder.

"Satisfied, extremely satisfied," she said softly, her voice devoid of its earlier teasing tone, replaced by warmth. "I've discovered I'm starting to like your hometown."

"The people here are very enthusiastic, but also... very easy to fool."

Lu Yan chuckled and corrected her for saying she was easily fooled, "It's not that they're easily fooled, it's just that I rarely spoke and wasn't naughty when I was little, so adults all thought I was honest and well-behaved."

Aemeath said with a smile, deliberately drawing out the words, "Okay~ you're the most honest one~~"

The two continued walking until they reached a large metal gate at a corner ahead.

Lu Yan looked at Aemeath, his gaze hardening. He tightened their clasped hands and said softly, "Are you ready? We've arrived."

Aemeath looked at the iron gate in front of her, then glanced at Lu Yan beside her.

She put away all her playful thoughts, stood up straight, and nodded emphatically.

"Okay, all ready."

Lu Yan's fingers skillfully reached through the door and window, finding the inside using muscle memory.

With a soft click, the iron pin was easily pried open.

In my hometown, a small town with a close-knit community, people generally don't lock their doors during the day. At most, they'll bolt the door to keep out stray cats and dogs.

If a neighbor cooks something delicious, you can simply walk in and have a bowl delivered. The first thing they ask is if you've eaten yet. This trust in your surroundings is a kind of warmth that's hard to find in big cities.

With a long creak, the iron gate was slowly pushed open by Lu Yan.

What came into Aemeath's view was a farmhouse courtyard that was well-maintained and full of life.

There are two jujube trees in the yard, and their branches are just sprouting new tender buds, wafting a faint, fresh scent of green grass and trees.

The brilliant sunlight shone down on every corner of the courtyard without reservation.

On the cement steps directly opposite the door, there was a recliner. An elderly woman with black and white hair was lying there quietly, basking in the sun.

The old man had his eyes closed, and his face, etched with the marks of time, radiated a sense of peace.

She was holding a palm-leaf fan in her hand, and even when she was dozing off, she would occasionally sway her wrist gently.

Hearing the noise coming from the iron gate, the old lady on the recliner stopped fanning herself.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.

At first, because it was against the sunlight, the old woman's vision was a little blurry. She could only vaguely make out a young man pulling a suitcase and another person standing at the iron gate of her house.

Just two or three seconds later, as the gaze gradually focused, the face etched in the old man's heart instantly overlapped completely with the backlit figure in front of him.

"Xiao Yan?" The old lady's voice trembled suddenly, filled with disbelief.

She suddenly sat up straight, her body leaning back in the chair. The movement was so sudden that she didn't even notice the palm-leaf fan in her hand fall to the ground.

"Grandma, I'm back." Hearing his grandmother's call, Lu Yan felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

He released the suitcase handle he was holding, strode across the courtyard in two quick steps, and strode to the steps. He bent down and tightly grasped those calloused yet still incredibly warm hands.

"Oh, my Xiao Yan..." Grandma tremblingly grasped her grandson's hand, looking the young man up and down, tears welling up in her eyes.

She reached out her other hand and tenderly stroked Lu Yan's cheek and shoulder, her voice filled with the affection and emotion unique to an elder. "You're really back... Let Grandma see you. It's been so long since I've seen you, Xiao Yan has grown taller and stronger."

"After your mother passed away, you were like a kite with a broken string, never coming back to visit..."

"It's just the beginning of my career, so there's a lot to do." Lu Yan squatted down so that his line of sight was level with his grandmother sitting in the recliner.

He grasped his grandmother's rough hand in return, his voice gentle. "I'll definitely make time to come back and visit you more often in the future."

"Look, didn't I take advantage of the May Day holiday and rush back to see you on the very first day?"

"Good, good, good, it's good that you're back. Work is important, but your health is more important. You've lost weight again..." Grandma nodded repeatedly, her wrinkled face beaming with joy.

Just as the grandmother and granddaughter were immersed in the warm feeling of their long-awaited reunion, the grandmother caught a glimpse of Aemeath was still standing obediently beside her, holding her suitcase.

The old lady had been focused on her beloved grandson, but when she looked closely, she was completely stunned.

Aemeath wore a silk turtleneck top, a jacket, and jeans. Her long pink hair was styled into a neat side ponytail, shimmering softly in the sunlight.

She stood there obediently, a gentle and serene smile on her face, patiently watching the grandfather and grandson reminisce, showing no sign of being neglected.

"Who is this young lady?" Grandma subconsciously squeezed Lu Yan's hand, her voice filled with undisguised anticipation.

Lu Yan stood up, looked at Aemeath, and introduced her with a smile, "Grandma, this is my girlfriend, Aemeath."

Lu Yan took Aemeath's left hand, pulled her closer to him, and introduced her to the old man with a hint of pride, "She came back with me today specifically to see you."

"Hello, Grandma!" Aemeath greeted her sweetly and melodiously in her clear, pleasant voice.

"Oh, oh, good! Good girl!" Hearing this sweet "Grandma," Grandma couldn't stop smiling.

She immediately stood up from the recliner and grabbed Aemeath's other hand.

Those calloused hands gently patted the back of Aemeath's hand, their eyes practically overflowing with affection. "This girl is as beautiful as those big stars on TV!"

"That hair, those eyes, so beautiful! Our Xiao Yan is so lucky to have found such a wonderful girlfriend..."

Aemeath felt the rough yet warm sensation from the old man's palm; she hadn't experienced this kind of kinship and unconditional warmth in a long time.

A slight, uncontrollable tingling sensation welled up in her eyes, but her smile only grew brighter, "Grandma, please don't praise me too much, I'll become arrogant."

"A-Yan always talks about you at home, saying that you're the person who has loved him the most since he was a child, and that you've given him the best of everything."

Grandma was overjoyed by these words and said with a smile, "This rascal still has a conscience; I didn't spoil him for nothing when he was little!"

"Aemeath, right? That's a lovely name. My dear girl, don't stand in the sun anymore, you must be tired from the car ride!"

"Come on, come on, let's go inside and rest!"

"Yaoyao! Lu Shuyao! Stop playing on your crappy computer inside and come downstairs right now! Your brother is back!" Grandma turned and shouted towards the second floor.