Playtime in the Courtyard

We arrived at the city's largest flower and bird market.

Inside rows of transparent greenhouses, all kinds of flowers are vying for attention, and the air is filled with the earthy smell and rich floral fragrance.

Today, Aemeath wore a light green floral dress with a beige chiffon shawl draped over her shoulders, and her long pink hair was braided into a loose side braid.

Holding Lu Yan's hand, she curiously wandered between the various stalls.

"Boss, what's this?" Aemeath asked, squatting in front of a stall full of bottles and jars, pointing to a small packet of seeds.

"Oh my, little girl, you have such good taste!" The florist warmly approached, "These are forget-me-not seeds. This flower not only has particularly beautiful little purple flowers, but it also has a wonderful meaning."

"Forget-me-not?" Aemeath murmured the name, lost in thought.

"Yes, it symbolizes eternal love and deep affection, representing a sincere commitment to never forget each other."

"Moreover, this flower is very resilient; once planted, it blooms in abundance every year, symbolizing family harmony and lasting happiness!" the shopkeeper enthusiastically promoted.

Aemeath stood up and turned to look at Lu Yan beside her.

The sunlight in the flower market greenhouse fell on her profile, and Lu Yan's face was reflected in her eyes.

"A-Yan, shall we plant this?"

Her voice was soft, yet carried a solemn promise, "I want to etch every day, every second we spent together in that little courtyard into my memory, and never forget it."

Lu Yan grasped her hand in return, his eyes filled with sweet tenderness as he looked at her.

"Okay, we'll plant forget-me-nots." He turned to the shopkeeper and said, "Boss, give us two packets of seeds, and also get us a few bags of suitable potting soil."

"Alright!" The boss beamed and went to prepare.

While waiting, Aemeath's gaze was drawn to several potted plants in full bloom nearby.

"Those are hydrangeas," Lu Yan said, following her gaze.

Its flowers resemble plump, round spheres, with many tiny petals clustered together.

"In many people's minds, it symbolizes reunion and happiness."

"Reunion, bliss!" Aemeath's eyes lit up. "Then I want this too! I'll plant it next to the forget-me-nots."

Aemeath looked at him with a bright smile and said, "In this way, our courtyard will have both eternal memories and the bliss of family reunion!"

Seeing Aemeath's sweet smile, Lu Yan's heart melted. He nodded gently and said, "Okay, let's be together forever."

Finally, the two of them left the flower market with bags and packages.

Lu Yan carried the heavy load of nutrient soil and several pots of hydrangea seedlings with ease, his breathing remaining perfectly normal.

He felt the abundant power within him, glanced at Aemeath was holding forget-me-not seeds beside him, and his smile deepened.

A gentle breeze from the beginning of summer swept through the streets, lifting the hem of Aemeath's light green skirt.

"A-Yan, when will these forget-me-nots sprout?" Aemeath's tone was full of anticipation.

"If you plant it now, as long as there is enough sunlight and water, you should see new shoots in about one or two weeks."

Her eyes brightened, her steps became lighter, and her eyebrows curved into a sweet smile, "That's wonderful! When they bloom, we'll set up a small table in the yard and have afternoon tea by the flowers!"

Okay~

Their shadows stretched long across the street, but eventually they intersected.

By the time I returned to that familiar alleyway from the flower and bird market, the sun was already beginning to set.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, Lu Yan carefully placed the several large bags of heavy nutrient soil and seedlings in the open space of the courtyard.

He carried this load, which weighed several dozen kilograms, for a whole journey without breaking a sweat or even losing his breath.

Lu Yan's gaze fell on Aemeath was excitedly arranging flower seedlings beside him.

Is it really what I think? Should I try again tonight?

"A-Yan! Let's change our clothes first! It'll be such a waste to get them dirty." Aemeath carefully arranged the hydrangeas, then turned and winked at him.

"Okay, I'll listen to you." Lu Yan quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts.

Ten minutes later.

When the two reappeared in the courtyard, they had changed into the attire of professional gardeners.

Lu Yan changed into a gray T-shirt and loose black sweatpants, with the cuffs casually rolled up above his elbows.

Aemeath pulled a gray shirt from Lu Yan's closet, paired with a pair of light blue denim shorts.

And her braids were now tied back into her classic and neat high ponytail.

"Gardener Little Aemeath, ready!" Aemeath pulled a small iron shovel from her toolbox and waved it in the air.

"Chief Engineer Lu is ready too." Lu Yan chuckled, playing along with her act, holding a slightly larger shovel and pointing to the patch of unused soil. "Let's start by turning the soil."

Because the land in the courtyard had not been maintained for a long time, the topsoil had hardened.

In the past, he would have needed to rest several times, panting heavily, after clearing this small patch of land.

But now, with just a little force, the seemingly hard soil is easily broken open like tofu.

The rhythmic sound of shovels cutting into the soil echoed in the quiet courtyard.

Lu Yan wielded the shovel, turning over the moist, dark soil at the bottom to the surface with fluid, graceful movements.

The sunlight outlined the muscles on his arms that bulged slightly from exertion, and the neckline of his T-shirt opened slightly with his movements, revealing his sexy collarbone.

Aemeath was squatting to one side, using a small shovel to break up the large clods of earth.

But as she continued knocking, her gaze was unconsciously drawn to Lu Yan.

The sight of Lu Yan, who had let her do whatever she wanted in bed last night, now sweating profusely in the sunlight, was equally captivating to her.

"What are you looking at? So engrossed." Lu Yan stopped what he was doing, leaning on his shovel with one hand, and looked at Aemeath squatting on the ground with a half-smile.

Aemeath looked down and realized she was repeatedly poking the same spot.

"Cough... cough... I was just monitoring your work efficiency," Aemeath quickly retorted, then rubbed her nose with the back of her hand to cover her embarrassment.

But she forgot that her hands had just touched the soil.

This left a clear, dark brown mud mark on the tip of his nose.

With her innocent, big eyes, she looked like a pink kitten that had just rolled in the mud.

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment, then burst into cheerful laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Aemeath blinked blankly.

Lu Yan put down the shovel, walked over to her, and squatted down.

He stretched out his relatively clean fingers and gently rubbed them against Aemeath's cheek again, smoothing out the mud stain.

"My little queen, you've turned into a little mud kitten now~" His voice was so gentle it almost melted in the sunlight.

Aemeath then realized what was happening. She gave him a playful glare, then suddenly stretched out her hands, her muddy palms pressing directly onto Lu Yan's clean gray T-shirt, leaving two clear muddy handprints.

"Now, A-Yan is a clay figure too!" she said triumphantly.

Looking at the masterpiece on his clothes, Lu Yan was not angry at all. Instead, he leaned forward and gently bit Aemeath's mud-covered nose.

"Ugh... you attacked me from behind!"

The two of them were playing around by the muddy ground, their cheerful laughter startling the sparrows in the trees.