Care

After the playful fighting, the work continued.

After loosening the hardened soil, Lu Yan poured in the purchased nutrient soil and mixed them evenly with a shovel.

The once barren land gradually became fertile, exuding a unique earthy fragrance belonging to nature.

"Alright, now we can plant the hydrangeas." Lu Yan used a shovel to dig several evenly spaced holes in the soil.

Aemeath carefully picked up a hydrangea seedling. The roots of the seedling were still wrapped in the old soil, making it look somewhat fragile.

"A-Yan, do you think they'll like it here?" Aemeath asked softly as she placed the seedlings into the pit, gathering the loose soil around them with her hands.

"Yes, they will." Lu Yan squatted down beside her, and together they tamped the soil down with their hands. "As long as there is enough sunlight and water, as long as there is soil here for them to take root, they will grow vigorously."

Aemeath paused, lowering her eyes to look at her mud-covered hands.

She knew that Lu Yan wasn't just talking about flowers, but also about her.

But her heart had long been deeply rooted in him, in this little courtyard.

"A-Yan," Aemeath turned her head, her eyes reflecting his face, "We must plant them deep. That way, even if we encounter a storm later, they won't be uprooted."

"Okay, plant it deeper." Lu Yan grasped her small hand in the soil, their hands intertwined in the brown earth, sharing each other's warmth.

After planting the hydrangeas, the next plants will be the forget-me-nots.

Forget-me-not seeds are extremely small, like tiny black sesame seeds.

Lu Yan used a shovel to make several shallow furrows on the surface of the soil, Aemeath carefully picked up a small handful of seeds and scattered them evenly in each pit.

"These seeds are so tiny, can they really bloom into such a sea of purple flowers?" Aemeath, somewhat incredulous.

"The life force of nature is often immeasurable." Lu Yan covered the seeds with the fine soil on the surface and gently patted it flat.

"All we need to do before they sprout is wait."

Just like I'm waiting for you. Lu Yan silently added in his heart.

Wasn't his previous solitary time also a period of waiting for Aemeath to come to his side and for things to take root and sprout?

When the last forget-me-not seed was planted in the soil, the entire sowing project was finally completed.

"Phew~ It's finally done!" Aemeath stood up and let out a long sigh of relief. Just as she was about to wipe her sweat, Lu Yan grabbed her wrist with lightning speed.

"Don't move, you haven't washed the mud off your face yet, the more you wipe it, the dirtier it will get."

Lu Yan led her to the water tap in the corner of the yard, where a garden hose was connected.

"Stand here and don't move." Lu Yan turned the water pressure to the lowest setting, and cool tap water gushed out of the pipe, carrying a refreshing mist in the evening breeze.

Lu Yan first washed his hands clean, then turned down the water flow. Holding the hose with one hand, he gently pulled Aemeath's muddy little hand with the other.

Cool water flowed over Aemeath's fingertips.

Lu Yan gently rubbed the mud off the back of her hands, even carefully cleaning the dirt from under her fingernails.

These delicate, service-oriented actions, when performed by him, appear incredibly natural.

Aemeath looked at the man with his lowered eyes and focused expression, her heart felt as sweet as if it were being soaked in honey water.

After washing his hands, Lu Yan's gaze shifted downwards.

Because she had been squatting in the mud for too long, Aemeath's fair ankles and calves were splattered with mud, and her fluffy slippers were completely covered in mud.

"Go sit on the steps." Lu Yan pointed to the two clean wooden steps at the entrance to the living room.

Aemeath obediently walked over and sat down.

Lu Yan walked up to her with the water pipe and knelt down on one knee on the bluestone slab.

"A-Yan, I can wash my feet myself..." Aemeath was startled by his knightly gesture and instinctively tried to pull her foot back.

"Don't move." Lu Yan's voice was deep and gentle, yet tinged with stubbornness.

He took off her dirty slippers and threw them aside, then lifted her fair ankles with one hand.

The cool water washed away the mud on her calves, but the warmth of Lu Yan's palm felt like a fire, burning all the way down her ankles and into Aemeath's heart.

He washed it very carefully, his movements as gentle as if he were polishing a precious gem.

Water splashed onto his old gray T-shirt, spreading out in dark circles, but he didn't care.

Aemeath stared blankly at the scene, then subconsciously asked, "A-Yan, why are you being so nice to me?"

Lu Yan turned off the tap, grabbed a clean towel from the clothes rack next to him, and dried the water off her feet.

He didn't rush to stand up, but remained kneeling on one knee, tilting his head slightly upward to look at the girl sitting on the steps.

"Are you a fool? You've given me everything, do you expect me to treat you badly?" His eyes burned with intensity, as if they could drown you.

A breeze swept by, and the motion-sensor-activated floor lamp in the corner of the courtyard lit up, casting a warm yellow halo around it.

Aemeath could no longer hold back. She leaned forward abruptly, cupped Lu Yan's face tightly in her hands, lowered her head, and kissed his lips without reservation.

This was a kiss filled with love, devoid of the intensity and repression of last night, only the purest affection and longing.

Lu Yan casually tossed aside the towel, wrapped his arms around her waist, and lifted her up from the steps, holding her tightly in his arms.