So sweet! She's pampered like a precious gem in her little world.

At the end of the tree-lined path are steep stone steps that inspire awe.

The palace workers who were repairing the road had tried their best to make the road up the mountain smoother, but Mount Penglai was naturally steep and dangerous.

As the saying goes, "The most beautiful scenery is found at the most dangerous peaks."

The two stood hand in hand in front of the stone steps. Jingyin turned to look at her and smiled, then let go of her hand and squatted down with his back to her.

Chu Yu was taken aback. "Brother, are you going to carry me up?"

She's already so big, isn't this a bit inappropriate?

The man remained in a half-squatting position without turning around, and said in a deep voice with a smile, "When have I not carried you up there every time, hmm?"

Chu Yu: "..."

There's no need to be so blunt.

The little girl has grown up after all; she cares about her image.

"But I'm all grown up now."

The implication is that only young children need to be carried up the mountain by their older brothers.

She's not a little girl anymore!

She had no confidence when she first said that; she knew she couldn't climb up, and what if the man actually went along with her...

She stared nervously at the man squatting in front of her.

Jingyin seemed to think for a moment, then slowly stood up and dusted off the hem of his clothes.

Seeing his action, Chu Chu's heart jumped, and she held her breath, waiting for his next words.

The little girl's thoughts were written all over her face.

Jingyin couldn't stand her flustered appearance, even if it was because of him.

Chu Chu suddenly heard the man in front of her sigh softly, and then his warm palm covered the top of her head and gently rubbed it.

The man's tone carried a hint of helplessness: "What kind of nonsense is going on in that little head of yours all day long?"

"what?"

Judging from her reaction, being a child is definitely not a bad thing.

But Jingyin dared not say such a thing.

If the little darling gets angry, he has to coax her slowly.

"However—something our baby said reminded me."

"What?"

“The baby just said, ‘You’re not a little kid anymore,’ which is a bit problematic.”

Chu Yu: "?"

What riddle is this man speaking in?

Jingyin gazed at her with tender eyes, "Because—our little Bao will always be a child to me."

"so--"

As the man spoke, he bent down, wrapped his arm around the back of her thigh, and lifted her up vertically.

Caught off guard, Chu Chu almost cried out in surprise, instinctively clinging tightly to the man.

Jingyin adjusted his holding position, letting her sit on his forearm, and gently patted her legs that were tightly wrapped around him with his free hand.

"Relax, you won't fall, trust me."

A man's voice is deep and mellow, naturally possessing a reassuring and infectious quality.

The mountain road was rugged and steep, but the man carried her as if walking on flat ground.

Chu Yu felt dizzy just looking at the road behind her, but before she could even sigh, her head was pressed back into her arms by a large hand.

"Knowing that you are afraid of heights, you still look down."

"They really can't be separated from their people for even a moment."

These words sounded like a complaint at first glance, but the tone was full of affection.

The difference in build between the fifteen-year-old Chu Chu and Jing Yin was still enormous. The man carried her with one hand effortlessly, and they reached the top of the mountain in no time.

"Brother, please put me down!"

Jingyin hadn't planned to put her down so quickly, but the little girl struggled fiercely in his arms, and the terrain here was rather complicated, so he had no choice but to slowly bend down and put her down. He only straightened up after she had stood up, his hand still protecting her waist.

He raised his hand and gently tapped the little girl's nose. "You little ingrate, I just carried you up the mountain and now you won't let me carry you anymore? Are you kicking me after I've served my purpose?"

"No, I'm just worried about tiring my brother out!"

Jingyin understood the meaning behind her words and smiled somewhat helplessly, "Baby isn't heavy at all. Even if you grow taller or heavier, your brother can still easily carry you up the mountain."

After hearing this, Chu Yu suddenly remembered a joke she often saw online: "A man can't say no."

Then—he let out an inappropriate chuckle.

The man looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if waiting for her explanation.

How could she possibly say that?

This is not a good thing to say.

She didn't even dare to think about the consequences of telling anyone.

Fortunately, Jingyin did not delve into the matter. After she had stood there for a while and gotten used to it, he led her towards the octagonal pavilion in front of him.

The summit of Penglai Mountain is only a small area, and the highest point is the octagonal pavilion in front of you for enjoying the view.

Chu Yu looked up and saw the eight eaves of the pavilion standing tall, with three large characters written on a plaque in the center: "Chenwaiting 1".

Looking from beyond the dust to into the dust, one sees endless pavilions shrouded in mist and rain.

The name is quite fitting for this Penglai Immortal Mountain. Last time I came, there wasn't this plaque yet, and I don't know when it was added.

Does it have any special meaning?

The afternoon sun was blazing, and Jingyin, worried that she would get sunburned, pulled her a few steps to the pavilion. When he turned around, he saw the little girl lost in thought.

He raised his hand and gently touched her slightly flushed cheek. "What are you thinking about?"

The girl's face was a little hot. The man frowned slightly and pulled her to sit down on the stone bench in the pavilion.

The stone benches were all covered with cotton-padded cushions; it was obvious whose work it was.

For the sake of the little pavilion she might visit on a whim at any time, he made thorough preparations, tending to every blade of grass and tree in the Penglai Palace for her every day, without her knowing.

The everyday scenes she imagined were all carefully protected by someone who had gone to great lengths to preserve them for her.

Just like the cotton cushion on this stone bench, no matter when she comes, she can always see it, and it is always clean and tidy as new.

Jingyin, unaware of the girl's inner turmoil, pulled her to sit down and then took out a clean handkerchief from his pocket to carefully wipe the thin layer of sweat from her forehead.

She couldn't help but mutter, "Why didn't you say you were sweating? Didn't I teach you to tell me when you sweat?"

When the little girl was still young, she would go out with him and work up a sweat without making a sound. At that time, he didn't have much experience in taking care of people, and as a result, she caught a chill and had a fever for three whole days after they got back.

The illness came on suddenly and frightened Jingyin so much that he stayed by his bedside for three days and three nights. From then on, he developed the habit of carrying several clean handkerchiefs with him at all times.

Once the little girl gets going, she can't stop playing, and he can't bear to spoil her fun. He will only pull her to a sheltered place after she's had her fill of fun, carefully wipe her down, and insist that she rest until the sweat has dried before she can go out.

Just as they reached the top of the mountain, Qian Yin draped a cloak over her shoulders. It was cool in the mountains, but windy at the summit.

Unexpectedly, there was no wind when they came up, but the sun was quite scorching, and she broke out in a light sweat in no time.

Chu Yu didn't say anything after being scolded; she just smiled and stared at the man in front of her.

Jingyin wasn't looking at her at that moment; he was still focused on wiping the fine sweat from her neck.

Her long, thick eyelashes were slightly closed, her nose was high and straight, and her chin was delicate.

For some reason, it reminded her of all the twists and turns of fate.

I recalled Baoyu's words when he first met Daiyu: "I have seen this younger sister before." I didn't understand their meaning when I first read them, but now I seem to have gained a different understanding.

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Note 1: Chenwai Pavilion originated from one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Ganzhou in the Song Dynasty. It is located on the top of Gonggong Mountain in present-day Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province. "At the top of Gonggong Cliff stands Chenwai Pavilion, which has the highest and most unique position, overlooking the city like a garden." Su Shi wrote a poem: "Standing on the cloud of floating clouds, looking down at the beautiful scenery of ten thousand wells."

——oo——

Sorry for the one-day hiatus.

I'm back again!

The book's ratings came out today, and they're a bit low right now. We need lots of positive reviews from you all to raise them!

Oh right, the larger size book was released yesterday too! Yay!

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