The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

A few minutes later, the tender embrace slowly came to an end, and the two slowly loosened their intertwined arms.

Xu Xi's rosy face still bore the blush of the kiss, and her eyes held a hint of lingering grievance as she gazed longingly at the man before her, her small lips curving slightly downwards in a melancholy manner.

Looking at her like this, Xu Nian couldn't help but pinch her little nose: "Are you still angry?"

Xu Xi hummed softly, turned her little head to the side, pouted and muttered, "Brother is a bad guy."

"Fine, fine, I'm the bad guy, the worst bad guy in the world."

Xu Nian said, half-laughing and half-crying, as he pulled her into his arms and said in a tone of a mischievous uncle, "Little sister, do you want to come with this bad uncle?"

Hearing this, Xu Xi's previous gloomy mood instantly vanished, and she burst out laughing, her eyes crinkling: "No way! I'm calling the police to have that bad uncle arrested and locked up!"

"Then you probably won't have that chance." Xu Nian smiled mischievously, and before the girl could react, he bent down and steadily picked her up in a princess carry, then turned and slowly walked up the winding mountain path.

Xu Xi lay in his arms, symbolically struggling twice before completely giving up resisting. She shrank back, burying her flushed face in his chest.

After walking for a while, Xu Xi felt sorry that her brother would get tired from carrying her all the time, so she suggested that he put her down and walk.

Xu Nian was worried that her foot was injured and it would be inconvenient for her to walk, so she firmly refused her suggestion and continued to carry her forward.

Finally, Xu Xi thought about it and came up with a win-win solution—to have her brother carry her, which would save him some effort.

Xu Nian thought about it and felt it made sense, so he agreed to the plan and moved the girl from his arms to his back.

Clinging to the tall and slender Xu Nian's back, Xu Xi instantly felt her vision broaden.

The scattered vegetation in the mountains and the layered mountains in the distance are all in sight.

Wild fruits that usually grow high up and are out of her reach are now within reach, as if she could pick them with a simple gesture.

The evening breeze swept through the mountains and forests, ruffling her loose, stray hairs.

She gently tapped the man's warm back and said softly, "Brother, it seems like it's been a long time since you carried me on your back."

Xu Nian paused slightly, a long, lingering thought rising in her heart.

Indeed, he had never carried her like that since his release from prison.

The last time I experienced this feeling of being relied upon by Xu Xi seemed to be a long time ago, and even the memory was starting to become somewhat blurry.

Images from over a decade ago involuntarily surfaced in his mind: a young boy carrying little Xu Xi on his back, step by step climbing the stone steps of Shou Mountain.

At that time, the two had nothing but each other, relying on each other for survival. The tiny girl obediently lay on his back, the only light in his dark years.

Years have passed in the blink of an eye, times have changed, and life has been full of twists and turns. Through trials and tribulations, they have lived half their lives, yet Shoushan remains Shoushan, and they remain themselves.

The only change was in their relationship, which had transformed from siblings who depended on each other for survival into lovers who were mutually attached to each other.

Xu Nian collected her thoughts, a gentle smile playing on her lips, and softly replied, "If you like it, I'll carry you on my back every day from now on, for the rest of my life."

"Okay, okay." Xu Xi clapped her hands, smiled mischievously, and said playfully, "Then I'll start eating like crazy from today onwards, and I'll eat myself into a 200-pound fatso, so that my brother can't walk, hehe."

Xu Nian laughed and teased her on purpose: "That would be great. Once you really eat your way to 200 pounds, I'll carry you to the market. Pork prices aren't low these days. A little pig like you with your delicate skin and fair skin would cost at least twenty yuan a pound."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his shoulder.

Xu Xi angrily bit his shoulder lightly, then raised her little head, defiantly grinding her white teeth in the air, and said indignantly, "That's too much! You think you can sell me for twenty yuan a pound? Brother is too cheap!"

"Haha, I was wrong, I was wrong." Xu Nian rubbed her sore shoulders and quickly corrected herself, "It has to be at least twenty-five yuan per pound, no less."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Xi let out another howl and bit him precisely on his other shoulder, leaving a neat, shallow ring of teeth marks.

"ah--"

We joked and played around all the way, and time seemed to fly by.

In the blink of an eye, the two reached the mountaintop.

Xu Nian carefully lowered Xu Xi from her back, and after making sure she was steady, she turned around and walked to the tent rental point on the mountaintop, where she rented a lightweight tent.

He was quick and efficient, and soon set up the tent in the best spot on the cliff edge. The two of them bent down and crawled inside.

Xu Xi took off the man's clothes and looked at the two rows of clear teeth marks on his shoulder, and began to feel sorry for him again.

She reached out her little hand and gently rubbed the two rows of teeth marks.

Xu Nian turned around and teased with a smile, "You were the one who bit me first, so why are you rubbing it for me now?"

Xu Xi glared at him, then gave a soft hum, her aggrieved little eyes seeming to say, "Who told you to go astray, brother?"

Xu Nian laughed, unzipped her backpack, and took out the self-heating lunchbox, snacks, and drinks she had prepared in advance, spreading them out inside the tent.

The two worked together and quickly set up a hot meal.

After dinner, the sun set in the west, and the starry sky gradually brightened.

The two lay side by side in the tent, their fingers intertwined, gazing at the starry sky above them, whispering sweet nothings to each other.

"Brother, do you know?" Xu Xi nestled in the man's arms, holding his wrist and gently playing with his fingers. "Actually, I've liked you for a very, very long time."

"How early?" Xu Nian asked, pinching her fingertips together and holding her soft little hand.

Xu Xi thought for a moment: "It was probably the moment you appeared in front of me for the second time, rescued me from my father, and took me home."

"Goodness, so you've been plotting against me all along." Xu Nian pinched her cheek, both amused and exasperated.

Xu Xi chuckled, playfully sticking out her pink tongue, and said softly, "But back then, my brother was so silly and naive, so clueless, just a blockhead. He didn't understand my feelings even though I gave him such hints."

Xu Nian stroked her hair, lost in thought.

He felt lucky. Although fate had taken away his childhood, it had given him an angel who had descended from heaven, entered his world, brought him happiness, and made him who he is today.

Fate is fair; when it closes a door, it opens a window.