The weekend arrived, and Xixi was on break. Yang Yi, who had been busy for days, decided to give himself a day off—mainly to spend time with his daughter. So, he willfully closed the coffee shop.
He didn’t follow the example of a certain Mr. Yuan by leaving a note on the shop door asking for leave; this guy didn’t even bother to come up with an excuse.
To Yang Yi’s pleasant surprise, Murphy also came over. Having had a change of heart at some point, she paused her intense album recording work to spend the weekend reuniting with Xixi and Yang Yi.
Murphy used to be a workaholic!
Back when she was preparing for her comeback album, she practically lived in the recording studio day and night, even having to squeeze in time to drop Xixi off at Yang Yi’s place!
“I don’t know why either… Maybe after experiencing failure, I realized that music needs to be taken slowly. Those who criticized me were right—slow work yields fine products, and haste makes waste,” Murphy replied when Yang Yi asked about her confusion, a hint of bewilderment in her own voice.
Leaning against the railing, she gazed at the starry night sky and murmured, “Or maybe it’s because I now realize that music and family are equally important. I don’t want to pour all my energy into work and neglect my daughter’s growth.”
“What about me?” Yang Yi wrapped his arms around Murphy from behind, interlacing his fingers with hers.
“Hehe!” At that moment, Murphy’s confusion vanished. She playfully shrank her head, snuggling closer into Yang Yi’s embrace, and said, “Whether you’re part of the reason or not—guess!”
Yang Yi’s embrace was still very warm!
…
On Saturday, they stayed home, listening to Xixi’s stories about kindergarten, petting the three British Shorthair kittens, and after Xixi fell asleep that night, Yang Yi and Murphy shared a romantic evening.
The night’s story is indescribable.
On Sunday, Yang Yi had a special plan!
“We’re going to climb Ting Mountain and have a barbecue up there!” Yang Yi announced cheerfully, having prepared all the barbecue ingredients, equipment, and charcoal early in the morning.
“Yay!” Little Xixi was the most enthusiastic, hopping and jumping with joy. “I love going out to play!”
“But wouldn’t barbecuing in the mountains risk starting a wildfire?” Murphy was fiddling with the rain lilies she bought yesterday, spraying them with water mist, her voice tinged with concern.
“That’s a real risk,” Yang Yi said with a smile. “But don’t worry, I’m an expert at cooking in the mountains. With me around, there’s no danger at all!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Xixi chimed in, her little face flushed with excitement as she asserted her presence.
With that, Murphy had no further objections and nodded with a smile.
While Murphy packed clothes and Yang Yi organized the barbecue ingredients, Xixi came running over with a patter of footsteps.
“Daddy, can we bring Xiao Guai and the others?” the little girl asked, tugging at her father’s hand with a worried expression. “If we’re not home, Xiao Guai and the others might get scared.”
Yang Yi patted Xixi’s head gently and said warmly, “Of course, we’ll bring Xiao Guai and the others along. But Xixi, can you take on the responsibility of taking care of them?”
They had to bring the kittens, since they’d be out almost the whole day. Leaving them at home would mean they’d be starving by evening!
Xixi was thrilled at this. The little girl puffed out her chest, her face serious as she promised, “I can do it, Daddy! I’ll take good care of Xiao Guai and the others!”
As the books said, don’t treat children as if they don’t understand anything. Give them small, manageable tasks, and they’ll surprise you with unexpected results!
A little while later, Yang Yi carried the large hiking backpack into the living room and was surprised to see Xixi stuffing things into her own little backpack for the kittens.
Meanwhile, the three British Shorthairs were either lying down, sitting, or pacing leisurely around the little girl, looking up at her expectantly.
“Why are you packing all the kittens’ toys?” Yang Yi walked over, glanced at it, and asked with a smile.
He picked up a fluffy fabric mouse, tossing it playfully in his hand. This immediately caught the kittens’ attention, even Duoduo rolled over from the floor and stood up, staring wide-eyed at the fabric mouse tumbling through the air.
Xixi wasn’t having it. She jumped up, grabbed her father’s hand, and snatched it back. “Daddy, stop it! I worked so hard to pack everything!”
“Are you taking these outside for them to play with?” Yang Yi saw his daughter nod and smiled, patting her little head. “You don’t need to take so many. We’re only going out for a little while; they won’t play with that many.”
Xixi looked a bit confused, scratching her head and pouting. “Then, what should I do?”
“Come on, let Daddy help you pack. We’ll take a few toys, plus their lunchtime cat food and milk,” Yang Yi comforted the little girl, then helped her remove some bulky, unnecessary toys.
A small cat shuttlecock on the table accidentally rolled off, sparking a fierce scramble among the three kittens.
“Hehe, go Xiao Guai, go Xiao Guai!” Xixi’s attention was diverted. Forgetting to watch her father pack, she jumped into the fray, acting as a cheerleader who not only refused to referee but often helped Xiao Guai cheat!
…
At around ten in the morning, they finally set off!
Yang Yi drove, with Murphy and Xixi in the car, and the three kittens in cages in the trunk, heading deep into Ting Mountain.
Ting Mountain was both big and small.
The smaller part was the main peak adjacent to Jiangcheng Media University, but it wasn’t as grand as Huangshan or Taishan—just a small hill!
Calling it big also made sense, as the entire Ting Mountain was a small mountain range, with rolling peaks and valleys extending behind it, forming a chain with Ting Mountain as the head.
Yang Yi drove to another relatively gentle hill. A winding mountain road had been built, but the corresponding scenic area hadn’t been developed yet, making it a sparsely populated spot perfect for self-driving trips.
On the road, the only vehicle was Yang Yi’s SUV. He rolled down the windows and even opened the sunroof, truly enjoying the breeze.
Murphy sat in the back with Xixi, both in high spirits. Murphy clapped her hands and sang a song for Xixi: “Time flows slowly, oh, walk slowly, I want to take my baby, on a little boat, drifting along the river…”
The little girl clapped along, swaying her head to the rhythm with a beaming smile. Yang Yi drove, smiling quietly as he listened. This relatively unknown folk song, sung in Murphy’s clear and melodious voice, was unexpectedly moving.
Whether the cicadas in the mountains had reached the end of their lives with the arrival of autumn or were mesmerized by the song, they fell silent. Only the rustling of leaves in the warm breeze echoed in harmony with the melody.