Chapter 4

“Brother, don’t leave! Sister has fine wine in her bowl!”

　　Several Miao girls boldly blocked my path. I looked closely—the leader looked familiar. Who else could it be but Ali, the one who’d poured me the welcome wine?

I wasn’t sure what they meant. Were they trying to get tourists to join in? Or did they have other intentions?

I stopped and stood still, quietly watching her.

　　Ali was breathtakingly beautiful—even Wen Lingyu, dubbed the campus beauty, paled in comparison. Her exquisitely embroidered Miao attire only enhanced her allure. Bold and direct, she stepped forward, her eyes fixed on me, sparkling like clear spring water.

　　To call her breathtakingly beautiful would be no exaggeration.

Faced with such a lovely woman gazing at me with such longing, any normal man would find it hard not to be moved.

But I’d heard from Anpu before that the Miao people had many customs. If I got entangled in a romantic debt here, I’d likely never escape it for the rest of my life.

I cleared my throat and said, “Miss Ali…”

　　“Come on! It’s so much fun!”

“Step on it! Step on our feet!”

Before I could finish, a burst of playful laughter pierced the air. Qiu Lu had dragged Xu Zirong and Wen Lingyu over, while several other men and women—obviously tourists—staggered toward us, stomping on each other’s feet as they came.

　　The scene instantly descended into chaos.

But strangely, I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

They charged forward laughing, completely detached from any sense of tradition, treating it as a game—boys stomping on girls’ shoes, girls huddling together for defense. Pushing and shoving, they became one big, rowdy mess.

　　All I could feel was people everywhere, their boisterous laughter filling the air.

Suddenly, someone pushed nearby, and Wen Lingyu lurched forward. Losing her balance, her body surged uncontrollably ahead—she was about to fall!

　　Without thinking, I took two quick steps forward and caught her.

Wen Lingyu, still shaken, clutched my arm tightly. After a moment, she must have steadied herself, but her hand didn’t let go. Instead, it slid down my arm, all the way to my forearm.

　　It was early summer, the weather just beginning to warm. I wore a white shirt, so her touch passed through the thin fabric, clearly reaching my skin and sending tingles through me.

I lowered my head to meet Wen Lingyu’s expectant gaze.

“…,” I pulled my hand away and said, “It’s too chaotic here. Let’s go to the viewing platform.”

　　A flicker of disappointment crossed Wen Lingyu’s eyes, but when she lifted her head, a smile had already spread across her face.

“Sure.”

The square was vast and now crowded. I led the way, with Wen Lingyu following behind. Every so often, revelers would bump into me. I shielded the camera hanging around my neck and carefully dodged them.

　　By the time we reached the viewing platform, I felt like I’d just fought a battle.

Wen Lingyu sat beside me. After quietly watching the revelry below for a moment, she turned her head, took a deep breath, and asked, “Li Yuze, did you take a lot of photos today? Can I see them?”

　　I nodded in agreement, but somehow, my thoughts drifted to that Miao boy who had accidentally wandered into my frame.

I wondered if he was here in the square too.

It was just a chance snapshot, nothing to be ashamed of. I promptly took the camera off my neck, switched it to album mode, and handed it to Wen Lingyu.

　　Wen Lingyu smiled as she took it, her slender white fingers brushing mine before quickly withdrawing.

“Your photography skills are really impressive—almost professional-level,” she murmured softly without looking up.

Anyone would be pleased by such praise. Though secretly pleased myself, I replied modestly, “It’s nothing special.”

　　Wen Lingyu suddenly asked, “When we get back to school, could you take some portraits for me? I was just thinking about booking a shoot, and now I’ve stumbled upon a photographer right here.”

I paused, replying, “We’ll see then. If I have time…”

　　“Huh?” Wen Lingyu’s flipping hand paused, and my heart skipped a beat. My gaze swept over to the accidental snapshot. She said, “How did you catch a passerby? Ha ha, Mr. Photographer Li, even you make mistakes sometimes!”

I forced a smile.

　　“Let me delete this for you. This one’s probably a dud, right?”

She lifted her eyes to seek my approval.

I couldn’t think of a reason to refuse. After all, our trip was meant to document local customs, and this photo clearly missed the mark.

　　I nodded nonchalantly: “Sure.”

Wen Lingyu’s finger lightly touched the screen.

Delete, confirm deletion, deleted.

　　That photo I’d strangely failed to delete was now effortlessly erased by her.

A faint sense of loss stirred within me.

What was wrong with me?

Wen Lingyu finished reviewing the photos quickly. Handing me the camera, her gaze suddenly sharpened, fixing intently on my feet.

　　Confused, I took the camera and followed her gaze—

On my right white sneaker was a half-imprint of an unusually clear footprint!

The pattern was clearly not the standard factory-made sole. It was a beautifully rendered butterfly, wings spread as if about to take flight, with what seemed to be flowers beside it, though not fully imprinted.

　　My heart skipped a beat.

When had I stepped on it? I hadn’t noticed at all. The square had been chaotic earlier—countless people had passed before my eyes, tourists and Miao people alike.

Perhaps someone had accidentally stepped on it lightly.

　　I hadn’t given it much thought.

“I wonder which girl secretly took a liking to you and left you a little message,” Wen Lingyu murmured with a smile, lips pressed together. “You seem quite popular. That A-Li girl who stopped us at the gate this morning seemed to like you too. Ah! She’s down there watching you right now!”

I instinctively looked down and locked eyes with the beautiful Miao girl. Far from blushing or frowning, she responded with a warm, generous wink.

“We’re not here for sightseeing or romance,” I stated. “The sooner we help Teacher Ye finish collecting and organizing, the sooner we can return to school.”

Wen Lingyu covered her mouth and giggled.

　　I couldn’t help asking, “What’s so funny?”

Wen Lingyu replied in a soft voice, “No wonder they say you’re the most difficult steel-straight guy to deal with. Don’t you have even a single romantic cell in your body?”

“Who are ‘they’?”

“Everyone,” Wen Lingyu murmured.

I fell silent, and she didn’t speak again. We suddenly found ourselves in an awkward silence.

　　I don’t know how long passed before I pulled out my phone and saw it was almost nine o’clock. Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong were still playing around in the square. Qiu Lu had lost one shoe and was lifting her foot with a displeased look, while Xu Zirong resignedly helped her put on the shoe he’d accidentally stepped off.

　　Only then did I realize I hadn’t eaten dinner, and my stomach was growling. With no sign of when the two of them would finish playing, I whispered to Wen Lingyu, “Should we head back first? They’ll come back when they’re done.”

Wen Lingyu nodded gently and rose to follow me toward the exit.

　　Back at the inn, Wen Lingyu went to her room while I ordered noodles from the owner. The owner was a young man, very enthusiastic. Not only did he bring me the noodles, but he also brought a small plate of snow-white glutinous rice cakes.

“These are homemade rice cakes, nice and sticky! Try some, brother!”

　　His Mandarin was far more standard than Anpu’s—at least he didn’t reverse word order.

I took a bite. It was genuinely tasty. Giving him a thumbs-up, I struck up a conversation.

“Hey, boss, you’re not Miao, are you?”

The owner looked surprised. “You can tell?”

　　I smiled. “Even though you’re wearing Miao attire, your accent sounds northern.”

“Wow! Brother, you’re sharp! I thought after all these years here, I’d lost my accent!” The owner sat down as if meeting a fellow villager, immediately opening up about the hardships he’d faced living in the Miao village these past years.

　　With tourism booming in recent years, many young people planned to start small businesses in places they loved, seeking a leisurely, slow-paced life. The innkeeper had come to Dongjiang Miao Village a few years prior, captivated by its stunning scenery and warm-hearted people, and decided on the spot to settle there permanently.

“Innkeeper, I’d like to ask you something.”

　　After I finished speaking, the straightforward owner was practically calling me brother. Hearing my question, he slapped the table and waved his hand, saying, “Brother, ask away! I’ll tell you everything I know!”

“Owner, we’re students from Yantai University. We’re here to research and document folk culture. Where in this village is the least commercialized, where can we best experience authentic folk customs?”

　　“Yan Da? Awesome! Top-tier university, you must be a top student, brother!” The boss’s eyes lit up, revealing a look that said “never judge a book by its cover.” He continued, “Well, commercialization… I get it. If you don’t develop, you’ll starve. But once you do, all the online trolls complain it’s lost its charm, that it’s just like everywhere else—you can’t please everyone! But if you want to understand authentic Miao customs…”

　　The owner hesitated, his expression torn. Words formed on his lips but lingered, reluctant to escape.

“What is it?” I pressed.

“Nothing really. It shouldn’t be too hard to find,” he finally said.

I felt something was off, but didn’t press further.

　　After finishing my meal, I returned to my room. It was nearly eleven, yet Qiu Lu and Xu Zirong still hadn’t come back.

Lying on the soft bed, I pulled out my camera again.

Gently pressing a button, I opened the “Recently Deleted” interface. Yes, my camera saved photos deleted within a recent period, ensuring important shots weren’t accidentally erased.

　　Soon, that candid shot reappeared before my eyes.

As if compelled by some unseen force, my finger moved lightly.

Restore photo. Confirm restore.

I didn’t know why, but I had saved this photo back into my album.

Perhaps… perhaps it could serve as material for studying the physical features of the Miao people.

I told myself this in my heart.