The bright moonlight shone on the earth. The man stood against the light, his handsome face bathed in a silver glow. His tall and straight figure looked even more slender in the ethnic costume.
Qin Qiao'er thought the man looked extremely good-looking without the black suit. The woman smiled at the man, and for a moment, even the surrounding scenery seemed to lose its color.
"Dad Youting! Do I look good in this?" Wanwan saw Zhao Youting and rushed towards him in a hurry.
Zhao Youting then came to his senses. The man looked at Chenchen and Wanwan. The two porcelain-doll-like kids in their clothes were like two delicate dolls. Wanwan's rosy cheeks were like little apples.
"You look so good! So good!" Zhao Youting praised sincerely. The man couldn't help pinching Wanwan's cute face.
"Dad Youting also looks very good!" Wanwan said obediently, looking at Zhao Youting.
Hearing Wanwan's words, the man raised the corners of his mouth and stroked the girl's head.
"Alright, everyone has changed their clothes! Let's set off!" Uncle Hong said, holding a small flag.
"Yeah!" Xi Jin said happily. The boy stole a glance in Wanwan's direction.
"Wanwan! Can we hold hands and walk together?" Xi Jin ran to Wanwan's side and took her hand.
"Sure!" Wanwan nodded, holding Qin Qiao'er's hand.
"Stinky boy! You've already held her hand, and you still ask if it's okay?" Xu Xunling was quite happy to expose her own son.
Qin Qiao'er smiled. "Does Xi Jin like our Wanwan?" Qin Qiao'er said playfully.
Their words made Xi Jin's face turn as red as blood. The boy lowered his head and nodded slightly.
"Hahaha! Stinky boy!" Xu Xunling scolded with a laugh.
"Mom! Stop talking!" Xi Jin said angrily.
"Okay, okay, I won't say anything anymore! Stinky boy!" Xu Xunling glanced at Xi Jin and said with a smile.
From a long distance away, everyone could see a cluster of firelight that illuminated most of the sky like the sun.
"Mommy! It's over there!" Wanwan said excitedly, holding Qin Qiao'er's hand.
"Okay, let's go there quickly." Qin Qiao'er nodded and trotted forward with Chenchen and Wanwan.
When they got closer, they saw that beside the huge bonfire, there were not only jugglers but also street vendors. It was only a little after seven o'clock. People here would play for a while first and then sing and dance together.
"Mommy, it's a big lion! So cool!" The warm golden firelight shone on Wanwan's delicate little face. The girl's eyes sparkled, looking extremely cute.
It was also the first time for Qin Qiao'er to watch the lion dance so closely. She was quite shocked. Zhao Youting looked at the happy mother and daughter and curled the corners of his mouth.
"Dad Youting, are you happy?" Chenchen pulled at the corner of Zhao Youting's clothes and asked.
"Of course I'm happy!" Zhao Youting blurted out.
"Mommy! I can't see anymore. There are more and more people!" As there were more people, many stood in the front. Wanwan was short, so she couldn't help complaining.
As soon as Wanwan finished speaking, she was picked up. Zhao Youting carried Wanwan and let her sit on his shoulders. The two looked like a real father and daughter, looking extremely warm.
"Wow! So high!" Wanwan shouted excitedly, spreading her arms.
"Hold on tight! Be careful not to fall!" Zhao Youting reminded.
Hearing Zhao Youting's words, Wanwan quickly hugged the man's head. She had always hoped to sit on her father's shoulders like this once, and now her wish came true.
After everyone watched the lion dance for a while and strolled around the market, the bonfire party finally started. Everyone joined hands and sang and danced around the bonfire. Qin Qiao'er spun and jumped like a little elf. Zhao Youting stared straight at the woman and didn't come to his senses for a long time.
This was the last night for them here and also the most unforgettable one. They would set off for the next destination tomorrow.
"Mommy! Where shall we go next time? I think it's so much fun!" Wanwan asked, lying on her side in bed.
"I don't know either. Is it because you have playmates?" Qin Qiao'er said, hugging Chenchen and Wanwan.
"Yes, Xi Jin and Xi Yu are so nice! Let's play with them again next time! And Dad Youting! Shall we still be with Dad Youting next time?" Wanwan asked, hugging Qin Qiao'er's arm.
"Maybe." Qin Qiao'er sighed inwardly. In fact, she was quite grateful to Zhao Youting for giving her two children fatherly love, even if it was just for a while.
"I like Dad Youting so much! If only he could always be with us and be our dad!" Wanwan said, looking both expectant and disappointed.
Hearing Wanwan's words, Qin Qiao'er thought of the man's tall and straight figure when cooking, his domineering look when angry, and his meticulousness when taking care of Chenchen and Wanwan. She thought the man was really excellent!
"Alright, alright, go to sleep. We still have a long journey tomorrow." Qin Qiao'er said, patting their backs.
"Okay, good night, Mommy!"
"Good night, babies!"
The moon was bright and the stars were few. The branches outside the window swayed with the wind, and a few leaves fluttered down rustlingly. Everyone had left a colorful mark here.
The next day, everyone packed up and headed for the next destination. This time they arrived in a foreign country. Qin Qiao'er had lived abroad for many years, so there was no problem for her in daily communication.
But as soon as Xu Xunling arrived here, she began to complain that she couldn't understand or speak English.
"Qiao'er! My English is really poor. You can't leave me alone, or I'll get lost." Xu Xunling said, holding Qin Qiao'er's hand.
"Okay, okay, I know!" Qin Qiao'er rolled her eyes at her constant nagging. She found that Xu Xunling was not only carefree but also really a directionally challenged person, especially in a foreign country!
"Sis! What if you lose Xiaojin and Xiaoyu? Are we all going to get lost with you?" Jiang Chen said with a smile.
"Get out of here! I'm not talking to you. If you get lost, it's okay, but my son and daughter can't get lost!" Xu Xunling said, shoving Jiang Chen.
However, Qin Qiao'er never expected that Xu Xunling's crow's mouth would really come true. In the afternoon, everyone was strolling on the street together. Who would have thought that Xu Xunling disappeared in a blink of an eye.
The carefree Xu Xunling didn't realize that she had fallen behind until a long time later. Even the cameraman had lost track of her.
"Mommy is missing!" Xi Jin said to Qin Qiao'er, holding Wanwan's hand.
"Hey? She's really not here." Qin Qiao'er took a look and found that the person was indeed gone.
"What should we do?" Xi Yu asked worriedly.
"Don't worry. Let's call her." Qin Qiao'er said, taking out her phone.
However, when she called Xu Xunling's phone, she found that it was turned off!
"How about it?" Zhao Youting frowned and asked.
"It's turned off."
"Don't worry. Search in groups and meet here in the end! Search mainly in the backward direction." Zhao Youting said calmly.
Hearing this, everyone rushed to different directions to search. Qin Qiao'er and Zhao Youting led the kids back to the previous place, but the woman was not there.