Du Laoda and Gu Chaobei gulped down two bottles of beer, "glug glug glug," with grilled meat for a great time.
Hu Lanfang and Madam Du were on the other side, under a tree, watching the joyful younger generation with benevolent smiles and pleasant moods.
Gu Qingcheng and Du Lanyue stood beneath a cherry blossom tree, observing the lively scene, and could tell the elders were quite happy.
Gu Qingcheng said to Du Lanyue, "Isn't it good like this? As long as we actively create a joyful atmosphere, they won't pay attention to our marriage."
"Ah? Your parents would urge you to marry?" Du Lanyue asked with a laugh.
"Not really. They've given up hope on me. Anyway, Mi Guo's two children are smart and lively, and they adore them, satisfying their desire to be grandparents."
Du Lanyue took a sip of iced chrysanthemum tea and smiled without speaking. Despite her outwardly fragile beauty, she was inwardly a leader capable of conquering an entire dockyard. Both had established their own careers and lived fulfilling lives, naturally not wanting to be confined to the inner chambers and become timid wives.
Three thousand years later, with mountains and seas transformed and stars having shifted, the water levels that had risen due to natural disasters slowly receded to normal, exposing vast amounts of land. On this land, people rebuilt pavilions and towers, and through cycles of rise and fall, the past calamities and immense changes were gradually forgotten. If mentioned, many would even consider it mere legend.
Soon, time passed into 2028. On the fertile lands of various continents, modern facilities sprang up, with skyscrapers standing in endless succession. High-speed trains and airplanes were already common modes of convenient travel. Amidst the pursuit of fame and fortune in modern life, some found themselves unable to achieve a social class leap and chose to "lie flat." Others, caught between motivational and inspirational literature, turned to metaphysics, embracing a Buddhist-like approach of burning incense and seeking divination.
The diverse society, seemingly flowing forward slowly, had in reality seen countless changes in people and fortunes, altering the colors of the flags on countless old city walls. As a means of making friends in the internet age, besides playing games together or sharing resonances from watching short videos, some people, according to their preferences, formed groups to do things that seemed adventurous but were merely a brief escape from a monotonous life.
On this day, a group of young people passionate about archaeology and mountain climbing embarked on an expedition to explore a deep mountain, traveling arduous paths in large numbers. This group was initially formed on a micro-community app, filling a group of 500. However, when the actual activity was called for, only 32 people responded. Of course, these 32 individuals were all under the age of 35. After all, hiking and mountain climbing, with an estimated straight-line distance of 80 kilometers, would be impossible without formidable stamina.
The weather was at its most pleasant, in June, neither too cold nor too hot, and there was no rainy season this year. Following their navigation, everyone walked with great vigor. Among the group was a young man with a clear and handsome face. As he walked, he suddenly felt that the environment here was somewhat familiar. The young man was tall and well-built, with thick black hair and a handsome face. When he first joined the climbing team, someone had jokingly remarked: If he wore women's clothes and applied lipstick, he might be mistaken for a beautiful girl.
The young man merely smiled faintly and said, "My appearance is natural; I can't help it." The young man did not get angry at this, showing he was a person of good character. Walking beside him was a beautiful young woman. Hearing his words, she couldn't help but turn her head to look at the young man carefully. Seeing his profile, she was startled. Why did this person give her a sense of familiarity? Had she seen him somewhere before? It didn't seem like it. Yet, there was a peculiar sense of familiarity.
Eyes exert pressure, and as the young woman looked at the young man, he instinctively looked up at her. The moment he saw the young woman, he was also taken aback. "Huh? Have I seen this girl somewhere before?"
Being the man, and thus more proactive, he asked with a polite smile, "Is this your first time participating in an activity with this group?"
"Yes, is it yours too?" The young woman was taken aback by his pleasant voice and quickly replied. I must become friends with him, immediately, absolutely! This thought surfaced in the young woman's mind.
A voice like a oriole's, such a pleasant voice? Many beautiful women don't have pleasant voices. But this voice, he also found it familiar. Interesting, it seems joining this climbing activity was the right decision. Isn't life about seeing interesting scenery and meeting interesting people?
"You know what? It's strange, I've never been here before, but as soon as I arrived, I had this inexplicable feeling, as if this place, every blade of grass and every tree, I've encountered before," the young man initiated.
"Ah? Really? Why do I have this feeling too?" The young woman was surprised. It seemed this was her genuine feeling, not just something she said to strike up a conversation.
"Ha, maybe we lived in a place like this in a past life!" the young man laughed and then introduced himself, "Let me tell you my ID, my name is Liu Guang Feng Wu, and yours?"
"Oh, my name is Cai Die Pian Pian."
Both felt a bit shy talking about their online IDs.
"Heh, shall we add each other as friends?" Liu Guang Feng Wu took out his phone.
"Okay." Cai Die Pian Pian scanned him. Soon, they had both accepted.
The companions nearby saw their WeChat avatars and couldn't help but laugh, "Oh, I say, you two must be fated! Your WeChat avatars match so well, one is a flower tree, the other a butterfly."
"Haha, we know you two are meant to be. The man fancies the woman, and the woman reciprocates! Hurry up and follow each other on Douyin, follow each other, and you won't get lost!" a short video enthusiast urged. In fact, compared to WeChat, social accounts on short video platforms can quickly help one get to know someone. This is because the short videos usually show relatively real situations. Of course, this doesn't apply to scammers.
After a moment of surprise, the two actually followed each other on Douyin. They looked at each other's avatars and were stunned. Liu Guang Feng Wu's avatar was an ancient-style young man, while Cai Die Pian Pian's avatar was a beautiful ancient-style young woman. It was clear these were their own ancient-style photos.
Their teammates watching from the side couldn't help but laugh, "You two truly have a destiny spanning 800 years! You're already using matching couple avatars before even meeting!"
The two looked at each other, a nameless emotion flowing through them. Perhaps this feeling wasn't quite reliable yet, so they didn't delve deeper into the topic and continued walking. However, they did remain walking together.