Zhang Haiqi and Zhang Haiyan fell into the South Lake of Yueyang. They walked along the riverbank towards the lights and soon saw the city of Yueyang. However, it was still quite a distance away, and there were many fishing families, so they boarded a boat. They traveled all the way to Yueyang Tower, and upon disembarking, they arrived at the marketplace.

The Yueyang Tower was adorned with lanterns, but it was unclear what festival it was. The two of them were completely soaked, so they found a tailor shop in the marketplace, bought some ready-made robes, and had them altered on the spot. Finally, they managed to step out in their Changsha jackets.

Zhang Haiyan was deep in thought, contemplating many ideas but not voicing them. He wondered whether Zhang Haiqi was truly quick-witted or if he had already planned a remedy with Zhang Qishan in advance. If it were the latter, it would mean he had anticipated making a mistake long ago.

However, Mo Yun’gao and Malacca were truly incomparable. Zhang Haiyan had some doubts; back then, when Zhang Haiqi suggested he go to Malacca, it was likely because he thought Zhang Haiyan wouldn’t survive in China.

The journey from Yueyang to Changsha only took a day, but after their recent battle, both of them were exhausted. After boarding the boat, Zhang Haiqi began to cough. Zhang Haiyan’s hand had swollen up significantly. They sought out a doctor, but while Zhang Haiyan received treatment for his injury, Zhang Haiqi could not find any apparent ailment. The doctor seemed hesitant to speak, leaving Zhang Haiyan puzzled.

Worried, Zhang Haiyan observed Zhang Haiqi shaking his head. The toxic gas must have affected him, but the doctor couldn’t treat foreign nerve gas. Since Mo Yun’gao dared to stay in the toxic environment, it indicated that it wasn’t particularly frightening. For now, they could only wait until the next day to see Zhang Qishan and consult the military doctor.

The doctor gave Zhang Haiqi some licorice to place under his tongue. Then he and Zhang Haiyan found a restaurant, ordered some small dishes, and began to eat.

Zhang Haiyan asked for an extra pair of chopsticks, placing them aside. This time, he didn’t seek revenge on the shrimp, feeling a bit regretful. Zhang Haiqi took back his chopsticks.

“Don’t make yourself so obvious all the time,” Zhang Haiqi said. “Being unconventional feels good when you do it, but you never know what trouble it might bring.”

“Is it because I revealed my name at the Huahai Reef that all of this happened?” Zhang Haiyan asked, troubled by this matter.

“Mo Yun’gao has already gone bad in my opinion,” Zhang Haiqi shook his head. “You have the right to state your name. Even if you hadn’t done that, Mo Yun’gao would still oppose us, especially since we know about his schemes.”

“But—”

“I’ve been patient enough with you this time. Just eat your meal and let’s end this topic,” Zhang Haiqi said.

Zhang Haiyan sighed, swallowing the thousand words he wanted to say. He looked at Zhang Haiqi and felt that something was off with him. Was he also dissatisfied with the outcome from earlier?

The two of them ate in silence. Outside, the Yangtze River flowed by, and Yueyang Tower stood tall, with people coming and going. Zhang Haiyan felt a sense of detachment; these people had no idea what had just transpired.

After finishing their meal, the two of them took a stroll, asked for directions to Changsha, and boarded a night boat that entered Dongting Lake from the Yangtze River, then turned into the Xiang River to head towards Changsha.

Zhang Haiqi suddenly seemed very tired, falling asleep as soon as they boarded the boat. Zhang Haiyan couldn’t sleep and instead watched the fishing lights on the dark river surface.

Having lived on the river, one could understand the river wind, the fishing lights, and the boat moving toward another shore. Amidst the bustling scenery, no one awaited him. That sense of freedom, loneliness, infinite possibilities, and the restlessness of drifting was palpable.

One night passed without a word. When dawn broke, Zhang Haiyan woke up leaning against the side of the boat. Zhang Haiqi had already awakened and was resting by the fishing boat’s cabin. The port of Changsha was ahead of them.

At this moment, the sun had risen, and all the businesses had begun. The two of them helped each other up the shore. At that moment, Zhang Haiyan felt that Zhang Haiqi seemed a bit different.

As they walked towards the dock, Zhang Haiyan suddenly stopped. He looked at Zhang Haiqi and noticed several strands of white hair on her head.

“Mom, what are you worried about? Did you turn gray overnight? How did you get white hair?”

Zhang Haiqi was taken aback. “Where?”

Zhang Haiyan plucked one out, and when Zhang Haiqi looked at the white hair, a very strange expression appeared on her face. She covered her chest and coughed a few times, then signaled for a rickshaw. Zhang Haiqi had never had white hair before. She calculated her age; the Zhang family still ages, but she hadn’t lived long enough to need to think about this issue.

She didn’t pay much attention to it and said to Zhang Haiyan, “Do you believe me when I say I’m over a hundred?”

“Even Zhang Haixia has white hair? He pulls it out every day,” Zhang Haiyan replied as they headed toward the defense command office.

Knowing that Zhang Qishan had set off for Guangzhou overnight, Zhang Haiqi realized she had succeeded.

The subsequent chain reactions would bring countless changes, but the two of them had no ability to chase after these changes. They returned to the hotel, waiting for news from Zhang Qishan. The military doctor examined their health, and they also received special treatment in terms of food and accommodation.

During this time, Zhang Haiyan later recalled it as the happiest days, although he found it hard to get used to the weather in Changsha. However, he indulged in pig oil noodles, various spicy duck blood, fish head, and divine chicken dishes, eating to his heart’s content.

Every day, the newspapers had sporadic news, and various gossip from the Beihai Command began to increase. For them, having news meant that the undercurrents were surging.

However, Zhang Haiyan also had some doubts. In his impression, Zhang Haiqi was always energetic and never seemed tired. But in the past few days, Zhang Haiqi had been sleeping longer and longer each day.

At first, he thought his godmother was just fond of sleeping. But as her sleeping hours continued to increase, it began to exceed the reasonable time for an ordinary person to sleep in. Zhang Haiqi started needing ten hours of sleep every day, then fifteen hours, and it kept increasing.

Zhang Haiqi herself found it strange, but she couldn’t stay awake for long before feeling overwhelmingly sleepy and unable to resist the urge to sleep.

Finally, one day, after Zhang Haiqi fell asleep, she didn’t wake up again. Zhang Haiyan waited an entire day, and by the afternoon, she still hadn’t gotten up. He knocked on the door, but when he couldn’t get a response, he had no choice but to climb over to the balcony to check on her.

In her sleep, Zhang Haiqi looked like a child, the fierce expression that usually adorned her face had vanished. Zhang Haiyan sat at the edge of the bed and held Zhang Haiqi’s hand. At that moment, he felt her pulse was still strong, making him realize for the first time that he was an adult now.

In such a situation, holding Zhang Haiqi’s hand no longer felt like a child holding onto their mother. It felt more like a father holding his daughter’s hand.

Sunlight streamed in, casting the shadow of the window frame onto them. Zhang Haiyan then saw that the number of white hairs on Zhang Haiqi’s head could no longer be explained as a mere coincidence. Although it hadn’t reached a gray stage, the number was certainly beyond what could be plucked out completely.

Moreover, for the first time, he noticed a few faint wrinkles at the corners of Zhang Haiqi’s eyes. He suddenly understood a truth. His adoptive mother was beginning to grow old?