The strawberries are ripe, Baihua, how are you? If you can see me, Xiaotu wants to tell you, Xiaotu misses you so much, just like you… I miss you so much that I can’t sleep, I miss you so much it hurts. Do you remember? A long time ago, we stood in front of this strawberry field, you called me “girl” with such affection, picking fruits for me, calling me “little glutton.” How I wish to hear those tender nicknames again, but alas, they are gone forever. Baihua, Xiaotu regrets now; I didn’t cherish the happy days, didn’t treasure the time we spent together. Wang Xie has also left, and now I only have Shui Shui by my side. Thankfully, I have Lian Lian, Ying Li, Gudong, and Elder Huohu; hopefully, Xiaotu’s days won’t be lonely. Baihua, how are you? Do you know what Xiaotu wants to say to you? Today I realized how happy I was before, but I didn’t cherish it well, letting happiness slip through my fingers, unable to catch or see it. I miss the days we spent together, watching stars, eating snacks, doing… everything together. Haha, Xiaotu is really childish and willful, which is why you all left me, right? Was it because I wasn’t good enough that you all abandoned me? The strawberries are very sweet, they’re Xiaotu’s favorite fruit. Baihua, try some, they are really delicious. Tears welled up in my eyes, I held them back, my heart was aching, screaming to release the pent-up pain. Baihua, Xiaotu is not good, really not good. Without you, Xiaotu is really not good at all, feeling so weak. Seeing you hurt for me, doing everything for me, what have I done in return? Nothing, I’m so selfish, Xiaotu is a bad person, not worthy of your love, not worthy of your sacrifices! Baihua, come back, I’m willing to trade my life for yours, believe me, I will make you live again, trust me… I owe everyone too much! Looking up at the clear blue sky, I tried to stop my tears, giving myself a bright smile, suddenly feeling a wet drop on my cheek, icy cold. Strange, it’s not raining, how could there be raindrops? “Rabbit, don’t just stand there, come on, there are so many strawberries!” Lian Lian’s call interrupted her thoughts. Never mind, I ran towards the strawberry field, the water-blue dress flying, white hair flowing like a waterfall behind me, weaving through the garden. On the other side, in the Heavenly Demon Palace. “No, I won’t do anything to hurt her.” Roaring, an angry roar echoed in the icy chamber. “Really? Hah, how laughable, how can you be so sure?” The air was thick with malevolence, a woman’s voice, but the pressure was suffocating. “I am that sure because I am the Demon King, her husband Wang Xie, so I would never do anything to betray her.” Determined, though his voice trembled slightly, his tone was unwavering. “But you know, by choosing to leave her side, you’ve already taken the first step towards betrayal, hahaha.” Arrogant laughter. “No, I chose to leave so that we could be together forever!” His handsome face showed a happy smile; he had learned to smile for her, to cry, to feel heartache, to love… Rolling up his sleeves, he moved through the strawberry field, his slender white fingers picking one ripe, red strawberry after another. The sweet aroma of strawberries, the fragrance of the earth, mixed together, creating a wonderful scent, feeling the joy of the harvest, the happiness of labor. His red lips parted, a bright red strawberry was placed in his mouth, the delicate skin broken by his teeth, the sweet juice flowing, melting in his mouth, he squinted in satisfaction. It’s been a long time since he last ate, these strawberries here are particularly delicious. His hands got dirty with mud, but he didn’t mind, watching the basket fill up, his mood lifted. These were the fruits of his labor. Xiaotu and Ying Li busily picked strawberries, Lian Lian ate as she picked, enamored by the sweet, fresh taste, stuffing her mouth full, making it hard to chew, the sweet strawberry juice filling her mouth, dripping down her chin. “Glutton, look at you, no table manners, at your age, still dribbling.” Seeing her now, how could Gudong miss such a good chance to tease her? Actually, she looked quite cute now; her short hair had grown out, falling softly over her shoulders, her hair quality like a porcelain doll, making her face look even smaller and cuter, wearing a cool vest, looking playful. Now, with her puffed cheeks like an angry little frog, her lively eyes full of joy, she was thrilled by the sight of so many delicious strawberries. The red strawberry juice dripped from the corner of her mouth down her chin, unintentionally creating a charm that moved the heart. “Tch, didn’t you eat a lot too? So what if I eat like this?” She grabbed a handful of large strawberries from the basket and stuffed them into her mouth right in front of him, “Puff, puff,” enjoying them with gusto. “You, you, hmph, I won’t argue with you. Let’s have a contest to see who can pick more. The loser has to grant the winner a request.” As soon as he finished speaking, Lian Lian eagerly agreed; she wouldn’t lose to him, hehe. “Okay, let’s start now, no cheating.” “Who would cheat? Just don’t cry when you lose.” Gudong picked up his basket, ready to start. In the distance, Xiaotu and Ying Li watched their eager preparations, their curiosity piqued, approaching, and upon hearing their proposal, they too felt the urge to join in. “You two are heartless, having fun without us.” Xiaotu suddenly jumped out from behind, patting their shoulders, her face full of mock sadness. “Sigh… Li’er, we are the pitiful ones, no one likes us, let’s go pick strawberries, don’t disturb their date.” Pretending to be helpless, she took Ying Li’s small hand to leave. “Who’s dating him!” Hearing the word ‘date,’ Lian Lian immediately turned her head to look at Xiaotu. “Who’s dating her!” A flush of red appeared on his handsome face. All of this was seen by Xiaotu… “Rabbit, you come too, we absolutely cannot lose to this stinky boy!” Hands on hips, Lian Lian said seriously. “Yes, Lian Lian, Xiaotu will obey.” She responded in kind, making everyone burst into laughter. “Woo… Li’er wants to play too!” A small head emerged from behind Xiaotu, pouting in dissatisfaction over their neglect. “Alright, let’s start now!” No sooner had the words left her mouth than the four scattered. The strawberries were all picked, leaving four baskets as empty as could be, not even a leaf remained. Each person grabbed a basket and began their competition among the strawberry plants. With nimble hands, one ripe strawberry after another was easily plucked by delicate fingers and placed into the baskets, filling them up in no time. Lianlian also got serious, trying hard to resist the temptation to eat the strawberries, but their unique sweet fragrance tormented her, so tempting…
Ying Li, with a large basket and a small body, strolled through the strawberry patch. Her small hands picked up several strawberries, carefully wiping them with a clean handkerchief, then using her front teeth to gently break the skin, sucking the sweet strawberry juice, which she found irresistible, eating one after another, leaving her basket still empty. She wandered leisurely, showing no signs of the tension of a competition, almost as if she had forgotten they were in a race. Gudu was also diligently picking strawberries; her once large but empty basket was now filled with red, juicy strawberries.
