Chapter 347: A Beautiful Picture

After helping Su Yuqing get settled, Chen Mo bent down and carefully secured the mooring rope to a sturdy rock to prevent the small boat from drifting away.

This spot was indeed exceptionally secluded. There was no one else around, only the low chirping of unseen insects in the grass.

Moonlight filtered through the sparse treetops, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

The air was a mix of fresh grass, damp earth, and a faint scent of the water, giving it a more rustic charm than the center of the lake.

"It’s really nice here," Su Yuqing said, letting out a small sigh as she looked around.

She was wearing sandals, perfect for walking, and stepped carefully onto the grass.

Chen Mo naturally placed a hand on her back, guiding her as they walked a short distance along the water’s edge.

Suddenly, a faint, flickering point of green light drifted leisurely past Su Yuqing’s eyes.

"Fireflies!" she exclaimed in a delighted whisper.

The next moment, another appeared, and then another... Tiny lights rose from the grass along the bank, one after another, like little lanterns lit in protest of their disturbed peace. A few specks at first, their numbers gradually grew.

"It’s already past the start of September, but there are still so many fireflies. Xiangsha really is something else," Chen Mo remarked, also quite surprised.

This unexpected dance of sprites instantly filled the quiet night with a fantastical, fairytale-like color.

They hovered silently around them. Their light wasn’t bright, but it gently adorned this little corner of the world that belonged only to the two of them.

One small cluster of lights was particularly active. Seemingly curious about them, it danced in a small circle around Su Yuqing before gracefully flitting away, deeper into the grass.

The two of them stood still, neither saying a word. They just quietly watched the dreamlike scene, letting the faint lights cast flickering specks on their faces, bodies, and hands.

"It’s so beautiful. Quick, take a picture," Su Yuqing said, subconsciously tightening her arm around Chen Mo’s waist, wanting to capture this romance gifted by nature.

Chen Mo understood and immediately captured the dreamlike moment for Su Yuqing.

The light from the moon and fireflies was more than enough, so Chen Mo didn’t use the flash. As he pressed the shutter, a photo straight out of a fairytale was born.

It was a profile portrait set against the quiet, moonlit night, with the dancing fireflies as natural starlight and the secluded riverbank as the stage.

The image was filled with countless dreamy, soft, pale-green orbs of light, sparsely scattered around the subject and into the night, creating an incredibly romantic, warm, and magical moment.

The silhouettes of the trees and grass in the background added depth, while the moonlight provided the primary tone and rim lighting.

Most importantly, the subject of the photo possessed an otherworldly beauty, which lent the image an even more transcendent quality.

"Good thing we came ashore, or we wouldn’t have gotten such a beautiful picture," Chen Mo chuckled softly in her ear, his voice tinged with relief as he looked at the dreamlike photo.

Su Yuqing turned her head to look at him, the moonlight reflecting in her clear eyes, her smile brimming with sweetness.

She was also extremely satisfied with the photo.

After taking a few more beautiful photos, they lingered for a while longer, only reluctantly heading back once the tiny green lanterns had gradually faded deep into the grass.

Back by the boat, Chen Mo didn’t immediately untie the rope. Instead, he crouched down with his back to Su Yuqing. "We just came down that slope, and there might be uneven ground in the grass. Hop on, I’ll carry you."

Looking at the broad, dependable back before her, Su Yuqing’s heart warmed. She didn’t refuse, gently climbing on, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her cheek against his.

Chen Mo steadily carried Su Yuqing onto the soft little cushion in the boat.

Once she was settled again, a sense of bliss and security filled Su Yuqing’s heart like a gentle stream.

She watched Chen Mo turn to untie the mooring rope, his figure appearing tall and dependable under the moonlight.

With him by her side, all her feelings of romance and security felt tangible.

Under Chen Mo’s skilled guidance, the small boat quietly slid out of the shallows and sailed smoothly toward the brightly lit pier on the opposite shore.

On the way back, they stopped rowing and switched on the electric motor, letting the small boat glide along quietly.

They nestled together quietly, continuing to admire the reflection of the campus lights on the lake’s surface as they grew clearer in the dark.

Su Yuqing leaned against Chen Mo’s shoulder, her eyelids growing heavy again. The day’s excitement and romance settled, transforming into a deep, sweet weariness.

They reached the pier in exactly fifty-seven minutes.

Chen Mo hadn’t been meticulously tracking the time suggested by the staff, but he was surprised they had returned at just the right moment, avoiding any extra charges.

Under the good-natured, teasing gaze of the staff member, he paid for exactly one hour and got his deposit back without a hitch.

Back at the base of Building A of Xingyuan Apartments.

The foot traffic downstairs had long since thinned out. The night had grown deeper, and the moonlight seemed even brighter.

A blade of grass from the riverbank was stuck to Su Yuqing’s temple. Chen Mo gently brushed it away, his movements soft.

"Go on up. Sweet dreams," Chen Mo said in a low voice, which carried clearly in the quiet night.

"Okay, you too," Su Yuqing nodded, her cheeks still faintly flushed, her eyes bright yet hazed with sleepiness.

She gave Chen Mo one last, lingering look before turning and jogging lightly through the dormitory entrance, the hem of her dress flashing for a moment in the light before she vanished.

Chen Mo watched her disappear into the stairwell, then stood alone under the camphor tree for a while, savoring every detail of the evening. He only moved when his phone vibrated—a text from Su Yuqing, letting him know she was safely back in her dorm.

Only then did he turn and, walking in the moonlight, head back to his own dorm.

As the night waned, the entire campus sank deep into slumber, gathering its strength for the busy day to come.

「The third day of university began with a crisp morning glow that carried a hint of autumn.」

His sleep hadn’t been quite enough, but it still managed to wash away the previous night’s fatigue. Chen Mo awoke to the sounds of his roommates getting ready.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, carrying with it the unique energy of the morning.

He had a simple breakfast with Wang Lan and Li Zhe, then came back to catch up on sleep.

The day was relatively free, so Chen Mo didn’t go out. Instead, for the first time in a while, he felt like a young man again, teaming up with his roommates for some intense MOBA matches.

’Playing with his roommates, the feeling of having traveled back in time grew even more real.’

’Those ten years as a police detective felt more like a foreign memory that had been poured into his mind.’

’He was, in essence, still just a young man barely out of his teens.’

’This was how he was supposed to be living—in the prime of his youth.’

Chen Mo had a blast gaming with his roommates that day, but he still made sure to find time to chat with Su Yuqing.

The girls were still full of energy. Since they hadn’t gotten their fill of exploring yesterday, they organized a big shopping trip on the campus commercial street today. Su Yuqing was constantly thinking of Chen Mo, sending him pictures of various items and asking if he wanted her to buy him anything.

Chen Mo felt her thoughtfulness. Although he told her she didn’t have to, he was secretly delighted.