"Riley, are you full?" Adrian brushed the hair near her ear, propping his head up as he looked at her.
Riley nodded lightly, tapping on her phone.
[Riley, is it fun over there?]
Riley silently lifted her head, glanced at Leonard, who was still buried in his food and slowly typed:
[Fun.]
"Do you still have filming today?" Adrian held Riley's hand and nudged Caleb's pant leg lightly.
Caleb straightened up slowly. "Nope. All the outdoor scenes are done."
He patted Leonard beside him. "Hey, what do you think of this photo?"
Leonard held the bowl quietly, looked at the screen, and nodded faintly.
"We're heading back tomorrow," Adrian said softly at Riley's side.
Riley nodded again, slowly.
"Thud—"
Someone dragged a chair next to Riley.
"Yudy, you're awake." Riley looked up at her exhausted brother. "Did you have a nightmare last night?"
Yudy paused, glanced at Adrian beside his sister, and said, "No. There was a cat last night, made a lot of noise."
"Oh…" Riley turned her eyes back to her phone.
"Yudy, want to walk around with us?" Adrian wrapped an arm around Riley's waist and asked him.
Yudy looked at the expectant Caleb across from him, then shook his head slowly. "No, I still need to study the script later."
Hearing that, Caleb gave him a look. "Yudy, that's not very kind. It's finally our break and you're trying to compete with me again?"
Yudy lowered his head with a helpless smile. "I don't have much talent. I need to work ten times harder just to keep up with you all."
Seeing he was determined, Caleb and the others didn't insist on taking him along.
In the hallway outside their rooms.
"Yudy, you really don't want to come?" Riley looked up at him with bright, expectant eyes.
Yudy chuckled, patting her head. "Just go have fun, Riley."
Only then did Riley slowly follow Adrian.
Other than their lodge, the surrounding scenery was vast. Caleb flipped through his phone nonstop. "Where should we go?"
Seeing Adrian and Riley approaching, he asked, "Riley, any ideas?"
Riley looked carefully and pointed at a mountaintop temple.
"I saw online that the temples here are pretty spiritual."
Adrian followed her finger, looked, and said, "Alright."
Caleb grabbed Leonard and dragged him toward the car. "Come on, let's go!"
Leonard watched him bouncing around and couldn't help a soft laugh.
A black Mercedes-Benz drove in front, followed closely by a black Maysecs.
The two cars headed toward the temple. Sunlight reflected warmly off the black paint.
"Wow, it's so high!" Caleb lifted a hand to shade his eyes, staring at the long staircase ahead.
Behind him, Riley and Adrian exchanged a look and smiled at each other.
After climbing a few steps, Riley turned back to look at Caleb and Leonard struggling behind.
"They say the temple can sever bad karmic ties, strengthen good ones… and even bring good fortune."
Caleb's eyes lit up. He shot Leonard a look. "Let's go."
"Leonard, hurry up!" Caleb grabbed Leonard's hand and rushed forward.
Leonard smiled, letting himself be dragged along.
"Ha… ha…"At the mountaintop, Riley and Caleb collapsed onto the resting benches.
Adrian and Leonard stood in front of them, blocking the harsh sunlight.
Adrian twisted open a water bottle and crouched down.
"Still got energy?"He pinched Riley's flushed cheek and laughed. "You're face just like a little tomato."
Riley ignored the teasing, took the bottle, and gulped several large mouthfuls.
Caleb watched them and glanced at Leonard several times.
He reached out directly. "Leonard, gimme yours!"
Leonard froze. He turned to leave. "I'll go buy another one."
Caleb struggled to sit up and snatched the bottle from his hand. "No need. I'll just drink yours."
Leonard stiffened, watching Caleb open the bottle and drink it. He said quietly, "I already drank from it…"
Caleb rolled his eyes. "Why bother distinguishing between us?"
He handed back the half-empty bottle.
The mountaintop wind was cold. Mist still lingered after the rain.Every word they spoke drifted out in cold air.
Adrian held Riley's icy hand and tucked it into his down-jacket pocket.
The group slowly walked into the temple.
Inside, high walls surrounded the courtyard. In one corner stood a tall ancient tree filled with hanging red ribbons.
Adrian and Riley wrote at the little writing table beneath the tree.
[May she be safe and sound in everything.]
Adrian admired his handwriting and nodded in satisfaction.
On the back of the ribbon, he also wrote their nicknames:
[Adrian & Wife Riley]
Adrian looked at Riley writing beside him and smiled. He quietly leaned toward her.
But Riley finished at that moment and saw him coming. "Don't look!" She quickly hid the ribbon behind her.
Adrian gave an exaggerated pout and chuckled. "Alright, alright."
Hand in hand, they hung their ribbons tightly together on the tree.
The two ribbons swayed together in the wind, tangled as tightly as their owners standing below them.
"Riley, look at the camera!" Adrian lifted his phone and snapped a shot.
Sultry mist drifted behind them.
Photo 1: their hands tightly clasped, smiling at the camera.
Photo 2: Riley caught off guard as Adrian poked her cheek.
Photo 3: secretly taken by Caleb. Adrian and Riley gazing at each other while behind them the two ribbons swayed together as one.
Riley looked at Adrian's social-media post and liked it with a smile.
Seeing her expression, Adrian also smiled. "So happy?"
"Mm." Riley looked at him, hesitated for a moment, then leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Adrian, thank you."
Adrian froze. "Thank me for what?"
Riley covered her hands shyly. "Thank you… for giving me so much love."
Adrian chuckled, freeing one hand to pat her head. "That's what I should do as your future husband."
Riley nuzzled his palm, then looked at his focused driving. Sleep slowly overtook her.
"Sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive," Adrian murmured, brushing her eyelids gently with his thumb.
In Caleb's passenger seat, he stared at Adrian's new post, refreshing it repeatedly.
"Leonard… when do you think we'll be like that?" he asked.
Leonard didn't answer. The veins on his hand tightened over the steering wheel.
Caleb wasn't surprised. Leonard had been moody recently.
Without Caleb noticing, Leonard cast a long glance at him.
When will we be like that…With me? Or with someone else?
The ride was bumpy. Caleb woke repeatedly, turning to look at Leonard again and again.
"Leonard, call me when we're there," he muttered half-asleep.
"Okay." Leonard kept his eyes on the road.
Back at the lodge.
Leonard and Adrian parked side by side. Neither man rushed to get out.
Buzz buzz—
[Is he asleep?]
Leonard glanced at the sleeping Caleb beside him. A faint smile and a hint of sadness, softened his expression.
[Yeah.]
He put down his phone and gently pulled the jacket up over Caleb's shoulders.
Buzz buzz—Leonard frowned slightly but checked the new message.
[photo.jpg]
[Don't thank me.]
Leonard stared at the familiar red ribbon in the photo, stunned.
The handwriting was neat yet held a rebellious flair.
[May he be safe, sound, happy, fulfilled.]
Small letters filled the bottom:
[With me — Leonard Sterling]
Leonard chuckled softly, looking at Adrian's car, then at Caleb beside him for a long, long moment.
Adrian put down his phone, turned the heater up, and leaned back, watching the sleeping girl beside him.
His girl only needed to stay safe, nothing else for the other. Everything she wanted, he would offer with both hands. Including himself.
He stroked Riley's hair and watched her peaceful smile.
"Riley… I finally waited long enough for you."
He leaned in and kissed her gently.