“Wow! Wow!”

Mei Xiaoyuan and Mei Zhixi’s eyes sparkled with wonder as they stepped into the airport for the first time.

“Planes are this huge?! So majestic!”

[Attention passengers: Flight XA8230 from Pengcheng to Jiangcheng will begin boarding in 10 minutes—]

“Alright, alright—”

“Big plane! Charge—rua!”

“Yuanbao! No running! Hold Daddy’s hand in line!”

“Got it!”

Mei Xiaoyuan halted mid-dash, her red backpack bouncing as she grabbed Mei Fang’s hand. Meanwhile, Mei Zhixi adjusted her cream-colored beret with refined elegance.

“Jiejie, if you misbehave again, we’ll leave you at the airport!”

“Daddy would never abandon someone this cute! Bleh—” Mei Xiaoyuan stuck out her tongue.

Mei Zhixi puffed her cheeks and looked up at Mei Fang. “Daddy! Jiejie’s being mean!”

“She’s just teasing… Not actually scolding.”

Mei Fang straightened Mei Zhixi’s hat and patted Mei Xiaoyuan’s head. “No running around—we agreed before leaving.”

“Sorry, Daddy…”

Ever-distractible, Mei Xiaoyuan suddenly gasped. “Daddy! Do I have a window seat?”

“Of course.”

“Yay! I want to watch the clouds!”

“Then I’m sitting with Daddy,” Mei Zhixi declared, clinging to him.

“No fair! Daddy’s sitting with me by the window!”

“I don’t care—I want Daddy—”

“Alright, enough!” Mei Fang intervened. “Sisters shouldn’t fight. Learn from your moms—when have they ever argued?”

Under his guidance, the girls reconciled with a handshake.

True to his parenting philosophy, Mei Fang never forced the older sister to yield or used threats—only modeling and gentle guidance, ensuring neither child felt favored.

“Also, everyone gets a window seat, so no need to fight over me.”

(First-class privileges, naturally.)

“W-Wait… We’re sitting alone?”

Seeing their nervousness, Mei Fang reassured them: “Mama and Daddy will be right behind you.”

The flight highlighted their contrasting personalities—proof of maternal genetic influence:

Takeoff:
Mei Xiaoyuan: “Choo-choo! Big plane go zoom!”
Mei Zhixi: “Wuwu… Daddy, hold my hand!”

Mid-flight:
Mei Xiaoyuan: “So many fluffy clouds!”
Mei Zhixi: (Silently mesmerized by the view)

Landing:
Both: (Fast asleep)

As the plane touched down, Mei Fang, Lin Youxi, and Xia Yuan exchanged tender smiles at their daughters’ peaceful faces before gazing at Jiangcheng’s skyline.

“Back in Jiangcheng after so long…”

“Let me count the years—”

Xia Yuan began tallying on her fingers until Lin Youxi tapped her head.

“Stop calculating. Help Ah Fang carry the kids.”

Their three-day Jiangcheng itinerary included a pilgrimage to their alma mater—Jiangcheng No.1 Affiliated High School—where sweltering heat greeted them like an old friend.

“This is where Mommy and Daddy went to school?!”

Mei Xiaoyuan gaped at the sprawling campus. “It’s way bigger than kindergarten!”

“Daddy, which classroom was yours?”

“Well…”

After wandering the grounds, Mei Fang led them to his former classroom window.

“Mamas used to knock here to summon Daddy for dates,” Xia Yuan reminisced.

“Where did you go?”

“Usually the plaza, but also—”

Lin Youxi suddenly nudged Mei Fang. “Ah Fang, remember that spot?”

Their destination—a secluded bamboo grove near the club building—elicited gasps.

“Xi Mama, why are we here?”

Mei Zhixi’s eyes widened. “Is this… where you and Daddy…?”

“How did you—?!” Xia Yuan’s shock turned to fluster as she hastily covered Mei Zhixi’s eyes—a young couple on the bench scrambling away in embarrassment.

“Great. Our makeout spot became a lover’s landmark,” Mei Fang groaned. “What a legacy.”

“You’re this school’s legend,” Lin Youxi teased before whispering to Xia Yuan, “Five minutes?”

“N-No discussion needed!”

Blushing, Xia Yuan herded the girls away. “Who needs the bathroom? Ice cream?”

“I don’t—Wah! Yuan Mama, why—”

Meanwhile, Lin Youxi settled onto Mei Fang’s lap.

“Remember your public confession here?”

“How could I forget…”

Their tender moment stretched beyond the allotted time—thanks to Xia Yuan getting waylaid by fans requesting photos with the girls.

The family tour continued through every landmark of their youth: the club building where they founded their game studio, the auditorium stage where they performed, the museum housing their graduation photos—each stop imprinting their legacy onto the awestruck girls.

Their Jiangcheng escapades included rollercoasters (with a screaming Mei Fang), haunted houses (terrifying Xia Yuan), a family movie, and spicy Zhou Hei Ya duck (only Lin Youxi abstained).

After this whirlwind nostalgia trip, they returned to their roots—Baimei County—reuniting with grandparents and local officials.

“We’ll invest, but no ‘former residence’ nonsense,” Mei Fang insisted.

“Then perhaps a cultural exhibit?” A official pressed. “Surely you’ve kept childhood mementos?”

“Oh! I know just the thing!”

Xia Yuan unearthed a rusted treasure box from her old home—unveiling:

• A tiny tiger plush filled with sand (“My kindergarten graduation gift to Daddy!”)
• An ancient MP3 player (“Daddy’s birthday present to me—for music and novels,” Lin Youxi explained)
• Lyrics notebooks plastered with stickers
• The ten-yuan IOU Mei Fang once wrote (long repaid)
• The magnifying glass that once burned holes in young Mei Fang’s pants

Even the bully Mei Fang slapped at an amusement park had since married.

Tuning his rediscovered folk guitar, Mei Fang strummed the opening chords of Xia Yuan’s latest composition—a song about eternal childhood.

As their voices harmonized, two origami cranes—one pink, one blue—stirred on the windowsill, their wings fluttering as if alive before dissolving into golden light.

And within the melody, a ghostly childhood vow echoed:

“Pinky promise—
One hundred years—
No changes allowed!”

—(The End)—

Final Song Recommendation: “Can We Stay Children Forever?” (The chapter’s titular song—give it a listen!)