“Mhm~”

Xia Xiyao let out a soft hum, clearly in a better mood now. Her sweet and tender expression made Tao Lele, who had been sneakily watching from the side, want to run over and smother her with affection.

Xiyao-jie was just too unbeatable like this!

Who knew what kind of magic Gu Xingyi worked on the other end of the line—one phone call and he had Xiyao-jie wrapped around his finger.

“Alright, alright, from now on you’re not allowed to have those silly thoughts anymore, got it?”

“I'll send you the song tonight. Practice more over the next two days. If you fail before your journey even begins, wouldn't that be a slap in the face for me, Gu the Great?”

“Pfft~”

Xia Xiyao giggled at the sound of Gu Xingyi’s confident voice coming through the receiver.

Gu the Great? You’d think he was some historical figure or something!

But that phrase, “to fail before one’s journey begins,” really hit the mark. Since when did Gu Xingyi become so poetic?

“Fine then, I want to see what kind of song you, Gu the Great, can actually come up with!”

Having been coaxed out of her overthinking, Xia Xiyao let go of her worries about who was depending on whom.

And once she relaxed, sleepiness came crashing down on her. She was like a lazy little kitten, her voice soft and mischievous.

That voice could melt anyone’s heart. Gu Xingyi’s scalp tingled just listening to it.

“Ahem, go to bed already. You’ll need energy to rehearse properly.”

Gu Xingyi was overwhelmed and just wanted her to hang up before he lost it.

Xia Xiyao gave a soft hum of acknowledgment, yawned, and walked to her bedroom. After saying goodbye to Gu Xingyi, she ended the call.

When he heard the call disconnect, Gu Xingyi let out a sigh of relief. Calming his wife was tougher than calming a toddler! But hey—he, Gu the Great, handled it just fine!

He glanced toward the living room. Nainai was still watching her favorite cartoon and didn’t need him at the moment.

Time to get started on the song.

Gu Xingyi pulled out a pen and some music manuscript paper, stuck in indecision. What song should he choose?

If others knew what he was struggling with, they’d probably cough up blood. Most people would pour their heart and soul into writing just one song. Meanwhile, he couldn’t even decide which existing song from his head to pick.

Cheaters like him deserved to be nerfed!

After agonizing over it for a while, he still hadn’t settled on anything. There were just too many great songs in his mind, all fighting for attention like children vying for favor. It left his thoughts a mess.

Feeling irritated, he got up and opened a window. A cool breeze flowed in, easing some of his frustration.

Downstairs in the complex, a young couple was saying goodbye. The boy was dragging a big suitcase, his face full of reluctance. The girl’s eyes were brimming with tears as they clung to each other.

Seeing this scene, Gu Xingyi suddenly recalled a line:

Love rides the wind, but when the wind stops, it’s hard to still the heart.

They were parting now—but when the boy returned, would they still be together?

No one knew. Still, he had to leave and explore the world beyond.

Gu Xingyi stood still for a moment, then quickly turned back to his desk, picked up his pen, and began writing on the manuscript paper:

“The Wind Rises”

Youth is the string, love the wind. The wind carries in youth—and blows her away.

The melody flooded his mind. Back in the original world, this song had become a symbol of unresolved youth and bittersweet partings.

He spread out the manuscript paper, his eyes filled with nostalgia, and began jotting down the notes, one by one. Gradually, he lost himself in the music, even humming along without realizing.

Who knew how much time passed, until a childish voice rang out:

“Papa! Hungry! Food food!”

For some reason, Xiao Nainai had recently taken to repeating words. It made Gu Xingyi’s ears go soft.

The key was—her tiny voice saying words like that was just too cute. No one in the world could resist it.

Gu Xingyi immediately broke into a doting smile.

“My little sweetheart, hungry, huh? Daddy’s going to make lunch right now!”

When your daughter speaks, it's the law. As the world’s biggest daughter simp, Gu Xingyi didn’t dare delay. He tossed the pen aside and headed straight to the kitchen.

As for the song? It was already finished.

And the memories that inspired it—let the wind take them away.

Two hours later, father and daughter lay sprawled on the sofa, both in the same lounging position.

Burp~

Gu Xingyi let out a loud burp. Nainai giggled and rubbed his belly like a little helper.

Then she burped too. The two instantly erupted into laughter and play-fighting.

Just then, Xia Xiyao’s video call came in. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles—clearly still sleep-deprived.

Seeing the laid-back pair on the screen, her heart filled with envy.

“Sigh~ I’m out here slaving away, and you two are just enjoying family bliss at home. Both of you—heartless!”

Xia Xiyao rarely acted pitiful, but now her almond-shaped eyes shimmered as she mock-complained.

That phone call earlier seemed to have broken down her walls, making her more like a soft and playful young woman—and bringing her and Gu Xingyi closer.

Gu Xingyi wasn’t built to handle this kind of emotional attack. He surrendered instantly.

“I wasn’t just goofing off. The song’s done. I’ll send it to you later.”

Nainai crawled into the frame too, mimicking Gu Xingyi by raising her hands in surrender. Her own pair of watery almond eyes challenged Xia Xiyao’s.

“Nainai wasn’t lazy either! I watched two fewer cartoons today! Learned five new numbers!”

Xia Xiyao couldn’t hold it in. Her act fell apart instantly. She admitted it—she could never beat this little monster!

“Alright, alright! Our little Nainai worked the hardest! Come give Mama a kiss—muah~!”

The little one beamed and puckered up, rewarding Mama with a loud muah.

“Ahem! Don’t I get one too???”

Gu Xingyi coughed loudly and shamelessly leaned his face toward the screen, causing Xia Xiyao’s cheeks to visibly flush red.

To make things worse, Nainai egged her on, telling Mama to reward Daddy with a kiss too.

In the end, unable to withstand the double attack from her daughter and Gu Xingyi’s thick skin, Xia Xiyao gave in and gave him a symbolic little peck—no muah sound included.

But that was enough to make Gu Xingyi beam like a flower. He quickly ran to the bedroom and held up the completed manuscript in front of the camera.

“See? I wasn’t lying—the song’s really done! That kiss wasn’t wasted!”

Xia Xiyao rolled her eyes with flair, but deep down, she was completely shocked. Just a few hours—and he had already written a whole song?

She felt a little defeated.

She’d been thinking for days and couldn’t even grasp a complete melody. Meanwhile, Gu Xingyi produced a full track in no time.

This man really was a monster.

After chatting a bit more as a family, they ended the call.

Gu Xingyi photographed the full music sheet and lyrics, sent them to Xia Xiyao, then tossed his phone aside and went back to lounging on the sofa with Nainai.

Xia Xiyao opened the WeChat images with anticipation.

A big title greeted her:

The Wind Rises.