NCCnovel Chapter 409 Home - Light 1
Chapter 409 Home - Light 1
The yacht cut through the shimmering golden-red waves and sailed smoothly toward the anchorage of the villa.
The cabin was filled with the scent of the sea, the warm aroma of ginger tea, and the cozy warmth of family members chatting and laughing in a relaxed atmosphere.
Although Xiaozhi's excitement hadn't completely worn off, his physical fatigue was real.
Like a tired little sea otter, he was wrapped in a soft towel and curled up in his mother Yuan Bao's warm embrace, his little head nodding.
Yuan Bao gently patted his back, feeling his son's even breathing and the lingering scent of sunshine and seawater on his body, his heart filled with peaceful happiness.
Yuan Baoguo leaned back in his comfortable chair, habitually stroking the warm, smooth Stardust Core in his pocket.
At this moment, the tranquility of the universe seemed to blend perfectly with the inclusiveness of the sea, making him feel an unprecedented sense of openness in his heart.
As he watched the last rays of the setting sun sink below the horizon outside the window, the fragments of inspiration he had for asymmetric propulsion seemed to automatically piece together and recombine in the gentle sound of the waves, becoming clearer.
He even took out a small light screen he carried with him and quickly sketched out several new drafts with his fingertips.
Lin Qing sat to the side, unconsciously twirling the warm and smooth [Life-Giving Needle] in her hand.
Her gaze fell softly on the changing twilight outside the window, but her thoughts seemed to linger on that vibrant underwater forest.
The swaying seaweed and the corals of various shapes seemed to have a clearer lifeline in her eyes.
She even began to imagine how to use the needle and supple thread in her hand to capture and weave the rhythm and harmonious beauty of the underwater life, perhaps she could knit a scarf with wave and fish patterns for Xiaozhi.
Yuan's mother is the busiest and most fulfilled.
As she looked at the relaxed expressions of her children (who were always children in her eyes), and at her grandson sleeping peacefully nestled in his mother's arms, every wrinkle on her face smoothed out.
She quickly tidied up the remaining snacks, then took out warm towels that she had prepared in advance and handed them to Lin Qing and Yuan Bao so that they could wipe their cheeks, which were slightly cool from the sea breeze.
"Mom, you should rest for a while too, don't bother with all that work," Yuan Bao said softly.
"Not tired at all. Seeing you all so happy and safe makes me feel sweeter than if I'd drunk honey." Yuan's mother waved her hand with a smile, her gaze sweeping over her son Yuan Baoguo's profile as he focused on drawing, her daughter-in-law Lin Qing's gentle needlework as she pondered, her daughter Yuan Bao's contented embrace of her grandson, and finally settling on Xiao Zhi's sleeping face. Her love was almost overflowing.
Xiao Zhi snuggled against his mother, then groggily opened his eyes, meeting his grandmother's gentle gaze.
He grinned, revealing a sleepy yet incredibly sweet smile, and murmured softly, "Grandpa... I'm so happy today... The sea is so beautiful... Uncle taught me so well... Mom is here with me..." Before he could finish speaking, his little head tilted down again, and he sank into an even deeper dream.
Yuan Bao's heart was completely melted by her son's unconscious murmur.
She lowered her head and gently pressed her cheek against Xiaozhi's warm forehead, silently conveying her love.
[Space loading complete, welcome home.] Xiao 9's gentle voice sounded as the yacht steadily docked at the private "dock" of the villa, and the familiar courtyard scene appeared seamlessly.
Yuan Baoguo put away the light screen, stretched his shoulders, and felt no fatigue from the intense thinking brought about by the Stardust Core. Instead, he was full of energy: "I have gained a lot today. Xiao Zhi learns quickly, and the underwater world is also an eye-opener."
Lin Qing carefully put away the Sheng Sheng needles and smiled, "Yes, I feel like I have a lot more inspiration now. Tomorrow I'll try to see if I can weave the 'underwater forest' I saw."
"Then I'll be the first to reserve it!" Yuan Bao said with a smile, carefully picking up the sleeping Xiao Zhi in her arms. "Our little explorer is exhausted today, but he also had the biggest harvest."
Yuan's mother had already reached the door and opened it for her daughter who was holding the baby: "Come in quickly, don't catch a cold. Dry Xiaozhi off and change him into dry pajamas so he can sleep well."
The family tiptoed back into the warm and bright villa.
Yuan Bao carried Xiao Zhi upstairs to settle him in, while Yuan Baoguo and Lin Qing went back to their rooms to wash up, getting rid of the saltiness of the seawater and changing into comfortable home clothes.
When Yuan Bao settled Xiao Zhi downstairs, he found that Yuan's mother did not rest immediately. Instead, she was sitting under the warm light in the living room, holding a thick, somewhat old photo album, slowly turning the pages one by one.
The album contains photos of Yuan Baoguo and Yuan Bao when they were young, a group photo of Lin Qing when she first married into the family, and many more photos of Xiao Zhi from birth to the present.
Yuan Bao walked over quietly, sat down next to his mother, and leaned on her shoulder.
The mother and daughter didn't speak, but simply looked at the frozen moments and smiles in the photo.
"Time flies so fast," Yuan's mother's voice carried the gentle warmth of years, her fingers lightly stroking a photo of Yuan Bao holding baby Xiao Zhi. "In the blink of an eye, Bao'er is a mother now, and Xiao Zhi is so big. He has even learned to swim and seen such a beautiful underwater world... It's wonderful."
“Yes, Mom,” Yuan Bao rested her head on her mother’s shoulder, feeling that familiar warmth and reliance, “because of you, because of my older brother and sister-in-law, because of all of us together, this family, Xiao Zhi’s childhood, can be so warm, so… bright.” She remembered Xiao Zhi’s innocent yet profound understanding of “home and light”.
Grandma Yuan closed the photo album, patted her daughter's hand, and looked at her with all-knowing love and satisfaction: "Light is when everyone has love in their hearts, thinks of each other, and is willing to give for this family. When everyone is together, the light naturally shines. Just like today, Baoguo patiently teaches Xiaozhi, you protect him as he looks at the seabed, Qingqing is thinking of knitting warm things for everyone, and I see that you are all doing well... Isn't that light?"
Only the soft light of the wall lamps illuminated the living room, while the Stardust Core emitted a tranquil cosmic glow in the study, and the Life-Giving Needle seemed to flow with a gentle green hue in Lin Qing's room.
Ash is sleeping soundly upstairs, perhaps still dreaming of wandering among the glowing coral reefs.
Yuan Bao leaned against her mother, feeling the unspoken, profound, and warm "home light." She knew that this wonderful summer vacation spent in the villa had given Xiao Zhi much more than just learning to swim or seeing underwater wonders; it had also deeply imprinted in his young heart the warmest and brightest light of "home."
This light will accompany him as he grows, becoming his strongest support and warmest harbor on his future life journey.
And this story, full of love and exploration, continues its next chapter quietly in this space bathed in warm light.