The morning after the wedding smelled of rain and sweet tea.
Petals from last night's garlands still clung to the damp earth, and ribbons fluttered in the soft breeze like sleepy memories of the chaos. Firecracker shells littered the lane, their smoky scent mixing with the sweetness of marigolds.
Li Wei stood on the porch of their guesthouse, blinking blearily as his mother zipped up a bag.
"Come on, Wei, move faster!" she called cheerfully. "We're visiting Auntie Liu today — remember Lin Yue's mother? My best friend from high school."
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "The one who apparently raised the laddu thief."
His sister Li Na nearly choked on her juice. "You're still thinking about that? Wow, brother, she must've really stolen your heart—"
Li Wei glared. "She stole my snack. That's different."
Their father chuckled from behind a newspaper. "You'll understand when you're older, son. Sometimes the thief keeps both the sweet and your peace of mind."
Li Wei frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
But his mother was already laughing as she packed a basket of fruit. "You'll see soon enough."
The Liu family home was at the far edge of the village, surrounded by walls draped in blooming jasmine. Wind chimes danced in the breeze, scattering a soft, silvery sound. When the Li family stepped through the gate, the scent of flowers and steamed buns greeted them like an old friend.
"Ahhh, Meiling!" cried Auntie Liu Fang, rushing out of the house with a voice full of sunshine. "You really came!"
Li Wei's mother laughed, hugging her tightly. "You think I'd miss a chance to see you and your family? It's been too long."
"And you must be Li Wei!" Auntie Liu turned, smiling knowingly. "The famous laddu fighter! Lin Yue hasn't stopped talking about how you declared war on dessert."
"Mom!" came a mortified shout from inside.
Li Wei's mother winked. "Oh, so the stories are true then!"
A few seconds later, Lin Yue appeared in the doorway — hair half-tied, wearing a soft yellow top and denim shorts, sunlight catching the faint shimmer of flour dust on her cheek.
When her eyes met Li Wei's, something flickered — recognition, challenge, and the ghost of last night's chaos.
"Sticky-finger city boy," she said with mock formality.
"Laddu thief," he shot back.
Their moms exchanged a look that screamed I told you so.
"Ah, look at them," Auntie Liu sighed dramatically. "Already fighting like old friends. Just like us in school, Meiling!"
"Oh, please," Li Wei's mom said with a laugh. "We fought over grades, not sweets."
"Same difference," Auntie Liu said, waving her hand. "Come in, come in! You're all staying with us tonight — I won't take no for an answer."
The day passed in a blur of laughter and noise.
The women cooked together, arguing about the right ratio of spice to salt while old songs played from a tinny speaker. The men retreated to the veranda, sipping tea and swapping stories about "how peaceful life used to be before children learned sarcasm."
Meanwhile, Li Wei, Li Na, and Lin Yue were given the task of "helping." Which quickly turned into mild chaos.
"Li Wei, pass me the vegetables," Lin Yue said sweetly.
He handed her a chili instead.
"Not that!" she yelped. "Do you want to burn my tongue?"
"Maybe you'll stop talking then," he teased.
Li Na burst into giggles, whispering, "He's flirting~"
"I am not!"
"Then why are you red?" Lin Yue teased, grinning.
"Because it's hot in here!"
"Sure, sure."
Even Lin Yue's grandmother chuckled from the corner. "You two sound like a married couple already."
Both of them turned scarlet.
That evening, the house came alive with lights. Fireflies flickered outside like fallen stars, and someone in the neighborhood lit fireworks that painted the sky with brief bursts of silver.
Dinner was a feast — fragrant rice, spiced fish, and sweet soup that smelled of coconut and ginger. The families sat together under a string of paper lanterns, their laughter blending with the distant crackle of firecrackers.
Afterward, Lin Yue's mother handed out steaming mugs of milk tea. "For good sleep," she said.
"Sleep?" Li Wei muttered. "How am I supposed to sleep when Li Na keeps snoring?"
"I do not snore!"
"You do. Sounds like a tiny buffalo."
Lin Yue nearly spat her tea laughing.
Later that night, as everyone settled in — the parents chatting softly in the next room, Li Na already snuggled under a blanket — Li Wei found himself on the balcony, leaning against the railing. The night air was cool, filled with the smell of jasmine and distant smoke from the fireworks.
Lin Yue stepped out quietly beside him, her hair loose now, swaying in the breeze.
"You really don't know how to stop teasing people, do you?" she asked softly.
He shrugged, eyes on the horizon. "Maybe it's my way of saying thanks for stealing my laddu."
She smirked. "Then I'll keep stealing. You're fun to annoy."
For a while, neither spoke. The night was too peaceful to break — only the chirp of crickets and the soft hum of lamps filled the air.
Then, without looking at her, Li Wei said quietly,"This place… it's different from the city. Feels slower. Warmer."
She smiled faintly. "That's because we take time to look at the stars."
He looked up. The sky was full of them — bright, scattered diamonds across velvet blue.
And for a brief, wordless moment, he wondered if maybe, somewhere among those stars, there was one meant just for that stubborn village girl who had stolen his sweet — and something else he couldn't quite name.