118: A "failed" picnic and the deepening of feelings

Life in the "Homeland" was proceeding methodically, but the sensory distress that Excellence had recently been experiencing due to the "human antenna" effect was something Su Mu saw and worried about. She realized that keeping Excellence confined to the studio or indoor environments for long periods, even with the best facilities, might exacerbate his anxiety and sensory overload. Nature, perhaps, was the best place for healing. On a sunny afternoon, when Excellence was rubbing his temples in frustration due to "signal interference" once again, Su Mu made a tempting suggestion.

"Excellence, look at how nice the weather is outside! You've been cooped up in the room all day fiddling with your 'Cosmic Music Player' until your head is about to smoke! How about we go for a picnic by the stream in the valley this weekend?" Su Mu said, pointing to the lush valley outside the window, her tone light. "Breathe in some fresh air, listen to the real sound of the stream—it might even sound better than your ore 'singing'!"

This proposal immediately caught Excellence's attention. He put down the blue ore that had been making him dizzy, his eyes lighting up like a kitten that had just heard a can being opened. "A picnic? You mean taking delicious food, sitting on the grass, just like in the books? Yes, yes! I want to go!" For someone who had lived in a closed environment for so long, this pure, nature-oriented way of relaxing was full of novelty.

Evelyn, who was on the side, nodded slightly in agreement. From a scientific perspective, letting Excellence experience a real natural environment would help his sensory system establish a more accurate frame of reference, which might help him better distinguish between "true Perception" and "extraordinary reception," acting as a sort of "grounding" calibration. Moreover, she admitted that taking the opportunity to relax the body and mind amidst heavy research and security work was a good idea. "I agree. Appropriate outdoor activities are beneficial for Excellence's physical and mental recovery. We can make full preparations."

Once the proposal was approved, preparations began in a relaxed and happy atmosphere. The three divided the work, full of the flavor of life:

Su Mu was naturally the main force in the kitchen. She put on an apron and excitedly prepared a variety of delicious and portable food. Remembering that Excellence preferred soft, glutinous food and rich-flavored dishes, she carefully made rice balls wrapped in seaweed and sesame with rich fillings, and braised fragrant eggs, dried tofu, and a little beef, packing them in airtight containers. She also specially baked some small, moderately sweet cookies and put them in a beautiful tin can.

Evelyn showed her taste for refined living. She prepared an exquisite multi-layered picnic basket, neatly filled with washed, brightly colored strawberries, blueberries, and sliced melon. She also picked some edible herbs from the "Homeland" small Greenhouse to brew a pot of herbal tea. In addition, she carefully packed a moisture-proof mat, disposable tableware, wet wipes, and a small medical kit for emergencies.

Excellence was even more excited, feeling that he must contribute to this "major operation." He ducked into the studio and announced that he would provide "technical support." As a result, he tinkered with a palm-sized fan powered by a mini solar panel, claiming it would bring a "gentle breeze" (in actual tests, the wind was so weak it could barely move a blade of grass); there was also a device he called a "sound and light insect repellent," which, when turned on, emitted a high-frequency, intermittent, piercing noise and flashing, eerie light. Not only did it not drive away bugs, but it scared the birds in the nearby trees into flying away, leaving Su Mu and Evelyn dumbfounded and quickly making him turn off this "nuisance" invention.

Although Excellence's "technical support" was a bit counterproductive, the whole preparation process was full of laughter. Seeing Excellence running around as excitedly as if it were a holiday, Su Mu and Evelyn's moods also became exceptionally relaxed. The feeling of working together on a simple, happy thing was in itself a rare form of healing.

The weekend arrived as scheduled, and the weather was exceptionally kind, with clear blue skies and warm sunshine. The three carried the prepared picnic basket and items, walking along the winding slate path towards the stream deep in the valley. The path was lined with dense woods, and the sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, casting dappled, swaying shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the mixed fragrance of soil, grass, and wildflowers, which was refreshing.

After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the sound of gurgling water reached their ears. Turning a corner, the view suddenly opened up. A crystal-clear stream wound through an open meadow like a green ribbon. The water was shallow, revealing smooth pebbles and the occasional small fish swimming by. The meadow was lush with grass, dotted with little white wild chrysanthemums and purple lavender. A few large trees cast comfortable shade on the bank. The whole scene was quiet and beautiful, like a carefully painted landscape painting.

"Wow! So beautiful!" Excellence exclaimed, rushing toward the grass like a colt off the leash, spreading his arms and spinning around several times in place, greedily breathing in the fresh air.

Su Mu and Evelyn looked at him and smiled at each other, their hearts full of relief. They chose a flat, dry piece of grass near the shade of a tree, spread out the moisture-proof mat, and laid out the food from the picnic basket one by one. The colorful food looked particularly tempting in the sunlight.

Situation after situation: Funny episodes during the picnic

However, Excellence's "extraordinary" traits soon staged a series of comical episodes in this peaceful natural environment.

Episode 1: Morse code conversation with ants

Just after sitting down, before Excellence had a chance to taste the food, he suddenly pricked up his ears, frowned, and listened intently. "Shh—listen!" He lowered his voice, pointing to the ground mysteriously. "There's a sound! Very rhythmic... da... da da... da... It's like... like it's tapping Morse code!"

Su Mu and Evelyn looked suspiciously in the direction of his finger, only to see a group of ants marching in a neat line, busy moving food scraps between the grass roots. That so-called "Morse code" was nothing more than the tiny sound of ants walking and their antennae colliding, which no normal person could possibly hear.

But Excellence took it seriously. He immediately lay down, pressing his ear almost to the ground, concentrating on "deciphering" it, muttering to himself: "This rhythm... is it 'Food... ahead... fifty centimeters'? Or 'Warning... giant creature approaching'?" The result, naturally, was that he got his face covered in grass clippings and dirt, looking like a mud monkey rolling in a field, which made Su Mu and Evelyn laugh until they were bent over.

Episode 2: The photography master's blurry masterpiece

After the meal, Evelyn took out the high-end SLR camera she had brought and suggested taking photos for memories. Excellence volunteered to be the photographer. He took the heavy camera, struck a very professional pose, but had no idea how to operate it. Su Mu sat on the grass with a smile, posing, but Excellence was flustered and accidentally pressed the burst mode button.

Only the sound of the camera "click-click-click" in a rapid series was heard, and the lens flashed wildly at Su Mu. When Evelyn hurriedly took the camera back to check, she found dozens of photos in the album, all of which were dynamic, blurry "ghost" bursts of Su Mu from smiling to astonished, to trying to stop him. The most thrilling part was that in his panic, Excellence almost dropped the camera into the nearby stream, causing Evelyn and Su Mu to scream in unison and catch it in a flurry.

Episode 3: The focused jam nose

When enjoying snacks, Su Mu handed Excellence a slice of bread spread with strawberry jam. Excellence took it, and just as he was about to take a bite, his gaze was caught by the extremely complex vein texture of a leaf next to him. He immediately entered research mode, holding the bread, staring at the leaf without blinking, completely forgetting about eating. As a result, his hand tilted, and the bright red jam smeared directly onto the tip of his nose. He was completely unaware, still observing the leaf with a serious face, as if cracking a cosmic code. Seeing him with a red nose, Su Mu and Evelyn couldn't help but burst into laughter. Excellence then looked up blankly, blinking his eyes in confusion, which made the two laugh even harder.

The "climax" of the picnic came at the most relaxed moment. The sun shone warmly on their bodies, and the sound of the stream was gurgling, making people sleepy. Excellence saw a group of small fish swimming flexibly in the stream, his childlike heart aroused. Excitedly, he took off his shoes and socks, rolled up his trouser legs, and was about to get into the water to catch them.

"Hey, Excellence, be careful! The water is cold, and the stones are slippery!" Su Mu quickly reminded him.

"It's okay, Class Monitor! Watch me catch a big one for our extra meal tonight!" Excellence was full of confidence, stepping cautiously into the cool stream. At first, he was very cautious, but seeing the fish close at hand, he got excited and lunged forward suddenly!

The result was predictable—his feet slipped, and his balance was instantly lost! With a loud "splash," water sprayed everywhere! Excellence fell squarely into the knee-deep stream, soaked from head to toe in an instant, becoming a veritable "drowned rat"!

"Ah!" Su Mu and Evelyn's exclamations sounded at the same time. They immediately threw down what they were holding, rushed down the riverbank, and in a flurry, pulled the wet and embarrassed Excellence, who had choked on a few mouthfuls of water, out of the stream.

Excellence stood on the bank, dripping water all over, his hair wet and plastered to his forehead, his clothes clinging tightly to his body, shivering from the cold, his face still holding a dazed and shaken expression. That pitiful and funny look made the originally nervous Su Mu and Evelyn, after confirming he wasn't hurt, couldn't help but burst into laughter again.

"I told you not to show off! Look at you now!" Su Mu scolded him, laughing and crying, while quickly taking out a dry towel to wipe his face and hair.

Excellence, however, suddenly remembered something, his face changed drastically, and he hurriedly reached out to touch his soaked trouser pocket, pulling out a ball of pulp that had been soaked by water, with the handwriting completely blurred. "It's over, it's over! My 'Cosmic Music Player'... the latest version of the design drawings... were still in my pocket... they're ruined! All ruined!" He looked at the ball of pulp, wanting to cry without tears, as if he had lost his most precious treasure.

Looking at his miserable state, Su Mu felt both heartache and amusement. She took the towel and continued to help him wipe his wet hair, her tone chiding: "Serves you right! Who told you to be so rash! Design drawings can be redrawn, as long as you are okay! See if you dare to be so reckless next time!"

Evelyn remained calm. She quickly took out a set of dry, spare clothes from that thoughtful medical kit (which was more like an emergency kit) (she had even carefully considered that Excellence might get wet and prepared his size). "Change out of the wet clothes first, be careful not to catch a cold." Her tone was calm, but her eyes held a trace of helpless amusement.

Although the romantic and leisurely picnic planned had ended in a "disastrous" scene where Excellence became a "drowned rat" and the design drawings were ruined, strangely enough, on the way back, the mood of the three did not become frustrated or low.

Excellence had changed into dry clothes, his hair was messy from Su Mu's wiping, and he was hugging his wet, dirty clothes wrapped in a plastic bag. Perhaps it was the cold water, or perhaps he was truly tired, but he was much quieter. However, there was no annoyance on his face; instead, there was a strange calmness after experiencing an adventure. He even started humming an unknown tune, his steps light.

Su Mu and Evelyn walked on his left and right. The sunset sprinkled golden light over the valley, stretching the shadows of the three long. Su Mu looked at Excellence's hair, which was dry again and shining with tiny fragments of light in the sunset, recalled the chaos of the afternoon, and couldn't help but shake her head with a smile, whispering to Evelyn: "Although, the plan was quite good, but it ended up being a mess, all the photography, quiet enjoyment, none of it was realized... but, I don't know why, it feels... quite happy."

Evelyn heard this, turned her head, looked at the sincere smile in Su Mu's eyes, and then looked at Excellence, who was quiet but had a slightly upturned mouth. A very faint but real softness melted on her cold, beautiful face. She nodded, her gaze looking at the distant mountain top dyed red by the sunset, and replied softly: "Yeah. It's been a long time... since I've had this kind of... simple and lively feeling." This sense of relaxation, detached from precise planning, full of accidents yet full of life, was a long-lost experience for her.

Excellence heard their conversation, turned his head, and revealed a big, cloudless smile, as bright as the sunshine after rain, and vowed: "Next time! Before the next picnic, I must invent a super powerful, non-slip, automatic fish-catching robot! That way we'll have endless grilled fish! We'll come again!"

His grand words made Su Mu and Evelyn laugh again. Under the sunset, the laughter of the three echoed in the valley, intertwined with the gurgling stream and the chirping of birds returning to their nests, forming a movement that was not perfect, but incomparably real and warm.

This completely "failed" picnic did not leave behind any clear photos, nor did it realize any preset romantic scenes, but because of these unexpected chaos and humor, it brought three hearts closer together in mutual care and laughter. The slightly formal relationship established in the laboratory and during missions quietly merged into more family-like intimacy and tolerance after this farce by the stream, which was full of the smoke and fire of life. This, perhaps, is the truest appearance of life, and companionship.