"Autumn leaves, winter snow, spring breeze, summer sun."
"What does it mean?"
"Every season has its own charming side."
"Like a human?"
"Yes, like a human."
Carl stroked Liz's hair gently. Liz tilted her head obediently, enjoying Carl's touch.
"Everything will change, just like you, you have grown a lot, and growth is precisely the biggest kind of change."
"I will change in the direction you expect." Liz put her arm around Carl's.
"Let go," Carl ordered, "Don't develop feelings for me. It could easily kill you."
"Why?" Liz didn't really want to let go and looked at Carl with evasive eyes.
"The feelings I'm talking about are only love. Love can make you selfish and make you make stupid decisions. I seem to have repeated to you my feelings for Beth, right?"
"I understand." Liz agreed weakly, let go of Carl's arm, lowered her head, and a sharp light flashed in her slightly narrowed eyes.
…
It's night.
Next to the farmhouse in the second area, there is a bonfire, a small wooden table, and two people.
"Your name is Thomas, right? What do you want from me?" Martinez asked with a frown.
"That's right, Thomas, but you can call me whatever you like, don't mind it." Thomas smiled and took out a bottle of wine from behind and placed it heavily on the table.
"I got some good stuff, but alcohol is really boring to drink alone."
"I don't understand." Martinez frowned even deeper, and looked at Thomas with a little more vigilance.
"We are in the same boat. Have I ever told you that? I was originally a prisoner in this prison. Later, when they came, the other prisoners seemed to have completely integrated into them, except me."
Thomas took a sip of wine, soaking his collar, and handed the bottle to Martinez.
Martinez hesitated, then took it.
Thomas smiled and said, "Remember that time? It was the time when we were almost executed together. Do you think this counts as being in the same boat?"
"Remember."
"Why do you think we're okay?"
"Sean, he..."
"No, screw you Sean, it was Carl, remember, Carl, it was Carl who saved us."
"No, what did you want to say?"
…
"Glenn, I'm glad you figured it out."
Carl smiled and gave Glenn a tight hug.
"I just feel that..."
"No, Glenn, believe me, we are friends, right?"
"Of course, but..."
"No, no buts. I don't like buts."
…
In the darkness of the night, two figures, one big and one small, walked in the shadows.
Carl stopped, looked at the torches on the gate in the distance, and said softly, "Let's get started."
"You are so decisive. I don't understand why."
"I have to hurry because of a promise." Carl tilted his head, smiled, and a glimmer of longing flashed in his eyes.
Isn't Carl also looking forward to it?
"You act like a child." Joseph smiled.
"There will be no exceptions, Joseph. You are not quite what I imagined."
"You should never judge a person by their first impression."
"Of course, that makes sense."
"I see a kind of hope in you."
"This is exactly what I want you to see." Carl turned his head and gave Joseph a sunny smile.
"It's not just me, you can see more if you're willing to look."
"Okay, I will, but you should consider the consequences, right?"
"Of course, I never do anything without preparation, except in emergencies."
"I'll go get ready."
"Go ahead and wish you victory." Carl raised his right fist.
"Very good, wish you victory." Joseph smiled and bumped fists with him.
A small white hand, a large brown hand covered with tattoos, and two fists, one big and one small, touched each other.
…
"The faster you progress." Michonne's eyes were full of relief.
"I paid a lot for this, too." Carl smiled back.
…
"Bucephalus, you are growing very well. There is still some time. Don't worry, it will come."
Bucephalus, who was almost 1.8 meters tall, pushed Carl with his head impatiently.
"You guy." In response, Carl just smiled.
"Carl, you've grown a lot taller. You're almost taller than me." Beth said with a smile.
"Yeah, it's almost there, that's good, it's not a big deal if I'm shorter than you."
"It's okay, I don't mind. No one has ever told me that an older woman-younger man relationship can be so comfortable." Beth took Carl's hand.
"Women find it difficult to tolerate male immaturity, and with a few exceptions, this is why most relationships between men and women end in tragedy."
"Am I in the minority? Why didn't I notice?"
"No, it's not. It's different."
"What's the difference?"
"We are all unique."
Carl hugged Beth, looked at her level, his eyes were almost at the same height as Beth's, and lowered his head to kiss her.
…
Karl stood quietly by the stair railing.
It wasn't until he heard a door closing and hurried footsteps that Carl knew the person he was waiting for had arrived.
Not long after, Sean, who was walking quickly, saw Karl and was slightly stunned, "Why are you here?"
"I'm waiting for you, don't get too excited, Sean."
Sean's pupils shrank slightly, and he seemed to understand a lot in an instant, "You knew they went out? What did they go for? Tell me, where did those people, things, and supplies they brought back come from!"
"What do you think?" Carl shrugged, walked closer to Sean, raised his head slightly, and looked at Sean, "Haven't you guessed it?"
"But why did I know this only now? If Andrea hadn't informed me, I wouldn't have known that they had brought everyone back!"
"I'm sorry, but..."
"Carl, did you do this?" Sean looked at Carl in disbelief.
"No, not entirely. In fact, if you think about it from another angle, I could have lied to you, like killing everyone and only bringing back supplies, but I didn't."
"Bang!" Sean punched Carl in the eye out of anger, "What are you talking about! Carl! What are you talking about?"
Carl's body leaned backward uncontrollably, but fortunately he grabbed the handrail of the stairs and did not roll down the stairs directly.
"The last person who hit me like this, I used you to threaten him." Carl covered his left eye, tears flowing out uncontrollably, whether out of some emotion or because of the pain.
"Carl, I'm sorry, I…" Looking at Carl's tears, Sean's anger instantly disappeared, replaced by only guilt.
"It's okay, if this can make you calm down, you can continue, I don't mind, I understand." Carl's left hand, which was covering his eyes, was already wet.
Karl instinctively wanted to speak in a calm tone, but Sean's punch was indeed not light, and Karl's voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Carl, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that." Sean held Carl's shoulders.
"I understand. I really do."
"Sean, give me a moment, okay?"
"What does this mean?"
"a lot of."
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