Chapter 16 (1/2)

Candle: Alright kids, are you wondering if I forgot to include “part 1” in the t.i.tle? The truth of the matter is that this chapter's a bit on the short side. It's slightly longer than a typical release but also too short to divide in half so I, *cough* VERY GENEROUSLY, *cough*, decided to just release the entire thing. You're welcome, now enjoy this big shocker of a chapter!!!

When I made my way back, Su Lin Lin had already taken a seat back in the private room and talking with Yin Li. His expression seemed rather aloof. I sauntered over next to Yin Li and took the initiative to rest my head on his shoulder. Then, I crooked my head and looked at Su Lin Lin. Yin Li immediately ended his conversation with her and rubbed my head. Then he bent his head down to me, and his hair brushed against my forehead. In a low voice, he said, ”When this gathering is over, I'll bring you somewhere.”

I agreed. Looking into his pair of beautiful eyes, I immediately lost all my interest in Su Lin Lin's expression. Even up to when we finally left the hot pot restaurant, I was still lost in a dizzying sense of bliss.

Yin Li retrieved his car, and without any explanation drove on for almost half an hour. We even traversed some mountain roads before finally coming to a stop. The air atop the mountain was clear and fresh, but the night was a bit chilly. Yin Li took off his jacket and gave it to me. ”I can't drive any further from here. We might need to hike up the mountain a bit.” Then he came over and took my hand. His palm was warm. ”There's a newly-built astronomical observatory here. Tonight the sky is clear, very suited for stargazing.”

I'd heard of this stargazing observatory before, it had been mentioned in the news quite often. It had been under construction for some years, and was a rather large building. Next month it was set to open to the public. I never knew that Yin Li had the mind to leisurely go stargazing in his free time, in the middle of the night.

”Come over here.” Yin Li called me over, then crouched down in front of me. Seeing me staring blanking at him, he shot me a glance. ”I wasn't prepared for you to be wearing heels. Next time, I'll leave a pair of your slippers and sneakers in my car. For now just quickly come over, I'll carry you up.”

I was somewhat embarra.s.sed. ”This pair are wedges and the heel's only a few centimeters. I can just walk by myself.”

Yin Li unexpectedly gave me an unhappy look. ”You want me to crouch here for nothing? Also, even though you've recovered from your car accident, you shouldn't engage in any exercise that's too strenuous. Wearing those wedges to hike up the mountain, do you want to end up in the hospital again?”

Only at this did I reluctantly climb onto his back. But once I was leaning against him, I didn't want to get off. His back was broad and warm, and his stride was measured and steady. I rested against him as the starlight shone brightly down on us, illuminating the narrow path. Our surroundings were quiet and tranquil, with a sense of mystery about them. You could only hear the faint sounds of crickets chirping. The night air smelled of wet dew and fresh gra.s.s, with the subtle scent of tobacco from Yin Li's neck mixed in.

In an absent-minded moment, a secret wish appeared in my heart: To walk together down this road without stopping, to continue on like this until we both grew old.

But Yin Li evidently wasn't thinking of such sentimental things. He halted firmly in place and told me, ”We're here.” Left with no other option, I rubbed my eyes and slid off his back.

As far as I could see, whole observatory building in front of me was white, and its gla.s.s doors were etched with constellation designs. Yin Li swiped a card and unlocked the door. Only once I walked into the main hall did I lift my head and notice with some surprise that the ceiling was spangled with constellations and star cl.u.s.ters. They had probably used some kind of fluorescent paint. In the darkness, it looked like a starry sky dangling from the heavens. I was transfixed and couldn't look away. The whole main hall area had been designed to resemble an exhibition hall, they'd used entire sheets of gla.s.s for the walls. On this mountaintop, with no towering skysc.r.a.pers obscuring the view, the moonlight poured freely into the hall, reflecting off the hall's milky ceramic tiles. The swirling light seemed to pool beneath our feet into a s.h.i.+mmering lake of moonlight.

At this moment, it was as if Yin Li and I stood amidst the cosmos, possessing both the moon and the stars.

While I was staring upwards, lost in my thoughts, Yin Li had opened the door to the observatory deck. He returned and took my hand to lead me over, saying, ”Let me show you the real stars, they're much more beautiful than the ones inside.”

Yin Li brought me out onto the observatory deck. He bent over and began to fiddle with the telescope settings. ”If it was a bit later in the night, we could've seen the stars even more clearly.”

I moved over to the telescope and looked through the lens. Yin Li stood by my side, pointing out the stars in the Milky Way. It looked just like a sheet of clouds illuminated by light. I've never seen the Milky Way this close before, so I mostly felt that it seemed even more real to me now. The stars, separated from me by thousands and millions of light-years, made the universe feel grand and magnificent. I didn't know much astronomy, so I could only feel deeply moved by the beauty and mystery of it all.

But Yin Li didn't seem to be the type to take up astronomy as a hobby in his free time. My gaze turned away from the night sky to focus on him. I couldn't repress some doubt from arising in my heart. Why did this man bring me to an observatory in the middle of the night? It definitely wasn't to take me stargazing or to help me treat some neck problem.

I looked at him.