Yu Jingchen was silent for a moment.

"It still doesn't work..." Nan Zhiyun lowered her head with a self-deprecating tone.

To everyone's surprise, the next second, Yu Jingchen actually gently pulled Nan Zhiyun into his arms. Nan Zhiyun looked at Yu Jingchen in disbelief: "Your Majesty?"

"Go on," Yu Jingchen said, without giving her a direct response.

“Your Majesty, in this story, there is a boy named Xingyan. All he ever wanted in his life was a hug. But he never got one before he left this world,” Nan Zhiyun said.

“You are not him,” Yu Jingchen said.

“Yes, I am not him,” Nan Zhiyun replied.

"In this story, Xingyan was born into nobility and was very outstanding. He was the center of attention and had a bright future. Xingyan was gentle and refined, and many daughters of officials admired him, but he didn't like any of them."

"Later, he couldn't go against his parents' wishes, so he obeyed their wishes and married a virtuous, beautiful and intelligent girl. But on their wedding day, Xingyan was caught having an affair and was disheveled."

"This is nothing special; a talented man's romantic affairs are just a few words of banter. But the one with him is the world's number one qin player—Xuan Yue. He is not only famous for his qin skills, but also for his homosexual tendencies."

"That day, Xingyan's parents forced him to say that he had nothing to do with Xuan Yue. But Xingyan said something that no one expected. He said that a sound can leave the string, but a star cannot leave the moon."

"After that day, Xingyan fell to earth, and everyone scorned him. Even his parents were ashamed of him. The once-proud son of heaven was utterly defeated. He only had Xuan Yue left, but... his Xuan Yue hanged herself to protect Xingyan, so Xingyan had nothing left."

"Xuan Yue's death did not change the world's view of Xing Yan, nor did Xing Yan's feelings for Ru Yu change because of her departure. Yet, even so, he was despised by everyone. His parents disliked him, his teachers insulted him, and his classmates looked at him with strange eyes. Xing Yan was no longer dazzling, and he didn't even dare to appear in front of others."

"He locked himself in his room all day long. Later, he started playing the zither at Xuan Yue's old place. Because he wore a mask, no one recognized him. They loved his music. Then one day, they discovered his identity and smashed up the zither building. He was hated like a rat in the street."

"Xingyan could no longer bear it, so in the end he chose to leave in the same way as Xuanyue, leaving this world that only loathed him. Before he died, he said something: 'The stars were originally held up by everyone and rushed towards the moon, but when the stars really rushed towards the moon, both the stars and the moon became sinful lights. The stars can never embrace the moon, and likewise, the stars and the moon will never be embraced by anyone.'"

"Your Majesty, why can't we?" Nan Zhiyun leaned against Yu Jingchen.

"Perhaps it's because they all think that the stars and the moon should be high and mighty gods, shining alone and not to be defiled. But they don't know that only the stars next to the moon shine, and no one can embrace the stars and the moon, but the stars cannot live without the moon."

"Then Your Majesty, do you think the stars and the moon are guilty?" Nan Zhiyun asked.

"Then do you think that if a flower blooms, the flower and the leaves growing on the stem are guilty?" Yu Jingchen asked rhetorically.

“People like blooming flowers, but no one appreciates the leaves. Leaves will be cut off when there are too many, and flowers will always be picked,” Nan Zhiyun replied.

"Those who truly love flowers will let them bloom to their fullest, for that is the flower's duty and mission. Those who pretend to like flowers will pluck the most beautiful bloom, and even dislike the leaves that disturb its bloom. So the flowers and leaves are innocent, but they will be annoying to those who do not like flowers."

“The same goes for stars and the moon. Some people love a sky full of stars, while others prefer the cool, clear moon. But there are always those who can’t stand the sight of stars and the moon shining together, because it gets in the way of others,” Yu Jingchen replied.

————————————————————————

As the rose journeys towards the stars and the sea, will someone on the shore watch you embark on your journey?

There, they'll present you with a bouquet of roses during your curtain call. The roses have become stars, but they too once bloomed—so bright and beautiful that all the flowers in the world seemed to blossom.