Chapter 28

On Friday evening, Moyunzhai was bathed in the golden afterglow of the setting sun, and dust motes danced slowly in the beams of light.

Xie Qingyan saw off the last old customer, gently closed half of the door, and shut out the noise of the street.

This is his third day at Moyunzhai. He has gradually gotten the hang of this part-time job and really enjoys the atmosphere of the bookstore.

Before leaving, Boss Shen patted him on the shoulder: "Xiao Yan, I'm going out to run some errands. I'll be back in about an hour. I'll leave the shop to you. The new batch of old books is on the table inside, it hasn't been sorted yet. Take a look when you have time. If a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses comes in and asks about Ke Xing's book, just tell him that the book is still being looked for and let him look through the new ones first."

“Okay, Mr. Shen,” Xie Qingyan replied.

The bookstore returned to silence, with only the regular ticking of the old-fashioned wall clock.

Xie Qingyan walked into the inner room and looked at the pile of old books on the table, which smelled musty and were covered in the dust of history. He didn't tidy them up immediately. First, he took out the stack of junior high school textbooks and notes from the cloth bag he had brought and carefully placed them under the counter. They were there so he could see them at a glance and take them out at any time.

He first opened his first-year junior high physics textbook. Formulas and examples flashed by quickly, and the logical framework of modern science gradually corroborated and merged with his simple understanding of "force" and "motion." He read extremely fast, and the neat and meticulous handwriting in his notes was like that of a silent and excellent guide.

I was engrossed in my physics textbook when the wind chimes rang.

Xie Qingyan looked up. A slender young man stood backlit in the doorway, wearing a clean light blue jacket and simple black-rimmed glasses. He didn't look around; his gaze went directly to the pile of unorganized old books in the inner room, and his footsteps followed, as if he were walking into his own study.

"Excuse me," Xie Qingyan closed her textbook, stood up, and walked over, her voice gentle, "do you need any books?"

The boy turned his head at the sound. His eyes behind his glasses were bright, with an extreme focus and a slight bewilderment at being interrupted. He glanced at Xie Qingyan's school uniform, then at the closed junior high textbook in his hand, and his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

"I'm looking for Boss Shen." The young man's voice was clear and his tone was steady. "I asked him to keep an eye out for a book about ancient guest stars last time. I wonder if there's been any news about it."

Guest star.

Xie Qingyan's heart skipped a beat, and Boss Shen's words of advice echoed in his ears. So it was him.

"Boss Shen had to go out on an urgent matter and will be back in about an hour. He instructed that the book you are looking for is still being searched for, but a new batch of old books has arrived here. You can take a look first." Xie Qingyan turned to the side, gesturing to the pile of books.

"Thank you." The boy nodded, offering a brief thanks, before squatting down and beginning to peruse the pile of books that exuded a musty smell. His movements were careful yet efficient, his fingertips brushing against the fragile edges of the pages with the caution characteristic of a researcher.

Xie Qingyan didn't leave; she squatted down beside him to help organize and sort the books. The two were an arm's length apart, and the only sound was the rustling of pages turning.

The boy quickly pulled out an old book with yellowed pages and loose binding. The cover was missing. He carefully turned a few pages, scrutinizing the handwriting, then shook his head and muttered to himself, "A handwritten copy from the Wanli era... mostly ordinary astrological treatises, useless." He gently put the book back and picked up another one.

His words were logically clear and his judgment accurate. Xie Qingyan couldn't help but take another look at him.

Seemingly noticing Xie Qingyan's gaze, the boy raised his head, adjusted his glasses, and spoke up, breaking the silence: "Are you also interested in these old books?" His gaze fell on Xie Qingyan's junior high school textbook that she had just closed, then moved back to Xie Qingyan's face, with a hint of inquiry.

"Helping out at the shop, you should know a thing or two," Xie Qingyan replied subtly, then countered, "You're looking for guest star records for astronomical research?"

"It's just a personal interest." The young man wasn't interested in going into detail, but perhaps because Xie Qingyan's question touched on a professional point, he unusually added an explanation: "Ancient Chinese records of observations of guest stars are valuable historical materials for astronomy, especially those from the Song and Yuan dynasties, which were relatively systematic. I'm looking for earlier clues that may have been lost in miscellaneous records and unofficial histories."

Ancient China, Guest Stars, Song and Yuan Dynasties, Lost Miscellaneous Records...

These keywords, along with Mr. Shen's description and the boy's accurate assessment of the old book, paint a clear picture of an astronomy enthusiast, and this boy may even be more than just an enthusiast.

A vague sense of familiarity stirred within Xie Qingyan again. He lowered his head and helped open another stack of books. This time, he saw a thin booklet in slightly better condition, its cover titled "Random Notes on the Starry Sky from the Shouzhuo Studio." He picked it up and casually flipped to a page.

"Hmm?" The boy next to him immediately looked over.

Xie Qingyan handed over the booklet. The boy took it, quickly glanced through it, and his eyes behind his glasses gradually lit up: "A scholar's notes from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty, mentioning his grandfather's handwritten record of 'strange celestial phenomena,' with descriptions of dates and locations! Although rough, it's quite interesting." He looked up at Xie Qingyan, this time with a hint of genuine surprise in his scrutiny, "How did you know this book might be useful?" Most people would skip over miscellaneous records with such a title.

Xie Qingyan smiled slightly: "The book is titled 'Starry Sky Records,' which involves the starry sky, so it may be related to celestial phenomena. Judging from the paper and ink, it should be from the mid-to-late Qing Dynasty. At that time, scholars liked to record miscellaneous anecdotes, and they might have copied down what their ancestors had seen and heard."

This brief analysis, from the book's title to its historical context, only deepened the boy's surprise. He looked Xie Qingyan over again, his gaze sweeping once more over the stack of junior high textbooks under the counter, and suddenly asked, "Are you a student at No. 9 Middle School? What grade are you in?"

"Senior year of high school."

"Senior year of high school?" The boy raised an eyebrow slightly. "At this point in time, you still have the mind to work at a used bookstore, looking at..." He paused, "...looking at junior high school textbooks?"

His question was straightforward, but not malicious; it was more like pure curiosity and confusion.

Xie Qingyan frankly said, "It's just to earn some pocket money after school. My foundation is not solid, so I take some time to catch up."

The boy nodded, not pressing further, and returned his attention to the booklet in his hands. But he said casually, "I think I have a set of junior high school textbooks and notes from many years ago. A friend borrowed them from me recently, saying it was for a classmate who needed to brush up on his basics." He shook his head, as if dismissing an unimportant thought, "They're probably from your school too."

boom--!

Like a faint electric current running down her spine, Xie Qingyan's hand, holding another book, paused almost imperceptibly.

I gave my junior high school textbooks and notes to a friend, and to a classmate who needed to brush up on their basic knowledge...

All the clues suddenly tightened at this moment, pointing to an answer that was about to be revealed!

He suddenly looked at the boy beside him—Wen Heng. The name written on the title page of every textbook and notebook! The owner of those notebooks with neat, clear handwriting and rigorous logic! The special guest that Boss Shen described as obsessed with astronomy and searching for ancient books!

It was... him?!

His heart pounded gently in his chest. Xie Qingyan looked at Wen Heng's profile as he focused on studying "Shouzhuozhai Xingkong Suilu" (Notes on the Starry Sky from the Shouzhuozhai Studio). The slightly furrowed brows, the tightly pursed lips, and the academic aura that naturally emanated from him, so different from his surroundings... all overlapped perfectly with the feeling that the stack of notes gave him.

It turns out that the owner of this set of books is right here in front of us.

Moreover, Wen Heng was clearly unaware that Xie Qingyan, who was working at a used bookstore and reading junior high school textbooks, was the beneficiary of his set of notes.

Wen Heng seemed completely absorbed in the booklet, gently pausing with his finger on a line of blurry text, and whispering as he deciphered: "In the winter of the Dinghai year of the thirty-second year of Qianlong's reign, a large star, red like a cup, was seen at night, emerging from the side of the Purple Palace Enclosure, and dissipating after more than a month... The location and description are quite interesting; I need to check the star charts of that time..."

He completely forgot about the book-borrowing incident he had just casually mentioned, as if it were just a trivial little episode in his life.

Xie Qingyan suppressed the turmoil in his heart and did not immediately reveal it. He silently treasured this discovery, just as he treasured the stack of textbooks and notes.

Looking at Wen Heng's profile as he immersed himself in the world of knowledge, he suddenly felt that perhaps this way of getting to know each other was better.

It wasn't because of that set of books, nor was it a coincidence.

Rather, it was because, amidst this pile of old papers and dust, their equally keen eyes caught the same glimmer of starlight that might have been buried by history.

"Here..." Xie Qingyan suddenly pointed to a simple diagram on another page of the booklet. The diagram was roughly drawn, like a child's scribbles, with a note next to it: "The trace of this star, Zu Yun."

Wen Heng followed his finger and carefully examined the blurry lines and annotations, his eyes shining even brighter: "This trajectory sketch... although rudimentary, might contain useful information if recorded visually by an observer! You have excellent eyesight!"

The two men, their heads almost touching, discussed in hushed tones the old copy of "Shouzhuozhai Xingkong Suilu" (A Record of the Starry Sky from the Shouzhuozhai Studio) could contain information and how to cross-reference it with known ancient records of guest stars.

As the last rays of the setting sun swept across the top of the bookshelves, the bookstore dimmed. Xie Qingyan stood up and expertly turned on the old desk lamp on the counter.

A warm yellow light shone down, enveloping two boys, one standing and one squatting, focused intently on an ancient book.

It wasn't until Mr. Shen's footsteps came from outside the door that the two realized with a start that time had quietly slipped away.

Wen Heng carefully closed the booklet and said to Xie Qingyan, "I would like to borrow this book to study it carefully, is that alright? I will register it and return it on time."

“Of course, I’ll talk to Mr. Shen when he gets back.” Xie Qingyan nodded.

Wen Heng stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, looked at Xie Qingyan, and said earnestly, "Thank you for today. My name is Wen Heng. What's yours?"

"Xie Qingyan."

“Xie Qingyan…” Wen Heng repeated the name, his eyes behind his glasses curving into a faint but genuine smile. “I’ll remember it. Next time I come, I hope we can look for books together again.”

"You are welcome anytime."

Boss Shen pushed the door open and came in. Seeing the two standing under the light, he smiled and said, "Oh, Xiao Wen's here? You seem to be getting along quite well with my new colleague?"

"Professor Shen, this student Xie has been a great help." Wen Heng waved the booklet in his hand. "I'll borrow this one for now."

“Okay,” Mr. Shen readily agreed.

Wen Heng nodded to Xie Qingyan again before turning to leave. His light blue figure quickly disappeared into the deepening night outside the door.

——

Jiang Family Villa.

Time here seems to be frozen in another set of rules.

The atmosphere at dinner was as cold and refined as ever. At either end of the long table, Jiang Ci and his father, Jiang Cheng, ate in silence, the clinking of their knives and forks against their plates jarringly clear. His stepmother, Wang Lihua, sat in the middle, her makeup flawless, a shrewd smile playing on her lips, occasionally uttering perfunctory words of concern, attempting to play the role of the perfect stepmother.

After finishing his meal, Jiang Cheng wiped his mouth with a napkin and then glanced at Jiang Ci, who was about to get up and leave, with eyes like a hawk.

"Wait a moment." The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable command.

Jiang Ci paused, sat back down, lowered his eyes, and waited for the rest of the story.