Chapter 61 A Thread of Connection

Once inside the StarNet, Zhou Jiu clicked on the "Connecting Lines" function on the StarNet that Chu Zhao had sent him.

A red peach blossom-shaped portal appeared before her. Zhou Jiu pushed the portal open and walked in. An ancient, cobblestone street stretched out into the distance before her. Along the low wall of the garden, where one could just touch it with their fingers, there was a red line tied along the path.

As Zhou Jiu walked slowly forward, the bells tied to the red thread swayed, emitting rhythmic, crisp, and ethereal sounds.

Looking at Chu Zhao, dressed in a long robe and blue shirt, at the end of the red line road, Zhou Jiu's eyes suddenly lit up with a smile, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

At the end of the red thread, there was not only Chu Zhao, but also a temple dedicated to the Old Man Under the Moon. Zhou Jiu quickened his pace, listening to the increasingly rapid sound of bells, and headed towards Chu Zhao.

"A thousand-mile journey begins with a single thread, and a lifetime of cultivation brings us to share the same pillow. My dear boyfriend, are you perhaps scheming for something else now that I've come of age?" Zhou Jiu teased.

Chu Zhao smiled, then opened his arms: "...Xiao Jiu, happy birthday!"

"No answer means you agree!" Zhou Jiu jumped forward two steps, took Chu Zhao's outstretched arm, looked up at him, and did not let Chu Zhao hug her.

"You..." Chu Zhao withdrew his other hand, his voice filled with affection.

"Okay, I won't make things difficult for you. Just consider it a birthday surprise. So, where's my present?" Zhou Jiu waved his hand in front of Chu Zhao.

"Don't be impatient. It's your birthday today, and I've already prepared everything." Chu Zhao raised his hand and took Zhou Jiu's hand, interlocking their fingers. He then moved Zhou Jiu's hand from his left to his right and led him along.

"I thought this was already a gift, and I was planning to make things difficult for you, but I didn't expect it wouldn't be so difficult." Zhou Jiu pouted.

"That's too rudimentary! The scenery at the Yue Lao Temple is what it is, not something I created artificially! If it's like this, then as Zhou Jiu's boyfriend, it would be too disrespectful of him to celebrate his birthday like this."

"Zhou Jiu says she's really looking forward to it!" Zhou Jiu waved her hand, she was very happy.

"You seem much happier this time I see you. Has anything interesting happened lately?" Chu Zhao noticed that Zhou Jiu's eyes and brows were filled with smiles throughout their meeting.

"Just seeing you makes me happy enough, what more needs to happen?"

Zhou Jiu raised an eyebrow slightly. Was it that easy to see? The public opinion plan on Gu Lan Star was progressing smoothly, the sensor mecha was almost completed, the friends on the desolate star were all doing well, and her mental strength had increased. She had also successfully passed the qualifying round. Wasn't that enough to make her happy?

Chu Zhao glanced at Zhou Jiu: "Why are you saying such sweet nothings all day? Have you started cultivating again?"

"What? You don't like hearing nice things?"

"No, it's just that, as the saying goes, 'giving favors for no reason'," Chu Zhao said softly, taking Zhou Jiu's hand as they walked on the grass.

Zhou Jiu didn't speak again; her true feelings were firmly grasped by Jing at this moment.

A vast expanse of stars surrounds the bright moon, with wispy, drifting clouds floating within, adorning the scene. The entire landscape is reflected on the clear blue lake surface, while fireflies dance near the grass, their soft glow blending seamlessly with the starlight, creating a unified whole.

Zhou Jiu tilted his head slightly, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

A mysterious aura swirled around Zhou Jiu, and fireflies gradually rose from the grass, circling and gathering around Zhou Jiu and Chu Zhao.

Zhou Jiu was in a state of profound enlightenment when she felt her palm being clenched. Her gaze shifted to the direction of her palm, she blinked, and then looked up at the person who was watching her with some tension.

The fireflies gradually dispersed, scrambling to fly in all directions before disappearing back into the grass.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Zhou Jiu said gently, trying to comfort him.

Zhou Jiu hugged Chu Zhao tightly. "I really like it." Zhou Jiu didn't tell Chu Zhao that his arrangement of the stars was wrong, but by a twist of fate, she remembered a lot of things she had learned about stars.

...

Soft light shone on the two as they began to kiss.

The two parted slowly after a long while. Zhou Jiu lay on the grass, looking at Chu Zhao with his face turned to the side, the curve of his lips growing deeper and deeper.

"What happy thing have you thought of again?" Chu Zhao touched Zhou Jiu's lips, leaned forward to face Zhou Jiu's forehead, and said in a low, slightly hoarse voice.

"I suddenly remembered that I have another gift I want. I wonder if you would be willing to give it to me!" Zhou Jiu said softly, feeling the warmth on his forehead.

"What do you want?" Chu Zhao opened his eyes.

Zhou Jiu sat up, took Chu Zhao's hand, and with a slight twitch of her fingers, a red thread appeared on both of their wrists, tightly connecting them. Zhou Jiu continued to hold Chu Zhao's hand, and with a slight blink, a red rope with a bell attached appeared in front of them. Zhou Jiu pressed down on the red rope that Chu Zhao's hand was holding.

"The matchmaker has tied the red thread, and the young man in the green robe is the one I want!" Zhou Jiu looked at Chu Zhao with a bright smile and didn't blink.

"What?" Chu Zhao reacted for a moment, his ears suddenly turning red.

Zhou Jiu looked at Chu Zhao's ears and instantly realized what Chu Zhao had thought. She drew a simple rune with her fingertips, and a faint energy emanated from it, creating a red ribbon that covered Chu Zhao's eyes.

With a hint of mischievousness, Zhou Jiu leaned very close and spoke in a voice so close that Chu Zhao could feel it, "When I saw you just now, this sentence popped into my head, so guess what I want right now?"

"Are you really sure?" Chu Zhao didn't tear off the red silk in front of him, playing along with Zhou Jiu's playful antics.

"Have you thought it through? Do you agree?" Zhou Jiu knew what Chu Zhao had thought, but deliberately didn't expose him, and continued.

Chu Zhao wrapped his arm around Zhou Jiu's waist and gave her a gentle kiss. As Zhou Jiu watched Chu Zhao's lips slowly move downwards, a mischievous smile appeared on her lips.

Zhou Jiu pulled back the red silk, leaned back, and laughed out loud: "Haha, Chu Zhao, look at what kind of nonsense you have in your head all day long, and you still dare to laugh at me!"

Chu Zhao rubbed his forehead, smiled helplessly, and pulled Zhou Jiu, who was leaning back, into his arms. He bit Zhou Jiu's lip hard, "...You! You little brat."

Zhou Jiu smiled, holding the red thread in his hand, and handed it to Chu Zhao, staring straight at Chu Zhao. Just as Chu Zhao was about to reach out and take it, Zhou Jiu dodged away.

"I'm very serious. Wait until I finish speaking before you decide whether you want to accept this red line."

"So serious?" Chu Zhao raised an eyebrow.

Zhou Jiu nodded seriously, and then said directly, "I want to marry you!" This was a thought that suddenly came to her today.