The stars in Changbai Mountain are several times brighter than those in Saint Sakura Academy. The dark blue night sky is like an overturned inkstone, splashing out thick darkness, and those diamond-like stars are embedded in this darkness. When they are connected, they are so dazzling that people can't open their eyes.

Yu Jiuyuan tightened the zipper of her windbreaker, her fingertips touching the cool dampness of the fabric. There had just been a rain shower in the evening, and the wind still carried the scent of pine needles and wet mud.

She stood in the corner of the observation platform, her gaze passing over the bustling crowd and landing on the back of the person in the dark gray windbreaker at the front.

Xie Zhecheng was adjusting the astronomical telescope, his profile appearing even sharper under the cold light of the searchlight. His fingertips gripped the focusing knob, his movements as precise as if he were performing surgery, even his breathing was almost mechanically steady.

The other members around him were discussing their observation targets for the night in hushed tones. Some were excitedly pointing to Orion's Belt, while others were holding star charts and aligning their positions. He, however, seemed to be isolated in another dimension, surrounded by a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay.

"President Yu, would you like to give it a try?" A bespectacled boy next to him handed over a spare star chart. "President Xie just calibrated the equipment, and now the Andromeda Galaxy looks especially clear."

Yu Jiuyuan took the star chart, her fingertips gently brushing over the densely packed parameters marked on it, a perfectly gentle smile curving her lips: "No, I'll wait for him to finish."

She looked up in Xie Zhecheng's direction, her tone carrying a hint of dependence, "After all, it's my first time observing from such a far place, so I still want to hear his explanation."

The boy paused for a moment, then smiled knowingly. Everyone at Saint Sakura Academy knew that Student Council President Yu seemed to treat Xie Zhecheng of the Astronomy Club with special consideration.

Despite being an all-around president who could handle student council affairs flawlessly, she would occasionally show a somewhat bewildered and needing-guidance demeanor in front of Xie Zhecheng.

No one knew that Yu Jiuyuan's fingers, hanging by her side, were casually twirling a silver pinky ring. It was an "emotional sensor" that she had redeemed from the system shop. At this moment, the blue light on the inside of the ring was steadily pulsating, reflecting Xie Zhecheng's emotion panel: negative 0, neutral 12, positive 65.

Positive sentiment has increased by 17 points since before departure.

Yu Jiuyuan curved her lips into a smile, but her eyes remained cold. During the four-day trip to Changbai Mountain, she acted like a precise navigator, always appearing when Xie Zhecheng needed her.

He would hand her warm water at the perfect temperature while she was setting up the equipment; he would gently remind her of overlooked cloud cover data while she was checking the star chart; and when he stayed at the observatory late at night, she would bring him a bowl of hot ginger soup, saying, "The members of the astronomy club asked me to bring this to you."

Perfectionists are most susceptible to this approach: unwavering concern and just-right assistance, like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples but not disrupting their carefully maintained order.

"alright."

A cool voice sounded from in front of her. When Yu Jiuyuan looked up, Xie Zhecheng had already turned around. He took off his gloves, which were still damp with cold air, revealing his well-defined hands, the fingertips still feeling the chill of the metal knobs. "You can start observing now."

"Thank you for your trouble, President Xie." Yu Jiuyuan took a few steps closer, deliberately letting the sleeve of her windbreaker brush against his arm, as if it were an unintentional touch.

She looked up at the eyepiece of the telescope, her long hair slipping down her shoulders and brushing against the back of his hand.

Xie Zhecheng's fingertips twitched almost imperceptibly.

Yu Jiuyuan pretended not to see it, staring intently at the star trails in the eyepiece: "Wow, it's so clear... Is that M31?"

Her voice carried just the right amount of surprise, like an ordinary girl seeing such a sight for the first time: "It's much more shocking than the pictures in textbooks."

"Mmm," Xie Zhecheng responded, his gaze falling on her trembling long eyelashes.

Under the lights, her profile was soft, with a small nose and natural pink lips, a stark contrast to her usual decisive and efficient demeanor in the student council.

"President Xie," Yu Jiuyuan suddenly turned around, the edge of her glasses pressing a faint red mark under her eyes, "Look, that shooting star over there!"

Xie Zhecheng looked up in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, a silvery-white light streaked across the inky night sky, leaving a long, thin trail before disappearing in an instant.

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd, and some began to make wishes, creating a subtly warm atmosphere.

Yu Jiuyuan didn't look at the shooting star; her gaze was fixed on Xie Zhecheng's profile.

When he tilted his head back, his jawline was taut, his eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, and even the strands of hair that were blown by the wind exuded a distant coldness.

But at that moment, the blue light of the silver ring suddenly flickered violently—the positive emotion level instantly jumped to 70.

Even perfectionists can be moved by a fleeting shooting star. Yu Jiuyuan chuckled to herself; her chance had come.

She took a half-step forward, instantly closing the distance to the point where she could almost smell the faint scent of cedar on him. "President Xie," she said, tilting her head back and speaking in a low voice, as if afraid of disturbing the moment of tranquility, "They say that making a wish upon a shooting star is very effective."

Xie Zhecheng looked down at her, his eyes deep, like an unexplored nebula. "I don't believe in these things," he said, his tone still indifferent.

“But I believe it.” Yu Jiuyuan blinked, her eyes filled with tiny sparkles, as if she had crushed the shooting star from earlier and put it into them. “I just made a wish.”

"What did they promise?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Xie Zhecheng realized it was inappropriate. He never cared about other people's private affairs, much less about such vague and uncertain things. But the words were already out, and there was no going back.

Yu Jiuyuan smiled. She tiptoed and leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing against his earlobe: "I wish... that President Xie would smile at me."

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