Chapter 33 The Sun and Moon in My Heart BGM – "The Sun and Moon in My Heart"...
(When you're halfway through this chapter, I strongly recommend listening to the background music—the Bilibili [direct cam] version of Wang Leehom's "The Sun and Moon in My Heart"—while reading.)
There were no piercing reveilles, no nighttime silencing; yet, in just five short days, it felt like centuries of pleasure had been stolen.
As for the truth behind the victory, various versions circulate, but the conclusion they all reach is the same—Manager Mei was the biggest contributor. This remarkable achievement propelled everyone in Zone E to new heights; everyone walked with their heads held high and chests puffed out. If anyone heard you worked in Zone E, they'd eagerly grab you and bombard you with questions, asking if Manager Mei was really as the rumors suggested.
"How so?" Dan Heng looked up at Shen Mi, clearly wanting to hear her continue.
Shen Mi grinned mischievously, feigning mystery: "Take a guess first."
Dan Heng smiled helplessly and shook his head: "I can't guess." His tone was relaxed, and he gave in to her, saying, "Just tell me."
“Okay,” Shen Mi blinked, a smile he couldn’t hide in his eyes, “They say that Manager Mei is not only exceptionally capable, but also incredibly handsome.”
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile in his eyes: "Is that so?"
Wearing such a slovenly mask, he could still be associated with handsomeness and dashingness; this was the first time I'd ever encountered such a person in my two lifetimes.
“Of course!” Shen Mi nodded, then added with a touch of pride, “Moreover, they also said that you’re not only a good boss, but also a thoughtful and kind person!”
Dan Heng smiled slightly: "Are they praising me, or are you joking with me?"
Shen Mi spread his hands innocently: "I was just repeating what they said."
Dan Heng's gaze swept gently over her, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and a rare gentleness flashed in his eyes: "Whatever you say goes."
Shen Mi smiled and asked, "Are you unhappy?"
Dan Heng looked into the distance and said softly, "It's not a matter of being happy or unhappy. I prefer an ordinary and peaceful life."
Shen Mi listened quietly, then his heart skipped a beat.
In their past lives, they were so unrestrained and flamboyant, their names known as the Five Heroes of the Clouds were household names, but what was their final fate? One died, one went mad, one became a demon, one was reborn, and there was another...
Shen Mi understood his feelings.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore,” Shen Mi interrupted. “Speaking of which, even though we’ve known each other for so long, Manager Mei, you still don’t know my name, do you?”
"I know," Dan Heng said with a slight smile.
Shen Mi was taken aback: "You know?"
Dan Heng nodded, a faint smile in his eyes: "Infatuation. The 'infatuation' of deep, and as for 'mi'... I don't know if it's the 'mi' of confused."
Shen Mi couldn't help but laugh and explained, "It's the 'Mi' in 'make up for'."
After she finished speaking, she realized what was happening, blinked belatedly, looked at Dan Heng's half-smiling face, and suddenly realized—he was teasing her.
"You did this on purpose!" Shen Mi glared at him, her tone tinged with resentment. "You knew all along."
Danheng chuckled softly, his eyes as gentle as the sunset. He looked at her quietly, as if waiting for her to calm down, or perhaps preparing something.
After a while, he suddenly spoke, his voice very soft but carrying a sense of solemnity: "Actually, my real name is Danheng."
Shen Mi was slightly taken aback. She had known this name for a long time, but for some reason, hearing him say it aloud left her speechless for a moment. It was as if this simple sentence had transcended the boundary between the screen and reality, blurred the distance brought about by dimensions, and shortened the distance between them.
He was more like a person, a person with flesh and blood. This impact on Shen Mi was equivalent to the feeling that the two-dimensional characters I loved had come to life.
She thought to herself, "I've always known your name; you gave it to yourself."
According to Baidu Baike, "恒" is a pictographic character. Its original form depicts the moon in the sky. Because of the moon's regular movement, it gradually acquired the meaning of "frequent" and "long-lasting".
A loyal heart that remains steadfast.
Shen Mi could only feign surprise and ask, "Really?"
Dan Heng smiled faintly, his eyes still gentle: "Yes, Dan Heng is my given name. 'Dan' is my surname, and 'Heng' means eternal and unchanging."
His tone was calm, yet it concealed a sincerity and earnestness.
His gaze then fell on her arm, and his tone changed: "By the way, is your arm almost healed?"
Shen Mi swept away the faint sadness lingering in his heart, smiled, rolled up his sleeves, revealing his arm wrapped in gauze: "It's almost healed!"
Her eyes were bright, with a hint of mischief in her confidence. Dan Heng looked at her, his expression shifting slightly, seemingly infected by her vitality, and a faint smile appeared in his eyes again.
It was almost dusk when Shen Mi, who had just wanted to get some fresh air, was surprised to find that Shavalei had also come with Dan Heng. The food and clean water that had been restricted by Kulun's orders were now being made available to everyone, and Shavalei drank a lot in one go. She hadn't been sitting for long before she ran off to relieve herself.
The afterglow of the setting sun bathed them in a warm golden light. The distant stars gradually became clearer, and the light on the horizon seemed to be gently pulled, slowly sinking into the boundless darkness, leaving behind pale purple clouds and an orange halo.
A gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness. Chen Mi lightly brushed a strand of hair from her forehead, her gaze calm and distant. She sighed softly, as if deep in thought, the turmoil in her heart finally finding a moment of peace in this tranquil moment.
Dan Heng turned his head to look at her, his eyes revealing little, yet seemingly more profound than any words. Shen Mi felt his gaze, looked up to meet his eyes, and smiled slightly: "That's wonderful, they can live freely and well now."
Danheng didn't answer, but just looked at her quietly. Then, he turned back to look at the afterglow of the sunset and asked softly, "What about you? Are you homesick?"
Shen Mi paused for a moment, the smile in his eyes slowly fading, and then looked at the orange-red afterglow on the horizon.
The wind gently swept across the hills, carrying the scents of yellow sand and distant mines, yet also a long-lost tranquility.
“Actually…” she said softly, “On my first day here, I thought about every day when I could leave and when I could go home.”
She paused, as if savoring the moment or deep in thought.
Gradually, a vine called melancholy crept into her heart. The home we speak of has always been different. You speak of the celestial boat, I speak of the world beyond this place, so I don't know how to answer you.
“Then let’s go back,” Dan Heng said first. “Back to the Immortal Ship. The Desolate Star does not belong to you.”
Shen Mi was stunned, and the complex emotions that had been welling up on his lips were swallowed back by his words.
She lowered her head, gazing at her hair, which was being tossed about by the wind, and remained silent for a long time. The wind blew across the hills, and the afterglow of the sunset stretched their shadows long, as if trying to close the distance, or perhaps reminding them that they had never stood at the same starting point.
How did you know I came from the Celestial Ship?
When she said this, Shen Mi barely dared to look at him. Even now, facing the honest Dan Heng, she was still using lies to disguise her purpose.
"When you first spoke to me, your appearance, your accent, the terminology you used, your way of thinking... didn't seem like you came from a barren planet."
Her guilt intensified, and Danheng even helped her cover up the lie.
Shen Mi suddenly felt an urge to stay. She turned to look at him, her eyes asking, "Should I stay too?"
"Host, don't do anything foolish. Only by completing the mission can you return to your own world," the system coldly reminded you.
Danheng didn't answer immediately, seemingly considering something. He tapped his fingertips lightly on his knee twice before saying in a low voice, "I don't want you to stay in a place that could fall into chaos again at any moment. Besides, don't you miss home? Go back; that's where you belong. You and I are ultimately different."
No, it's not the same. Does it refer to the ban on stepping onto the fairy ship?
Shen Mi bit his lower lip, remaining silent for a long time. His heart was filled with mixed emotions, and he rejected even the last glimmer of hope he had.
If that's the case, then let's do as the system says.
"Ha, that's easy for you to say. I was stranded on a desolate star because my starship crashed. I lost all my identity information and memories... Anyway, all I know is that my name is Shen Mi and I come from the Immortal Ship." Shen Mi avoided Dan Heng's gaze because she was lying and didn't have the courage to look him in the eye.
Dan Heng listened quietly, without questioning or hesitating.
"I see." He responded softly, his tone so calm it was almost emotionless, as if he believed every word she had just said.
"That's easy, I have a way, don't worry, you can go now and I'll tell you."
Shen Mi paused for a moment, then looked up at him in disbelief, a fleeting look of panic in her eyes: "...You trust me that much?"
Dan Heng nodded, his expression gentle, as if he could believe her past without any evidence.
"Didn't you tell me that people should trust each other more?" He paused, looking at her with a frank gaze. "I believe you."
As the mountain wind blew and the sky darkened, Chen Mi gazed at him quietly and suddenly realized that she had told so many lies, yet it was his words, "I believe you," that gave her a slight urge to tell the truth.
But that's not now; it's not possible now.
"What are you two talking about!" Savare's voice came from below the hill.
At this moment, Savare seemed to be a savior descending upon him, and Shen Mi grasped at her like a lifeline, pulling her into conversation and trying to change the subject from what they had just discussed.
When Danheng saw that Shavalei had arrived, he didn't say anything more, but just stayed with them and watched the sunset fade away.
Shen Mi leaned against a rock by the hill, looking at the dark sky above, and suddenly smiled: "Have you noticed that there is no moon on the night of the desolate planet?"
Savare paused for a moment, then looked up and asked, "The moon? What's the moon?"
“In the night sky of my hometown, there is a very round and bright moon, like a white disc hanging in the sky.” Shen Mi’s voice was soft, with a hint of longing and teasing. “Sometimes, after looking at it for a long time, I feel that it is like a lonely traveler, hanging in the sky, keeping company with all those who can’t sleep.”
As she spoke, she seemed to remember something, brushed the dust off her clothes, and sat up straight: "Let me sing you an old song, one of my favorite songs."
She cleared her throat and began to sing softly:
Holding a Gesang flower in my hand
...
You are innocent, I am confused.
...
The deserted valley at this moment…
Her voice was gentle yet full of emotion, each word seemingly chosen from the depths of her heart. As she sang, the lake seemed to ripple with light in the night breeze, reflecting a blurry moon. The shadow floated quietly, strikingly similar to the moon he remembered under the night sky above Luofu Mountain.
He reached into the water, and the moment his fingertips touched the shimmering light, the surface rippled, and the moon's reflection shattered, distorted, and flickered. When he withdrew his hand, the water quietly returned to normal, and the moon remained there, suspended in the distance, untouchable.
When Shen Mi sang the last word, he lowered his head slightly, a little embarrassed: "Don't laugh at me, I sang a little off-key."
Shavalei's eyes were slightly red, and she was about to say something when she was interrupted by Danheng, who had been silent for a long time.
"It sounds beautiful," Dan Heng said softly.
He kept gazing at her profile, so quiet yet vibrant in the dim starlight. He didn't know the song's title, but he understood that she was singing about parting and the journey home, about longing and reunion.
Savare didn't know the meaning of the moon on the fairy boat, but he understood—she was the sun and moon in his heart, and I, I don't know when it started, am no longer the person who only knew how to wander.
...
[Strategy Target: Danheng, Strategy Value - 70%]
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Author's Note: I'm updating early tonight! By the time you read this chapter, I'll be sitting at the Oriental Sports Center, listening to the Honkai Impact 3rd Railway concert! [shy][shy][shy][shy]
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