Chapter 26 For the stars If you don’t kiss me, then…
Wen Mu's voice was very soft, but it was like a star falling into the silent universe, exploding with a brilliant echo in Song Xingran's ears.
She was asking him, "Do you want to kiss me?"
Song Xingran stared at her, his eyes, always filled with playfulness, now frozen in time. His breath hitched slightly, his Adam's apple rolling, and his gaze slid from her cold brows to her lips.
Maybe just one second, two seconds.
Then he kissed her.
His lips were warm, softer than Wen Mu had imagined, yet with an undeniable strength. At first, he pressed gently against hers, rubbing them tentatively, as if to gauge her reaction.
Wen Mu's eyes were open, and he could clearly see his slightly drooping eyelashes, trembling gently like butterfly wings. He kissed her intently, his brows slightly furrowed, as if this was the only thing in the world worth his serious attention.
My heart suddenly skipped a beat.
This is different from before.
They would also kiss in bed, with lustful aggressiveness, naked possession and conquest.
But this time the kiss was clean, pure, and even a little cautious and cherished.
She was startled, subconsciously wanting to step back, but the man's hand suddenly covered her fingers, slowly and irresistibly interlocking them. His palm was warm, and the calloused skin on his fingertips gently brushed against her knuckles, like a silent comfort.
Wen Mu's eyelashes trembled, and he finally slowly closed his eyes.
The kiss began to grow deeper.
The man was no longer satisfied with just a quick taste. He gently pushed open her lips and tentatively touched her teeth.
He noticed her nervousness and chuckled.
Wen Mu's lung capacity was far inferior to his, and the kiss soon made his breathing disordered, his chest heaving, and his fingers pressed against his shoulders to push him away.
Song Xingran directly grabbed her wrist and pressed her backhand against the glass of the Ferris wheel.
“Hmm…”
Wen Mu's protest was swallowed between his lips and teeth.
He kissed her even deeper, barely giving her a chance to breathe. But when he realized she was really short of oxygen, he pulled back a little to let her take a breath of fresh air, then covered her again and continued to deepen the kiss.
The Ferris wheel slowly descended, and the night view of Ningchuan flowed outside the glass. The light and shadow of the neon lights were reflected on the intertwined figures of the two people, hazy and unclear.
Until the hatch shook slightly, the Ferris wheel finally landed.
Song Xingran then reluctantly let her go.
Wen Mu's breathing was still a little rapid, his lips were a moist red, and his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses were covered with a thin layer of mist, as if he had been bullied, but he was trying hard to remain calm.
The man stared at her with an almost scorching gaze.
His gaze was extremely serious, even with a hint of tenderness that he himself was not aware of.
There is still an ambiguous warmth in the air.
Finally, Wen Muxian looked away, his voice a little hoarse: "Go home."
Song Xingran looked at her slightly red ears and a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"good."
*
Song Xingran emerged from the shower, his hair still dripping with water. His bathrobe was tied loosely, revealing a large area of his chest. He wiped his hair and glanced around the empty bedroom, his brows raised slightly.
Where are the people?
He went downstairs. The living room was lit only by a small, warm yellow nightlight, its light dim and gentle. Wen Mu was curled up on the sofa, his slender body almost sinking into the soft cushions. He held the remote control in his hand, searching for a movie.
She was wearing a silk suspender nightgown. The thin fabric stuck to her skin, revealing a large area of snow-white shoulders and neck, so white that it was impossible to look away.
The man's eyes darkened and his Adam's apple rolled.
He turned and went upstairs, and when he came down, he had a cashmere blanket in his hand.
Wen Mu heard footsteps and asked without raising his head: "Are you done washing?"
She was tired from playing and her voice was soft.
"Um."
Song Xingran walked over and wrapped the blanket around her, wrapping her and the sofa together into a cocoon.
Wen Mu frowned: "It's summer now."
"Wrap up in the summer too."
Song Xingran wrapped her up tightly without giving her any chance to refuse, then sat down next to her, his arms naturally resting on the back of the sofa, almost holding her half in his arms.
Wen Mu glanced at him, said nothing, and continued to flip through the movie list.
"What are you looking at?" The man moved closer, and his wet hair brushed against her cheek, with a faint scent of shower gel.
"have no idea."
"Just pick one."
In fact, she doesn't watch many movies. The ones she watches most are probably documentaries related to astronomy.
"Do you want to watch a romance movie?" Song Xingran suggested, his fingertips lightly fiddling with her scattered hair.
Wen Mu decisively refused: "Boring."
She pointed her finger and directly selected "Transformers".
Song Xingran raised an eyebrow: "Do you like this?"
"Yeah." Wen Mu replied lightly, staring at the screen intently.
Song Xingran chuckled softly, slid his arm down from the back of the sofa, and placed it directly on her shoulder. With a squeeze of his palm, he pressed her head onto his shoulder.
Wen Mu didn't struggle, he even leaned over obediently, his hair rubbing against the side of his neck, making it itchy.
The man's lips curled up slightly, feeling satisfied.
The movie started and the roar of the engine echoed in the living room.
Wen Mu watched intently, even straightening up slightly when a shot of a modified car appeared, pointing at the screen and saying, "This car's chassis has been modified. The original factory chassis can't possibly have this stability."
Song Xingran was slightly surprised. Although he had seen her skill in installing tires, he didn't know that she also knew so much about car bodies.
"Do you like cars?"
Wen Mu: “Not bad.”
Song Xingran became interested, tightened his arms, pulled her into his arms, and began to explain to her the performance parameters of every car that appeared in the movie, and even which shots of the racing scenes were real shots and which were special effects.
Wen Mu listened very carefully, and occasionally would refute him a few words. The two of them chatted back and forth and actually got along very well.
As Song Xingran was talking, he suddenly realized that there was no movement around him.
He looked down and saw that Wen Mu had closed his eyes, breathing evenly and deeply. His long eyelashes cast a small shadow under his eyes, his lips were slightly open, and he was sleeping peacefully.
The man curled his lips and gently brushed away the strands of hair on her cheek with his fingertips.
Are you tired of playing now?
Then let's do it less frequently next time.
His teacher did seem to tire easily.
He gently took off her glasses and placed them on the coffee table, then bent down, put one hand through her knees, supported her back with the other, and picked her up steadily.
Wen Mu unconsciously rubbed against his arms in his sleep, his cheek pressed against his chest, his warm breath brushing against his skin through the thin bathrobe.
Song Xingran's Adam's apple moved slightly, and he carried her upstairs and gently placed her on the bed.
Wen Mu opened his eyes slightly in a half-asleep state and looked at him hazily, as if trying to identify who he was.
After a long time, he murmured softly, "Stop kissing."
After saying that, he closed his eyes again and fell into a deep sleep.
The man squatted on one knee beside the bed, his arm resting on her head. His eyes were dark as he traced her sleeping face inch by inch, and his fingertips gently stroked the corners of her lips.
Stop kissing?
Why don't you kiss?
He is her husband, he should kiss her anytime, anywhere, and whenever he wants.
He inched closer, their breaths mingling, but stopped just as he was about to touch her lips.
For a long time, the man buried his head in the crook of her neck, his nose rubbing against her delicate skin, his breath hot, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"If you don't want to kiss, then don't kiss."
It seems like she is angry, but also like she is acting coquettishly.
*
The night breeze from Qingmu Mountain, carrying the fragrance of pine wood, poured in through the open window of the observation room.
Wen Mu stood before the refracting telescope, her dark blue turtleneck sweater making her skin look like snow. Her hair, lifted by the night breeze, drew soft lines along her cheeks. Her slender fingers tapped rapidly on the control panel, her eyes never leaving the eyepiece, her entire being seeming one with the instrument.
"So this is your usual working state?" Song Xingran leaned against the door frame, crossed his arms, staring at her focused profile with burning eyes.
Wen Mu didn't look back, his voice calm: "I told you that you don't have to come."
"That won't work."
Song Xingran strode into the observation room, his Martin boots making crisp sounds on the metal floor.
"What if my wife is abducted by aliens?"
Wen Mu finally looked away from the eyepiece, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.
"This is a professional observatory, not a science fiction set."
Even if there are aliens, she hopes they can first check Song Xingran's brain to improve his IQ.
Qingmu Mountain Observatory is the private property of the Song family and is also the best geographically located observatory in Ningchuan. It is said to be a 30th birthday gift from the old man of the Song family to his wife. The observation equipment is all top-notch.
Now that the two elders have traveled the world, the observatory is rarely visited. It is truly beautiful to have Wen Mu all to himself.
Astronomical observation is an important and hard job. Since she got married, she hasn't been to the observatory for some time.
Wen Mu originally wanted to sneak out today while he was asleep, so he played along with him for a long time before going to bed.
As soon as I put on my shoes, I heard the man's voice behind me: "Where are you going, Teacher Wen? Take me with you."
Then, the observatory for one person became that for two.
Song Xingran had already walked behind her, his chest almost touching her back.
He lowered his head, his breath spraying on her ear: "It's all equally mysterious to me."
Wen Mu took a half-step forward inconspicuously and refocused the telescope. "If you must stay here, at least keep quiet. The best viewing window for the Perseid meteor shower is only four hours."
"If you interrupt me while I'm working, you know the consequences."
The man asked anxiously, "What are the consequences?"
Wen Mu stood on tiptoe and touched the corner of his lips lightly.
“This, there is no more.”
Song Xingran raised an eyebrow, but actually retreated to a chair by the wall and sat down, her long legs stretched out casually, watching Wen Mu's back as he worked. She sometimes leaned over to record data, sometimes frowned and adjusted parameters, her movements precise and smooth.
The only sounds in the observation room were the gentle hum of the equipment and the scratching of her pen across the paper.
Outside the window, the night sky of Qingmu Mountain is like a piece of deep blue velvet, with stars inlaid on it like diamonds.
The pine forest in the distance swayed in the night wind, making a rustling sound like waves.
Three hours later, Wen Mu finally straightened his stiff back, walked to the rest area and sat down, took off his glasses and rubbed his nose.
A cup of steaming coffee appeared in front of her.
“No sugar.”
Wen Mu was slightly startled as she took the mug. The warmth spread from her palm to her entire body, and she realized how cold the nights in the mountains were.
The man had taken off his leather jacket at some point, leaving only a black short-sleeved T-shirt, revealing his well-defined arms.
He put his jacket on her: "Your fingers are frozen red."
Who is to blame?
She had already prepared her coat, but he interrupted her just before she went out, and she completely forgot about it.
"Aren't you cold?" Wen Mu took a sip of coffee, but it tasted a little sweet, probably because of sugar.
Song Xingran grinned: "I feel hot just seeing you."
Wen Mu rolled her eyes at him and turned to walk towards the terrace. The night breeze blew against her face, carrying the distinct coolness of the mountains. She took a deep breath and looked up at the starry sky. The Perseid meteor shower was at its peak, and meteors streaked across the sky from time to time, leaving fleeting streaks of light in the night sky.
Song Xingran followed out and stood beside her.
No one spoke, staring at the starry sky in silence.
"What's that particularly bright thing?" He suddenly pointed to a bright star in the southeast.
Wen Mu looked in the direction of his finger, and the corners of his mouth rose unconsciously: "Jupiter."
Song Xingran: "You seem very happy?"
"This is one of the main targets for tonight's observations." Wen Mu's voice was unusually warm. "Jupiter is currently at opposition, making it the best observation period of the year."
Song Xingran tilted his head and looked at her: "Which star do you like best?"
Wen Mu didn't answer immediately. The night breeze rustled her hair, and starlight fell into her eyes.
After a long moment, she whispered, "Jupiter."
"Because your name has a 'wood' in it?"
"Just a little bit." Wen Mu turned around and leaned on the railing, looking into the distance.
"Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system, with a mass more than twice that of all the other planets combined. It has superstorms on its surface that last for hundreds of years, with winds reaching 600 kilometers per hour."
Song Xingran raised an eyebrow: "It sounds violent."
"But it also protects the Earth." Wen Mu's voice softened. "Jupiter has a very strong gravitational field, acting as a shield for the Earth, deflecting or capturing a large number of asteroids and comets that could potentially hit the Earth. It's violent yet gentle, just like..."
She paused, her eyelashes fluttering.
"Like what?" Song Xingran took a step closer.
Wen Mu shook his head and put his glasses back on: "Nothing. Time to continue observing."
Song Xingran grabbed her wrist. The man's palm was burning hot, like a stove in the cold night.
"That's it." His voice was low and firm, with an air of undying refusal.
Wen Mu struggled but couldn't break free.
She looked up and met Song Xingran's eyes, which were reflected with starlight and were astonishingly bright.
“It’s like…”
“Some people may appear cynical on the surface, but deep down they are more reliable than anyone else.”
The man's pupils widened slightly, and then he let go of her wrist and stroked her cheek. His thumb gently stroked her cold skin, and he spoke in a light tone:
"Teacher Wen, is this a love story?"
Wen Mu turned his face away: "It's just an astronomical fact."
Song Xingran chuckled, slid his fingers to her chin, and gently turned her face back: "Then I will tell you a fact."
"You're so beautiful right now that I want to press you against this railing and kiss you."
Wen Mu's ears turned red instantly.
She pushed him away: "I still have work."
Back in the observation room, Wen Mu returned to work, but her heartbeat still lingered. She could feel a gaze following her, like an invisible fire, burning her back.
At two o'clock in the morning, the observation was nearing its end.
Wen Mu's fingers were trembling slightly from operating the instrument for so long, and her shoulders were stiff and sore from maintaining the same posture. Just as she was about to raise her hand to rub her shoulders, a pair of warm, large hands had already covered her shoulders and began to knead them with moderate force.
"Tired?" Song Xingran's voice sounded in his ears, much lower than usual.
Wen Mu subconsciously wanted to hide, but he held him down: "Don't move."
His fingers found her tense muscles with perfect precision, applying just the right amount of pressure. Wen Mu had to admit, it was much more effective than her own random rubbing. She relaxed, even letting out a soft sigh.
"Is it cold?" Song Xingran asked again.
Wen Mu shook his head, but suddenly sneezed.
"lie."
Song Xingran took off his T-shirt, leaving only a vest, and then draped the clothes that still had body temperature over her shoulders.
"Put it on."
Wen Mu was stunned. The fabric still had his body heat and a faint scent of cologne, which inexplicably made her cheeks feel hot.
She gathered her clothes and whispered, "Thank you."
Song Xingran didn't say anything, but walked to the simple kitchen in the corner and took out the teapot and tea leaves.
Ten minutes later, he came back with a cup of steaming fruit tea: "Drink it."
Wen Mu took it. The tea was warm and slightly sweet, with the aroma of citrus and cinnamon. She sipped it, feeling the chill gradually dissipate.
"You can also make tea?" She was a little surprised.
The man leaned against the table with his long legs crossed, his vest outlining his muscular lines: "I know a lot, but you never ask."
Why would she ask?
Wen Mu lowered his head to drink tea and did not respond.
The observation room fell silent again, with only the sound of the instruments running and the breathing of the two people intertwined.
At four o'clock in the morning, Wen Mu finally completed the recording and preliminary analysis of all the data.
She stretched, and her cervical vertebrae made a slight sound.
It’s true that when people get old, even their bones are complaining.
Song Xingran immediately came over and put his hands on her shoulders: "Is it over?"
"Um."
Wen Mu nodded, a wave of fatigue set in. Eight hours of intense concentration had left her temples aching.
Song Xingran seemed to sense her discomfort and reached out to gently press her temples: "Close your eyes."
Wen Mu hesitated for a moment, then closed his eyes obediently. His fingertips were warm and dry, and he drew small circles with just the right amount of pressure. The headache was indeed relieved a lot.
"Your hands are very cold." Song Xingran said suddenly.
He seemed to have said this many times.
Wen Mu opened her eyes and found that he had held her hands, gently rubbing them with his palms. His eyelashes cast a small shadow in the light, and his expression was so focused that it was almost gentle.
No teasing, no smirk, just quietly warming her hands.
An unfamiliar emotion welled up in his heart, causing Wen Mu's throat to tighten.
"Okay." She gently pulled her hand away, "Time to pack up the equipment."
Song Xingran nodded and offered to help her organize her observation records and tools. The two of them worked together tacitly and quickly restored the observatory to its original state.
When I left the observation room, the sky in the east was already turning pale. Morning mist enveloped Qingmu Mountain, casting a thin veil over the pine forest.
Wen Mu took a few steps, but did not hear the familiar footsteps following him.
Turning around, Song Xingran was standing behind her, with his eyes lowered, silent.
"What's wrong?" she asked him.
After a long while, he spoke:
"Teacher Wen."
"I'm leaving now."
-----------------------
The author has something to say: The young couple is going to be apart [burst into tears]
I've lost a lot of reading recently. Is it because I've entered a lull [burst into tears] or because there's no ranking [burst into tears]
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