Sixty-one stars
She turned around in shock, and in front of her was a large area of dark blue light spots spreading out, falling from the clouds, like a waterfall of stars flowing down from the night sky, occupying her entire field of vision.
You can’t find its starting point, nor can you see its end. It flows continuously and without rest.
Along with it, the sound of fireworks exploded across the sky.
At this moment, they were the only two here, and the blue waterfall of shattered light was visible only to them. Feng Chibai's gaze did not linger on the distance, but was instead focused on the people not far away.
He didn't seem to care about the dull sounds and mottled light and shadows.
The fireworks became her unique backdrop.
Lin Tang's heart trembled, her mouth agape with shock. She stared blankly at the scene before her. The endless stream of fireworks seemed to show no sign of stopping, showing no sign of abating, flickering clearly and continuously in her vision.
After a while, her emotions finally calmed down a bit. She turned around and, meeting Feng Chibai's gaze, she suddenly smiled and asked in surprise and delight, "Are you not disturbing others?"
Feng Chibai stood a short distance away from her. He stood straight, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, a faint smile on his face: "Don't you want to see the fireworks?"
Lin Tang's eyelashes fluttered, but he maintained a calm expression and said with a smile, "It was specially released for me."
"I told you that whatever you want will be yours." Feng Chibai stared at her, speaking every word with certainty.
Lin Tang was distracted for a moment and looked away subconsciously.
The fireworks continued to ring, and she lowered her eyes to check the time. After a pause, she slowly reconnected her gaze with his and asked, "Are you coming back to the old house tonight?"
Feng Chibai replied simply: "I'm not going back."
"Feng Chibai, you've broken the rules several times." Lin Tang smiled, then suddenly took a step closer and said thoughtfully, "Do you think I've disrupted your rhythm of life?"
Feng Chibai stared at her, then slowly passed her and landed on the background board. He said in a calm voice, "A life that follows the rules is too boring. I like having someone who can 'stir things up.'"
Lin Tang was unhappy when he heard this: "Who messed up? Grandpa said I was very well behaved."
Feng Chibai smiled and didn't refute.
Following the light of the fireworks, the two walked slowly along the lakeside. Lin Tang was several steps ahead of Feng Chibai, his head lowered, and every step he took was carefully placed on his shadow.
Feng Chibai quietly listened to her chatter, which ranged from trivialities of daily life to plots in TV dramas, when she suddenly heard a voice: "Feng Chibai, why do you think there's a term called 'goodnight kiss'?"
He looked at her back and said slowly: "Perhaps, it is to find a reasonable motivation for your thoughts."
"Or perhaps, it is given as a precious gift." He thought for a moment and added.
But when the topic of gifts came up, Lin Tang's thoughts immediately wandered. Thinking he was complaining about his red envelope being too simple, he said, "Gift? Why, you want one too?"
Hearing her half-questioning, half-doubting tone, Feng Chibai's smile deepened, but his tone remained unchanged: "The speaker has no intention, but the listener has."
"Of course." He paused, "If the listener insists on giving it to me, then I don't seem to have any reason to refuse."
Lin Tang rubbed his arm with a grin. "That's too corny. But I can give you a big hug."
She was actually joking, but she pretended to open her arms anyway.
The moment he turned back, before he could even see the person clearly, his body was suddenly pulled into his arms by a strong force.
She froze for a moment, her eyes wide open as she glanced at the back of the man's head. She poked his shoulder lightly with her finger and mumbled, "The speaker seems to be more interested than the listener."
But she didn't push him away.
After all, tonight is New Year's Eve. For the sake of a good omen, she can accept any reasonable request.
Feng Chibai's breathing was particularly clear in her ears, but the sound seemed to be deliberately suppressed: "Really? Didn't you bring up the topic first? I was just going along with it."
Lin Tang fell silent.
He was telling the truth.
But he was a little unwilling to lose the conversation, so he pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Forget it, it's just a touch, I didn't suffer any loss."
She gently placed her fingers on his back, and when the fireworks stopped, she said word by word, "Feng Chibai, Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year." Feng Chibai responded, then paused for a moment, then curved his lips and added, "Mояжена."
Lin Tang frowned, obviously not understanding the meaning of the latter sentence, and muttered, "What are you mumbling about?"
But Feng Chibai didn't intend to explain, and said calmly: "Idiot, you don't understand."
Lin Tang snorted and laughed, then said stubbornly, "I understand. You're saying bad things about me."
Feng Chibai didn't refute her, but nodded with a smile as she said so.
Seeing him admit it, Lin Tang pushed him away and said unhappily, "Go back. There's nothing to say to an idiot."
Feng Chibai smiled and followed her idea.
*
The next afternoon, the two returned to Jingluo.
Lin Tang stood quietly in front of a standing tombstone, his fair fingers gently stroking the words on the tombstone, his eyes softening a little.
The cemetery has a solemn and desolate atmosphere that reflects its name. It is quiet and there seems to be a chill flowing around it.
Lin Tang slowly withdrew his hand and said softly, "Grandma, long time no see."
A breeze picked up at the right moment, gently brushing her cheek and pushing her hair back.
Her eyelashes trembled, her gaze still fixed on the tombstone, but she was speaking to the person behind her: "Feng Chibai, do you think people really go to heaven after they die?"
"Perhaps, she will be with you in another form." This was his answer.
Lin Tang listened to it, his eyes moistened, but he still bent his lips stubbornly: "Grandma, can you see that I am living a good life now?"
The rustling sound of the wind continued. Feng Chibai came to her side, wanting to see her expression clearly. However, the moment he glanced to the side, Lin Tang also tacitly shifted his gaze, and their eyes met.
Lin Tang spoke first: "Why, are you afraid that I'll cry?"
"No." Feng Chibai said firmly, "Grandma told me that Sui Sui is very strong."
Lin Tang chuckled, "You're quite capable. In just a few days, my grandmother trusted you so much that she told me everything, even her little secrets."
Her tone was calm, as if the emotions at that time had been washed away by time.
But Feng Chibai's tone was somewhat serious: "Regarding that matter, I owe you a formal apology."
He hadn't closed his mouth yet, and was about to speak, but the next second, his unfinished words were blocked by a hand.
Lin Tang said calmly: "You don't need to tell me this. It's not your fault. This is her choice."
She lowered her hand and looked back at the tombstone. There was a hint of warmth in her eyes, but she controlled it well. "I know being sick is painful. She's tortured day and night, unable to sleep or eat. If there's a chance of recovery, that would be best. But if there's no chance, then perhaps being freed sooner is her best option."
She knew everything about Grandma Lin's situation.
In her peripheral vision, she saw a big hand reaching out to her, but before she could see clearly, the hand fell on her cheek and pushed her messy hair behind her ear.
Suddenly, his fingertips slowly moved up, all the way to the corner of her eyes, wiping away all the tears that had not yet overflowed.
Lin Tang felt his every move, and even his voice couldn't help but slow down a little: "Feng Chibai, you are so gentle."
"Really?" Feng Chibai raised his lips and smiled, "Isn't he a straight man?"
Lin Tang looked away and muttered softly, "I was just joking."
"Me too." Feng Chibai said.
Lin Tang looked at him again in confusion: "What?"
Feng Chibai spoke word by word, "Sui Sui, very smart."
Lin Tang chuckled softly: "Of course I know, do I need you to tell me?"
The two stared at each other for a moment, and then simultaneously curled their lips again.
On the plane back to Huaizhou, there was a tablet in front of the two of them, and a movie was playing on the screen.
It was a movie he downloaded casually to relieve his fatigue, but the content was a bit boring. Lin Tang didn't make it to the end of the movie, and his eyelids closed unconsciously because of the sleepiness.
Feng Chibai noticed and gestured for his assistant to bring a blanket. But as he covered her, she drowsily opened her eyes again. Without a word, she slightly adjusted her position, pulling the other end of the blanket toward him, and then closed her eyes again.
Knowing that she had no one to go to, Feng Chibai lowered his head slightly and whispered, "Care about me?"
Lin Tang said calmly, "I'm afraid the cold air at 8,000 meters will make you stupid."
Feng Chibai smiled and said, "Don't worry about that for now. Are you clear-headed now?"
After all, if they could really feel the so-called "cold air at 8,000 meters" on the plane, they would probably be doomed and would not be able to sit and chat so peacefully.
"Hmm?" Lin Tang choked, but he was too sleepy to argue with him. "Go to sleep. If you wake me up again, I'll never let you go."
The person next to her gradually became quiet, and Feng Chibai's arm was tightly held by her, as if he was using it as a fulcrum to lean on.
He turned off the movie and carefully put the tablet away with one hand. There was also a book on the table, the professional textbook that Lin Tang had recently been reading, and he planned to put it away as well.
Just as he picked it up, the title page separated from the cover due to the force, and the big words written on it fell clearly into his eyes.
——Let’s get along well.
The handwriting is flowing and somewhat casual, as if while reading a book, he suddenly remembered something he once said, so he wrote down this sentence aimlessly.
He felt a lump in his throat. After packing up his things, he picked up the document and looked at it, but he couldn't see it.
He let out a depressed breath and his gaze fell back on Lin Tang's face. She was now close to him, with the center of gravity of her whole body resting on him, and she was sleeping soundly.
Looking at her face, an inappropriate idea suddenly popped into his mind.
As time goes by, it gets worse and worse.
He moved his lips, hesitantly, wanting to get closer to her.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the front: "Boss Feng."
His emotions were quickly suppressed and he sat up straight again, as if nothing had happened.
He extended his index finger to the approaching assistant and placed it against his lips, silently reminding him to speak softly.
Glancing at Lin Tang, who was fast asleep beside him, the assistant nodded in understanding. He handed a document to Feng Chibai and whispered, "This is the work schedule for next month. Should we put the collaboration with Country M on the agenda?"
Feng Chibai hummed softly, "Go and make the arrangements."
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