Go see the stars (Part 1)
Jiang Yichun and He Yinxin had been in the county town for more than ten days.
In the height of summer, the Jiangnan region is scorching hot, with the surging heat and scorching sun inevitably drying out the entire land.
The two spent their days at Jiang Yichun's home, sitting in front of the computer discussing their papers and how to try again for the pre-admission recommendation to University A.
Every noon, He Yinxin would put on an apron and cook a delicious bowl of noodles or rice from vegetables, meat, rice, and noodles bought from the nearby market.
Jiang Yichun, He Yinxin, and Hu Fei would then sit around the table for lunch. Hu Fei was still rarely home, often going back and forth between the bar and Xiao Lin's place.
She always brings some food for her two children when she goes home.
The two children would always finish their meals in silence, then hold hands and clear away the dishes.
The two would often bicker and tease each other. The daughter seemed to particularly enjoy patting her boyfriend's butt, while her boyfriend would frown and let her hands roam all over him.
Hu Fei sometimes thinks that being young is indeed a good thing.
As night falls and the heat dissipates, Jiang Yichun would ride his electric scooter with He Yinxin to the busiest square in the county town. The two would stroll hand in hand along the path beside the square, gazing at the crescent moon in the sky.
He Yinxin would always talk about geographical knowledge in a serious manner, and Jiang Yichun would cover his mouth and glare at him: "Robot dog, we are on a date, not out for a study tour."
He Yinxin smiled foolishly, pulled her into his arms, and stole a kiss from her.
Summer days are long, but romantic enough.
"My dear daughter, where are you going with Xiao He tonight?" Hu Fei asked, applying lipstick in front of the mirror. She was wearing a floral dress and turned to look at her daughter standing straight behind her.
Jiang Yichun was wearing a light blue dress today, her black hair was piled up on top of her head, her face was covered with powder, and her lips were rosy.
She rubbed the hem of her skirt: "Um... I'm going with Lao He to the prayer festival in the county town today."
Hu Fei chuckled and took a necklace out of the jewelry box, putting it around Jiang Yichun's neck: "Ah, so you're going to Stargazing Mountain to see the stars, right?"
Jiang Yichun nodded and pursed his lips.
"Okay, let's go then. I saw Xiao He waiting for you at the door."
Jiang Yichun bid farewell to his mother and turned to walk towards the entrance.
He Yinxin was standing by the door.
He was wearing a white T-shirt, gray shorts, and black-rimmed glasses. His slightly curly hair was neatly styled.
Jiang Yichun's heart began to race, just as it had when they first met.
She stepped forward, grabbed his hand, intertwined their fingers, and whispered in his ear, "Robot dog, your appearance upgrade today is really great!"
Although the two had been intimate many times, He Yinxin's ears would always turn red whenever he heard such praise. He would blink repeatedly and finally manage to stammer, "Baby... is also very beautiful."
Jiang Yichun thought that he was still a fool who had never tasted meat, so he held his hand tighter and placed a kiss on his cheek.
She whispered in his ear, "By the way, Lao He, when you come back tonight, I'm thinking of... giving it a try."
He Yinxin froze on the spot: "Test what? We business students don't need to do experiments, or are you talking about data processing..."
Jiang Yichun pinched his waist angrily: "You stupid robot dog, you...you forgot about that thing in your suitcase?"
He Yinxin blushed even more and could only gently pull her toward the door.
"Old He?" Jiang Yichun scratched at his palm with his fingertips, looking up at his flushed face. "Is it not okay?"
He Yinxin pursed her lips and lowered her head: "Let's go see the stars first, or we won't be able to find them if we go too late. Okay, this is a good spot, okay."
"As for that... I, I'm fine with anything."
Jiang Yichun glanced at the ever-growing curve of his lips, snorted coldly, said nothing, and pulled him out the door.
You might say you're all set, but you're probably already incredibly excited, right?
Jiang Yichun asked his mother for her car and drove He Yinxin all the way to Guanxing Mountain, east of the county town.
Upon arriving at their destination, the two were astonished by the number of cars parked on the gravel ground.
Cars clung to the sandy ground like beetles on leaves.
"The Prayer Festival... Is it always this crowded?" He Yinxin got out of the car and looked at the densely packed group of cars in front of her.
Jiang Yichun chuckled and took his hand: "Yeah, you silly robot dog, didn't you check the information?"
"This is a traditional festival in our Qinglin County; it's like our Valentine's Day."
"They say they go to see the stars to pray for good fortune, but with such severe light pollution these days, you might not actually see any stars. However, the custom of couples going on dates has always continued."
He Yinxin listened attentively to her story about the prayer festival and nodded: "So you brought me here not to see the stars, but to have a date with me?"
Jiang Yichun glared at him and nudged his arm with her elbow: "Of course, otherwise why would I bring you here? I could have driven here by myself."
After speaking, she took his hand and led him towards the sloping hillside in the twilight.
The two plopped down on the soft, green grass, and Jiang Yichun leaned against He Yinxin, grabbing the fabric of his chest with one hand.
Her hands became restless, gently kneading and rubbing, while she kept muttering, "Robot dog, to be honest, you seem to have gained a lot of weight since you came home with me. Before, when I held you, you felt like I was holding a rib, but now you feel... like a piece of bread."
"The chewy kind."
She looked up, her face blending seamlessly with the fiery sunset clouds behind her as she embraced her boyfriend.
He Yinxin pushed up her glasses and grasped her mischievous wrist: "Thanks to you, baby."
"If it weren't for that contract, I'd probably still be counting calories when I eat."
He pulled her into his arms, rested his chin on her shoulder, and gently rubbed against her.
"I now find eating to be a real pleasure, especially when I'm with you, Xiaochun."
He Yinxin lowered her eyes, her fingertips stroking the ends of her hair, twirling it into a circle: "I don't think I've ever told you the real reason why I don't like to eat."
"Due to the contract requirements, I have to be honest with you now, Xiaochun."
"Go ahead and say it, robot dog."
Jiang Yichun touched his muscles, and unexpectedly, she didn't scold him. Instead, she listened attentively, her bright eyes meeting his.
"When I was little, my health was not very good. My family was very worried and hired a nutritionist to prepare meals for me. Only then did my health improve."
"Hey, that seems pretty normal?" Jiang Yichun frowned.
He Yinxin sighed: "That's normal. But those two people behind me are weird. They restrict my food intake at every meal."
"They said that only by strictly ensuring my daily intake can I stay healthy, and they made me a small table, saying that I should monitor myself and also cultivate my calculation skills."
"They say that calculating calorie intake and expenditure is also a way to cultivate financial awareness."
He lowered his eyes: "That's why I became like that."
Jiang Yichun grasped his wrist and brought it to her face. Usually possessed by the stubborn spirit of a mule, she was unusually gentle at this moment: "It's okay. You've already left those two people, right?"
"And you have such a good appetite now! Even my mom says you can eat more than me, this big glutton!"
"Old He, Old He, keep going! I want to know more about your childhood!"
He Yinxin's eyes, which had been temporarily dimmed by her lack of strong response, lit up. His Adam's apple bobbed as he recounted his past one by one.
Jiang Yichun lay back in his arms, silently watching the sky darken, listening quietly as he talked about his family and his past.
As darkness fell, the vast expanse of fiery clouds on the horizon gradually faded with the twilight, leaving only a few dark purple clouds.
He Yinxin, who was not usually talkative, seemed to have a floodgate opened, and began to reminisce about the past.
“When I was little, I would sometimes come to the mountain with my parents to look at the stars.”
"However, that was all a very, very long time ago."
"They will tell me a lot about the stars and help me remember some physics formulas."
He Yinxin gave a wry smile: "Heh, but I don't remember it very clearly now. I only remember that we were staying temporarily in the countryside, and the stars were particularly bright that night. We could also hear crickets and frogs chirping."
"My parents made me memorize poems, like 'The fragrance of rice blossoms heralds a bountiful year.'"
Jiang Yichun didn't speak, but simply raised her head, gently stroked his loose hair, and secretly placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth.
She finally spoke: "Old He, I can finally understand your past."
"Does talking about your unhappy feelings make you feel better?"
He Yinxin chuckled softly and lowered his head to return her kiss.
"Yeah, it feels much better to say it out loud. Now you're the one watching the stars with me."
The two looked up at the dark sky.
Perhaps due to the holiday, or perhaps due to the implementation of energy-saving policies, there were not many lights on the mountain where the two were staying.
The stars could be faintly seen in the sky, appearing and disappearing among the layers of clouds.
He spat out all the silt from his past, and felt completely refreshed and comfortable.
Her soft, fragrant body rested on his chest, igniting the blood vessels throughout his body.
He Yinxin took her hand and subconsciously asked in a low voice, "Xiaochun, will you always be by my side?"
There were no main lights on the lawn, only a few scattered lights, so he couldn't see her face clearly.
He didn't hear her reply.
Instead of silence came the warm touch of his lips.
Jiang Yichun kissed his lips again.
He Yinxin was taken aback. He raised his hand, gently cupped the back of her head, and incorporated the kiss into every breath he took.
His long-suppressed emotions poured out, and he could hardly breathe. The suffocating feeling made every cell in his body tremble.
Jiang Yichun's mind went blank. When he said those words, she didn't know how to respond.
She dared not wish for eternity, nor dared to agree to a vow made casually.
The promise of eternity is far too heavy.
All she wanted to do was kiss him, to tell him with a kiss: at least tonight, we're together.
And we can face the future together.
When the kiss ended, both of them were panting.
Jiang Yichun stroked his lips and sighed, "I don't know, but I know we're together now."
"I'm sorry, robot dog. I think I might..."
"I still lack confidence in the future."
He Yinxin's bright eyes dimmed instantly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while, he could only manage to utter one sentence:
"Yes, I know."
He held her hand: "But I have faith in you, and I have faith in myself."
The approaching thunder drowned out his words, and Jiang Yichun could only make out his blurry lips in the black and white lightning.
She didn't hear clearly, but still agreed.
The thunder continued to rumble, dark clouds obscured the stars, and a few large raindrops fell on Jiang Yichun's skirt, leaving deep blue marks.
"Xiaochun, it's raining!" He Yinxin was startled and quickly used his body to shield her from the rain.
Jiang Yichun snapped out of her daze and hurriedly pulled him along, blending into the crowd of people fleeing for shelter from the rain.
Perhaps it was because there were too many people tonight and the rain came too suddenly that the two were separated by the crowd and lost in the vast sea of people.
Jiang Yichun found an abandoned farmhouse and temporarily took shelter from the rain under the eaves with a group of people.
Her gaze continued to wander through the surging crowd.
The wind lifted her skirt, and the cold air rushed into her body.
Jiang Yichun hugged his arms and shivered.
Does this rain foreshadow that I and Lao He will eventually part ways?
A strange sense of loss filled the sweetness that had just overflowed.
She took out her earphones from her pocket and played the song she always listened to on rainy days.
It felt like falling into a deep blue dream.
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