Stars and Evening Breeze
Zhou Jianxing watched the weather forecast day after day with an almost religious attitude. She longed for a perfect night—cloudless skies, excellent air quality, and visibility high enough to make even the faintest starlight clearly visible.
The so-called looking forward to the stars, looking forward to the moon, looking forward to the stars.
The first thing she did when she woke up, bleary-eyed, was to grab her phone and tap the familiar weather icon. When the screen clearly displayed the forecast for the evening—a bright moon and stars, with the air quality index showing a high-quality green—she leaped out of bed, her heart pounding with excitement.
Tonight.
She ran into the bathroom barefoot.
Wen Lingyi was brushing her teeth in the spacious and bright bathroom, the electric toothbrush making a soft humming sound. Zhou Jianxing hugged her waist from behind, his cheek pressed against the back of her silk nightgown.
"Sister Wen!" She couldn't suppress her joy in her voice.
Wen Lingyi held the toothbrush in her mouth, and looked helplessly at the sleepy and messy head behind her in the mirror, and said vaguely: "What's wrong? Can you be more mature and stable day by day?" Although she said so, she had no intention of pushing him away.
"Tonight!" Zhou Jianxing raised his head, his eyes surprisingly bright. He completely ignored the criticism and rubbed her back. "Let's go stargazing together! The weather is so nice!"
Looking at the stars? Wen Lingyi slowed down her brushing.
She hadn't expected Zhou Jianxing to still be thinking about this little thing. Something in her heart felt like a feather brushing against it, and it felt loosened.
She spat out the foam in her mouth, rinsed her mouth, wiped the corners of her mouth with a towel, then turned around, looked at Zhou Jianxing's expectant face, and gently patted the top of her head with her palm.
"Okay," Wen Lingyi's voice was softer than usual, "Let's go stargazing together tonight."
·
When night fell completely, Wen Lingyi drove the car and followed Zhou Jianxing's instructions, leaving the brightly lit city.
The scene outside the car window gradually changed from high-rise buildings to low shops, then to scattered villages, and finally to a winding mountain road completely shrouded in darkness.
The car lights were like two sharp swords, splitting the thick night and illuminating a short stretch of asphalt road ahead and the outlines of the shadowy trees around it.
Zhou Jianxing sat in the passenger seat, looking both excited and a little nostalgic.
"It's right up ahead, almost there." She pointed to a darker patch halfway up the mountain in the distance. "That's where my grandparents used to live."
The car finally stopped on a relatively flat open space. After the engine was turned off, the world was instantly enveloped by a vast, profound silence.
As I opened the car door, the cool, crisp mountain air immediately rushed into my lungs, carrying the uniquely fresh, moist scent of plants and soil. The intermittent chirping of unknown insects in my ears only served to accentuate the tranquility of the night.
Before him stood a three-story, old-fashioned, self-built house, silently standing beneath the starlight, its dark silhouette like a resting beast. After his grandparents passed away, the house had remained largely unchanged. His parents would occasionally bring Zhou Jianxing back for short stays, especially during the sweltering summer months; it was much cooler here than in the stifling city heat.
Zhou Jianxing took out the key and opened the rusty old lock.
Pushing open the wooden door, a cool, dusty smell, long unoccupied, hit her face. She fumbled for the switch on the wall and pressed it a few times, but the light didn't come on.
"It seems there's a power outage. Maybe the wires were damaged by rats. After all, I haven't been here for a long time." She explained, then took out her mobile phone and turned on the flashlight function.
A beam of cold white light pierced the darkness, illuminating the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar main room in front of him. The furniture was covered with white dust cloth, and looked like silent ghosts in the swaying light.
She stretched out her hand and held Wen Lingyi's slightly cold fingers tightly: "Be careful, follow me." The voice was particularly clear in the empty and silent old house.
Wen Lingyi let her lead the way, following the faint light, step by step on the old terrazzo floor, making slight footsteps, and walked up the narrow wooden stairs.
The darkness amplified her other senses. She could clearly hear each other's breathing and smell the mixture of old wood and a faint musty smell in the air.
The iron door leading to the third-floor rooftop was a bit sticky, and Zhou Jianxing had to push it open with great effort.
In an instant, the unobstructed, vast starry sky came into view without warning.
It was as if a huge, deep black velvet curtain was spreading out endlessly from above the head, boundless and covered with countless tiny, sparkling diamonds, so densely packed and dazzling that it was breathtaking.
I remember when I was a child, Zhou Jianxing was often taken to live in the old house by his grandparents during the winter and summer vacations.
There were no smartphones in that era, and there was no other entertainment activity at night except watching TV. After Zhou Jianxing's favorite cartoons were broadcast on the animation channel, her favorite thing to do was to lie on the rooftop on the third floor and watch the stars.
Imagine yourself as one of those stars.
She was often seen sleeping, only to be discovered by her grandparents, who would then carry her back to her bedroom.
Today, it's impossible to see such a clear and magnificent Milky Way in the city. The Milky Way stretches across the sky like a hazy, luminous ribbon. Far away from all light pollution, the night sky here is pure, pristine, and breathtakingly beautiful.
The night wind blew by, bringing a bone-chilling chill and also blowing the corners of their clothes and hair.
Wen Lingyi unconsciously walked to the edge of the rooftop, holding onto the cool iron railing, and looked up at the stunning scene. The cold moonlight poured down like water, softly outlining the profile of her lonely face. Her skin was white, almost transparent, and her deep eyes reflected the entire galaxy, a beauty that seemed unreal.
Zhou Jianxing looked at her quietly, not wanting to blink. At this moment, Wen Lingyi before her was more like an unreachable dream than the starry sky. She was right before her eyes, yet so far away.
Wen Lingyi suddenly turned her head, accurately catching her gaze, and with a very beautiful curve at the corner of her lips, she asked softly, "Are the stars beautiful?"
Zhou Jianxing was like a child who had been caught peeping. His cheeks flushed and he nodded hurriedly: "Good... good-looking..."
Wen Lingyi took a step closer, raised her hand, and gently brushed away Zhou Jianxing's hair, which had been messed up by the night wind and stuck to her cheek. Her slightly cool fingertips accidentally touched her earlobe, which was also slightly cool. Zhou Jianxing froze in place, forgetting even how to breathe.
Wen Lingyi naturally withdrew her hand, her gaze returned to Zhou Jianxing's face, and her voice was filled with indescribable tenderness and concentration: "Now, I am also looking at the stars."
His gaze seemed to have weight as it fell on Zhou Jianxing's face.
The moonlight enveloped the two of them like a pure white wedding dress. Zhou Jianxing took a step forward, put his arm around Wen Lingyi's waist, and kissed her on the lips. On the rooftop, the only sounds were the night wind and the chirping of insects.
After a long time, Zhou Jianxing let go of Wen Lingyi with an unstable breath.
She took a deep breath, mysteriously took out a dark blue velvet ring box from her trouser pocket, and opened it solemnly in front of Wen Lingyi.
In the box, the ring reflected a soft but clear light under the moonlight. It was a small white sapphire, and the tiny auxiliary stones around it were like stars surrounding the moon.
Wen Lingyi was completely stunned, her eyes fixed on the ring, looking at it for a long time.
Some deliberately forgotten corners deep in her memory surged up, and she had once imagined like a young girl that Zhu Yang would put a ring on her finger on a special day as a symbol of promise.
However, in the end, both she and Zhu Yang wore rings given by other men on their ring fingers. They were both voluntary choices, the only difference being that hers had nothing to do with love.
She had never imagined that after so much time, there would be such a sincere and foolish person who would bring her to this deserted mountain top in the middle of the night, look at the brilliant starry sky, and then hold a ring in front of her with such preciousness.
She recognized the chain brand logo on the jewelry box. For Zhou Jianxing, this should be an expense that needs to be carefully considered.
She remembered what Zhou Jianxing had said seriously before: "I am willing to spend money on you."
It turns out that statement is true, and it’s not limited to daily minor quarrels.
"Lingyi." Zhou Jianxing called out her name carefully, his voice trembling with nervousness.
This time, Wen Lingyi did not correct her immediately as usual, but just continued to look at the ring silently, as if she was under a spell.
"Don't feel burdened. This is just... a very ordinary gift." Zhou Jianxing tried to make his voice sound relaxed. He took out the slightly cool ring from the box. His fingers trembled uncontrollably. He stretched out his hand to Wen Lingyi, holding his breath and waiting for her reaction.
Wen Lingyi still didn't move, as if she was completely nailed to the spot by the small ring, staring at the white sapphire on the ring that reflected the moonlight and starlight without blinking.
The light was a little dazzling to her, and a strong urge to cry welled up in her eyes, but in the end not a single tear fell.
Finally, she also stretched out her right hand tremblingly and slowly.
Zhou Jianxing took a deep breath and tried to put the ring on Wen Lingyi's index finger, but Wen Lingyi gently dodged it.
Wen Lingyi lowered her index finger and middle finger, then slightly raised her ring finger and stretched it clearly and distinctly in front of Zhou Jianxing.
Zhou Jianxing's breathing finally stopped at that moment. His mind went blank, and his body moved almost instinctively. He bent his left leg and knelt on one knee on the cold, rough concrete floor. The hand holding the ring was shaking so badly that he could barely hold the small ring.
She took several deep breaths in succession, and the cold mountain air rushed into her lungs, slightly calming her raging heartbeat.
Finally, she steadied her wrist, and firmly and solemnly pushed the star ring slowly into the base of Wen Lingyi's left ring finger.
When the ring could no longer move forward, Zhou Jianxing's eyes turned red and tears welled up in his eyes for some reason.
Perfect size.
"Lingyi." Zhou Jianxing looked up devoutly at Wen Lingyi's face in the moonlight. At that moment, Wen Lingyi was like a goddess who had descended to the mortal world to accept the sacrifices of her believers, and she willingly prostrated herself in worship. "From today on, Zhou Jianxing is this star."
"It will revolve around the thermometer just like all the planets in the solar system revolve around the sun."
She spoke every word clearly and seriously.
Wen Lingyi stared blankly at Zhou Jianxing who was kneeling in front of her, and saw the undisguised love in her eyes that turned into tears.
When people's emotions reach an unbearable peak, they really can't control their tears.
The ring on her ring finger was so vivid. A strong emotion surged through her heart, a mixture of bitterness and heat. In this almost sacred romantic atmosphere and the overwhelming emotional impact, she even had a strong urge to blurt out:
She wanted to nod and say to Zhou Jianxing, "Yes. I do."
In this deserted mountain with only the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects, where she even wondered on the way here whether Zhou Jianxing was going to kidnap her, she made that promise under the witness of only the vast sky, the silent earth and the gentle evening breeze.
She subconsciously raised her head and gazed into the deep night sky, searching for the brightest star. She didn't know its name, but her mother had held her hand before she died and told her that the brightest star she saw in the night sky would be her mother watching over her.
So, Mom, are you watching too? Do you see your daughter being loved so clumsily yet wholeheartedly?
A gust of night wind suddenly blew by, rustling the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees and bringing a deeper chill.
Perhaps it was the stimulation of the cold wind, or perhaps it was the sudden sound, but Wen Lingyi finally broke free from the romantic atmosphere that was almost drowning her. Her boiling blood cooled down instantly, her rationality returned, and her brain became clear again.
She clenched her fists, and the ring on her ring finger pressed against her palm, giving her a clear and cold touch.
"Get up." She heard her own voice, colder than the night wind.
She reached out, grasped Zhou Jianxing's arm, and pulled her up from the ground. Then she bent down and gently patted the dust off the cloth on her knees. "It's cold at night. Kneeling on the ground will easily get wet, which is not good for your health."
As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of cold wind blew, and Wen Lingyi couldn't help but lower her head and sneezed crisply.
She is used to a constant temperature air-conditioned environment. In order to maintain her figure, she eats in moderation and neglects exercise, so her physical condition is weaker than that of ordinary people.
Although Zhou Jianxing had told her in advance that it would be cold in the mountains at night and she had put on more clothes, she still couldn't withstand the biting cold.
"Lingyi," Zhou Jianxing wiped his tears and hugged her tightly with worry, trying to use his warm body temperature to dispel the coldness on her body, "Let's go back, don't catch a cold."
Her embrace was warm and solid.
Wen Lingyi felt the warmth, but did not respond to the hug. She simply turned her head and gently corrected him again, her tone carrying a complex, deliberately distanced feeling: "Don't call me Lingyi."
But in the end, she did not push away this warm embrace.
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