Yu Jiuyuan leaned against the railing, looking at his focused profile.
On the system panel, Xie Zhecheng's favorability rating remained at 10, but his positive emotion value was 59, which was 2 points higher than when he arrived.
She suddenly realized that this aloof perfectionist was not impervious to reason; he simply kept his "switch" very well hidden.
“Look there.” Xie Zhecheng suddenly handed her the binoculars. “The ice crack in the center of the lake, doesn’t it look like Orion’s belt?”
Yu Jiuyuan took the telescope, adjusted the focus, and sure enough, she saw cracks spreading across the ice surface. The three main cracks were arranged in parallel with even spacing, and the ends branched out into fine lines, much like the constellation Orion on a star map.
“It really does look very similar,” she said sincerely.
“When we observed the Orionid meteor shower last week, you said you liked its belt star.” Xie Zhecheng’s voice was very soft, as if afraid of disturbing the moment of tranquility. “I’ve written it down.”
Yu Jiuyuan's fingers, which were gripping the binoculars, paused. She had indeed said that; it was during a break in the student council meeting, a casual remark she made to Rong Shenghan. She hadn't expected Xie Zhecheng, who was standing in the corner organizing documents, to actually take it to heart.
On the system panel, Xie Zhecheng's positive emotion value jumped to 62, and a faint pink halo appeared for the first time next to the number 10 in favorability, like spring water just beginning to melt under the ice.
Yu Jiuyuan put down her binoculars and looked at him: "President Xie seems to be... paying a lot of attention to me?"
Xie Zhecheng's ear tips flushed a very faint red in the sunlight, so quickly that it seemed like an illusion. He turned around and looked back at the lake: "As the president of the astronomy club, I have an obligation to pay attention to the preferences of the student council president."
This reason is ridiculously far-fetched, but it's in line with his usual style: using the most rational shell to wrap up the most clumsy thoughts.
Yu Jiuyuan suddenly realized that winning over Xie Zhecheng might not be as difficult as she had thought.
He is like a hard star, seemingly indifferent, but with a burning flame at its core. You just need to find the right orbit to feel his light and heat.
She took a step forward, deliberately stepping into the footprints he had just left: "President Xie, could I keep a copy of the observation report for Changbai Mountain?"
Xie Zhecheng turned his head, his gaze falling on her footprints that almost overlapped with his. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly. "Okay." He paused, then added, "It will be laser-printed and bound into a booklet, with an error of no more than 0.5 millimeters."
Yu Jiuyuan laughed. He really was the same Xie Zhecheng.
As the two walked back, Xie Zhecheng suddenly took a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her.
The silver box is engraved with star trail patterns. Inside, there is a small brooch made of meteorite iron, depicting the Orion belt with three stars strung together, gleaming with a matte metallic luster.
"I bought it from the observatory's souvenir shop." His voice sounded a little unnatural. "I saw it when I passed by just now."
Yu Jiuyuan took it, her fingertips touching the coldness of the meteorite.
On the system panel, Xie Zhecheng's favorability rating was still 10, but his positive emotion value had surged to 65. The layer of ice that was encasing him seemed to have actually cracked open with a tiny fissure.
"Thank you." She pinned the brooch to the collar of her coat, in a conspicuous spot. "I really like it."
Xie Zhecheng's ears turned red again, and this time he didn't try to hide it.
When they returned to the rest stop, Rong Shenghan was leaning against the door of the wooden house, playing with a pine cone in his hand. When he saw them return, he immediately greeted them with a smile.
"President Xie, the calibration process is complete? Yuan was just worried that your computer would be clogged with bits of beef jerky from Secretary Lin."
Lin Yanran's angry roar came from inside the house: "I didn't drop any crumbs!"
Xie Zhecheng walked into the house expressionlessly, clearly having no interest in this farce.
Rong Shenghan's gaze fell on the meteorite iron brooch on Yu Jiuyuan's collar, and the smile in his eyes deepened: "A new brooch? It's quite unique."
"Thank you for the gift, President Xie." Yu Jiuyuan raised her hand and adjusted the brooch, her tone calm, yet she precisely caught the sudden tightening of Rong Shenghan's fingers.
On the system panel, Rong Shenghan's positive emotion value dropped from 80 to 75, and the red progress bar next to the number 63 in favorability fluctuated slightly.
Yu Jiuyuan noticed the fleeting darkness in his eyes and suddenly felt that this taming game had finally become somewhat interesting.
As the sun gradually sets in the west, it paints the snow-capped peaks in a warm orange hue.
Yu Jiuyuan leaned against the door frame, watching the boys making a ruckus inside. Yuan Xu was taking pictures of the bacteria, Lin Yanran was fighting with Rong Shenghan for the last piece of beef jerky, and Xie Zhecheng was staring intently at the computer screen, but a pen cap that was 0.5 millimeters crooked was clipped to his collar.
Her fingertips gently caressed the meteorite brooch on her collar, feeling its cool touch.
Hsieh Che-cheng: 10 (+0), positive sentiment value 65.
Yuan Xu: 73 (+0), positive emotion value 75.
Lin Yanran: 3 (+0), negative emotion value 18.
Rong Shenghan: 63 (+0), positive emotion value 75.
The progress bar was still moving slowly, like the slowly shifting glaciers of Changbai Mountain. Yu Jiuyuan knew that a true hunt was never something that could be accomplished overnight.
What she needs is patience.
And, enjoy the process of watching your prey gradually succumb.
Before nightfall, the convoy set off again. Yu Jiuyuan sat in the passenger seat, watching the snow rushing past the window, and suddenly remembered Xie Zhecheng's words: science does not need a gray area.
But she preferred to wander in the gray areas, watching those who considered themselves clear-headed step into the web she had woven.
Just like now, in the rearview mirror, Rong Shenghan is looking over through the car window, his gaze meeting hers in the mirror, with a confident smile on his face.
She simply curled the corners of her lips slightly, turned her head, and looked at the snowy road ahead illuminated by car headlights.
The game has only just begun.
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