At five in the morning, Changbai Mountain was still shrouded in thick ink.
Most of the lights in the dormitory area were off, with only the emergency light at the end of the corridor shining faintly, like a drowsy star.
As Yu Jiuyuan put on her windbreaker, the coolness of the fabric made her shiver slightly; the early morning in the mountains was colder than she had imagined.
The system panel was lit up in his mind, but Xie Zhecheng's positive emotions remained at 93, like a stubborn reef.
Rong Shenghan's 75 fingers were pulsating with life, clearly indicating he wasn't asleep yet. Yu Jiuyuan curled her lips into a smile; it seemed this vice president was even more excited about the sunrise trip than she appeared.
"Knock knock knock—"
The knocking sounded precisely on time, as light as falling snow. Yu Jiuyuan went to open the door, and Rong Shenghan stood in the corridor, wrapped in a thick dark gray coat, carrying a thermal bag in his hand. His features appeared particularly gentle in the dim light.
"Awake?" He smiled and held up the insulated bag. "I just got some hot milk and two meat buns from the cafeteria to tide me over."
"Did the vice president put all the cafeteria keys in his pocket?" Yu Jiuyuan stepped aside to let him in, her gaze falling on his frosty eyelashes, indicating that he had been waiting outside for a while.
"I told the cafeteria ladies in advance." Rong Shenghan placed the insulated bag on the table, his tone casual. "We can't let the president watch the sunrise on an empty stomach."
Yu Jiuyuan opened the milk carton, and the warm liquid slid down her throat, dispelling much of the chill.
She took a bite of the meat bun, and as the aroma of oil and warmth spread, she suddenly caught Rong Shenghan staring at the corner of her mouth with a mischievous smile in his eyes.
"You got some on you?" She raised her hand to wipe it, and sure enough, she found some oil.
"Mmm." Rong Shenghan reached out his fingertips to wipe away the crumbs from the corner of her lips, the action as natural as if he had done it a thousand times. "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you."
His fingertips carried a slight chill, and when they brushed against the corner of her lips, Yu Jiuyuan's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
On the system panel, Rong Shenghan's positive emotions jumped to 78 like a candle flame being blown by the wind, and even the favorability rating of 63 shone with a faint golden light.
"The vice president is getting more and more like he's not an outsider anymore." Yu Jiuyuan took a half step back, creating some distance, her tone slightly teasing, but a knowing glint flashed in her eyes. Physical contact is a shortcut to closing the distance, and he seems to have learned it quickly.
Rong Shenghan withdrew his hand, his fingertips still seemingly warm from the corner of her lips. He smiled, but didn't reply. He simply picked up her scarf and said, "It's windy, put this on."
As he wrapped the scarf around her neck, his fingertips occasionally brushed against her neck, causing a slight tickling sensation.
Yu Jiuyuan didn't dodge, letting him wrap the scarf around her neck twice, leaving only her eyes exposed. Looking through the glasses, Rong Shenghan's eyelashes were very long, casting a light shadow under his eyes when they fell, making him seem less aloof than usual.
"Let's go." Rong Shenghan picked up the insulated bag and took the lead towards the stairwell. "If we're any later, we'll miss the sunrise."
The viewing platform is located on a small hillside to the west of the observation deck, requiring a climb up a not-so-short set of stone steps. A thin layer of frost covered the steps, making a crunching sound underfoot, which was especially clear in the quiet of the early morning.
Yu Jiuyuan walked slowly, her gaze sweeping over the pine trees on both sides. Their dark branches stretched towards the night sky, like countless outstretched hands holding up a sky full of stars.
“Look over there.” Rong Shenghan suddenly stopped and pointed to the northeastern night sky. “Orion’s belt is brighter than it was last night.”
Yu Jiuyuan looked in the direction he pointed, and the three bright stars were in a straight line, like a jade belt around a hunter's waist, standing out against the dark sky.
She suddenly remembered Xie Zhecheng's star chart, which marked the right ascension and declination of Orion, accurate to two decimal places.
"President Xie said that the M42 nebula in Orion is the best celestial object to observe in winter," she said casually, as if she were talking about the weather.
Rong Shenghan paused, turning his head to look at her. Starlight reflected in his eyes, unfathomable: "You remember it quite clearly."
“After all, he’s President Xie’s ‘treasure,’ it’s hard not to remember him.” Yu Jiuyuan smiled, deliberately emphasizing the word “treasure,” but out of the corner of her eye, she noticed his hand at his side, which curled up slightly.
On the system panel, Rong Shenghan's positive emotion instantly dropped to 74, while his neutral emotion jumped by 1 point.
Yu Jiuyuan chuckled inwardly. It seemed that this vice president's jealousy was more acute than she had imagined.
The two didn't speak again, but walked up the steps side by side. At the end of the stone steps, there were already several people standing on the observation deck, all members of the astronomy club, adjusting their cameras and talking in hushed tones.
Upon seeing them, someone greeted them with a smile: "President Yu, Vice President Rong, you're here too?"
"Yes, let's come and see the sunrise." Yu Jiuyuan replied with a smile, her gaze sweeping over the observation deck. Xie Zhecheng wasn't there; he was probably still in his dorm, working on his data.
Rong Shenghan chose a spot on the side with a wide view, where he could see the outline of the snow-capped peaks in the distance. He took a thick cushion out of his bag and spread it on the ground: "Sit down, we'll have to wait a while."
When Yu Jiuyuan sat down, her knees almost touched his. The early morning wind was chilly, carrying the scent of pine needles. She subconsciously moved closer to him, like a cat seeking warmth.
Rong Shenghan's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, then relaxed, and he even moved closer to her, using his shoulder to shield her from the wind.
"Cold?" he asked, his voice low, as if afraid of disturbing the moment of tranquility.
"A little." Yu Jiuyuan's voice was muffled, coming from under her scarf, carrying a hint of vague dependence.
The numbers on the system panel began to jump wildly. Rong Shenghan's positive emotions soared to 82, and the golden light next to the number 63 in favorability grew brighter and brighter, as if it was about to break through some barrier.
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