Lingshan Night Talk
Summer nights in Lingshan are a completely different world from those in Beijing.
When Lu Shixu and Lin Zhiyi arrived at the guesthouse nestled in the mountain valley, it was already evening. As the information indicated, the environment was tranquil, with only a few independent wooden cabins scattered on the gentle slope, surrounded by tall trees. The cabin they stayed in on the ground floor had a spacious wooden terrace, facing the vast mountains and the darkening sky.
The air was cool and refreshing, carrying the scents of earth, grass, and a sweet, clean fragrance after a recent rain in the mountains. Taking a deep breath felt like a cleansing of the lungs. The hustle and bustle of the city was completely shut out, leaving only the sound of the wind rustling through the pines and the chirping of unknown insects.
The long journey had taken a toll on Lu Shixu. His face was paler than usual, and his brows betrayed his weariness. But he said nothing, simply putting his luggage away in silence.
Seeing this, Lin Zhiyi said gently, "Are you tired? Let's rest for a bit, there's no rush to go out."
She carefully inspected the room, making sure it was comfortable, and then placed the light blanket she had brought for him within easy reach. She then boiled water and brewed him a cup of calming tea.
“It’s so quiet here.” Lu Shixu took the teacup, sat down on the wicker chair on the terrace, and looked at the dark silhouette-like mountains in front of him, saying softly. This quiet was different from the tranquility filled with time in the “Shixu” shop; it was a more primitive and expansive peace, as if one could hear the breath of heaven and earth themselves.
“Yes, that’s why we can see the stars.” Lin Zhiyi sat down beside him, not too close, to give him some space to relax.
Night slowly spread like thick ink, swallowing the last glimmer of light. Along with the darkness came a starry sky, dazzling to the point of extravagance.
Without the interference of urban light pollution, the Milky Way, like a vast, hazy, luminous ribbon, stretches across the sky, clearly visible. Countless stars are densely scattered on the deep, dark blue canvas, some as bright as diamonds, others as faint as dust, converging into a vast, silent ocean. Occasionally, a shooting star streaks across the sky, disappearing in a flash.
Lu Shixu tilted his head back, gazing silently at the starry sky he had never seen so clearly before. His eyes, reflecting the starlight, appeared exceptionally deep. In the city, he was used to focusing on the intricacies of his immediate surroundings; but here, for the first time, he truly felt his own insignificance and the vastness of the universe. That feeling was not one of fear, but rather a strange, accepting tranquility.
Lin Zhiyi didn't speak. She looked at the starry sky, then occasionally glanced at him. The starlight outlined the contours of his slender profile, and his focused expression was exactly the same as when he was repairing a clock, only the object of his attention had changed from the microscopic gears to the macroscopic universe.
After an unknown amount of time, a mountain breeze swept by, bringing an even deeper chill.
Lu Shixu flinched slightly.
Lin Zhiyi immediately noticed, got up and went into the room, took out the thin blanket, and gently draped it over his shoulders.
Her movement startled him. Lu Shixu snapped out of his reverie of the starry sky and turned to look at her. The terrace was unlit, only the soft glow of the stars and moon illuminating her gentle figure.
"Are you cold?" she asked, her voice exceptionally soft in the quiet mountain night.
Lu Shixu shook his head, pulled the blanket around himself, and looked back at the starry sky. He then said in a low voice, "When I was very young, my grandfather pointed to the stars in the sky and told me that for every person on earth, there is a star in the sky."
His voice was very soft, as if he were afraid of disturbing the tranquility of the night.
“At that time, I was thinking, is my star... particularly easy to go out?” He paused, his tone devoid of self-pity, only a faint, factual bewilderment, “because it’s never very bright, and every now and then... it dims for a while.”
Lin Zhiyi's heart seemed to be gently gripped by those words. She sat back down in the chair next to him, reached out, and placed her hand on the back of his hand, which was resting on his knee. His fingers were a little cool.
She followed his gaze and looked up at the boundless sea of stars. After a moment of thought, she slowly said:
“Time Sequence, look at that one.” She pointed to a star at the edge of the Milky Way that wasn’t particularly bright, but steadily emitted a faint light. “It may not be the brightest, and it might even be occasionally obscured by passing clouds. But you see, no matter how the clouds come and go, it’s always there, in its own orbit, steadily emitting its light. It has never truly gone out.”
She turned her head, gazing into his eyes in the dim starlight, her tone firm yet gentle:
“I think you are that kind of star. Your light may have a rhythm of brightness and darkness, that is your unique frequency. But it is this frequency that makes you unique. And,” she squeezed his hand slightly, “no matter how your light changes, I can always find you. Because your coordinates are engraved in my heart.”
Lu Shixu was stunned. He looked into her bright eyes under the starlight and listened to her gentle yet firm interpretation, which was like the language of stars. The gloom that occasionally rose in his heart due to his own "abnormality" seemed to be completely washed away under the vast starry sky and her clear gaze.
He grabbed her hand in return, his grip a little tight.
Thousands of stars twinkled silently above them, witnessing the whispers of the mountains and fields.
No more words are needed; the warmth of each other's palms surpasses all poems about eternity.
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