Fingertips slid across the glowing screen, one word after another appearing.

[Luo Qingchuan: Are you sure it’s okay?]
Ding-dong.
[Su Yingxue: Mm.]
[Luo Qingchuan: Where are you? I’ll come get you.]
Ding-dong.
[Su Yingxue: This time, it’s your turn to wait for me.]

Luo Qingchuan put his phone away, slipping it into his pocket as he dazedly stepped into the courtyard.

The evening wind blew gently.

He left the house and came to the desolate long street.

No one.

He walked a few steps along the road and saw, illuminated by the streetlamp, several drops of blood scattered across the asphalt.

A sweep of ominous flame erased the stains.

Returning to the front gate, Luo Qingchuan looked up at the dark sky, curled high like the deep sea.
The scattered stars shimmered, and a lone, distant full moon hung silently in the heavens.

Su Yingxue asked me to wait for her...
Did she take a taxi?

He recalled there was indeed a sports car worth millions sitting in the villa garage.
But he didn’t have a driver’s license.
It was only bought for show.
To use it, he’d either have to fake a license or drive illegally.

A bit too risky.

Ding-dong.

Luo Qingchuan checked his phone—Chen Yanyu had sent a bunch of photos: cafés, plazas, gift shops, and a new dessert store.

[Chen Yanyu: Image image image image]
[Chen Yanyu: Luo Qingchuan Luo Qingchuan, look! I went to so many places this afternoon and took lots of pictures!]
[Chen Yanyu: The human world is so fun!]
[Chen Yanyu: It’s getting a little cold lately, so I wore a sweater—do I look good?]

The silver-haired girl posed beside a plush toy. She wore a black sleeveless high-neck sweater paired with a white, jacket-like outer layer.
Wearing sunglasses gave her a bright, cool look.

What a pity—her pure, golden eyes and long, curved lashes weren’t visible, like dazzling diamonds hidden behind a veil.

She must be waiting for someone dear to lift it.

Chen Yanyu seemed to really enjoy sharing her daily life.

[Luo Qingchuan: Looks great. Actually... kind of cool.]
[Chen Yanyu: Waaah, really?! Thank you!!]

Luo Qingchuan smiled softly. He thought Chen Yanyu had a good sense for fashion.
She was just too pretty—no matter what she wore, she always lit up the scene and tugged at the heart.

Then, she started flooding him with stories and things she’d seen, like she wanted to recount her entire afternoon.

Luo Qingchuan thought her typing had gotten faster—
until he spotted a few typos and realized.

Chen Yanyu was probably using voice input.

She was chatting away, letting the phone transcribe everything she said.

What kind of expression did she have right now?
She must be smiling brightly, right?
This rare visit to the human world—he hoped she was truly enjoying herself.

After a while:

[Chen Yanyu: Ha... I’m tired. Gonna get a drink of water.]

Luo Qingchuan smiled again, knowing he’d guessed right.
He replied:<span> </span>[Get some rest early.]

Suddenly, Luo Qingchuan furrowed his brow slightly and looked up, as if sensing something.

Then—

The boy’s eyes reflected the full moon and the night sky, and he froze in place, entranced.

From high above, a familiar figure approached.

A celestial maiden descended from the sky.

In the vast open air, a girl in a school uniform skirt bathed in moonlight came gliding down—
as if falling from a violet-blue sea,
as if stepping out from the faraway moon itself,
coming toward him.

“Luo. Qing. Chuan.”

Su Yingxue smiled with curved eyes and outstretched arms, flying into his embrace in the night.

Like a little fish willingly swimming into a net.

She had flown here.

Luo Qingchuan caught the soft, fragrant girl and spun her in a half-circle before gently setting her down.

Su Yingxue stood delicately on the ground. “Surprised?”

“Mm.” Luo Qingchuan smiled softly. “Congratulations on reaching Foundation Establishment.”

Su Yingxue really was one of the destined heroines.

Luo Qingchuan noticed her eyes were slightly red, her elegance tinged with heartbreak.

“I failed.”

“Yeah,” she murmured, resting her head on Luo Qingchuan’s shoulder.
“We had another fight.”

Luo Qingchuan lowered his head to look at her, gently brushing through her smooth black hair with his right hand.

“So this counts as running away from home?”

“Mm.”

Su Yingxue sighed lightly, her posture proper and composed.
“My dad was about to agree, but then my mom started throwing things again.
My dad just locked himself in the room to smoke.
I… I got scared and ran out.
And then… I started to understand how Douzi felt.”

Luo Qingchuan held her tight.
The autumn night wind was biting cold.

“Will you be okay?”

“I’ll go back next time,” Su Yingxue suddenly smiled, her expression glowing.
“Did you know? I was walking down the street crying. My whole body felt cold… and I just wanted to see you.”

“Yeah? And then?”

“I wanted to see you so badly... I flew.”

Luo Qingchuan blinked, stunned.

“You really scared me.” Su Yingxue’s eyes sparkled with tears. She gripped his sleeve tightly and looked up at him.
“Xiao Chuanchuan, wasn’t I amazing?”

“Xiaoxue is number one in the world.”

Luo Qingchuan gently wiped her tears.

Su Yingxue fell silent, her bright eyes tracing every curve of the boy’s face, lingering on his slightly furrowed brows.
“You’re not happy?”

“A little.”

“Luo Qingchuan, I want to take you somewhere—somewhere absolutely, absolutely fun.”

“Where?”

“Will you come with me?”

“Of course.”

“Then take my hand.”

Their fingers interlocked.

“Don’t let go, okay?
If you let go... it’ll be dangerous.”

“I won’t.”

Luo Qingchuan’s body suddenly felt light.
Gentle spiritual energy wrapped around him.

He understood now.

He saw the girl take a step forward, pulling him along.
He saw Su Yingxue glance back at him with a brilliant smile.
He saw the scenery around them begin to sink—

Under the wide, rolling starry sky,
the natural beauty of the girl led him into flight.

Like two snowflakes drifting upward toward the heavens—
graceful, like a dream.

The higher they rose, the colder the air became.

So was the world below.
The lights, the paved roads, the hard walls, the skyscrapers they used to look up at—

Too cold.

As if they were escaping an endless forest of concrete.

“Luo Qingchuan, sometimes I really want to run away...
but I never know where to go.
Nowhere feels like home.
No moment feels just right.”

“The stars, maybe? I always thought the starry sky was beautiful.
Makes you want to dive in.”

Her voice drifted through the mist-like clouds.

“The starry sky with you in it does.”

Su Yingxue held his hand tightly, letting spiritual energy flow from their linked fingers, shielding him from the wind.

“Look, the moon—
doesn’t it feel like if we go just a little higher, we could touch it?”

She reached out her slender hand, her pure face full of serene happiness.
Her long hair fluttered in the wind, her bright eyes full of affection.

The feeling of weightlessness, the sensation of hanging in the air—
such heights would usually terrify anyone.

But Luo Qingchuan couldn’t help but smile.
He wasn’t scared at all.
Even the pressure that had quietly weighed on him before was completely gone.

Su Yingxue stopped reaching for the moon.
Instead, in midair, she turned and hugged Luo Qingchuan,
pressing her warm lips against his and slipping in her soft, sweet tongue.

The pure moonlight shimmered like waves on water.

Dancing in the moonlight—how could this be the mortal world?
……