Song Xinya had never seen a meteor shower before.
She had certainly never set aside an entire night to go camping and watch a meteor shower beneath a sky full of stars.
“Why did you suddenly decide to take me to see a meteor shower?”
Qin Yuhe said, “I think marriage needs a sense of ceremony. Everyday life needs a few special moments—times when the two of us put down our work and leave everything else behind, making thoughtful preparations for something romantic that belongs only to us. Many years from now, it will remind us that, back then, we really did make an effort to live our lives together.”
Of course, marriage needed the mundane realities of food, clothing, housing, and transportation. It needed day after day of work to earn money and provide for themselves and their family.
But marriage also needed a sense of ceremony, so that amid the chaos of life, they could still feel surprise and romance from each other.
They shouldn’t wait until they were old to look back and find their memories nothing but a vast, barren wasteland—regretting that they had married each other and feeling that the other person had wasted their entire life.
Song Xinya said, “Sure. Let’s go camping tonight and watch the meteor shower.”
Then she asked, “Where should we go? For a wider view, it would be better to watch from the mountaintop.”
“Also, it’ll be cold up there at night, so we’ll need to prepare some warm clothes.”
“Most importantly, we need to have a tent ready.”
“Food, water, a change of clothes, headlamps, camping lanterns, a portable gas stove, cookware, tableware, a folding table and chairs, a power bank, a first-aid kit…”
“There’s so much to prepare!”
Song Xinya’s eager anticipation turned into concern. “It’ll take ages just to get all the camping gear together. Can we really make it in time today?”
Qin Yuhe answered her with absolute certainty. “We can.”
Song Xinya wasn’t the sort of person to ruin someone else’s fun. Since he said they could make it, she took his hand. “Then let’s go buy the camping equipment right now!”
Whether or not they could get everything today, she wanted to shop for it with him. The process mattered more than the result.
Qin Yuhe pulled his arm back, tugging her toward him. “I’ve already prepared everything we need for camping.”
Song Xinya looked up at him in surprise. “Huh?”
Qin Yuhe lowered his eyes to look at her and copied her tone. “Huh?”
Song Xinya: “...Oh.”
Qin Yuhe: “Oh.”
Song Xinya gave an embarrassed little smile and smacked him on the arm. “Are you that BBK talking learning machine? You’re such a copycat.”
Qin Yuhe said, “From now on, Madam never has to worry about my studies again. So easy.”
Song Xinya pressed her forehead against his chest, her shoulders trembling with laughter.
Qin Yuhe rested his chin on top of her head. One hand was tucked into his trouser pocket while the other draped lazily around her.
The two of them were standing beneath a silk tree. Sunlight filtered through clusters of pink-and-white blossoms, scattering across them.
When Song Xinya had finished laughing, she asked, “Where are the camping things? Let’s carry them together.”
Qin Yuhe pointed at a black SUV parked nearby. “You don’t need to lift a finger. I’ve already loaded everything into the car.”
Song Xinya: “Huh?”
Qin Yuhe flicked her on the nose. “Are you a kindergarten kid who’s just learned pinyin? Should we go through the whole alphabet—ao, o, e, i, u, ü?”
He took her hand and led her forward. The two of them got into the SUV.
Qin Yuhe drove while Song Xinya sat in the passenger seat, listening to music.
Once they left the smooth highway, the car began to sway and bump along. Song Xinya felt as if she were lying in a cradle, and before long, the gentle rocking lulled her to sleep.
When she woke up, they had arrived at the mountaintop parking lot and camping grounds.
Song Xinya got out of the car, and a lively figure came bounding toward her.
“Guigui, you’re finally here!”
Tiantianquan threw her arms around Song Xinya in an enthusiastic bear hug. “I’ve been waiting forever!”
Waiting for her?
How did Tiantianquan know she was coming here?
Qin Yuhe approached with a travel bag in his hand. “I invited her.”
Song Xinya said, “I thought it would just be the two of us today.”
Qin Yuhe replied, “Camping involves plenty of chores like boiling water, cooking, and washing dishes. I couldn’t bear to make you do them, so I called Tiantianquan over.”
Tiantianquan said, “Listen to him! Just listen to him! Is that even human speech? That’s the voice of a heavenly immortal!”
No wonder the Crown Prince Qin had never called her before, yet had suddenly phoned her today to invite her to watch a meteor shower. Tiantianquan had been so flattered that she’d immediately turned down everything else and rushed over without a second thought.
And it turned out she had been summoned to serve as a maid for this married couple.
She refused to be the only one used as free labor. Tiantianquan picked up her phone and called Chen Siyan over too.
Chen Siyan’s emotional journey upon receiving Tiantianquan’s call was exactly the same as hers had been upon receiving Qin Yuhe’s.
He was flattered, immediately canceled everything else, and hurried over without a second thought.
Tiantianquan said, “The pots haven’t been washed, the dishes haven’t been scrubbed, and the water hasn’t been boiled. Get to work.”
Chen Siyan asked, “You called me here to be your slave?”
Tiantianquan said, “What else? Did you think I invited you here to enjoy yourself?”
Chen Siyan laughed. “Good things never come my way, but whenever there’s trouble, I’m always the one who gets picked.”
Tiantianquan said, “If you don’t want to do it, I’ll call my ex-boyfriend and ask him to come instead.”
Chen Siyan squeezed some dish soap onto a bowl and started scrubbing. “I’ll do it! I’ll do it until I’m dead!”
Tiantianquan said, “You can drop dead.”
Chen Siyan replied, “You’re the one who should drop dead.”
Tiantianquan’s two fists began pounding randomly against Chen Siyan’s body. “You’re the one who should drop dead! You! You! You!”
Her small hands were soft and fair, landing against Chen Siyan’s body again and again. They nearly made him lose his mind with pleasure.
Chen Siyan gave a roguish laugh. “Don’t beat my libido out of me.”
Tiantianquan froze. Then she picked up an aluminum pot from beside her and clapped it down over his head.
“You eat less than a pig and run slower than a dog. You’re lower than an animal, you perverted bastard!”
While Chen Siyan and Tiantianquan were bickering and roughhousing, Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe were setting up the tent on the other side.
Song Xinya had thought they would be sleeping in a small tent resembling a yurt.
Instead, Qin Yuhe assembled a two-bedroom, one-living-room setup.
Song Xinya was stunned by the sight of the enormous tent.
Inside, she was even more astonished.
There was a bedroom with a large inflatable mattress, a living room with a sofa, and a bathroom stocked with toiletries.
The living room and bedroom were covered with pure-wool, handwoven Persian rugs. On a wooden folding table sat a vintage lantern glowing orange, beside a bouquet of pink-and-blue hydrangeas.
The entire space was warm, cozy, and exquisitely arranged.
It completely overturned Song Xinya’s idea of camping. She had imagined camping as squeezing into a tiny little mound of a tent, each person wrapped in a sleeping bag and spending the night looking like a pair of caterpillars.
Song Xinya turned to Qin Yuhe, marveling, “You’ve decorated this so beautifully!”
Qin Yuhe asked, “Did I impress you?”
Song Xinya replied, “You impressed me very, very thoroughly.”
Qin Yuhe said, “Then everything I did was worth it.”
He picked up several tent stakes. “The forecast says it’ll be windy tonight. I’m going to reinforce the tent.”
Song Xinya said, “I want to help. What can I do? Give me a job.”
Qin Yuhe picked up a handkerchief and placed it in her palm. “I’ll do the work. You can wipe my sweat.”
Wherever Qin Yuhe went, Song Xinya followed.
He squatted on the ground, hammering tent stakes into the soil. Song Xinya crouched beside him and reached out to wipe his forehead. Her little pink handkerchief glided slowly across his handsome face.
He straightened up. She rose onto her tiptoes and lifted the handkerchief to dab his forehead again.
Qin Yuhe sprinkled insect and rodent repellent around the tent. Song Xinya followed behind him like a little shadow, circling the tent as he worked.
The moment he paused, the pink handkerchief waved in front of his face again.
Qin Yuhe smiled. “I’m not even sweating. What are you wiping off?”
Song Xinya replied, “My lack of presence.”
When Qin Yuhe went to wash his hands, Song Xinya stood behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and rested her cheek against his back.
She was completely clingy.
Qin Yuhe thought she was adorable like this, so he let her hold on and stick close.
He slowed his movements as he washed his hands, worried that he might disturb his clingy little shadow.
After washing his hands, he straightened up. Song Xinya kept her arms around his waist and spun him around until they were facing each other. Then she asked, “Do you want to kiss me?”
Qin Yuhe understood what she really meant: I want to kiss you.
He answered, “I do.”
He lowered his head and took the initiative to kiss her.
Just as their lips were about to meet, the tent flap was suddenly yanked open, and an excited female voice called out, “Tiantianquan has arrived!”
Song Xinya jumped in surprise and hurriedly turned her face toward the inside of the tent.
Qin Yuhe looked at the fool who had barged in. “You have impeccable timing.”
Tiantianquan took credit for herself. “The moment dinner was ready, I came straight here to call you two. I wanted you to eat while it was still hot. I was worried it would get cold and ruin your appetite.”
Her eyes practically spelled out three words: Praise me.
Qin Yuhe said, “Let’s go.”
That was it?
That was really it?
Tiantianquan let out a disappointed “Oh.” The Crown Prince was way too difficult to please. She had been so thoughtful, yet he hadn’t even thanked her.
Wasn’t her enthusiasm in calling him to dinner worthy of some gratitude?
Tiantianquan lifted the tent flap and walked out. Chen Siyan was arranging all kinds of dishes on the table and looked up when he saw her.
“Look at you, all wilted like an eggplant hit by frost. Did President Qin scold you?”
“He didn’t scold me,” Tiantianquan said. “He just didn’t praise me.”
“Dinner was cooked by me, the dishes were washed by me, the water was boiled by me, and the food was served by me. What exactly should I praise you for? For being lazy and good for nothing?”
“...You just shut your turtle mouth.”
“Even if you call over every turtle in your ancestors’ eighteen generations, I still won’t be able to stop talking.”
Tiantianquan rolled her eyes at him and reached out a little claw to grab a piece of crispy fried chicken from the plate.
Smack!
Chen Siyan swatted the back of her hand. “You’re not a child anymore. Don’t you know you’re supposed to wash your hands before eating?”
Her hand stung, and she quickly snatched it back. “Chen Siyan, I’m never speaking to you again!”
“Then if you’ve really got that much backbone, don’t eat the food I made.”
Tiantianquan turned around and went to wash her hands.
The four of them sat around the table and began dinner.
Chen Siyan glanced around. “There’s a meteor shower tonight, and this is a dedicated camping site. With an entire mountaintop this big, how come it’s just the four of us?”
Tiantianquan nibbled on a Coke-glazed chicken wing with her pinky raised. “When a domineering CEO goes to the movies with his wife, he books out the entire theater. When he brings his wife camping, of course he books out the whole campsite too.”
She shot Chen Siyan a sidelong glance. “What a country bumpkin.”
Chen Siyan put a piece of food into her bowl. “Here you go, fancy turtle. Have some vegetables.”
Tiantianquan looked down at what he had served her. “Who wants chili peppers? And bird’s-eye chili, at that. After I eat this, I’ll turn into the Red Boy and breathe fire!”
She picked up the chili and tossed it into Chen Siyan’s bowl. “Here, eat up. Try to turn your butt into Flaming Mountain.”
Chen Siyan picked up a clove of garlic and dropped it into her bowl. “Garlic you doing? Garlic you capable? Garlic you win. A life without flavor is nothing but garlic.”
Tiantianquan smacked it back into his bowl. “Life is nothing but scallions, ginger, and garlic. Be a little more ‘scallion’-lightened, ‘ginger’-tle, and if all else fails, just ‘garlic’ it.”
The two of them carried on like a pair of roosters in a fight, while Song Xinya and Qin Yuhe enjoyed a peaceful evening.
Not bad. They got dinner and a live comedy show.
After dinner, darkness settled over the land.
In the city, it was rare to see even a single star. But here on the mountaintop, all they had to do was look up to see an endless, vast sky.
Billions of stars hung silently in the ink-black heavens—serene, romantic, and majestic.
Who didn’t love a sky full of stars? Who wasn’t captivated by the romance of the Milky Way?
Song Xinya asked expectantly, “When will the meteor shower start?”
Qin Yuhe glanced at the time. “Very soon.”
Looking at her face bathed in moonlight and starlight, he said, “They say wishes made when a shooting star appears come true. Have you thought of what you want to wish for?”
Song Xinya replied, “I have. I want to make two wishes.”
“One shooting star means one wish,” Qin Yuhe said. “You can make as many wishes as you like.”
“I only have two wishes, and I only need two.”
His curiosity was piqued. “Can you tell me what they are?”
“A wish won’t come true if you say it out loud, so I can’t tell you, Mr. Qin.”
Qin Yuhe smiled. “You’ll tell me someday, won’t you?”
“I will.”
“Then I’ll wait for the day you want to tell me.”
Suddenly, the sky lit up.
Song Xinya looked up at once. “The meteor shower is here!”
In the silent night sky, a shooting star streaked rapidly downward, like an arrow drawing a silver-white line across the heavens before vanishing in an instant.
Song Xinya was still regretting that she hadn’t had time to admire its fleeting beauty when another appeared, then another, then another...
A vast meteor shower surged across the sky in a magnificent procession.
The spectacle was breathtakingly beautiful.
The universe was vast, and the galaxy magnificent. Faced with such grandeur and splendor, all the troubles of the human world seemed insignificant by comparison.
Song Xinya’s heart was filled by the breathtaking beauty of nature, and the shadows weighing on her heart began to scatter.
Life was only some thirty thousand days long. If you were happy for one day, that was one good day.
There was no need to count on some distant tomorrow. All she wanted was to live each day in the present.
Why should some piece of trash affect her life with Qin Yuhe? Did that garbage deserve to occupy such a large place in her life?
Even a mule born of a cow and a horse was more worthy than he was!
Once she figured it all out, Song Xinya felt every burden fall away.
The gloom Sheng Tianjun had brought into her life disappeared completely.
She closed her eyes and made two wishes.
“First, I wish for everyone I love and everyone who loves me to be healthy.”
“Second...”
Qin Yuhe quietly watched her make her wishes.
The galaxy stretched above them, its light shimmering below.
He stood beside her, waiting for her answer.
After watching the meteor shower and making her wishes, Song Xinya looked at Qin Yuhe and suddenly understood why he had brought her here tonight.
He hadn’t said much, but he had done so much. He had been using his actions to heal her.
Her eyes filled with a layer of glistening tears. She threw herself into his arms, her voice thick with emotion.
“Thank you, Qin Yuhe.”
Qin Yuhe held her in his arms, stroking her head with one hand. “It’s all right, Yaya. It’s all in the past. I’m your husband, and I’ll always be here.”
Song Xinya sniffled. “Qin Yuhe, how can you be so good to me?”
Qin Yuhe said, “I’m not good to everyone. For example, today I specifically called Tiantianquan over to help you scrub the pots, wash the dishes, and heat water for your feet.”
Song Xinya couldn’t help laughing through her tears.
The tears that had been about to fall retreated at once.
Being with him made her feel so happy.
Qin Yuhe lifted Song Xinya into his arms and carried her back into the tent, laying her down on the double bed.
He placed his hand against her cheek and said gently, “Wait ten minutes. I have something to do.”
Song Xinya clung to his strong, sinewy wrist, reluctant to let him go. “What are you going to do?”
Qin Yuhe kept her in suspense. “You’ll find out in ten minutes.”
After he left, every passing second seemed to stretch unbearably slowly.
Ten minutes later, Qin Yuhe returned.
At the sound of the tent flap’s zipper, Song Xinya shot upright in bed and looked toward the approaching man.
“What did you go and do?”
Qin Yuhe brought his hands out from behind his back. In them was a glass jar filled with fireflies, and it appeared in Song Xinya’s eyes like a vision.
“I went to catch fireflies and make you a firefly lantern.”
Inside the transparent glass jar, the fireflies flickered on and off, like one tiny star after another had fallen inside.
Song Xinya held the firefly lantern in both hands, her curved eyes shining as sweetly as honey.
“I’ve never seen fireflies before. This is my first time.”
Qin Yuhe said, “From now on, whenever you want to see fireflies, I’ll come here and catch them for you.”
Song Xinya looked up at him, meeting his gaze—and realized that he was looking at her too.
Their eyes locked across the firefly lantern, wrapped in a hazy, intimate glow.
All at once, the world around them fell silent. Every sound disappeared.
There was only the person before them.
Their magnetic pull tightened, a thread of attraction tugging between them as the heat continued to rise.
A subtle ripple stirred in both their eyes. With every passing second, endless sparks of electricity seemed to gather between them.
Qin Yuhe reached out and lifted Song Xinya’s chin. His tall, powerful body lunged toward her, pinning her firmly against the bed. Like a beast that had been hungry for far too long, he sank his teeth into her lips in a fierce kiss.
“Yaya, I want you…”
