It was Qixi Festival once again.
Song Yuqing had come to a city more than a thousand kilometers from Beicheng on a business trip. In truth, she could have stayed behind and handed the trip over to someone else. But when she caught the teasing looks from her two cousins during the meeting, she still nodded and agreed to go.
Now, as dusk approached, she glanced at the chat window that had remained eerily quiet all day. A pang of something like regret suddenly rose in her heart.
The fact that Meng Jiaran was in love with Song Yuqing was no longer a secret in Beicheng’s circle of wealthy second-generation heirs. He had always been an outspoken, high-profile person. If he couldn’t even hide his feelings for the woman he liked, why bother hiding them from anyone else?
And at such a sensitive time, Song Yuqing’s decision to leave Beicheng under the pretext of work could well be considered a tactful rejection.
“President Song, we’ve arrived.”
The car stopped in front of the hotel entrance, and the driver offered a quiet reminder.
Only then did Song Yuqing come back to herself. She thanked him politely, opened the door, and stepped out. Just as she had over the past two days, she returned to the hotel after finishing work at the branch office. She even ate dinner in her room. As she rode the elevator, she opened her Moments feed to distract herself, taking a look at how much more exciting everyone else’s lives were.
As expected, Ning Zhen’s post was the first to catch her eye.
A smile touched her lips as she opened the nine photos one by one. Four days earlier, Ning Zhen and Meng Xianwen had set off on a trip. Although Ning Zhen had yet to take the position of general manager, she knew just how difficult it was for Meng Xianwen to carve out seven or eight days from his relentlessly busy schedule.
She still remembered having dinner with Ning Zhen before the trip.
Ning Zhen had propped her chin on one hand, her eyes sparkling as happiness radiated from her entire being. Her voice had been light and cheerful. “We spent last year at sea. We can’t let him get away with recycling the same old plan this year, can we? He promised to take me on one trip every year, so this time he’s the one getting the better deal! And I’ve even solved the problem of how to spend Qixi for him. I’m practically the most considerate girlfriend ever!”
Song Yuqing had laughed despite herself. But she didn’t know when it had happened; whenever she thought of or mentioned Meng Xianwen, there was no longer even the slightest ripple in the depths of her heart. She sincerely wished the couple everlasting happiness.
After looking through all nine photos, she tapped “Like.”
Just as she reached the door of her suite, she noticed that Meng Jiaran had liked the post as well and left a comment:
【Have a good Qixi. Try to be happy.】
Her breath caught for half a beat.
She knew those words were meant for her.
Ning Zhen replied:
【My eyes!】
Song Yuqing burst out laughing. After entering the room, perhaps influenced by those words, she specifically instructed the manager to open a bottle of wine. She had barely finished half a glass when the phone on the table rang. It was an unfamiliar local number. After hesitating for a few seconds, she answered.
A woman’s voice came from the other end. She said she was the delivery rider. The hotel wouldn’t allow her to go upstairs, but the customer who had placed the order had specifically insisted that the flowers be delivered into Song Yuqing’s hands.
She paused and asked, “Who is it?”
“A gentleman surnamed Meng.”
“...All right. I’ll come down and get them.”
Not wanting to waste the woman’s time, Song Yuqing grabbed her phone and hurried out of the room. She went downstairs, walked through the hotel lobby, and stepped outside. After looking around, she still couldn’t see anyone in a delivery uniform. She moved off to the side, lowered her head, and unlocked her phone to call the number back.
Suddenly, someone stepped in front of her, casting a shadow over her.
She instinctively looked up, and there he was—the person who had sent the flowers.
Meng Jiaran seemed embarrassed too. He did not hold her gaze for long before hurriedly looking away and offering her the bouquet. “I just felt that today’s flowers should be delivered in person. It only seemed right.”
Song Yuqing drifted into a daze.
She stared at him, at the faint fragrance of the flowers lingering between them.
After a moment, she slowly nodded and accepted the bouquet. “Okay. Thank you. Have you eaten?”
Meng Jiaran nodded, then shook his head. “I’ll eat on the plane later.”
“The plane?” she asked, staring at him in surprise.
“Yeah. I can’t stay long. I need to head to the airport now to catch my flight.”
Song Yuqing’s heart tightened. Before she could think, the words were already out: “Then I’ll take you.”
Meng Jiaran turned his head aside and smiled.
During the drive to the airport, Meng Jiaran did most of the talking. Song Yuqing listened distractedly, though she had no idea how much of it actually registered. At last, they arrived at the terminal. She got out of the car with him, and as she saw him off toward security, Ning Zhen’s words suddenly came back to her.
You need to give yourself time to accept it first.
She had actually accepted it long ago. She simply seemed to have always lacked the courage to take that step.
“Jiaran.”
She called out to him, her voice unsteady and faint.
Meng Jiaran caught it immediately and turned back at once. “I’m here.”
“I’m really happy that you came today.” Her voice trembled slightly. “But whether you came or not, there was something I wanted to ask you. Would you like to try being together with me?”
In that instant, every sound in the airport seemed to vanish.
Meng Jiaran’s expression went blank. It took him a long while to react, and then he nodded desperately. He had no idea where the courage came from. Not caring whether anyone was passing by, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly—as if he would never let go.
Song Yuqing froze for a moment before cautiously raising her arms to hug him back.
They embraced for a long time. Then she quietly reminded him, “You need to go through security, or you’ll miss your flight.”
Meng Jiaran drew a deep breath and admitted honestly, “Well... I didn’t actually buy a ticket.”
He had been taking a gamble.
Song Yuqing: “…”
—
Ning Zhen yawned again and again. She was exhausted and desperately wanted to sleep, but she forced herself to stay awake. She had not forgotten why they had come—to see the Milky Way and the aurora.
She decided to take a shower to wake herself up.
She had just taken off her clothes and stepped beneath the showerhead when she heard a knock on the door, followed by her phone ringing. The next second, Meng Xianwen’s deep voice came from outside as well. “Your phone’s ringing. Should I come in?”
Ning Zhen was practically afraid of him by now.
She had no idea where he got such boundless energy. Clearly, she would have to learn her lesson in the future—even when showering, she needed to bring her phone with her. She called out to stop him, “No! Answer it for me!”
“Aren’t you going to ask who it is?” He leaned against the bathroom door, amusement in his voice.
“Whoever it is!”
There were not many people who would call her directly without first texting to ask whether it was convenient—only a handful, really. Meng Xianwen happened to know all of them, and he could answer any of their calls.
Meng Xianwen gave a soft hum, considered it for a few seconds, then answered the phone.
He wanted to know what Jiaran could possibly want with her at such a late hour.
Before he could even say, “Hello, it’s me,” a burst of laughter came from the other end. Meng Jiaran cleared his throat and began, “Zhenzhen, sorry about this—I dialed the wrong number. I meant to reserve a restaurant for dinner with my girlfriend next week. How did I end up calling you?”
“Did I disturb you? How about this: when you come back to the country in a few days, my girlfriend and I will treat you to dinner as an apology.”
He didn’t give her a chance to speak, deliberately feigning surprise. “Did I forget to tell you? My girlfriend is Yuqing. It’s really nothing worth mentioning, and I wasn’t planning to say anything, but since I’ve already called you, I might as well share the news.”
Silence. Long, drawn-out silence.
Meng Jiaran was waiting outside the airport restroom. He pulled the phone away from his ear to make sure he had full signal and that the call hadn’t been disconnected. Just as he began to wonder what was going on, the other end finally spoke—but it was a familiar male voice.
“Is that so? Congratulations.”
“…”
Meng Jiaran’s mind went blank with a buzz. He nearly dropped his phone. The smug, boastful look vanished from his face, replaced by such intense embarrassment that he wished the ground would swallow him whole.
“Bro, haha… I—I remember now. I did dial Zhenzhen’s number.”
The moment he finished speaking, he wanted to slap himself.
He had always been like this. Ever since he was little, he could lie to his parents without the slightest burden—but the moment he was in front of his older brother, one honest confession followed another.
“Do you know what time it is?” Meng Xianwen asked, his tone flat.
Only then did Meng Jiaran remember the time difference. He smacked his forehead and immediately apologized. “Bro, I’m sorry. I forgot it’s the middle of the night over there. It only just got dark here.”
He wanted to come up with some excuse to end the call.
There were things he could brag about to his friends, but in front of his own brother, he just wanted to find a crack in the floor and disappear into it.
As if sensing his younger brother’s embarrassment, Meng Xianwen suddenly laughed. Speaking as someone with more experience, he reminded him, “Don’t forget to make the restaurant reservation. Try to arrange everything properly, and don’t be too careless. When you have time, give Mom and Dad a call too, so they won’t keep worrying about you.”
Meng Jiaran hurriedly agreed. “I know, bro.”
The brothers exchanged a few more words before ending the call.
“Who was that?”
Ning Zhen had taken a quick shower and stepped out of the bathroom with dampness clinging to her. When she looked up, she saw Meng Xianwen leaning against the windowsill, holding her phone, which had already gone dark. His eyes were lowered in thought, and the faint smile on his face suggested he was amused. He was so absorbed that he hadn’t noticed the shower had stopped.
Curious, she walked over. Only then did he come back to himself. Seeing the beads of water still on her face, he drew her into his arms and wiped them away with his fingertip.
“Jiaran,” he said quietly. “He and Song Yuqing are together.”
As he spoke, he fixed his eyes on her and added in a strangely pointed tone, “He certainly couldn’t wait to share the news with you.”
“Are you jealous?”
Ning Zhen rolled her eyes. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know the truth.
Ever since they got together, Ning Zhen had always tried every possible way to show off the surprises he prepared for her. Now that Meng Jiaran had finally found an opportunity to catch her at it, how could he possibly let it go?
“What did he say?” she pressed.
In the end, Meng Xianwen still spared his younger brother some dignity. “Nothing much.”
Even without him saying it, Ning Zhen could guess. It had probably been a rapid-fire barrage, all centered around one question: How did you know I have a girlfriend?
The realization dawned on her belatedly.
Could it be that after Meng Jiaran had smugly bragged on and on, he only realized that the person who’d answered the phone wasn’t her, but his brother?
What a scene that must have been…
She fell silent for a moment, then leaned against Meng Xianwen’s chest. Gripping his shirt, she tilted her head back and burst out laughing.
“Come on, let’s go out.”
He lit up her phone and glanced at the time. It was already deep into the night. If they were lucky, they might be able to see the Milky Way and the aurora at the same time.
The wallpaper on her screen was a photo of the two of them.
It had been captured by Guo Xia at the end of spring, just as summer was beginning. The two couples had gone camping and barbecuing together. He had just finished grilling a skewer of meat when she, too impatient to wait, grabbed his hand and leaned over to take a bite. He was looking at her, the corners of his lips lifted in obvious delight.
Under the cover of night, Ning Zhen and Meng Xianwen left the house.
They were in unfamiliar territory, and she made him carry her after they’d barely gone a few steps. He was in a good mood, and with all the passing tourists being strangers, he deliberately broke into a run. It was so childish that she was both annoyed and amused, bouncing in his arms.
They weren’t the only ones waiting for the aurora. Other people had set up cameras and tripods nearby.
Ning Zhen had brought a camera too. She and Meng Xianwen sat side by side, bundled up in warm hats and scarves. The night sky was breathtaking—the Milky Way was so clear it seemed almost within reach.
They waited for a long time. So long that she began to think they definitely wouldn’t see the aurora this time.
Then cries of excitement rang out from not far away.
She held her breath. Along the horizon, a green glow began to spread. In that instant, she was so thrilled that she forgot how to speak, forgot everything else. The only thing she remembered was reaching for his hand.
Compared with her reaction, he was almost unnervingly calm.
But when she stood up, he rose with her.
Brilliant light unfurled, streamed, and danced across the sky. It was a romance belonging solely to the universe.
Ning Zhen didn’t know why she suddenly felt like crying. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she looked at Meng Xianwen. They gazed at each other.
Did lovers really share some kind of unspoken understanding? They must. Because as he looked deeply at her, she somehow knew exactly what he wanted to say.
They were sweet together, but they were also constantly trying to outdo each other.
It was as though whoever admitted their love first would lose. Neither of them had ever said “I love you,” and neither was willing to casually say “I like you.” They were both waiting for the other to speak first.
Meng Xianwen gazed steadily at her too.
At that moment, it felt like another contest. Neither of them wanted to be the one forced to answer, “Me too.”
Almost simultaneously, they spoke—
“Fine, I guess I love you!”
“Zhenzhen, I love you.”
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
Meng Xianwen frowned, his gaze dark as he looked at her. What did she mean, “I guess” she loved him?
Suppressing a laugh, Ning Zhen threw herself into his arms and hurriedly tried to make up for it. Loudly, she said, “I want to be with you forever!”
He was only reluctantly satisfied with her answer. Tightening his arms, he held her firmly and gave a quiet hum.
“This time, I’ll let you off.”
Ning Zhen’s emotions came swiftly, while Meng Xianwen’s ran slow and deep.
The two lay in bed. The room was dry, the quilt warm. Drowsily blinking, her voice carried the lazy hoarseness that followed excitement. “Why do you keep staring at me? Aren’t you tired? Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“You sleep first.” He gazed at her. “I still have something important to do.”
“Oh, please.” She gave a soft snort. “We said we were coming out here to relax, but you’re still thinking about work all the time.”
Complaints aside, she was completely exhausted and had no energy to pick a fight with him. She pouted perfunctorily, kissed his thin lips, and said, “Then I’ll sleep first.”
As she spoke, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she drifted into a deep sleep.
The next day, Ning Zhen was awakened by the sound of running water from the bathroom. Still bleary-eyed, she stared at the ceiling, drowsiness lingering. She raised a hand to rub her eyes, then froze abruptly as awareness snapped into focus.
On the ring finger of her right hand was a dazzling diamond ring.
