Chapter 64

Bai Xingmiao's eyes were as unfathomable as the sea. "So you've made up your mind to say goodbye to me?"

"You... I..." Ruan Ning was at a loss for words, nervously glancing at the door through which her cousin might walk in at any moment. Bai Xingmiao stood like a tall, immovable gate to heaven, questioning her heart.

She felt a familiar weariness wash over her, as if she were back to the days when Bai Xingmiao would ask her a question and she'd anxiously submit her answer, waiting for his reply.

She used to be a little sad that her sincere efforts were met with only his indifference. Now she understood that Bai Xingmiao had his own inescapable burdens. If she truly wanted what was best for him, she should keep her distance and not disturb him.

Ruan Ning bit her lip, her butterfly-wing eyelashes fluttering as she dared not look at the person below.

Ruan Ning's relatives' cars drove out one after another, their bright, long headlights probing forward like chaotic claws dancing in the deep night. From the windowsill, Ruan Ning saw everything clearly—in a few more minutes, the headlights would shine directly on Bai Xingmiao. A red alert blared in her mind.

"I think you came here today specifically to sincerely wish me well, and you wouldn't let me be put in an awkward position, right?"

Bai Xingmiao leaned back slightly, the light in his pale pupils dimming.

He turned gracefully and walked step by step to his car, the relatives' vehicles passing by him. The luxury car door opened, and the rearview mirror reflected a pair of bright, indifferent eyes.

Almost at the same moment, her cousin reached the door and knocked loudly.

"Hey, what are you doing in there?"

"Coming!" Ruan Ning whirled around, opened the door, and flashed a stiff fake smile. "Nothing much."

"If it's nothing, why didn't you open the door? Thought you were hiding a treasure inside." Her cousin held the door and poked her head in, her eyes darting around the room.

Ruan Ning's eyelid twitched. She awkwardly turned to grab a coat. "What treasure would I have—"

"So what's the deal with that sunglasses hunk? Don't tell me there's nothing." Her cousin interrupted with a gossipy grin, crossing her arms and following the flustered Ruan Ning. "Come on, tell me—how long have you two been dating, and when are you planning to introduce him to Aunt Yan and Uncle?"

"There's really nothing going on." Ruan Ning grabbed a coat and shoved her cousin out the door.

"Hey, hey, don't push me." Her cousin braced against the doorframe, still wanting to talk. "Almost forgot to tell you—we've decided to split up. Your dad's crew is going to see the drones, and your mom's crew is going to see the fireworks. Which one are you going to?"

"Okay, okay, you guys go ahead. I'll catch up in a bit."

Ruan Ning shook her head and closed the door.

"Hey, I told you—your dad's going to the drones, your mom's to the fireworks. Don't get it wrong now."

Her cousin's voice echoed from outside the door.

Finally rid of her, Ruan Ning let out a sigh. The fireworks at Woyi Bridge and the drones at the Grand Palace were events that happened only a few times a year, and every time they drew massive crowds. You had to leave early to grab a good spot.

So some relatives, after eating their fill at the banquet, had already left to save seats, while the rest stayed behind, taking their time to head out.

"Finally, they're gone." Ruan Ning breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the window. Bai Xingmiao's car was still there.

Ruan Ning froze, her shoulders trembling slightly, betraying the shock deep inside her.

She threw on her cashmere cardigan and hurried downstairs, weaving through the dining room and living room full of relatives, and rushed to Bai Xingmiao's car. She bent down and saw his handsome, ethereal profile through the window.

Her cheeks flushed as she stammered, "Aren't you going back yet?"

Bai Xingmiao turned his face. His long, elegant fingers rested on the steering wheel, looking as perfect as a screenshot from a high-definition 4K remastered game.

His deep gaze fixed on Ruan Ning. "Do you have other plans tonight?"

Bai Xingmiao's tone was always flat, hard to read, but in that simple sentence, Ruan Ning caught a hint of cautious inquiry. She knew Bai Xingmiao was never one to initiate, and the fact that he'd asked at all showed how much he was opening up.

She smiled and glanced back at the house where the party was still going on. "Yeah, I'll be going to watch the fireworks with my family soon. I might not be able to accompany you to see the meteor shower."

Bai Xingmiao leaned back in the driver's seat, the leather creaking softly. His expression barely changed as he gazed at the dark shadows of the trees outside the window and murmured, "A sky full of blooms is indeed more worth watching than something that vanishes in a flash."

That soft murmur, barely audible to anyone else, happened to reach Ruan Ning's ears. She quickly explained, "No, it's not like that... I just didn't expect you to come. This decision was also last-minute; I didn't really want to go. I truly didn't think you'd come. Really, if I'd known..."

The more she talked, the more flustered she became. Her blood raced, her body burned, and words spilled out of her mouth like a runaway car. All she could think was, this is so embarrassing—please, heaven, hit pause and save me.

"Happy birthday."

Amid her rambling gibberish, Bai Xingmiao said it calmly and gently, his eyes gleaming faintly in the dark.

Ruan Ning's mind went blank. She tilted her head, her crescent eyes curving slightly, unable to tell if the taste in her heart was bitter or sweet.

...

In the luxury car, Ruan Ning, wearing the thin coat she'd thrown on at home, sat in the passenger seat with her legs together, staring blankly out the window at the passing night scenery.

She couldn't believe that the person she'd only ever chatted with online was now sitting right beside her, alone in this quiet, enclosed cabin. She could even hear his soft breathing. After all, she'd just said goodbye to him, and now she was sitting in his car—it was hard to shake off the awkwardness.

The car drove into a coastal tunnel, its golden lights casting shifting shadows across Bai Xingmiao's face, like a scene from an artistic film of splendor and desolation.

Bai Xingmiao was driving the latest luxury electric sedan, its colorful dashboard giving off a futuristic sci-fi vibe. Familiar game OST played in the car, and a long-lost sense of peace and relaxation quietly flowed between them.

They didn't talk much, just listened to the music together.

She felt like she must be crazy. All it took was a single "Happy Birthday" from him for her to ditch her relatives and guests to sneak out and watch a meteor shower.

Ruan Ning consoled herself, telling herself it was because she hadn't wanted to watch the fireworks anyway, but deep down, she knew it was the image of those melancholic, deep eyes that lingered in her mind as she turned away.

The tunnel was long and deep, and once inside, the car became even quieter. Sitting in the passenger seat, Ruan Ning felt as if she were traveling through a time tunnel that would never end.

Bai Xingmiao suddenly spoke. "You were born at just the right time—right before the peak of the Leonid meteor shower."

"Is that so?" Ruan Ning looked out at the brightly lit window. "Are we sure to see a meteor shower later?"

"Not necessarily. It's all about luck. Sometimes even during the peak, you might not see any, and other times, outside the peak, the sky can be full of meteors."

"Then you're in trouble. My luck has always been terrible. You might not see any." Ruan Ning rested her hand on the car window, playfully pouting.

Bai Xingmiao let out a light laugh through his nose. "Others are eager to shift the blame, but you're the only one who willingly takes it on."

Ruan Ning gave an honest, silly smile. "I'm just no good at lying. Having to put on a mask and live a double life is just too exhausting."

Bai Xingmiao gripped the steering wheel, looking toward the end of the tunnel.

Meteor showers could appear anywhere in the sky and vanish in an instant, so to see them clearly, you had to go to the outskirts, away from light pollution. Bai Xingmiao drove her north to an open area in a scenic resort to watch the meteor shower.

They drove north together, crossing Woyi Bridge, where a long line of cars with red taillights stretched endlessly ahead. Everyone was heading to see the fireworks; only they were among the few moving against the traffic, escaping the city.

"So many people going to see the fireworks," Ruan Ning remarked, looking at the bumper-to-bumper traffic.

"Regretting it?" Bai Xingmiao suddenly asked.

Ruan Ning's eyes widened slightly, then softened into a sweet, gentle smile. "Since I promised to come with you, I won't regret it. It's fine."

Bai Xingmiao lowered his eyes.

They arrived at the Northern Forest Park, a remote spot with a wide view, where quite a few astronomy enthusiasts had gathered to watch the meteors.

The Leonid meteor shower could be observed with the naked eye, so no equipment was needed. However, for a better view, your eyes needed about half an hour to adjust to the dark. The park had specially turned off a row of streetlights, letting everyone hike up the mountain in the dark.

Ruan Ning hesitated a little. Though she could hear tourists chatting around her, the thought of climbing the pitch-black mountain at night was still a bit scary.

Bai Xingmiao extended a hand. "If you're scared, you can hold on to me."

Ruan Ning looked at Bai Xingmiao's tall silhouette in the darkness, paused for a moment, then slowly reached out. She'd intended to take his arm, but it was too dark to see clearly, and she grabbed the sleeve of his shirt instead.

Bai Xingmiao's wrist twitched, and Ruan Ning immediately apologized, pulling back. "Sorry, I forgot you don't like being touched."

But Bai Xingmiao caught her wrist and led her up the mountain with steady steps. "The path is a bit dark. I've walked it many times."

Ruan Ning's heart raced. The darkness robbed her of sight, making the sensation of their skin pressed together all the more intense, sending a shiver down her spine. Bai Xingmiao's palm was cool, soft and dry, with a faint scent of white pomelo. She'd been wanting to know what that scent was since they got in the car—he smelled wonderful.

They climbed to a clearing with grass and naturally lay down side by side, staring at the pitch-black sky. The meteors hadn't appeared yet, and the two of them waited on the outskirts of the city, away from the noise, for stars to fall from the sky.

The grass in late autumn was slightly cold, so Bai Xingmiao spread his suit jacket over it. Ruan Ning initially declined, but then she lay down on it anyway.

Ruan Ning suddenly laughed. The two of them had always chatted online, and now, in the dark, it felt a bit like the old days of chatting over the internet—though they both knew something had changed.

Trying to lighten the mood, she turned her head and asked with a smile, "When the meteors come, what would you wish for?"

Bai Xingmiao asked, "What about you?"

Ruan Ning thought seriously for a moment. "I wish I could live freely. And if heaven could be a little kinder, I'd want less conflict in the world, more respect between people, and everyone getting to enjoy their own freedom."

In the darkness, she heard Bai Xingmiao let out a soft laugh.

It was strange—she'd posted plenty of foolish remarks in the past, and she'd never known what Bai Xingmiao thought of them from behind the screen. Now she knew. In that instant, Bai Xingmiao felt more like a flesh-and-blood peer beside her than some lofty god sitting high above the clouds.

"Why do you want to leave? Do I make you feel unfree?"

His voice, with its slightly alien cadence, sounded in her ear. A chill crept into Ruan Ning's heart, and she felt like Bai Xingmiao was also gauging her answer in the dark. If she answered even slightly wrong, she might accidentally trigger his unpredictable reaction.

"No, it's just that I can't find a way out. I don't know what to do."

"Sometimes I feel like we're two patients together, and not the kind who're actively cooperating with treatment. I thought, no—life's already so tiring. Don't add another burden to others."

Bai Xingmiao: "You think I'd see you as a burden?"

"Uh, no, no." Ruan Ning denied it, but then fell silent soon after.

Bai Xingmiao kept his eyes open, staring at the pitch-black sky. "I don't think of you as a burden."

He'd thought of countless possibilities on the way here, but it never occurred to him that Ruan Ning left because she was afraid of dragging him down. Now she lay quietly beside him, watching the annual meteor shower and wishing for world peace.

He closed his eyes and waited calmly.

After Bai Xingmiao left his seat, the Kamu family banquet fell into chaos. With Bu Kai's sudden outburst, the party was completely ruined. Du Yue helped clean up the mess and then took Jiang Yihao home.

In the back of the Jiang family's luxury car, mother and son sat side by side. Du Yue rested with her eyes closed, while Jiang Yihao, preoccupied with the fireworks, kept tapping away on his phone, sending messages.

"You did well stepping up this time," Du Yue said, eyes still closed, a rare word of praise for her son.

Jiang Yihao didn't hear her, continuing to text Manager Wang.

"But," Du Yue's voice rang out, firm and unyielding, "your appointment with the MUT heiress is not going to change." The atmosphere in the car froze instantly.

Jiang Yihao's fingers stopped on the screen. He looked up sharply, anger flaring in his chest. "Mom, how can you still bring that up? I already told you, I'm not going."

Du Yue slowly opened her eyes. "Then what about RQ? You're not going there either?"