Chapter 115: Stars |
Liu Changqing paused his hand-rubbing motion, lifting his head to look at Lan Yixian, who had just spoken.
His expression was a bit odd.
“I wasn’t rubbing off dirt.”
“Then what were you…”
“Never mind, just think of it as that,” Liu Changqing interrupted himself, realizing he had no obligation to explain. Instead, he asked, “Why are you up so late? Couldn’t sleep?”
“Drank too much water…”
“Got it.”
Understanding immediately, Liu Changqing waved his hand. “Go on, then.”
“Mm.” Lan Yixian nodded and was about to head to the bathroom when her gaze fell on the plastic bottle containing two tadpoles.
But now, her curiosity got the better of her. After a moment of hesitation, she chose to ask.
“Those tadpoles in the bottle… are they pets you got for your daughter?”
“Huh?” Liu Changqing froze briefly before realizing what she meant.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m curious,” Lan Yixian said with a small smile, then continued, “When I was a child, there were plenty by the river. I’ve seen people raise them, but most of the time, they turn into toads… which is a bit gross.”
As she recounted her childhood impressions, she turned to look at Liu Changqing, only to notice something off.
His expression had grown increasingly strange, especially when she mentioned toads.
When he finally snapped out of his thoughts, his tone sounded anxious.
“Toads? Shouldn’t they turn into frogs?”
“Most of the tadpoles by the river are toads’. Frog tadpoles aren’t as common…”
“…”
Liu Changqing fell silent, his gaze moving from Lan Yixian’s puzzled face to the plastic bottle on the windowsill.
Watching the two ugly creatures kicking their legs, his expression turned serious.
Lan Yixian, noticing his odd behavior, was filled with questions but didn’t know where to start.
After some thought, she stepped closer and stood beside Liu Changqing, looking out at the night sky illuminated by the moon and dotted with stars.
She glanced sideways, still seeing Liu Changqing deep in thought with a furrowed brow.
Images of her daughter clutching the penguin plush tightly even in her sleep floated into her mind.
Watching Liu Changqing’s side profile, Lan Yixian felt a surge of gratitude.
She hesitated before speaking softly, “Thank you.”
“Huh?”
The words pulled Liu Changqing out of his plotting over how to discreetly dispose of the tadpoles. He looked down at her, puzzled.
“What are you thanking me for?”
Lan Yixian didn’t answer immediately. She took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, and seemed to release some inner burden along with it.
Her gaze returned to the night outside. After a long silence, she spoke in a quiet voice.
“Shiyan hasn’t received a gift in a long time. Honestly… over the years, I haven’t even celebrated her birthday properly. She’s always been so well-behaved, never asking for anything or throwing tantrums…”
“…”
Liu Changqing stared at her, unsure why she was suddenly talking about the past.
“She’s endured so much over the years,” Lan Yixian continued, her voice tinged with self-reproach. “Even though she never says it, I know she loves getting gifts. She’s a girl, after all—liking small presents is perfectly normal. But I was so useless back then that I couldn’t give her anything.”
Her voice grew softer as she lowered her gaze, staring at the windowsill.
“During the New Year, other kids happily carried lanterns that could light up and sing. She just watched them, never asking for one. When I offered to buy her one, she turned and ran. I was afraid she’d get lost, so I had to chase after her…”
Listening to her story, Liu Changqing felt the atmosphere grow heavy.
He already knew Zhou Shiyan was a sensible child, but hearing these details from Lan Yixian made him feel a new level of sympathy.
He opened his mouth to offer words of comfort but hesitated.
Any shallow, outsider-like reassurance would sound hollow.
Lan Yixian raised her arm and wiped the corner of her eye with her finger.
For some reason, thinking about the past made her nose sting and her eyes well up.
She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, then turned to look at Liu Changqing with a smile.
“Really, thank you. I could tell Shiyan was very happy today. I don’t even know… how to thank you properly.”
“…”
The guilt in her expression when talking about her daughter struck a chord in Liu Changqing.
Life must have been so hard for her—a single mother raising a child alone.
For reasons he couldn’t explain, Liu Changqing didn’t want to see her like this. He wanted to cheer her up.
He turned his head to look out the window at the moon and stars.
Words from his past life surfaced in his mind, and he turned back to Lan Yixian with a faint smile.
“No need to thank me. Just buy something from me.”
“Buy something from you?” Lan Yixian blinked, taken aback.
“What do you sell?”
Confused, she stared at him. As far as she knew, Liu Changqing wasn’t selling anything.
Liu Changqing clenched his fist as if grabbing something from thin air, then held it out toward her before pretending to toss it out the window.
Her gaze followed the motion, but all she saw was the dark night.
Before she could question him, Liu Changqing pointed at the sky.
Lan Yixian followed his finger, her eyes landing on the moon and stars.
“What does this mean?” she began, but Liu Changqing’s low, steady voice cut through the night.
“Stars are on sale—20 cents a pound, and refunds if they stop shining.”
She froze, staring at the vast, twinkling sky.
The stars seemed to glitter even more brightly than before.
His voice continued beside her.
“Life comes with its hardships. You’ve faced what’s fitting and what’s not, experienced joys and sorrows. But whether life is bitter or sweet isn’t for others to decide—it’s up to you. Living each day well is the only right answer, don’t you think?”
Lan Yixian’s eyes sparkled. Only now did she notice how brilliant the night sky was.
After a long moment, she turned back to Liu Changqing.
His face carried a smile—one she had never seen on him before.
“So… these bright stars—won’t Miss Lan buy a few?”
Looking at him, her vision blurred as she felt warm tears slide down her cheeks.
She quickly lowered her head and wiped them away with the back of her hand.
When she looked up again, her nose still sniffling, her face was lit with a smile.
Her voice trembled slightly, filled not with sorrow but joy.
“Thank you, Liu Changqing. Truly.”