Green Tea? She's Clearly a Hidden Gem!

After the lantern festival ended, everyone changed back into their regular clothes, stuffing their ancient costumes into bags for the return trip.

Xia Tao and Shen Guoguo exchanged contact information for later photo returns and then took off.

Right now, she just wanted to get back to her own home, hug her blanket, and sleep like crazy.

Today had been way too emotionally draining.

Everyone strolled through the streets of Yanjing, the streetlights stretching their shadows long across the ground.

What time was it now?

Jiang Linyuan didn't check his phone, so he wasn't sure. He only knew that snow was falling on the cobblestone path, Su Muzhi was hopping along holding his hand with a bounce in her step, and Shen Wanyu and Shen Guoguo were walking ahead without even looking back.

After the lantern festival, it seemed like the Department Head didn't want to talk to me anymore.

"I messed things up, didn't I? Hehe."

Su Muzhi's voice carried a laugh. She deliberately put her face in front of Jiang Linyuan's, trying to read his expression.

"It doesn't really have much to do with you, Xiao Su."

Jiang Linyuan looked up at the girl in front of him—her lips curled up, her eyes shimmering with faint light—and kept walking forward.

"Oh..."

Su Muzhi dragged out the last syllable, her eyes narrowing again.

"Seems like you don't really like Shen Wanyu all that much."

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Logically speaking, if you really liked her, you should be angry at me."

"According to what logic? What could a self-cucker like you possibly understand about romance?"

Jiang Linyuan said with exasperation.

"At the very least, I think that if you got hated by the person you like, you'd definitely be upset. Especially if someone else interrupted—you'd take it out on them, right?"

Su Muzhi showed a sly, fox-like charm.

"Or is it that your feelings for me far outweigh your feelings for Shen Wanyu?"

"Little Chuuni, stop sparking here."

Jiang Linyuan rubbed her head roughly, messing up her hair until it looked like a bird's nest.

"Hehe, getting defensive, huh."

Su Muzhi smacked his hand away but didn't care at all about her ruined hairdo.

"By the way, are you two staying at my place tonight?"

Shen Wanyu, walking ahead, suddenly stopped and turned to look at the two behind her.

"Department Head, are you saying you want me to sleep on the streets? I didn't end up a homeless guy in Shanghai, so do I have to become one in Yanjing?"

"Shut up."

Shen Wanyu cut him off without any politeness, then turned to Su Muzhi, waiting for her answer.

"Can't you read minds? Why do you have to ask?"

Su Muzhi looked at her sideways.

"Some people can't even figure out their own thoughts. How am I supposed to understand them?"

Shen Wanyu said calmly.

Su Muzhi just smiled lightly and wrapped her arm around Jiang Linyuan's.

"If he wants to stay at your place, I'll naturally stay with him."

Shen Wanyu looked at Jiang Linyuan again, about to ask him something, but then she turned away and silently kept walking forward.

"She's jealous?"

Su Muzhi raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at Jiang Linyuan.

"Not really. More like... disheartened, I think."

Jiang Linyuan sighed and followed after her.

"Why disheartened?"

Su Muzhi asked casually.

"I don't have mind reading, how would I know?"

"Really don't know, or pretending not to?"

"I said I don't know, so I don't know, Xiao Su. I never lie. If I knew everything, I'd already be together with the Department Head by now."

"Hehe..."

Su Muzhi's laughter echoed through the wind and snow, sounding like silver bells.

"You can go find her tonight."

Jiang Linyuan thought for a long time, then let go of Su Muzhi's arm wrapped around him. But the next moment, she leaned back in on her own.

"What's wrong? I'm being so magnanimous here. Can't I hold on a little longer now?"

"Whatever makes you happy."

Wind, flowers, snow, moonlight—companions in the mortal world. Even though the road was brightly lit and conversation never stopped, for some reason, the night felt heavier and heavier.

...

Back at Shen Wanyu's place, no one had the energy to chat anymore. They all went to bed early.

Jiang Linyuan didn't go find Shen Wanyu, but he couldn't fall asleep either.

Tossing and turning in bed, his mind was a bit of a mess. Some things were different when you actually had to do them versus just preparing for them.

How to put it? Life pushed you so hard that sometimes you just couldn't help but want to push back. But when it was over, you were still trapped tight. Sure, you could relax once you got soft and tired, but Jiang Linyuan didn't want to let go that easily.

The more he thought, the less he could sleep. Instead, a sudden urge to pee hit him—he needed to use the bathroom.

Why didn't the room the Department Head assigned me have its own bathroom! Xiao Su's room obviously did!

Jiang Linyuan sighed, threw on a cotton jacket, and went looking for the bathroom.

Passing through the living room on his way back, he spotted a dark figure sitting on the sofa from a distance.

In the pitch-black environment, something like that suddenly appearing almost scared him to death!

Getting closer, he realized it was a person.

"Department Head, you almost gave me a heart attack."

Jiang Linyuan moved closer and sat down.

"Why do you think it's me? I didn't say anything."

Shen Wanyu said calmly.

"There are only so many people in this house. If it were Xiao Su, she'd definitely try to scare me. As for Guoguo, the height doesn't match up. After thinking it over, it could only be you, Department Head."

Jiang Linyuan said.

"I see. Process of elimination?"

Shen Wanyu nodded thoughtfully.

"That's the objective way of putting it. If I'm being subjective, the first person that popped into my head was you, Department Head."

Jiang Linyuan looked at Shen Wanyu. Even though the room was dark, it wasn't so dark that he couldn't see anything up close.

She was just wearing her pajamas. He had no idea why she'd suddenly come out here.

"What are you doing sitting in the living room instead of sleeping, Department Head?"

"Can't sleep, I guess."

"Same here."

Shen Wanyu glanced at him and said flatly,

"I think it's different."

What's so different about it!

"Jiang Linyuan..."

Shen Wanyu suddenly called out his name.

"Department Head, what is it?"

"Close your eyes."

"Does the Department Head want to kiss me?"

Jiang Linyuan said with a smile, slowly closing his eyes.

"Are they closed?"

"Can't you see, Department Head?"

"It's too dark. I can't see clearly."

"It's not that dark, is it?"

"Maybe."

Jiang Linyuan exchanged a few random words with Shen Wanyu, listening to the sounds. It seemed like she was looking for something.

"Department Head, I'm getting a little cold. What are you doing, exactly?"

"You can open them now."

A "click" sounded near his ear, and Jiang Linyuan slowly opened his eyes.

What entered his sight was a magnificent display of aurora-like colors.

Stars clustered densely, a silver river hanging upside down above his head—a boundless, majestic expanse.

It was a brilliance rarely seen in the city: a crystal-clear, transparent starry sky.

"A starry sky lamp?"

Jiang Linyuan looked at Shen Wanyu beside him.

"It's a starry sky projector. A starry sky lamp wouldn't have this level of clarity."

Shen Wanyu pointed at the device not far away.

"The Department Head really likes the starry sky?"

"I really do."

Shen Wanyu nodded, sitting down next to Jiang Linyuan.

"When I was little, before Shen Pingyan and Mom got divorced, they took us to the northwest to see the starry sky once. It's the same starry sky you're seeing now."

Beneath the projected starry sky, the heavens sparkled, and her eyes shimmered with the same light.

"How is it?" Shen Wanyu asked.

"This is a sight I've never seen before," Jiang Linyuan said.

"Then you really have seen very little, Jiang Linyuan."

Shen Wanyu smiled softly, pointing at the projected starry sky.

"That spoon shape is the Big Dipper. Even a monkey should know that."

"Can a monkey really know that?"

"Well then, Mr. Monkey, keep listening. Along the line connecting the two outer stars of the bowl, about five times the distance away, there's a bright star. That's Polaris."

"No, no, no—what's with 'Mr. Monkey'?"

"Further behind, there's a W-shaped group of stars. That's Cassiopeia. Hard to spot? It's not that far from Polaris. Right over there..."

Under the starry sky projection, Shen Wanyu calmly introduced the constellations in the sky to Jiang Linyuan.

Her voice was soft, like a summer evening breeze brushing past his shoulder.

Jiang Linyuan felt that this kind of starry sky had a strange charm. No matter what mood you carried, it was still mesmerizing.

"Have you fallen in love with the stars?"

Shen Wanyu's gentle voice sounded by his ear.

"I can tell, Department Head. You really love them."

Jiang Linyuan said.

Shen Wanyu looked at the starry sky, her expression calm.

"Yes. Whenever I can't sleep, I sit here quietly like this."

She smiled.

"It's just that... in the past, I was always alone."

The glass was clear, the starry sky brilliant. A shooting star stopped in its tracks, illuminating her profile, flickering and rippling.

Jiang Linyuan's lips moved. This was just too unfair, Department Head.

"Department Head, right now you're practically glowing in my heart. If there's a next life, I'd definitely fall in love with you."

"A next life?"

"Because in this life, I've already fallen in love with you."

Shen Wanyu looked at him for a long moment, then silently turned her face away.

"Jiang Linyuan, I'm not gentle enough to accept putting in effort and getting nothing in return. But I'm not cowardly enough to be abandoned either..."

She shook her head and let out a quiet laugh.

"Alright, I guess I am a little cowardly. Jiang Linyuan, you owe me an answer."

Jiang Linyuan didn't speak.

"By the way, are you happy right now?"

Shen Wanyu suddenly asked.

Jiang Linyuan looked at her and, for the first time, gave a response.

"Happier than I've ever been, Department Head."

_The Little Prince_ once said:

If someone loves a single, unique flower among the vast, infinite stars, then when that person looks up at the night sky, they will feel truly happy.

"Department Head, I suddenly realized I can't do without you. What now?"

"I told you before. I only want my own cat."

"Isn't it normal for a cat to bring its whole family along?"

"Fair warning: one cat is already annoying enough."

"I'll make sure I never annoy you."

"Then you'll have a hard time achieving that in this lifetime."

"Department Head, I don't want to only come find you in the next life."

Then in this life, be a good, obedient friend. Stop doing things that make me hate you.