If you are asked to raise a dog, you raise a stellar beast?

Chapter 58 Parting
Xu Mo and Tang Shishi visited several more places and enjoyed the beautiful natural scenery.

However, no villains like the guesthouse owner appeared during the rest of the trip. After all, neither of them were Conan, who could kill wherever he went.

After a trip of more than two weeks, the two returned to Shinonome City to rest and prepare for their university life.

Xu Mo and Tang Shishi also took on several more beast hunting missions to save some money for their university life.

……

In their last few days, the two enjoyed their time alone together.

A thin layer of frost formed on the air conditioning vents of the fast food restaurant, and water droplets condensed from the cold air slid down the metal grille, accumulating into small puddles in the corner.

Tang Shishi poked at the cold fries on her plate, the red circles of ketchup spreading on the paper plate like dried-up periods.

Xu Mo poured the last sip of cola into a paper cup. The crisp sound of the ice cube hitting the cup made her fingers tremble. This was their usual seat since their second year of high school. The leather of the corner booth was worn rough, and the plastic snowflakes that had been pasted on last Christmas were still curled up in the glass cracks, their edges yellowed like withered leaves.

"Want to go see a movie?" Xu Mo suddenly asked, squeaking as he gripped the paper cup.

When he looked down, the stray hairs at the back of his neck brushed against his collar, revealing the red rope she had braided.

The electronic screen behind the counter displayed the showtimes; the latest romance movie was starting in ten minutes.

Tang Shishi stared at the red string swaying gently in the air conditioning breeze, recalling the day on his birthday when she tied the red string to his wrist, saying that wearing it would bring him peace and safety.

At that moment, the silver bell at the end of the red rope jingled softly with his movements, like a sigh that was about to be uttered but was left unsaid.

The sweet smell of popcorn wafted through the lobby of the movie theater.

“Two in the last row.” His voice was mixed in with the noisy crowd.

Darkness swallowed all sound.

The popcorn bucket on the armrest gradually became damp. On the screen, when the male and female protagonists kissed in the airport, Tang Shishi counted Xu Mo's breaths—one, two, until the thirty-seventh breath, when his hand covered her through the fabric of his coat.

The warmth spread from my fingertips to my heart, like a cup of cold milk tea suddenly warming up.

As the movie ended, the overhead lights suddenly came on, and she realized that she hadn't remembered the ending at all. All she remembered was the warmth of his palm and the awkward moment when he hurriedly pulled his hand back but brushed against her sleeve as the closing music started.

The streetlights on the pedestrian street lit up one after another, their glow carrying the sweet aroma of grilled cold noodles and roasted chestnuts. Summer clothes were on sale in the shop windows, and the couple rings on the mannequins gleamed coldly.

Xu Mo stopped in front of the milk tea shop, the glass door reflecting their overlapping shadows: "Three parts sugar and coconut jelly, still?" As they exchanged plastic cups, his fingers brushed against the back of her hand, a fleeting moment like a leaf skimming the surface of water.

They walked aimlessly, passing by the stationery store they used to frequent in high school. The metal roller shutter was locked, and the faded "Clearance Sale" posters fluttered in the wind.

Xu Mo suddenly stopped, bent down and picked up half a sycamore leaf from the ground: "You used to always like to tuck it into your notebook."

Tang Shishi sighed: "Not now, now I'm going to insert your photo~"

The neon lights of the night market stalls flickered on Xu Mo's face.

Tang Shishi watched as Xu Mo zipped up the leaf stalk into his backpack, and she remembered the day he rescued her kitten; he had been squatting by the roadside like that.

"Going to play the claw machine?" he pointed to the swaying colored lights ahead.

However, it was obvious that neither of them was very good at playing the claw machine.

When the mechanical claw missed for the third time, the stall owner smiled and handed over two keychains: "Don't be discouraged, young couple, here's a pair for you."

The air suddenly became quiet. Xu Mo took the keychain a beat slower than usual, and the metallic clanging sound was particularly clear in the night.

He stared at Tang Shishi, his eyes filled with love.

...The day of parting finally arrived.

The clock at the train station struck eight, and the announcement began to call for ticket inspection.

Xu Mo's suitcase wheels rolled over the floor tiles, the sound mingling with the buzzing of the crowd.

At the blue and white security checkpoint, he suddenly turned around, and his suitcase bumped into Tang Shishi's calf.

I'll message you when I arrive.

His voice was muffled in his throat. He reached out to touch her hair, then pulled back and scratched the back of his neck.

Tang Shishi stared at the second button on his collar, which still had crumbs of strawberry cake she had stolen yesterday, rising and falling slightly with his rapid breathing.

She meant to say "Be careful on the road," but instead said, "Your zipper isn't zipped up properly."

As the line moved forward, Xu Mo's blue backpack disappeared into the crowd.

Tang Shishi clutched the mint candy tin he had given her, the edge of the lid digging painfully into her palm.

When the announcement came on again, she realized her eyes were already wet. Through her blurred vision, the green sign at the entrance looked like a gaping wound. The night wind, carrying the train whistle, rushed into the platform. She took out her phone, and a new message popped up in the class group chat—a photo posted by Xu Mo. Half of his face was reflected in the train window, and the clouds outside were dyed blood-red by the setting sun. The caption was only three words: "The train has departed."

As I walked out of the station, a convenience store on the street was playing "Goodbye".

Tang Shishi pressed the tin box against her chest, the coolness of the metal seeping into her skin.

As the traffic lights flashed alternately, she gazed at the empty street and suddenly realized that she hadn't asked him if autumn in Beijing was cold, nor had she said the words "I will miss you" that were stuck in her throat.

The sycamore leaves fluttered down onto her shoulders. She squatted down to tie her loose shoelaces, and her tears fell onto the cement ground, shattering into countless swaying moons.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. A new message popped up as she walked across the moat.

Moonlight spilled across the water, and Xu Mo's avatar danced on the screen: "I just passed by the planetarium and remembered you said you wanted to see real meteorites. Let's go stargazing all night after the holidays."

Tang Shishi smiled at the river, but tears fell into the cracks of the tin box, mingling with the sweetness of the mints to create a bittersweet soup. The neon lights on the opposite bank were reflected in the water, shattering into a flowing Milky Way.

……

After a day's drive, Xu Mo finally arrived at his destination—the Holy City.

The Holy City, this ancient capital standing on this continent, carries the weight of a thousand years of history and the vigor of modern times. It is like a magnificent epic, with each page telling an amazing story.

And the Holy City Academy is the holy city within the holy city.

The Holy City Academy, a cultural gem of the Holy City, is an academic hall that countless students dream of visiting.

Having withstood the test of time and the changes of the era, it has now developed into a top-notch institution of higher learning that integrates academic research and talent cultivation.

Inside the university, the antique buildings are arranged in a well-organized manner, with red walls and green tiles complementing the towering ancient trees, creating a tranquil and elegant atmosphere.

Xu Mo spent a great deal of effort to find his dormitory in the vast Holy City Academy.

Although it's called a dormitory, it's quite luxurious, at least for Xu Mo.

Xu Mo entered the dormitory and chose his bed.

A discordant voice rang out: "Newcomer, this is my bed!"

……

(End of this chapter)