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Amidst the faint noise downstairs and her exhaustion from her injuries, Chu Yi drifted off to sleep again.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but in his half-awake state, he felt warm, rhythmic breathing coming from the nape of his neck, accompanied by a furry sensation that made his skin itch.

He was not fully awake yet, his consciousness was hazy, and he subconsciously followed the direction of the heat source, reaching out his hand in a daze.

What my fingertips touched was not the expected bedding or plush toy, but a warm, elastic texture with real body temperature, the texture of human skin!

This realization struck him like an electric current, instantly shattering his sleepiness.

Chu Yi suddenly opened her eyes, her heart stopped for a second, and she was so frightened that she almost jumped up from the bed.

However, just as he was about to exclaim, a warm, large hand quickly covered his mouth, silencing all the sounds.

"Shh." A deep, husky voice, yet so familiar it was ingrained in his very being, whispered in his ear.

It's Zhou Ai!

Chu Yi's heart, which had been in her throat, instantly returned to its place, replaced by a rapid heartbeat and lingering fear.

His eyes widened, and in the dim light, he could barely make out the person who was almost entirely lying on the side of his bed with his head resting on his neck—who else could it be but Zhou Ai?

The two were extremely close, their noses almost touching. Zhou Ai's hand was still covering his mouth, her palm warm and dry, pressed tightly against his lips, and she could even feel his slightly rapid breathing due to fright.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects coming from outside the window.

In this small, quiet space, their eyes were locked, neither looking away first. The rapid beating of their hearts could be clearly heard, thumping as if they were beating the same drum, and it was impossible to tell whose heartbeat was faster or louder.

By the faint moonlight and starlight filtering through the small wooden window, Chu Yi could clearly see several fine scratches crisscrossing Zhou Ai's face. Some had already scabbed over, while others were still red and looked very fresh, clearly from scratches inflicted by branches and thorns on the mountain yesterday.

These scars, placed on his overly handsome face, added a touch of wildness and dishevelment, yet strangely, they weren't unsightly.

Chu Yi composed herself, reached out and gently pulled Zhou Ai's hand off her lips, but held it in her hand without immediately letting go.

He frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "What brings you here?"

As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes to their rather chaotic position—Zhou Ai had most of her body squeezed onto his single bed, with one leg even bent and sticking out of the blanket.

Chu Yi even glanced worriedly at the creaking old wooden bed beneath him, wondering if it could support the weight of two adult men. He looked at this uninvited guy who had climbed into the bed without permission, with an air of accusation.

Looking at him like this, Zhou Ai was not afraid at all. Instead, she laughed softly, her chest vibrating slightly.

Somewhat embarrassed, she used her free hand to rub her messy, short silver hair, her eyes glistening in the dim light, carrying a hint of aggrieved accusation, and her voice softened slightly:

"You never come to see me..."

The tone was just like that of a large dog that had been neglected for most of the day and finally couldn't help but sneak over to seek comfort.

Chu Yi was amused by his counterattack and undisguised grievance, and couldn't help but smile.

He lifted his foot, which was in a heavy cast and couldn't move, and looked silently at Zhou Ai—it's not that I don't want to look at you, it's that it won't allow it.

Zhou Ai followed his gaze to the inconvenient plaster cast, her expression instantly changing from aggrieved to understanding, and then quickly becoming self-righteous.

He adjusted his posture very naturally, not only not getting out of bed, but instead lying down more relaxedly, placing his hands behind his head, comfortably occupying the other half of the bed, turning his head to look at Chu Yi, his tone incredibly frank:

"So, if you won't come to see me, I'll come to see you."

He paused, then even went so far as to comfort Chu Yi, putting on an air of "I'm very magnanimous":

"It's okay, it's all the same. You don't need to feel guilty."

Chu Yi found his shameless, self-righteous, and overbearing behavior both infuriating and amusing.

The small wooden bed creaked under the weight of the extra person. In the cramped space, the two were almost side by side, their body heat passing between them through the thin fabric of their clothes. The air was filled with a subtle scent that mixed the smell of medicine, the fragrance of shampoo, and Zhou Ai's unique aroma.

Everything seemed to have returned to that secluded mountain cave, only this time, there was no torrential rain or the threat of death, only the tranquil night and the person beside me... whom I couldn't get rid of.

Despite her seemingly calm demeanor and the fact that she had taken over the role of host, Zhou Ai was actually putting on a relaxed and carefree act, even displaying a bit of a cheeky nonchalance. In reality, her heart was pounding wildly in her chest.

Half of his mind was on edge, fearing that Chu Yi would turn cold at any moment and kick him out for "trespassing" and even sneaking into his bed. The other half of his mind, however, had already drifted away uncontrollably, immersed in the intimate distance between him and Chu Yi.

This was the first time he had lain on Chu Yi's bed.

The bedding beneath them seemed to carry the unique scent of its owner—a clean yet somewhat aloof aroma.

Like a magnolia flower blooming in the early morning, it is cool and serene, but upon closer inspection, the aftertaste contains a very faint, refreshing astringency, similar to citrus peel, which subtly entangles Zhou Ai's olfactory nerves.

This aura enveloped Zhou Ai completely, causing his heart to race and his blood to flow faster. His palms, hidden to his sides, were already covered in a thin layer of sweat, sticky and hot.

He held his breath, secretly turned his head, and looked at Chu Yi beside him.

Chu Yi didn't look at him or say anything; she just lay quietly, her gaze fixed on the small wooden window.

Outside the window is the deep night sky of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. On the dark blue sky, a few exceptionally bright stars are scattered like diamonds.

Zhou Ai's heartbeat calmed down a little, and she followed his gaze out. The quiet night was gentle, and an indescribable impulse suddenly welled up in her heart.

"Do you want to go...?" he blurted out, his voice dry with nervousness and a secret anticipation.

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly flipped over and pinned Chu Yi beneath him.

The distance between the two was instantly compressed to the extreme, their bodies almost pressed together seamlessly.

Zhou Ai's arm rested on Chu Yi's ear, their hot breaths mingling without any obstruction. The delicate balance in the air was instantly shattered, the temperature soared, and a dangerous ambiguity spread out, ready to erupt at any moment.

Chu Yi was clearly startled by this sudden action. Her pupils dilated slightly as she clearly felt the heavy weight and burning heat of another man above her.

Zhou Ai's eyes were frighteningly deep in the dim light, churning with a strange and unsettling emotion that seemed to threaten to devour him.

Seeing that the atmosphere was about to spiral out of control, Chu Yi's Adam's apple bobbed, and his somewhat hoarse voice finally broke the suffocating silence:

"Where to?"

At the same time, he reached out and placed his hand on Zhou Ai's solid chest, applying slight force, trying to push away this "mountain" that had suddenly pressed down.

The heartbeat beneath his palm was the same as his own, fast and heavy, making his palm ache.

The gentle push and the question instantly brought Zhou Ai to her senses.

He snapped back to his senses, realizing what he had just done. His cheeks and ears flushed bright red, and even his neck turned crimson.

"I...I...I'll say..." As if she had been burned, Zhou Ai hurriedly jumped off Chu Yi, almost staggering as she rolled off the bed, her frantic movements nearly knocking over the chair next to her.

He dared not look into Chu Yi's eyes again; his heart was still pounding wildly, and shame and embarrassment almost overwhelmed him. He strode to the small wooden window, as if searching for some lifeline, and suddenly pushed it open completely.

A night breeze rushed in, carrying the cool scent of grass and trees unique to the mountains, which slightly dissipated the heat inside the house.

With his back to Chu Yi, Zhou Ai took several deep breaths to make his voice sound normal, but his bright red ears completely betrayed him:

"Let's...go see the stars."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Looking back on it later, Chu Yi realized that she couldn't quite put her finger on where she had lost her mind.

Perhaps it was the lingering disorientation of surviving a disaster, or perhaps it was the intense, burning expectation in Zhou Ai's eyes that shone so brightly in the night, or perhaps... it was simply that a longing for something beyond "normal" had secretly slipped into the crack in his own heart that had been forcibly pried open.

He actually... obediently let Zhou Ai help him put on his coat and hat, and then watched as the person turned around, carefully half-squatting down in front of him, waiting for him to lie down on top of him.

But before actually lying down, Chu Yi placed her hand on Zhou Ai's shoulder and couldn't help asking again, "Are you sure your injury is okay?"

He had seen the horrifying bruise on Zhou Ai's back with his own eyes, and it hadn't been that long.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ai not only didn't answer directly, but instead made a move that left Chu Yi speechless—

He deftly zipped his windbreaker all the way up, then pulled the hem aside, revealing a thin T-shirt underneath, the outline of bandages barely visible. Turning his head, a roguish yet innocent smile played on his lips, his tone lazy yet slightly provocative:

"How about Dr. Chu examines me personally? To see if I'm even capable?"

The ambiguity in those words and that shameless, "take it or leave it" attitude instantly ignited Chu Yi's shame and anger.

Without even thinking, he raised his good leg, which wasn't in a cast, and kicked Zhou Ai's calf hard.

"Shut up! Carry your load!" Chu Yi scolded in a low voice, but her ears were burning uncontrollably.

Zhou Ai, after being kicked, chuckled softly. He deftly zipped up his jacket, steadily supported Chu Yi, stood up, and walked out of the small house step by step.

In the dead of night, Yuntou Village was utterly silent, save for the occasional distant bark of a dog and the rustling of the wind through the rice paddies. The air was crisp and clean, carrying the fresh scent of earth and rice seedlings.

Zhou Ai carried Chu Yi on his back, walking steadily along the narrow ridge between the fields, his steps unusually firm.

They stopped at the end of a relatively flat and open field ridge. Zhou Ai carefully put Chu Yi down so that he could sit steadily against her, then used the thick coat she had brought to cushion the cool mud before sitting down next to him.

Upon looking up, the two of them almost simultaneously held their breath.

Without the light pollution of the city and the obstruction of the wooden houses, the night sky of the plateau was like a huge curtain, presented to them without reservation.

Countless stars densely covered it, far more dazzling and magnificent than what I had glimpsed from the window before.

The Milky Way, like a hazy, luminous jade ribbon, stretches across the sky, so clear it seems almost within reach. The stars twinkle quietly, some bright, some dim, some clustered, some scattered.

All around were rolling mountains with dark outlines in the night, and below were fields that smelled of damp earth, with scattered lights of villages in the distance.

Between heaven and earth, it seemed as if only the two of them remained, along with this vast and boundless starry sky.

"So beautiful..." Chu Yi looked up and couldn't help but sigh softly. All her thoughts and distractions were washed away by the starry sky at this moment, leaving only pure shock and tranquility.

Zhou Ai stopped looking at the stars and instead focused his gaze on Chu Yi's profile.

Starlight outlined Chu Yi's delicate jawline and slightly upturned neck. His usually aloof and detached eyes were now filled with the reflection of the Milky Way, astonishingly bright and astonishingly soft.

"Yes, it is beautiful," Zhou Ai responded softly, her voice incredibly gentle.

He wasn't just talking about the starry sky.

Chu Yi seemed to notice his gaze, and turned her head slightly to meet Zhou Ai's focused eyes.

Their gazes met under the dazzling starlight, the previous panic and probing gone, replaced by an indescribable calm and tacit understanding.

Zhou Ai quietly reached out, her little finger very slowly and tentatively hooking Chu Yi's fingers at her side.

Chu Yi's fingers trembled slightly as she felt the warmth of the other person's fingertips, but she did not pull away.

Zhou Ai's heart raced again, but he didn't go any further, only gently hooking that slightly cool finger.

The two sat side by side on the edge of the field, a gentle night breeze bringing a touch of coolness. Neither spoke, silently gazing up at the unchanging Milky Way above.

Chu Yi didn't know how long they sat quietly side by side when she heard Zhou Ai's soft voice drift over on the evening breeze. The voice was unlike his usual lazy or teasing tone, nor was it as urgent or domineering as before. Instead, it carried a kind of cautious, almost devout tenderness.

"Chu Yi," he called to him, and Chu Yi turned his head slightly to meet Zhou Ai's intense gaze.

Zhou Ai's peach blossom eyes shone astonishingly bright under the starlight, clearly reflecting the dazzling Milky Way, yet holding only the shadow of Chu Yi. That light was brighter and more focused than any star above him.

"You mean...?" Zhou Ai paused, seemingly needing to gather some courage before softly asking the rest of the question, "Won't keep me waiting long?"

He's still waiting for that answer.

The final answer Chu Yi asked him to wait patiently in the cave regarding whether the "phased relationship" would change.

Chu Yi's heart felt as if it had been gently struck by those words; it didn't hurt, but it stirred up a dense, bittersweet ripple.

His gaze slowly moved down from Zhou Ai's eyes and landed on their fingers, which had somehow become intertwined again.

Zhou Ai's little finger remained stubbornly wrapped around his, the warmth of her fingertip seeping through her skin, carrying an undeniable presence.

Once upon a time, Zhou Ai was like a star in the sky to him.

Dazzling, captivating, existing in another world beyond his reach.

He was used to looking up at the stars, used to keeping his distance, and even drew a line in his mind, telling himself: How can a mortal reach for the stars? Just look at them, getting too close will burn you, disappoint you, and cause you to lose them.

But at that moment, the brightest and most untamed star in the sky truly fell beside him.

Covered in dust and scars, she clumsily and stubbornly carved a path for him, carrying him through the muddiest and most dangerous places. Now, she looked up, her eyes filled with starlight and expectation, obediently, even humbly, asking him for just one answer.

That star descended to earth, touched by human life, gained warmth, could cry, laugh, and feel fear, and also... waited for him so cautiously.

Chu Yi looked at their intertwined fingers, then looked up at Zhou Ai's face, which appeared exceptionally clear under the starlight and even carried a hint of youthful trepidation.

Under the gaze of those eyes, the wall in his heart seemed to finally creak and crack under the weight of the pressure.

Chu Yi was silent for a few seconds, then very gently, she hooked her little finger around Zhou Ai's finger even tighter.

This subtle movement caused Zhou Ai's pupils to contract sharply, and she held her breath.

Then, he heard Chu Yi's voice, "Hmm."

It is only one word, yet it weighs more than a thousand pounds.

Chu Yi didn't look at him, her gaze returning to the starry sky above, and added softly,

"You won't have to wait long."