1. Meteor

Damn it! What a stroke of bad luck! I waved my hand in frustration, truly regrettable to have lost an opportunity for nothing

I almost fell to the ground

"That is natural." I smoothed my hair, smiling proudly, "I am a black belt."

"Where? Where?" Both Ye Zhiqiu and I hurriedly looked up, but the night sky remained unchanged, not even a trace of a shooting star was visible.

She and I really do not have much of a relationship, even though we have been living under the same roof for four months. However, I get along very well with another lovely classmate, Yu Run.

A scarlet bird spreads its wings to the south, igniting a blazing fire

"So handsome!" Yu Run became excited, and a strange light shone in his pair of red eyes. "Hong Taiji is so handsome..."

Hmm," Ye Zhiqiu's voice was faint, "I will go out for dinner in a while.

The Taekwondo club has more than 200 members, but there are only nine individuals at the black belt level, including coaches and assistants. I truly am a mainstay and an elite member.

I was pleasantly surprised and ran after him: "Watching shooting stars alone is quite dull. I have been feeling quite restless these days after finishing my exams. How about I accompany you instead?"

One... two... originally shining stars that hung high in the night sky are now falling from the heavens like rain, bursting forth with an extraordinary brilliance in the stillness of the deep night

I began to blink my eyes incessantly

The wind is somewhat strong at the summit, and it is evident that the weather forecast may not be accurate. Fortunately, the night sky is clear, providing excellent visibility. Looking up, the inky dome of the heavens is studded with countless dazzling stars, which are particularly striking.

Yu Run smiled with satisfaction: "It is mentioned in 'The Incredible Game', I like the Star Constellations the most!"

Ye Zhiqiu held the cup from which vapor rose, and a strange glint flickered in his eyes behind the lenses.

Listening to the two people engaged in a conversation where they were completely incomprehensible to each other, I could no longer hold back and accidentally burst out laughing

"I just saw it! I saw it! A beautiful meteor, zooming from east to west..." Yu Run exclaimed excitedly

Ye Zhiqiu seemed to understand my confusion, turned back with a smile, and softly explained: "There will be a meteor shower tonight"

Her words were not yet finished when I suddenly felt a bright light before me, as if a ball of flame had ignited in the sky, a wave of heat rushing towards me, scorching my eyes. I let out a low cry and raised my hand to shield my eyes. In just an instant, the brightness abruptly vanished. I cautiously opened my eyes and looked up, only to see the night sky, like black satin, bizarrely twisting, with countless stars swirling and rotating, quickly intertwining into magnificent patterns.

Ah

A pink pig-shaped pillow came flying at me like lightning, and I quickly jumped out of the way

Animation! I watched it when I was in middle school, and I still remember it very clearly. The boys in it are all so handsome...

After Ye Zhiqiu finished drinking water, she automatically returned to her room. Just as I was planning to use my silver tongue to persuade Yu Run to accompany me to watch the meteor shower, she came out of the room again wearing a goose-yellow down jacket and carrying a large hiking backpack on her shoulders, looking all set to go.

I calmly watched her busying herself beside me

In the frigid days of February, we stood atop the wind-swept summit of Yuntai Mountain, awaiting the long-anticipated meteor shower.

If I had thought of it earlier, I wouldn't have had to put in so much effort to lure Yu Run from afar.

It is truly hard to believe. I previously thought that Ye Zhiqiu must not be at home; otherwise, how could she remain calm and composed in the room while Yu Run was making such a ruckus in the living room, as if the world were ending?

In my heart, I had already begun to waver. Upon hearing Yu Run's words, I raised my head and inquired with my gaze at Ye Zhiqiu

My eyes lit up

Main force of the organization

Indeed, the aimless evening breeze blows my hair this way and that, brushing against my face and making my skin itch

Casually sitting on a large rock, Yu Run nestled closely beside me, resting his head on my shoulder. The subtle sound of his breathing, accompanied by warm breaths, wafted into the nape of my neck, intensifying my drowsiness

Before I could even utter the word "eat," I heard Yu Run behind me mumble, "Hmm, I want to go out for hot pot!"

A familiar black-framed pair of glasses floated out from the door of the first room on the east side as it swung open

Two hours later, the stars are still blinking their eyes tirelessly

Upon seeing me rush in, she lifted her swollen eyes and glanced at me, casually grabbing a few tissues to blow her nose

"It's not ... ... " she continued to blow her nose, "it's romance, a very popular time-traveling novel lately"

The twenty-eight constellations are celestial bodies, not humans! The celestial sphere is divided into four quadrants, namely the Eastern Azure Dragon, the Western White Tiger, the Northern Black Tortoise, and the Southern Vermilion Bird. The twenty-eight constellations are represented as follows: Eastern: Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, Ji; Western: Kui, Lou, Wei, Mao, Bi, Zi, Shen; Northern: Dou, Niu, Nu, Xu, Wei, Shi, Bi; Southern: Jing, Gui, Liu, Xing, Zhang, Yi, Zhen

Yu Run shook off his previous drowsiness and began to talk incessantly about the plot in the anime with Ye Zhiqiu. I found a large tree, leaned against its trunk, and took a lazy break that shielded me from the wind and relieved my fatigue. Just as my eyelids began to droop, Ye Zhiqiu finally burst out, "Stop! Now we will only discuss the Twenty-Eight Mansions, not handsome guys, OK?"

I shouted excitedly, but Ye Zhiqiu and Yu Run beside me seemed oblivious, completely immersed in their bickering, showing no awareness of the changes above us

Astronomy and celestial phenomena are likely things she will never truly understand in her lifetime

"Is it another braid play? Will a man with half a bald head look handsome?"

They are all a bunch of individuals who lack humanity towards the opposite sex. Previously, they confidently assured that everything would be fine, saying that after the postgraduate entrance examination, they would definitely choose a good day to go stargazing together in the evening

From Qianxiyuan to the foot of Yuntai Mountain, it takes about five minutes by taxi, approximately ten minutes by bus, and twenty-five minutes on foot. However, the three of us, determined to lose weight and digest our food, unanimously chose the third option

Ye Zhiqiu's words indeed piqued Yu Run's interest, and she straightened her posture and said: "I know the Saint Seiya of Athena, the Twelve Golden Palaces"

"Is it really that good looking?" Yu Guang glanced at the cover, which was quite different from the romance novels he usually saw Miss Yu holding. The four characters inscribed on the cover were also very conventional. "The Unparalleled World? You've changed your taste; you actually started reading martial arts novels?"

I casually snapped my fingers on her forehead and said: "Were you reincarnated as a pig? All you do all day is read novels or eat?"

At 9:40, they reached the foot of the mountain, and by the time they climbed to the summit, it was already 10:30. Yu Run was exhausted and cried out in distress, lamenting that she had been fooled all the way up. Ye Zhiqiu did not say a word while climbing, but by listening closely to her breathing, one could tell that her stamina was much better than Yu Run's.

After Ye Zhiqiu slightly calmed his breath, he took out the astronomical telescope from his backpack, set up the tripod, and skillfully assembled the telescope within three minutes

After contacting each of my close friends one by one by phone, I was informed that they could not make it to the appointment on time in the evening. I held my phone tightly in my hand, so angry that I nearly crushed the phone case.

Yu Run smacked his lips, lingering on the taste, and licked the corners of his mouth: "Where is this going?"

The Azure Dragon spirals in the east, its claws resembling those of a dragon, capable of tearing apart all things

Oh, how do you know? Do you also have research on the Twenty-Eight Mansions?

Yu Run let out a painful moan, not knowing whether she was truly faint from hunger or if she was hurt by my blow. A gust of wind blew by, causing her to shiver as she pitifully said, "Let us go back; I think the shooting stars have probably gone back to sleep."

"Um." Yu Run swallowed the last bite of his hamburger and exclaimed, "Then I want to go too! Wait for me, I will go put on my coat!"

Yu Run's puzzled retort: "Why? The twenty-eight constellations are clearly all handsome men..."

I silently exclaimed that it was not good, and quickly turned around. I saw Yu Run chewing on a McFish burger, his cheeks bulging as he moved them up and down, still not forgetting to droolingly repeat: "I haven't had hot pot in a long time"

Such a lively night is actually quite interesting; the sense of unfamiliarity that had existed among the three of us, who have lived together for four to five months, miraculously disappeared amidst this playful banter.

Uh... I retreated step by step, and indeed, even a kitten can show its strength; a cat's tail is not so easy to step on

Before I had the chance to respond, Yu Run had already jumped in, saying: "Wrong! It's the second round!" She made a face of admiration, "Li Hua is so impressive. I once witnessed her kick a big guy who was 1.9 meters tall into the dirt... Tsk tsk, it was so cool, so awesome!"

Ye Zhiqiu lowered his head to look at his phone: "Hmm, the observatory says it is 1:00 AM. Given the situation just now, it might happen earlier, who knows."

The White Tiger roars in the west, charging like thunder, swift and unparalleled

Ye Zhiqiu leaned against the wall and looked at me putting on my shoes, curiously asking: "Do you also enjoy stargazing?"

It just so happens that today the sky is clear and bright, the observatory reports that there will be a meteor shower tonight, and the meteorological station also states that there will be no wind or rain this evening, making it the perfect time for stargazing and making wishes. However, when I excitedly called to find someone to join me, those unreliable friends once again ungraciously stood me up.

I covered my mouth with my hand and secretly yawned. To be honest, I am not very interested in things like astronomy and celestial phenomena.

"You won't get stuffed!" As I watched a hamburger being devoured by the red-eyed cat, which had previously sworn off handouts, in less than half a minute, I struggled to suppress the urge to strangle her.

Finally, after finishing the chicken wing burger on the table, I resolutely decided to return to the rental apartment to abduct my roommate

I only felt a chill all over my body and couldn't help but pour a basin of cold water over my head: "It seems that the men of the Aisin Gioro family are all unappealing, especially Hong Taiji, who is said to be quite a hefty man. If such a man can be considered 'handsome'..."

Ye Zhiqiu stood at the entrance preparing to change her shoes, discarding the sheepskin boots she had just bought yesterday, and directly picked a pair of Li Ning sports shoes: "No," she bent down and replied calmly, "After dinner, I am going to climb a mountain"

What is the ... ... incredible game

Indeed! The Twenty-Eight Mansions represent twenty-eight handsome men, there is no conflict at all

So beautiful ... ... Yu Run extended her arms passionately, the white mist exhaled from her mouth dissipating in the wind.

Ye Zhiqiu unexpectedly glanced at me, as if I were an extraterrestrial being. The gaze behind the lenses was filled with astonishment and skepticism: "Are you really that impressive?"

I blurted out, "I will go with you!"

Is it necessary to prepare for hot pot as if going on a hike? It seems there are three hot pot restaurants within a hundred meters of the school gate

I recall a few days ago when I was somewhat reluctantly dragged by my mother to the City God Temple to burn incense and pray, and the smile that trembled at the corner of my mouth became increasingly awkward

"What terrible luck I have." I rubbed my almost glued-together eyelids and muttered softly, "Even the meteor shower has stood me up."

"What do you want to eat?" she replied seriously, "Did you not say you wanted to have hot pot?"

Wuxia is indeed my preferred genre of novels, but I have yet to encounter any wuxia novel that can move a person as deeply as Miss Yu.

Hehe. I chuckled.

Meteor shower

I chuckled twice, shook the takeout bag in my hand, and took out the keys to open the front door

Hehe... I chuckled twice, my laughter was vague

The little kitten indeed stopped showing its temper, and the fur on its back, which was standing on end, was obediently flattened. Just when it seemed certain of victory, it suddenly turned its face away and pouted, saying: "I absolutely refuse to eat the scraps offered by my stepmother!"

After wandering around the street for two laps, the sky gradually darkened around five o'clock. Sitting in the McDonald's restaurant, I stared blankly at the bustling pedestrians outside through the transparent floor-to-ceiling glass.

Guan Lihua! She paused her actions and glanced at me twice, "I heard you are from the Taekwondo club?"

The three of us, laughing and joking, ran to the nearest "Millennium Hot Pot Restaurant" for a meal. It was past 9 PM when we finally emerged from the restaurant, reeking of hot pot, and we slowly made our way towards Yuntai Mountain, the highest point in the city, while burping contentedly.

Ye Zhiqiu displayed a look of surprise: "Black belt ... ... a segment?"

"You... you are also a stepmother!" Yu Run sobbed a couple of times, her eyes starting to well up again, "You are just like that author, a stepmother! Wuwu—my Hong Taiji, my Abou..."

I gasped in shock, feeling both startled and afraid. Looking around, I surprisingly could not find the figures of Ye Zhiqiu and Yu Run. Just as I was about to shout out loud, the scene before me suddenly changed once again

In the lonely and desolate night sky, a brilliant light suddenly streaked across. I caught a glimpse inadvertently, uttering an "Oh" as I widened my eyes and stood up.

An hour later, the stars playfully winked in the sky

Oh. That... I bought a hamburger, do you want...

I was completely stunned, a growing sense of fear surged within me, and I trembled as I struggled to retreat.

Let me tell you the story of the constellations. My voice was drowned out by Ye Zhiqiu's suddenly raised volume. She pointed to the starry sky and said with a smile, "Ancient people also loved stargazing. They often regarded celestial phenomena as hints of divine destiny, which may seem foolish and superstitious today, but was quite popular at the time, considered a fashionable and mysterious thing..."

The sound of a thud startled me, causing me to drop the takeout bag on the ground, and I rushed inside like a whirlwind: "Yu---"

We might as well wait until next time

"How do you know he is not handsome? Who can say for sure about events from four hundred years ago? You have never seen what Emperor Taiji actually looked like. On what basis do you make such a statement?" Yu Run resembled a cat whose tail had just been stepped on, her fur standing on end in an instant. She glared with her terrifying rabbit-like eyes, leaping up from the sofa, approaching me with claws bared, her imposing presence quite remarkable.

Oh—" I elongated my voice in response, returning to the door to pick up the takeout bag. I have no interest in those kinds of melodramatic love stories where you love me and I love you, to the point of life and death, with the world collapsing around us. Especially—time-travel stories set in the Qing Dynasty

At that moment, I was so excited that I forgot to breathe. After about half a minute, I only heard Ye Zhiqiu's voice exclaiming in surprise: "Ah, the stars fall to the mortal realm, the Purple Tenuity shines across the sky..."

You... I gasped, feeling a bit weak in the legs after the false alarm. "You, don't tell me you were reading the textbook!"

Climbing a mountain at the dead of night, is she just being gluttonous after a full meal

The black turtle of the north intertwines with the green snake, merging into one

Ah, the Twenty-Eight Mansions, I know this as well, the Southern Vermilion Bird, there are the Ghost Mansion, the Star Mansion, the Willow Mansion, the Well Mansion, the Zhang Mansion, the Wing Mansion, the Chariot Mansion...

Ahem... Ye Zhiqiu cleared his throat slightly, feeling a bit awkward, and said, "You are not wrong... However, that is a 'foreign import.' Ancient Chinese astronomical research was categorized according to the Three Enclosures, Four Symbols, and Twenty-Eight Mansions..."

In order to focus on my graduate school entrance examination, I specifically moved out of my home and rented an apartment near the school. The rental unit is a three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, which feels rather extravagant for just one person. To save on expenses, I found a female classmate, Yu Run, from the same department to be my roommate. After a month, Yu Run brought back another female student from the same year but from a different department to join us as the third ally.

A few minutes later, Yu Run put on a cotton coat, donned earmuffs, a hat, a scarf, and gloves, wrapping himself up tightly, and ran out of the room like a dumpling.

The door had just opened, and before I could call out "Yu Run!" in my seductive voice, a heart-wrenching cry echoed from the living room

I knew it would be like this, that guy Yu Run, his greatest source of knowledge comes only from simplistic literature and basic anime

The living room is neatly arranged, with no thieves, robbers, or bandits around. Yu Runheng is sitting on the sofa, with an open book resting on his knees and a large box of facial tissues in his hands. He is crying profusely, with tears and snot flowing, choking as if he is about to run out of breath.

"Lihua—" Yu Run sniffed, and in a muffled voice said, "I am so hungry, did you bring any food?"

Yu ... ... Yu Run! Are you ... ... going to eat a hamburger? It's the McFish flavor ... ... '' I hurriedly raised the convenience bag in my hand and gently waved it in front of my roommate.

The sounds of wild beasts echoed in my ears, and above the vast expanse of the sky, four grotesque and enormous creatures loomed menacingly!

She honestly shook her head, picked up the book on her lap, and said in a nasal voice, "It's very interesting, do you want to take a look?"

Ah! Meteor—" Yu Run suddenly shouted, interrupting us

Bang! As my back hit the wall, cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I must say, it was indeed a very wise choice for me not to engage with those clichéd time-travel novels.

Where is the enjoyment in stargazing? It is merely watching the television, which often portrays clichéd scenes of making wishes upon shooting stars, suggesting that dreams will come true. Out of curiosity, I also wanted to try this fashionable endeavor. I originally did not believe in such things, but when one becomes anxious, it tends to resemble a desperate search for a remedy. Regardless of its authenticity, I will pray for a successful outcome, hoping that my report card in March will pass.

The girl named "Ye Zhiqiu" has a somewhat eccentric personality, rarely speaking and often wearing a pair of black-framed glasses on her nose. To this day, I have not clearly seen what her facial features look like. This girl is also very diligent in her studies, often hiding in her room for most of the day. I have heard that her major is archaeology, but her hobby is astronomy, both of which are quite niche fields.

I stood three meters away from the two of them, watching Ye Zhiqiu support the frame with her hand, her shoulders slightly trembling in a suffocating manner, and I couldn't help but turn around and stifle my laughter.

How could I forget? Ye Zhiqiu's obscure hobby is astronomy

The left foot slightly misstepped, barely retreating a step, when suddenly realizing that there was nothing beneath, the body abruptly fell from a great height

three hours later

It is ... a meteor! I am filled with endless surprise, "The meteor shower has finally arrived!"

"You didn't go out?" I looked at the ghostly figure in surprise as it silently walked to the water purifier in the corner, holding a mug and refilling it.

I was left speechless: "You dressed like this just to go out for hot pot?"