The deep blue night sky was clear and bright, a dazzling river of stars scattered across it.
A bright white moon hung in the night sky, impossibly huge, half of it sunk beneath the rolling black mountains. Even the vine-like wooden grain on its surface could be seen clearly.
Moonlight poured down like a rising tide, and the trees cast shadows across the pale ground. An occasional breeze stirred, bringing waves of rustling sounds.
Faintly, the cheerful laughter of girls drifted over from afar.
On the other side of the mountains lay a rather open hillside. The early spring grass had long since grown lush, rising and falling in layers like ocean waves in the breeze.
At the foot of the slope was a lake, reflecting the stars and bright moon in the night sky.
Moonlight fell upon it, turning the water deep blue, like the most precious gemstone.
"Ah—"
The girl ran across the grass by the lake, making a flat, unchanging sound.
"Xiao Qiu, slow down. Be careful not to fall."
The girl behind her followed, panting heavily, her stamina clearly no match for the girl ahead.
Xiao Qiu stopped and waited for Xiao Ying to catch up, then looked at her seriously. "Xiao Ying, you need to exercise properly."
"Mm, I know." Xiao Ying nodded, then looked back with a troubled expression. "It seems they still haven't caught up. Should we wait here for them?"
"Xiao Ying, come with me." Rather than answering, Xiao Qiu directly grabbed Xiao Ying's hand and headed toward the lakeshore.
"Eh, wait, where are you going... whoa!"
Xiao Ying instinctively followed Xiao Qiu's footsteps and could not help asking in confusion. Yet the sight before her made her eyes widen in surprise, her mouth falling slightly open.
All around them, specks of