A thin crescent moon hung in the sky tonight. Without the moon's radiance, the stars shone all the brighter.
Wang Yan walked in the middle, with Hao Shuwen and Xiao Suizi at his sides. Having eaten their fill, the three of them slowly made their way back to the arts troupe.
"Wang Yan."
"Mm."
Xiao Suizi asked, "Are you still going out on performances?"
"I am. I'll rest for a few days, sort out the stories a bit more, then leave. I heard the soldiers all miss me terribly. I won't be coming back before the New Year—I'll make the rounds of both armies. That's why I came back in the first place. The soldiers are still waiting for me. Hey, don't pull such long faces. I definitely miss you two more."
"Pah, you filthy hooligan."
"Shameless."
Although their letters had grown increasingly blush-inducing, the two of them still could not handle Wang Yan being so blunt in person. Each of them gave him a little punch.
Wang Yan laughed. "It's because we suddenly heard the news that the college entrance exams might be restored. I thought it over carefully. Just like I told you two before, taking the exams is the better choice. I know you don't want to leave me, and I suppose it's also because I'm too charming, too talented, too outstanding.
"But even if neither of you went to college and both stayed with the arts troupe, we still wouldn't see each other more than a few times a year. Rather than that, you might as well go to college. Just wait another two or three years, and everything will be fine."
"You want us to leave that badly?" Hao Shuwen asked, saying much the same thing Xiao Suizi had asked earlier.
"It's not that I