Stars in Her Eyes

As the only large city within a hundred-li radius, houses in Maple Forest City certainly didn't come cheap.

Ling He's support was a drop in the bucket, and Jiang Wang didn't have much in savings either. But fortunately, he still had one friend who was rolling in money.

Carrying Jiang An'an, Jiang Wang went straight to Zhao Rucheng.

"Lend me some silver," Jiang Wang said bluntly.

Zhao Rucheng was locked in a staring contest with Jiang An'an. At the sound of Jiang Wang's voice, he replied casually, "How much do you need?"

"How much would it cost to buy a small courtyard near the Dao Academy? It'll just be me and my little sister living there."

"Why buy a place? Why don't you just stay at my place? I've got plenty of empty rooms." Zhao Rucheng winked first with his left eye, then with his right, and every so often flashed what he thought was a dashing smile. To be fair, he really was quite handsome.

Jiang Wang glanced at Jiang An'an before replying, "We need a home of our own."

He didn't care where he lived, but little An'an was different. The girl had only just been sent to him. No matter how strong she seemed, she couldn't help being fragile and sensitive inside.

"Oh." Zhao Rucheng stroked his chin and thought for a moment. "I think my family has a few houses near the Dao Academy. Wait here while I ask."

He turned and called out, "Uncle Deng!"

Before long, a mild-mannered middle-aged man came in and bowed with impeccable formality. "Young Master."

"Do we have a suitable place near the Dao Academy? Free one up and give the title deed and land deed to my third brother."

"There's no need to free one up, Young Master. We already have three vacant properties. Which one would you like?"

Zhao Rucheng looked at Jiang Wang. "Third Brother, what do you think?"

Jiang Wang smiled warmly at the steward. "Sorry for the trouble, Uncle Deng. The place doesn't need to be too big; it only has to fit An'an and me. Most importantly, it should be close to the Dao Academy, so I can come home to keep her company whenever I want."

The steward returned his smile. "There's a small courtyard in Flying Horse Lane, behind the Dao Academy. I'm not sure whether you'll like how it's furnished."

"Let's go take a look!" Zhao Rucheng said at once. "Just give me the keys."

Jiang An'an didn't talk much, and she rarely responded to people. But her little face, as delicate as a doll's, was impossible not to love.

All along the way, Zhao Rucheng kept trying to coax her into talking.

"An'an, who do you think's more handsome, Brother Rucheng or Brother Wang? Ah, I've asked an impossible question. There's no comparison!"

"An'an, An'an, see those candied hawthorns over there? Come into my arms, and we'll buy the whole bundle! How about it?"

"An'an, do you know how heavy you are? Look how chubby you've gotten! Your brother's arm is about to break from carrying you! Why don't you let your Brother Rucheng hold you for a while?"

Little An'an had been silent through a thousand words, but at that, she tilted her head and looked at Jiang Wang.

"Are you tired?" she asked in a small voice.

Jiang Wang smiled gently. "Not at all. I could carry you until next year without putting you down."

The courtyard in Flying Horse Lane was quite nice. It had a main room, a south room, and two side rooms, one on each side. Though nobody lived there, it had all the necessary facilities. They only needed to buy a few household items before moving in.

The rooms were decorated in a simple, elegant, and comfortable style.

Jiang Wang led little An'an around to each room, making sure she didn't seem uncomfortable.

"Good. This is the one." Jiang Wang beamed at Zhao Rucheng, who was still chattering away beside An'an. "Give me the keys. You can head back."

"Sure thing!" With admirable decisiveness, Zhao Rucheng turned to leave. But as he crossed the threshold, he turned back and waved at An'an. "Your Brother Rucheng's leaving. Don't miss me too much!"

Little An'an toddled over. Amid Zhao Rucheng's beaming smile, she slammed the courtyard gate shut.

Night fell, and Maple Forest City, bustling all day, quieted down.

Inside the Heaven-Connecting Palace, the little Earthworm made its final leap of the day and spat a perfectly round Dao Essence into the Starry Array.

Jiang Wang opened his eyes, bringing today's Pulse-Opening practice to an end. One Dao Essence after another accumulated, day and night, drop by drop. None of that effort would go to waste. In the end, it would become the foundation of an array and open the path to transcendence.

It was these countless days and nights of monotonous cultivation that would make the thrilling adventures through the azure skies possible one day.

The room was quiet. Jiang An'an lay in her little bed, her hands placed neatly on top of the quilt, perfectly still.

Because An'an was so young, Jiang Wang had specially commissioned a little bed for her, so she could sleep in the same room as him. The two beds, one large and one small, stood on opposite sides of the room.

Listening quietly to little An'an's breathing, Jiang Wang asked softly, "An'an, are you still awake?"

The little girl's flustered voice immediately rang out. "I'm... I'm asleep."

An'an's nervousness made Jiang Wang's heart ache. Such a little child, and she'd already learned to read people's expressions. He had only told her to go to sleep early before beginning his Pulse-Opening practice, and now that she hadn't managed to fall asleep, she was frightened and uneasy.

A girl not yet five had suddenly arrived in an unfamiliar place, suddenly been separated from her mother, and hadn't even burst into tears. She was already so brave. How terrified must she be inside?

But there was no point in bringing that up now.

"Mm, but your brother can't sleep." Jiang Wang's voice grew even gentler. "Would you like to look at the stars?"

After a while, a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz came from the room. "Mm."

"Then let's get up." Jiang Wang got out of bed and lit the oil lamp, then went to help An'an put on her outer clothes.

The hands that wielded a sword with such grace were remarkably clumsy when it came to dressing a child.

"That's not how you put it on, Brother. You've got it backward..."

Jiang Wang withdrew his hands sheepishly. "Then you put it on yourself, An'an."

They bustled about for a while before leaving the room.

The bright moon hung in the sky, and stars glittered all around. Clean moonlight filled the empty courtyard, warming a night that should have felt a little lonely.

"Are we looking at the stars in the courtyard?" Jiang An'an asked, tilting her little head back.

"Of course not." Jiang Wang suddenly scooped her up and sprang into the air, landing on the rooftop.

Jiang An'an let out a shriek. By the time she landed on the roof, her little face had turned bright red.

Jiang Wang looked down at her, feeling a little guilty. "Did I scare you, An'an?"

An'an blinked her big eyes. She even looked a little excited. "You can fly, Brother?"

Though she seemed eager to try, Jiang Wang had no intention of bouncing around on the roof like a huge monkey and making a spectacle of himself. "Not yet. Once your brother masters Daoist Arts, I definitely will. Then, wherever you want to go, we'll fly there together. How does that sound?"

"Good."

Jiang Wang took off his outer garment and spread it over the rooftop. Then he lay down beside it, resting one hand behind his head, and beckoned to her. "Come on. Lie down like your brother and look at the stars."

Little An'an obediently lay down on Jiang Wang's garment, her little hands placed just as carefully behind her head. She opened her dark, shining eyes wide and gazed straight up at the sky.

Stars filled the vast night, glittering one after another. In the endless darkness, countless lights had been born. The Star River stretched across the heavens, holding countless dreams and memories.

"That one is Ziwei Star, and that one is Yuheng... The Southern Dipper is over there. See? Right there..."

"They're blinking, just like eyes."

"Only a lovely girl like our An'an blinks like a star. If your Brother Wild Tiger—the big-bearded man you saw today—blinks, he looks more like a cowbell."

Jiang An'an giggled.

"Do you know, An'an? These stars are billions and billions of li away..."

"How far is a billion li? Is it farther than Phoenix Creek Town is from here?"

"Much farther. Countless times farther. If there were a road to the stars, an ordinary person could spend their whole life walking along it and, by the time they died, might have only just set out."

"Ah?" An'an was astonished. "They're that far away?"

"That far. They cross such a vast distance through endless darkness, bringing their light to your eyes. They offer you their beauty, which may have already gone dark tens of thousands of years ago."

"They're so kind."

"Father is like one of those stars. Maybe he left a long, long time ago, but he's still far, far away, shining as brightly as he can and keeping us company with his light. So don't ever be afraid, no matter what happens, all right? Your brother will always be with you, and so will the stars."

"Brother..." Jiang An'an's voice was very small. "My mother doesn't want me anymore, does she?"

Jiang Wang fell silent.

Should he tell the truth and say that she was a burden, that she had affected her mother's life?

Should he denounce Aunt Song for being selfish and make An'an hate her own mother from then on?

How was he supposed to answer?

He didn't have long to think. Silence could hurt her too.

In the end, he simply turned onto his side and gently took An'an's little hand in his, looking at her with tender seriousness.

"An'an is so lovable. How could anyone not want you? It was your brother who wanted so badly to live with you. I insisted that Auntie send you here. Auntie cried so hard when she left. She couldn't bear to part with you either."

"Really?"

Moonlight and starlight fell upon Jiang An'an's little face, caressing the tear tracks that had yet to fade. She was as beautiful as a spirit of the stars and moon.

Though the fear still lingered on her face, her big eyes suddenly lit up.