The night breeze blew in from the terrace, carrying Penacony's distinctive, sweet scent.
The final battle had already ended.
Ye Qiong found himself aboard the Radiant Feldspar.
He sat by the railing, with Firefly beside him.
Firefly turned to look at him, her eyes curved like two pools of lake water steeped in starlight.
"No matter what, thank you."
Her voice was very soft.
"It feels like we haven't even begun yet. Let's sit here for a while first."
So they sat there like that.
Above them was a sky full of stars, along with pale blue spheres of light floating in the night, as though someone had blown dreams into bubbles and casually scattered them across the heavens.
Music drifted over from afar, while neon lights shaped like musical notes flickered on and off.
Neither of them spoke.
Ye Qiong didn't know what to say.
He looked at her profile, at her silver hair lifted by the wind, at the faint smile at the corner of her lips.
He suddenly realized that being unable to speak could feel so gentle, and yet hurt so much.
Because he had turned over so many words in his heart, saving them to say to her. Yet when the moment truly came, every sentence felt too heavy.
Then she spoke first.
"Do people always find themselves unable to say anything at times like this?"
Ye Qiong opened his mouth, but couldn't answer.
Yet she continued on her own, her voice soft as though she were reciting a poem she had hidden away for a long time.
"Maybe that isn't it at all."
"I once heard something that I've always liked."
"When people want to see someone, before they meet, they keep imagining what that moment will be like. They imagine the things they'll