Special: The Beauty Within a Dream (End)

The leaves of the sycamore trees turned yellow and then green again, and the sleeves of the school uniforms became too short, so we changed into new ones.

Time, filtered through the lens of dreams, gently propelled the two little ones forward.

Shiyi, who used to get flustered and tearful because she couldn't find her hair clip, can now confidently play the violin like a little conductor at the class's talent show.

Shiyu, who always worried about her younger sister like a little adult, became more composed. She would occasionally wear a pair of non-prescription glasses to block blue light, and the books she held in her arms had changed from fairy tale collections to thicker history books and natural science books.

It's another weekend morning.

"Dad! Mom! Come quick!"

Shiyi's excited shouts broke the Tranquility of the living room.

Luo Li and Castorice peeked out from the kitchen and saw Shiyi holding up a rather heavy-looking square cardboard box as if presenting a treasure.

"What's this?"

Castorice rubbed her hands and asked curiously.

"It's an astronomical telescope!"

Shiyu's voice came from behind Shiyi, who was holding several thick books with star charts and planets printed on the covers, her eyes sparkling with a thirst for knowledge.

"We've been learning about the Solar System in our science class lately, and Shiyi and I bought a model together with our allowances! It shows the craters on the moon!"

Shiyi couldn't wait to start unpacking, and the parts spilled all over the floor.

She picked up the instruction manual, her brows immediately furrowing. "Uh... so many parts... how do I assemble this?"

"First, you need to install a tripod and stabilize the base."

Shiyu put down her book, squatted down, skillfully found the target among a pile of parts, and then, referring to the instructions, began to assemble it methodically.

With her nimble fingers and clear logic, she quickly assembled the complex base into a presentable form.

Shiyi was responsible for handing over the parts, occasionally exclaiming, "Sister is so amazing!" or pointing to a part and asking, "What is this for?"

Although they occasionally made mistakes, they cooperated well under Shiyu's patient guidance.

Luo Li and Castorice exchanged a smile, refrained from interfering, and simply leaned against the kitchen door, quietly watching their two daughters work together intently.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on them and outlining their earnest and beautiful silhouettes.

Watching them explore and solve problems on their own was more gratifying to Luo Li than any perfect outcome.

After more than an hour of effort, a decent-looking astronomical telescope was finally erected in the center of the living room.

"We did it!" Shiyi cheered with joy.

Shiyu also revealed a rare, bright smile, full of a sense of accomplishment, and pushed up her slightly slipped glasses.

"If the weather is good tonight, we can use it to look at the stars!" Shiyu said expectantly.

Night fell as expected, the sky was clear, and the stars twinkled.

The family went out onto the balcony.

The early autumn evening breeze carried a hint of coolness, but was warmed by the anticipation in my heart.

"Let me see first! Let me see first!"

Shiyi eagerly brought her eyes close to the eyepiece.

"Be careful, don't bump it."

Shiyu stood nervously by, holding a star chart manual in her hand, ready to offer guidance at any moment.

"Wow--!"

Shiyi let out a long exclamation. "The moon! It's so clear! There are so many craters on it! Like pockmarks!"

That's a crater.

Shiyu carefully corrected her, and then, unable to contain her curiosity, she waited until her younger sister had seen enough before joining in to observe as well.

"Hmm... Judging from our location, what we're seeing now should be the Sea of Tranquility region... Is that huge crater next to us Tycho Crater? I can almost see its radiating patterns..."

Watching her two daughters huddle in front of the telescope, one describing with imaginative language and the other verifying with rigorous knowledge, Luo Li gently put her arm around Castorice's shoulder.

Castorice nestled in his arms, gazing up at the starry sky, and whispered, "It's so wonderful... watching them grow up little by little, develop their own hobbies, and work together for something they love..."

Her voice carried a sense of satisfaction, but also a hint of barely perceptible emotion.

In this dream, she seemed to have completely immersed herself in the role of a mother, enjoying the little moments of happiness in these peaceful years.

Luo Li didn't say anything, but simply hugged her tighter.

He looked down and could smell the faint, homey fragrance emanating from her hair.

At that moment, he even wished that time could stand still on such a night.

Having gazed at the moon long enough, Shiyu then began trying to find Saturn using a telescope.

"Dad, can you help me adjust the angle? It seems a little off..." Shiyu asked for help.

Luo Li stepped forward and, following her instructions, carefully fine-tuned the telescope's direction. Shiyi, stood beside her with a star chart, chattering away as her advisor. "A little to the left! No, it seems to be to the right! Oh dear, there are so many stars I can't tell them apart!"

After working for a while, Shiyu brought her eyes close to the eyepiece again, she suddenly held her breath and then let out a whisper even more excited than when Shiyi had seen the moon, "Found it! It's Saturn! And... and its rings! Like a straw hat! It really looks exactly like the picture in the book!"

Shiyi also quickly went over to take a look, and was equally awestruck by the beautiful silhouette of that distant planet.

Looking at her daughters' eyes sparkling with joy at discovering the mysteries of the universe, Luo Li's heart was filled with indescribable tenderness.

How he wished that in the real world, they could also have such a carefree childhood, where they could freely explore the starry sky.

This thought, like a pebble thrown into a lake, stirred up another ripple.

But he quickly shook off this strange feeling and refocused his attention on the beauty before him.

As night deepened, the two little ones, still weary from their boundless daydreams and excitement about the starry sky, were finally put to bed.

Luo Li and Castorice tidied up the balcony and returned to the quiet living room.

Time flies.

Castorice sighed softly, "It feels like just yesterday they were tiny babies in my arms, and today they can already assemble telescopes and discuss planetary rings."

"Yes." Luo Li grasped her hand.

Watching them grow up day by day is our greatest happiness.

Even if this happiness is a dream built on quicksand.

He was willing to remain forever intoxicated by this illusion.

Outside the window, the Milky Way glittered, and all was silent.

In this dream, his daughters are growing up healthy and happy, possessing curiosity about the world and the courage to explore it.

That's enough.

It was enough to sustain him in this warm nest woven from the power of Sloth and inner desires, allowing him to continue slumbering and escaping that cold and hopeless reality.