Starry Sky

Night fell, and the spring evening breeze carried a pleasant hint of coolness, offering a peaceful night's sleep.

Lu Yan pushed open the glass sliding door leading from the living room to the courtyard and walked outside, holding Aemeath's hand.

The persimmon tree in the courtyard rustled softly in the night breeze.

Far from the bustle of the city center and the light pollution of neon signs, they could look up and see quite a few stars twinkling against the dark night sky.

Lu Yan brought a large cashmere blanket out from the house, then led Aemeath to the two-person wicker chair beneath the persimmon tree and sat down with her.

He spread the blanket out and wrapped it snugly around them both.

Aemeath slipped off her slippers and curled her legs up on the chair. Like a lazy cat, she nestled into Lu Yan's arms and nuzzled against him.

She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart, while his arms held her tight, shutting out the chill of the night breeze entirely.

They embraced quietly like that, neither in a hurry to break the rare tranquility.

After an unknown amount of time, Aemeath slowly opened her eyes and gazed up at the deep night sky with her starry eyes.

The sky was exceptionally clear tonight. It was like a vast expanse of velvet, dotted with tiny, brilliant stars that twinkled like countless scattered diamonds.

"A-Yan~" Aemeath murmured softly, her voice especially clear in the quiet night.

"Mm, I'm here." Lu Yan lowered his head, gently nuzzled her, and tightened his arms around her.

Aemeath raised a fair finger and pointed at the vast sea of stars overhead, her voice wistful and full of emotion. "The stars here are so much brighter than the ones over the snowy plains."

"Luckily, we live on the outskirts of the city," Lu Yan said with relief.

"If we were in the city center, the light pollution from the neon signs and skyscrapers would probably keep you from seeing a single star."

"Really?" Aemeath blinked, seemingly full of curiosity about the common knowledge of this world.

She snuggled farther into Lu Yan's arms, as if she wanted to press her whole body into his. "Then... A-Yan, what is the universe like here?"

Lu Yan was slightly taken aback. Following Aemeath's gaze, he too looked up at the deep, starry sky.

"Actually, I don't know either."

Lu Yan's voice sounded a little distant in the night breeze, carrying a sense of awe for the unknown. "The humans of this world have explored the universe for a very, very long time."

"They invented enormous telescopes to observe galaxies tens of billions of light-years away. We've launched countless probes and sent out countless radio waves, trying to find an echo from others like us in the vast sea of stars..."

At that point, Lu Yan paused and looked down at the girl in his arms.

"But even now, humanity hasn't discovered any other life in the universe."

"No other life?" Aemeath tilted her head up slightly, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

"You mean this planet is the only one with life in this infinite universe? Have the humans of this world always faced this void alone?"

"Yes." Lu Yan nodded and smiled. "That's why many astronomers say humans are the loneliest species in the universe."

Lu Yan looked at her slightly widened eyes and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.

He lowered his head and gently brushed the tip of Aemeath's nose, his tone light and somewhat casual. "But what does any of that have to do with me?"

Aemeath stared at him. "Huh?"

"Whether the universe is lonely, whether there are aliens tens of billions of light-years away, where humanity's future is headed..."

Lu Yan pulled her closer into his arms, his voice carrying the languor of someone who had seen through worldly affairs. "Instead of thinking about those troublesome things, it's more practical to think about what to eat for lunch tomorrow."

He reached out and gently brushed a finger over the bridge of Aemeath's delicate nose. The starlight filling the sky and her image alone were reflected in his deep eyes.

"So, my Lady Aemeath, you'd better work hard at learning to cook and take good care of my stomach. That's the top priority, the matter on which my life depends."

Hearing that, Aemeath stared blankly at Lu Yan.

The night breeze stirred the persimmon tree's branches and leaves, making them rustle.

That's right. Who cares how big the universe is? The person important to me is holding me tight right now, discussing tomorrow's lunch menu with me. What else is there to think about?

Aemeath suddenly burst out laughing. At first, it was just a soft, suppressed chuckle, but her laughter grew louder and louder. Her shoulders shook slightly in Lu Yan's arms, and her eyes curved into beautiful crescents in the moonlight, tears glistening at their corners from laughing so hard.

"A-Yan, you really are a complete and utter fool."

Aemeath reached out with both hands, wrapped them tightly around Lu Yan's neck, and buried her face deep in the crook of his neck.

"But I really love this fool."

"Since you've entrusted your stomach and your tomorrow to me, you'd better be prepared."

Aemeath raised her head and stared intently at Lu Yan. "I'll look up every recipe, and I'll memorize the properties of every ingredient until I know them by heart."

"I'll make it so your taste buds can't accept anything except the food I make."

"No matter how bad it tastes, as long as I feed it to you, you'll have to swallow it obediently." Aemeath leaned close to his ear, her warm breath brushing against it. "Do you hear me, A-Yan?"

"I hear you." Lu Yan didn't hesitate in the slightest. His hand gently stroked Aemeath's back, soothing a kitten with its fur standing on end. "I'd eat poison too, as long as it came from you."

With Lu Yan indulging her without limits, the fire in Aemeath's heart burned even brighter.

She rested her head against Lu Yan's chest again, quietly listening to his steady heartbeat.

To her, that sound was more beautiful than any lullaby.