Across Deep Space: Four Men and a Play

When Xia Jiumeng arrived at the Sunset Corridor, many people had already stopped to watch.

The voice of the astronomical broadcast is slowly introducing.

[The KIC we see now is an ancient star 2300 light-years away from us.]

[The Deep Space Society has calculated the exact time when the afterglow of this explosion will reach the Earth...]

Outside the dock, you can clearly see the entire main island.

As the sky gradually darkened, the ring network built around the entire space tower looked like a dazzling planetary ring surrounding the planet.

Neon lights and holographic lights flowed through the air, and people stood in their chosen viewing positions, discussing and waiting with great interest.

A child pulled his mother aside and asked curiously, "Mom, what will happen to this big star in a while?"

The child's mother replied somewhat awkwardly, "Well... maybe... Sorry, I'm not sure either. How about we wait patiently together?"

Listening to the vague conversation between mother and son not far away, some vague fragments flashed through Xia Jiumeng's mind.

[The small and delicate girl in a cute skirt stood beside the chair, looking at the boy who was assembling the model with eyes full of curiosity.

"Xia Yizhuo, what are you doing?"

"I'm studying the astronomy model assignments assigned by my teacher. The ones people make are either about the solar system or about black holes swallowing them. I'm tired of seeing them."

"Do you remember what Grandma showed us earlier? That supergiant star... 2300 light-years away?"

The boy continued to assemble the model while answering his sister's questions seriously.

"It's the most likely supernova our generation will witness, and I'm going to do that."

The little girl tilted her head. "I remember now. Grandma also gave me an example. No matter what difficulties we encounter in the future, you must protect me, just like... a planetary ring protects a planet!"

The boy rolled his eyes when he heard that. "Grandma never said that. Are you only listening to what you want to hear again?"

"Obviously there is!"

He sighed and repeated to the girl, "Grandma clearly said that powerful stars will be destroyed by forces from within, so weak humans have to withstand external pressures."

"But we don't face the future alone, just as some planets and rings are born and destroyed together."

The girl shook her head. "I don't care. It's almost the same idea anyway. I haven't finished my extracurricular reading this week, so you need my help..."

"You want to be lazy again..."

“I didn’t…”

The image in my mind gradually faded as the two children's voices spoke.

The astronomical broadcast continues to report information about new stars.

[This huge super red giant will trigger a large-scale supernova explosion, and the dazzling light from thousands of light years away will reach our world tonight.

This is also the first time since the Sky Rift disaster that we have been able to witness the afterglow of a star explosion with our naked eyes...]

When Xia Jiumeng came to her senses, she found that there were already people standing around her, and the observation deck was now blocked by the crowded crowd.

She moved back but bumped into an embrace. Just as she was about to avoid it, her wrist was grabbed and Xia Yizhuo's voice rang out.

"Awaited."

"Xia Yi Zhou."

He raised his eyes and met Xia Yizhou's smiling gaze. "Although I can see a lot of astronomical phenomena every now and then in Tianxing."

"But this is the first time I've seen something as rare as a supernova explosion."

Xia Jiumeng was stunned as she looked at his profile, which was still as sunny and handsome as she remembered. In fact, he had changed a lot. Even though he hid it well, Xia Jiumeng still noticed the unfathomable and cold look under his face.

Xia Yizhou lowered his head slightly. "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me?"

"No." She looked away.

Xia Yizhou approached her as if nothing had happened and asked, "What did you do today?"

"Just wandering around the streets."

Xia Yizhou said nothing. "There are so many people here, hold on to me, don't get lost."

As he spoke, he pulled her hand and walked forward, not with much force but holding on tightly.

"I'm not a child, how could I lose it... Slow down, Xia Yizhou."

She looked at Xia Yizhuo's back as he pulled her, and slowly overlapped it with the sunny and warm figure in her memory.

An idea suddenly came to my mind. Even Xiaosen and the fleet could not escape the implanted chip, so what about Xia Yizhuo, the commander?

Could his familiar yet strange changes be because he was also...

"Come here."

He took her to an observation deck and stood behind her to block the surging crowd from squeezing her.

Rippling clouds and mist rippled beneath the transparent glass floor ahead, and a holographic image was playing the countdown to the observation point.

Xia Jiumeng's gaze fell on a clock tower not far away. She remembered this place. It was the building of Xia Yizhuo's previous school.

"It turns out that you can still see the clock tower of Tianxing University here."

"There are so many fighter jets flying over there. Is this the training ground of the Aerospace Academy?"

Xia Yizhuo's gaze followed her fingertips to the training ground. "Yeah."

"Exam season is almost here, and I'm afraid many of my juniors will have to cram again."

Xia Jiumeng smiled and said, "I remember the last time I visited was during your graduation ceremony. I didn't expect it's been so long."

"It's been a long time."

"Then... do you feel regretful?" she asked softly.

She always knew that his dream was to fly freely in the sky like a bird.

But now, he is trapped in an iron cage full of conspiracy.

Maybe even...

Xia Yizhuo put his elbows on the railing, lowered his body, turned his head and looked at her with a smile.

"Why the regret?"

"You clearly got into the best aerospace school and became a top-notch deep space pilot..."

"The path you're taking now is completely different from the one you were going to take originally."

Xia Yizhou: "A lot of things will change, it's nothing."

"What about you? When we were little, you asked me to use Evol to lift you up high, and you insisted on launching you into space."

"Do you still want to travel around the universe now?" he asked.

Xia Jiumeng was a little embarrassed about her naivety back then. "Those were just random things I said when I was little."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Yizhuo raised his lowered head, and a trace of melancholy flashed across his face, which he had not yet had time to hide.

Xia Jiumeng suddenly reached out and held his hand that was hanging on the railing.

"But I still want to travel throughout the universe. Maybe one day you can really have the opportunity to send me into space."

At least not at the moment. Her body would break in the blink of an eye if she tried to move it.

Xia Yizhuo was slightly surprised and then laughed, "Why are you..."

"Xia Yizhuo, if you have a choice, will you still choose your dream?" Xia Jiumeng's dark eyes, serious and passionate, collided with Xia Yizhuo's eyes, making his heart tremble in an instant and his breathing almost stopped.

It was the first time he saw such a look in Xia Jiumeng's eyes after they met again for such a long time. He had a feeling that the answer was very important to her, and he had to answer according to his heart, otherwise he would definitely regret it!

Xia Yizhou answered "Yes" for some unknown reason.

After answering, he was shocked by his own naiveté. What other choice did he have?

Even he couldn't guarantee his own tomorrow...

Xia Jiumeng smiled, the first relaxed smile she had seen in a while. "I heard you. Yes, this fairy will grant you the right to make a wish."

My future fleet captain.

Xia Yizhuo smiled helplessly, and the eyelashes on his puppy eyes, which made girls jealous, drooped to cover the self-mockery in his eyes.

"You...you still say you're not childish."

The two of them stood side by side, looking at the supernova in the distant sky while chatting casually about some things in the past.

"Xia Yizhuo, you are now covered in secrets."

"You have quite a few secrets now, but speaking of secrets... there is one thing I've been hiding from you."

"What?" Xia Jiumeng stared at him intently, hoping to get an answer.

Xia Yizhou didn't answer, but just smiled and lowered his head. His voice became very soft. "...Look, it's about to start."

Xia Jiumeng was stunned for a moment, and then she smiled after a while.

"By the way, close your eyes, I have something for you."

Seeing Xia Yizhuo close his eyes, she tiptoed and put the apple pendant necklace in her hand around his neck.

Xia Yizhuo felt the coldness of the necklace and opened his eyes. "Who would give the same gift twice?"

"Who told you to lose the precious gift someone gave you?"

"If you lose it again, I won't help you find it again."

Xia Yizhuo looked at the necklace and replied softly, "Yeah."

"I promise you, I won't lose it again."

Suddenly, a distant sound resounded in the sky, and something drew an arc against the dark night.

Many people exclaimed.

"Look at it!"

"That's a supernova explosion!"

"What a nice view!"

She and Xia Yizhuo looked up at the magnificent flames that erupted from thousands of light years away and reached their world.