Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Inside the monitoring center, the alarms abruptly ceased, leaving only the soft hum of the instruments and the heavy, chaotic breathing of the people. Everyone stared blankly at the stable dot of light on the screen, radiating a steady, soft golden-white glow, as if the terrifying, death-defying sprint just moments before had been nothing more than a collective hallucination.

"It...stopped again?" someone asked, their voice trembling, as dry as sandpaper.

“Yes…it’s stopped. It’s stabilized…around L2? No, further than that, but the relative position is extremely stable…” another expert murmured, his eyes vacant.

silence.

Dead silence.

Then came a tremendous feeling of exhaustion and a deeper sense of bewilderment and fear.

What...what is this thing trying to do?!

Did he play the role of the feudal lords by lighting beacon fires?

……

While top-secret research and emergency meetings at major institutions fell into a deathly silence of shock and bewilderment, the world of ordinary people was quietly stirring with excitement due to the changes in the night sky.

Initially, only a few amateur astronomers and night owls noticed the anomaly, but as TX-817 grew brighter and posts about it spread on the internet, more and more people took notice of it.

On Weibo, China's largest social media platform, the topic "Super Bright Star Appears in Night Sky" skyrocketed in popularity and quickly topped the trending search list.

The photos and videos posted by netizens from high-altitude areas with less light pollution, such as Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet, are the most impactful—in the images, a golden-white, exceptionally bright star hangs high in the sky, its stable and soft light truly dwarfing traditional stars and even the crescent moon.

"I'm in Shangri-La, and I've never seen such bright stars in my life. They're almost as bright as the moon! Do wishes made under such a starry sky come true?" The accompanying photo was of prayer flags and bright stars against a backdrop of starry skies, and it garnered a lot of replies wishing to "share in the joy."

"Taken by Dianchi Lake, it's so beautiful it makes me cry! Did some big shot really pluck a star from the sky and give it to their sweetheart? I declare this the most romantic astronomical phenomenon of the year!" This comment sparked some lighthearted banter about "rich man's romance".

However, more rational voices quickly emerged, bringing some unease.

"Can any astronomy experts come forward to explain this? I checked star chart software, and there is absolutely no star or planet that bright at this location. Venus is not at this time, in this position, or at this brightness either."

"It's terrifying to think about... It doesn't look like a celestial body, more like an artificial light source. And have you noticed, it seems... to be slowly getting bigger and brighter? Is it just my imagination?"

The comment about "slowly getting bigger and brighter" received a highly upvoted reply: "It's not an illusion! I compared photos from half an hour ago with photos now, and it is indeed brighter! This doesn't follow the normal laws of celestial bodies... Could it be something... flying towards Earth?"

"Don't scare me upstairs! I'm scared of dying, thank you!"

"Could it really be an alien spaceship? There seem to have been similar controversial reports before."

Suddenly, keywords such as "alien civilization," "unknown flying objects," and "doomsday speculation" began to mingle with romantic praise, while unease spread quietly like ink dripping into clear water.

Of course, this phenomenon is not unique to China; similar discussions have taken place in other countries that are also in darkness!

In Japan, the topic of "mysterious super bright star" quickly gained traction. A photo taken near Mount Fuji, showing the star Amur hanging high above the snow-capped mountain, was widely shared.

"すごい!これ、ウルトラマンの古郷から来た光かな?" (Awesome! Could this be the light from Ultraman's hometown?)

"This must be a sign that Tiga is about to be resurrected! Everyone, quickly offer your light!"

"Bullshit! This is clearly Leo's light!"

"It's Taro!"

"I bet a bag of spicy strips that this is definitely Zoffy!"

……

In South Korea, social media is flooded with starry sky photos with all filters turned up to the maximum, trying to make Qi Nanxing look more like something out of an idol drama.

"??, ? ? ??!" (Oppa, please pluck that star from my sky!) became a popular phrase.

Of course, besides these romantics, some people are also worried:

"It's too bright, it's unsettling. We're waiting for the weather service to release information."

"You're dreaming! They'll just say it's a special celestial phenomenon and won't affect anyone's lives, so please don't worry!"

……

In Southeast Asia, many netizens excitedly shared photos, regarding it as a rare spectacle and a perfect opportunity to make a wish. Temples, beaches, and rainforests all benefited from the golden-white star as the ideal backdrop.

"Blessing from the sky!" and "Make a wish!" are the mainstream sentiments.

Oceania:

Australia is currently experiencing summer nights in the Southern Hemisphere, offering excellent viewing conditions. Astronomy enthusiasts and the general public are engaged in heated debates on Facebook and local forums.

"Bloody hell! That's no star! It's a space station! Or an alien probe!"

"No, man, it's just a piece of space junk. The sunlight is reflecting off it in a weird way."

"It's moving! I swear I saw it pulsating! Check out my time-lapse!"

"You idiots, this is clearly a secret military project. It's very likely a spy satellite from the United States."

Meanwhile, in other parts of the world where it's daytime or nighttime but observation conditions are poor, the topic is also gaining traction. People unable to witness it in person are "virtually observing" it through a deluge of images and videos on social media, joining in all sorts of bizarre discussions:

Is this a real-life version of Independence Day? Have governments secretly joined forces?

"It must be a new way for some super-rich person to confess their love, like putting a giant LED screen in space."

"The end of the world is coming! Stock up on canned food and bottled water!"

"Don't panic upstairs. This is clearly some kind of rare atmospheric optical phenomenon. Let's wait for the experts to prove us wrong."

"The supermarkets here have been completely emptied. I'm heading to the city center now, hoping there might still be some supplies there."

"Oh shit, you bunch of bastards, leave me some! I don't have a single grain of rice left!"

……

The internet is flooded with information, with rumors and exclamations flying everywhere. The official silence has further fueled the growth of various speculations. Panic has not yet spread widely, but a global curiosity, excitement, and underlying unease have already connected countless people in front of their screens through the invisible network.

Unbeknownst to them, the "astronomical spectacle" or "suspected extraterrestrial signal" that sparked global discussion originated from a man's incredibly "terrifying" romantic gesture at a campsite in the mountains behind Yunmiao Village, all in an attempt to win a smile from his beloved.

……

The morning after camping in the back mountain of Yunmiao Village.

As dawn broke, the mountain mist had not yet completely dissipated. The campsite was quiet, save for the occasional crackling of the embers of the campfire. One by one, the people emerged from their tents, yawning, and began slowly packing up their sleeping bags and the mess left behind from the previous night's revelry.

Xu Hongdou folded the moisture-proof mat methodically, while Chen Nanxing, clutching a blanket, was still savoring the shock of the "Qinanxing" satellite from the previous night. Da Mai squatted to the side, stuffing his notebook back into his backpack.

"what--!!!"

A piercing scream, no less shrill than the one she heard when she saw "Miss Liu" last night, suddenly burst from Hu Youyu's throat as she was scrolling through her phone, instantly shattering the morning's tranquility.

"Teacher Hu, what are you yelling about?" Nana was startled and glared at him, clutching her blanket. "What's wrong with you so early in the morning? Did you see a ghost?"

"Damn it...it's scarier than seeing a ghost!" Hu Youyu's voice trembled, and he could barely speak. Holding his phone like he was holding a bomb, he stumbled towards the crowd: "Look! Something terrible has happened! Something catastrophic! Last night...last night's star! The whole world...the whole world is in an uproar!"

If someone says "it's scarier than seeing a ghost," it doesn't necessarily mean the event is scary; they might just be using exaggeration. But Hu Youyu is different; he really saw a "ghost." Therefore, when he says "it's scarier than seeing a ghost," it means that this event is definitely not simple!

Realizing that something serious had happened, the crowd immediately surrounded Hu Youyu.

Xu Hongdou swiped the screen and softly read out several bolded, sensational news headlines:

"Planet of Death is trending worldwide! Is it an alien fleet outpost or a harbinger of doom?"

"NASA and global observatories are urgently monitoring the situation. The unknown celestial body is behaving strangely and has twice accelerated toward Earth!"

"Pandemic grips people in many areas, supermarkets are overrun with panic buying, conspiracy theories abound: is it a government cover-up or interstellar contact?"

"Rumors about Earth's weightlessness spread like wildfire, prompting authoritative organizations to issue urgent denials."

Is it the end of the world or a new beginning? Is it an advanced civilization or a brain in a vat? Why is Planet Death so bizarre?

"The Trisolarans are coming. Are you ready?"

……

With each headline read aloud, the expressions on the faces of the onlookers became more varied. The unique romance and awe of last night were now completely overshadowed by global shock, panic, and countless unanswerable questions from science.

The air seemed to freeze. A few seconds later, everyone's gaze, filled with disbelief and horror, was fixed on Lin Bufan, who had just stretched and stepped out of the tent.

Lin Bufan was taken aback by the commotion, then realized that something was wrong. He looked down at himself in the direction of everyone's gaze—his pajamas were buttoned up properly, and there was nothing amiss.

"What's wrong? Why are you all staring at me... Do I have something on my face?"

“Extraordinary…” Chen Nanxing’s voice changed tone. He first pointed to the sky, then realized that it was daytime and he couldn’t see Qi Nanxing at all. So he quickly pointed to his phone, speaking rapidly like a machine gun: “Star! That one last night! That Qi Nanxing! Online! All over the world! Everyone is saying… it’s some kind of death planet! Aliens! It’s going to collide with Earth! It accelerated! It stopped! It’s moving again! The news! The trending topics! It’s all gone crazy! Everyone’s gone crazy…”

Lin Bufan was dizzy from Chen Nanxing shaking him, and he grabbed her hand with a blank expression: "Nanxing, speak slowly, what are you talking about? What Death Planet? I don't understand a word of it?"

"Ugh, forget it!" Chen Nanxing stamped his foot in frustration and shoved the phone into Lin Bufan's hand: "See for yourself! I can't explain it clearly!"

Lin Bufan took the phone with suspicion; the screen was still displaying the sensational news page. He quickly glanced at the headlines and the beginning of the article, his lazy and confused expression instantly freezing. Then, his eyes slowly widened, and his mouth unconsciously opened slightly.

“This…” He scrolled through the screen, his expression becoming more and more interesting, from surprise to astonishment, and then to a complex look that mixed “Holy crap” and “this is really bad”.

He knew from the beginning that TX-817 might attract some attention; after all, it would be almost impossible to completely hide such a large "planet" from modern astronomical observation networks while he was remotely controlling it. But he never expected it to cause such a commotion!

Global panic? Doomsday prophecy? Alien fleet outpost?

Isn't this a bit too far-fetched?

"My God..." Lin Bufan muttered to himself, his fingers unconsciously swiping across the screen, looking at the reports, speculations, panic statements from all over the world, as well as various so-called "expert interpretations" and "insider information," and he felt a headache coming on.

Last night he really just wanted to... well, have a little romance and make a romantic gesture!

Isn't this effect a bit...too explosive?

Just then, he suddenly felt an eerie silence around him. Looking up, he found everyone gathered around him: Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Nana, Da Mai, Hu Youyu, Xie Zhiyao, Bai Manjun… All eyes were fixed on him, filled with shock, inquiry, disbelief, and a hint of… certainty that “it really was you who did it”?

Lin Bufan's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly sobered up.

No, I absolutely cannot accept this!

Otherwise, they'd definitely mistake you for an alien!

Lin Bufan shoved the phone back into Chen Nanxing's hand, his face quickly switching to an expression more surprised, innocent, and bewildered than everyone else's. He even exaggeratedly took a half-step back, his voice rising eight octaves:

"No...you...you don't actually think this has anything to do with me, do you?!"

He pointed to himself, then to the sky, and finally spread his hands, his expression one of utter injustice: "My God! Look at me! I, Lin Bufan, am just an ordinary person with a little money, who can cook a little, is a tiny bit handsome, and might even know a tiny bit of unorthodox methods! How could I possibly have such great abilities?!"

"I can remotely control a star? And make it accelerate, suddenly stop, and orbit the Earth, scaring the whole world into chaos? If I had that ability, why would I be stuck in this tiny place like Yunmiao Village? I'd be a god long ago… no, I mean, I'd be a national treasure, okay?!"

As he spoke, Lin Bufan pointed at Hu Youyu: "Youyu! You tell me! We all saw it last night! Did the star suddenly light up on its own? Did I just point at it? Even if I'm incredibly powerful, can I conjure up a planet out of thin air? Is that scientific? Is that reasonable?!"

Hu Youyu was taken aback by his question, and subconsciously nodded: "Yes...it suddenly lit up...you just pointed it out..."

"That's right!" Lin Bufan slapped his thigh, as if he had found strong evidence: "Think about it again! If I really did this, what would I gain? Just to show Nanxing... uh, everyone a star? Am I crazy to make such a big fuss? As if I'm afraid people won't know I have something going on?"