"That one in the middle is called the Milky Way..."

"I've heard the story of the Milky Way. When I was a child, my dad told me about the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl..." Zheng Zhilan's voice was faint, like a murmur.

"Actually, it's the galaxy we live in. It's a huge barred spiral galaxy, shaped like a whirlpool." Zhou Li whispered, his voice almost as tender as the night's breeze. "It contains approximately 120 billion stars like our Sun, with countless Earth-like planets. We are located on the edge of one of its spiral arms, and from a distance, it looks like a river."

"It's so big..." Zheng Zhilan whispered, her eyes wide.

Zhou Li couldn't see, but that didn't stop him from interpreting for her. "Do you see seven stars arranged like a spoon?"

"No."

"Look for them."

"Found them."

"That's the Big Dipper. Ancient people thought they looked like a ladle for scooping wine, so they called them the Big Dipper. In the West, they call it Ursa Major."

"Mmm."

"The brightest one is called Venus, also known as Gold Star Taibai, and it shares the Solar System with us." Zhou Li paused. "As a child, I always thought that all these stars were inhabited."

"Could they be?"

"Maybe they could be. There must be at least one that is," Zhou Li said, uncertain. "It's just that they might look different from us."

"Like demons?"

"Right."

"It's so beautiful, twinkling..."

Zheng Zhilan didn't lower her head for a long time. Her neck had already started to ache, but she couldn't bear to look away.

She couldn't bear to... This was the only time in her life she had seen the starry sky, and perhaps she would never have the chance again. She wanted to etch it firmly into her memory so that it might appear in her dreams after a night's rest.

But there was so much more in this world worth seeing: moths dancing in the light, Big Yellow's head-tilted expressions, the lushness of great trees... And the dust on the ground; the grain of the wood on the doors; the dazed ants that seemed to be lost; Tuanzi's eyes, like stars and the ocean. Some of it she had imagined—some just as she had envisioned, and much that was different. Some she had never even noticed before. The clear world was so beautiful.

Zhou Li sat silently on the recliner, squinting. For a moment, he felt the surrounding chirps of insects and croaking of frogs with vivid clarity. He was experiencing the world from another angle, feeling Zheng Zhilan's world, and it brought him a sense of novelty.

Beside him, Brother Nan and Huai Xu were playing games, munching on watermelon as they played.

Suddenly, the hoot of a night owl came from a distance.

There was also movement in the chicken coop.

Chopsticks had somehow brought back another wild chicken. It walked up to Zheng Zhilan, crowing and circling her as if to show off its achievement.

Zheng Zhilan gently stroked its rough plumage, her fingers making an almost inaudible sound against its feathers, while she stared at the patterns on the wild chicken, observing the colors. This somewhat abnormal behavior puzzled Chopsticks, which watched its owner curiously.

The world was busier than Zhou Li had imagined.

Suddenly, a piece of cold, wet watermelon touched his lips. The sweet fragrance of the fruit was followed by Brother Nan's voice, "Here, eat some watermelon."

It was close to dawn when everyone finally got up and started heading back into the house.

Zheng Zhilan walked very slowly. Perhaps she was unaccustomed to it, or maybe she was trying to commit every detail of the house to memory.

Zhou Li also walked slowly. He could see a little, though his vision was weak. It was enough to make out where the door was, whether there were any benches on the path, and how the tables and chairs were arranged. The main issue was that in his blurry vision, he wasn't very sensitive to distances, and even on flat ground, he might misstep.

Perhaps it would get much better after he got used to it.

Brother Nan walked beside him, one hand gripping his forearm. The gesture wasn't really necessary, but Zhou Li hadn't refused it.

They reached the room.

Brother Nan guided Zhou Li to sit on the bed and, supporting his shoulders with both hands, grinned and asked, "How do you feel?"

"Not bad."

"Was it fun?"

"Quite novel."

"What should I do if I want to experience it too?"

"...Better not to experience it. I'll take advantage of you when your vision is impaired," Zhou Li said, feeling somewhat troubled. This girl's thoughts were indeed puzzling.

"I don't mind if you do!"

"..."

"Can you go to the bathroom by yourself?" Brother Nan asked again.

"Yes."

"You won't pee on your hands, will you?"

"...You head back to sleep; I'm fine."

"I'm not going back! Let's see what you can do about it..." Brother Nan, still looking at Zhou Li cheerfully and quite shamelessly, said, "So, can you see me clearly now?"

"...Yes, I can."

"Eh? Why?"

"..." Zhou Li was speechless. "I can see the disappointed look on your face."

"Why?"

"Because you're special."

"Oh..."

Brother Nan nodded, her face still showing disappointment, as if a lot of fun had been taken away from her in an instant.

In the end, it was Zhou Li who pushed her out the door.

「The next day, in the morning.」

Zheng Zhilan got up very early. She stood at the door for a while, staring blankly at the clouds accumulating in the valley ahead. What used to be just a white expanse in her eyes, she now knew, was actually so beautiful.

Then she prepared breakfast.

Whenever she had a moment, she would stop to quietly take in her surroundings. Even the stones used to build the houses seemed very pleasing to her eyes. They had tiny reflective flakes on them...

Zhou Li, however, did nothing. After waking up, he just sat at the doorway, daydreaming.

Truth be told, it had taken him a long time just to get dressed this morning, especially determining the right side from the wrong side of his clothes. Just when he thought he had it figured out, the Old Monster remarked that he had put it on wrong. This prompted Zhou Li to hastily take it off again, only to realize the Old Monster had tricked him.

It was infuriating.

Now, all he could guarantee was that he wasn't completely blind. He could walk without problems, wouldn't easily bump into tables or chairs, and wasn't likely to fall.

But he definitely couldn't manage if he went to unfamiliar places. Especially when encountering steps or complicated road surfaces, he had to rely solely on his excellent sense of balance to avoid falling.

As for helping out in the kitchen or washing dishes, that was absolutely out of the question. Huai Xu even had to help him squeeze toothpaste this morning. It was only then that he truly appreciated how tough Miss Zheng's life had been over the years, and how incredibly well she had managed it.

After breakfast, Brother Nan stood at the edge of the courtyard holding a small hoe, ready to go out with Zheng Zhilan to dig for yams.

A line of dogs led the way.

Zheng Zhilan looked at Zhou Li. "I'll leave Qinghe with you. You can call him if you need anything."

Zhou Li shook his head. "No need. I'll just sit here; I won't go anywhere. Holding Lord Dumpling, quietly enjoying the breeze, and listening to the wind and the birdsong is enough."

As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the Old Monster munching on a pear. "Besides, I have Huai Xu with me..."

Huai Xu, hearing this, was startled for a moment and blinked.

"Okay."

Zheng Zhilan left with Brother Nan, Qinghe, and the pack of dogs.

Zhou Li watched them walk farther and farther away along the trail and up the mountain on the side. For a moment, the entire courtyard, even the whole village, seemed to contain only three living beings: him, Huai Xu, and Tuanzi. The view before him was blurry, and it was eerily quiet.

He finally understood why Zheng Zhilan would always stand at the front of the courtyard to welcome them when they arrived and to see them off when they left. In a blurry world, clear people are so precious.

The moment Brother Nan and Zheng Zhilan left, he almost immediately felt a sense of loss. This was despite having exchanged eyes with Zheng Zhilan just last night and knowing he would get his own back in only a few days.

What about Zheng Zhilan?

Zhou Li looked at Huai Xu, then down at Tuanzi. Suddenly, a thought arose in his mind: only with their presence did this world seem meaningful.

Tuanzi looked up, her eyes sparkling as she met his gaze, as if sensing his mood.

"What's wrong, Zhou Li?"

"Nothing really."

"You seem unhappy. Does Lord Dumpling need to play with you?"

"I just think Lord Dumpling is truly wonderful."

"CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP! Of course, Lord Dumpling is the best in the world!" Tuanzi's voice was clear but quite narcissistic. Suddenly, a fluffy tail darted from behind her to in front of Zhou Li's chin and started wagging. This surprised her, and she stared at the tail, eyes wide.

"Lord Dumpling's tail wants to play with you." She thought about it and decided that must be the case.

"Thank you, Lord Dumpling."

"Thank the tail."

"Thank you, Lord Dumpling's tail."

"You're welcome!"

So he took hold of Tuanzi's fluffy tail and gently caressed it along the fur.

Tuanzi's tail appeared fluffy and quite thick, but inside, it was just a very thin strand. Moreover, it was very mischievous. As Zhou Li stroked it, the tail would pull away from his grasp. He would catch it again, and after a while, the tail would slip away, as if playing hide-and-seek with him.

Suddenly, a phone playing music was shoved into his lap.

Zhou Li: ???

He saw Huai Xu looking intently at him. "They won't be back for at least an hour, and it's boring to just sit around. Why not scroll through TikTok for a while?"

He did that on purpose!

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