When they stepped out of the restaurant, Qingque was all smiles.
Bai Heng's eyes looked utterly lifeless.
Jingliu, on the other hand, carried a palpable aura of murder about her.
As they parted ways, that little diviner from the Divination Commission poked Bai Heng in the side, looking quite pleased with herself.
"Brother Heng, after all that I said, your little sister is bound to be in awe of you now!"
"Whether she's in awe or not, I don't know… but 'bound' to die sounds about right…" His arms hanging limply, Bai Heng felt as though his very soul had scattered in seven different directions.
Ten minutes later.
Walking along the deserted Starwatcher Avenue, trailing behind Jingliu, the silence between them felt heavy and strained.
Given how things had unfolded, even Bai Heng was at a loss for how to break the tension, so he let the quiet linger.
They walked on like that for a long while before Jingliu finally turned her head, her crimson eyes fixed on Bai Heng, shattering the silence:
"Aren't you going to explain yourself?"
"Or is it that everything that little diviner said was true, and you have nothing to say?"
Hearing that, Bai Heng stiffened slightly.
He had expected Jingliu to be more visibly upset, but it didn't seem to have reached that point yet?
He let out a faint, wry smile, his tone slipping back into that familiar, teasing lilt:
"I feel I must clarify—most of it was nonsense!"
"Most of it? So some of it was true, then?"
"Uh… I can't really argue with that."
"Was it the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission and her daughter?"
"Absolutely not!!" Bai Heng immediately denied.
"I suppose not. However low you may sink, you wouldn't go after a mother and daughter together." Jingliu nodded, seemingly not doubting that point at all.
"Then was it the head of the Whistling Flames Merchant Guild?"
"If that were true… would I still be running a little shop like this…?"
"What about the Divination Master herself?"
"Even less likely! That so-called 'thread of affection' she mentioned has to be pure fiction…" Bai Heng massaged his forehead, feeling thoroughly drained.
"So, the part about the girl you formed a bond with—that part is true?"
Having eliminated the other possibilities, Jingliu naturally arrived at the final conclusion.
Her blood-red eyes held an indescribable complexity as she looked at him.
This was a question he couldn't avoid, and Bai Heng knew it.
After a moment of silence, his gaze drifted toward the star-skiffs speeding past along Starwatcher Avenue, and he spoke slowly:
"A'Jing, before I admit to anything, let me tell you a story."
"A story that took place in Penacony, the Planet of Festivities…"
Bai Heng's voice was calm and measured, gently recounting events from his time on Penacony.
A boy who belonged among the stars, and a girl fleeting as a firefly.
Two souls with similar destinies, meeting on that celebration-filled star.
From keeping secrets from each other, to opening their hearts and understanding one another's fates, then, in the limited time they had, experiencing all the wonders that dreamlike planet had to offer together.
Standing at his side, Jingliu watched the star-skiffs flitting across the sea ahead, listening quietly without interruption.
"At the end of the story, before his life reached its end, he made a promise to the girl: don't grieve, don't stand still, and never let shadows cloud her smile."
"After that, he became a falling star in the night sky, sending his final blessing to that little firefly."
"That is the story—one that lasted only two months on Penacony."
"It's also a story I lived through, before this life began…"
As his words faded, Bai Heng turned to look at Jingliu.
He had finally laid everything bare.
More than nervous, what he felt was a strange sense of relief.
Bai Heng knew this was something he had to face, no matter what.
Rather than hiding and evading, it was better to lay it all out and confront it directly.
He was prepared.
Whatever came next—whether Jingliu drew her sword on him, or anything else—he would accept it willingly.
Yet, none of that happened.
The twilight was deep and still, the night breeze stirring Jingliu's silver hair.
After a long silence, she finally spoke:
"So she crossed through the cycle of rebirth to find you."
"Before I did?"
Bai Heng froze slightly at that.
Was it just his imagination? Rather than the fact itself, was A'Jing… more concerned about the order of events?
Though puzzled, Bai Heng still nodded in confirmation.
"In this life, what has happened between you and her?" Jingliu's gaze remained even as she pressed on.
A cold sweat broke out on Bai Heng's forehead.
This was a complete and utter death-trap of a question.
Still, well aware of how dangerous it was, he gathered his words and laid out everything between him and Firefly.
From their reunion to the days they spent together afterward, he held nothing back.
It felt like a confession after being caught red-handed…
But maybe this was just a necessary step.
As he'd decided earlier, Bai Heng had chosen to face this head-on. So since Jingliu asked, he answered—with no reservations.
But the response Jingliu gave in the next moment left him utterly stunned.
The former Sword Champion of the Luofu spoke in that cool, composed tone she'd always had:
"So, you and she have not… become husband and wife in truth?"
Huh? This wasn't playing out like he'd expected at all.
Bai Heng was bewildered.
In his imagination, there was a very real chance Jingliu would simply draw her sword and slice him into mincemeat after his explanation.
But… what kind of direction was this question taking things?
Confused as he was, Bai Heng still shook his head and gave his answer.
Jingliu gave a slight nod.
"Alright, I understand."
Bai Heng: ???
You understand? Then why am I more lost than ever?
Before Bai Heng could recover from his confusion, Jingliu's cool voice sounded again:
"Don't worry, I won't say anything more about it."
"Transmigration and rebirth, reuniting with a past love—such things may seem illusory, but since it happened, it is real."
"Besides, if not for this cycle of rebirth, we likely would never have met again. And even if we did, we might not have recognized each other."
"Moreover…"
Jingliu tilted her head slightly, her gaze resting on Bai Heng. Those vermilion eyes of hers were strikingly vivid in the dim light.
"In your past life, you never betrayed me. That alone is enough."
"As for this life… I will use my own actions to determine the outcome."
Those decades spent together, hand in hand, journeying across the endless cosmos—that was the truest proof of what they shared.
If it could be that way in that life, then it could be that way in this one too.
That was Jingliu's conviction.
To sum it up in one phrase, it could only be…
The composure of the one who holds his heart!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.