You Are Deep in The Stars

Although they were rejected, the little stars still stubbornly slipped into Bai Xi’s dream. They flickered, giving off a gentle and playful halo, just like the cartoons they watched as children, converging into a continuous scene on the screen: the Milky Way.

Bai Xi laid alone in front of the tent under a star-filled sky, enjoying the fragrance of flowers and the breeze. The cheerful waltz tune seemed to echo in his ears. Everything was so beautiful, only a pair of princesses and princes were missing to complete this lovely fairy tale night in the woods.

As if anticipating his thoughts, the sound of rustling footsteps emerged from the woods.

Bai Xi sat up abruptly.

Accompanied by passionate music, Han Zhuo appeared calmly on a white horse, smiling elegantly and extending his right hand to him like a gentle gentleman.

Bai Xi asked curiously, “Where are we going?”

The next second, Mr. Han pulled out a large landscape lamp from his arms, emitting a dazzling white light, incredibly bright.

.

Bai Xi woke up in a cold sweat.

He sat on the bed for a full five minutes before gradually regaining his senses.

There were flower-scented essential oil candles lit at the head of the bed, and melodious waltz music played softly on the speakers in the living room. The curtains were drawn open, allowing a dazzling beam of sunlight to penetrate through and illuminate the pillow.

Thankfully, it was just a dream… He breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down.

Han Zhuo was busy in the kitchen. Spare ribs and corn cooked in a transparent glass soup pot, emitting an enticing aroma.

Bai Xi slipped on his slippers and stood at the doorway, watching him.

“Are you awake?” Mr. Han adjusted the stove flame, then approached and checked his forehead with the back of his hand. “36.8°C, you’re fine.”

“So accurate?” Bai Xi expressed skepticism.

“You can do it too in the future,” Han Zhuo put his index finger to his lips, “Of course, oral temperature is the most accurate. If you don’t mind, I—” he hissed suddenly.

“I don’t mind at all.” Bai Xi released his hand and went to find juice in the refrigerator.

Han Zhuo glanced at the teeth marks on his finger. “Is this payback?”

“You asked for it,” Bai Xi held out his other hand playfully, “I could do this for a month.”

“As long as you enjoy it,” Han Zhuo took a deep breath, then smiled calmly, “then I don’t mind either.”

Bai Xi couldn’t be bothered to argue further. He sat on the window sill and observed Han Zhuo continuing to cook.

In the afternoon sunlight-filled kitchen, amidst the aroma of food, Han Zhuo appeared busy. His fingers were slender and precise, whether he rinsed tomatoes under the faucet or sliced mushrooms, he could have been a model for household products.

“What are you thinking about?” Han Zhuo covered the pot and smiled at him, “You’ve been staring at me for fifteen minutes.”

“I was thinking about what you did—fighting in the underground warehouse—to enable more people with abilities to live this kind of life,” Bai Xi asked, “having a warm home and a pot of delicious soup.”

Han Zhuo looked surprised. “I thought you were pondering lunch; that’s quite a profound topic.”

“I was thinking about Aunt Li for a moment.” Bai Xi held up his hand again. “You’re doomed; now you know what you’ve done.”

“I called Mrs. Bai at eight in the morning.” Han Zhuo leaned closer, looking at him, “So for the next month, we’ll stay here and you won’t have any reason to complain.”

Bai Xi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He grabbed his collar and protested, “You’re really pushing it!”

“Please, I’m genuinely afraid of Aunt Li,” Han Zhuo held his hand solemnly, “Saving a life deserves some leeway, right? I can offer an exchange of equal value.”

“What should I exchange for?” Bai Xi asked.

Han Zhuo replied, “You can make any request to me, as long as I can fulfill it.”

“So generous?” Bai Xi draped his arms around his shoulders, sat on the floor, and started negotiating: “Three.”

Han Zhuo countered, “Two.”

Bai Xi clicked his tongue and reminded him, “Aunt Li.”

“Okay,” Mr. Han relented, “Four, deal.”

Bai Xi was quite pleased to suddenly have four wishes granted. He crossed his legs and lounged on the sofa in the living room, contemplating how he could frivolously trouble and tease Mr. Han, his own Aladdin’s magic lamp.

“I command you to kiss me right now!” The heroine in the TV series cried dramatically in the rain.

Bai Xi: “…”

Oh well.

“What are you staring at so seriously?” Han Zhuo walked out of the kitchen.

Bai Xi quickly changed the channel.

Mr. Han smiled knowingly, “Hmm?”

“Why bother with TV dramas?” Bai Xi nudged him back toward the dining area, forcibly changing the subject, “Eat up quickly, we have to go to the company this afternoon.”

“Planning to hit the bar tonight?” Han Zhuo pulled out a chair. “It’s the last day of the week. Wu Zigang wants to meet Daisy.”

Bai Xi nodded, “Okay.”

But before leaving work, Daisy called to say that Wu Zigang had arranged to meet at the Hi-tech Zone, where Zhao Xiaojuan currently resided, as he didn’t want his daughter to be too exhausted.

“Is there any danger?” Bai Xi inquired.

“You mean for us? No,” Han Zhuo assured as he drove towards the High-tech Zone. “He currently wants to collaborate with us, and even if rejected, he’d never willingly turn us into enemies. So, the initiative in this matter isn’t in his hands, understand?”

“Understood,” Bai Xi pondered briefly before asking, “What about you? What’s your and Auntie’s take? Should we cooperate with him?”

“We can’t commit to cooperation, but I don’t mind aligning temporarily to permanently shut down the underground warehouse,” Han Zhuo replied. “But first, I need a thorough investigation of the third laboratory to understand what happened. How should I approach that paranoid and cold-blooded Dr. Wu?”