A Warm Coloured Night Sky
Translator/Editor: Mr Voltaire
Ling Chen silently gazed at Yun Meng Xin while she spoke, listening to what she was saying. Yun Meng Xin looked over to him, and Ling Chen couldn’t help but smile, and walked over to her.
“This is for you. I completely support your decision. I believe that you, who are so independent, will be willing to take hold of your future for yourself.” After walking over to Yun Meng Xin, Ling Chen took out a thin paper scroll and gave it to Yun Meng Xin. He had completely expected her to make this decision sooner or later. At the same time, he had made preparations for this since a long time ago.
“All of this was possible because of you, Ling Tian. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have such opportunities or courage.” Yun Meng Xin said while smiling, her voice full of gratitude. She received the paper scroll, and carefully opened it. After looking through it for a few seconds, if one could see her without her veil, they would see her beaming with a brilliant smile, “Thank you, Ling Tian, I know what I should do now.”
“Haha, didn’t I already say that guildmates should take care of each other, so there’s no need to thank me. Not asking us to take off our masks is enough thanks.” Ling Chen laughed, then walked away. However, he could still feel Yun Meng Xin’s gaze on him.
“What is it? Let us see!” Xiao Qi Su’Er, brimming with curiosity, tried to look at the paper scroll that Yun Meng Xin was holding. When she showed them, they collectively let out a gasp of surprise.
“Big brother bad guy, I want to go back to Azure Dragon City! I haven’t played in the Azure Dragon City at all. The grandpa in the Novice Village said that there are lots of fun quests there.”
“Alright, let’s go back to Azure Dragon City then. We’ll take Tian Tian to receive some quests, and then go around the main areas of the city so she doesn’t get lost.”
“Hmph! I’m so smart, so there’s no way I’d get lost. And there’s also big sister to stay with me- big sister, you’re definitely stay with me, right?”
“En, of course.”
“…….”
Ling Chen, Shui Ruo and Tian Tian ended up logging off later than usual. By the time they logged off, it was already dark outside.
After eating dinner, it was already 8pm. After eating an astonishing amount of food, Tian Tian put down her bowl and chopsticks, yelled out “I’m full!” then ran into the bedroom.
“Ever since Tian Tian came, we’ve been making enough food for six people every meal. Sooner or later, we’re going to go broke because of that little monster.” Ling Chen joked as he leaned back on his chair.
Shui Ruo laughed, “It’s not that bad. Don’t let Tian Tian hear you calling her a little monster, otherwise she’ll start calling you big bad guy again.”
Ling Chen put down his bowl and chopsticks, and wiped his mouth, “I’m also full. I’m going to see why Tian Tian was so eager to run back to the bedroom.”
Ling Chen got up, and stealthily walked towards the bedroom.
Within the bedroom, Tian Tian was lying face down, enjoying the feeling of the soft blanket. She flipped herself over, and stretched out her right hand towards the gaming gear on her left hand. Just as she was about to activate it, her right hand was caught by Ling Chen’s hand.
“Didn’t I tell you to rest up at night? Also, it’s not good for your body to sleep right after eating.”
Tian Tian struggled for a bit, before arguing back, “But I just got to Azure Dragon City, and didn’t get to spend enough time there. Big brother, just let me play for a bit longer, alright?”
“No!” Ling Chen resolutely shook his head, “If you keep insisting, I’ll have to smack your bottom.”
“You…” Little Tian Tian angrily frowned, and yelled out, “You don’t play with me or let me play much, but you always play until so late, and always smack my bottom… all you do is bully me, big bad guy! Big bad guy! Big bad guy!”
“Alright, alright.” Ling Chen pinched her little nose, “Video games and Mystic Moon aren’t the only things to play. En… there have been quite a few things to take care of, so we haven’t taken Tian Tian to go out and play in a while. How about this- today big sister and I will take you outside to play, alright?”
“Really? Where?” Little Tian Tian’s dissatisfaction disappeared immediately. She excitedly sat up on the bed, as she asked with eyes full of expectation.
“It’s somewhere your big sister and I used to go all the time. You’ll know when we get there. We’ll leave as soon as you get changed.”
The Summer night sky was full of stars. The moonlight beamed down on them, and the cool wind blew against them as they walked.
“Wah! Stars! So many stars! There are even stars falling down from the sky!”
Hearing Tian Tian’s words, Ling Chen and Shui Ruo couldn’t help but smile at each other. Shui Ruo gently said, “Those aren’t stars; they’re fireflies. They’re a type of bug that can fly and give off light. Hasn’t Tian Tian seen any before? We’ll get big brother to catch one for you.”
“Eh? Bug? How can bugs give off light?” Tian Tian asked as she looked at the fireflies dancing with both curiosity and surprise.
A firefly flew by them, and Ling Chen stretched out his left hand and caught it. He carefully opened his hand in front of Tian Tian, “Tian Tian, look, this is what they look like. These sorts of bugs sleep during the day, and come out during the night. En, don’t worry, these bugs don’t bite people.”
“Wah, it really is a bug, and its bottom is giving off light! So there are these sorts of bugs as well. I’ve never seen one before.”
“These types of fireflies are very easy to catch. After catching a few, if you put them together, you can make a very pretty lantern. Tian Tian, let’s have a competition and see who can catch more fireflies. Afterwards, we’ll use the fireflies to make a lantern, alright?”
“Okay, okay! I’m really good at catching bugs. I’ve caught bugs with mummy since I was small, I definitely won’t lose to you… light bugs, I’m coming for you!”
Looking at Tian Tian running while chasing fireflies, Ling Chen looked and Shui Ruo looked at each other and smiled. They thought back to those peaceful, blissful years. Each summer, they would come here at night to catch fireflies. They would often have competitions to see who could catch more, and every time Ling Chen would lose to Shui Ruo. Of course, Shui Ruo knew that Ling Chen was always losing to her on purpose, but she always enjoyed the feeling of him being so loving towards her.
Afterwards, Shui Ruo was infected with the Isrock Disease and became incredibly weak. They had never come to this place since then… because Ling Chen didn’t want Shui Ruo’s weak body to get worse from the cold wind, so they rarely went out at night.
“We haven’t come here in such a long time, and yet there are still so many fireflies. I was a bit worried all the fireflies would be caught by other people.” Ling Chen said while looking at Tian Tian, who was still chasing after fireflies.
Shui Ruo gently laughed, “Other people aren’t as evil as us, always coming here to kidnap these fireflies.”
Ling Chen turned and looked at the girl beside him. Under the moonlight, Shui Ruo looked exceptionally beautiful.
Feeling Ling Chen’s gaze on her, Shui Ruo looked over to him, and gave a gentle smile, “Big brother, aren’t you going to catch any fireflies? If you don’t start soon, you’re definitely going to lose to Tian Tian.”
“Then is Ruo Ruo going to help big brother or Tian Tian?”
“Definitely… Tian Tian! If you lose, you have to piggyback me home like before, hehe!”
After saying this, Shui Ruo ran towards Tian Tian. Of course, she was worried about Tian Tian running too far away and getting lost, “Tian Tian, big sister will help you.”
Although they were having a ‘competition’, Ling Chen stood there, gazing at the two girls, listening to their laughter. Within his memory, he hadn’t been able to enjoy this sort of scene in a long time, and this time there was an additional playful, cheerful little girl.
Happiness was quite simple- only the most natural and normal things could give one that natural sense of joy and happiness.
“Looks like instead of Tian Tian, the one who has been too hooked on gaming was myself. I should take them to go out and play more.” Ling Chen quietly said to himself. He laughed, and started to catch fireflies as well.
Ever since virtual gaming had become part of peoples’ everyday lives, there were less and less people coming out during night time. After all, everything within the virtual world was simply perfect. Even the air inside the game was incredibly clean and pure. Moreover, within the game, people would be in a half-sleeping state, so they could more or less rest while they played. As such, people started to prefer spending time within the game than in the real world. Although Ling Chen and company played outside for a long time, no one came to disturb them.
The result of the competition was, of course, Ling Chen’s crushing defeat.
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