Chapter 100: Midnight Sky Lanterns

(1)

Night always seemed to pass without notice.

Alpha

Just like now, even though half an hour had gone by, it felt like only five minutes had passed.

After all, the Milky Way still shone brilliantly, and the pink clouds continued drifting slowly across the sky.

On the table, a pile of folded paper cranes had already formed.

“Ying, you’re so slow, I’ve already folded more than half for you.”

“You’re just too fast.”

Zhu Ying snorted lightly.

“I didn’t expect Xiao Jing to be so skilled at folding paper cranes.”

“In kindergarten, the teacher taught us. Near graduation, we spent several days folding paper cranes, then put them in little glass bottles to give to each kid.”

Anjing held up a freshly folded crane, inspecting it carefully.

“But I don’t know where that bottle ended up… probably still in some forgotten corner of the old home.”

“Your old home’s almost torn down; you definitely won’t find it.”

“Losing things is normal. From childhood till now, I don’t even remember how many things I’ve lost.”

“That should be enough. Let’s stuff these cranes into the sky lantern, then we can release it.”

Zhang Qiqi casually picked up a crane and unfolded it.

“Hmm… ‘I want to try kissing Xiao Ying after she eats jelly’ — did Anjing write this?”

“Hey, how can you just tear apart someone else’s folded crane!”

Anjing’s face flushed red.

“Hurry and fold it back!”

“Here, Xiao Ying, did you hear that wish?”

“Mm — Xiao Jing, I’ll make your wish come true later!”

“I’m just writing, that’s all!”

“What wishes did Qingyan write?”

Zhang Qiqi smoothly changed the subject.

“They all wrote the same wish — hoping to be able to stand up and walk like a normal person.”

“That’s a good wish. It’ll come true!”

Anjing always felt Zhang Qiqi was much gentler to the girls than to the boys.

At least, she’d never really seen her prank the girls…

“Stop daydreaming and come help. We need to release the sky lanterns quickly for the full effect.”

“How many do we have in total?”

“About forty or fifty.”

“Wow — that’s a lot.”

“If it’s not enough, how can we send our wishes to the sky?”

***

(2)

One by one, the sky lanterns were lit, carrying the children’s wishes as they slowly floated upward.

“It’s flying!”

Anjing couldn’t help but look up.

Forty or fifty lanterns didn’t sound like much, but seeing them all together was quite a sight.

Watching them fly unhesitatingly upward, Anjing even had a childlike thought — maybe if they kept flying past the atmosphere, they’d turn into stars decorating the Milky Way.

“Hopefully all our wishes come true!”

Zhang Qiqi clasped her hands and laughed loudly.

“I’d be happy if just a few come true!”

Zhu Ying was not greedy.

“They’re flying higher and higher…”

Chi Qingyan tilted her head, following the lanterns’ ascent.

“They’ll fly very high, then fall somewhere no one can see…”

Wang Xinru whispered softly.

“Wang Wang, that’s a bit too pessimistic, isn’t it?”

Anjing overheard and couldn’t help but comment.

“I think that’s actually optimism.”

“Huh?”

“Even knowing the cold reality, you’re still willing to believe in an intangible hope and keep working hard to make your wish come true.”

“Is pessimism the ultimate form of optimism?”

“Pfft… hmm… maybe so.”

The sky lanterns took off from right beside them, slowly shrinking in their vision until they passed through the clouds and became nearly invisible dots.

“Ah — my neck hurts.”

Anjing rubbed her neck.

“Too long looking up.”

“Too bad it’s not summer. Otherwise, we could bring out the loungers and fall asleep under the stars.”

“Ying, the mountain summer has tons of bugs, especially at night. The sky looks beautiful outside, but I guarantee you couldn’t last ten minutes out there.”

“Mosquitoes?”

“Mosquitoes are the mildest. There are all sorts of flying bugs that don’t fear people — they fly onto your skin and even into your eyes, ears, and mouth.”

“Ew!? That bad?”

“You bet!”

“Standing still attracts bugs, but if you walk, it’s better. Catching cicadas at night in summer is fun. Their reaction is so slow, you can slap them onto a tree with a big net, and they won’t even try to fly away.”

Anjing covered her mouth to yawn.

“Ha—huff… The sky lanterns are all released now. Should we go back to sleep?”

“Sleep? The sky’s almost light. Time for breakfast.”

Zhang Qiqi stretched.

“If we finish breakfast in time, the sun will just be rising.”

“It’s barely past three… sunrise is still far off…”

“No worries. Xiao Jing, you should sleep.”

Zhu Ying rubbed her head hard.

“I’ll help make breakfast~”

“Ah — what?”

Zhang Qiqi’s eyes rolled mischievously.

“Yep, we’re making steamed buns, then stir-frying some veggies to put inside. So Xiao Ying wants to help too.”

“Ah, Wang Wang, maybe you should help instead?”

“I’m helping—helping with the buns.”

“What about Xiao Ying?”

“I’m helping with the stir-fry!”

Zhu Ying puffed out her chest.

“Today I’ll show Xiao Jing my skills!”

“No no no, I’ll do the stir-fry…”

“Xiao Jing, just go sleep. Leave it to me!”

Anjing blinked furiously at Zhang Qiqi, who pretended to be clueless.

“What’s with the flirtatious looks? You’ve got Xiao Ying and you’re still so fickle.”

“Hey, you know I don’t mean it like that!”

“Pfft, hahaha… then shall we all go to the kitchen?”

“Fine… I’m so sleepy…!”

“Xiao Jing doesn’t believe in my cooking skills at all?”

“Not totally…”

“Then what?”

“I still believe a little…”

“How much a little?”

“Zero point something percent—ahhh pain pain pain—!!”

“Xiao Jing has to eat the breakfast I make today!”

“Help!!”

***

(3)

“Ugh… ah!”

Anjing suddenly woke from a dream, instinctively reaching to touch her forehead, which was covered in fine sweat beads.

“Huff… huff…”

“Xiao Jing, what’s wrong?”

“Uh… I dreamed school started, but I couldn’t find my homework anywhere. The teacher called my dad, who rushed all the way from the provincial capital to get scolded…”

Anjing patted her chest.

“That scared me half to death.”

“Pfft, how do you even have dreams like that?”

“How should I know.”

Anjing leaned back fully, not realizing she was sitting on a bench, and promptly fell over backwards.

“Ugh—”

Wang Xinru, chopping vegetables nearby, looked over in alarm but her view was quickly blocked by Zhu Ying.

“Xiao Jing, you’re so clumsy!”

“I forgot it was a bench…”

“Does it hurt?”

“No.”

Zhu Ying helped Anjing back onto the bench.

The kitchen was filled with warm steam scented faintly with the smell of steamed buns.

“Xiao Jing, look, this is the stir-fried eight-treasure vegetables I made. Try it!”

“Ah… you made this?”

Anjing stared at the small plate of seemingly normal stir-fried veggies, surprised.

“You didn’t mess it up?”

“— Jing —!”

“Ah… okay, I’ll try it.”

Anjing hurriedly picked up some with chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

The brief moment felt endless — her face reddened as she muttered two words, “Too salty!”

“Too salty? I worried it was too bland. But if you eat it with buns, a bit saltier is better, right?”

“…I already said it’s salty enough. Xiao Ying just wouldn’t listen.”

Zhang Qiqi looked helpless.

“I thought it wasn’t salty enough!”

Zhu Ying blushed, defending herself.

“Let’s use this to prank A Qiang and the others later…”

“Maybe if we add some water it’ll taste less salty?”

Zhu Ying suddenly suggested.

“…Then it’ll probably taste terrible.”

“Well, it’s not that you can’t add water (to make soup), but just a little. When supplies are low, this kind of dish is a godsend.”

Zhang Qiqi teased with a smile.

“Fine, fine, fine!”

Zhu Ying grumbled angrily.

“Next time I won’t decide on my own!”

“Ding… ding—”

The electronic clock on the hall wall suddenly chimed on the hour, followed by a slightly mechanical female voice.

“Now it is the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, 6:00 a.m.”

“Huh?”

Anjing’s eyes widened.

“Isn’t today the Lantern Festival?”

“Pfft, hahaha—”

Zhang Qiqi froze, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, even dropping her spatula.

“No way! You still thought today was the Lantern Festival?”

“Hey! You’re all ganging up to trick me!”

Anjing shouted angrily.

“I can forgive Xiao Ying and Qiqi, but Wang Wang, why are you lying too? When did you learn to be bad? Hey hey hey!!!”

Chi Qingyan covered her mouth, looking down to stifle her laughter.

Though she hadn’t said anything earlier, it was clear she was part of this ‘big conspiracy.’

“Who’d believe someone sleeping a whole day and night straight?”

Zhang Qiqi glanced sideways at her playfully.

“The main reason is that sleepy Xiao Jing is just too adorable. We couldn’t help but trick you a bit~”

“I really thought I wasted a whole day and night. I even felt bad in my dream about losing a day off!”

Anjing rested her cheek in her palm.

“You guys really teamed up just to trick me.”

“It was an impromptu idea.”

“Right! How’s my improvisation? No flaws at all, right?”

“I didn’t see any flaws either,” Wang Xinru said seriously.

“What’s there to compete over in something like this!”

“Hahaha — you look so cute when you’re angry!”

“See? My Xiao Jing is cute no matter what!”