Chapter 15: Night Sky

The two girls were pressed so close together that they could feel each other’s warm breaths.

Lin Xiyue’s face flushed instantly. Being treated like this by the person she liked— even the Lin Xi of her past life would’ve had her heart racing. And now, as a girl who embarrassed even more easily, the effect was doubled.

But Xia Jinnian didn’t seem flustered at all. Instead, she immediately worried about Lin Xiyue’s condition.

“Are you okay, Xixi?! Ugh— you dummy! Why were you trying to act strong?!”

Seeing Lin Xiyue’s burning cheeks only made her more anxious.

“It’s my fault too. My brain short-circuited for a second and I didn’t think it through—”

“N-no… I’m fine, Jinnian.”

Lin Xiyue swallowed hard. That face she dreamed about day and night… was now this close. So close she felt an urge to lean forward and steal a kiss.

But she forced herself to resist. She couldn’t rush. If she scared Xia Jinnian, everything would collapse before it even began.

After all, whether in this era or in the one where Lin Xi eventually jumped… people still weren’t very accepting of romance between two girls. She couldn’t dump that burden onto Jinnian just because of her own feelings. Love wasn’t about possession without restraint— it was about caring for the other person.

“Alright, alright. You’re not planning to get up, are you? If you two stay like this any longer, Auntie’s gonna regain her senses and chase you down.”

Ranzhu, off to the side, let out a long sigh. Because these two best friends were so close, students often joked that they were basically a couple.

Some had even suspected they were something more— but the rumor never spread far. After all, what were the odds? Two girls falling for each other? Impossible… right?

Xia Jinnian finally stood up and pulled Lin Xiyue to her feet, brushing off the dirt on both of them. She grinned.

“So what? I am lovey-dovey with my Xixi. You can stay jealous.”

She said it casually, without thinking.
But for Lin Xiyue, every word hit differently.

Does… does Jinnian actually like me too? Is she hinting at something?

Before she could overthink herself into oblivion, Ranzhu grabbed both of them and herded them onto the motorcycle. The three sped toward the back mountain of the school.

“Wait— is it really okay to sneak out like this?” Lin Xiyue asked once she regained her senses.

For Xia Jinnian, climbing out of the house at night to play was basically unthinkable.

“Who knows? Maybe not. But whatever. I promised you, didn’t I? I’m not backing out.”

Jinnian tilted her head. Part of it was rebellion— and part of it was revenge for her mother’s constant need to control everything.

“Idiot, I don’t mind. You could’ve ditched me and gone to sleep. You shouldn’t have to deal with your mom’s wrath because of me.”

Lin Xiyue scratched her head, embarrassed. Even so, her heart felt warm.

Jinnian was willing to go against her family… for her.

“Oh please, as if I don’t know. That non-exclusive freedom contract? You fought forever with Aunt Xu to get it for me, didn’t you?”

Xia Jinnian turned to her, eyes sharp— like she had seen through all of Lin Xiyue’s little secrets.

She wasn’t clueless. She had read the contract carefully. With the level of freedom it granted, she could take all the company’s resources and fly away once she had her wings. If Xu Wei still offered her the original-song rights to Meteor Shower on top of that, there was only one explanation— Lin Xiyue begged for it.

Jinnian wasn’t someone who only knew how to take. She wanted to repay Xiyue too. Even if she couldn’t offer financial value, her sincerity mattered.

“Alright, alright, enough with the flirting. Seriously—”

Ranzhu sighed from the front seat. Clearly, she had turned into the third wheel tonight.

“Pfft. Well, thanks to you, Bamboo-bro, I’m even here tonight. If you hadn’t pushed Xixi out the door, I’d be asleep right now~”

Xia Jinnian actually admired Ranzhu’s carefree, unrestrained family situation. Unlike her own— where every decision was her mother’s call, even when she was blatantly wrong…

“Heh, don’t mention it. I just can’t stand controlling parents.”

That topic instantly lit Ranzhu on fire.

“I’m telling you, Jinnian, you’re practically a college student already. You need to toughen up. Stop obeying everything she says. You keep spoiling her and now she thinks the whole world should revolve around her, without caring how you feel—”

Ranzhu’s rant continued all the way up the mountain.

By the time they arrived, the place was already buzzing with voices.

For students, this was as close as they could get to a festival. Whether it was shy little couples or awkward teenagers, everyone finally had an excuse to sneak out at night.

“Look! The campus goddess and the rising star are here—!”

Someone in the crowd spotted them, and heads immediately turned.

“Campus goddess” obviously referred to Lin Xiyue.
“Rising star” was Xia Jinnian— three-time champion of the singing competition.

Looking back now, it made sense. If she could score a 49 even under Xu Wei’s harsh judging… she was already at a professional level. Competing against ordinary students was basically cheating.

“And once again, I’m invisible—”

Ranzhu sighed dramatically.

“I’m used to being the side character.”

“Don’t worry, Bamboo-bro. I’ll remember your heroic contributions forever~” Lin Xiyue teased.

The three of them found a quieter patch on the grass and lay down, gazing up at the sparkling night sky, each deep in their own thoughts.

As streak after streak of meteors cut across the heavens, the mountain buzzed with excitement…