Chapter 3: UFO Exploration

"Hello, I'm Yan Jingxing."

Seeing the girl before him with her big, round eyes wide open, staring at him without blinking, Yan Jingxing thought she didn't know who he was, so he repeated his introduction.

I know, she thought. I just heard your introduction in class.

"I'm... Ji Chunzao¹. 'Chun' is Spring and 'Zao' is Seaweed..."

"Mm, I heard from my classmates."

The breeze of early summer blew across the roof, gently moving the hair and clothes of the boys and girls.

After introducing themselves, the two were silent at the same time, and the atmosphere became awkward.

Yan Jingxing scratched the back of his head and pointed at the magazine in the girl's hand.

"UFO Exploration," he said. "I have a stack at home. I loved reading this when I was in elementary school."

"..."

"This magazine used to be circulated among the boys in my class. I never expected that girls would enjoy reading it too. May I sit down?"

"Sure." Ji Chunzao nodded. From the slightly stiff expression on the girl's face, it was evident that she was feeling nervous.

Yan Jingxing sat down beside Ji Chunzao.

The two sat side by side in the center of the small "secret base," and she instinctively huddled her shoulders.

"Can I borrow this to take a look?" Yan Jingxing asked.

Ji Chunzao silently handed him the magazine.

Yan Jingxing earnestly lowered his head to read, as if he was genuinely there to borrow and read the book.

Seeing him engrossed, there was a period of silence. Ji Chunzao's tense mood gradually eased.

She hadn't expected that the boy she had casually met at the seaside a couple of days ago would suddenly become her classmate today.

This is... just a coincidence, right? Anyway, since he's a new acquaintance, he shouldn't have any prejudices against me. And now, he's even actively borrowing a magazine from me...

Maybe he'll listen to what I have to say.

Ji Chunzao's heart skipped a beat. Unable to resist, she shifted her knee, slightly closing the distance between her and the boy. Carefully, she asked, "Do you, um, like this because you believe in extraterrestrial things?"

"Hmm?" Yan Jingxing replied without lifting his head.

"I used to like reading about it, but it was a long time ago. Probably around fourth grade? Later, the teachers confiscated these books, and it went out of style in our class. After some time, I lost interest as well."

"Oh." Ji Chunzao felt a bit disappointed and withdrew.

"Perhaps, tomorrow we'll be a step closer to the answers to these questions..."

After a while, Yan Jingxing finished reading the initial article, "Do UFOs really exist? UFOs in the eyes of ancient people," and read the last paragraph aloud.

"Are there really aliens? Let's continue to explore."

Putting down the magazine, he couldn't help but laugh.

"So familiar. I suddenly feel like what's written in this magazine, whether it's about aliens or UFOs, always repeats and never changes."

"Yeah," Ji Chunzao nodded in agreement. "It's true."

Indeed, she understands. Hearing her answer, Yan Jingxing realized that this girl is just like him—someone who likes peculiar and strange things. She's not "abnormal" as some classmates say.

Such prejudice is really unfair. He recalled the time in elementary school when, just because he enjoyed staying in the classroom reading books and talking to some female classmates, certain boys in the class despised him as "effeminate," creating a sense of sympathy.

"The content in this book feels largely fictional."

He nodded seriously again.

"I know it's fake."

Yan Jingxing smiled. Yeah, after all, we're both in junior high now, not kids anymore...

"—Because I've seen real aliens, and I know they're nothing like what's written in the magazine."

Yan Jingxing's smile froze.

"But even if it's fake, it still has reference value. In this world, I won't be the only one who has seen them. Someday..."

"Wait a minute, you're saying you've personally seen them?"

"Yeah!"

"..."

Looking at her nonchalant expression, not seeming like she was joking and not appearing to think she was lying, Yan Jingxing was still in a daze.

"By the way, we've met before, right? I thought you were a tourist at that time."

He snapped back to reality, quickly taking out the seashell and pebble from his pocket. It was something she had given him before leaving and had been with him ever since.

Seeing his reaction, Ji Chunzao probed, "You're not angry?"

"Why would I be angry?" Yan Jingxing held the shiny "treasures" in his hand, feeling a bit strange. "You're giving me gifts."

"I went to the beach that day to collect seashells and pebbles. I accidentally picked up a lot, but carrying them all would be too heavy. I was afraid I couldn't make it back midway. Then, I happened to see you. So..."

The girl embarrassedly pursed her lips.

"I just casually gave you the ones I didn't want."

Hearing these words, Yan Jingxing felt a complex mood.

How should he put it? On the day they met, the sun was just right, the sea was lively, and he, watching her wet and radiant under the blue sky and white clouds, momentarily felt like the human male chosen by a mermaid from legends.

The age of daydreams and fairy tales had passed, but he couldn't help but have whimsical thoughts about the outside world.

As a result, these subtle thoughts and ideas were shattered by the person involved a few days later.

The peculiar excitement and joy that drove him to run wildly by the sea that day and impulsively search for the girl's figure on campus after class gradually faded without him realizing.

It turned out that everything was just a coincidence.

"I have other books here. Would you like to read them?"

Yan Jingxing's gaze fell on the stacked books and magazines, and he could tell the content just by looking at the titles.

A few years ago, he found them interesting and was very enthusiastic about them. However, now they seemed childish and boring.

He still had a way to go before becoming a true adult, but people around him and the reality of society had already informed him: there are no extraterrestrials in this world, just like there are no mermaids.

"Thank you, but I'll pass."

Both of them remained silent.

After discussing these topics, it seemed there was nothing more to say.

Yan Jingxing stood up, preparing to bid her farewell.

...

Ji Chunzao secretly observed the profile of the boy beside her, knowing that he was just like the others she had encountered.

No matter who it was, no one would believe that she had truly seen aliens.

When she was younger, such talk could be dismissed as "childish innocence." However, as she grew older, her steadfast beliefs made her appear increasingly peculiar and out of place.

If, one day, she became an adult and refused to hide herself, she would likely be seen as a lunatic or a fool by others.

The girl lowered her eyelids, and her thick eyelashes trembled slightly.

"I'll go back to the classroom first."

"Sure, goodbye."

Ji Chunzao watched as he disappeared around the corner and then picked up the magazine again.

Sad thoughts lingered in her heart for a while, but they quickly dispersed. The girl immersed herself once again in the magazine that interested her, entering her own world.

After all, they had only met twice, and there was no reason for her to care too much. As for not being believed and being ostracized by peers, she had long been accustomed to it.

Until—

"Oh, classmate..."

"Wow!"

Once again, an unexpected sound came from behind, startling her.

Ji Chunzao turned warily, and there was his face again.

This time, she felt a little emotional and glared at him discontentedly.

"What, what do you want again?"

"Sorry, it seems I scared you again."

Yan Jingxing scratched his head, laughing a bit awkwardly. He hesitated before speaking.

"You said you've seen aliens. Where did you see them? What do they look like?"

Ji Chunzao turned her head away with displeasure, refusing to look at his face.

"You don't believe it, so why should I tell you?"

"I don't believe it..."

"Then that's fine."

"But, can't you find a way to make me believe?"

The girl still didn't turn around, but her ears subtly perked up, catching the boy's continued words from behind.

"If there were evidence, maybe I would believe."

Evidence, huh...

Ji Chunzao blinked.

She had thought about gathering information and had not been idle over the past few years. However, without seeing it with her own eyes, she remained skeptical.

"Also, I heard from other classmates that you used to talk about aliens every day, annoying people, and that's why others distanced themselves from you."

Hearing about her past embarrassments from others, Ji Chunzao's cheeks turned slightly rosy.

"But I seem to be spared from that treatment. Is it because I'm from the city?"

"...That was all back when I first started junior high."

The girl pouted, a bit embarrassed.

Since no one wants to acknowledge herself, it's better to give up from the beginning. Otherwise, She will just make herself look embarrassing, and others will feel awkward.

Yan Jingxing nodded.

So that's why she avoided me after class, already planning to give up on convincing others.

"But, if what you say is true and you're seen as a fraud, don't you feel unwilling?"

Certainly unwilling! She shouted in her heart.

Ji Chunzao finally turned her head, seriously assessing him.

"If you see evidence, will you really believe?"

"Only if the evidence can convince me."

"Good, then it's settled."

She stood up, hands on hips, exuding confidence.

"Settled?"

Yan Jingxing was a bit confused.

"What's settled? I asked you to show me evidence..."

"—Follow me, let's go find aliens together!"