Chapter 5: A Wondrous Night in Baiyue Town

The night sky tonight had no stars.

The long and winding road was enveloped in the clear moonlight, and the swaying shadows of trees rustled in the wind.

Two figures, one in front and one behind, left the entrance of the dormitory under the gaze of onlookers. Then, they walked side by side.

The girl with long hair beside him hummed a cheerful tune, moving as lightly as a deer that had accidentally wandered onto the campus.

Using his peripheral vision, Yan Jingxing quietly observed the profile of Ji Chunzao. He noticed the curve of her mouth, with a small dimple.

During the daytime classes, she was silent, emitting a gloomy aura. At this moment, it seemed like the aura had never existed before.

"Chunzao, are you okay?" he couldn't help but ask, recalling his hesitation earlier.

"Huh? What could be wrong with me?"

Ji Chunzao turned her head, giving him a strange look.

"Today, you mentioned that things at home were..."

"Oh, that."

Her long and dense eyelashes covered the expression revealed in her pupils for a moment, giving off a sense of dejection. However, the feeling was fleeting. Ji Chunzao quickly lifted her face, wearing an indifferent expression.

"It's not a big deal. Actually, I feel lucky now." She said, "I have to thank you for that."

"Huh?"

"The most important things, I left them all in your care, didn't I?"

"..."

"You won't lose them, right?"

"No, I placed them all there nicely." Yan Jingxing sighed.

Those books, dolls, and models were essential to Ji Chunzao. However he didn't understand it at the time.

"Help me take care of them for a while longer. I can't bring them home right now."

"Sure."

The teenager nodded earnestly.

He decided to take all these things home and find a proper place to keep them. To others, it might be insignificant, but to Ji Chunzao, they were irreplaceable treasures—a sentiment Yan Jingxing had also experienced.

Understanding her feelings, he didn't want to disappoint her.

Ji Chunzao looked into his eyes. After a moment of silence, she suddenly smiled happily.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing. I just feel... even though we're not very familiar that day, I didn't make a mistake in my judgment."

"Don't casually establish relationships." Yan Jingxing frowned. "I still don't think we're very close now."

"Hey, you obediently came out with me. Don't say that." The girl nudged his arm with her elbow, smiling cunningly like a little fox.

As she approached him, he saw her pupils shining in the night. Yan Jingxing felt a bit uncomfortable and turned his head.

He remembered the gazes his roommates had thrown at him before he left, and his face felt warm.

"I couldn't react in time. You walked so fast, I feel like I lost face."

"Walk? I ran. It's the boys' dormitory; it was my first time going in. I really gathered up courage for that. If it weren't for pulling you out..."

"The boys' dormitory? Is that a problem for you?"

"Of course, it's a problem! I'd feel embarrassed."

"You can still feel embarrassed..." Yan Jingxing found her a bit more "imposing" after hearing about her "glorious deeds" from his roommates.

Because of being Dragged out of the dormitory by his arm in front of everyone, his tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

"For someone who can shout 'UFO is coming!' in front of the entire school, isn't this level of exposure easy?"

"How did you... know?"

Ji Chunzao stuttered.

"Others told you, right?"

Her momentum weakened.

"Well... at that time, I really had no choice. I saw it, but time was running out. Afterwards, I still felt a bit upset... especially since that day, no matter who I encountered at school, the way they looked at me changed."

That's for sure!

Yan Jingxing felt that from that day forward, Ji Chunzao had become a freak in the hearts of the teachers and students at Baiyue Town Experimental High School.

"And, I couldn't sleep for several nights."

The girl sighed quietly.

"Every time I lay down, the events of that day would unconsciously surface in my mind. I couldn't help but toss and turn clutching a pillow, and then I couldn't sleep."

So, you would really feel embarrassed.

Listening to this, she seemed a bit more like a normal person.

"But now, I've realized that these things were never my problem. It's because they couldn't see the aliens and treated me like a fool, which led to these consequences."

Ji Chunzao took a deep breath, her expression determined.

"I've decided to overcome this weak mentality and learn to ignore others' gazes. I'll do everything according to my own ideas from now on."

...It might be better if you don't overcome it, Yan Jingxing thought sincerely.

"Thanks to you, that day you asked me, 'If everything you said was true but people treated you as a liar, wouldn't you feel resentful?' Honestly, that question was really thought-provoking and made me determined."

The girl clenched her small fist, shook it forcefully, and her pretty face, hidden by her hair, blushed slightly, but this time it was due to excitement.

"..."

Yan Jingxing didn't know how to respond, so he decided to keep quiet.

...

Just as they were about to leave near the dormitory building, a girl's voice suddenly came from behind, stopping them.

"Wait."

Someone ran out from the entrance to girls dormitory, and her footsteps quickly approached. They were intercepted before they could leave.

Standing in front of them was a girl in pajamas, who probably didn't have time to change into her school uniform and hurriedly came down.

Yan Jingxing blinked.

"Did you get caught when you came out?"

He asked in a low voice.

"N-No, but considering the commotion just now, the dormitory supervisors might already know..."

Ji Chunzao also lowered her voice.

"No, the dormitory supervisors doesn't know yet."

The girl in front of them answered softly.

Her black, silky hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her almond-like pupils were large and bright. She is slightly taller than girls of the same age. Although she was young, she exuded a sense of pure and refined beauty, making her unforgettable.

After her appearance, Yan Jingxing noticed Ji Chunzao's surprised and bewildered expression.

It seemed like they knew each other.

In fact, even he, as a transfer student, recognized her.

She had delivered a speech on stage during Monday's flag-raising ceremony as the head of students. At that time, she stood out among her peers, giving Yan Jingxing enough reason to inquire about her name from his classmates. It turned out she was a well-known figure in the school.

Excellent in both academics and character, hailing from a wealthy family, trusted by teachers and students alike, she was said to be proficient in piano and ballet, presenting a perfect image resembling a character from a fictional story.

He couldn't help but glance at the girl by his side again.

If Chunzao took good care of herself, she could probably achieve a similar effect in a crowd. Even their influence seemed to be similar, although their paths differed.

"Yuzhi, wh-what are you doing here?"

Why are you starting to stutter again? Where's your momentum from earlier?

"What am I doing here? I should be asking you that."

She shook her head.

"It's already 9:20 in the evening, and the dormitory supervisors will be on patrol soon. Why did you choose this time to run out?"

""... I couldn't decide that." Ji Chunzao said softly.

"Why? ...Ah, I understand.' She sighed, 'It's because of the so-called 'alien' stuff again."

The girl's gaze fell on Yan Jingxing.

"Hello, I'm Xie Yuzhi. And you are...?"

"Yan Jingxing."

"I remember now. You're the new student who just transferred, right?"

"Yeah."

"Nice to meet you. However, I want to remind you of something."

She raised her eyebrows slightly.

"Don't let this person lead you. Your relationship with her may be good, but you don't have to break the school rules together, right?"

Yan Jingxing couldn't help but turn his head, coincidentally meeting Ji Chunzao's eyes.

Seeing her pitiful expression, he turned back and replied:

"This is my decision, and it has nothing to do with her."

To be precise, it was about the appointment.

Their connection was about the topic of aliens.

In the final analysis, it was because, although he didn't behave as outlandishly as Ji Chunzao, there was still a trace of innocence lingering deep in his heart.

If this time turned out to be false, he could completely let go of that impractical delusion. Yan Jingxing thought to himself.

If Deceived by her, he could smoothly become a member of the group that considered Ji Chunzao a weirdo.

"Is that so."

Xie Yuzhi nodded.

She seemed to have nothing more to say and was about to turn and leave.

"Are you going to tell the dormitory supervisors...?"

Ji Chunzao asked cautiously.

The black-haired girl glanced at her.

"No, I won't."

She said.

"I don't have time to report such trivial matters to anyone, and I think others wouldn't either. I'm tired and going back to sleep."

After leaving this sentence behind, Xie Yuzhi walked towards the dormitory building's door without looking back.

Watching her figure, Yan Jingxing couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Do you know her?"

"Yeah, she's my roommate."

In the refreshing night breeze blowing towards her, Ji Chunzao patted her cheeks and instantly regained her vigor.

"As I just said, it's not that I insist on going out at night, but aliens only appear at this time. Can you understand?"

"It doesn't matter. I came out with you. Just follow the agreement, and let me see when it happens."

"Very well. Then the only question left is..."

"Wait, how do we get out?" he asked, "The gatekeepers probably won't let us out."

"Don"t worry. There's a place near the playground where we can climb out. I'll take you there now."

Taking advantage of the night, the two quickly crossed the playground and arrived at the base of the wall that Ji Chunzao had mentioned.

There was a circle of trees planted next to the school, with branches and leaves flourishing and extending over the wall in some places. Among them, a section of branches drooped down, providing a convenient way for someone to climb up.

Ji Chunzao grabbed the branches and agilely climbed the wall in quick steps, showing a flexibility that seemed unnatural, clearly indicating she was experienced.

Yan Jingxing tugged at the branches a few times to confirm their strength, then stepped on the wall to leverage himself and successfully climbed over.

Next to the wall was the canopy of trees. He raised his arms to shield his face, avoiding being scratched by the branches.

Dim streetlight struggled to penetrate the thick foliage overhead, casting the street outside the wall into a deep and mysterious atmosphere.

He jumped down from the wall, landing on soft fallen leaves and soil.

"By the way, you just moved here recently, right?"

The girl who had landed on the ground stood up, clapped her hands, and turned to say to herself:

"I'm a local, and at the same time I'll show you around the town. Although the shops are closed at night, the scenery is still beautiful."

Her expression was so happy and sincere that Yan Jingxing swallowed the words "Quickly take me to confirm" that had come to his lips.

... Anyway, tonight, he would be able to confirm whether her words were true or false. There was no need to rush.

Yan Jingxing took a deep breath of the fresh night air, suddenly realizing the uniqueness of this evening.

He had always been a good student, never violating the teachers' instructions or the school rules. However, today, he left the school in the late night, about to stroll the streets with a female classmate.

Even Yan Jingxing himself, after coming to his senses, was surprised by his boldness, and this change happened so suddenly, unconsciously.

Just now, the classmate who was the head of the students said that he was "led by Ji Chunzao," and perhaps that was true.

Anyone who knew about it would realize his "fall" because originally only those irredeemable teenagers would do such things.

However, their purpose was so pure that it resembled the naive fantasies of children who had not yet gone to school.

"Then lead the way."

Yan Jingxing shook his head, shaking off those confused thoughts.

Since he had already come out, he might as well continue walking.

"Sure~ Follow me."

Ji Chunzao smiled and crooked her fingers to beckon him, taking the lead to leave this narrow street.

"Don't go too far. We still need to come back."

"Don't worry. I've got it."

Leaving the quiet campus, departing from the tree-lined street, the glass windows of the buildings along the street reflected the cold white moonlight. The dim yellow streetlights spilled over the sidewalk and bus stop signs, while people and cars on the road appeared and disappeared vaguely.

The boy and the girl walked in the night, like strolling in the dim underwater world untouched by sunlight. Shoulder to shoulder, they embarked on the journey to find extraterrestrials.