Part One: The Longest Night
“Sometimes, the people who sleep the soundest are the ones who have finally found what they thought they had lost forever.”
Night settled quietly over the Lu residence.
The manor, which had remained silent for eight long years, finally felt alive again.
The lights in the corridors stayed on much later than usual.
Not because anyone had forgotten to turn them off.
Because…
No one wanted this day to end.
…
Yu Mingyue sat cross-legged on the soft bed inside her room.
She looked around curiously.
Nothing had changed.
The pale blue curtains.
The bookshelf filled with novels.
The rabbit-shaped night lamp beside her bed.
Even the tiny cactus she had insisted on raising before she died.
“…”
She blinked.
“…Xiao Bai.”
A small white ball of fluff popped into existence.
“What is it, Host?”
Yu Mingyue pointed toward the windowsill.
“…Why is my cactus still alive?”
Xiao Bai flew over.
He looked.
Then looked again.
“…”
“…Host.”
“…Plants are supposed to be alive.”
“No.”
Yu Mingyue shook her head seriously.
“I watered it.”
“…”
“…”
“…Then it really is a miracle.”
Yu Mingyue immediately burst into laughter.
“You mean I almost killed a cactus?”
“They’re famous for surviving.”
“…”
“…Then let’s never tell Brother Mingzhe.”
“He’ll probably prescribe medicine for the cactus.”
Xiao Bai covered his mouth.
Then both of them laughed together.
The quiet room finally sounded like it belonged to an eighteen-year-old girl again.
…
Meanwhile…
Across the hallway.
Lu Yanxi stood silently outside her bedroom door.
He wasn’t doing anything.
Simply standing there.
As if listening.
Not to spy.
Just…
To make sure she was still inside.
A faint burst of laughter drifted through the door.
His tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
Inside the study downstairs…
Gu Mingzhe stared at today’s medical records.
Not Yu Mingyue’s.
His own.
He had accidentally written today’s date wrong three times.
His hand rested on his forehead.
Then, without realizing it…
He smiled.
Very faintly.
“…She’s really back.”
He whispered it only to himself.
…
In another room…
Xie Chengyi sat before a silent computer.
The screen displayed dozens of unfinished equations.
Time.
Space.
Probability.
For eight years…
Those numbers had consumed his life.
Tonight…
For the first time…
He pressed one key.
The monitor went dark.
He quietly leaned back in his chair.
“…Tomorrow.”
The research could wait until tomorrow.
For the first time in eight years…
He chose tomorrow over yesterday.
…
Meanwhile…
Gu Mengmeng tossed and turned on her enormous bed.
She hugged her pillow tightly.
Then suddenly sat upright.
“…No.”
She jumped off the bed.
Opened her bedroom door.
Tiptoed into the hallway.
Then quietly stood outside Yu Mingyue’s room.
She hesitated.
Raised her hand.
Lowered it again.
“…”
“…I don’t want to wake her.”
She whispered to herself.
Just then…
The bedroom door slowly opened.
Gu Mengmeng froze.
Yu Mingyue blinked sleepily.
“…Mengmeng?”
“…”
“…”
The two girls stared at each other.
For three long seconds.
Then—
“You weren’t asleep!”
“I was about to!”
“I knew you couldn’t sleep!”
“I knew you couldn’t either!”
Both of them laughed at the same time.
Gu Mengmeng immediately threw her arms around Yu Mingyue.
This time…
Without fear.
Without hesitation.
Yu Mingyue hugged her back.
“…Can’t sleep?”
Gu Mengmeng nodded pitifully.
“…I’m afraid tomorrow I’ll wake up…”
“…and today will become another dream.”
Yu Mingyue’s smile softened.
She gently pinched Gu Mengmeng’s cheek.
“…Ouch.”
“Did that hurt?”
“…Yes.”
“Good.”
Yu Mingyue giggled.
“Then this isn’t a dream.”
Gu Mengmeng looked at her.
Then suddenly laughed through slightly reddened eyes.
“…You’re so annoying.”
“I’ve always been annoying.”
“…That’s true.”
The two girls quietly sat together outside the bedroom.
Leaning against the wall.
Talking about nothing in particular.
Just enjoying the peaceful silence.
Inside her mind…
Xiao Bai quietly watched them.
Then looked at the sleeping manor.
He didn’t understand humans.
He really didn’t.
But somehow…
Watching them made his little heart feel warm.
Perhaps…
This was what people called…
Home.
…
Later that night.
Everyone finally returned to their rooms.
The manor gradually became quiet.
Moonlight slipped gently through the bedroom window.
Yu Mingyue lay beneath the blankets.
She closed her eyes.
No pain.
No medicine.
No fear that her heart would stop before morning.
For the first time in her life…
She fell asleep thinking about tomorrow.