Mist System: Legend of Stars and Moon

Chapter 80: Burning the Light and Shadow Forest in the Painting

After finishing the painting, Ye Shurou took her to see the mulberry tree.

Xun Diexin said: "Shurou, how long do we have to walk?"

Ye Shurou said: "Don't worry, we will be there soon. You won't get the best deal if you are impatient."

"Oh!" Xun Diexin asked another question: "How high is it?"

Ye Shurou casually said, "Taller than you."

"How wide?"

"Wider than you."

Xun Diexin pretended to be angry and said, "Shu Rou."

Ye Shurou stretched her hand and then shortened it: "So high, so wide."

Xun Diexin said helplessly: "I'd better go and look at the tree!"

"Die Xin, I'm so happy to tease you."

"Shu Rou, just be happy. I am happy too, because the tree is taller and wider than you."

"Each each other."

Xun Diexin looked forward: "It's getting brighter and brighter ahead, are we almost there?"

"Ah."

Xun Diexin vaguely remembered the moment when they ran towards the sunshine. The free and warm light surrounded their whole bodies, just like a fish jumping into the water and being surrounded by the water, until they finally adapted.

After passing through, Xun Diexin felt that the surrounding environment was a bit depressing. Although there was a lot of light here, the light was like a barrier, separating the mulberry tree in the middle from other trees.

Xun Diexin was thinking when Ye Shurou put a mulberry into her mouth, catching her off guard.

Ye Shurou asked, "Die Xin, is it delicious?"

Xun Diexin chewed and said, "Hmm, it's sour, but I like sour..."

“I like sour fruits, too.”

Ye Shurou put a handful of mulberries into Die Xin's hands: "Here you go."

Xun Diexin said, "Did you bring a plastic bag? Let's pack some and bring it back to Aunt Chen Juan."

"I didn't bring it, but I have a lunch box with the rice balls I made today. After we finish eating them, we can use the lunch box to pack mulberries."

"Yes! I also brought a box with pot cakes in it." Xun Diexin took out the box from her bag.

Ye Shurou said: "Then let's finish lunch, so that we can pack mulberries."

"Ah."

After dinner, they started picking mulberries.

Xun Diexin picked a mulberry and observed it carefully: "Mulberries are like smaller versions of grapes, and they are also sour and sweet."

"When I first saw it, I thought it was a smaller version of grapes, but Aunt Chen Juan told me it was called mulberry, and then I knew it."

"Why isn't it called Little Grape?"

“The person who named the grape had never seen mulberries, and the person who named the mulberries later did not know the grape.”

"'That explanation seems logical."

"Well, as long as it tastes good, it tastes good."

"Yes, it's delicious."

“Do we need to keep some?”

"Yes! But I have never seen silkworms eat it. They eat leaves."

Xun Diexin searched the tree but didn't find any silkworms: "Where are the silkworms?"

"Let me show you." Ye Shurou pointed to the small insect that was almost the same color as the tree.

Xun Diexin looked at the insects crawling and said, "Wow! They don't look pretty. I'm a little scared."

Ye Shurou said: "They are members of nature. If they look good, how can they scare humans and protect themselves?"

"Yes! But with Shurou here, I'm not afraid at all. I just hope they don't fall on me."

"It might fall on you! One fell off last time, but think about it, they just don't grow in our aesthetic point, and they're not poisonous."

"Well, they don't fly into my ears that fast either."

"They like to eat leaves, not our earwax."

"Well, otherwise our clothes would be made of the same material as earwax."

Ye Shurou teased, "Die Xin, you can lick the earwax and the clothes to see if they taste the same."

"No way! But Shurou, you can. You can do it if you mention it." Xun Diexin turned around and picked other mulberries.

"Hahaha!"

Soon they picked two full bowls of mulberries.

Ye Shurou said, "Die Xin, I've picked mine."

"Yeah, me too." Xun Diexin replied, "It's really nice here, but it's a pity that Xiao Hei was sleeping and I didn't wake him up."

Ye Shurou said to Die Xin: "I brought Xiao Hei here before."

"Really? Then will it get up and sneak over here when it sees that I'm not here?"

"Maybe!" Ye Shurou packed her lunch box and said, "Let's go! Maybe we can meet on the road!"

"Ah."

The clouds in the sky blocked the sunlight, making the area around the mulberry tree cool. Xun Diexin noticed that the mulberry tree was isolated whether there was sunlight or not, and it was more obvious when there was light.

Arriving at Chen Juan's house and knocking on the door, Chen Juan said happily, "You're here."

"Ah."

Chen Juan was playing old-fashioned music on the radio: "I took out my old radio today. I didn't expect it to still play music. It's great."

The singing is not modern music.

Xun Diexin asked: "What kind of music is this?"

"I forgot too. I don't know what music it was, but it sounded good anyway." Chen Juan fiddled with the radio: "Why did you come here so late?"

They opened their schoolbags, took out the box of mulberries and put them on the table.

Ye Shurou said: "We picked some mulberries on the mountain."

Chen Juan asked, "Is it the mulberry tree?"

Ye Shurou said: "Yes."

Xun Diexin said: "It's sour and sweet and delicious."

Chen Juan said: "Thank you, guys. Come earlier next time and I'll make you something delicious."

"it is good."

At this time, Xiao Hei walked out of Chen Juan's room.

Chen Juan looked at Xiao Hei and said, "Xiao Hei just came to my house. I didn't expect you to come."

There was surprise in their eyes: "Xiao Hei."

Xiao Hei rubbed Ye Shurou's trouser legs, and Xun Diexin picked her up: "Xiao Hei, you fell asleep today, so I didn't ask you to come out to play."

Xiao Hei: “Meow~”

Ye Shurou stroked Xiao Hei's head: "Xiao Hei, we were still thinking about you on the road! I didn't expect you to be here."

Chen Juan looked at them with a smile.

Xun Diexin remembered what she wanted to ask and said, "Aunt Chen Juan, when I added your contact information, I saw that you had a camera on your phone. Can you take a picture for us?"

Chen Juan said, "Come on, come on, I really want to take pictures with you. If you hadn't told me, I would have forgotten. Every time you come, I remember to prepare delicious food and wait for you. I'm so happy that I forget to take pictures. So let's take some pictures now! Xiao Hei is here too."

Xun Diexin said: "Thank you, Aunt Chen."

Chen Juan pulled the two of them to the steps in front of the house: "Come, come, stand on these steps, and Xiao Hei will be in the middle."

Chen Juan walked away and picked up her phone to take a picture of them: "Okay, you guys stay together again, okay, okay, Die Xin, Shu Rou, smile."

The camera captured the moment they were smiling, with Xiao Hei in the middle opening his mouth wide.

Chen Juan said again: "Put Xiao Hei down, and you guys take a picture."

"Ah."

After Chen Juan finished taking the photo, she said to them, "Do you think it looks good? If not, let's take another one."

They gathered around the phone, and Xun Diexin said, "Xiao Hei is really funny, with a big mouth."

Ye Shurou smiled and said, "Xiao Hei is smiling."

"Cute little black."

Ye Shurou looked at Chen Juan: "Aunt Chen Juan, we want to take a photo with you."

"Wait, let me get the phone holder." Chen Juan had already walked into the inner room.

"it is good."

Afterwards, the three of them took some photos at the table where they usually sat. After Xia Tiao came, Xia Tiao and Xiao Hei also took a photo. Photos can preserve those invisible moments.

Before leaving, Xun Diexin asked, "Aunt Chen Juan, Shurou and I don't have photo albums on our phones, so I'd like to trouble you to save those photos for us! When we grow up, transfer them to our phones."

Chen Juan said: "Yes."

Later, Xun Diexin came back and transferred the photos to her mobile phone. She did not look at them immediately, but numbly printed them out and locked them up.

Ye Shurou said: "Thank you Aunt Chen Juan, we will go back now."

Chen Juan said: "Well, be careful on the road."

Xun Diexin and Ye Shurou walked happily on their way home.

Ye Shurou said: "Die Xin, I'm really happy today. There are photos with you and Xiao Hei."

Xiao Hei followed closely behind them.

Xun Diexin said, "Me too. Let's take a photo every time we turn one year old! This way we can compare our appearance when we were young and when we are old, and then observe what has changed and what has not changed."

Ye Shurou listened to Die Xin's words and said, "Well, we are all young grandmas. When we see those lively children coming and going, we will lament that we are no longer young. But as long as I can be with you, I don't mind getting old and ugly."

"Me too, but we will never become ugly. Ugly is just a definition given by others. In my heart, Shurou will always be the most beautiful."

"Hahaha! Die Xin will always be the most beautiful in my heart."

Xun Diexin held Shurou's hand and walked towards the bright sunset. She believed that her future with Shurou was full of light.

In those memories of holding hands, Xun Diexin wished she could hold Shurou's hand tightly. The more she recalled, the more painful it became.

It's the Spring Festival again, but the snow here is light and there is no snow accumulation in the mountains yet.

On this day, Xun Diexin called her brother out because she and Shurou had made an agreement.

Xun Diexin said to her brother, "Brother, you will cover for me and Shurou later. We have agreed to go to a mysterious place."

Xun Hongge asked: "Where?"

Xun Diexin said: "Shu Rou didn't tell me, so I don't know either."

"Then I will follow you all the way."

"Okay, we'll see then."

At this time, Ye Yunan also brought her out according to his sister's request.

Ye Yunan said: "Dad, Mom, I'm taking Shurou out to watch the fireworks."

Ye Yunan raised Shurou when she was a child, and their parents were very relieved.

Mother Ye said: "Okay, come back early."

"it is good."

Then Ye Yunan came out of the house holding her sister's hand.

Ye Shurou asked: "Shurou, I brought you out. Have you agreed to meet your friend somewhere?"

Ye Shurou said, "There is no one at the foot of the mountain behind Chen Juan's house. I want to give Die Xin a gift."

"Oh! Then I'll wait for you at the foot of the mountain later."

"Ah."

When Ye Shurou arrived, Xun Diexin had been waiting there for a while. When Xun Diexin saw Shurou coming, she immediately hugged her and said, "Shurou, we are one year older today."

Xun Hongge and Ye Yunan simply greeted each other.

Ye Shurou said: "Well, let's go to the top of the mountain."

Ye Yunan said: "Shu Rou, we must accompany you to the top of the mountain."

Xun Hongge also said: "Yeah."

Ye Shurou said, "Okay, brother, you guys wait for us halfway up the mountain! There's a good place to watch the fireworks there, you know."

Ye Yunan said: "I know that. I'll wait for you there. Remember to call me if you have anything."

Ye Shurou said: "Yes."

Ye Shurou held Xun Diexin's hand and ran towards the top of the mountain. The wind blew away from them, and Xun Diexin did not feel the cold. When they reached an abandoned staircase.

Ye Shurou said: "Die Xin, it's dark up there, hold on to me tightly."

"it is good."

Xun Diexin asked: "Shurou, what gift do you want to give me?"

Ye Shurou said: "You will know when you get there."

"Oh! Can you give me a hint?"

"No, surprise, it's a surprise."

"Ok."

They soon reached the top of the mountain. It was very quiet and there was no one around except the two of them.

There were no trees there anymore, just a lawn and some rocks.

Ye Shurou led her to the edge of a cliff, and Xun Diexin said, "Shall we watch the fireworks tonight? It must be beautiful to watch the fireworks here."

Ye Shurou said: "It's better than watching fireworks."

Ye Shurou put together the supports she had hidden behind the rocks, hung a painting on it, and secured it around the edges. Xun Diexin also helped secure the painting.

Xun Diexin asked, "Are we going to paint the moon on this picture?"

"No."

Xun Diexin looked at the painting from afar under the light: "Shurou, this is the forest of light and shadow, you painted it really well, shall we appreciate it in the moonlight today?"

"Not really." Ye Shurou said, "Shurou, I found a way to make this painting the brightest."

Xun Diexin asked in confusion: "What?"

"You'll know in a moment." Ye Shurou asked again, "What time is it now?"

"23:57"

Ye Shurou said: "We will start at 23:59."

"Okay." Xun Diexin stared at the phone.

after a little while.

"Shu Rou, we're here." Xun Diexin had been looking at her phone but she didn't notice Shu Rou.

When Shurou was found in the field of vision, she was sliding a match. The match was lit, and she lit the fire in the center of the painting. The fire slowly burned from the center of the painting to the surrounding areas.

Ye Shurou quickly sat down next to Die Xin: "Die Xin, look at the flames spreading irregularly, they illuminate the forest."

The forest in Xun Diexin's eyes appeared in a stunningly beautiful way, and she stared at the painting infatuatedly.

Ye Shurou said to Die Xin: "Die Xin, I love you."

Xun Diexin turned to look at Shurou: "Shurou."

Shurou kissed her forehead.

With a loud bang, the fireworks in the sky were already setting off brilliantly. This was an unforgettable experience for Xun Diexin in her life, and Shurou was right in front of her.

The forest was illuminated brightly under the firelight, and the painting slowly disappeared from the template, but that moment was already in Xun Diexin's heart.

Xun Diexin hugged Shurou: "Shurou, I love you too."

Xun Diexin recorded in her diary: This is their beginning and also their end.

Just like that forest of light and shadow that starts burning from the middle, from beginning to end, it turns into ashes in nature.