Chapter 10: The Leonid Meteor Shower

As soon as Li Huangxuan walked in the door, he was greeted by the aroma of food.

Even the lighting in the living room seemed warmer.

He thought to himself: Zhang Chuan, you really left at the perfect time!

Lin Ximeng was still busy in the kitchen, wearing an apron and slippers.

Her graceful back made his heart skip a beat.

“You’re back? Go wash your hands, dinner’s ready,” Lin Ximeng turned around and smiled sweetly.

Li Huangxuan felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart.

How could he possibly stay angry at a girl like that?

Sitting at the dining table, he was once again surprised—was she born to be his perfect mealtime partner?

“Ximeng, how do you know exactly what I like to eat?”

She shot him a glance. “You look like a foodie. Is there anything you don’t like to eat?”

Li Huangxuan was speechless for a moment. She kind of had a point.

He’d never been picky with food, always happy to eat whatever was put in front of him.

He’d only stopped eating fish after turning eighteen, and not because he disliked it—but to remember someone from the past.

Lin Ximeng picked up the first bite with her chopsticks and placed it in his bowl, casually asking, “Was work tiring today?”

Li Huangxuan smiled. “Maybe it was the morning workout—I had a ton of energy all day. Work went smoothly, and even that idiot supervisor didn’t give me a hard time.”

“That’s good. Let’s do it again tomorrow morning.”

“Wait, I was just making conversation!”

He suddenly remembered he had planned to buy a door latch that morning.

Forget it. She means well.

Can I really become a better version of myself?

The two chatted casually, just like a newlywed couple.

The husband comes home from work, and the wife asks about his day.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.

A breeze blew through the window, bringing in the light fragrance of the potted plants on the windowsill.

After dinner, Li Huangxuan didn’t need a reminder—he voluntarily went into the kitchen and started washing dishes.

Maybe this is how men slowly get tamed.

But really, one person cooks, one person cleans. Fair enough.

After finishing, he went back to his room to write.

Lin Ximeng cut up some fruit and brought a plate into the room. “How far along are you in your novel?”

Li Huangxuan pushed his laptop toward her. “Take a look yourself.”

He took the plate and picked up a piece of fruit with a bamboo skewer.

Just as he was about to eat it, he remembered how during meals, Lin Ximeng always served him first.

He hesitated slightly, then nervously held the fruit out to her mouth.

Lin Ximeng blinked in surprise, then opened her mouth to accept the offering, her eyes still fixed on the screen.

That simple act made Li Huangxuan’s heart race.

The fruit suddenly tasted like nothing at all.

Lin Ximeng read quickly, scanning through the newly updated chapter in no time.

“Well?” Li Huangxuan asked eagerly.

“Not that great,” she said, frowning. “You’re a science major—it’s a bit of a stretch for you to write this kind of stuff.”

“Can’t you say something nice for once?”

“Okay, okay. Your writing might not be great, but as long as the emotions are sincere, it could still move readers.”

Her compliment sounded half-hearted at best.

Li Huangxuan knew she was right—his writing really wasn’t that good.

But the truth hurts, and her words still stung a little.

“Look, I already have a loyal reader!” He pointed to a comment left by a user named “Leonid Meteor Shower,” trying to save some face.

“With such a childish username, they must be pretty childish too—to enjoy your kind of novel,” Lin Ximeng quipped, sharp-tongued as always.

Curious, Li Huangxuan searched online to find out more about the Leonid Meteor Shower.

The answer popped up immediately:

The Leonid Meteor Shower, known as the “King of Meteor Showers,” radiates from the constellation Leo. It occurs every year from November 14th to 21st, peaking on the 17th.

He clicked on a video. In it, meteors streaked across the starry sky one after another, each with a long glowing tail.

They looked as gentle and graceful as falling rain.

The video was set to a sentimental background song:

Let me take you to see the meteor shower falling on Earth…
Let your tears fall on my shoulder…
Believe that my love is brave only for you…
And you’ll see where happiness lies…

“Ximeng, are you crying?” Li Huangxuan turned his head and saw that her cheeks were streaked with tears.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered through sobs, leaning gently against his shoulder.

Li Huangxuan stiffened, not daring to move, breathing in the soft scent of her hair and watching the meteors flicker across the screen.

A wave of sadness welled up in him too.

Girls are more emotional, he thought. Hearing a sentimental love song probably made her think of an ex. Crying is normal.

After all, she’d come to Jiangcheng after a breakup, just to get away and heal.

But why the hell am I sad?

She’s crying over her ex-boyfriend. I’ve been single since birth!

After the video ended, neither of them spoke for a long while.

Whether it was the beauty of the scene or the power of the music, they both fell silent.

Tears from Lin Ximeng’s eyes dripped onto Li Huangxuan’s shoulder.

Just like the lyrics said.

“Ximeng, it’ll be November next month. If you want, we can go see the meteor shower together,” he finally said after a long pause.

“No,” she replied quietly. “I’m leaving next month.”

“Do you really have to go?” he blurted out.

She stopped walking, her shoulders trembling slightly—but she didn’t turn around.

Li Huangxuan stared at her back, full of hope.

“I have to go.”

Bang! The bedroom door slammed shut.

The faint scent of her perfume still lingered in the air.

Li Huangxuan sat there feeling empty inside.

A tear slipped from the corner of his eye and fell onto his keyboard.

What’s happening to me?

It’s only been four days since I met Lin Ximeng.

We’re not exactly strangers, but we’re definitely not close either.

And yet here I am, crying over her. How pathetic is that?

He wiped away the tear and rubbed his face hard before forcing himself to sit down and write.

His mind was a mess, and writing was unusually difficult.

Compared to his usual pace, his progress was painfully slow.

It wasn’t until nearly midnight, with sore shoulders and heavy eyelids, that he finally shut the laptop and prepared for bed.

After brushing his teeth, he passed by the living room and heard soft sobbing coming from the next room.

He hesitated, then gently knocked on the door. “Ximeng, are you okay?”

“I’m fine… go to bed,” she replied with a choked voice.

Li Huangxuan poured a glass of warm water, pushed open her door, and turned on the light.

This used to be Zhang Chuan’s room—he’d been in here dozens of times, and knew it well.

Lin Ximeng sat on the edge of the bed, hugging her knees.

A pair of delicate bare feet instantly caught his attention.

They looked like finely carved sculptures—once you looked, it was hard to look away.

“Here, have some water. Try to sleep. Some people aren’t worth it… it’s okay to let go,” he offered awkwardly.

She looked up—her eyes swollen and red from crying.

Suddenly, she threw her arms around him and burst into tears again.

Caught off guard, Li Huangxuan almost dropped the glass.

Ximeng, what is it that you just can’t let go of?