Chapter 62: A Bed.
The main purpose of this trip was to measure various parameters of the Astral Express.
At the same time, you delivered some supplies to the conductor. In truth, there was still some food left on the train.
But the conductor, guarding the broken-down train alone, carried an indescribable sense of loneliness and loss.
It was like…
Your dream was the sky, yet you fell from it…
From that moment on, you could no longer look directly at that beautiful starry sky—you could only cry alone in the shadows…
Your task was completed in a single day.
That night, the sky was clear and filled with stars. Himeko spread out a picnic blanket and prepared some food and drinks…
Pom-Pom sat at the train's doorway, its short rabbit-like legs dangling outside.
The stars shimmered, and the night was calm.
You drank and talked freely…
There was no unpleasant past—only beautiful fantasies about the future.
Herds of whales, seas of stars, all kinds of civilizations, all kinds of races, and…
All kinds of "them"…
Himeko's eyes were filled with longing. Sitting across from you, she rested her hands on the blanket, tilted her head slightly, and gazed into the deep night sky.
"It's so beautiful…"
She let out a soft sigh.
You also looked up at the stars, imagining seeing Earth from space. Perhaps at that moment, the planet you stood on would become the far shore of the sea of stars…
"Cheers! Xiaobai!"
"Cheers!"
"Come on, Pom-Pom!"
You clinked your cups from a distance, as if celebrating a dream about to set sail.
That journey was destined to be anything but ordinary.
The space station bearing your sister's name…
The Xianzhou Luofu, where your younger sister was the Grand Diviner…
To you, that too was a starry sky filled with longing.
As the bottle of wine slowly emptied, Himeko's face flushed under the dim camping light.
Suddenly, she turned to look at you, her eyes softened with a hint of tenderness under the influence of alcohol.
"Xiaobai…"
She called you softly.
"The night I encountered the train… what… did you go through?"
Taking advantage of her drunken state, Himeko asked the question she most wanted to understand.
It would have been natural to be surprised by the Navigator's sudden curiosity, but you showed no reaction.
Instead, you said…
"That night, I died at the gambling table…"
"And I lived at the gambling table…"
Himeko set down her empty glass.
She crossed her legs into a more comfortable position and looked at you…
"Let the past stay in the past, Xiaobai…"
"I think we can still be very good partners…"
Your gaze drifted slightly, and you sensed that Himeko was trying, in her own way, to mend that friendship.
But you knew—once a relationship breaks, it's like a crumpled sheet of A4 paper. Even if you smooth it out, it will never be as flat as before…
"Mmm…"
You let out a soft hum as you watched Himeko smile.
That uneasy feeling deepened in your chest. Even if she didn't say it, you could feel it.
Her thoughts were far less natural than she appeared.
If… smoothing the paper couldn't restore it, then with your personality, you'd burn it…
Ashes are always more beautiful than crumpled paper.
Gradually, the second half of the night arrived… Pom-Pom had already grown sleepy at the train's door…
Himeko carefully picked it up and carried it back inside, then opened a relatively intact carriage.
"Xiaobai, the bedding is ready. For tonight, you'll have to sleep in this carriage for now…"
"You only brought one set of bedding."
Your observation was sharp.
Himeko's luggage wasn't heavy—there was no way it could hold bedding for two.
"There's a spare set on the train…"
She still tried to make it easier for you to accept it.
"Stop pretending, Miss Himeko. I've been to the storage room too—there's clearly nothing there…"
"Hehe…"
"Then… what should we do? Could it be…?"
Himeko's face flushed slightly—whether from the alcohol or not was unclear…
Could it be that the two of you had to share one set of bedding?
"That… wouldn't work…"
Her cheeks reddened further as she lowered her gaze, slightly reproaching herself for not bringing two sets…
"Go sleep. I already rested during the day. I'll check the other carriages…"
You waved your hand, signaling for her to go rest.
"Then I'll sleep for a while and switch with you later…"
"Good night, Xiaobai… I'm a bit sleepy…"
After drinking some wine, Himeko's demeanor seemed to soften a little…
Which you found faintly amusing.
But you weren't sleepy. You closed the train door and went elsewhere.
The camping lamp cast a dim glow as you took out the data Himeko had given you earlier.
"Warp: The Miraculous Method of Interstellar Travel"
Under the light, you began studying the Warp Engine.
A device that directly manipulated space itself seemed to require an enormous amount of materials…
Achieving ultra-long-distance travel by expanding and contracting space!
Himeko's research seemed to be only a draft. In sequence, this was the final topic before the train's departure…
You studied her ideas and gradually sank into deep thought…
Under the quiet starry sky, inspiration flowed like a spring, and you began refining that draft…
Time passed slowly, but you felt nothing.
Three hours flew by, and the eastern horizon had already begun to pale.
Himeko, true to her word, woke up. Through the carriage window, she watched your focused expression…
A trace of guilt passed through her eyes…
She quickly got dressed and stepped out.
"Xiaobai…"
She called softly.
"Hmm? You're already awake?"
To you, it felt like only a moment had passed.
"I'm up. You should rest a bit more. We still have to catch the train today."
You froze, checked the time, and realized three hours had already passed…
Only then did you feel the strain in your eyes.
At that moment, lying down in that bed—carrying Himeko's faint scent—and sleeping peacefully seemed like a good option…
But you didn't do it.
For this relationship, so difficult to rebuild, respect mattered.
"I'm not sleepy at all. Actually, I'm a bit excited…"
"I've refined the first draft of the Warp Engine, but there's still a difficult point that might take some time to overcome…"
Himeko's expression turned slightly complex.
"I'm sorry, Xiaobai… for making you stay out here all night…"
"I'm fine. It doesn't get that cold here at night…"
"Ah-choo…"
Your body betrayed you without mercy. Focus and excitement had driven your adrenaline high, so you hadn't felt the cold…
But once that state faded, the cool, damp morning made sure to teach you a lesson…
You caught a cold.