Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'

Alicxia Yimanuel Justin fluttered her nostrils slightly, awakening a brand new strength within her body.

She opened her dense eyelashes, her clear eyes like a lake. Her long brown hair hung over her shoulders, and she delightfully grabbed it, swiftly braiding it into a beautiful plait.

She looked at her palm in surprise as it regained a youthful glow, with calluses from hard work still resting on her palms, health and vitality returned to her body once more.

Then, a large hand intruded into her line of sight,

"Come on, good girl."

Li Aozi extended his hand:

"I never help a strong, independent woman up, but you're an exception, this is what I owe you."

"Li Aozi."

Alicxia lifted her chin and said proudly:

"I'm already old, can't you say something a bit more pleasant?"

"Alright, let me think..."

Li Aozi pondered for a moment, then suddenly dashed forward, unexpectedly lifting Alicxia into his arms.

"You've finally come to your senses, you fool!"

She laughed and gave him a playful slap, then her toes touched the ground, retreating two steps back, pinching an imaginary skirt hem. In terms of attire, she was no different from an ordinary rural woman, wearing blue sleeves, broad and thick cotton trousers, and colorful clothing.

Both rustic and tacky, with braids, not a hint of urban sophistication or youthful allure.

But to Alicxia, being called a "rustic hayseed" wasn't a bad thing. Her cheeks were flushed, not knowing whether from shyness or excitement, she laughed generously, and the clothes of the working people exuded confidence and vibrant health on her.

This was more beautiful than any formal attire.

"Alicxia Yimanuel Justin."

She said with a smile:

"May I have this dance with you, sir?"

"I'm not very good at it," Li Aozi said, "I've never indulged in such luxuries of ballroom dancing..."

"No, it's not a luxury. Dance was formed to seek the blessings of the deities, later evolving into a way for ordinary people to entertain and express emotions."

Alicxia extended her hand:

"Come on, young man, let's sing and dance."

Li Aozi did not refuse.

"Follow me."

Alicxia took his hand, one arm encircling his waist, and began to sway.

Her dance steps were light, her movements powerful. The dance from her hometown often involved stepping, turning, and leaping movements, while Li Aozi was only shaking his hands and shoulders beside, if Alicxia was an athlete, then he resembled a wound-up mechanical toy, repeating similar actions.

"Haha, Li Aozi, you're really amusing..."

Alicxia took his hands, and together they spun in the flower field, their steps lifting the petals, pure white petals falling like snowflakes, freely expressing themselves in the air.

They danced from day to night, from night to dawn, without a trace of trouble or anxiety.

Ideals and futures, missions and aspirations, were temporarily set aside at that moment.

At least on this day, they chose to be true to their hearts.

"On the banks of the fields and streams, the red berry flowers bloom,"

"There's a young lad I truly love,"

"But I cannot confess to him,"

"The feelings in my heart couldn't be expressed!"

......

"Grandma, Grandma Alicxia! Honestly, mom—come quickly."

......

He doesn't know a thing about this,

The girl longs for him day and night,

The red berry flowers by the river have faded,

The girl's longing hasn't diminished in the slightest!

The girl's longing hasn't diminished in the slightest!

......

"Wake up, how can you fall asleep here?"

"Stop bothering me, child."

......

The girl's longing grows every day,

How could I, as a young girl, tell him?

Without the courage to speak, I remain lost,

Letting my beloved guess for himself!

Letting my beloved guess for himself!

......

"Ivan, Grandma Alicxia fell asleep, let's take her back."

"Mom, can I still play ping pong with grandma tomorrow? She's taught me the backspin shot, and I've mastered it."

"Grandma's back isn't well now, you should learn to play on your own, okay, Ivan, be good."

The little ghost named Ivan was coaxed away from the rapeseed field, and perhaps only much later did he realize why, that day, everyone gathered around the village's enthusiastic good grandma.

But by the time he understood this, it was already more than a decade later, when he was representing the Frost Plated Country athletes participating in the Azure Fate Community's ping pong competition.

At that time, Ivan Giovannovich Harkov, wearing clean sportswear, brought bread, salt, and sausage to the hillside to pay his respects, coincidentally meeting a young man who might have been the most handsome being in the world, beyond the limits of gender and species.

Ivan greeted him, the other showed a gentle smile, they swept the tombs together, completed the ritual, and then talked about many things. The other also asked him for many skills.

However, not about playing ping pong.

"Do you know how to dance?"

The man handed him a cigarette, but didn't smoke himself.

"I'm good at ping pong."

Ivan held the cigarette with his ear, as an athlete, he didn't smoke either.

"You're better than me. I know nothing."

The handsome man squatted down with him at the edge of the fields, without any airs, and if dressed differently, from behind, he might be indistinguishable from an old farmer.

Ivan laughed, teasingly saying:

"No way, you're very handsome, definitely a beautiful person with proper looks. No need to dance to be popular."

"You're young, you don't quite understand yet."

The man stood up, turned, and walked away:

"Sometimes standing in the center of a crowd is quite lonely, and at that moment, you might just remember a failed ball dance."