Chapter One: Zhang Mingyang

February 21st, 2041.

Pulin Neighborhood, Jiyang City.

“Mingyang…”

“Get up, breakfast is ready.”

An old woman’s call shattered the tranquility of the early morning.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard you, Grandma.”

Though the boy on the bed answered, his body remained stubbornly nestled under the covers.

After calling several times without success, his grandmother marched into the room, drew back the curtains, opened the windows and door, and finally threw back the quilt—her signature three-step assault. This brisk cold of winter jolted Zhang Mingyang out of bed in an instant.

“Grandma, what are you doing?” he protested, shivering.

His grandmother, both exasperated and amused at her trembling grandson, scolded him, “Aren’t you supposed to attend a lecture today? Still not up? Look at your grandfather—he went out for his exercise at six!”

Zhang Mingyang pouted, “Didn’t you send Grandpa out to buy groceries?”

She glared. “You—”

She made to pull off the covers again.

“Grandma, I was wrong!” Zhang Mingyang leapt up, pressing down the bedding. “I’m up! Just go out first, I need to get dressed.”

With a look of helplessness, he watched his grandmother close the door and windows and leave.

The icy air had thoroughly banished his drowsiness. Zhang Mingyang tidied his bed, put on his thick winter clothes, and stepped into the bathroom.

In the mirror, a youthful face stared back—a crop of close-cropped hair, yellow-toned skin, large eyes—a harmless, boyish countenance.

“Handsome as ever!”

After a quick wash, Zhang Mingyang left his room. In the dining room, his grandmother had already set out breakfast: eggs, steamed buns, and porridge—a typical northern meal.

Just as he picked up a bun, his grandmother came over and smacked it from his hand, her tone stern, “You rascal, did you forget again?”

“Oh!”

Suddenly realizing, Zhang Mingyang hurried into another room. This one contained neither a bed nor any furniture, only a small ancestral altar and two photographs—his parents, whom he had never met. According to Grandma, his father had died in the line of duty, and his mother had passed away giving birth to him.

He took two sticks of incense from the box, lit them, bowed three times, and placed them in the burner before leaving the room.

“All done!” he called toward the kitchen, then plopped into a chair and began to eat.

Soon, his grandfather returned with vegetables in hand. Entering, he turned on the TV to catch the day’s important news.

On the screen, the latest headlines announced the successful launch of the nation’s newest heavy-lift rocket, the Oceanic No. 10.

“Ha! The country grows stronger every day!” Grandpa always sighed with pride at such news, as if he were witnessing history firsthand.

Grandma, hearing the broadcast, came out of the kitchen and asked Zhang Mingyang, who was munching on a steamed bun, “Mingyang, you’re about to graduate, aren’t you? Almost time for your internship?”

Zhang Mingyang, his mouth full, nodded.

“A few days ago, Grandpa Wang called. He asked if you’d found a suitable internship. If not, he could recommend you to their space agency.”

He swallowed, frowning. “Grandma, I major in ‘Energy’, not ‘Aerospace’. What would I do there?”

“You could work on engines,” Grandma replied seriously. “Oh, so rockets don’t need engines? And engines don’t need energy? Or do you think rockets fly up by being blown into the sky?”

Her sudden shift into her hometown dialect made Zhang Mingyang chuckle uncontrollably. “Grandma, why do you always revert to your old accent when you’re angry?”

She pretended to be mad and swatted him.

Grandpa mediated from the side. “That’s enough. Mingyang’s twenty-one now—he should make his own decisions.”

Zhang Mingyang leaned against his grandfather. “See? Grandpa is truly magnanimous!”

“You just spoil him. I’m only thinking of his future—where else will you find such a good job opportunity?”

“Fine, I won’t interfere anymore!” With that, Grandma returned to the kitchen.

As soon as she left, Zhang Mingyang cupped his hands around his ears and whispered, “At last, some peace and quiet.”

After breakfast, Zhang Mingyang bid his grandparents farewell, ready to return to school for the winter session.

Once he’d left, Grandma went alone into the ancestral room, closed the door, and gazed at the memorial photos of her son and Zhenzhen, feeling a certain sense of relief.

“My son, it seems Mingyang won’t follow in your footsteps. He’s grown now, old enough to have his own ideas and choose his own path.”

She took the frames down, gently stroking them. When she turned over Zhang Boyang’s album, she found eight words inscribed on the back: “Touch the darkness, seek out life!”

During the winter break, the department had arranged a special lecture. Today, he had agreed to meet his roommates at school—rumor had it that a distinguished guest was coming.

As he left the building, winter’s chill cut through him. Zhang Mingyang wrapped his coat tighter around himself and jogged to the bus stop outside the neighborhood.

At the stop, he scrolled through his phone, checking the latest national news.

Suddenly, a crisp female voice rang out beside him.

“Well! Zhang Mingyang, you’re headed back to school too?”

Without looking up, he already knew who it was from the voice.

“Xu Number Two, you’re going back to school as well? I thought today’s lecture was only for my major. What’s an ‘Astrophysics’ major like you going for?”

Xu Zihan was astonished. “How did you know I was going back, let alone that I’m attending the lecture?”

Xu Number Two—real name Xu Zihan—was one of five children, the second oldest and the only girl. Her bold, almost masculine way of doing things had earned her the nickname “Xu Number Two”—a legend in her department.

Mingyang, still looking down, grumbled, “Who else but a fool would head back to school during winter break?”

Xu Zihan replied in a deliberately sweet voice, “Wow! You’re amazing! You even know that!”

“Of course, who do you think I am? I’m—”

Suddenly, Mingyang froze. Wait, was that really Xu Number Two’s voice?

He spun around to look.

“What the—!” Mingyang jumped in surprise, pointing at her. “Hey, who are you?”

Xu Zihan strode over, pointing at her face. “Well? Do I look good?”

Mingyang squinted, his expression one of utter disdain. “Xu Number Two, did you put on makeup?”

Xu Zihan took out her phone, admiring her reflection. “How is it? My little brother did it for me—said it makes me look more feminine.”

Mingyang nodded emphatically. “Barbie-pink, giant lashes, powder blush, and those wild, wavy curls! Your brother’s taste is truly one-of-a-kind—a real character!”

“Just don’t sit with me later, okay?”

As soon as he finished teasing her, the bus arrived.

Zhang Mingyang found a seat by the window, and Xu Zihan managed to sit beside him.

So, under the gaze of the entire bus, they set off toward the university.

Before getting off, an old man grabbed Zhang Mingyang’s arm and whispered, “Young man, your girlfriend is quite a beauty!”

Tears streamed down Mingyang’s face as he wailed, “Sir, let me explain!”