# 1458
Chapter 1459: The Night Sky Will Remember
Cao Yuan hesitated for a moment, then clinked glasses and said苦笑, "It might be possible to tame the Black King, but not being single… ah."
Cao Yuan sighed, downing the wine in one go.
"Qingyu, Jiang Er, this toast is for you." Baili Pangpang raised another glass toward An Qingyu and Jiang Er. "Qiye is already getting married to Jialan, you two should pick up the pace… Qingyu, a girl as good as Jiang Er, you better cherish her… don't do anything stupid.
This [Yaoguang] is one of my favorite Forbidden Ruins. I'll give it to you as a pre-wedding gift."
Baili Pangpang took a necklace from his chest and handed it to An Qingyu, who was stunned.
"Pangpang, you…"
"I'll drink first!"
Baili Pangpang finished the last of his wine. His entire face was flushed red, his gaze somewhat glazed.
"Pangpang, you're drunk." Lin Qiye frowned, steadying the swaying Baili Pangpang. "You all eat first. I'll take him back to rest."
Under the night sky, everyone watched the staggering silhouette being supported away, leaving only the bubbling sounds of the hot pot echoing in the air.
…
Compared to the lively plaza, the area near the dormitories was much quieter. Stars hung from the dark dome overhead. Under the dim streetlights, two figures walked slowly.
Lin Qiye supported Baili Pangpang, the strong smell of alcohol wafting over him. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke:
"Pangpang, is something on your mind?"
Baili Pangpang burped and shook his head with a smile, "Nothing. What could I possibly have on my mind?"
"I don't know… but it doesn't seem like you."
Baili Pangpang's footsteps faltered slightly. "Really? Then what do you think I should be like?"
Lin Qiye thought for a moment. "The Baili Pangpang I know looks carefree and oblivious, sometimes does foolish things, but is actually very considerate. The more critical the situation, the more he smiles and lightens the mood…"
Baili Pangpang blinked, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "That does sound a bit like me."
He gazed at the starry sky above. After a moment, he spoke again. "Qiye…"
"Mm?"
"What do you think my existence means to this world?"
Lin Qiye stood frozen.
"I mean, even if I, Baili Pangpang, weren't here, the world wouldn't change all that much… right?" Baili Pangpang pointed at the countless stars overhead. "It's like a distant star up there. Even if it flickered out one day, no one would even notice.
But if the moon in the sky disappeared, that would definitely cause a huge panic."
Lin Qiye looked at his profile. After a moment of silence, he said, "If that's how you look at it, not just you—every one of us is dispensable to this world. After all, without any one of us, it would keep turning… But why measure ourselves by the world's standards? No one's existence can be replaced.
Without Baili Pangpang, the world might continue as usual, but [Nightfall] wouldn't… For starters, without you, how could we be eating hot pot here? Without you, how many more Night Watch would have died in this war?
People standing on the ground might not notice a star disappearing, but this night sky will remember."
Baili Pangpang stood motionless like a statue, silent for a long while before无奈ly smiling. He seemed much lighter.
"Now that you put it that way, it does seem to make sense…"
"Stop overthinking. No matter what happens, you'll always be [Nightfall]'s Baili Pangpang." Lin Qiye clapped his shoulder. "You're too tired today. Go rest well. We'll keep watch tonight."
"Mm."
The two walked down an empty path and soon arrived at Baili Pangpang's door.
Baili Pangpang entered the room and turned on the light. He turned back toward Lin Qiye in the hallway, a slight smile on his face, still carrying a trace of drunkenness.
"Goodbye, Qiye." he said softly.
"Mm, see you tomorrow." Lin Qiye waved.
The door slowly closed. The light leaking through the crack vanished completely. Lin Qiye stood in the dim hallway for a moment, then turned and left.
…
When Lin Qiye returned to the plaza, everyone had mostly finished eating.
"How is he? Is he better?" An Qingyu asked as Lin Qiye came back.
"He should be better now… He asked some strange questions. Maybe he was in a bad mood." Lin Qiye sighed. "I rarely saw him make that kind of expression…"
"Just now when you two left, two more groups of girls came. They also wanted his contact info… Will he be happier if he knows?" Hongying thought for a moment, then pulled out several slips of paper from her chest and handed them to Lin Qiye. "I kept all their notes for him. Give them to him when you have the chance."
Lin Qiye looked at the stack of paper in his palm,苦笑ing. "Then I'll thank you on his behalf, Sister Hongying."
Just as they were talking, a figure slowly walked over from the distance. As she approached, a gentle fragrance brushed past everyone's faces, smelling quite pleasant.
Lin Qiye turned to look—Molly was standing not far away, lips pressed together. She still wore that dark red cloak, no different from daytime, but appeared to have dressed up carefully. She looked more beautiful, and the blood scent was completely hidden beneath the fragrance.
"Molly! You're here? Come sit and eat something!"
When Hongying saw Molly, she immediately moved over a small stool, speaking happily.
"…Thank you." Molly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looked around, and asked in confusion, "Where's Baili Pangpang?"
The members of [Nightfall] exchanged glances. After a moment, Lin Qiye answered:
"He… went back to rest first."
"Left already?" Molly was stunned.
"Mm, seems like he wasn't feeling well."
Disappointment couldn't help but appear on Molly's face. She nodded silently and slowly turned to walk back the way she came…
From Molly's change in expression and her appearance, Hongying immediately sensed something unusual. Just as she was about to ask those around her, Lin Qiye made a shushing gesture and shook his head slightly.
Molly took a few steps forward and suddenly stopped, as if she had made up her mind. She turned back and asked somewhat shyly:
"Um… do you know which room he's in?"