Tsubaki was so quiet once they reached home. Ren didn't press her to voice out her thoughts. He silently pulled her toward the porch overlooking the lawn and made her sat there while he went to the kitchen and brought out two cups of tea. The air was still hot but the night wind made it bearable.

When Ren returned to the porch, he stopped behind Tsubaki. She was staring far off a distance, as if she wasn't connected with reality. Her head tilted upward, her eyes landed on the carpet of stars sparkling under the summer night sky. Her lips parted slightly, letting the gentle breeze kissed her lips as her legs dangled from the porch floor.

Ren placed the drinks on the floor. He took a seat beside Tsubaki. She was still holding the tote bag containing the diaries and postcards. Ren reached out a hand, he brought her head to his shoulder. Tsubaki hummed softly as she listened to his heartbeats.

The husband and wife sat in silence. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past them. Tsubaki shuddered, she moved to nestle comfortably on his chest.

"Darling?" Her voice was so quiet in the night air.

"En?" Ren rubbed her head, his dark eyes looking at her face.

"Could you accompany me reading Mom's diaries tonight?" Tsubaki looked up to meet his eyes, a layer of mist blurred her vision.

Ren smiled softly, he gave a slight nod. "Once you're sleepy, we'll be going to bed and continue tomorrow. Is that alright?"

Tsubaki smiled back. "Okay."

Tsubaki lowered her head, her eyes went to the tote bag on her lap. She was a bit hesitant when she wanted to bring out all the diaries but after a moment of thinking, she placed all of them on the floor. The postcards would have to wait first. 

After looking around for a few times, Tsubaki chose the oldest diary. Her Mom had noted which one was the first, second, third and so on. When her fingers touched the cover, she could feel a thin layer of dust on the surface. Tsubaki flipped to the first page, the papers had turned yellowish over time.

[XX April

Two days after I brought her home. There's nothing much I could say but, when I remembered her words, I know I shouldn't let her give up on her child.]

Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. The 'her' in the second sentence was supposed to be her biological mother, right? Tsubaki pursed her lips, she continued reading the diary. 

[XX May

It has been three weeks. At first, I thought I'd be conflicted when seeing her and reminded of my lost baby but over time my heart is captured by her smiles.

Tsubaki, Mom might never be your real mother but Mom would do my best to raise you up. Mom doesn't want her to regret her decision of letting you go to me.]

[XX August

Tsubaki has learned how to scoot but she still couldn't crawl properly. Haruo loves it whenever she tries to make us smiles back at her. She's such a little angel.]

[XX November

Autumn has long gone. Our little princess could finally sit up without us supporting her. Whenever I see her doing new things, I wonder if you'd remember her too. Won't you come to see her?]

[XX January

Tsubaki was so happy when we brought her to her first shrine visit for the New Year. The floral baby kimono we bought for her fit her well, she's so adorable in it. Haruo spent his days off by her side, trying to get her to say Daddy. Both of them are so cute, I'm glad we have her.]

[XX January

When I thought she wouldn't contact me, I was surprised when I got her postcard a few days later. She didn't write any details, there was just a wish for her daughter to have a blessed New Year. I wish she would come and see Tsubaki soon. As much as I love Tsubaki, I don't want her to be detached from her own daughter.]

Tsubaki's head spun around, she looked at the stack of postcards sitting at her side. Her hands reached out for them, she frantically searching for the first postcard her Mom received.

"Sweetheart?"

"This is it!" Tsubaki showed a postcard with an illustration of a shrine to Ren. She flipped to the back, reading what was written on it.

[Dear Mrs. Hanada, 

I know I've been so late but I wish you a Happy New Year. I hope besides you, she would get a blessed year ahead of her.]

There was no signature but Tsubaki recognized the handwriting.

This was... 

"It's Nakamura Sumire's handwriting, right?" Even at a glance, Ren too had familiarized himself with it. 

"Yeah..."

Their suspicion was right. Nakamura Sumire was Tsubaki's biological mother, while Fujioka Masami's identity hadn't been disclosed.

Tsubaki continued reading the diary. There was no longer a mention of Nakamura Sumire in the first one. She opened the second diary.

As Tsubaki read the diaries, she noticed that her Mom would write down whenever Nakamura Sumire sent a postcard to their home. 

[XX April

It was Tsubaki's second birthday. We spent a fulfilling celebration for her. I couldn't believe that two whole years had passed since the day I met this little angel. She has started speaking and it's so cute!

She sent a postcard for her birthday. This time it's from a different postmark. I wish I know where she lives so I could bring Tsubaki to visit her.]

[XX October

I was so shocked when I received yet another postcard from her. I think it has already been a few years since the last one? I'm glad because this postcard means she's still alive but why did she only send it now? It is because Tsubaki has already entered kindergarten? 

I hope nothing bad happens to you.]

[XX February

The second month of the new year. Tsubaki loves going to school and I hope she could learn whatever she wants. Another postcard came after months went by.

I was worried. Even though we rarely met, she's still Tsubaki's real mother. Is she in danger?]

[XX September

Tsubaki is excited whenever we talk about her new baby brother. This little one is still small in my tummy but Tsubaki couldn't wait to see him. Haruo is overjoyed too. He said he didn't expect us to have another child. 

Tsubaki is still our first child. Nothing could change that. We love her dearly.]

[XX December

It was a cold morning when a new postcard arrived. It brought along a sense of helplessness. She said she was suddenly reminded of the man she loved and the daughter she could never have. I feel sorry for her. I remembered her face the first time she opened up to me in the hospital. 

To have her man died and have to let go of her daughter due to security issues, if I were in her shoes, I didn't know how would I react.]

After reading the last sentence, Tsubaki's shoulders jolted up while her eyes widened in shock. She slowly turned her head, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at her husband. 

"Ren..."

Ren nodded in low spirit. He too had read the part where her Mom wrote about her real father for the first time.

Her real father... has already died?

"I'll make you fall in love with me again." He gently rubbed her head.

"Whenever you're tired donning the cold mask to the outside world, you could come to me. I'll be here." She smiled as she held his hands.

Five years ago, the long winter of his life melted away once she entered his life. He had grown to live comfortably in her cool spring air with the scent of flowers she loved. But, fate had another story. It dragged him away from his spring, leading him to once again living in winter.

Five years later, he had successfully became the King of Winter. To avoid him from drowning in the freezing air, he began her journey to once again inviting the spring to grace his life.

Because for Ren, Tsubaki would forever be his spring.


A/N: If you want a fluffy love story, try check this one out! There would be some angst but don't worry, no major misunderstanding between our leads ;) 

The raw photo of the cover is from https://www.facebook.com/mandarin1314/photos/pcb.1047531012104032/1047529948770805/?type=3&theater . I used Photoscape to edit it a bit and add the text

Seeing Luke off from his office, Old Greyson shook his head.
Although they said that they would meet more often, both of them knew that they were too busy to do so; they would barely be able to meet a couple of times a year.
However, he could call Robert later and tell him the good news that his foster son had bested him.
At the very least, Robert didn't have a girlfriend, let alone two "female friends," for a long time after graduating high school.
Well, fine; Old Greyson's main reason to make the call would be to mock his cousin, whom he had never seen eye to eye with.
After Luke left, he met Hodges in the elevator.
Both of them smiled and greeted each other, and Luke asked him how the barbecue restaurant case was coming along.
Hodges didn't keep it a secret from Luke since he had been there as well.
The outcome of the case was quite astonishing.
The dead person, of whom only bones remained, turned out to be Henry, the boss of the restaurant.
However, it wasn't his wife who killed him, nor Slick, who had been sleeping with his wife; instead, it was Gomez, the chef who had been crazy enough to set a raccoon on fire, only to be burnt to a crisp along with the raccoon.
It wasn't a complicated investigation; a lot of Henry's ribs had been skillfully removed from the grill.
Henry went missing just as the Hepatitis B outbreak happened in the restaurant, plus he had the disease as well. 
The postcard from Florida which his wife thought was from Henry was in fact mailed out a month after the Hepatitis B outbreak.
The writing on the postcard was Henry's, but how could a dead man send a postcard?
Later, Gomez became a suspect.
From the criminal database, the police discovered that Gomez had a history of faking paperwork.
Furthermore, there were fingerprints on the postcard which belonged to Gomez's mother, who also had a criminal record and who lived in Florida.
It was very clear what happened in this case.
Gomez killed Henry and burned his body, which resulted in the Hepatitis B outbreak in the restaurant. 
Then, he wrote a postcard in Henry's handwriting and had his mother send it from Florida, making it look like Henry was alive.
His objective was simple; this was meant to cover up the fact that he murdered Henry, faked Henry's signature, and withdrew 250,000 dollars from Henry and Shelly's shared bank accounts.
Because of the postcard, Shelly thought that Henry had run off with a lover and the money. She never knew that Gomez had killed him.
Luke was lost for words after hearing the whole story.
He didn't know what to say about Gomez.
As a criminal with past convictions, this man murdered someone for money, but blew himself up just a couple of months later. There was no telling if he had used up all the money yet.
After hearing the story, Luke said goodbye to Hodges with the suggestion that they hang out again in the future.
Hodges nodded with a smile and saw Luke off.
After the elevator doors closed, Hodges murmured, "You're such a pretty boy that I'll only be outclassed if we hang out. I certainly won't go out with you."
Outside the elevator, Luke was lost for words.
They were still very close to each other and the elevator doors had yet to close all the way, so Luke heard Hodges clearly.
This man turned out to be much funnier than he seemed!
After he left the forensics center, Luke returned to his hotel room.
Lanchi and Trinity had just woken up, and they greeted him with smiles when they saw him.
They had lunch and chatted in the room.
Mostly, the girls talked about their experiences in New York and the fun they had there.
But as they talked, they moved the conversation to the bed again.
It wasn't until later that night that Luke finally tried out some new things in the bathroom with the girls.
Two hours later, both girls were tired and drowsy when they came out of the bathroom.
They were already snoring by the time they hit the bed.
Luke made a call in the living room. A manager soon arrived with two security guards to deliver a metal case.
After examining the money in the box, Luke asked them to leave.
Closing the door, Luke took out the stuff in the box and returned to the bedroom.
The two passionate and flexible girls were sound asleep.
Luke gently rubbed their ears for a moment, before he drew back his hands and nodded in satisfaction.
After that, he left the room with his suitcase.
Luke met Selina that night and they went to the airport.
On the plane, Selina observed him curiously. "Did you have fun the last two days?"
Luke smiled and didn't say anything, but his eyes gave him away.
Selina asked, "Don't you find two girls exhausting?"
Luke kept smiling. With my physique, I'm still far from exhausted.
Noticing the look on his face, Selina snorted. "Fine, forget I asked."
Luke chuckled. "You bought a lot for yourself, didn't you? Look at your clothes. Well, well, the latest Chanel product. Isn't it worth 12,000 bucks? How does it feel to be rich?"
Selina said guiltily, "I only bought this one. It can't be refunded."
Luke said, "Then just keep wearing it. I don't think the rest of your clothes match this coat, though."
Looking at Selina's sweater and shirt, which had been bought on sale, Luke shook his head and knew that together, they still cost less than even a single button on her new coat.
He just hoped that Selina's coat wasn't the type that couldn't be washed.
If so, she would certainly regret it when the coat became dirty.
Selina was creeped out by Luke's gaze. "What are you looking at? Why are you giving me such a pitying look? This is a genuine product that I bought at a Chanel store."
Luke chuckled.


Luke has transmigrated to the United States, but eventually realizes that this United States is different from the United States of his previous life. Here, the superpowers and characters from the movies in his previous life actually exist. How will Luke fare in a world where such terrifying superpowers exist? 
Fortunately, he has a cheat – the Super Detective System.
Join Luke on his new journey toward becoming a detective.


Eleanor didn't go prom with him.
Cat did.
      Cat from work.She was thin and dark,and her eyes were as blue and flat as breath mints. When Park held Cat's hand,it was like holding hands with a mannequin,and it was such a relief that he kissed her.He fell asleep on prom night in his tuxedo pants and a Fugazi T-shirt.
       He woke up the next morning when something light fell on his shirt- he opened his eyes.His dad was standing over him. 'Mail call,' his dad said,almost gently. Park put his hand to his heart.
     Eleanor hadn't written him a letter.
It was a postcard. 'Greetings from the land of 10,000 Lakes,' it said on the front. Park turned it over and recognized her scratchy handwriting. It filled his head wing song lyrics.
      He sat up. He smiled. Something heavy and winged took off from his chest.
     Eleanor hadn't written him a letter,it was a postcard. 
        Just тнree wordѕ long. 
To be continued.

Eleanor is the new girl in town, and with her chaotic family life, her mismatched clothes and unruly red hair, she couldn’t stick out more if she tried.
       Park is the boy at the back of the bus. black T-shirts, headphones, head in a book - he thinks he’s made himself invisible. But not to Eleanor. . . never to Eleanor.

Slowly,steadily,through late-night conversations and an ever-growing stack of mix-tapes, Eleanor and Park fall for each other. They fall in love the way you do the first time, when you’re young, and you feel as if you have nothing and everything to lose.
•—————————————————•

Cinta itu sungguh cantik. Seperti dingin kepingan salju turun kala musim sejuk. Persis dedaunan kering mapple yang gugur pada musim luruh. Atau kembangan bunga semasa musim bunga. Dan hangatnya mentari tatkala musim panas. Tapi, bila kita tidak menghargainya, segalanya akan hilang dibadai angin bayu. 

Kita dipertemukan di bawah renek-renek hujan yang gugur dari langit lazuardi. Aku terpaut pada setiap nada lagu yang dimelodikan oleh suara serak basahmu. 
Atas dasar kemanusian, aku terus mencelah dalam kehidupanmu yang kusangka seperti aku juga, yang tidak sempurna.

When a successful accountant and a beggar met, how their story will fold?



Zhang Zian hastened his steps to catch up with Fu Tao.
 
The police dog nursing home was filled with chatter and laughter. It was clear that the students weren't just here to volunteer, they also liked each other's company.

Fu Tao pushed the wheelbarrow to a corner of the courtyard before he turned around and called out, "Zhang Zian, come in! Have some dumplings and get warm.
 
Zhang Zian opened the car door and saw Grandpa Tea sleeping. He ushered the elfins into the car, so that they'd be safe from the cold wind, then locked the doors and followed Fu Tao into the house. 
 
"Master Fu, what took you so long?"

"Quick, someone get Master Fu a bowl of dumplings! Master Fu, would you like to wash your hands first?"

"Store Manager Zhang, where's your cat? Why didn't you bring it in?"

All the students bombarded them with questions. All the students except Ning Lan and the guy with glasses, they just stared at Zhang Zian and Fu Tao. They wanted to know if the dog was given a proper burial, but they couldn't bring themselves to ask.
 
One student noticed that their pants and shoes were caked in mud, and that they had left a trail of footprints. She exclaimed, "Where did you guys go? Why are your shoes so dirty?"

Zhang Zian let out a dry cough. "There was a car that got stuck in the mud. Master Fu and I, being the brave and helpful people that we are, risked our lives to help and pushed the car, but that only allowed the two us to step into the mud."

With the festive mood of the New Year, it wouldn't hurt to tell a little lie. The students were speechless, so the lie did its job and stopped them from asking more questions.

One of them was quick to serve Fu Tao and Zhang Zian a huge bowl of soup and dumplings. The others either had their fill or were still eating.


Fu Tao glanced at his bowl and sighed. "Is this a dumpling or a wonton? The filling has spilled out."

A few of the students had fooled around during the process of wrapping and cooking the dumplings. Hence, the dumplings were of all shapes and sizes, and broke apart the moment they were placed in boiling water. So, Fu Tao was right, they resembled wontons more than they did dumplings.

The students looked apologetic as Zhang Luo ordered, "Get Master Fu another bowl, with dumplings that are intact."

"There's no need, wontons aren't that bad." Fu Tao waved his hand, and found a place to sit, eat his dumplings, and watch TV.

There was a small TV in the house, and it didn't even have cable. No matter what channel they switched to, they were all about the New Year. Once the clock hit 8pm, they would immediately turn to the CCTV channel for the New Year's Gala.

The police dog nursing home had never hosted before, so there weren't enough chairs for everyone. Someone felt bad that Zhang Zian was eating his dumplings standing up, so he got a chair for him, but Zhang Zian refused and said that he was leaving right after he was done.

The students were also leaving soon since it wouldn't be safe for the ladies to walk home in the middle of the night. The guys were discussing sending the ladies home first so that they could sneak the electric hotpot back to their place for another New Year party. Soon, the subject changed to their battle with the dorm lady, as it's said that the she has confiscated enough electric hotpots to open a supermarket.

The dumplings were really nothing to boast about. The skin was too thick and the filling was either too salty or bland, Zhang Zian's frozen dumplings were better. However, everyone ate a lot, and there were still enough leftover for Fu Tao to eat tomorrow.

Zhang Zian finished his dumplings and took a few sips of the soup. He had wanted to wash his dish, but Ning Lan snatched it away from him. Apparently, the guys were put in charge of cooking and the ladies were in charge of washing the dishes.
 
Zhang Zian excused himself before the sky turned completely dark. He completed the mission that Feng Xuan gave him—to make sure that the retired German Shepherds were living well—there was no reason for him to stay.

Fu Tao put his bowl down and decided to head outside with Zian, to take the police dogs out to relieve themselves. A few other guys volunteered to help.

When the door opened, an envelope, that wasn't there when Zhang Zian and Fu Tao returned, fell to the floor. These days it was rare for someone to write letters, and even more rare to mail them. Fu Tao was surprised to see the envelope, so he immediately opened it and pulled out a postcard.

"Is it an advertisement?" Fu Tao muttered. 
 
Zhang Zian took his phone out to use the flashlight. When he pointed the flashlight towards the postcard, the first thing they noticed was beautiful handwritten words.

Mr Fu:

Hello! I forgot to ask for your contact information the last time I was there, so I'm only able to wish you a Happy Lunar New Year in this outdated manner. I hope you get this letter in time for the New Year.

Luo Luo is having a great time at my place, it's even gaining some weight.  My husband and daughter love Luo Luo so much, and though my mother was very suspicious of it at first, she treats it very well now. She often feeds Luo Luo behind our backs.

We've been bringing Luo Luo to the pet clinic for routine check-ups. It's very healthy, and it's definitely thanks to the great care you provided. Luo Luo is an irreplaceable member of our family, and we only hope for it to stay with us longer.

I've sent some recent photos of Luo Luo along with my husband's Wechat information. Next time, we'll communicate in a much more direct way. Happy Lunar New Year!

Best Wishes, 

Xiao Yuhong on the 20th of the Lunar Calendar

Next to Xiao Yuhong's signature, was a red pawprint, probably Luo Luo's front paw after stepping in an ink pad.


Fu Tao silently read the postcard twice before shaking the envelope. A few photos fell out.

The first photo was of Luo Luo. It was lying on the grass, enjoying the sun as it stuck its tongue out, its gaze was filled with peace. The other photos were of Luo Luo with Xiao Yuhong's family. Some were at home, some were at the park, of Luo Luo being hugged by Xiao Yuhong, or walked by Xiao Yuhong's husband or ridden by Xiao Yuhong's daughter. No matter the picture, Luo Luo looked really happy.

"Is Luo Luo really nine years old? It seems no different than a four year old dog." Zhang Zian said.

"Yeah." Fu Tao stuffed the postcard back into the envelope before putting it into his pocket. There was a rare smile on his face.



1. Download a suspicious game
2. Catch a few magical pets as partners
3. Go through interesting daily routines and lead the pet shop to a whole new level

As she look back from how she met him again after years, she felt funny.

She thought he was a jerk maniac who's trying to get advantage on her. But he isn't. He's the friend that she won't want to lose again.

After checking the Huanzhe's psychological state after his awakening hours ago, she went back to her office and finalized some reports needed by Dr. Zhu.

She wasn't able to meet Celestine as well after that incident. Well, she wasn't in the place to question their absence anyway. It is to be expected for prominent people like them.

After making sure that every change was saved in the documents, she took off her glasses and turned the computer off. She made sure that all the files were locked in her drawers and the key is already in her bag.

She took off her lab coat and changed into flats. She was about to go home and it's been another day.

She's been idle for too long. She needs to think of solving her own predicament without Mo Zhaoshan's help. They are about to start the procedure with the lost mistress. She can't add more pressure to her big brother.
---

Bai Xia's body clock is already set at five in the morning to refresh her mind before going to work. She is being treated so well in Villa Olympia that they would almost feed her personally. However, her cold face would automatically drive the maidservants away.

Just as she woke up, Butler Rong knocked on her door with a set of clothes in his hands.

"Goodmorning Miss Bai, Master Mo told me to deliver this to you. And here is a messgae that he wants me to give to you as well."

Xiaxia received the parcel and a pink postcard given by her big brother.

"I will take my leave now, Miss Bai." And Butler Rong bowed.

***
Little Dumpling,

Goodmorning sunshine! I applied a leave for you today. Go ahead and dress up. Big brother will take you somewhere. Do you miss me now?
 
 
 
 
Because I do.
***

○\\\\\\\\○
Lubdub. Lubdub. Lubdub.

Her heart was like a whirlwind inside her chest. It was bearing fast that it almost jump out of her chest to rip of her shirt.

Xiaxia calmed herself as she felt her cheeks burning. She fanned herself with the postcard and when it is not effective, she climbed to her bed and stood to level her face with the aircon.

Eh? What---why--- is my reaction like this?!

"In this lifetime, I will not let you leave me again..."

"Who do you really love? The Jingxian who died with you or Bai Xia that is alive with you?..."


"Be it 500 years ago or the time where we're currently in, you're still the other half of me that can never be taken away by space and time."


The Mark of Discord led them into their demise and separate two bodies with one heart and soul.

After finding her for the 500 years, would she still be the same love of his life or will she forever treat her as her big brother? Will she leave him again?

Fate is sealed for the both of them. Are they still fated to reign the fourteen palaces? Or would they still end up meeting their demise?
---

She remembered who she was and the game changed.

They threw her into the claws of the wolves and she came back leading the pack.

She's the strong cup of black coffee in a world that is drunk on the cheap wine of shallow love.

She chose solitude over old kisses, she learned that anything that is not love is a poison.

She didn't look for a knight, instead she learned how to wield the sword.

Now that she's on her track, she won't let the doom happen again.
***

For him, the smartest woman can ever learn, is to never need a man.

But to her, he wanted her to need him more than diamonds and power. He wanted to devour her and all that is her, her heart, her soul.

His thousand years of waiting and failure made his worthiness purer and stronger for her love.
***

Would the doom from the previous lifetime be the same again?

Given the chance to travel through space and time a thousand years ago, who would they love? The past or their present selves?

Join this star-crossed lovers court disaster and defy the rule of faith during this lifetime.
Join the star-crossed lovers in their one of a kind story of love, power, and time travel.

photo credits to pinterest: cover photo is not mine.

I'm currently working on the revision of the existing chapters. Please bear with me :)

"After my trip, I will get back to work and my everyday life. In Los Angeles, I was lucky enough to cooperate with three beautiful celebrities."
The locals were enlightened. Cooperate with three celebrities? This explains all the rumors. He sure is handsome enough to be liked by three celebrities. 
"Will you release a music album? Are you good at singing?"
Qin Guan smiled like a gentle breeze in the restless summer. His smile comforted the audience.
"That’s not my goal. I like my job, but no one is perfect!"
His fans felt sad, but they cheered up again soon. Our idol is too busy anyway.
"In the following days, I will be attending another film audition. Today, I had a rare day off, so I came here with my girlfriend to have fun on the beach and watch the outdoor Shakespeare play."
"Did you like the play?"
"Of course!" everyone echoed. That was the power of a free play.
"It was my honor to participate in this play today. Only personal engagement can make people realize an actor’s hard work. Look at my T-shirt. It’s soaked in sweat. These great, unknown actors play here every day, trying to show you the greatest plays in the world."
"Tell me, were you moved? Shall we give them our best regards?"
"Of course!"
"Of course!"
"I hope the whole audience, my fans included, will ignore my presence. Please show your appreciation to these lovely people and their splendid performance!"
"As for me, I’ll go look for some food with my beloved."
There was laughter and sighs all around. Before returning the microphone to the director, Qin Guan suddenly recalled something.
"By the way, in order to thank my fans, anyone who watched this play will get a poster with my signature from my fan club’s website by showing their postcard. The offer will be valid for one month."
The depressed girls cheered up again.
"Ha ha! I got three postcards! Keep your cards, dad and mum!"
"It’s unfair. I’m not a tourist!"
"Silly girl! There are some geeks on that website. We can flirt with them!"
"Good idea!"
The director took the microphone and embraced Qin Guan warmly. He got a postcard with the number eight and a 100-dollar bill pinned at the back.
Best wishes to artists all over the world...
...
The trip back to their hotel was uneventful. Qin Guan was driving as fast as he could. Thanks to him, the drama group had received their biggest donation that year.
Besides, those plain postcards had suddenly started increasing in value. Local fans tried their best to get some extra cards from the tourists.
After dining and wining to satiety, Qin Guan fell asleep. Actually, he would be happy performing anywhere.
He woke up the next morning with a satisfied smile.
Cong Nianwei would pack and return to New York alone, while Qin Guan would attend the audition in Los Angeles. This was his most important job before returning to New York.
If fortune favored him, he would get some good roles in Los Angeles and start his journey in commercial films. Gold and silver were not afraid of fire, but they needed to melt on the stove first.
"Mean Girls" was a teen comedy with a small budget. No special effects or famous stars were involved in the film. The actors had been selected from inexperienced candidates. The female leads had already been decided.
The director had failed to find the hero from the actor resumes though. This was because the film had been adapted from a nonfiction book called "Queen Bees and Wannabes". The writer, Rosalind Wiseman, the scriptwriter, Tina Fey, and the director, Mark Waters, were all looking for a handsome actor.
As soon as Qin Guan arrived for the audition, he got a reality check.
The audition had been deliberately decided to be held at the school where the film would be shot. There were children playing sports on the grounds.
The female actresses were getting acquainted with the environment as Qin Guan and Qu approached Mark.
"Hello, director. This is Qin Guan. He is here to audition for the role of Aaron."


Qin Guan was reborn and sent back to his final semester in High School 18 years ago. Getting a second chance at life, he works hard to turn things around and eventually become a Prince Charming. What will his life be like the second time around? What will he have to go through? How will he succeed in turning from a loser into a Prince Charming? Read this story carefully and find out!

Li Du didn’t attend the rest of the auction. There was nothing valuable left behind in the units being auctioned off. If he attended, it would just be a waste of his time.
The other treasure hunters, however, didn’t know this. They were in a dilemma. A part of them wanted to watch as they cleared up the unit, while the other wanted to return to attend the auction.
Li Du couldn’t understand their thinking, and said, "What’s the point of standing around here for? Why not go back to the auction and make some money?"
"They need motivation," Hans said, his eyebrow twitching. "Motivation for continuing in this business."
"What do you mean?" Li Du asked, clueless.
Hans explained, "They know that even if they attend the auction, they probably wouldn’t make much money out of it. Might as well stay and see how we’re about to make tons of money—use us as a motivator to keep going. Or, they could imagine being us."
Li Du understood—to some extent—why they were here: to satisfy themselves. "But I still don’t get it. What’s the use in staying here to watch?"
Hans shut the door of the truck and said, "You don’t understand, buddy. You’re a natural in this business. It’s almost as if you have God’s blessing. We’re not. Most of us aren’t.
"You’ve never experienced it before," he said, shaking his head. "The feeling of attending five or six consecutive auctions, and only breaking even, or even going into the red. It’s miserable.
"That feeling makes you want to leave this business, but you know you can’t because you want to persevere down this road. So what do you do?
"You watch others strike rich to motivate yourself. As long as you persevere, eventually, you’ll be like them and strike rich."
"You have a deep understanding of this," Li Du said.
Hans shrugged. "If I tell you more about the past screw-ups I had, you’ll discover that I have an even deeper level of understanding than you realize. Let’s go!"
They found a new motel to stay in. Beside it was an exciting-looking restaurant, as well as Griffith Park.
Griffith Park was one of America’s largest city parks. It was five times larger than New York’s famous Central Park. There were outdoor theaters, a zoo, an observatory, a museum, and a children’s playground.
"What are we here for?" Li Du laughed. "We’re not on vacation."
Hans asked him to wait for a bit. He went to the ticketing booth and came back with a postcard. He displayed it to Li Du. "Ta-da, a mysterious card, right in front of your eyes."
The postcard, which was a 3D pop-out card, was extremely beautiful. When it opened, a wonderful park emerged.
"It really is pretty," Li Du exclaimed.
"Of course," Hans said. "A souvenir from Griffith Park. You can’t get it from anywhere else. It’s a perfect gift."
"Thanks, brother." Li Du went up to give him a bear hug.
"Let’s hope Sophie will be as touched when she receives it," Hans laughed. "Remember, if she jumps into your arms, then quickly confess."
"Sure, I will," Li Du said.
Since they were already here, they naturally wouldn’t miss out on the chance to tour.
The park was huge. There was no way they could tour the whole thing in one go. Hans led them to a strolling path.
"This path is very rugged, isn’t it amazing? If any of you liked the original Spiderman movies, then you can follow it. It will eventually lead to one of the caves where they shot one of the scenes."
Hans was introducing to them to the park like a tour guide.
After going around the outer areas, the sun started setting, the sky turning dark.
The four walked to the restaurant while they chatted. Business was booming in the restaurant, but Hans had already made a reservation. They went in right on time and were able to get their seats almost immediately.
After sitting down, Hans said, "The dishes here are very famous too. They have all sorts of fruit salads, fresh vegetable salads, tofu rolls, vegetarian curry, and homemade red tea. Everything is worth a try."
For their main course, they ordered flame-grilled lamb, chicken shawarma, cold eggplant with dipping sauce, homemade pitas, and all sorts of fresh seafood.
"Here in LA," Hans continued, "we definitely must try the seafood. You can’t get this kind of seafood in Flagstaff. It’s not as fresh."
Li Du was quite interested in the seafood, so he ordered a grilled Alaskan king crab. Once it was served, the king crab was shockingly huge, almost the size of a human baby.
The beverages they ordered were the draft beer and local whiskey. Li Du chose to drink plain water. He didn’t want to make it a habit of getting intoxicated every day.
They had their fill, but the activities for the day were not over yet. Hans now brought them to the nearby Griffith Observatory.
The observatory was built in 1935, and there were three prominent viewing spots. There was also a high-tech planetarium inside, and the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon presentation theater.
As long as the skies were clear, they could observe the stars.
"Don’t you like astronomy Li? Big Quinn, you too—didn’t you study astronomy? Alright, today, you guys can let loose."
"Look for aliens," Godzilla joked.
This topic had sparked Hans’s interest. He said, "When I was young, I would always wonder about this. What about you guys? Are there aliens out there?"
Pondering this, Big Quinn mumbled, "Well, purely guessing, I would go with yes. They might even have a whole civilization, since the universe is so wide!"
"There is no doubt about this," Li Du said. "They’re there. Us to them, would be like how ants are to us. All sorts of lifeforms exist on Earth, right? So why not throughout the universe?"
"I agree with boss."
Hans was trying to annoy them. "But you guys don’t have any evidence. No one has discovered life outside of Earth."
Li Du let out the bug. He gazed at this strange bug as he mumbled, "No, there is. I’ve seen it. It’s just that you guys can’t see it."
Hans laughed, "Alright, you have a pair of mystical eyes. We’re relying on those eyes of yours to make money. Let’s go in and watch the stars."
"What are you going in for? You’re not interested in this."
"I’m going in to pick up chicks," Hans said. "Also, I’m actually quite interested in stargazing as well. I studied astrology in university, and even interned with a fortune teller."
"Interning on the bed, right?" Li Du mocked.
Hans gave him a cheeky smile. "No, but we did end up on the bed."
There was a fee for renting telescopes. Li Du didn’t care about these small fees and rented an observatory platform with Big Quinn. Through the powerful telescopes, they watched the stars.
Hans had been off with his guess: Li Du didn’t like astronomy. He just liked watching the starry sky.
He preferred watching the starry sky directly with his own eyes, to feel the magnificence of the entire celestial night sky.
However, he hadn’t wanted to reject Hans’s good intentions. Also, he didn’t have the experience of watching the night sky through a telescope, so this was still something new to him at least.
They left only when the observatory was about to close. After a good night’s rest, they prepared to return to Flagstaff the next day.
However, right when they were about to depart from the motel, Hans’s phone rang.


They love gold, and they love silver. Even more so, they love gems that dazzle, like stars across the skies. 
Firearms, jewelleries, and precious metals; A collector’s world will not be complete without antiques.  
Storage auctions, old goods trade, re-estate sales and gold-digging. But the truth is, if one wants to make money, then the supreme way is through searching for the legendary treasures. 
Holding the fort, there’s an ocelot, a wolf, and an Andes condor. At the side, there’s a loyal hound, an irascible ape, and an African honey badger. Who said that you can only rely on humans when treasure hunting?! 

"Spade."
Tomcat crouched down at the hatch, its brows furrowed. It extended its paw like a surgeon.
Nurse Tang crouched beside it, putting the spade into Tomcat's paw.
"What… is this?" Tang Yue whispered. "A postcard? An envelope? An advertisement pamphlet? Which planet's delivery system is that ridiculously advanced? It even managed to send something all the way to Mars?"
The airlock didn't have the Martians as he imagined, but there was a flat white card on the ground. It looked more like a postcard or envelope. It sat silently to the side of the hatch's sill, but in Tomcat's eyes, it was as terrifying as a nuclear bomb.
Clearly, it didn't belong to anyone from Kunlun Station.
"It's probably not. Have you seen delivery people send pamphlets? They would usually print their telephone numbers on the wall. From the way they knock on the door and run, it's likely a pamphlet for sexual services."
Tomcat carefully used the spade to lift up the suspicious card. Flipping it onto the other side, there wasn't a striking delivery notice, nor was there a sexily-posed female green-skinned alien. This made Tang Yue and Tomcat heave a sigh of relief. If human civilization's first contact with aliens was by such an advertisement, it would be such a harrowing experience. Having a Star Destroyer appear would make more logical sense.
"It's an envelope," Tang Yue said.
Tomcat nodded. Upon scrutiny, it was indeed an envelope. There just weren't any words on it, nor was there a stamp. In this day and age, envelopes were rare antiques. This was because no one used primitive means like mail for communication. Only the postal service still maintained the business of delivering letters.
"Specimen bag." Tomcat raised its paw again.
Tang Yue handed it the plastic specimen bag.
Tomcat stuffed the envelope into the specimen bag and placed the bag into a box. Tomcat was rather cautious when it came to handling a suspicious item of unknown origins. Even as a robot cat, it had worn an IVA suit. Unfortunately, Kunlun Station didn't have a bullet vest; otherwise, Tang Yue believed it would have worn one.
"Before confirming that it's absolutely safe, no one is to directly make contact with it," Tomcat said. "A safe distance needs to be maintained."
Tang Yue nodded.
He was the only one on Kunlun Station now. How could there be anyone?
Tomcat carried the specimen box and left Kunlun Station, heading straight for the garage. It wanted to carefully analyze the origins of the envelope. Perhaps the instruments in the Mars Wanderer's experiment module could be of help.
Tang Yue also followed it. Tomcat had originally wanted him to stay as far away as possible, as no one knew what material the envelope was made of. It could bring with it lethal viruses or high radiation. It could even be formed of antimatter. If the envelope contained antimatter weighing about ten grams made contact with any matter in the Universe, that bit of mass when converted to energy had the might of ten atomic bombs that destroyed Hiroshima.
Therefore, Tang Yue didn't run.
It was useless running.
If the alien civilization had the ability to casually seal antimatter and allow it to stably exist, destroying him was just a matter of a snap.
Tomcat sealed itself in the geolab. Before closing the door, it warned Tang Yue that the work that followed could be annihilative. If he didn't wish to die, it was best he left as far as possible. However, Tang Yue refused to leave. Tomcat eventually allowed him to do as he wished in exasperation.
After the geolab closed its door, the light lit up. Tomcat started work in full battle order. Tang Yue leaned against the garage as it watched Tomcat's shadow.
Tomcat took over three hours. Just the time taken didn't make it seem simpler than surgery. It eventually pushed open the door and jumped out. It had one paw holding its IVA suit helmet and the letter in the other.
Tang Yue had been sitting outside for three hours. The moment he saw Tomcat exit, he rushed over. "What is it?"
Tomcat pushed him.
"Let's talk when we are back."
…
Tomcat and Tang Yue each held a torchlight, resembling archaeologists who were studying some ancient relic.
The envelope was left on a plate. The specimen box and bag that sealed it had been removed. The envelope was placed on the table looking completely normal.
"What material is it made of?" Tang Yue asked. "What's its origins?"
"Based on analytical spectroscopy, it's main components are carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. It's mostly made up of hydrogen, and has almost equal amounts of oxygen and carbon," Tomcat replied. "There are also extremely tiny amounts of sodium and sulfur."
"Speak human."
"Sugar," Tomcat said. "It's mainly made up of sugar, a type of carbohydrate."
"Sugar?" Tang Yue was alarmed as he subconsciously asked, "You mean this thing can be eaten?"
"Eat? Why is the only thing on your mind eating?" Tomcat shot a glance at him. "This is cellulose, a type of saccharide. It's the main component of wood from plants. Would you eat tree bark? In common parlance…"
Tomcat pulled out a used piece of paper from under the table, waved it and smacked it beside the envelope.
"Both of them are made of identical materials. There's almost no difference. Cellulose is the main component of pulp… This envelope is the most commonly seen and most ordinary paper envelope on Earth. There aren't any viruses or radiation. Nor is it antimatter."
Tang Yue was somewhat surprised.
He had just encountered the second most bizarre encounter in human history. The first was when Earth vanished.
Therefore, Tang Yue was already mentally prepared. Regardless of how strange and crazy it was, he wouldn't be surprised. However, Tomcat was now telling him that it was just a very ordinary envelope, no different from the paper-based envelopes he had seen back on Earth.
"Identical to the envelopes on Earth?"
"Yes." Tomcat nodded.
He was taken aback as he hurriedly jumped up. He didn't even care that he had knocked down a chair.
"Tang Yue?"
Tang Yue ignored Tomcat as he pushed open the airlock's hatch and staggered as he charged out.
"Tang Yue! Tang Yue!" Tomcat grabbed the envelope and ran out.
Tang Yue was wearing the heavy Radiant Armor as he pushed open the hatch. As he stood in front of Kunlun Station, panting. He faced the pitch-black desert and the starry sky above the horizon.
"Hey—!"
Tang Yue took a deep breath and roared.
"Come out—! Come out—!
"I know you are there—! Come out—! F*cking come on out—!"
Tang Yue shouted hysterically.
"Come out—! I've found you! Don't f*cking hide! Come out—! I beg you… I beg you to come out…
"Please… I beg you…"
Tomcat stood inside the airlock, looking at the man desperately shouting, trying hard to transmit his voice to the whole world. But his shouts didn't go far before being drowned out by the thin, cold air. Tang Yue slowly bent his back, his face flushed red as he gasped for breath. Finally, he sat on the hatch's sill.
"Please… I beg you…"
Tang Yue muttered to himself as tears streamed down.
Tomcat sighed before walking over. It patted his shoulder and handed him the envelope.
Tang Yue turned his head over.
"Open it… Whatever is inside is probably for you."


Payload specialist, Tang Yue, who is a mechanical and electrical engineer by training, is left stranded on Mars when he receives news from his AI robot assistant, Tomcat, that Earth has exploded. He believes himself to be the last human in the Universe.
Turns out, he is only the last man in the Universe. Botanist, Mai Dong, had been left on the United Space Station (USS) orbiting Mars, to await Tang Yue's ascent to the USS before they make their journey back to Earth. But now, it's impossible.
Join the trio's quest for survival as they attempt to unravel the mystery of Earth's disappearance.

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