After bringing Qiao Jing Jing to the hotel he stayed in when at the base, Yu Tu hurried off to pull overtime. As it turned out, sure enough, something like Chief Yu personally receiving her was a short-lived blessing; busying the day away without being able to catch a glimpse of him was the norm. Nevertheless, Qiao Jing Jing wasn't disheartened by this, for she had already mentally prepared herself beforehand. After all, it was nearing the launch date of the Deities probe. They would surely be very anxious and busy at work.
She was also exhausted from rushing to finish filming the drama in the past few days, so she first took this time to rest and let her hair down, and happily began her vacation.
The base, incidentally, was a great place for a vacation. The air was fresh, the scenery was spectacular, and meals and board were even covered as well. Moreover, she could freely move about without needing to wear a mask or suchlike when she stepped out. Although it was inevitable that people would do a couple of double-takes on the first day, everyone quickly got used to it.
Qiao Jing Jing first explored the permissible areas in the base alone, then started calling for company in the chat group for the family members, inviting everyone to check out the town outside the base together.
The chat group instantly grew active. After all, this work visit wasn't meant to be a sightseeing tour. The base hadn't organised many activities, so it was unavoidable that they would grow bored as their loved ones were busy at work. But once Qiao Jing Jing came, the atmosphere immediately changed. Everyone suddenly had a tour group leader!
Soon, Chief Yu began receiving various types of feedback from his colleagues amid his hectic schedule.
Some were thankful, such as Academician Xiao.
"Your wife's wonderful; ever since she came, my Professor Zhao no longer complains of boredom. She's out there having fun every day, only that she insists on showing me the photos right as soon as I get home at night. Xiao Yu, I actually have some thoughts about these photos, could you pass the message on to Xiao Qiao? For example, is it really necessary to help Professor Zhao take ten photos of the same place? My eyesight is going bad in my old age, I really can't tell which one looks best."
Naturally, there were also complaints.
"My wife used to stew tonic soup for me in the rice cooker when I get back, but once your wife came, I only have supper brought back from outside. There were even a few times when they got back later than I did."
Yu Tu conveyed everyone's complaints to Qiao Jing Jing, but Qiao Jing Jing also had her whole grand reasoning for this. "We have fun playing so that you can work without worries. Otherwise, you'll feel guilty that you don't have time to accompany us, wouldn't that be so stressful?"
With such an understanding wife, was there anything Yu Tu could say? He, of course, relayed his wife's reasoning to his colleagues, and generously told them there was no need for thanks.
Colleagues:
…It does appear to make sense, but something still feels off?
However, after a few days of fun, Qiao Jing Jing was a little worried about Xiao Hu and his wife. A certain night before she slept, she asked Yu Tu, "Xiao Li seems constantly unhappy. What happened between her and Xiao Hu?"
Yu Tu said concisely, "Xiao Li fell sick and was hospitalised a while ago, but Xiao Hu was too busy."
Qiao Jing Jing understood without him having to explain further.
"Then, should I do a little something?" Qiao Jing Jing wasn't quite certain as well, feeling that it wouldn't be quite appropriate no matter what she said or did.
"It's fine," Yu Tu said after a moment of contemplation. "If putting more into his relationship with Xiao Li makes Xiao Hu unhappy, we won't be able to persuade him, either."
Qiao Jing Jing sighed. Sometimes, Teacher Yu's views on love and marriage were cold to the point of callousness. Rationally, she agreed with what he said, but Xiao Hu and Xiao Li were clearly such nice people.
She leaned into Yu Tu's embrace. "It's good that I'm very busy too, or it's hard to say if I would end up blaming you as well."
Yu Tu didn't say anything, stroking her long hair again and again. Qiao Jing Jing quietly snuggled with him. His motions gradually slowed, and after a while, even breathing fell by her ears.
He was asleep.
Qiao Jing Jing gently broke free of the embrace so that he could sleep more comfortably. She played around with his hair and his fingers for a while, and closed her eyes, content.
The day of the rocket launch soon arrived.
Family members were arranged to watch it from the square in front of the Command and Control Centre, the best viewing point and the closest venue to the aerospace staff.
On Saturday evening after dinner, they followed the staff member to the viewing point in advance. There were already many people gathered even earlier than they were.
The logistics staff responsible for ushering them pointed to the building behind, saying, "This is the command centre. Your loved ones are in this building now, they're probably all quite nervous."
He said with a little regret, "It was initially arranged for everyone to watch it from the command centre together, but it had to be cancelled due to some special circumstances."
"It's alright, here's good too." One of them said with a smile. "Just that there are a little more people here. They don't look like they're from the base? Jing Jing has to wear a mask now."
Qiao Jing Jing, with a mask on, waved her hand. "I can take it off in a bit when it gets dark. Actually, it'll be fine even if I take it off now. Everyone's here to watch the rocket, they won't notice me."
And sure enough, at this time, the gigantic Long March 7 rocket was standing in a launch tower a distance off; everyone was excitedly looking at it in anticipation, not feeling bored in the slightest by the wait.
As they idly chatted, time inched closer to the time of launch. Controller-01's voice broadcasted through the square.
"Two minutes to launch."
The boisterous crowd immediately fell silent. With bated breaths, everyone watched the rocket in the distance.
"One minute to launch."
"Fifty seconds."
"Forty seconds."
"Thirty seconds."
"Twenty seconds."
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Lift off!"
Following Controller-01's countdown, the huge white rocket in the launch tower soared into the air with a loud roar through the smoke, a long tail of flame trailing behind, taking off steadily into the sky.
At the moment of take-off, the crowd was deafeningly silent. Nervous, everyone stared intently into the night sky, and as the rocket flew higher and higher, and further and further away, cheers eventually rose from the square.
When the rocket turned into a speck of light in the sky, the cheers turned into a long, neverending round of applause, interspersed with shouts of "the launch was successful!" rising and falling like a tide.
Qiao Jing Jing was also carried away with the wave of excitement, but still worried, she took out her phone to open the CCTV live.
The live feed was noticeably calmer than on-site. Most of the screen time showed real-time dynamic simulations of the rocket's flight, with occasional cuts to the command centre and the CCTV studio.
Reports kept pouring into the live feed.
"Wenchang; radar tracking normal, telemetry signal normal, flight trajectory normal."
"Tonggu Ling; radar tracking normal, telemetry signal normal, flight trajectory normal."
These were the various measurement and control points across the country reporting the status of the rocket flight in turn.
Unconsciously, the other family members gathered around Qiao Jing Jing, staring at her phone and listening to the broadcast.
Approximately three minutes later, the booster separated.
Next, the first stage separation was successful.
The fairings were discarded.
Finally, around the ten-minute mark, the second stage engine cut off, and the vehicle successfully separated!
Deities probe had successfully entered its intended orbit.
Qiao Jing Jing let out a long breath of relief, a genuine smile gracing her face. Everyone gathered around her to watch the live feed cheered.
Big Brother Wang said, "I really don't quite understand it, is this a success?"
At most, they could only say that the launch was a success; the journey of the Deities probe in space had only just begun. In any case, it had successfully taken off.
Professor Zhao, who understood it better, patiently explained this to Big Brother Wang.
Qiao Jing Jing lifted her head towards the infinitely far, deep, and vast night sky, then looked back at the command centre brightly lit behind her.
The probe that bore Yu Tu and many other's hard work and dreams had left Earth and was now flying through space on its intended orbit. He must be more excited and proud than she was, right?
But it was hard to say. Teacher Yu had grown calmer and more introspective after his promotion to chief designer. Perhaps after a moment of celebration, who knows, he could be calmly staring at the real time data analysis now.
All of a sudden, she really wanted to see him, and to be with him.
It was only at this point that the family members realised that the crowd watching the rocket had dispersed, and they were the only ones left in front of the command centre.
"Everyone's gone."
"Should we head back too, then?"
Qiao Jing Jing withdrew her gaze from the distance and suddenly recalled what Yu Tu reminded her of before he left this morning. She hurriedly said, "Hang on, there might be an interview later. Let's watch the interview before we leave."
Just as she said this, the live feed cut from the CCTV studio to the command centre, and the CCTV reporter began to interview live.
The first person to be interviewed was none other than Xiao Hu.
Qiao Jing Jing immediately shoved her phone to Xiao Li. "Quick, check it out. Xiao Hu's being interviewed."
Xiao Li gave a start, her gaze falling on the phone screen. The interviewer asked Xiao Hu many questions, and Xiao Hu calmly and patiently answered each one. He was usually a person awkward with his words, yet he spoke eloquently in front of the camera, oozing the charisma of professionalism from head to toe.
Xiao Li couldn't shift her eyes away.
The interview with Xiao Hu lasted a long time, then the reporter interviewed Academician Xiao, the chief scientist of the Deities probe project, who answered questions about the significance and scientific objectives of the Deities probe, and finally, a highly respected senior aerospace engineer.
The entire interview segment concluded here, and the camera cut back to the CCTV studio. Some of the family members were still reluctant for it to end. Someone asked Qiao Jing Jing, "Why didn't Chief Yu accept the interview?"
Qiao Jing Jing was long aware that Yu Tu had given the interview opportunity to Xiao Hu. Still, she said playfully, "I guess the interviewer picked whoever looked good to her."
Everyone laughed, "Then all the more, Chief Yu should do his duty."
Xiao Li was still holding the phone in a daze. Qiao Jing Jing wasn't in a hurry to get the phone back, instead having an idea as she glanced back at the command centre behind them. "How about we wait here for them to come out and head back together?"
Everyone instantly agreed to this, nodding their heads in unison. But some were still a little worried. "When will they come out?"
Big Brother Wang said, "I don't know, but you'll still have to wait when you return anyway, can any of you fall asleep like this?"
The family members, who had just watched the rocket launch, were in high spirits and they shook their heads. "We can't, we can't. Let's just wait and chat with everyone here then."
"Can we wait here?" Qiao Jing Jing asked the staff.
The staff nodded. "Should be fine, just don't wander off to where you shouldn't."
And so it was settled. The place they stood was too central, so the group of them walked towards the far side and found a place a distance off where they could see the main entrance, chatting as they checked the news while waiting for their families to come out. About an hour later, people started to trickle out intermittently, but Yu Tu and the others were nowhere in sight.
Professor Zhao was more experienced. "These should be the ones in charge of the rocket launch. The ones in charge of the probe will surely be a little later."
After a while more, Academician Xiao was the first to come out. He was very surprised to see them waiting, and he pointed at Qiao Jing Jing with a smile. "Was this your idea?"
Qiao Jing Jing smiled mischievously, "Yeah."
"I just knew it, a married couple has to be equally bright and full of ideas. You'll have to wait a while more. The launch went very smoothly today, so it won't be too long."
Not expecting that Chief Yu could actually garner such a lively and cute comment from the senior academician, Qiao Jing Jing couldn't help but smile secretly to herself.
The staff brought the two elderly off first, and one by one, people waited for their loved ones to come out and left with them, until only Qiao Jing Jing and Xiao Li remained outside the building.
Qiao Jing Jing was getting a little sleepy from the wait when she finally saw Xiao Hu come out. Xiao Hu was flattered and surprised to see them. He asked Xiao Li in disbelief, "Are you waiting for me?"
Xiao Li was a little embarrassed by him. Qiao Jing Jing helped her answer, "Who else can she be waiting for, if not you? Where's my Yu Tu? Why hasn't he come out?"
"He was coming out with me but got pulled off by someone for a chat. He'll be out soon." Xiao Hu scratched his head. "We'll wait with you for him and we can head off together."
"No no no," Qiao Jing Jing was exasperated. Couldn't Xiao Hu move some IQ to EQ? "You'll spoil any romantic ambience between Chief Yu and I."
As she said this, she caught a glimpse of a figure walking down the steps of the command centre out of her peripheral vision. "I see him, you guys head off first. Bye bye bye, hurry up and go, don't be a lightbulb."
She ran off before Xiao Hu and his wife could react. However, after taking a few brisk steps towards Yu Tu, she saw him stop by the side of the road at the bottom of the steps and take out his phone, making as if to turn it on.
They all turned their phones off inside the building. Turning on his phone as soon as he came out, could it be that he was going to call her?
Qiao Jing Jing hastily stopped in her steps and set her phone to silent mode. But after a while, Yu Tu was already on the line, yet her phone remained without any movement.
Hey, that's too much.
Who could he be calling?
Qiao Jing Jing circled over through the grassy area on the side, approaching Yu Tu from behind. When she neared and was about to surprise him, she heard him say, "There are still many ordeals in the Deities probe's future, but so far, it has lived up to expectations."
At once, Qiao Jing Jing stopped. She knew who he was talking to. It was Guan Zai.
The conception of the Deities probe was filled with many twists and turns. The earliest plan was drawn up by Guan Zai and Yu Tu together, but Guan Zai left his post for two years due to illness and Yu Tu took over the bulk of his work. Later, it was shelved due to the national overall plan and only rebooted the previous year, after which Yu Tu was directly appointed as the chief designer. At first, Yu Tu had rejected the post since Guan Zai had already returned, but Guan Zai scolded him once he learned of it. The plan of the Deities probe had changed from the initial plan because of advancements and innovation in technology, furthermore, Guan Zai's health wasn't capable of shouldering such heavy work, so Yu Tu was undoubtedly the most suitable person for the position.
Ultimately, Yu Tu took the post, and set even higher expectations of himself.
He had never forgotten, not even for a moment, what Guan Zai had once entrusted to him in the hospital.
For a brief spell, Qiao Jing Jing's heart ached with both sadness and pride. She gazed at his straight and upright silhouette under the light of the night. This was a man with dreams and responsibilities. In her eyes, he was always as dazzling as the stars, unmatched by all else in the world.
Her phone started to vibrate. Qiao Jing Jing snapped back to her senses, then realised that Yu Tu had already ended his call with Guan Zai and was now calling her.
She didn't want him to see her red-rimmed eyes, so she swiftly hid behind a nearby coconut tree before picking up the phone.
"Did you see it?"
"I saw it." Qiao Jing Jing swept away that slight astringence, holding her phone as she said happily, "Congratulations on the successful launch."
"Mm," Yu Tu smiled. He called her name. "Jing Jing."
"Everyone was clapping when the vehicle successfully separated. And I suddenly remembered how a long time ago, you told me, 'You're a rabbit that has seen the most stars.' Today, I really did go to see even more stars."
"Thank you."
Qiao Jing Jing froze, holding her phone, and the astringence in her heart that was swept away suddenly resurfaced and intensified. Her eyes burned so much that, for a moment, she couldn't get a word out.
After a long while, she walked out from behind the coconut tree. She said, "Look back. I'm behind you."
Yu Tu turned his head over, and suddenly smiled upon seeing her. "You're still so childish at this age."
He put away his phone and walked towards her, only to find that her eyes were glistening when he stood before her. He reached out to wipe her eyes, remorse brimming in his heart. He pulled her into his embrace. "It's been hard on you."
In his embrace, Qiao Jing Jing shook her head. There were times when it was hard, and there were times that she would occasionally grumble. But these weren't the reason that she suddenly felt like crying.
The prickle of hot tears at this moment was because she recalled the countless times he had worked hunched over at his desk into the late nights, because of the words he had just said to Guan Zai—it had 'lived up to expectations'—for a group of people, for their persistence, glory, and dreams.
For even more stars.
For the galaxy of stars, even further beyond.
THE END.