Jiang Ye picked up his pen and scratched his head, writing and scribbling. An hour later, two sheets of paper were blacked out, yet not a single sentence had come to him.
A thousand thoughts swarmed his mind, and he didn't know where to begin.
He had even changed the opening salutation several times.
"My dearest" was too bookish, "Baby" was too mushy, "Dear Cen Yemeng," always felt like writing an English essay for Li Hua, "Comrade Cen Yemeng," it seemed the next sentence would be, "The time has come to test you!"
None of it worked, and Jiang Ye was pulling his hair out in frustration.
He couldn't help but message Li Nannan.
Jiang Ye: "Commander, may I ask for your advice? What's a good opening salutation when writing to a woman you admire? Should the content of the letter be more mushy or more formal?"
Li Nannan: "Scram! If you want to flirt, do it yourself. You're not asking me to help with this, are you? You can't even write a love letter, may you die a pig's death!"
Jiang Ye sighed deeply and silently opened the third sheet of paper.
After sitting blankly for another half hour, he made up his mind and just started writing whatever came to mind, let the chips fall where they may!
"Dear Cen Yemeng:"
"I've missed you terribly these past few days. I heard that Jiedian Star was hit by Mill people's artillery, and I'm very worried about your safety."
"I've been trying to find a way to contact you. I bought a satellite a few days ago, but that satellite only provides network access on this planet and cannot connect to Jiedian Star. I don't have the money to build a rocket launch site for now, and even if I did, I couldn't build a rocket. It's giving me a headache."
"There's so much to do on the colony, and I'm busy every day, but when I have free time, I think of you. I've asked my superior to help me bring this letter to you, but my superior is about to go to the front lines, so he won't be able to carry any more letters for me. So this might be the only letter for a while."
"I don't know how you feel about our relationship. I still like you very much, but the distance is too great, and it's giving me a headache."
"I've opened a printing factory in the colony, and I can print all sorts of books. If you open a branch of your bookstore here in the future, I'll give you the printing factory to use."
"There's a whole Xinhua dictionary's worth of things I want to say to you, but when I write them down in a letter, I don't know where to start. So, this is it."
"A mole, by virtue of the flesh's whiteness, becomes an island. I miss the vast, shimmering sea within your clothes."
"Jiang Ye"
After finishing, Jiang Ye wrapped the letter in a homemade envelope, put it into the trading pod, and transmitted it to Li Nannan.
Soon, he received a message on his phone.
Li Nannan: "Oh my, Jiang Ye, are you even capable? You're given a chance to write a love letter, and you write this garbage? You need to boldly confess your love! Shout your love for her! You're so hesitant, more shy than a young maiden. I really don't know how a pig like you gets liked by a silly woman."
Jiang Ye: "You read my letter! Have you no shame!!"
Li Nannan: "I wouldn't bother reading your letter, but according to the Galactic Empire's Military Goods Circulation Law, I must carefully review this letter to ensure it contains no prohibited content."
Jiang Ye was speechless. He was ignorant of the law and didn't know if Li Nannan was bluffing. Since he was asking for a favor, he had to endure it.
Li Nannan: "Alright, I'll send it over. If she still has feelings for you, she might send you a reply. Wait for it."
Jiang Ye paced back and forth in the room, his heart beating faster than a machine gun.
He hadn't spent much time with Cen Yemeng, only a few days in total. But their relationship was shallow in some ways and not shallow in others. They had shared a bed, yet they weren't in a formal romantic relationship.
Jiang Ye really wanted her to be his official girlfriend, but he didn't know her attitude.
Long-distance relationships were already difficult, and now inter-stellar relationships. It was normal for feelings to fade.
After a few steps, Jiang Ye would check his phone. He unlocked the screen more than seventy times in half an hour, but there was silence, no messages. He even worried about a network failure and checked his phone signal four or five times.
Finally, the phone vibrated!
Li Nannan: "Oh dear, what a pity. Cen Yemeng cursed you as a heartless man, said she's cutting ties with you, and tore up your letter."
Jiang Ye's mind went blank, and the blood in his body instantly froze.
If he had a weak heart, he might have collapsed.
Li Nannan: "Just kidding. She cried tears of joy and is writing you a reply. Wait, I'll transmit it to you in a moment."
Jiang Ye: "You scared me to death. Uh, can you take a photo of her for me to see?"
Li Nannan: "According to the Galactic Empire's Military Information Management Regulations, I cannot provide you with such unreviewed image information."
Jiang Ye was so angry he kicked the leg of the bed. What kind of ridiculous regulation was this? He couldn't even take a photo?
After waiting for more than ten minutes, the trading pod flickered with light.
A long letter appeared, with a lipstick mark on the envelope.
Jiang Ye's hands trembled with excitement as he opened and read the letter.
The handwriting was very messy, but it had a flowing quality that suggested calligraphy practice. It was clear that Cen Yemeng had written it quickly, rushing to finish, and had even omitted some punctuation.
"Damn Jiang Ye:"
"After reading your letter, two of my lungs exploded on the spot."
"You actually told me you still like me? That's too much! From now on, you're forbidden to use the word 'like' when talking to me. You should love me! Do you understand? Love me!"
"You even used a standard salutation like 'Dear Cen Yemeng.' Would it kill you to call me 'baby'? Am I not your baby?"
"I miss you terribly. I've stayed awake all night many times thinking of you, longing to see you soon. I've inquired, and when a colony's development index reaches 10,000 points, it qualifies for building a space station. A space station is a transfer point and base for communication tools like rocket launch sites, spaceship ports, and interstellar teleportation pods, similar to an airport or train station from your childhood, understand?"
"With a space station, you can fly to Jiedian Star to find me. Your colony already has over 4,000 development index points. Hurry up and work hard! I'll be waiting for you at home. Don't make me wait too long; it's truly agonizing."
"It's been very chaotic on Jiedian Star lately. When the Mill people attacked before, a traitor sent signals to guide the enemy's bombing locations. Now that the Mill people have been repelled, the military police are everywhere, arresting spies. Sometimes spies and police engage in gunfights right on the street, bullets flying back and forth. Schools have been suspended, and many unruly students don't go home. Boys and girls pair up and fill up hotels.
"A large number of unemployed people are taking advantage of the situation to loot shops. On the street where I live, all the shops have been robbed, and even my dumpling restaurant has been robbed twice. But my bookstore hasn't been touched. It seems the rioters never read books, and they don't know how valuable hardcover books are; they're much more expensive than sneakers."
"Of course, I'm fine. I live in the wealthy district, and the security is very good, so there's no danger. The military is blocking the way, so the Mill people can't break in. It will be peaceful again in a while."
"Although you can't fly to Jiedian Star for now, there should be a way for you to send me some messages. Think of a way, and write me a love letter quickly. Send me a few recent photos of yourself, let me see if you've gotten fat. Video call me, please."
"If I wait a few days and you don't message me, I'll be so angry I'll smash a cup. If I wait a few months and you still haven't messaged me, then the next time I see you, I'll swing my fist and punch you in the face."
"Say you love me, or I'll punch you."
"Cen Yemeng"