CDJMM – Volume 2 – Extra Chapter There Must Be Stars

At dawn, Song Caiying got out of bed.

After washing up, she knocked on her son’s door. “Xiao Hang, time to get up.”

A few seconds later, a drowsy voice came from inside the room: “It’s just past six…”

“Did you forget? We agreed yesterday that we’d visit Uncle Chang at the hospital this morning.”

“…Ah! I’m getting up right now!”

When Song Hang went out after breakfast, it was only seven in the morning.

The sky was dim, dark rain clouds hiding the barely risen sun. Fine spring rain drifted down, just enough to wet the ground.

Song Hang glanced at his mother’s expression and noticed that it matched the gloomy clouds overhead.

Ever since Grandma Li passed away, and Uncle Chang fell seriously ill, his mother’s mood had been terrible.

Song Hang felt sad too.

He liked Grandma Li Shuran and Uncle Chang Jingchen very much.

To him, they were the perfect role models of scientists.

They sought neither fame nor profit. They pursued knowledge and truth relentlessly, dedicating their lives to the happiness and liberation of humanity. They were relentless seekers of truth, and also Song Hang’s lifelong guiding stars and idols.

His dream was to become a scientific researcher in the future.

Every Lunar New Year, his mother would take him to visit Grandma Li and Uncle Chang.

Grandma Li Shuran was a kind and gentle elderly lady. Despite being a nationally treasured scientist, she had no airs about her and always greeted him with a warm smile, listening attentively to every one of his thoughts. Upon hearing about his dream of becoming a scientist, Grandma Li believed in him even more than he believed in himself.

Song Hang had heard many stories about Grandma Li from his mother.

The more he listened, the more he admired her.

To survive in such a war-torn era, escape an arranged marriage, start her studies from scratch, and, despite her country’s hardships, give up a comfortable life abroad to return and develop science at home—Grandma Li was truly remarkable!

Like his mother, she lived a life full of brilliance.

Moreover, Grandma Li was not only wise in academics but also in life!

Song Hang would never forget what his mother said about herself before Grandma Li’s guidance: if not for Grandma Li opening her eyes, she would have become “a mediocre, dull woman, lost in foolish love, abandoning her ideals and career for a man.” He remembered his mother’s expression when she said this—a mix of relief and lingering fear, like surviving a calamity.

His mother had always been his idol and the coolest mom in school.

She wore a stylish short haircut, professional attire, and was the female boss of a foreign trade company—a true powerhouse.

Although busy with work, she always made time during winter and summer vacations to travel the world with Song Hang.

They had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro together, watching the blazing sun rise from the clouds in spectacular brilliance; they had dived into the Great Barrier Reef, swimming among schools of fish under the interplay of light and water; they had skied in Antarctica, marveling at the endless, majestic snowfields… Even without a father, Song Hang’s childhood had been happier than many children with fathers.

When he was little, Song Hang had once asked his mother why he didn’t have a father.

Her answer stayed with him for life: “Baby, look. In other families, raising a child well requires both mother and father. But I’m exceptional, so I can raise you on my own. That’s why you don’t need a father, right?”

So, Song Hang had never felt sad over not having a father. As he grew older, he understood the deeper meaning behind his mother’s words and admired her all the more.

He was his mother’s only child, and he only loved his mother.

Mom was the coolest, bravest, and most independent woman he had ever known in his life. Mom was his pride! His greatest dream was to become someone as free, independent, and fearless as her.

So it was hard for him to imagine that Mom had once been just an ordinary, mediocre woman.

…
…

Song Caiying started the car and drove toward the city hospital.

The sky was gradually brightening. There were already scattered pedestrians on the streets, and the breakfast shops were bustling with people, which lightened the gloomy, drizzly spring atmosphere.

She glanced at her son dozing off in the passenger seat and smiled. “You can sleep for now. I’ll wake you when we get to the hospital.”

Song Hang lifted his eyelids and obediently said, “I won’t sleep. I’ll keep you company and talk for a while.”

Song Caiying couldn’t help but smile at her son’s thoughtfulness. She tried persuading him a few more times, but when she realized she couldn’t change his mind, she gratefully accepted his company. Talking to someone, even briefly, did make her feel a little better.

Habitually, she turned on the car radio to listen to the morning news while chatting with her son in a casual, half-hearted way.

“Breaking news: Our nation’s top science and technology award winner, aerospace expert Comrade Chang Jingchen, passed away last night at 19:52 in Beijing at the age of 36. Chang Jingchen, an expert in manned space technology, made outstanding contributions to the launch of our Shenzhou spacecraft series…”

Song Caiying froze.

She looked at Song Hang in confusion. “Xiao Hang… did I hear that wrong?”

Song Hang was equally shocked and disoriented. He asked blankly, “How could Uncle Chang possibly die? He’s only in his thirties!”

Song Caiying nodded in a daze and murmured, “Yeah… how could this be…” She was still alive, so how could he have passed away?

She didn’t even notice when her mind cleared a bit. Mechanically, she gripped the steering wheel and slammed the accelerator, racing toward the hospital like lightning.

Along the way, it seemed like she was thinking about a lot of things, and at the same time, like she wasn’t thinking about anything at all.

Compared to her gratitude toward Ms. Li Shuran, Song Caiying’s feelings for Chang Jingchen had always been complicated.

For the first 22 years of her life, she and Chang Jingchen had no connection—she had only heard his name, never met him.

It wasn’t until she was 23, when she accompanied her then-boyfriend Li Yian to visit the ailing Ms. Li Shuran at the hospital, that she met Chang Jingchen for the first time. Even then, she didn’t have a deep impression of him; her entire focus was on Ms. Li Shuran’s words.

Just a few words from Ms. Li Shuran completely changed the course of her life. She finally broke free from the mental constraints imposed by her previous life and, for the first time, had a clear goal.

At first, she only wanted to honor her university degree, use her advantage in English, and become an independent woman who could support herself.

With her degree and professional skills, she returned from Singapore and joined a foreign company. From then on, she was exposed to a whole new world, realizing both its vastness and her own smallness.

Compared to this magnificent world, her previous “love” with Li Yian was insignificant and fragile.

The more people she met, the more she realized Li Yian wasn’t special at all.

She even wondered if she had been out of her mind before, thinking that Li Yian, this spoiled second-generation heir, was perfect and a man of true stature.

So it was inevitable that Song Caiying and Li Yian broke up. She never said it out loud, but even back then, she had already decided that Li Yian wasn’t worthy of her.

Even after breaking up with Li Yian, Song Caiying still often shamelessly visited Ms. Li Shuran. She harbored boundless gratitude and admiration for this woman who had changed her life. So whenever she achieved a little success, or faced a problem she couldn’t solve, she would visit Ms. Li. Even just speaking with her for a while would give her immense encouragement and support.

Occasionally, she would also encounter Chang Jingchen, who accompanied Ms. Li Shuran—nominally Li Shuran’s godbrother. Though a godbrother in name, Ms. Li treated him with natural affection, and the usually dignified and highly respected lady would sometimes act like a little girl in his presence. Whenever that happened, a gentle, indulgent smile would always appear on the young man’s face.

Such an age-inverted relationship between the elder and the younger seemed indescribably harmonious to Song Caiying. Gradually, Song Caiying and Chang Jingchen also became familiar with each other. On occasion, he would give her advice on career difficulties she encountered. Song Caiying often admired his clear judgment and incisive insights.

In light of such emotions, she now found it laughable that she had once thought Li Yian would be more successful than Chang Jingchen upon first meeting him. It was proof of how shallow she had been back then.

Yet, in the end, she had grown into a rich, full life.

This life… had been worth it.

It wasn’t entirely accurate to say that Song Caiying and Chang Jingchen were very close. Unlike Li Shuran’s loving care, Chang Jingchen’s attitude toward Song Caiying had always been gentle but distant. In fact, he was generally cold to everyone except Li Shuran. However, because of her connection to Li Shuran, and since he had indeed helped her a few times, Song Caiying always felt grateful. Occasionally, she would reciprocate with small gifts.

Without any unexpected events, their relationship would have likely remained calm and unremarkable. But then, the unexpected happened.

Song Caiying’s most respected and beloved mentor, Li Shuran, passed away. The blow to Song Caiying was devastating. She had almost fainted from crying and spent the following days with no appetite, immersed in immense grief.

It was under these circumstances that her feelings for Chang Jingchen deepened—he had been Li Shuran’s most cherished and closest companion during her lifetime. Seeing him still alive felt like a continuation of Li Shuran’s life.

But fate is unpredictable. Not long after she regained her composure, she heard that Chang Jingchen was gravely ill. His organs were failing rapidly, and his life hung by a thread. It was as if Li Shuran’s death had taken all his vitality with it, and he was about to follow her into the afterlife.

The moment Song Caiying heard this news, she felt boundless loneliness and helplessness. She seemed to become a small girl again, standing at a crowded crossroads, unsure of which direction to go.

…

Song Caiying drove into the hospital parking lot, finally ending her long reverie. She held her son’s hand and walked toward the hospital ward like a wandering spirit.

Standing at the ward’s door, she saw the now-empty bed and felt the world spin around her.  From the nurse, she learned that just last night, Chang Jingchen’s body had been sent to the funeral home for cremation. According to his will, his ashes would be launched into space aboard the latest manned spacecraft. Astronauts would follow his instructions and scatter his ashes into the vast universe.

The nurse sighed: “Truly a space expert—even in death, he wants to die in space. How romantic.”

Song Hang choked back his throat and wept silently.

The future chief designer of aerospace, Song Hang, had lost two of the scientists he respected most by the age of eight. From then on, he embarked on the path paved by his predecessors, moving forward tirelessly, singing and walking along the way.

Many, many years later, when Song Hang had grown into a white-haired grandfather, he would sit in a rocking chair and patiently describe to his bright-eyed grandchildren the fleeting glimpse of two stars he saw as a child, how dazzling and radiant they were. He would always end with this line: “They were ideals of humanity in a burning galaxy.”

His grandchildren, confused but intrigued, would nod and then, in childish voices, ask: “Then what happened?”

“Then…” Song Hang would smile, eyes twinkling, the grief of youth gone, replaced by the calm of someone who has seen the world, “Then the stars returned to the sky.”

“Eh?” the little grandson would ask curiously. “Were the stars happy to go back?”

“When I was young, I didn’t know,” Song Hang would stroke the boy’s head, a smile both complex and enlightening. “But now I slowly understand. When stars return to the sky, they are probably not happy, because they worry that no new stars will be born on Earth.”

His granddaughter would frown: “But there are so many stars in the sky. So even if there are no new stars, it doesn’t matter, right?”

“The sky is always familiar stars—they get lonely too.” Song Hang would wink mischievously, like a sly old fox. “So promise Grandpa—you’ll become stars too, okay? Then the stars in the sky will never be lonely.”

The grandchildren would exchange glances, then nod half-understood, and in sweet voices say: “Okay~”

“Wonderful,” Song Hang would feel deeply satisfied. “So we’ve made a promise,” he whispered, “Grandpa and the other stars will wait for you in the sky.”

That is the story of another star in the distant future.

At this moment, Song Hang was just a child, lost in bewildering sorrow.

Someday in the future, he would set sail, create his own career, and eventually become a star returning to the cosmos.

But his era was still many, many years away.

Yet, whether in the past, the present, or that distant future, humanity would always have a sky full of shining stars.

There will always be stars.