Annihilation of the solar system

The next afternoon, Lao Liu and his son came to the bustling Huajing Airport terminal. They found a bench in the corner and waited for their respective flights to take off. Lao Liu’s destination was to go home, while Liu Chaowen was going to

National Observatory. Looking at his son's still childish face, Lao Liu was still a little worried.

He originally wanted to say something, but when the words came to his lips, he did not say them out. He just sighed. Liu Chaowen seemed to have read his father's thoughts. He patted Old Liu's calloused hand:

"Dad, don't worry. I'm fine. So many experts have checked with me. But you should take good care of yourself."

Old Liu looked at his son's face full of sunshine and smiled, and said sincerely:

"It's strange that I'm not worried. We've been dependent on each other since we were young, so you have to take it easy. Seeing how these good times are getting better, my old arms and legs can't stand the torment anymore. If you

If something goes wrong, my old life may not be able to hold on."

Liu Chaowen frowned slightly, with a hint of reproach in his tone:

"Dad, why are you talking about this? We still need to live a healthy life. I know how to rest."

"Tell me, why do you suddenly want to go to the observatory to see the stars?" Lao Liu suddenly asked.

Liu Chaowen was startled by this question, his brows furrowed even more tightly, and the sunny smile on his face disappeared. After a moment, he said:

"I can't explain clearly. I just want to go there suddenly. I miss you so much. I can't describe the feeling. It feels a bit like when I was studying, I missed you so much.

He took me to the countryside to play with model cars. I was so excited that I couldn't sleep a week in advance, but it was even stronger than that."

Old Liu chuckled:

"You kid, although you are now a well-known doctor at home and abroad, you are still the same as you were when you were a child. Just go, your teacher Zhou also said that it is relaxing to see the stars. However, I heard him say that your thesis

I’m afraid you’ll have to spend the Chinese New Year with you again this year.”

Liu Chaowen lowered his head and said nothing. Liu also regretted bringing up this topic that would make his son feel guilty. I support my son's work from the bottom of my heart.

At this moment, the announcement in the terminal rang, Liu Chaowen's plane had begun boarding. Old Liu stood up and helped him pick up the suitcase, which was not too big, and the father and son walked to the boarding gate together.

Walking to the boarding lane, Lao Liu handed the suitcase to his son:

"Be sure to pay attention to your health and safety. Dad will take care of himself, and you should also take care of yourself."

Liu Chaowen nodded. He picked up the suitcase and turned around halfway. Then he looked back at Lao Liu's weather-beaten face. After hesitating for a moment, he asked in a low voice:

"Still...still no news from mom?"

Old Liu had no expression on the surface, as if he had expected his son to ask this question. He just shook his head lightly. Liu Chaowen didn't ask any more questions, and just said:

"Then you must take care of yourself and contact me when you get home. I'm leaving. Goodbye."

After saying that, he turned around and disappeared into the boarding passage.

After a long time, Lao Liu still stood on the same spot, although his face was as calm as before. But in his heart, he felt as if he had knocked over a spice jar, with mixed feelings and emotions.

When his son was young, he would often ask about his mother. However, Chaowen was still a child at that time, and Lao Liu used white lies to deceive his young son every time, so that he could grow up happily in the hope woven by lies.

.

As his son grew older, he gradually understood the truth. Lao Liu still remembers deeply that after returning home from a parent-child activity in elementary school, his son shouted to Lao Liu with tears in his eyes:

"Why hasn't mom come back yet?

I am so sensible, my grades are so good, and I am not sick anymore. Why does my mother still not want me?

You said mom would be back soon, but she obviously won't come back!

Why do you keep lying to me!!"

After saying that, the father and son hugged each other and cried loudly in the dilapidated and dark old building...

Recalling these past events, a big teardrop quietly slipped from the corner of this simple but resolute man's eyes...

After several hours of flight, Liu Chaowen's flight arrived at Jinling International Airport. There was so little traffic in the pick-up hall that he saw a sign with his name on it as soon as he entered the hall.

Under the sign is a woman with short black shoulder-length hair. Under her thin eyebrows are a pair of big eyes with soft light. The bridge of her nose is not high, but it has sharp edges. Above her pointed chin is a pair of slightly raised cinnabar.

lips; the woman was slender and was wearing a light-colored coat. Three- to four-centimeter high heels made her Juechen face look more intellectual and elegant.

Liu Chaowen walked towards the sign, and the woman's eyes looking around gradually fell on him. Her big eyes soaked in spring water were slightly elongated, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and an intoxicating smile appeared on her face. Then she opened her mouth slightly.

On his lips, a string of soft words seemed to block out the noise in the airport reception hall:

"Is it Junior Brother Liu Chaowen?"

The woman in front of him who exuded such intellectuality and softness made Liu Chaowen, an introverted young man who was not very good at anything except studying and scientific research, couldn't help but take a few more glances. A trace of blush appeared on his face and he nodded. The woman

The smile on his face became thicker, he put down the sign he was holding, and stretched out his slender hands like onions:

"Hello! I'm Xia Lan. Teacher Shen called me last night. I didn't expect you to come so soon. How are you? Did you feel okay on the plane? Are you tired?"

Liu Chaowen, who was already introverted, became even more shy in front of such a beautiful and gentle senior sister. He stretched out his hand and shook hands with the senior sister, his voice trembling:

"Hello, Senior Sister Xia Lan, I'm...not tired..."

During the phone conversation between Xia Lan and her teacher Shen Manling, Xia Lan had already heard from her teacher that this talented junior was somewhat introverted, so she was prepared for Liu Chaowen's reaction.

On the phone, the teacher also specifically asked him to try his best to meet Liu Chaowen's needs in terms of scientific research and study. However, the most important task is to take good care of his daily life. The main purpose of going to the National Observatory this time is to rest and relax.

Xia Lan drove Liu Chaowen towards the observatory. Along the way, Liu Chaowen sat quietly in the back seat without speaking.

:

"Junior brother, you are a big celebrity in our Qingbei University. We often hear Teacher Shen use you as our role model in class. The other senior brothers and sisters at the observatory were very happy when they heard that you were coming. They were so happy

I’m preparing dinner at the observatory, waiting to welcome you.”

Liu Chaowen retracted his gaze from the window and replied with some embarrassment:

"Senior Sister Xia Lan deserves the award. I am just doing some research in theoretical physics with Teacher Zhou Cheng. It is mainly due to the achievements of the teacher and my senior brothers. I still have a lot to ask my senior sister for advice on astronomical observations."

In the reflection mirror, Xia Lan's red lips with light makeup were slightly raised:

"If you say that, we will be even more embarrassed. Okay, if you don't say this, don't call me Senior Sister, just call me by name or Sister Lan. It will be a while before we get to the observatory, so you can rest first. We will chat slowly after dinner. As long as you need anything about astronomical observation, we will try our best to help you."

Xia Lan remembered what her teacher Shen Manying had told her on the phone last night. Liu Chaowen fainted due to overwork at the National Physics Conference a few days ago. Try to talk as little as possible about academic matters this time. The main task is to let Liu Chao get more rest.

"Okay...Master Xia Lan...uh...Sister Lan. Oh, by the way, have you brought the observation data of Oumuamua?"

Xia Lan's brows wrinkled slightly, and then relaxed quickly. The eagerness for learning of this junior fellow who was already well-known in the theoretical physics community at home and abroad really surprised her. Soon the intoxicating smile returned again. To her delicate face:

"Um... I borrowed this car from the Observatory. The car on our project originally had one. But today a senior brother drove the car to the city to go shopping. And you just arrived, so let's take a rest first. .I’ll get you another set after dinner, what do you think?”

Liu Chaowen's eyes returned to the window again:

"Okay, thank you, Sister Lan. I sometimes do things in a bit of a hurry, so don't be offended."

Xia Lan chuckled:

"How could it be? I was somewhat similar to you when I was your age. At that time, I had just entered the first year of graduate school, and my love for astronomical observation had reached the point of obsession. During the day, I looked up information, calculated orbits, and studied star charts. At night, I looked up information, calculated orbits, and studied star charts. I squatted in the observatory until midnight. After a few months, I had dark circles under my eyes every day. In the end, Teacher Shen forced me to only go to the observatory twice a week, so I returned to my normal schedule."

Speaking of this, Xia Lan's eyes, which were originally soft and watery, became a bit more rainbow-like.

Along the way, she talked to Liu Chao in high spirits about the vast universe, the gorgeous nebulae, the spectacular supernovae, the distant and unknown quasars, the unfathomable black holes, the fascinating neutron stars, the mysterious white dwarfs, The magnificent evolution of stars, the insignificant planets that give life meaning, and the satellites that have been endowed with poetry and silently guard life.

Liu Chaowen still only answered with a few polite words every time, and Xia Lan didn't really care whether he was listening to her telling about the galaxy legends that she was fascinated by.

After leaving the highway, the car drove into the mountainous area. The afterglow of the setting sun made the winding mountain road become bright and dark like a sketch, and the mountains in the distance were only silhouettes in the dusk glow.

The ridge is dotted with a few spherical buildings that are dyed golden by the setting sun, like a few ping pong balls thrown on a pile of sand.

Xia Lan pointed to the spherical building at the highest point of the ridge. Going up from here, it was only the size of a pearl on a necklace:

"That's where the observatory's near-Earth object telescope is, and we should be able to see the comet you want to see there."