Encounter a grand silent brilliance at Longxi Reservoir, spend the night on Mount Dalei and sleep with the sea of stars

Traveling onward, by the time I arrived at Longxi Reservoir, the fierce heat of the afternoon had already faded. The reservoir lay quietly in the embrace of the surrounding mountains, like a huge, uncarved piece of black jade, somber and gentle. The mountains around were dark green, a deep, bottomless green full of moisture, making the entire water area appear even more profound and peaceful. Where the wind passed, the water surface rippled with fine scales, as if this piece of black jade was breathing inside. The sunset reflected on the mountain backdrop against the blue sky, the light growing soft and losing its sharp edges, slanting over from the other side of the mountain, gilding the dark green ridges with a golden edge. At this moment, the reservoir’s surface became the most faithful canvas. It was no longer black jade but transformed into a huge, smoothly polished bronze mirror, perfectly reflecting every flutter of the sky. The silhouettes of the mountains became even calmer and deeper in the water. The whole world seemed to be copied into two symmetrical halves, and I stood right on the boundary between reality and illusion. Brilliance is always fleeting. The sun finally sank below the ridge, the sky’s flames gradually cooled, turning into a distant blue that deepened from light to dark. This is the “blue hour” beloved by photographers. The world returned to tranquility. Longxi Reservoir, with all its depth and calm, embraced the sun’s most splendid farewell. It seemed like a metaphor: only with a heart as calm as a mirror can one reflect the ultimate beauty of the world, reluctantly bidding farewell to this unexpected silent brilliance and moving forward. Under the nightfall, the last warmth faded from the granite, retreating like the tide into the depths of the valley. Pitching a tent on the flat summit of Mount Dalei, the blackness from all directions surged and closed in. The night on Mount Dalei began. The mountain wind rose, carrying a chill. Crawling into the tent, I was reluctant to draw the inner curtain. Thus, the starry sky became the mural on our roof, and the Milky Way the light strip shining into our dreams. Falling asleep under the gaze of the stars was a wonderful experience. Waking in the middle of the night, the Milky Way had quietly shifted, but the stars still shone brightly. Only when dawn broke in the east did the starlight fade like a receding tide, one by one disappearing into the gradually brightening blue sky. The reflection of that vast starry sky had sunk into my heart, becoming a quiet and profound backdrop. On countless nights troubled by mundane worries afterward, I only need to close my eyes to return to the summit of Mount Dalei, back to that vast silence sleeping with the sea of stars.