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"I wonder, how many people are left in this world now? After experiencing such a disaster..."
Chu Donglin's face, filled with concern for the nation and its people, seemed to sigh for the fate of countless lives on this earth.
Watching his tall figure, Liu Mengying remained silent for a long time before slowly shaking her head.
"You've changed..."
She spoke softly, her gaze complex and difficult to interpret as she looked at Chu Donglin. "The old you wouldn’t have considered these things."
Chu Donglin was taken aback, surprised as he glanced at her with curiosity.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Then if it were the old me, what do you think I would be considering?"
Liu Mengying fixed her gaze on his face. Her cold and penetrating look inexplicably made Chu Donglin feel a bit guilty, as if she could see through everything about him.
Then she spoke.
"If it were the old you, what you would be considering now is how to help the base develop, relying on the strength of humanity to reclaim this country's land and cities and rebuild them."
"Such sentimental musings are only things poets would ponder; you wouldn’t waste your time on them."
"Because the past you valued what could be grasped in the present. You would never waste time thinking about feelings that hold almost no value or things that are obvious."
After a pause, Liu Mengying coldly summarized her thoughts.
"Ultimately, you've always been a pragmatic person. Lacking any so-called romantic sentiment."
Chu Donglin was momentarily taken aback, utterly speechless.
"Am I really that easy to read?"
"For those close to you... yes," Liu Mengying replied coldly, her gaze fixed on him. "You never guard yourself around those close to you, so while outsiders find you inscrutable and hard to fathom, to those who are close, you are as defenseless as a blank sheet of paper."
Chu Donglin sighed, covering his head with his hands. "Alright, you all win... What brings you here at this late hour?"
Liu Mengying glanced at him, her expression indifferent. "This afternoon, Xing'er came to see me."
Chu Donglin stiffened at the mention of Xing'er, recalling the previous conversation he had with Liu Xiner. His expression instantly turned awkward.
"What did she want from you?"
Though he had already guessed what Liu Mengying was after, Chu Donglin was still trying to resist.
Or perhaps, burying his head in the sand.
Liu Mengying shot him a glance. "She asked me to come back and reconcile with you. She will cooperate with me."
The cold statement would make any woman feel shy, yet there was no trace of embarrassment on Liu Mengying's face; she remained the same decisive and cold general.
She looked at Chu Donglin and asked coldly, "What do you think?"
Chu Donglin was caught off guard.
"Uh... well... how should I put it?"
His gaze awkwardly wandered. Especially from behind the corner not far away, he could almost feel two pairs of eyes fixed on him, waiting for his response.
Sweat began to bead on Chu Donglin's forehead.
"Well... I think since Xing'er and I have already..."
"Mr. Chu Donglin, are you there?"
Ban Qingya's voice suddenly rang out in the living room, interrupting Chu Donglin's words. "I think I heard your voice."
Chu Donglin looked helplessly at Liu Mengying in front of him, then glanced at Ban Qingya, who was approaching in the living room, feeling utterly powerless.
What was going on tonight? Was everyone losing their minds? Why were they coming to find him in the middle of the night? They were almost enough to form a mahjong table...
Liu Mengying grabbed his collar and pulled him closer.
They were almost nose to nose, their breaths clearly audible.
"Don't you dare stay here."
After coldly telling Chu Donglin that, she pushed him away and turned to walk towards the corner of the wall.
There, was the only hiding place on the entire balcony.
Chu Donglin instinctively reached out behind him to pull her back, but grasped at nothing.
Then this aloof and indifferent female general disappeared around the corner of the wall without making a sound.
Chu Donglin felt a headache coming on.
Now they could really play mahjong.
He sighed and turned to look at Ban Qingya behind him, his expression one of utter exhaustion.
"Sister Qingya, what brings you here so late at night?"
Ban Qingya was momentarily taken aback, feeling a bit flustered by Chu Donglin's reaction.
"Um... Mr. Chu, are you not welcoming me?"
Chu Donglin forced a smile that looked more painful than crying. "Welcome? How could I not welcome you? I was just wondering how many people this balcony can actually hold."
Ban Qingya scanned the balcony and quickly calculated.
"If we're talking about average-sized humans, it could probably fit over twenty without feeling cramped... What's wrong? Mr. Chu, why are you up so late thinking about such strange things?"
Chu Donglin sighed. "Aren't you also awake when it’s time to sleep?"
"I just have a bit of insomnia. I happened to hear your voice, so I came to check on you."
Ban Qingya smiled lightly as she approached Chu Donglin, gazing at the vast starry sky with a gentle and serene expression. "Mr. Chu, you're not sleeping either. Are you pondering something troublesome?"
She glanced at Chu Donglin and said, "Ever since you Awakened, it seems like you've been carrying some worries. Is something wrong?"
Chu Donglin sighed again, looking out at the Human Base under the night sky, slowly exhaling. "I've made my decision."
He clenched his fists, speaking not only to Ban Qingya but to everyone on the balcony. "In two days, I'm setting out to sea."
After a pause, he added, "Alone."
Ban Qingya was taken aback, somewhat confused. "Is there still something unresolved?"
"Yes."
"Is what you're going to do dangerous?"
“Narrow Escape.”
“Aren't you taking Snow Sister with you?”
“It will only be me going out to sea.”
“I see…” Ban Qingya nodded, seemingly understanding, and glanced at Chu Donglin. “What about Xing'er? How do you plan to arrange for her?”
“I will marry her…”
Chu Donglin looked at Shishi, who was sleeping soundly in the rocking chair, and said slowly, “Shishi is my daughter, and Xing'er will become her mother. If I don’t come back, Xing'er will raise her.”
“What about Sister Mengying? What do you plan to do about her?”
Chu Donglin fell silent, then shook his head bitterly. “Once something is missed, it’s missed forever. There’s no need to force it, nor can it be forced.”
“So… you’ve given up on her?”
“No one has ever given up on anyone, nor has anyone wronged anyone. This world has always been like this; it’s not like life can’t go on without someone… Besides, I can’t even see my own future clearly, so I can’t offer her anything.”
“So… you actually want to give her a promise?”
Chu Donglin smiled wryly. “Is playing this word game really that interesting?”
“Of course it is… at least for me.”
Ban Qingya smiled lightly and looked at Chu Donglin. “If… and I mean if, you manage to succeed this time and return safely, would you be willing to give Sister Mengying a promise?”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
"How can I promise someone else when I can't even commit to myself? Making a promise to her now would only waste her life without any benefit."
"Then how can you be sure that not making a promise won't also waste her life?"
Chu Donglin had no response.
Ban Qingya continued, "Is it really that hard to give her a promise? You just had a Narrow Escape, right? You're doomed either way, so what's the harm in giving her a promise before you go? You could say you'd marry her; it wouldn't matter since you won't have the chance to fulfill it anyway."
Chu Donglin shook his head.
"That's not fair."
"Why is it unfair?"
"Because I'm just one person, and Xing'er is just one person. She has given me her all, so I must give her my all in return. I can't just split myself in half and give her only half."
"Are you sure that what you believe is right is what Xing'er wants? What does she truly desire? I believe you know better than I do."
Chu Donglin shook his head. "There's no need to discuss this further. It's absolutely impossible for me to do that."
"But you..."
"Chu Donglin? Are you still awake?"
A familiar voice suddenly echoed in the living room, causing Chu Donglin on the balcony to stiffen.
He instinctively looked back into the living room, listening to the approaching footsteps, and forced a smile. "Mom, it's late. Why aren't you asleep?"
"I have some things on my mind, so I can't sleep... Can I talk to you?"
Glancing at Ban Qingya in front of him, Chu Donglin instinctively declined.
"Um... Mom, I'm about to sleep. Can we talk about this tomorrow? You should go back and get some rest, okay?"
Mother Chu chuckled softly.
"You silly boy, how can you sleep out on the balcony? Don't fool me; I was young once too... Are you with a girl right now? If so, I won't disturb you."
Ban Qingya looked extremely embarrassed.
She whispered to Chu Donglin, "Please don't let Auntie know I'm here, or she'll definitely misunderstand."
After saying that, she dashed to the only hiding spot on the balcony.
Watching her disappearing figure, Chu Donglin was left utterly speechless.
In a place so narrow that even an adult would find it cramped to turn around, how could so many people hide?
He then turned around and forced a smile that looked more painful than crying as he said, "Alright, Mom, if you have something to say, just come over. I'm listening." (To be continued...)
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