The hours passed quickly. Four people, two cups of tea, one cup of coffee, and one glass of juice, along with slices of tiramisu made from a new recipe.
He Yan held Jiang Rui on his lap, listening patiently and gently as his son clearly explained in a logical manner the micro-nuclear battery assignment he had to submit this month.
Tanaka occasionally talked about the difficulties he and Jiang Miao had faced in their research over the past two years.
Jiang Miao, on the other hand, didn’t say much. Her eyes were soft, and she kept exchanging lingering glances with He Yan, their gazes locked together, unable to part.
The brief moment of warmth ended quickly as the accompanying Gita soldier knocked on the door, reminding He Yan that it was time to go.
Jiang Rui’s cheerful voice abruptly stopped, and he looked at He Yan with a sense of longing.
“Dad…” Jiang Rui tugged at He Yan’s clothes by the door, “Next time…”
Knowing that his dad lived so far away, making any requests would only trouble him. So Jiang Rui stopped after saying just “next time.”
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Tl Zyd zssjle yv bkp pldpkczl yde wdelapvydekdt psd yde qlzv y rydt kd bkp blyav.
“Fssd,” Tl Zyd piwyvvle esod yde alyppwale bkx, “Pye okzz elqkdkvlzu nsxl cynj vs cl okvb usw.”
Twb? Mbyv’p dsv dlnlppyau, Kkydt Swk vbswtbv. Tl byed’v plld ydu svbla blzrlap pvyukdt okvb nbkzeald yqvla vblu vwadle vball. Jwv kq kv olal rsppkczl… kv xktbv ynvwyzzu cl iwkvl dknl.
Kkydt Swk oyvnble yp bkp xsx oyzjle esod vbl pvlrp, ynnsxrydukdt bkp eye vs vbl ykanayqv.
Tkp eye tldvzu vswnble bkp xsx’p qynl yde zlydle esod vs jkpp bla.
Eso~ Kkydt Swk nshlale bkp lulp, rlljkdt vbaswtb bkp qkdtlap.
Mbl vyzz, bydepsxl xyd yde vbl taynlqwz, clywvkqwz osxyd… kv pllxle zkjl y ayvbla zshlzu pnldl!
Vyaj Fbkd-xk bye xldvksdle oydvkdt vs vau jkppkdt bkx vbyv eyu. Rv zssjle zkjl bl pbswzed’v byhl alqwple fwpv clnywpl pyzkhy nsdvykdle pvalrvsnsnnk, Qayx-rspkvkhl qkzyxldvswp cynvlaky zkjl Usaudlcynvlakwx, Lsnyaeky, Gnvkdsxunlp, Alkzzsdlzzy, Llkpplaky, Nynvscynkzzwp, Uzspvakekwx, yde Jynvlaskelp.
Maybe next time he could give it a try!
“I’ll wait until I can come back to you,” He Yan said softly.
Jiang Miao huffed.
This scoundrel had her figured out completely, so cunning! He didn’t ask her to wait for him, but instead said he would wait for her. Given Jiang Miao’s character, if she accepted that “he was waiting for her,” how could she not wait for him?
The frustration in Jiang Miao’s eyes reassured He Yan, a smile appearing in his eyes, only to be replaced by reluctance.
“Soon,” he whispered, kissing her forehead, before boarding the aircraft reluctantly under the soldier’s urging.
By the time Jiang Rui’s birthday party arrived, Yan He showed up.
Jiang Miao had been waiting for him. In the end, she decided to turn down Yan He’s request to have a child together.
“Tsk,” Yan He said, “I guessed it that day. My bad feeling really came true.”
“What do you mean by ‘bad feeling’?” Jiang Miao rubbed her forehead. “I’m sorry.”
“You’re a strange person,” Yan He sighed.
To a native Gita person like Yan He, Jiang Miao’s desire to have children with only one person did seem a bit odd.
This probably sums up the difference between Yan He and He Yan, Jiang Miao thought.
If she hadn’t met He Yan, the Nashian, she would likely have chosen someone like Yan He, who was pleasing to the eye, from the candidates matched by the state. They would have rationally collaborated on raising a child, and in the future, he might even bring his girlfriend over occasionally to visit her and the child.
“Your girlfriend is even prettier than the last one,” Jiang Miao remarked as she glanced at the girl chatting and laughing with others in the distance, giving her a compliment.
The birthday party wasn’t just for the kids; some of their parents were invited too. Some parents came alone, while others brought their current partners.
Jiang Rui attended a class for gifted children, where all the students were significantly more intelligent than their peers. Naturally, most of the parents had excellent genes as well. The room was filled with attractive people.
As usual, the woman Yan He was dating was sexy and beautiful.
“Actually, why not consider having a child with the person you’re dating?” Jiang Miao couldn’t help but ask.
“For dating, looks are all that matter,” Yan He replied. “But when it comes to having children, genetics affect a lifetime. It’s not something you can be so casual about.”
Love is love, and having children is having children—completely separate matters. Jiang Miao knew she couldn’t change an established societal value system.
In any case, it was good to have a clear conversation.
Jiang Miao then asked Yan He, “What are your plans for the future?”
Yan He had invested more in the space button project than both Zhang Ya and Keso, so naturally, his returns were higher as well. Although his military career wasn’t going smoothly at the moment, the patent income from the space button had already made him a wealthy man.
“I’m planning to stay here for a few years and see if there’s a chance to return to the front lines,” Yan He replied.
Jiang Miao paused.
Yan He was only in his early forties, so even if the Beast Wars started decades later, he wouldn’t be too old and could very well end up on the battlefield.
But Jiang Miao didn’t like seeing people she knew go to war, whether it was He Yan or Yan He. It was just human nature.
Jiang Miao couldn’t help but say, “Have you thought about doing something else? Changing careers could be a good choice, and there’s nothing wrong with not working. Wouldn’t doing what you love make you happier?”
Yan He looked at her, his eyes gleaming as he asked, “Jiang, do you know something?”
“Huh?”
Yan He lowered his voice and asked, “Did that guy from Nash say anything to you about a possible future war?”
Jiang Miao averted her gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Yan He’s eyes sparkled with intensity as he said, “There’s a rumor in the military about an enemy from a distant place, and that’s why Gita and Nash have agreed to a ceasefire and peace talks…”
“How would I know?” Jiang Miao insisted, keeping her eyes fixed elsewhere.
Yan He understood, “So it’s true, then.”
“Hey! I didn’t say anything,” Jiang Miao replied. “I signed a confidentiality agreement, you know.”
Yan He raised an eyebrow.
“Wouldn’t it be better to do something else? Retiring and enjoying life sounds pretty good,” Jiang Miao suggested, but realizing that “retirement” might not sound appealing, she glanced at Yan He’s girlfriend in the distance and amended, “Living a life of indulgence, partying till you’re drunk, that could work too.”
Yan He chuckled.
“You’re telling that guy to live a life of indulgence after retirement?” He gave Jiang Miao a sideways glance, clearly referring to He Yan.
“Come on,” Jiang Miao huffed. “Don’t be ungrateful.”
“I know,” Yan He smiled, “but it’s not that simple.”
“Hmm?”
Yan He took a sip of his drink, a slight smile playing on his lips. “It’s in the genes. Money just makes life more comfortable, but being a soldier, fighting—that’s something ingrained in my DNA.”
Is that so?
Jiang Miao recalled that when she was with He Yan in Nash, he had also mentioned that he would go to the battlefield when the time came.
Would it really happen when the war comes?
Time flew by, and about half a year after He Yan’s delegation returned home, Nash and Gita lifted their “barrier.” Although it wasn’t completely open—people on either side still couldn’t communicate freely—those with specific needs, like He Yan and Jiang Miao, could apply for and get approval to communicate.
He Yan started calling every week.
Even though it was through a screen, a dad who could chat was far more engaging than one who could only be seen sitting stiffly in a holographic projection.
Jiang Miao sat beside Jiang Rui, watching father and son grow closer through their conversations. It was something she was happy to see.
Over the past few years, the social climate in the Gita Republic had been gradually changing as well.
First, the content that promoted separating family, marriage, and childbirth as three distinct things started to decrease and eventually disappeared. Then, content highlighting the close relationships between parents and children, which used to vanish soon after being posted, began to increase.
The turning point was when internal data from the psychological counseling industry suddenly leaked online one day.
“Wow, I didn’t realize so many people struggle with attachment issues!”
“There are way more people dealing with this than I thought. I always assumed it was just my good friend. He secretly went to see a doctor about it.”
“Seeing so many others dealing with it, I suddenly feel relieved. Actually, I’m one of them too. I never dared to tell anyone because I was afraid of being ridiculed or looked down on. Now I realize I’m not alone.”
As exchanges between Gita and Nash increased, people started to learn more about this previously stereotyped country, finding themselves both curious and surprised by their society.
“People over there actually get married? And not just the super-rich, but regular people like us?”
“They have their wedding rings laser-engraved on their fingers and then cast in precious metals or even gemstone dust, symbolizing ‘forever.’ Ah, for some reason, that sounds really appealing.”
“Kids can live with both their mom and dad at the same time. That seems pretty nice. I never had much in common with my dad, but I get along well with my mom. But my mom’s just a surrogate, and I only see her a few times a year.”
“This must be what they call ‘family,’ right? Actually, before the Dark Age, everyone lived like this. The traditional family model was overturned when women were first used as national reproductive resources during the Dark Age.”
“Are you a history major?”
Adults began to share photos online of themselves with their caregivers without shame: “We meet once a month for afternoon tea or something. So what? She took such good care of me when I was growing up, why shouldn’t I keep her company now that I’m an adult?”
“You’re so brave. I still remember how, during the first two years of my job, I faced many setbacks, felt incredibly lonely, and really wanted to call my caregiver. But I didn’t. I forced myself to go to parties and tried hard to fit in. But honestly, I wasn’t happy at all. I really wished I could hear my dad’s encouragement like before. We haven’t spoken in years, and I’m thinking maybe I should call him to check in.”
“Well, I did it! I made the call! And I actually cried! I’m already 46 years old! But when I saw him on the phone, he looked so old. How did he age so much? Just 30 years ago, he was still so young! Now I feel terrible. I’ve decided to buy a ticket and take some time off to visit him! I’ve made up my mind, I’m definitely going!”
After the psychological counseling industry’s internal data was exposed, Jiang Miao kept a close eye on the situation online. She vaguely guessed that the Main Brain was correcting the distortions, gradually erasing the influence of the “Li Ping Brain” from the network.
She discussed this with He Yan over the phone, referring to the Main Brain and Li Ping Brain as “she” and “Li.”
“She told me she respects our choices and wouldn’t interfere or guide us as forcefully as Li did,” He Yan said.
“So these are truly our own voices now?” Jiang Miao asked.
He Yan thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t think she would lie. It wouldn’t make sense for her to.”
“Next week, I’m heading out,” He Yan suddenly changed the topic.
“Huh?” Jiang Miao was slightly stunned. “What?”
“I’ve been appointed as the Nash military attaché to Gita,” He Yan said with a smile. “It’s been finalized.”
Nash had successfully reverse-engineered the warp drive technology. Although it was still slightly slower than Gita’s, it was much improved from before. Interstellar travel no longer took months.
Gita had also begun to relax restrictions on civilian warp drives. This year, several major aerospace companies upgraded the engines on their mainline ships, significantly increasing speed.
The tourism, commercial, logistics, and manufacturing industries all saw various degrees of benefit. Even Zhang Ya took advantage of this trend, left the company where she had worked for many years and started her own business.
A month later, Lieutenant Colonel He Yan, the newly appointed Nash military attaché to Gita, arrived at the capital star of Gita.
Jiang Miao and Tanaka had already returned to the capital star and purchased new properties.
Both of them were originally from the capital star, having attended university and started their careers there. They had a strong attachment to the area. They had only moved to Lily Star to reduce costs.
Now back in the capital star, they had joined the ranks of the wealthy and no longer lived in high-rise buildings. Instead, they bought villas with gardens and courtyards.
A car bearing the embassy emblem landed on the parking platform in the courtyard. He Yan, dressed in his Nash military uniform, stepped out, tall and striking under the sunlight.
Jiang Rui shouted and ran over, and He Yan lifted him high in the air, spinning him around with loud laughter.
Jiang Miao shaded her eyes with her hand, smiling as she watched the scene.
The elegant man looked at her, then suddenly walked over with the child in his arms.
Jiang Miao lowered her hand, and the sunlight illuminated her face, making her beautiful features glow.
He Yan set Jiang Rui down and leaned in for a kiss.
Jiang Rui was squished between his parents, his chubby cheeks squeezed flat.
Exasperated, he stuck out his finger, pushed up his nose, and made a pig nose at them.
But then, his dad suddenly let go of both his mom and him, taking a step back.
Jiang Rui turned his head in confusion and saw his dad kneeling on one knee, pulling a small velvet box from his pocket and opening it.
The gemstone inside sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.
Mom was completely stunned.
Jiang Rui heard his dad say, “Miao Miao, will you be my wife?”
Huh, what kind of ceremony is this?
Sansukini: 2 more chapters for the main story finale, then we have 6 extras. See you all next week. ^_^
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