"No, I've already..."
"Let me finish!" Bei Sining interrupted him loudly.
“I don’t have anything to do,” Bei Sining said. “I also want to be with you every minute of every day, so just let me follow you.”
Wen Zheng was stunned.
"Whether you want to read, study, play games, or do dungeons, I can accompany you in everything." Bei Sining lowered her head: "This world is very peaceful, and the demon race has not been persecuted. The general manager and others sell cat snacks, so I can't help much."
"The demon race is inherently free and unrestrained, and I will stay with my partner."
"Isn't this a good idea?"
Wen Zheng choked for a moment before nodding: "Okay."
***
Two weeks later, the joint command held discussions around the world and finally passed the proposal.
The Earth will change its calendar, designating the day of the apocalypse as the first year of the new calendar, while the month and date will follow the old customs.
On the day the proposal took effect, a memorial service was held worldwide to commemorate the martyrs who had dedicated their youth and lives to the survival of the world over the past two centuries.
On this day, a giant holographic projection screen was suspended above the capital square of Xia Kingdom.
Standing on the streets of the city, one can pay homage to it.
After a brief opening, a short film played on the large screen. This was precious footage, recordings of all the victims. Over two hundred years, so many had perished; on average, each person only had two seconds to spare. Yet, they all smiled on the screen.
Each and every smiling face that has passed away has become the cornerstone of Earth's survival.
The deceased are gone, but their names have lived on and are finally seeing the light of day today.
Wen Zheng, dressed in his uniform, stood below the stage, looking up at the screen.
The two names slowly moved up.
Wen Tianhe and Liu Ziye.
These are his parents.
After years of long-cherished wishes being fulfilled, I felt both relieved and bewildered.
It wasn't until he was receiving the award that he composed himself and stepped onto the platform.
Under a leaden sky, sixty-three soldiers stood in a neat row, all of whom were awarded the Joint Command Special Contribution Award and promoted two ranks.
"salute!"
Amidst deafening cheers, Wen Zheng forcefully raised his arm to return the salute to the world.
Then she slightly raised the corners of her mouth.
After stepping down, there was a lengthy speech from the leader. Wen Zheng felt sleepy while listening to it, and when he turned around, he found that most of the people had already left.
He glanced at the enthusiastic leader, quietly found a large potted plant as cover, and also retreated.
The clouds couldn't hold back any longer, and a light drizzle began to fall. Wen Zheng raised his hand to shield himself from the rain, and before he had taken two steps, an umbrella appeared above his head.
"I've been looking for you for ages." Bei Sining complained, "How long does that guy upstairs intend to talk? It's past lunchtime, look around, is there anyone left on the street?"
Wen Zheng shared an umbrella with him and said with a smile, "Alright, let's eat first."
Author's Note: Long Sleep: I'm better now.
(It tastes so sweet today! Isn't it perfect to eat with this white nutrient solution?) (Subtle hint)
Chapter 99
The anniversary lasts for three days, after which schools reopen and workplaces resume operations.
The continuous drizzle has ended, and most of the Xia Kingdom is now bathed in bright sunshine.
The cemeteries in various locations had just been renovated and opened to the public. Wen Zheng brought Bei Sining to the resting place of her parents to pay their respects.
He hadn't brought any flowers, so he bought two bunches of white chrysanthemums at the foot of the mountain. The sun was blazing, so he picked out two baseball caps and put them on himself and Bei Sining.
Wen Zheng visited this cemetery three times in total.
The first time was shortly after his parents passed away; he was led around by a group of people, bewildered, through a series of procedures. The second time was after his home was burned down; he cried and begged the police to take him up the mountain overnight, saying he wanted to stay there.
The third time was three years ago, when I had just returned to Rongcheng from the Beihai base. Just like today, I bought a bouquet of flowers, placed it in front of the monument, stayed for ten minutes, and then left.
The two slowly climbed the mountain. Wen Zheng introduced Bei Sining, who was standing silently behind him, "My dad's name is Wen Tianhe, and my mom's name is Liu Ziye. They met in the special forces."
"Ms. Liu said that my dad fell in love with her at first sight and pursued her relentlessly until he won her over. But my dad told me in private that Ms. Liu had actually been interested in him for a long time and was making suggestive remarks every day... They were quite childish. When they argued at home, I had to take sides. What did I know back then? I just took the side of whoever had the bigger fist, so Ms. Liu always won."
Bei Sining listened attentively and asked, "Does your mother often hit you?"
Wen Zheng laughed and said, "They both hit me. But when my dad wanted to hit me, Ms. Liu would stop him. When Ms. Liu wanted to hit me, I couldn't stop her at all... That's it."
He was about to point to his old seat and say that it was right there, but he was stunned by what he saw and stood there dumbfounded.
Few people are buried in this cemetery, and the tombstones are quite far apart. Even so, each tombstone is piled high with flowers, as if they want to spread to the next one.
The photo of Wen Zheng's parents was particularly full, filled with white chrysanthemums that were probably bought from the foot of the mountain, which had buried their photos.
"So many people have been here." Wen Zheng came back to his senses: "Did they come specifically for this? Or did they just leave the flowers here after visiting the graves?"
Bei Sining stepped forward, squatted down, parted a bunch of flowers, and said firmly, "I came here specifically for you."
After he finished speaking, he found a few cards and envelopes in the pile of flowers, opened a few of them, and sighed, "Look, there are still letters written to you."
Wen Zheng and Bei Sining squatted down side by side, looking at the letter in their hands, quite surprised.
“This one’s obviously written by a young girl,” Bei Sining said, quickly scanning one page after another, occasionally reading aloud good words, phrases, and paragraphs: “It’s all about praising your good looks, all pretentious and empty. Next one…”
The letters were stacked up, most of them filled with words of gratitude.
It's possible that someone first suggested it at night, and others thought it made sense and followed suit.
Wen Zheng unfolded the plastic bag that had previously contained the flowers and put the letter inside.
“They’re smart enough to know their place.” Bei Sining was not moved at all: “You humans come in all sorts of varieties.”
The chrysanthemums were moved aside, revealing the photo on the tombstone.
Wen's parents nestled against the stone tablet, smiling as they looked at the visitors.
"Dad, Mom." Wen Zheng placed his flowers at the front, straightened them, and knelt down on one knee: "I've come to see you."
Bei Sining took a few steps back, turned to look at Feng, and said, "I'll take a walk and come pick you up later."
The cemetery, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, exudes both solemnity and beauty. Even on a weekday, it's quite crowded; some families come as if on a picnic, while younger children look around with innocent wonder, showing neither fear nor sadness.
Humans are indeed a wondrous species; they are cunning, hypocritical, and selfish.
But they also have a good side; they always strive and are never stingy with their gratitude.
Bei Sining wandered around for a bit, then, seeing that it was almost time, returned to Wen Zheng's parents' place. Wen Zheng was still whispering something when he saw Bei Sining and waved to him.
"Are you done talking?"
Bei Sining originally intended to linger a while away, but he walked closer with a puzzled look. Wen Zheng pulled him over and introduced him to his parents: "This is my partner, Bei Sining."
The cat spirit was momentarily stunned, but soon her earlobes turned pink. After thinking for a moment, she took off her hat and said timidly, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
Their souls have long since returned to heaven and earth, and they cannot see the awkwardness their son and his partner feel when meeting their parents. Even though Bei Sining knew this, she still felt a little embarrassed, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.
The couple in the photo don't raise any objections; they still offer their blessings with warm smiles.
“They’ll definitely like you when they see you.” Wen Zheng put one hand in his pocket. “Ms. Liu is a looks-obsessed person. My dad can’t beat you, so he can only like you.”
Bei Sining: "…………"
Wen Zheng remembered something and said to the tombstone, "Oh right, I gave him the chip you gave me."
He paused, then added, "He also gave me one... Is it a kind of exchange ring?"
As he spoke, Wen Zheng pulled the pendant out of his neck and held it heavily in his hand.
Bei Sining, standing to the side, was also wearing one, taking out the pendant that Wen Zheng had worn close to his body for more than ten years.
"The last time I came here, I said I probably would never be able to crack the code in my lifetime. It's all thanks to Bei Sining; with him, we've had a string of good luck. At least the code you all worked so hard to crack wasn't in vain. It's just that why did you have to write poetry out of the blue?"
Wen Zheng chuckled as he spoke, "I've been thinking about what the last line of the poem will say after it's deciphered. If it's still a poem, I'll have to call the police..."
“I still don’t quite understand why you had to leave me a message in such a roundabout way,” he said. “Is it a treasure map? That’s how it’s usually written in novels.”
Bei Sining couldn't help but interrupt him: "Can you be more reliable? A treasure map has to be a map, right?"
“Anyway, it’s an electronic file, maybe it’s a picture?” Wen Zheng said. “There’s also a line of poetry at the end, which corresponds to a password. You can only find out by deciphering it.”
"...And another one!?" Bei Sining exclaimed, "Then why didn't you understand before? Didn't you really want to know?"
Wen Zheng looked at the tombstone and slowly said, "I don't think I'm qualified."
“Those three lines of poetry were their expectations for me. Fireflies may glow, but they are not fire; dewdrops may form on lotus leaves, but they are not pearls; I am ashamed of the high-flying birds when I look at the clouds, and I envy the swimming fish when I stand by the abyss; life is like a journey, and I am but a traveler.” He recited them fluently and said, “I have not achieved any of the qualities of clarity, freedom, and ease. I am ashamed of the education they gave me.”
Before Bei Sining could say anything, Wen Zheng interrupted her: "So when I got the password, I thought, if I can survive and make their names shine under the blue sky, even my previous shortcomings will be forgiven. Only then can I decipher the password and receive their reward."
"...I was just kidding." Wen Zheng saw Bei Sining's shocked and sad face, and suddenly laughed and said, "I just didn't have time to solve it, and I didn't want to be distracted during training. What if I suddenly came up with an idea during the final battle, and got killed in a moment of distraction? That would be too unfair."
"…………" Bei Sining puffed out her cheeks in anger.
“But now we have plenty of time. Next week we’ll go to Rongcheng University to register, and we can use their library anytime.” Wen Zheng patted Bei Sining’s hair, gesturing for him to come down the mountain with him.
A spring breeze ruffled the grass, making it ripple and sway like green waves. Bei Sining had been pondering this for a long time, unable to understand, and asked him, "Your parents love you so much, why would they make you suffer so much over this password?"
"Is it painful?" Wen Zheng asked in confusion. "My dad studied mathematics and my mom studied classical Chinese. I guess they came up with the code because they wanted to combine their majors."
“No, I mean…” Bei Sining thought for a moment, “This is too difficult.”
Wen Zheng paused in his steps: "Didn't I tell you? Maybe it wasn't that difficult originally, but my house caught fire and the study was burned down. There might have been clues back then. Of course, that's just my guess; I didn't have time to look for them at the time."
"A fire?" Bei Sining frowned even more. "Why would a fire suddenly start?"
When Wen Zheng was asked this question, he suddenly had a strange feeling. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "At the time, they said it was because the circuit was aging."
He never doubted it.
Despite the advancements in technology, accidents still occur.
Wutongyuan is an old building, and there is a possibility that the aging electrical circuits could cause a fire.