NFBE Chapter 420 [Empire] Smoke and Dust
Chapter 420 [Empire] Smoke and Dust
"Hey, what are you doing?" Suddenly, a warm hand patted my shoulder. I turned around and saw Lin Hao standing behind me with his usual smile on his face. His eyes were slightly teasing. "It's a rare good day, why are you taking a 'vacation' alone?"
As soon as he finished speaking, my attention was drawn to the little girl behind him. She was Lin Hao's sister. She was wearing a long, furry skirt that almost reached the ground, and her playful appearance made me smile. In her hands, she held two large strings of candied haws (tanghulu). The bright red candies gleamed alluringly in the sunlight, a perfect symbol of the festive atmosphere. She bit a candied haws in the corner of her mouth and gave me an innocent smile, her eyes curved into crescents.
I paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, raising my hand to block the sun and making a helpless expression. "It's not vacation, just a casual walk, I want to be alone." My voice was a little deep, but there was a hint of fatigue, like the accumulated hardship and anxiety of these days. Although I pretended to be relaxed, I couldn't ignore the uncertainty in my heart about the future.
Lin Hao looked at me, his eyes understanding, but he didn't ask any more questions. Instead, my sister, with her clear eyes, seemed to be sizing me up. Suddenly, she pointed at the clay hand warmer in my arms, her eyes filled with curiosity: "Brother, what is this? It looks so special."
I was stunned for a moment before realizing she was referring to the small item Nightingale had slipped me. The hand warmer emitted a faint charcoal warmth; even without an open flame, it still provided warmth. Nightingale loved these retro items, and I'd gotten used to carrying them around. After all, the weather here, especially the interstellar winter, despite being perfectly simulated, still felt a bit chilly.
"This is..." I hesitated, unsure how to explain. "It's just a hand warmer, for keeping myself warm." I smiled faintly, trying to move on from the topic. My sister nodded, seemingly dissatisfied with the simple explanation, but she didn't ask any further questions. Instead, she held the candied haws in front of me and said, "Try a bite! It's freshly made, just bought from the shop, and it's delicious!"
I smiled, took the candied haws from her, and took a bite. The sweet taste eased my fatigue a little. Looking around, the town's streets were still bustling with activity, and the atmosphere of the Spring Festival was strong. Although the Spring Festival here is no longer a traditional festival from Earth's era, people still maintain their habits and sense of ritual.
Perhaps, this is their way of remembering the past and finding a little warmth in their hearts.
Lin Hao looked at me with a gentle concern in his eyes. He patted my shoulder and said, "You seem a little tired recently, don't you? If there is anything, you might as well talk to us." His voice was low and gentle, giving people a soothing power.
I was slightly stunned, then turned to look at him, and gave a forced smile: "It's nothing, don't worry." Having said that, I knew that the heavy pressure in my heart had surged into my heart countless times.
After they left, I sat in the shop, quietly facing the food in front of me. The steaming wontons and meatballs swayed in the bowl, and occasionally a meatball slid to the side of the bowl, making a slight clatter.
I ate mouthful after mouthful, mindless, pondering my next move. The outside world seemed to recede further and further away. The dim light streamed into the small shop, casting dappled shadows, as if even time had slowed down.
The sky gradually darkened and the surrounding streets gradually became quiet. However, just as I was looking out the window in a daze, a familiar voice broke the silence.
"I knew you were still here," Lin Hao's voice came from the store entrance. I looked up and saw him walking in with two bottles of wine. On his wrists were bottles of those vibrant green leaf-shaped wines. The bottles shimmered in the light, as if carrying some mysterious aura.
I was a bit stunned, watching him walk in with a smile on his face. It wasn't exaggerated, but it was warm. "Are you really that worried about me being here alone?" I teased. Although my tone was lighthearted, I felt a faint sense of comfort in my heart.
Lin Hao smiled and handed me the bottle. "You always think too much when you're alone. Why don't we have a drink?" He glanced at the bowl in front of me and frowned slightly. "Why haven't you finished eating yet?"
I waved my hand and looked up absentmindedly: "No rush, take your time, no one's rushing you anyway." As I said this, it seemed to realize that I hadn't had a good meal in a long time. I've been so busy lately that I always rush through meals.
He put the bottle of wine on the table, pulled out a chair and sat down: "Okay, I see. Then you can eat first, and after that we can have a couple of drinks together and relax."
I lowered my head and continued eating, my mind racing. Lin Hao's company unexpectedly made the moment seem less lonely. Perhaps this was a long-lost sense of peace.
As night fell, the lights in the shop gradually grew warmer. We seemed to be sitting in a crack in time, leisurely sharing this tranquility. Although the outside world was still complex and noisy, at this moment, my heart was at a rare peace.
Before we had even finished three rounds of drinks, Nightingale arrived quietly, appearing in front of our table as lightly as a ghost.
Today, he was dressed in a suit, a rare sight. He looked even more refined than usual, even his aura of coldness softened slightly. My eyelids twitched, and I felt a little uneasy at his meticulously dressed suit. It was rare for him to be so formal; he seemed a little out of place in this situation.
I was still nestled in the small shop, holding a bowl in my arms, a meat-filled glutinous rice dumpling between my fingers. The soup was dripping from the round skin and into the bowl. I looked down at the dripping broth, feeling a mixture of emotions. Seeing Nightingale's nonchalant expression, I feigned a casual air and asked, "How did you get here?"
Nightingale looked at me, the smile on his face not fading, but deepening. He lazily untied his tie and flicked the light computer on his wrist. "The team locator is still on." The provocation in his tone was self-evident.
I couldn't help but laugh, but I felt a little uncomfortable. Nightingale was indeed a seasoned expert, even noticing such subtle details. Lin Hao, however, looked on in bewilderment, clearly not yet accustomed to the tacit understanding and intuition between mercenaries.
"What are you doing here?" I put down the glutinous rice balls and looked up at Nightingale with a hint of impatience. "Are you going to drink with us too?"
Nightingale raised an eyebrow, still maintaining that faint smile. "Why, are you afraid I'll ruin your 'romantic time'?" The provocation in his words didn't disappear, but instead became even more playful. She glanced at Lin Hao, as if giving him a second look.
Lin Hao looked confused, as if he didn't quite understand the meaning of his words, but he quickly retracted his gaze, not daring to continue staring at Nightingale. "I just came here to look for her. I didn't expect Nightingale to be connected to you." He spoke a little stiffly, looking down and playing with the wine bottle on the table.
"Stop pretending. You know why I'm here." Nightingale suddenly turned to me and said calmly, "Something went wrong with the mission. We have to take action."
My heart moved, and I realized the seriousness in his words, and immediately nodded, "In that case, let's deal with it." After that, I picked up the wine glass and motioned for him to join me.
Nightingale smiled slightly, sat down, and poured a glass of wine without hesitation, "Don't worry, I'll have a drink with you today."
Lin Hao and I looked at each other. Lin Hao seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still picked up the wine glass and clinked it with Nightingale.
Nightingale raised his glass and clinked it lightly, "Let's celebrate. After all, this is a rare leisure time." There was a hint of playfulness in his smile, but also a hint of imperceptible fatigue.
With the crisp clink of glasses, the three of us drank the wine in tacit understanding. The wine was slightly bitter, but also brought a hint of warmth, dispelling the cold air outside.
Lin Hao coughed lightly, as if about to say something, but ultimately kept quiet. Nightingale, on the other hand, seemed remarkably relaxed, chatting with us at a leisurely pace, occasionally revealing his plans for the mission and his perspective on the future.
As the alcohol took its toll, the atmosphere relaxed. Even Nightingale's chill seemed to dissipate slightly at this moment. We all immersed ourselves in this rare tranquility, occasionally smiling, occasionally looking down.
I suddenly felt that perhaps this kind of time was not completely meaningless.