Under the moonlight

After a few days of recuperation, Yuri was able to get up and walk around. He moved into Lin Hanshuang's room to live with her. Xu Ao brought him some daily necessities. At the briefing that morning, his colleagues also voted by show of hands to allow him to stay at the embassy temporarily. As for the future, they could only take it one step at a time. They couldn't just push him into that hell on earth to fend for himself.

Besides Jiang Ying, only she and Xiao Zhang opposed the vote that day. She originally thought Xu Ao would share her opinion. After the meeting, she found Xu Ao and asked, "Why keep him here? Isn't it too risky? What if they find out? What about us..."

"We, a great nation, have always prioritized benevolence and virtue. Helping him is the most basic and fundamental act of kindness we can show as human beings. I think anyone else would never have abandoned him; he was a living human being."

“I understand what you’re saying, but at a time like this, we have so many people to take care of. If we cause trouble for one person, wouldn’t it be a case of penny-wise and pound-foolish?”

"Are you trying to solve a philosophical problem with me? Hmm? Do you want to choose between one death or dozens of deaths?" Xu Ao said calmly, his eyes filled with a coldness Jiang Ying had never seen before. He actually looked at her like that. Was she wrong in her considerations?

Jiang Ying took a deep breath to calm herself down. At that time, there were only the two of them in the office. Huang Meng accompanied Lin Hanshuang, standing nervously at the door, waiting for the final negotiation results regarding Yuri's life or death.

“Xu Ao, I think you should calm down and think about this. We’ve already done more than enough by taking him in until he recovers. His suffering was caused by his country, and we have no obligation to protect him indefinitely. There are so many other Chinese citizens in the embassy; even one more person each day would be too much to handle.” Jiang Ying believed that all her considerations were for everyone’s sake and that she was right. Her voice was loud and unwavering, yet it also carried a hint of grievance and resentment. This was the first time he had spoken to her so coldly. Why should he?

Huang Meng stood by the door, gripping Lin Hanshuang's arm tightly. She knew that, rationally speaking, Jiang Ying was right. The mercenaries had only sealed off the main city area; they hadn't carried out a massacre. Their goal was to force the current government leaders to submit—they were gambling with their lives. Sending him back to the main city area wouldn't immediately put him in a desperate situation.

But it's only a temporary survival. If the lockdown continues, that day will come sooner or later. Huang Meng looked nervously at Xu Ao, wondering if he would be persuaded by her.

“Xu Ao, I hope you can think about this carefully. I know you’re not that kind of person…” Jiang Ying looked at Xu Ao, who was staring out the window without saying a word, and her voice softened. But Xu Ao interrupted her: “I’m not that kind of person? Do you think you know me well?” Xu Ao turned around and looked at Jiang Ying calmly.

“Since this matter has already been voted on, it won’t be changed. You don’t need to worry about the supplies; Chen Che and I will make the arrangements.” After Xu Ao finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the door. Seeing Huang Meng waiting by the door, his eyes softened, and he smiled slightly, saying to Lin Hanshuang, “Go back and take good care of Yuri. I need to ask him a few questions when I have time.”

"Okay, no problem. Well, I'll head back now." Lin Hanshuang glanced gratefully at Xu Ao, then gently shook Huang Meng's hand before leaving in a hurry.

The office was quiet except for her heavy breathing. Jiang Ying remained in the same position as before, looking at the spot where Xu Ao had been standing. The wind blew in unceremoniously from the open window, causing the curtains to flutter up and down, just like her heart.

Xu Ao's short sentence drifted over with the destructive power of a tornado, violently lifting her up and making her float in the air. After a moment of weightlessness, she crashed heavily to the ground. She repeatedly tried to recall Xu Ao's tone and expression when he said those words, and her heart sank heavily. She slowly squatted down and hugged herself with her arms to pull her sinking heart back to its original position. She squatted like that for a while, and when she stood up again, her face had returned to normal.

Once people get used to a certain way of life, they will gradually accept it, adapt to it, and even begin to enjoy it.

The people in the embassy have gradually adapted to life here. They no longer confine themselves to the restaurant and their rooms, but have begun to enrich their lives.

When the weather is nice, they play ball with the young people from the embassy. Old Huang even took to the court a few times. Spending every day together, people no longer close themselves off. They start gathering in twos and threes to bask in the sun and chat. The Mid-Autumn Festival is just two days away. Although they are in a foreign land, the festive atmosphere still infects everyone.

They made arrangements well in advance, including performances and competitions. They even encouraged embassy staff to dig out some colorful flags and ribbons that had been stored in the warehouse and hang them on the embassy's walls and gates.

Seeing the smiles on everyone's faces, Xu Ao didn't stop them. Chen Che saw his silence as the greatest support he could give him. He had always enjoyed lively gatherings. From the time of the explosion until a few days ago, the embassy had been in a low-pressure zone. Finally, they were about to have a holiday and a chance to catch their breath, and he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by.

He organized the embassy staff to search through all the supplies and decided to splurge a little and have everyone make dumplings!

Having learned from their previous experience of receiving supplies, they knew that as long as the supply ship arrived at the port on time, they wouldn't have to worry about going hungry. Although Xu Ao felt that it wasn't appropriate to make a big fuss at this time, he didn't stop them when he saw everyone's high enthusiasm and let them prepare the ingredients.

Since their last conversation, the relationship between Jiang Ying and Xu Ao seems to have undergone a subtle change. Jiang Ying is still as serious and responsible as before, and she reports to Xu Ao in a businesslike manner, but the two hardly talk to each other.

Huang Meng stood outside the office watching Jiang Ying turn and leave after finishing her work report. She leaned close to Xu Ao, crossed her arms, and frowned, saying, "Hey, don't you think there's something off about her?"

Seeing her staring intently at Jiang Ying's back, Xu Ao reached out and pulled her into his arms, frowning as he did, and said, "Hmm, it does seem a little different. Hmm~ Could it be that I haven't been observing it properly before?"

Huang Meng sensed the teasing in his words, turned around and pinched his cheek in an annoyed tone, gritting her teeth as she said, "How exactly do you plan to observe me properly?"

Xu Ao pretended to be in pain and cried out, "Ouch, ouch, ouch~ Please be gentle with your pinch, I don't even want to pinch you so hard."

As Xu Ao spoke, his eyes darted lewdly towards Huang Meng's chest. She quickly lowered her hand, but didn't forget to pinch Xu Ao's waist hard again, muttering, "You pervert!"

Xu Ao, on the other hand, quite enjoyed being teased by her, watching her blush with embarrassment as he made her laugh heartily.

Xu Ao pulled at Huang Meng, who was still angry, but she shook him off. Xu Ao wasn't annoyed; his smile deepened as he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms from behind, resting his chin on the top of her fluffy head. At first, Huang Meng tried to resist, until she heard a heavy sigh from above her head.

Huang Meng stopped wriggling and stood obediently as he held her, her hands climbing onto his arms that were resting on her stomach. She wanted to ask him why he sighed, but she wanted to wait patiently for him to tell her.

"Hey, you know what? I've been really exhausted lately. When I was first transferred here, I was just a newbie who had only been working for two years. Everyone thought I couldn't handle this responsibility, and there were plenty of people waiting to see me fail."

"The only person who supported me at the time was my mentor, a retired senior diplomat. He always said that I was capable and had the courage, and it was he who recommended me to come here. He told me not to have too much psychological pressure and just to do my best. But when I got here, I found that the work I was going to face was a complete mess and I had no clue what to do."

“This embassy was only established three years ago, and I was a newcomer like him. Everything here was just starting out, and all the work was not systematic. I sorted out the work little by little, like untangling yarn, and slowly built a work system that was suitable for the actual situation here, based on the work system and procedures of other embassies.”

"After the work system and standard framework were established, it was time for foreign business. I had to communicate and understand everything with the local government little by little on my own. There was no accompanying translator at that time, but fortunately, their government was quite proactive in establishing diplomatic relations. Although their translator's Chinese was broken, it was still understandable. I also wanted to learn it on my own, but I have always been weak in languages, especially their pronunciation, which makes it hard to even turn your tongue upside down. Plus, the work was fragmented and complicated, so I gave up."

"Then I'll teach you later, it's not that difficult," Huang Meng said, playing with his fingers.

"Well, aren't you already teaching me?" Xu Ao said lazily.

"When? How come I didn't know?" Huang Meng asked in surprise.

“When you kiss, you have no idea how flexible your tongue is. It’s a pity I’m not very good at it, I need to practice a few more times,” Xu Ao whispered in her ear.

Huang Meng knew he wouldn't be serious for more than two minutes, so she slapped his hand hard. Looking at Huang Meng's blushing ears, Xu Ao smiled and continued, "I haven't finished yet. Later, the number of people from the embassy gradually increased. Actually, I wasn't their leader. We were all in equal positions. It's just that I arrived a year earlier than them, so I was much more familiar with everything. They would ask me for my opinion on everything."

"It was quite pleasant living in such a small country. Every day after work, I would play ball, the ladies in the kitchen would occasionally cook us a big meal, or we would go out for a stroll. There was no urgent or important work. But after a while, people's nerves would become numb. Until that day when those people broke in, and then the explosion. It was like a huge rock crashing into a calm lake. On the surface, there was a momentary splash and a brief ripple, and the lake returned to calm. But the rock eventually sank slowly to the bottom of the lake and pressed heavily on the bottom. Its presence could not be ignored."

"Starting the day after the explosion, compatriots began seeking help from the embassy. But those people destroyed all the infrastructure. You know, our electricity comes from our own generators, which have been running for almost half a month. We don't know how much longer they can last, not to mention internet and communication. This explosion has taken us back to square one."

"Hmph, so it went until they sealed off the main city area. Aside from the compatriots who arrived at the embassy before the lockdown, we had no way of knowing if there were any other people inside. The day before you arrived, we tried to negotiate with them to let us in to search for our compatriots, promising not to interfere with anything else. But as soon as we appeared in front of the blockade, the residents trapped inside seemed to see a glimmer of hope and surged towards the blockade, shouting in a language I couldn't understand, waving their hands frantically. Their faces and bodies were covered in blood and dust; their unusually agitated emotions made them look like a group of demons. The little girl who came with us was so frightened she cried."

Huang Meng was sitting half-sitting on the edge of the office desk when Xu Ao pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, placing his hands on her legs and holding her fingers.

"Those mercenaries pointed their guns at those people, probably because they had finally seen a glimmer of hope. The strong will to survive stimulated their adrenaline and commanded their brains. Those people were no longer afraid of their guns. One of them even pressed his chest against their gun. Until a few muffled gunshots rang out, the man who had blocked the gun with his body, his eyes still staring blankly at us, lay straight back. Many of my colleagues, including myself, were seeing this scene for the first time."

Xu Ao stared at the ground, his expression sorrowful. Huang Meng gently squeezed his hand. Xu Ao looked up at her, smiled, and continued, "It took a full two minutes to react. After a brief silence, the people opposite looked at their companion's corpse and, stimulated by the blood, erupted in even more furious roars. Their eyes were bloodshot, and they angrily charged at the mercenary who had fired the shot, swinging their fists. But how could fists be a match for the cold muzzle of a gun? Before we could even react, gunshots rang out one after another. We were only a few hundred meters away from them. The continuous gunshots, mixed with the panicked cries of the crowd, pierced our hearts and filled us with fear. We watched helplessly as they shot nearly 10 people before they stopped firing."

Xu Ao sighed, looking up at the ceiling as if recalling something. He continued, "Finally, the crowd's anger subsided, and their eyes turned to terror and fear. The courage they had shown earlier was shattered by the gunfire. With their comrades' bodies right before their eyes, and bright red blood gushing from their bodies, the fear of death took over. The survivors didn't even care about their comrades' corpses and scattered in all directions. We didn't achieve anything that time. Instead, our men were terrified by the mercenaries' cruelty. They didn't even want to say a word. Every time they raised and lowered their guns, it was a life lost. Later, we discussed it. The reason they wouldn't let us in was because they were worried that we would help the residents trapped in the city. If that happened, they would lose their leverage. So they were very wary of us."