He came from the bell tonight

Su Ling sat on the steps of the door, watching the sun gradually rise from the other side of the long street.The light slowly passed under his feet with the slightly cold wind.

The entire N District is still in the rustling silence.

until he heard the door open.

Xiao Huaiyan didn't seem to expect him to wake up so early, his lips moved, but he didn't speak.His brows and eyes were covered with a layer of haze, and his expression was serious.

"You want to go?" Su Ling asked.

Xiao Huaiyan opened the car door, said "um", and didn't look at Su Ling.

In the constant vibrating noise of the terminal, his speech was fast, passing through imperceptible emotions.

"I'm going to visit Sirius Nine."

"There will be a funeral tomorrow, and you must go with me."

That voice sounded again in Su Ling's mind.

He stood up and walked to the co-pilot seat. The person opposite him looked at him for a while and acquiesced.

The door opens and closes automatically.Blizzard entered acceleration mode and headed towards the port of departure.

The automatically played news sounded: "This □□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□' news report, Minister Xiao Shiyue passed away at 59:[-] p.m.

With a "snap", the broadcast is turned off.

Su Ling looked at Xiao Huaiyan quietly, but he just focused on the empty and straight road.

The blizzard galloped towards the nearest port of departure, and the long-awaited spaceship Beta incorporated it into the hatch.

The body was parked by the window, and the cold nano-plates formed a circular wall around the snowstorm, separating the two of them from the empty cabin outside.The flight attendants did not bother them in a timely manner, and turned on the silent mode of the cabin.

When Yueqian was about to start, Suling heard the roar of the engine, and his breath was drowned.

The frosted glass reflected the deep and restrained peach blossom eyes.

"From the moment I was conscious, my uncle was an old man."

In Xiao Huaiyan's palm lay the snowflake-shaped key.

Su Ling listened to him quietly.

"When I was ten years old, he said he would give me my first sports car. Because I was under the legal driving age, he took me to M27, where there was a large piece of wasteland. At that time, he told me that he was dying, so he wanted to keep Give me something nice."

"So he threw me a bunch of parts, and he was in charge of speaking and instructing me to assemble a modified car. After driving for a hundred kilometers, the thing was scrapped."

As Xiao Huaiyan spoke, the corners of his mouth rose slightly.After a while, he involuntarily went down again.

"The next year he said he wanted to give me a car. So I asked him, aren't you dying?"

Su Ling saw him smile, but paradoxically, Su Ling was sure that he wasn't expressing happiness.On the contrary, it's a sadness masked with remorse and regret.

"They all know his great achievements. The textbooks will also record how he gained merits from the empire era and then became the flag bearer of the alliance without hesitation. Later generations will still write the interstellar history of the southern and northern wars. But I don't care He took me to climb over the wall of the M27 restricted area that day, and was chased by bionics for more than ten kilometers, just to go in and catch a fish. He said it was the most delicious thing in the world, and he ate it with others a long time ago Pass."

"At that time, the water in M27 was very clear, and he was not too old to eat fish."

Xiao Huaiyan stopped suddenly and leaned weakly on the back of the chair.Outside the glass window is endless darkness, with occasional grainy spots of light flowing in the distance.

The light in the car dimmed.

He grinned self-mockingly.

"Why am I telling you this, but you don't understand."

Su Ling said softly, "He's afraid."

Xiao Huaiyan looked at the dark roof of the car and was silent for a while, then closed his eyes.

"Yes, he is very afraid of death. So before that humanoid weapon arrives, he always has to bring a group of bodyguards when he goes out."

"The doctor said that he died in his sleep. It can be regarded as the end of his life."

Xiao Huaiyan covered his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Don't be too sad," he seemed to be saying to himself, "it's joy and sorrow."

After arriving at the port of Shakespeare City, Blizzard entered the autopilot state.It's still a sunny day here, and all the flowers and greenery are full of vitality.

When passing by the Central Park, Su Ling saw a two-story black and white portrait hanging on a big screen, with a deep outline and handsome eyebrows.Many citizens went to mourn, and vodka and flowers filled the marble steps.

Su Ling asked, "Another person died?"

Xiao Huaiyan was stunned for a moment, then realized: "That was when he was young."

Blizzard parked in the rear garage of the estate.A dark crowd stood outside the gate, waiting.

In the center of the green grass in the vestibule stands a huge oil painting.A white coffin is parked in front of the oil painting.Except for the housekeeper here and four or five of Xiao Shiyue's former confidants, only Yun Qing stood beside the coffin with his hands folded, like a statue.

Suling heard crying from outside the fence.

Death is a perfectly normal occurrence in the universe.But humans still grieve over it.

When they express their grief, their emotions are so abundant that they engulf him like a vortex, making it difficult to breathe.Sometimes this overflowing emotion is more than just exposed.

It's like Xiao Huaiyan, even though he has tidied up his suit, his face is calm and the slightly drooping eyes still betrayed him.

Su Ling recalled what that "Xiao Huaiyan" said to him in the early morning.

...Could it be true?

From the same person 12 years later who predicted today's funeral.

The man in front of him tightened his cuffs, straightened his tie, and stopped before heading for the iron gate.

Su Ling almost ran into him.

"You are here, don't go far."

Xiao Huaiyan was the only person present who was related to Xiao Shiyue by blood. In addition to being responsible for signing most of the documents and sorting out the funeral process, he also had to entertain the alliance dignitaries who came to mourn.

At least until the other members of the Xiao family arrive.

Standing on the cobblestone road, Su Ling saw the first man in uniform nodding slightly to Xiao Huaiyan after opening the iron gate.He has white hair and doesn't look very old.

Among the crowd walking forward, Su Ling could hear the conversation between that person and Xiao Huaiyan.

"Huaiyan, my condolences."

The silent young man on the road just now put on a polite smile and greeted the guests: "Thank you, Mr. Yasui."

Su Ling remembered that the last time he saw An Jinghui, he was not so kind.

Those eyes saw Su Ling through the gap in the crowd, and the obvious scrutiny made him vigilant.

But the rapid sound of metal crutches on the cobblestone ground interrupted Su Ling's observation.

An old man covered in badges hurried in, and the secretary who followed him couldn't catch up with him.He almost slipped under his trembling footsteps, but fortunately Xiao Huaiyan supported him.

"General Zhao, slow down."

"How can I be slow?! Do you know who is lying there?" The wrinkles on Zhao Wuya's face were trembling, and he pointed with his fingers excitedly, "How could this old bastard Xiao Shiyue leave first? He also said Drinking with Lao Tzu today. I want to see if he is pretending to be dead."

"Old man, come out and talk!"

Zhao Wuya spit and threw Xiao Huaiyan aside, the people in front automatically made way for him.However, he stopped after only a few steps, and the crutches trembled on the grass.His back, which had been straight for many years in the military, gradually bent down, followed by mournful weeping.

For a moment, there was a faint sob in the originally silent crowd.

However, when Zhao Wuya walked to the side of the coffin, he had already recovered his composure.He looked at the cloudless sky and grinned, "Congratulations, old friend."

Not far from Suling, Xiao Huaiyan was talking with another visitor.Most people just patted the young man on the shoulder as a sign of comfort, and then gave him a few seconds to relax before going to the next person.

Su Ling walked to the coffin, and the huge oil painting behind it caught his attention.It was a double portrait, almost identical to the one he had seen here.

Xiao Shiyue sat upright, occupying the center of the oil painting.And beside him stood a young woman also in military uniform, with long pale golden hair tied behind her head, and a gentle smile, but she was holding a spear in her hand, which formed a sharp contrast with the non-aggressive beauty Compared.

There is a serial number on her exposed neck.

A002.

"The one painted there is not me." Yun Qing's voice was as pale as her face.

She looked up at the person in the oil painting, with a gentle smile in her eyes.

"The master said that they will meet again soon. For him, it may be the happiest moment of his life."

Su Ling stared at the person in the oil painting, his resolute and solemn face was still slightly smiling.

An old voice came from the side: "...Unexpectedly, you would really ask to put this painting here. Now, you can finally go to see Qiuci."

Zhao Wuya sighed deeply, and spoke slowly to the person on the oil painting, as if the person could really hear him.

"The year you met Qiu Ci, we were still drinking together. Later, you two became the best partners on the battlefield. I can hear your names everywhere. The year Qiu Ci left, you and her It was agreed to live to be two hundred years old. You haven't made any progress in more than 100 years, and you are afraid that you haven't lived enough. Now you are two hundred and three, old friend, Qiuci will not blame you."

Zhao Wuya took a bottle of brandy from the secretary and poured it in front of the coffin.The wine wet the grass and sank into the soil.The aroma of the wine quickly evaporated in the sun, but a little remained on the corners of the coffin.

"Is it true?" Yun Qing's eyes lit up, "That humanoid weapon is the master's wife?"

Zhao Wuya sized her up following the sound, but his eyes stopped on Su Ling.Dry lips trembled: "You are..."

Su Ling raised his eyes blankly.

However, Zhao Wuya saw the pocket watch Su Ling was holding in his hand, and quickly woke up: "I was wrong, how could it be that person."

He shook his head, and then answered Yun Qing's question: "Qiuci left before they got married."

Yun Qing asked puzzledly: "Why?"

Zhao Wuya looked deeply at the two people in the oil painting, and then said, "The reason why he can keep you by his side is because you are very similar to Qiuci."

Yun Qing was silent for a while, then said softly: "He must miss Qiu Ci very much."

"Really?" A laughing voice sounded from behind Su Ling, Xiao Boyu put his hands in the pockets of his white coat, "It's such a lingering love story, but as far as I know, it was the elder brother who killed Qiuci himself. .”

"General Zhao doesn't know, does he?"

Zhao Wuya was silent and ignored.

Xiao Boyu was not annoyed, and smiled slightly: "When Yun Qing arrives in the Science Department, he will have the opportunity to hear many similar stories."

"So that's what you are for," Zhao Wuya sneered, seeing through his intentions, "Yun Qing is reserved for the military, and has nothing to do with you."

"What is General Zhao talking about? Since it is an uncontracted weapon and it was brought back by a patrol ship, it is natural that the Ministry of Science will take over. General Zhao is here today to commemorate an old friend, or is it for the military department Talk?" Xiao Boyu asked with a smile.

Zhao Wuya's face turned black immediately; "What qualifications do you have to talk to me here!"

He pointed his crutch at Xiao Boyu: "I am going to the north to retire soon, so I don't care about your activities. You know how many humanoid weapons the Ministry of Science has secretly hidden."

"I don't understand what General Zhao said. Every experimental subject in the Ministry of Science has a clearly numbered file. On the contrary, those on the black market are all from the military department." Xiao Boyu nodded neither humble nor overbearing, "For To protect Yunqing, I think Eldest Brother is willing to entrust it to us. What's more, Yunqing is a private property registered in Elder Brother's name. According to the rules, items not involved in the will will be handed over to the military. The Ministry has the priority to intervene."

Zhao Wuya said firmly: "Impossible."

"Have you been arguing enough?" The black boots bent the bright green grass.

When Zhao Wuya saw Xiao Huaiyan, he slowed down a little: "Huaiyan, you came just in time. If it were you, what should you do with your humanoid weapon now?"

Su Ling noticed that Xiao Huaiyan's extremely indifferent gaze passed him.

"That depends on what he wants."

"That's right, so Yunqing, where do you want to go?" Xiao Boyu asked gently.The metal frames of the glasses glisten.

Under the eyes of the surroundings, Yun Qing pulled out a rectangular box from behind the oil painting, and turned out the paper covered with red ink pad inside.

"The master said that any wish needs to be exchanged with sincerity. Therefore, all his things, including mine, will be auctioned."

Xiao Huaiyan frowned slightly, and there was a sudden pain in his temple.

According to Xiao Shiyue's usual style——

Sure enough, Zhao Wuya glanced at the paper and turned pale with shock: "This old thing even wants to auction off a stinky sock?!"