silence and stars

After the Poseidon Festival, the new year is just around the corner.Leo begins his third and final year at Lier Business School.There is another big event before returning to school-the annual reception of the Transportation Industry Association.This reception is very important, one reason is of course the Pan-Ansen orbit project he has been working hard to promote, and the other reason is Lin Elli.

That night, Leo called his name for the first time by taking advantage of his drunkenness: "Eli, you are here!"

Eli, those two syllables sound so sweet, with demagogic power.

He looked at Leo first and then at the wine glass in Leo's hand: "How much did you drink?"

"You" is no longer "you".

Leo smiled happily, and replied casually: "A few drinks. I met your uncle when I came in just now, and I briefly greeted him, but he still didn't want to talk to me."

"Hey..." Eli had a clear expression on his face, "Come with me."

The chairman of the Transportation Industry Association is complimenting Lin Yueyan: "Your education is too successful, An Ge is a core expert in the laboratory at a young age, let alone Ellie—" He turned his head just in time to see Ellie, and made a gesture Very exaggerated movements, open your arms to meet him.Ellie smiled and hugged him.

Lin Yueyan said unceremoniously: "I can't teach him. Those things he did were not taught by me."

Eli stood by and listened without saying a word, without a single excuse.Leo was very angry, and blurted out: "You are also in the fleet, you can see everything he has done, which one is for himself?"

Lin Yueyan looked at Leo with a mixture of boredom and disdain: "Don't comment on things you don't understand."

"I've only been in Fleet School for one year, but I know that a few separate fleets can't protect Anson. If Eli doesn't screw all the forces together, what will we do when the foreign enemy strikes? With all due respect, the set of values ​​you insist on is just childish idealism, which can't solve any problems." This is too much, out of bounds, disrespectful, and even the basic politeness, in normal times, he would never say exit.But today he was drunk, and drunk people have the privilege of telling the truth, don't they?

Lin Yueyan's anger added another layer: "Are you mentioning values ​​to me here? The fleet, the law, and human life are all playthings in your hands! Without you people, Anson can live a peaceful life. What about the 143 bombing?" You forgot the four condemned prisoners quickly enough!"

Ellie stood between them, facing Lin Yueyan, trying to stop the dispute: "—Don't come at him! He was only two years old in 143, and those things have nothing to do with him!"

"Eli, don't worry about it." Leo bypassed Eli and looked directly at Lin Yueyan.Although his footsteps were already a little wandering, his mind was extremely clear at this moment.Lin Yueyan was angry, but he only felt the cold sadness, just like every time he defended Ild.

It was those four condemned prisoners again, the same attack Leo had heard since he was a child.Like a hopeless Sisyphus, he repeated the same argument over and over again: "At that time, Parliament did pass a bill to abolish the death penalty, and Queen Ximena signed it. It was the first day of 144. When that happened, Ild had no problem declaring Anson a state of emergency. It was also within his power to recall the bill that had been signed but not yet in force for another year. On the legal level, Iraq Rudd did nothing wrong. You can question his decision on moral grounds, but don't forget he is a human being, not a machine."

Ild was alone at the time, only 17 years old and had just lost his mother.Why are his attackers never aware of this?

"You can say whatever you want, anyway, the power to explain is in your hands." Lin Yueyan said sarcastically.

"What I'm saying is the truth. I really can't look at Ild completely objectively," Leo said, getting more and more sad. "For me, he is family first, and then there are other identities. You can judge Him, but I can't."

A hand gently but firmly pulled him aside.Leo tried to resist, and then he realized it was Eli.There were two small lounges on one side of the reception area, and Eli led him into them.

Leo didn't dare to look directly at Ellie at all, his face turned to him, but he could only stare at his bow tie, thinking nothing of what he wanted to say. "sorry."

"No, you're right, don't take it to heart. My uncle has always been like that, he said everything when he got angry, and he didn't mean to target anyone." Ellie's voice fluctuated from near to far.

"Ellie, no matter what anyone thinks, I'm on your side."

"I know."

"There's nothing wrong with what you and Elder did, it's them who have the problem."

"I know. Calm down before going out, stop fighting with him, and stop drinking, okay?"

"it is good."

After Cleo went out, he continued to shuttle among the people he knew and those he didn't know, holding a glass of wine.

"You look so young, it's different from what I usually see in the news..."

Leo smiled: "Young? I'm still 20 now, and I'll be 21 in a few hours."

"What a coincidence, happy birthday to you!"

"Thanks, but I don't celebrate birthdays," Leo said vaguely.He clinked glasses with this unknown lady, and drank another gulp.

"Why...General Lin never celebrates his birthday." She said in surprise.

Ellie was just like him.Eight years ago, Ian's birthday became the anniversary of his and his wife's death. The dead have been laid to rest, but the living can never forget the scene at that time.He and Eli still have this tacit understanding that has never been mentioned.

At this moment, someone took the wine glass from Leo's hand.

Seems like he drank too much.

In the next second, Leo only knew that he was in the car, leaning his head against the seat, and kept sliding his head to one side.Someone helped Leo to recline in the seat.But this man was not the guard following him.

"Turn another corner and you will be on Begonia Avenue. The guards are in the car behind." The voice next to my ear was familiar and reassuring.It's Ellie!

Leo thanked subconsciously: "Thank you for sending me back."

"It's nothing. Don't drink so much next time."

"I know."

If I hadn't gotten myself drunk, I wouldn't have been this close to you.Ellie, your attention and care for me is not entirely entrusted by Ild, is it?You know I like you, right?

Leo was full of thoughts, but he didn't dare to say a word; he couldn't afford to be rejected in person.All pride and willfulness vanished in front of Eli.

"Ellie, I envy you."

He was looking down at Leo, and was slightly taken aback when he heard this.

"Everyone expected me to go to Fleet School, Command Academy, and then be a captain like my father, standing beside Ild. But I let them down. I didn't understand it when I was a child, and when I understood it, there was no chance to do it again. Come again."

"It's not like that," Ellie said. "Everyone has their own track. I have mine and you have yours."

Leo's gaze moved from his eyes to the tip of his nose to his lips. "My original orbit was the same as yours, but I escaped. Ellie, if I was in the fleet, I could help you—I could help Elder with something. I can only be by the side for a few years Looking at you, but I can't help you..."

"I never thought about it that way. It's great that you are like this, there is no need to imitate anyone." He shook his head resolutely.When he spoke again, his voice dropped a little: "'The battle itself is not an end. I love not the battleship, but the people behind me; I take up arms so that they can live in their own way.'"

Leo's throat choked. "That's what my father said."

"Yes." Eli turned his head slightly and looked at Leo. "I totally agree with what he said."

"……Um."

Neither of them spoke again.Outside the car window, the sessile oak trees on both sides of the road quickly receded.Time almost stood still, Ellie stared straight ahead, countless messy thoughts and words were stuck in Leo's throat.The time he can be alone is always so short, he dare not say a word that crosses the line, but he doesn't want to waste this moment in vain.

The car was about to enter the west entrance of Ansen Palace from Begogna Avenue.Leo struggled to sit up, with a mentality of not doing anything, and fell in the direction of Ellie at the moment of deceleration.

There were still a few seconds until the door opened.Only for a few seconds.He was in Ellie's arms, and Ellie didn't move away.