"Xiao Li, from now on, every year on your birthday, I will celebrate it with you, with a big cake, and the candles will represent our ages!"
"Then... Will there come a day when the cake won’t be able to hold all the candles?"
In the subsequent years, no matter how far away he went for his studies or to join the military, he would always show up in front of her on their birthday.
On his twentieth birthday, he filled the house with red bellflowers.
The winters in G country were long, especially in Anlin’s region, where spring lasted but a few days. How much effort he put into getting those delicate frost-sensitive bellflowers that thrived in warm, sunlit places remained unknown.
She did not hesitate for even a moment before accepting his proposal.
"I’ve given you red bellflowers for so many years, why haven’t you asked why?"
"You said it, because they’re pretty, and also rare, just like me!"
He lowered his head, their lips met, sparks flew, and the world spun around...
He said that the red bellflower was a flower with memory, signifying an everlasting love.
Wen Nian, spoke of a love never to be forgotten.
"Arrange the explosives, place the mines, once they step into this area, they must be blown to pieces!"
Duan Shen was planning the mission,
"The ones who stay behind must be prepared to die! The rest, take your weapons, and let’s break out. We fight them!"
One affirmation after another exploded next to Song Lili’s ears.
She lost track of time, only faintly hearing someone mention it was six o’clock.
"Boss, what do we do with this woman?"
Duan Shen glanced again at Song Lili, walked over, crouched in front of her, and gripped her chin, lifting her face,
"Crying? Realized fear? Desperation? You wanted to join the national army, defend your country, but how has this country repaid you?"
Song Lili stared at him...
"Say the words, that you hate this country, hate the President, hate those beasts outside, and I will take you with me, as long as I am alive, you will not die."
"I hate myself... not being strong enough, and having bad luck."
Duan Shen’s grip on her chin suddenly tightened, causing Song Lili to close her eyes in pain.
"Leave this woman to you; do whatever you want with her, consider it a final frenzy before death! The rest of you, with me!"
Only seven or eight people were left in the underground base, all of them weak or disabled.
The musty air was mixed with the acrid smell of gunpowder.
Song Lili leaned weakly against the wall, clearly, reality was far distant from those bizarre novel plots.
She didn’t have any cheat codes, no hacks available.
So, in this life, her fate was subject to others’ whims, but she was relieved that she had been cautious, otherwise the lives of over fifteen hundred people would have been unaccounted for.
She felt exhausted, the pain wracking her body, draining her strength little by little...
"Big Brother said, this woman is our last hurrah, who wants to go first—"
Then, a hole suddenly exploded in the ceiling above them, and stones fell at the feet of these men, dust flying everywhere.
Then, something was thrown down from above, followed by several more!
Someone yelled it out first, but the objects that landed didn’t explode; just emitted thick smoke...
It was a smoke bomb...