Qi Yan didn’t get the promised pastries until midnight.
He lay on the bed, with the quilt just covering his waist, revealing his narrow waist and jade-colored back. His shoulder blades and back grooves were covered with fine and dense marks, and there were still light red fingerprints on his waist.
Hearing the sound of the door sliding open, Qi Yan's eyelashes trembled, but without opening them, he only called out in a hoarse voice, "General?"
It's just that the volume was too low and it couldn't even create ripples in the air.
After a while, the sound of a plate being placed on the table was heard.
The bed sank, and someone lay down on it, and strong arms held him in their arms.
With his chin resting on the other's firm neck, Qi Yan took a sniff. The strong scent of Lu Fenghan mixed with the faintest floral fragrance immediately filled his nose, and his internal organs were also soaked, making him even more drowsy. He just wanted to close his eyes and continue to sleep.
In a daze, Qi Yan remembered that it seemed like he hadn't felt the feeling of walking barefoot on ice and snow for a long time.
But there were always people bothering him.
Lu Fenghan first kissed the end of Qi Yan's eyebrows, then rubbed them with the tip of his nose: "Be good, don't go to sleep yet, eat something, otherwise you will get a stomachache if you are hungry in the middle of the night."
Qi Yan didn't want to answer, so he turned his face away and buried himself deeper in the crook of Lu Fenghan's neck.
This little action made Lu Fenghan secretly happy. He smiled and said, "Really not eating?"
After a while, Qi Yan finally spoke: "…Feed me."
Lu Fenghan was naturally happy to do so.
He fed the cake to Qi Yan's mouth. When he put it in his mouth, Lu Fenghan's eyes swept across the corners of Qi Yan's eyes, cheeks, and nose wings, and suddenly asked: "Can I kiss you?"
Qi Yan didn't answer, but raised her head and kissed Lu Fenghan on the chin.
Originally, she just wanted to touch her for a moment, but Lu Fenghan quickly grabbed her chin and kissed her for another two minutes.
Qi Yan's sleepiness was gone, and he sat up to eat the cake. Lu Fenghan wanted to continue feeding him, but Po Jun reminded him at this time: "There is a communication request from General Nie Huaiting. Do you want to accept it?"
So, after the video communication was successfully connected across countless light years, Lu Fenghan asked, "You are so old, why are you still awake in the middle of the night?"
Nie Huaiting was silent for two seconds: "Swallowed fire/poison?"
Lu Fenghan paid attention to the edge of the camera and didn't let Qi Yan enter the camera. He only said to himself: "It's 0:57 on Leto time. Are you suffering from insomnia?"
The collar of his shirt was open, and he stretched his legs against the head of the bed. His sitting posture was casual, not like he was facing his superior, but more like a junior greeting an elder in the family.
"I'm not suffering from insomnia. I just finished a meeting and couldn't fall asleep. I wanted to talk to you."
Perhaps it was because of the recapture of Leto that everything was back on track and developing in a good direction. The heavy weight in his heart was lifted, and Nie Huaiting's brows relaxed, even the wrinkles on his forehead became lighter.
"A report has been submitted, and it is planned to erect a statue of Lu Jun again in the Sky Diamond Square. The previous one was beheaded by the rebels and will be kept in the exhibition hall as one of the traces of the fall of the capital planet this time, and also to commemorate those who died in the protest. You are Lu Jun's son, and I need to ask for your opinion on this matter."
Lu Fenghan remembered this incident.
During the rebel occupation, Leto had a "statue protection" movement. Countless civilians gathered in the Diamond of the Sky Square to protect the statues from being destroyed by the rebels. For three whole days, many people died for this.
Not only for the statue, but also for the belief.
"I have no objection, but I have carved a few words on the inner edge of the upward corner of the statue's clothes. When you put it in the exhibition hall, pay attention to the angle so that no one can see it."
It was the first time that Lu Fenghan mentioned it in so many years. Nie Huaiting was curious: "What did you carve inside?"
Qiyan, who was eating pastries, also looked at him, waiting for an answer.
Glancing at it from the corner of his eye, Lu Fenghan wiped the cake crumbs from the corner of Qi Yan's mouth. He was honest: "I didn't carve anything, just wrote 'Lu Jun is a bastard'."
Nie Huaiting laughed: "When did you carve it?"
"I entered the First Military Academy when I was fifteen. I lost my first fight, and it was a terrible loss. I sneaked to the Diamond Square of the Sky, sat at the foot of the statue and talked a lot. No one paid attention to me after I finished talking, so I got angry and carved it casually." Lu Fenghan did not shy away from his dark history and was very confident. "Later, I thought about erasing it, but there was something wrong with the material of the statue, so it couldn't be erased."
Nie Huaiting clicked his fingers twice and smiled again: "Your father has a good temper. He won't be angry with you even if he knows."
After saying this, Nie Huaiting showed emotion on his face.
Most of his former comrades turned to stardust when they were young, and no trace of them could be found anymore. He was left growing old, standing under the banner of the shield and sword, guarding the alliance.
Lu Fenghan changed the subject: "Now that the war is over, have the peace advocates come out?"
It's the usual way.
In wartime, in order to protect themselves and comply with public opinion, the pro-war faction will naturally give way first. Once the war is over, the pro-peace faction will inevitably jump out and use the banner of "external threats can promote unity within the alliance" as their own political capital.
"Even if one Klimo is gone, there are still tens of millions of Klimo. There were differences on the issue of chasing pirates. The peace faction still holds the old view that we should keep the interstellar pirates as a lead." Nie Huaiting said in a cold tone, "I didn't save face and directly rejected it at the meeting."
Lu Fenghan agreed very much.
As the saying goes, either you cut the weeds at their roots or you keep the tiger as a threat.
Leaving a hint today may lead to another rebel army tomorrow.
"While I am still being listened to, let's restore stability to the alliance. The flames of war have been raging for more than seventy years, it's time to put them out." Nie Huaiting rubbed his forehead, "My life span is no more than a hundred years, I can't control what the future holds."
"Well, each generation has its own opportunities and missions." Lu Fenghan said with a smile, "But no matter how poor the finances are, we will continue to invest in the humanoid combat mecha project."
The emergence of humanoid combat mechas means an innovation—tactically, technologically, and even in the entire history of warfare.
Anyone who has been immersed in the battlefield can see that compared to the coordination and cooperation required by starships, the humanoid mechas of the future are more adaptable to interstellar warfare.
No matter what the alliance will be like in the future, or whether there will be another war, there is no reason to stop once this step has been taken.
"I see. I think so too. Just treat it as a descendant of Fukuzawa." Nie Huaiting tapped his fingers on the table and pondered, "Have you seen the wise man?"
Lu Fenghan put Qi Yan's empty plate back on the table and replied, "Yes." He habitually pinched Qi Yan's fingers and played with them, describing, "He is very young and very rational. After waking up and finding that he was captured, his emotions have been very stable. He is a worry-free prisoner."
The wise man was locked in a room closed on all sides. There was nothing in it except nutrients. No one was allowed to enter, and even the surveillance footage was only allowed to be watched by Pojun, cutting off the wise man's connection with the outside world to the greatest extent. Lu Fenghan never underestimated the wise man's brainwashing ability and influence.
As for Lu Fenghan himself, he had never thought of going to chat with the wise man at the beginning.
He is a brigadier general of the Alliance and the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, and he has his own position and responsibilities.
Time is precious, and he doesn't need to listen to the psychological journey of an enemy leader, to understand what kind of person he is and why he does these things.
On some issues, right is right and wrong is wrong, there is no middle ground.
Knowing Lu Fenghan's methods, Nie Huaiting said, "You really blocked his way."
"How about you just hand him over to me?"
It was initially agreed that the wise man would be brought back to the capital star when the expeditionary command ship set out. During this period, many people within the alliance had their own purposes and proposed to escort the wise man to Leto in advance, but they were all rejected by Nie Huaiting under pressure.
He was just short of saying that he only believed in Lu Fenghan.
Lu Fenghan got down to business: "There are a lot of messy things in the Divine Court. It is illegal to release them to the Alliance. I asked Long Xiyun to lead his men to destroy them. I heard that his men had nightmares for several days after returning from the mission. As for the useful things, the transport ships have almost transported them. After resting, the day after tomorrow, which is October 21st, the expeditionary force will set out to return to Leto."
After the communication was cut off, Qi Yan asked, "Are you going back the day after tomorrow?"
Lu Fenghan put his firm arm around Qi Yan's shoulders and said, "Well, the frontline affairs have been concluded. Whether it is the newly discovered star field or the planet where the original Divine Court is located, it will be taken over by administrative officials sent by the Secretary-General. As for whether it will be incorporated into the Southern Cross Region or set up as a separate administrative region, it has nothing to do with the expeditionary force."
Qi Yan recalled: "One year ago today, on October 21, 216, we were attending the Roentgen Prize award ceremony at the Lyric Concert Hall. Ye Pei, Mondrian, Chagall and Bo Lan were all there."
Lu Fenghan also thought about it: "We pursue glory, but also truth?"
Lyric Theatre, Roentgen Prize - familiar words, covered with a layer of dust by the time that has passed through them, becoming less real.
Under the dim light of the lounge, Lu Fenghan's straight nose was lightly shadowed, and the smile on his face never faded: "When we return to Leto, we can call Xia Zhiyang, Ye Pei and the others to travel to Woz together. There is also the cobalt blue mountain made of Linus crystals. When it snows and there is snow on the mountain, we can go and see it together."
Qi Yan was slightly stunned.
Lu Fenghan remembered everything he said.
Kissing Qiyan's hair again, Lu Fenghan said, "From now on, no matter where Yanyan wants to go, we don't have to worry about danger."
The rebels have been destroyed. The name "y" will no longer bring you murderous intent and danger, but only glory.