Chapter 190
Was he hallucinating?
Shen Xili thought he heard Shen Shuyu calling him. But how could Shen Shuyu appear in this place? They were currently separated by the entire galaxy.
“Shen Xili!”
This call interrupted Shen Xili’s thoughts. It was real; he really heard it.
Shen Xili looked toward the source of the sound in disbelief. Shen Shuyu was standing in the corridor not far away. Seeing him look over, Shen Shuyu even raised his hand and waved, signaling him to come over.
Endless emotions surged in Shen Xili’s chest. He quickened his pace toward Shen Shuyu.
Shen Shuyu watched him walk over with a smile. When he got close, Shuyu was about to ask if it was a surprise, but he was suddenly pulled into a tight, fierce hug.
“Ah… eh?” Shen Shuyu was so startled he didn’t dare speak. Shen Xili was hugging him very tightly, making it a bit hard for him to breathe.
Was military life really this terrifying? Calculating carefully, it had only been about ten days since Shen Xili left home for the army. Had it driven him to this state?
Just as a thousand thoughts were swirling and he was wondering if he should say something to Shen Xili, the other person quickly let him go.
Shen Xili looked at the person in front of him, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He said in a raspy voice, “Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing out of the blue?” Shen Shuyu waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s go. It’s not just me; Mom and Dad are here too.”
The emotion in Shen Xili’s heart receded a bit. Seeing that Shen Shuyu didn’t seem to care about the hug, he smiled bitterly to himself. True, how could Shen Shuyu come to such a far-off place alone? Even if he wanted to, the other three in the family certainly wouldn’t allow it.
Shen Xili quickly composed himself and asked, “How did you all suddenly get here?”
After asking, he added, “How did you get in?”
The discipline here was strict. Even the acquaintances who delivered vegetables every day had to be checked repeatedly. How did they just stroll in?
Shen Shuyu led him upstairs, talking as they walked. “I followed Mom and Dad on a trip after my exams. Then Dad has a friend who knows your Officer Li Zhi. We got in through connections, but we can’t stay long. We have to leave this place before sunset.”
So that was it. Shen Xili looked up slightly at Shen Shuyu, who was walking one step ahead of him. After not seeing him for this short time, Shuyu hadn’t changed much. That was good; he was still the familiar person he knew.
Shen Shuyu turned to glance at him. “You look quite a bit thinner after these few days.”
He had noticed it just now when Shen Xili was walking toward him. He had a normal physique when he was in Amor, but seeing him today, his collarbones were very prominent because of the weight loss.
Shen Shuyu asked, “Haven’t you been eating well? Or is the food in the army not very good?”
“The food is alright,” Shen Xili said. “We just arrived here, so it’s just a bit of a lack of adjustment to the environment.”
Shen Shuyu gave a long “Oh,” taking it as an answer.
The two quickly reached the second floor. Father and Mother Shen were already waiting in the hallway. Shen Shuyu stepped aside slightly, letting Shen Xili walk in front.
The two of them stepped forward as soon as they saw Shen Xili. Mother Shen’s eyes turned red. She reached out slightly, wanting to grab Shen Xili’s arm, but then she thought of something and pulled back, only murmuring, “How did you get so thin?”
Father Shen also let out a sigh of emotion. “Yes, you’ve thinned down.”
Shen Xili naturally noticed Mother Shen’s movement. He said warmly, “The training volume in the army is high. I haven’t really lost weight; it’s likely just that my muscles have become firmer, so it looks like I’ve thinned down.”
He was wearing a military green T-shirt. Earlier during the combat training, he had rolled up the short sleeves. Now, the lines of his exposed arms indeed looked more powerful than when they were back in Amor.
Shen Xili looked at Shen Shuyu, who was walking over slowly. He said, “The wind is strong outside. Let’s talk inside.”
He proactively walked to Mother Shen’s side and asked with concern, “You don’t look very well. Are you feeling unwell? Should I ask the army doctor to come take a look?”
“No need,” Mother Shen said. “I’m just a bit tired from traveling around with them these past two days. I’ll be fine after I go back and rest.”
Mother Shen plucked up her courage and finally took his hand. Shen Xili was startled for a moment but then held it back. “Then you must mind your health. If you’re unwell, you should have Uncle stop and rest for a while.”
Mother Shen nodded. “Alright.”
There were stools in the room. Shen Shuyu proactively arranged them for them to sit and chat.
Shen Xili said, “I don’t have much break time, so I won’t be able to stay with you two for long.”
“It’s alright,” Father Shen said. “We were just passing through and came to see you. Just do your work; don’t worry about us.”
Mother Shen asked, “Is the food good? Do you want me to have someone prepare some of your favorite foods and send them over?”
Shen Xili said, “Thank you, Auntie, but there’s no need. The food is very good and healthy.”
“Are the people here good to you? Does anyone bully you? If anyone bullies you, you must tell Officer Li Zhi. He is your fath—Uncle’s friend’s cousin. He’s one of us.”
Mother Shen asked a long string of questions. Shen Xili listened quietly until she finished, then replied to them one by one.
When Shen Shuyu heard Mother Shen ask if anyone was bullying him, he also thought about it. Shen Xili had joined the recruit squad, but there were probably very few people in the squad who could beat him. Moreover, with Shen Xili’s intelligence, it was impossible for him to be bullied.
But thinking of an answer himself was one thing; actually hearing Shen Xili answer was another. Shen Shuyu unconsciously felt a bit more relieved.
It seemed everything was going well for Shen Xili. Coming to the military was indeed a good decision.
Although they came to see Shen Xili, they actually didn’t have many topics to discuss. Seeing the conversation starting to lag, Shen Shuyu followed up by asking, “By the way, will you be stationed here from now on? Or will you be leaving in a few days?”
“Whether we leave depends on their arrangements. We might train here for a year, or we might leave tomorrow.” Recruits like Shen Xili only needed to follow orders.
Father Shen also said, “If you encounter any emergency in the future, contact Officer Li Zhi. He will contact us.”
The recruits didn’t have terminals or any electronic communication. They had to turn them in when they entered the army. They would be handed out for one hour each month for them to call home and report their safety; the rest of the time was spent training.
Shen Xili nodded. “Alright.”
Shen Xili glanced at the watch on his wrist. The watches were also issued by the military. He said, “Time is almost up. How about I see you out?”
Mother Shen had been watching him. Hearing this, she asked, “Will seeing us out delay your training?”
Shen Xili shook his head. “No. There are ten minutes left. It should be just enough for me to see you there and come back.”
And the sun outside was almost setting.
“That’s good. We should be leaving too,” Father Shen said. “Seeing that everything is fine with you, both Auntie and I are relieved. Your brother is relieved too.”
Hearing Father Shen’s words, Shen Xili’s gaze instinctively landed on Shen Shuyu. Seeing him looking over, Shen Shuyu also said with a beaming smile, “I’m relieved too.”
The corner of Shen Xili’s mouth hooked up slightly. “Let’s go. I’ll see you off.”
Shen Xili took them to where the car was waiting. The driver had been waiting there all along.
Father Shen said, “Hurry back.”
Mother Shen was still tightly clutching his hand. “Xili, if you want to come home, then come back. Uncle, Auntie, your brother, and your younger brother are all waiting for you at home.”
Shen Xili lowered his eyes, looking at her hand tightly gripping his, and patted it twice reassuringly. “Alright.”
Father Shen, however, said, “But Xili, no matter how hard or tiring it is, as long as you feel it’s worth it and it’s what you like, you must persist.”
Shen Xili obediently answered “Yes.”
Finally, it was Shen Shuyu’s turn. Shen Shuyu had actually said all he wanted to say. Suddenly, he thought of something, ducked into the car, and picked up the coat he had taken off. He felt around in the coat pocket and found a few remaining candies.
Shen Shuyu came back out and gave the candies to Shen Xili. He said, “I didn’t know we were coming to see you at first, so I didn’t bring anything. I only have these few peppermint candies.”
He placed the peppermint candies into Shen Xili’s palm. “See you next time.”
Shen Xili looked at the peppermint candies lying in his palm and curled his fingers closed. “Alright. See you next time.”
“Hurry back,” Mother Shen urged. “Don’t be late. Remember to add clothes when the weather is cold. Also, eat more. You’ll only have the strength to train if you’re full…”
Mother Shen rambled for another while, and Shen Xili smilingly agreed to everything until he truly couldn’t stay any longer.
Shen Xili gave them a military salute, then turned and walked back. However, after a few steps, he couldn’t help but look back. Father, Mother, and Shen Shuyu were still standing by the car door watching him.
Mother Shen waved her hand and shouted, “Go back quickly!”
His gaze landed on Shen Shuyu beside her. Shuyu just smiled and mouthed something. Shen Xili had good eyesight and naturally understood it.
He said: Goodbye.
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