In the first week of Shen Pingxiao's disappearance, Yan Ci paid attention to the situation in Valia every day, and was familiar with the route planning to Country C.

Accustomed to being on the road, she is a real man of action, and she never needs many reasons to go anywhere, but this time she found a lot of reasons to dispel the indelible thought in her heart.

She held back.

The following week, she traveled to Great Britain with Zhong Pei, devoting herself to her work and trying to break free from that whirlpool.

On the surface, it seems that the conversation is fruitful, but she is still in the gap of her thoughts, secretly paying attention to everything in that place every day.

Although she was in peace, the wind and grass touched her nerves.

On this day, as soon as she opened her eyes, she had to look through the real-time information updated every day, and the latest progress of Walya's evacuation made her sober up instantly.

"Zhong Pei! Wake up! Hurry up and pack your things and go back home today! ”

Halfway, Yan Ci ruthlessly dumped Zhong Pei, and after stuffing her on the plane that flew directly to the imperial capital, he turned his head and got on the flight to Ruiyang.

There is no direct connection, two transfers, one transfer, and all the time of the day is rushing.

When I arrived at Shen Pingxiao's special school for the deaf and mute, it was late at night, and Uncle Yang, who was guarding the door, was dozing off.

"Uncle Yang, is Shen Pingxiao back?"

"I haven't seen anyone, the school leader said that he took a long vacation, I haven't seen you two for a long time, what are you busy with?"

"Go home and visit family."

Yan Ci casually exchanged two words, and the legs and feet that wanted to step into the gate were retracted in disappointment, standing under the shadow of the trees on the sidewalk, looking up to let the spots of light through the leaves shine on his face.

According to the official report, Shen Pingxiao should have returned, but why didn't he go back to school in the first place, nor did he give himself a call.

Will there be any surprises?

"Toot ......"

The phone call that was made in the past was no longer a prompt to turn off the phone, which relieved Yan Ci's anxiety a little.

But when the beep was about to hang up automatically, she didn't answer, she gave up and hung her hand, and her palm vibrated slightly.

"Hey, Yan Ci."

She instantly put her ear up.

"Shen Pingxiao, where are you?"

Shen Pingxiao on the other end of the phone hadn't taken a breath yet, and he exhaled heavily.

"I'm back, I'm fine, don't worry."

Yan Ci still insisted, "I'm at school, I didn't find you, where are you, I'll go find you." ”

Shen Pingxiao was reluctant to answer her head-on.

"You speak."

It took him a long time before he compromised.

"Ruiyang Second Military Hospital."

A taxi that was still running orders in the middle of the night drove into the intersection, and Yan Ci rushed to the road almost at the same time and waved to stop.

"I'll be right here."

On the way, she thought of any possibility she didn't want to see, she was so scared that she clenched her teeth, and when she walked into the hospital stiff and found Shen Pingxiao, she didn't know whether she was glad that it was too sudden, or she was defeated by her own crankiness, and her legs fell to the cold tile floor as soon as she was weak.

Shen Pingxiao, who had been silent at the door of the ward, had not changed his training uniform yet, and rushed over in a hurry, scooping the paralyzed Yan Ci into his arms.

His eyes were glued to each other, he confirmed her, and she confirmed him.

"What's wrong?"

Yan Ci was overjoyed, and he smiled hard, as if the strength of his whole body was concentrated on supplying facial expressions, and his body could only stand firm with the power of Shen Pingxiao.

"Nothing, slippery."

She used a pompous expression to hide the uneasiness in her heart, her fingernails clasped Shen Pingxiao's flesh and skin, and she returned everything she had endured these days to this culprit as if she had taken revenge.

"What are you doing here?"

Shen Pingxiao's expression was slightly sad, his eyes dodged, he hugged her to the seat, took out a folded paper from his pocket, and spread it out for Yan Ci to see.

"I'll send someone back."

"Old Tan, it may not be a few days, he has no immediate family members, and the critical illness notice was signed by me."

Yan Ci had to look at it word by word, and Shen Pingxiao's explanation was in his ears.

"Like me, he immediately applied to return to the team, and he rushed to do the dangerous task, and was armed and held hostage on the way to transfer refugees from the central area."

"When we arrived, he ran out of ammunition, and even the dagger on his body was stuck in the ground, saving the lives of a carload of people."

According to the rules, even afterwards, it is best not to disclose these to unrelated personnel, but the feeling of the lives of his comrades slowly passing by in his hands has overwhelmed him.

Yan Ci closed the critical illness notice, returned it to Shen Pingxiao, and pinched the corners of his eyes with his head bowed and tired.

"Can I go in and have a look?"

Shen Pingxiao declined.

"It's better not to."

Yan Ci looked at him and didn't flinch.

Finally, Shen Pingxiao still unscrewed the door, his heavy breathing was regular to rigidity, and he relied entirely on the instrument to insist, and he was a good person, completely trapped under the white, and the skin and flesh on his face were covered with gauze, but the other side was so blue that his hair was black.

If the Mianchuan earthquake is the closest Yan Ci has come to death, then now, she is facing the fragility and insignificance of her human body.

Shen Pingxiao was afraid that this scene would frighten Yan Ci, so he stuck behind her and stretched out his hand to help her.

"Old Tan?"

She tried to call out, but it was her own echo that echoed in the room, and she clenched her fists in confusion, trying to think of all the things she could do.

Shen Pingxiao held her shoulders and pushed her out of this oppressive ward.

"Are we just going to have to wait?"

Hearing this, Shen Pingxiao twitched his jaw invisibly, his teeth gritted and bitten, he didn't want to admit it, but he could only nod his head in resignation.

"I'm here to watch, you find a place to get a good night's sleep."

Yan Ci sat upright.

"I'm not sleepy."

She stared at the void ahead.

"Shen Pingxiao, I'm thinking, what should I do if it's you lying inside."

This problem has been between the two of them since Shen Pingxiao decided to return to the team and leave, and he has not found a solution to the problem until now.

Yan Ci's eyes gradually sharpened, and he looked over.

"Like you are now, stay here and wait for the result?"

"Shen Pingxiao, I can't do it."

Not only could she not do it, but even thinking about it like this now, she felt that her scalp was numb, and her thoughts flew uncontrollably, stirring into a pot of porridge.

Shen Pingxiao squatted on one knee, pinching her hands and rubbing them in the palms of her hands, her bright eyes so straight that she locked her eyes that trembled with fear.

"Do you know, why did Lao Tan rush to do the most dangerous task and rush to the front?"

"Because you are soldiers, and you have faith in your hearts."

Shen Pingxiao smiled lightly.

"Don't think too much of us, we are also human beings, and if we are human beings, we will have fears, selfishness, joys, sorrows, and all the emotions you can experience now."

"Yan Ci, you are afraid, Lao Tan is also afraid, he would rather lie down like that than fight with himself again, just because there is no one waiting for him in this world, this is what he wants."

Shen Pingxiao held her cheek.

"But I'm different, I have."

Yan Ci's eyebrows twisted, so presumptuous that he let the tears go out of the frame, and Shen Pingxiao wiped his fingertips.

"Don't be sad, let's see him off for the last time."

A few days later, Lao Tan died of organ failure.

The funeral was all handled by Shen Pingxiao, and in the funeral procession, many colleagues dressed in military green came.

Yan Ci was dressed in black, rarely took off the hiking boots that were convenient for climbing and walking, put on elegant black high heels, and stopped in the corner of the martyr's cemetery, looking at the silence from afar.

She stood behind the crowd and bowed deeply in that direction.

Until the crowd dispersed, Shen Pingxiao walked over with a black package.

"Let's go."

"What's in your hand?"

Shen Pingxiao glanced back, and the fresh chrysanthemums that conveyed his sorrow were neatly clustered in front of the monument.

"Lao Tan once jokingly said that he doesn't want to lie alone in the future, I want to send him to his wife and children."

In the black package, it was Shen Pingxiao who talked to himself and separated half of the ashes.

Lao Tan's bones were welcomed into the martyr's cemetery, which is the honor he deserves, and similarly, his will to be reunited with his family should also be respected.

Shen Pingxiao made this decision for him.

The civilian cemetery, compared with the martyr's cemetery, is less solemn and more chaotic and gloomy.

No matter where the martyr's cemetery is, the first feeling Yan Ci feels when he enters is not the fear of death, but the stability born from the heart, which makes people feel like they have nails under their feet, and they are steady and steady step by step.

As soon as they arrived at the civilian cemetery, some of the tombs were lit with candles, and some of the flowers in front of the tombs were withered, and they were still not good at speaking loudly, but they could not look directly at those who had passed away without distraction.

Yan Ci followed Shen Pingxiao's pace, tiptoeing, and didn't dare to step too his high heels, for fear of disturbing the sleeping soul.

Shen Pingxiao turned his head and held hands.

"It's inconvenient for you to wear high heels, why don't you wait for me here?"

Yan Ci shook his head, "I'll go with you." ”

Shen Pingxiao carried the package in one hand and led her in the other, his pace slowed down significantly, and he stepped on a slightly uneven place, leaving the smooth one to Yan Ci.

When I found that place, the photos of the sun and rain had faded, and I could only see a woman smiling brightly, holding a little boy who looked five or six years old in her arms.

"Get it for me."

Shen Pingxiao handed over Lao Tan's ashes to Yan Ci, took off his hat and put it on top of the black package, lifted his trousers, squatted down and began to lift the coffin board.

In broad daylight, he lifted people's graves and did not say a word of greeting.

He is a master who can do things and never speak, or how to say that Shen Pingxiao is a man of action who is more terrible than Yan Ci.

Soon the old man who was sealed in the ground saw the light of day again, one big and one small, put together like a mother holding a child in her arms.

Shen Pingxiao shifted their positions, then stood up, patted the ashes on his trouser legs, and took Lao Tan's ashes with both hands.

"Old Tan, I'm sending you home."

The box space, which was not spacious, was crowded enough to store a family.

Shen Pingxiao looked at their family reunion, and was happier than seeing Lao Tan get out of the sea of suffering, and he had to smile at the dead at an inopportune time.

He buried his head and muttered to himself in a volume that he couldn't hear.

"I hope you're the last one."

I hope you're the one I sent away, the last one.

Starting from Shen Pingxiao's father, he has only lived for more than 20 years, but he has experienced many lives and deaths. years of misunderstanding with his mother, life and separation; The departure of relatives and comrades-in-arms, there are still many people and things that Yan Ci doesn't know at all.

He would say this in his heart every time, hoping for the last time, and then bury it in the dirt as well.

Yan Ci approached, squatted down, and put a photo frame in front of the tomb, which was a family photo taken by Lao Tan several years ago, when his wife and children had not yet had an accident.

Shen Pingxiao was slightly startled.

"Where did you get the picture?"

"I've been to the sugar water shop and found this photo, he put it in the most prominent position, and the frame was clean."

Yan Ci originally wanted to rely on his own skills to synthesize a decent family photo for them, and wanted to get some portrait materials, but he accidentally found this one that was more real.

"You see when he was smiling."

The family in the photo, like a thank you, smiled the most sincere and brilliant at Shen Pingxiao.