Chapter 40: I Want to Enlist

Chapter 40: I Want to Enlist

The office fell silent for a moment.

Sheng Xiyang's hand, held by Sheng Ai, trembled slightly.

He felt the warmth from Sheng Ai's palm, which seeped through his hand and into his heart, evoking an indescribable feeling that was hard to grasp.

Xiyang did not pull his hand back.

But in the next moment, Sheng Ai released it.

He touched his glasses, put them on, and once again wore that gentle smile, "Why did you come in without a sound?"

"I knocked..." Xiyang whispered, "You were asleep and didn't hear."

Sheng Ai indeed did not hear.

Seeing the fresh flowers on his desk, he paused for a moment before saying, "Did you buy more flowers?"

"Don't you like them, brother?" Xiyang sat down beside the desk, leaning over it, looking at Sheng Ai sideways.

Sheng Ai's movements halted slightly.

After a moment, his fingers gently brushed the petals, "I do."

"But then," Sheng Ai looked at Xiyang, "every time you come, I'll wonder if you've brought me flowers."

Xiyang was taken aback.

But soon, he smiled brightly, "What's the problem? Then I'll bring a bouquet every time I visit."

Sheng Ai was silent for a while.

Xiyang remembered why he had come to see Sheng Ai.

He decided to lay some groundwork first, taking out his textbook from his bag and speaking seriously to Sheng Ai, "Brother, today in class, the teacher talked about the current situation."

Sheng Ai, holding a fountain pen, flipped a page of the ledger and looked up at Xiyang upon hearing this.

Xiyang continued, "The teacher said that the current situation is unstable, with unrest everywhere, and war could break out at any time. As young people, we should contribute our energy. Those who want to write articles and comment on politics should do so, and those who want to enlist to defend the country should go. So I thought..."

Before Xiyang could finish, he noticed Sheng Ai's hand holding the pen trembling slightly.

"I thought..." Xiyang paused, his mind still processing, but the words slipped out, "I want to enlist..."

With a "snap," Sheng Ai's pen dropped onto the desk.

Xiyang's body shook, startled, as he looked up at Sheng Ai.

Sheng Ai's usually gentle face now showed a restrained expression of emotion. He tried to pick up the pen several times but failed, his hand shaking too much.

Xiyang had anticipated that Sheng Ai might not agree, but he did not expect such a strong reaction.

"Brother..." he said instinctively.

"You want to enlist," Sheng Ai forced himself to speak calmly, trying to suppress the tremor in his voice, "Do you know what war means?"

Xiyang moved his lips slightly.

Sheng Ai continued, "Do you know... when a bomb drops, your body will not only be unrecognizable but possibly torn apart?"

Xiyang stared at Sheng Ai, stunned.

"Do you know..." Sheng Ai adjusted his glasses, his hand still trembling, "If you enlist, I might never find your body?" He paused, "Just like my mother."

After a long silence, Sheng Ai finally picked up the pen again, lowering his eyes, "And my younger brother, who remains missing to this day."

Xiyang dared not say another word.

Although Sheng Ai was not angry, the atmosphere in the office became oppressive.

Xiyang could feel that Sheng Ai was truly upset.

Perhaps... it wasn't anger.

It was worry.

Xiyang sat in his chair, head lowered, fidgeting with his hands. Sheng Ai, across from him, kept his eyes downcast, not looking at him. The pen scratched against the paper, filling Xiyang's heart with confusion.

So Sheng Ai really does treat him like a younger brother, worrying so much...

In that moment, a complex mix of emotions welled up within Xiyang.

It was a blend of gratitude and a strange bitterness.