'SEE YOU MORNING' 047 Bonds

'SEE YOU MORNING' 047 Bonds

Last night's red wine seemed to help them sleep. This morning the two of them got up and hurried to report to the underground facility. The soldiers had already started working under the leadership of their commander. Li Haojun was bringing Kesiya to check and verify the equipment and pipelines. To Li Haojun's surprise, the soldiers here were also all young people, and all male, but their discipline was clearly much better than the mixed-gender class he taught at that base last year. No one was whispering during work, everyone was doing their own tasks, with serious expressions.

But after spending more time with them, he noticed something was off. These soldiers' interactions with others were extremely minimal. Li Haojun had tried to start some conversations but they ignored him. He also tried interacting with different people, but almost no one responded. Their reactions were like templates, no personality. They only worked under the orders of their commander Jack, though he didn't know if Jack was his real name. During his attempts to interact with them, Li Haojun also kept glancing at Jack from the corner of his eye, watching his reactions.

After today's work ended, the cleaning and organizing could basically be finished. Next they could proceed with equipment and pipeline connections, and other auxiliary electromechanical equipment work. But in terms of workload, it didn't seem possible to finish within a five-day work week.

After finishing today's work and coming up to the surface, on the way to the cafeteria Li Haojun couldn't wait to whisper in her ear,
"Did you notice me interacting with those soldiers today?"
"Mm, what about it?"
"I think something's off with their condition. I suspect they've been suppressed by drugs or brainwave devices, probably for security reasons here."
"Oh."
"So this world isn't simple. Remind Malaya to be careful out there."
"Okay, I will."

Today Kesiya seemed a bit down, and didn't say much. Li Haojun quickly asked,
"What's wrong, not happy today?"
"No." Kesiya looked up at Li Haojun, seeing he was still looking at her with concern, and explained,
"Tomorrow's Friday, after work you'll be going home." Kesiya said with a bitter smile,
"It seems, I care more about separation than before." She said, looking up at Li Haojun. The dim candlelight fell on her face, half her face showing warm-toned contours, half hidden in the shadow of her bangs. Her slender figure made Li Haojun feel tender affection,
"Then I'll spend the weekend with you."
"No, I don't want to affect your life more."
"Then come home with me. Malaya's not home anyway, and you'd be lonely going back by yourself."
Kesiya thought for a moment,
"No, I won't disturb your lives."

Li Haojun also felt it, the change in intimacy between them. It started as just a work relationship, then they became acquainted, but back then they could still simply say goodbye. Now, nothing was that easy anymore.
"Come home with me, tell Emily that Malaya's not home and your weekend is lonely." But after saying this, Li Haojun felt it was inappropriate. After all, they were just colleagues.
"How about next week, I'll go to Ellensburg with you, it's on your way." No, Li Haojun thought, isn't this me starting to lie to Qin Wenjing? Then he thought again, why explain so much, am I being guilty of something? What's wrong with work colleagues getting together? But thinking from another angle, it's hard not to think about romantic relationships. Sure, Christmas or other holidays are fine, but if it's that obvious on regular days, there really is a problem.
"Mm, I think, I can't sink to lying to her." Li Haojun said, somewhat ashamed.

This time it was Kesiya's turn to smile, the corners of her mouth nearly splitting to her ears, but she didn't laugh out loud. She just lowered her head and listened as Li Haojun made suggestion after suggestion, then awkwardly rejected them, occasionally looking up at him.
"Alright, I know you have me in your heart. I'm much happier now."
Ah! Li Haojun couldn't help but sigh. This really is a simple task.

Back in the room, outside the window was the same gloomy overcast as yesterday. The world is so big, beyond the clouds, unknowable stars, yet the world is so small, so small that only two people embracing.
"So what do you plan to do at home this weekend by yourself?" Unable to accompany her, Li Haojun wanted to ask more about her details, as if this would be like spending the weekend with her.
"I think, I'll probably chat with Malaya, tell her all the things you asked me to, hehe." Kesiya specifically mentioned Li Haojun's concern, then laughed at how serious he was. Then she thought casually, planning things one by one,
"I need to clean the house, wash the dirty clothes, buy some groceries and supplies, that's about it." Kesiya said, thinking for a moment, then asked,
"So how do you want to spend this weekend?"
"Mm, I usually don't do much food preparation. The yard needs my attention, and I handle the physical work in cleaning." As he said this, Li Haojun suddenly brightened up,
"Kesiya, I also have a basement where I can play driving simulation games. I used to go there a lot for calculations or fun. I've been too busy lately, but why don't you come play with me? What kind of video games do you like?" After saying this, Li Haojun looked at Kesiya excitedly and squeezed her shoulder tightly.
Kesiya thought for a moment and said,
"Let's not. You've been here since this week started. When you go home for the weekend, I won't disturb you two." She said, smiling at Li Haojun.
"Alright then." Li Haojun said, somewhat helpless,
"Am I being too greedy? I have her company and still want yours."
"Only you want my company. Don't you want to be with me?" Kesiya asked in return.
"I want to. I wish I could have been with you for the twenty years before now." Li Haojun said, gently taking her hand. The little girl from his dream flashed through his mind again. He wondered if these were the small hands he couldn't reach in the dream. That lonely, young her was so helpless.
"How do you know you weren't with me twenty years ago?" Kesiya asked softly, looking into Li Haojun's eyes.
This left Li Haojun not knowing how to answer. After thinking for a moment, he tentatively asked,
"Could it be... you know something?"
"I don't know, but I just feel familiar with you."
"Oh." Li Haojun nodded, then continued,
"Maybe it really is fate. I remember when I first met that little girl in my dream in Ellensburg, it was you who appeared before me."
Listening to Li Haojun's account, Kesiya said nothing more, just silently gazing at each other.
……

Carrying Kesiya, who had already been planted in his heart, Li Haojun set off on the weekend return journey. In the dark night, the neon lights of the airport and the hurried figures of travelers, combined with the separation from Kesiya, his mood seemed to hit rock bottom. Though during the flight, the distance to home and family was gradually closing, Kesiya, left behind, was constantly on his mind.
Li Haojun was also wondering if he had fallen hopelessly in love. He even started worrying he would unconsciously grow distant from Qin Wenjing emotionally. This anxious mood troubled him the whole way.
Until he stood at his own front door, that familiar feeling seemed to envelop him again. He entered the yard and closed the door behind him. There was that familiar bench and porch again. He walked into the living room. The night was dim, no one was there. Li Haojun inexplicably felt a pang of panic in his heart, afraid of losing Qin Wenjing. He didn't know why he had this feeling, afraid he would never find her in this home again. So with trepidation, he quickly walked a few steps to Qin Wenjing's bedroom door and gently pushed the door open.
Through the faint night light filtering through the curtains, the person he was terrified of losing was still there, lying on her side in bed.
Li Haojun moved close to the bed, knelt on one knee, and leaned down to face the sleeping Qin Wenjing. He looked at her face in the night, listened to her even breathing, until he was certain she was still safe and sound, by his side. Then he went to the living room to take off his outer clothes, returned to the bedroom, and gently lay down on his side behind her, breathing in the scent of her hair, feeling her irreplaceability in his life.