Chapter 111 Wake Up! I'll trade all the merits in the world for you to open your eyes!
When Yan Qihuang turned to ashes, when the massive "Candle Dragon" warship disintegrated, and when the living corpses covering the mountains and fields vanished like dust, the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
The dark clouds that had shrouded the capital were torn away.
The first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a warm golden hue over this ravaged land.
The dawn of victory has finally arrived.
After a brief silence, someone let out a suppressed sob.
Immediately, this sob seemed to ignite a fuse, and a tremendous surge of emotion erupted on the battlefield, in the command center, and in every corner watching the decisive battle through screens.
The soldiers threw down their weapons and embraced their comrades tightly. Many tough men cried like children at that moment.
They won.
In this battle that gambled on the survival of civilization, they defended their homeland.
However, amidst this sea of celebration, Lu Zhanting's heart sank straight into an abyss.
He held the barely breathing Su Wanqing in his arms.
Her body was so cold, and the breath of life was so faint that it was almost impossible to detect.
"Qingqing..."
He called out tremblingly, his voice carrying a plea he himself was unaware of.
He was willing to give his life to give her one last chance to open her eyes.
Inside the command center, Professor Chen and a group of medical experts rushed over like madmen, pushing all sorts of top-of-the-line life monitoring instruments close at hand.
"Commander Lu, please let us..."
"Get out of the way!"
Lu Zhanting's eyes were bloodshot, and a suppressed growl escaped his throat. His gaze was like that of a trapped beast about to go berserk, not allowing anyone to approach his treasure.
He knew better than anyone that modern medicine was useless to her, who had exhausted her original life force.
Just then, the jade pendant on his chest, which matched Su Wanqing's, lit up with a faint but persistent light once again.
A pure life force slowly flowed from the jade pendant and entered Su Wanqing's body.
That was her scent.
It was the last chance for survival she had prepared for herself long ago.
Lu Zhanting could clearly feel that the almost stopped heartbeat in his arms seemed to be... injected with a trace of imperceptible power.
He suddenly raised his head, and a burning, ecstatic joy erupted in his lifeless eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, he carried Su Wanqing and strode towards the inner room where she usually conducted research and which was most closely connected to the space.
That place was her only hope for recovery.
He gently placed her on the familiar recliner, held her hand tightly, and continuously channeled his powerful inner energy into her, trying to warm her cold body.
He didn't know what else he could do.
This was the only clumsy way he could use to watch over her and wait for her.
Time slipped away in silent agony.
The post-war reconstruction of the capital was proceeding in an orderly manner, and their honors spread throughout the world.
Lu Zhanting stayed by her side, never leaving her for a moment.
He declined all celebratory banquets and award ceremonies, leaving all external affairs to his adjutant and Professor Chen.
He reverted to being the taciturn, aloof, and iron-willed battalion commander.
He tirelessly channeled his inner energy into Su Wanqing, wiped her body, and spoke to her while she slept every day.
"Qingqing, today they announced the 'New Eden' project, where the whole world will rebuild their home using the purification formula you left behind."
"That hawkish old man in Washington first proposed erecting statues of you and me at a UN meeting."
"They all call you 'The Dawn Breaker,' saying you are an Eastern goddess."
"Black Bear got drunk at the victory celebration and cried while hugging the pillar of honor, saying that the people he admired most in his life were the captain and his wife."
He talks a lot every day.
The person in his arms remained unresponsive.
Until the morning of the seventh day.
The first ray of sunlight shone through the window onto Su Wanqing's pale, almost transparent face.
Her eyelashes trembled very slightly.
Lu Zhanting's heartbeat suddenly stopped at that moment.
He held his breath, staring intently at her face, as if afraid that his breath might disturb this fragile miracle.
Su Wanqing slowly opened her eyes.
Her eyes were still somewhat dazed, as if she had just had a very long dream.
She saw Lu Zhanting standing by her bedside, his beard unkempt, his eyes bloodshot, looking so haggard that it broke her heart.
Her lips moved, uttering a hoarse syllable.
"water……"
A drop of scalding liquid unexpectedly landed on the back of Lu Zhanting's hand.
Only then did he belatedly realize that he had cried.
The man hurriedly took the spring water that had been prepared beforehand and used a cotton swab to gently and reverently moisten her chapped lips.
"Qingqing...you're awake...you're finally awake..."
His voice choked with emotion, and he spoke incoherently, like a child who had finally found his way home after being lost.
Su Wanqing drank some water, which relieved the burning sensation in her throat considerably. Looking at Lu Zhanting's disheveled appearance, she smiled weakly and raised her hand, wanting to touch his face.
Lu Zhanting immediately took her hand and pressed it against his rough cheek.
Her hands were still icy cold, yet they made him feel the warmth of the entire world.
"How long have I been asleep?" Su Wanqing asked.
"Seven days." Lu Zhanting's voice was still trembling. "You scared me to death."
Su Wanqing didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly, her eyes full of apology and affection.
She could feel that a small handful of water had been re-accumulated deep within the dried-up spring of her spiritual spring.
Her life is returning.
In the days that followed, Su Wanqing's body recovered at an astonishing rate.
Lu Zhanting cherished her like a rare treasure, personally preparing medicinal meals for her every day, talking to her, and taking her to bask in the sun in the yard.
The neighbors in the military compound were utterly astonished to see that Lu Yanwang, who was once feared by everyone, had now become a gentle and considerate "stay-at-home husband."
Half a month later, Su Wanqing was able to walk.
At dawn that day, before it was even light, Lu Zhanting woke her up from her bed.
"I'll take you somewhere," he said with a mysterious smile.
He helped her put on a thick coat, wrapping her up tightly, and then drove her to the top of the Western Hills on the outskirts of Beijing.
The view here is expansive, offering a panoramic vista of the entire capital city.
The city lights in the distance are dazzling, and the atmosphere is peaceful and serene.
Lu Zhanting took out a folding chair and a thick blanket from the trunk, settled Su Wanqing in, and handed her a steaming cup of ginger tea.
The two sat quietly together, watching the night gradually fade away.
"So beautiful," Su Wanqing murmured.
She never imagined she could have such a leisurely mood to enjoy a sunrise.
“Yes.” Lu Zhanting squeezed her hand. “I’ve seen countless sunrises in the army, but never have I felt as at ease as I do today.”
Su Wanqing leaned on his shoulder, absorbing the warmth from his body.
"Zhan Ting," she asked softly, "do you regret it? Getting involved in so much danger for my sake."
Lu Zhanting turned his head and looked at her intently, his gaze astonishingly deep in the morning light.
"I have no regrets."
"My only regret is not meeting you sooner. If it weren't for this military marriage, I can't imagine what my life would be like. Perhaps I would still be Lu Zhanting, who doesn't know what life is about except for missions and training."
He placed her hand to his lips and pressed a burning kiss to it.
"It was you who taught me what home is, what it means to care, what... a treasure I would give my life for. It was you who made my life complete."
“In the past, I promised to protect you for a lifetime, thinking that ‘protecting’ meant shielding you from all the storms.”
"Now I understand that true 'protection' is to see all the world's scenery with you and enjoy every ordinary sunrise and sunset."
His voice was deep and sincere, and every word struck Su Wanqing's heart heavily.
Su Wanqing's eyes welled up with tears.
She turned around and kissed his lips.
This kiss was devoid of testing and passion, only tenderness and lingering affection after surviving life and death.
After a long while, their lips parted.
Su Wanqing looked at him, her eyes shining as if stars had fallen into them.
“Lu Zhanting, me too. I used to think that I came into this world to fulfill my mother’s mission. It wasn’t until I met you that I realized I came to find my own happiness.”
"Thank you for helping me find it."
Just then, a red sun burst forth from the eastern horizon.
A blinding golden light instantly tore through the darkness and showered the earth.
A new day has begun.
Lu Zhanting pulled Su Wanqing into a tight embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head.
"Qingqing, once everything settles down, let's find a beautiful place with clear waters and green mountains and live our own lives. I'll help you plant herbs, and you'll help me read books. We'll raise a few children and watch them run around in the yard."
"good."
Su Wanqing nodded heavily in his arms.
Looking at the brilliant sunrise, she felt that her life, like the newborn sun, was full of boundless light and hope.
The hatred and mission of the past have all vanished with that decisive battle.
Their new life together has just begun.
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