Extra Chapter: Our Love Transformed into a Vast Galaxy
Time within this space, steeped in love, is forever frozen in its most tender moment.
The lakeside breeze caressed my cheeks, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees; it was neither cold nor dry.
Lu Zhanting took off his shoes and socks and stepped barefoot into the shallows of Linghu Lake.
The cool lake water washed over his ankles, and the sensation relaxed the nerves that had been tense all his life.
He turned around and silently reached out his hand to Su Wanqing on the shore.
With a smile in her eyes, Su Wanqing placed her calloused hand into his broad, warm palm.
The two intertwined their fingers and walked together into the lake that reflected the Milky Way.
"Do you remember the first time you brought me in?" Lu Zhanting's voice rang out in the silence, carrying a hint of barely perceptible reminiscence.
Su Wanqing turned her head to look at him, the starlight in her eyes brighter than the sky.
"How could I forget?"
“Your palms were sweaty back then,” Lu Zhanting chuckled. “I thought you were going to kill him to cover your tracks and destroy the evidence.”
“I’m afraid you’ll see me as a monster,” Su Wanqing replied softly. “That secret has been hidden in my heart for too long. I don’t know what your expression will be if I reveal it to you.”
Lu Zhanting did not speak.
He simply gripped her hand even tighter.
From that day on, this secret place became their true home.
They cultivated medicinal herbs here, fished by the lake, and welcomed the cries of three new lives.
When Nian'an was born, Su Wanqing was in so much pain that he almost fainted. He clumsily stayed by her bedside, wiping the sweat from her forehead with his rough fingertips, and all he could say was, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
When Chen'er was born, this decisive man on the battlefield was so nervous that his hands trembled as he cut the umbilical cord.
When Xixi was born, he held his tiny, soft daughter in his arms, and this war god who shed blood but never tears cried for the first time in front of her.
"The best thing I ever did in my life was to shamelessly marry you back then." Lu Zhanting's Adam's apple bobbed.
Su Wanqing raised her eyes and looked into his slightly reddened eyes.
"Zhan Ting?"
“These past few days I’ve been thinking about what I would be like now if I hadn’t met you in Xishan back then.” Lu Zhanting’s voice was a little hoarse, as if he was choked by some emotion.
"They probably...died in some mission long ago."
"They may still be alive, but just existing, like a walking corpse, not knowing the way home."
He paused, his gaze fixed intently on her.
"It was you, Su Wanqing, who made me realize that the human world... is like this."
I never knew that living could have so many meanings.
Su Wanqing's nose instantly stung with tears.
She tiptoed and gently touched his resolute chin with her lips.
"Fool, the one who should say that is me."
It was you who freed me from a life of constant wandering.
The two smiled at each other, their unspoken understanding and deep affection surpassing a thousand words.
Without warning, Lu Zhanting bent down, put his arms under her knees, and lifted her up horizontally.
"What are you doing?" Su Wanqing exclaimed, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.
"I'll take you somewhere."
He carried her and walked step by step toward the center of the lake, each step firm and unwavering.
The lake water reached above his knees, then his waist and abdomen, and finally reached his chest.
Lu Zhanting stopped, lowered his head, and gazed deeply at the woman in his arms.
"Close your eyes."
"What mysterious trick are you up to now?" Su Wanqing said reproachfully, but still obediently closed her eyes.
The next second, a gentle feeling of weightlessness came over me.
There was no suffocating feeling of drowning; instead, it felt like being enveloped by a warm cloud, slowly sinking down.
They passed through an invisible, soft curtain of water.
When Lu Zhanting's deep voice rang in her ears and told her to "open her eyes," Su Wanqing saw the most magnificent sight of her life.
She held her breath.
They are floating on the bottom of the lake.
There is no darkness, no silt, and no water plants here.
The entire lakebed is a living, breathing universe.
Countless tiny points of light, like stars in water, swirled and danced slowly with the undercurrent. They converged into a dazzling band of light, weaving together into a huge yet gentle cocoon of light, enveloping the two at its very center.
“This…” Su Wanqing’s voice trembled.
“The core of the space.” Lu Zhanting embraced her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder, his voice more tender than ever before. “I only found it a few days ago. Or rather, it’s been waiting for us to be ready.”
Su Wanqing reached out her hand with trembling hands, her fingertips carefully touching the light spot closest to her.
The light suddenly burst forth.
A three-dimensional picture unfolded before her.
In the scene, she is young, wearing an ill-fitting old military uniform, stubbornly raising her chin, confronting the equally young Lu Zhanting.
"This is...our memory?"
“Yes,” Lu Zhanting replied, “The space has engraved everything we’ve experienced together here.”
Su Wanqing's fingertips trembled slightly as she touched another point of light.
The images flow.
In the simple military auditorium, she wore a borrowed wedding dress, and he wore a crisp military uniform, awkwardly but solemnly putting a ring on her finger.
One more.
Amidst the ruins of the Apocalypse War, covered in blood, he carried her on his back, step by step, treading over the corpses of his enemies, toward dawn.
One more.
In the study late at night, she was so tired that she fell asleep on the table. He came in, draped his coat over her shoulders, and placed a light kiss on her forehead.
sweet.
quarrel.
Death.
Reunion.
Every moment is proof that they loved with their lives.
A hot tear finally slid down and landed on the back of Lu Zhanting's hand.
"Do you want to see more?" He hugged her tighter and asked softly.
Su Wanqing shook her head, suddenly turned around, and buried her face in his chest, hugging him tightly with all her might.
"I'm not watching anymore." Her voice was muffled, tinged with heavy sobs. "I'm afraid... I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it."
What are you reluctant to part with?
"I can't bear to grow old, I can't bear to see my hair turn white, I can't bear the thought that one day... we will be separated."
Lu Zhanting remained silent.
A few seconds later, he suddenly chuckled softly.
Who said we'd break up?
He held her shoulders, making her look into his eyes, those deep eyes reflecting the entire galaxy.
"Qingqing, this space was created because of you, and it exists for us."
"We can stay here forever as long as we want."
Su Wanqing's heart skipped a beat for a moment.
"you mean……"
"Never grow old, never die, never be separated." Lu Zhanting gazed at her, each word clear and distinct.
"As long as you're willing."
Su Wanqing was completely stunned.
eternal.
This word, which only exists in mythology, is now right in front of her.
"But...the children..."
“They’ve all grown up. Nian’an is composed, Chen’er is strong, and Xi’xi has found her own happiness. Their lives belong to themselves.” Lu Zhanting held her hand and pressed it against his heart.
"And we should truly live for ourselves this time."
His voice was as gentle as a sigh.
"I want to walk with you here, to see every inch of this land, and to see every flower bloom in every season."
"No more worrying about alarms, no more facing separation."
"Just the two of us, living our own lives."
"forever."
Looking at the unwavering determination and longing in his eyes, Su Wanqing's tears welled up again.
But this time, she smiled.
She cried, and then she laughed.
"Okay." She choked up, but nodded with all her might, "We'll be together forever."
The moment he finished speaking, Lu Zhanting pulled her into a tight embrace.
The tranquil starry sky around them seemed to have heard their vows of love and instantly became abuzz with excitement!
Countless points of light spun merrily, converged, and transformed into a dazzling pillar of light that reached the heavens, completely engulfing the two embracing figures.
When the light softened again, their appearance had returned to that of people in their thirties.
Gone is the naivety of youth, and the vicissitudes of old age have faded.
That was the age when they experienced life and death, overcame hardships, and loved each other most deeply and with the most composure.
That's how they see each other at their best.
Lu Zhanting lowered his head and kissed his final destination in this life.
This kiss transcends time and has no end.
---
Outside, in the West Mountain Courtyard.
Lu Nian'an stood in his parents' empty room for a long time. Then he picked up his father's military medal from the table and gently wiped it.
"Brother, are Mom and Dad really not coming back?" Lu Xi stood at the door, her voice filled with reluctance.
"Hmm." Lu Nian'an turned around, looked at her younger brother and sister, and smiled with relief. "They went to a happier place."
Leaning against the doorframe, Lu Chen looked up at the moon in the sky and said in a low but gentle voice, "They just went home."
They did not leave.
They simply loved each other eternally in their own galaxy.
---
Deep in the space, a wooden house sits in the middle of the lake.
Lu Zhanting lay on his side on the bed, and Su Wanqing curled up in his arms like a cat, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat.
"Zhan Ting".
"Um?"
Will we always be like this?
"meeting."
Lu Zhanting kissed the top of her head, his voice firm.
"I promise."
Su Wanqing smiled and closed her eyes in relief.
Outside the window, the Milky Way shines brightly, eternally.
---
[End of article]
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