0049 54 Each Other's Stars
This was Zhou Xiye's first time in Tibet, and she flew there. General Jiang said that Tibet's high altitude made it easy to get altitude sickness by flying—without an acclimatization period, it was very easy to get altitude sickness. But Zhou Xiye couldn't wait; she knew Zhou Pei had an accident, and she couldn't care less about anything else.
However, after getting off the plane, I still experienced some altitude sickness; my face was pale and my lips were bluish-purple.
The passenger in the front seat handed Zhou Xiye an oxygen cylinder. Zhou Xiye took a breath, and his heartbeat slowed down, making him less nervous.
"Commander Zhou is fine. He just encountered a group of thieves in the no-man's-land on his way back from a mission. They had stolen a truckload of Tibetan antelopes. Commander Zhou chased after them in his car and got into a fight with the thieves, injuring his head. He received timely medical treatment and is fine now..."
Zhou Xiye took another breath of oxygen and remained silent.
The driver was named Nyima, which means "sun" in Tibetan. The person speaking in the passenger seat was the deputy regimental commander, also Tibetan, named Li Wangmu. General Jiang had sent them to pick up the people. Zhou Xiye's anxious expression was clearly visible. They had always heard Zhou Pei talk about how capable his older sister was, a director of the Beijing liaison office, and someone who had served on the front lines.
But looking at him now, his physique isn't exactly muscular, his face is delicate, and his hands are fair and slender. Could this person have been to the front lines? Looking at his overall aura, when he wears sunglasses, he has the air of someone in a high position. When he takes off his sunglasses, he's cold and aloof, but there's a hint of anxiety in his eyes.
Although there aren't many cars on the streets of Lhasa, the traffic is quite chaotic. Some ignore red lights, some turn without signaling, and some drive against traffic. Even a military vehicle can't get through. Driving past Bula, Zhou Xiye glanced out the window.
Tanks were parked in the square opposite the Potala Palace, and special forces soldiers in field uniforms stood proudly with their guns on their shoulders.
Wangmu noticed that Zhou Xiye had seen it, and he explained, "The New Year is coming, and the Two Sessions will be held after that, which is a time when unrest is likely to occur."
Zhou Xiye nodded. The car drove for a while longer before turning into a hospital and parking at the entrance.
Wangmu led Zhou Xiye inside, took the elevator, and after passing through several hidden doors on the floor, they finally reached a door. "Commander Zhou is inside..."
Before she could finish speaking, the nurse inside came out, saw Wangmu, and said, "The commander has taken his medicine and just fell asleep."
Zhou Xiye nodded, pushed open the door, and went inside.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? The commander..." The nurse tried to pull Zhou Xiye away, but Wangmu stopped her.
"This is Commander Zhou's sister," Wangmu smiled, helped close the door, and left.
Seeing that Zhou Pei was safe and sound, Zhou Xiye felt a huge weight lifted from his heart. He sat down by the hospital bed, looked at him sleeping, and reached out to touch his face. It was a little darker, and his skin was rougher from the UV rays.
"It's good that you're alright," Zhou Xiye sighed, looking around at the place where Zhou Pei lived. It hadn't been long since they last parted, and she actually missed him a little when she saw him again.
The phone rang at an inopportune moment; it was Zhou Xiye's father.
She frowned and looked at Zhou Pei lying on the bed, sound asleep, undisturbed. Zhou Xiye put her phone on silent and placed it aside, then lay down next to Zhou Pei. She occasionally poked Zhou Pei's face with her finger, and upon closer inspection, she realized that the baby fat on Zhou Pei's face had long since disappeared; now his face was angular and defined, no longer the boy he once was.
She brought him back from the battlefield; this kid trusts her completely.
Zhou Xiye was happy just thinking about this. His trust and love were like an erupting volcano, endless and fiery, impossible to ignore. How lucky she was to be completely trusted and loved without reservation.
I don't remember which book said it: "The one who loves is a god, and the one who is loved also becomes a god because of the one who loves." Zhou Xiye didn't think so. Putting aside the romantic aspect, she knew that Zhou Pei's love and affection for her were based on the fact that she had saved him.
Take him away from that place and give him a home.
She didn't expect Zhou Pei to be with her forever; perhaps he would meet another girl and fall in love with her. In any case, she only hoped that he could stay by her side for the rest of his life, regardless of their relationship.
Zhou Xiye gently held Zhou Pei's hand, lay down on the bed, his shoulders slumped, and he unknowingly fell asleep.
In a hazy state, she heard someone speaking softly. Zhou Xiye moved her head, but she was too sleepy to open her eyes.
The voices continued, though she couldn't hear them clearly, but they seemed to have a hypnotic effect, and she slept very comfortably.
After an unknown amount of time, the talking stopped, and it became too quiet.
Zhou Xiye suddenly opened his eyes, and a huge head appeared in front of him.
"Sister, you're awake?" Zhou Pei asked with a smile.
As he regained consciousness, Zhou Xiye nodded and reached out to touch Zhou Pei's head. "How are you? Are you feeling better?" His voice was hoarse and nasal.
Zhou Pei took Zhou Xiye's hand and rubbed it against her face. "I'm much better. It's nothing serious. But you, you were exhausted from the flight and slept even more soundly than me."
"What time is it now?"
Zhou Pei's gaze remained fixed on Zhou Xiye as he said, "It's nine o'clock tonight."
"Did I sleep for that long?"
Zhou Pei smiled and buried her face in Zhou Xiye's hair at the nape of her neck. "Sister, I missed you. Did you miss me?"
Zhou Xiye put his arm around his shoulder; his once thin frame was now strong and powerful. "Yes."
Zhou Pei kissed her neck, kissing her inch by inch downwards. Zhou Xiye's desire was instantly ignited by him, but remembering that she had only just arrived in Lhasa and hadn't yet adapted to the environment, and that Zhou Pei's hand wasn't fully healed, she cupped Zhou Pei's head in her hands, "Okay, I'm a little hungry, is there anything to eat here?"
Zhou Pei saw that her eyes were sparkling, as if there were stars in them.
"There are so many delicious foods in Lhasa. It's too late now. I'll take you out to eat tomorrow."
Zhou Xiye sat up. "Okay," Zhou Pei said with a grin, placing a kiss on Zhou Xiye's cheek.
It was getting late, so Zhou Pei drove Zhou Xiye to the Potala Palace. The Potala Palace was beautiful at night. In addition to the special forces guarding the palace, there were some tourists taking pictures and some bloggers live streaming in the square.
Once on the viewing platform in the southwest corner across the square, the classic scene of the Potala Palace appeared before Zhou Xiye.
Zhou Pei hugged her from behind, saying, "I've wanted to bring you here for a long time."
Winter in Lhasa is very cold. Zhou Xiye felt warm in Zhou Pei's arms. "Is your injury alright?"
"It wasn't a big deal to begin with."
Zhou Pei stroked Zhou Xiye's hair with her chin, smelled her scent, and sighed contentedly, "Sister, how wonderful it would be if we could always be like this."
Zhou Xiye understood what he meant and smiled gently, "If things continue like this, you and I will never see each other again."
"That's true," Zhou Pei snorted in dissatisfaction. If Zhou Xiye were someone content with an ordinary life, she would never have gone to the battlefield, nor would she have met him.
"When summer comes, come to Tibet, and I'll take you to Nyingchi, where there are vast forests."
Zhou Xiye turned and buried herself in his arms, feeling the warmth, the same temperature as home.
For the next two days, Zhou Xiye stayed in the hospital, taking care of Zhou Pei's health. He slept in late during the day and lay beside Zhou Pei at night, the two touching each other but never daring to go all the way. Zhou Xiye was afraid of causing problems for Zhou Pei, and Zhou Pei was afraid that Zhou Xiye wouldn't be able to breathe.
In short, the two were living a very comfortable life. One evening, after dinner, Zhou Xiye and Zhou Pei were sitting across from each other chatting, enjoying a moment of relaxation they hadn't had in a long time. A little while later, footsteps were heard outside. Zhou Pei explained, "I can tell from the footsteps that it's General Jiang."
Jiang Yunpeng's wife and daughter are currently abroad, and he's bored, so he comes over every day to chat with Zhou Pei. However, Zhou Xiye usually avoids the conversation; she and Zhou Pei have a sense of propriety and principles when it comes to military matters.
Zhou Xiye nodded, got out of bed, and was about to leave, putting on his coat. A moment later, the door opened, and General Jiang walked in. He took off his hat and handed it to his assistant behind him, saying, "You can all go out now."
General Jiang sat down in the chair, leaning back in a very relaxed manner.
"Xiao Zhou, how's the situation in Beijing?"
Zhou Xiye turned around and looked at Jiang Yunpeng's face. It seemed that he had come to chat with her today, but... she didn't understand what aspect of the situation he was asking about. Besides, she had been in Tibet for more than a week, so why was he only now thinking of asking about the situation in Beijing? "Everything is fine."
General Jiang smiled. "You may not know about the Ling family's situation. The matriarch of the Kong family, who is also Ling Xingzhi's maternal grandmother, has passed away. The Kong family also said..." Jiang Yunpeng stared intently at Zhou Xiye, "...and that Kong Lingqi is not the Kong family's biological daughter."
Zhou Xiye carefully considered the meaning of these words, repeating them several times. What made her most wary was Jiang Yunpeng's attitude.
“What a pity,” Zhou Xiye lowered his head and sighed.
Zhou Pei and Jiang Yunpeng looked at Zhou Xiye, not understanding the meaning behind her words "what a pity".
"Grandma Kong was a renowned figure throughout her life, but she died because of trivial family matters. It's truly a pity," Jiang Yunpeng continued, turning to Zhou Pei. "You go out first, I'll chat with your sister for a while."
Zhou Pei remained motionless. "Is there anything you can't say to my face?"
“I understand what you mean,” Zhou Xiye said frankly, turning to Zhou Pei and saying, “You can go now.”
After hesitating for a long time, Zhou Pei finally got up and walked out.
After the door closed, Jiang Yunpeng stood up and immediately locked the ward door from the inside. Zhou Pei looked surprised. The two exchanged a glance through the window. Jiang Yunpeng showed no emotion and turned to leave. Zhou Pei clenched her fist and knocked twice.
Jiang Yunpeng sat back in his original seat, looking at Zhou Xiye with a stern face.
At this moment, Zhou Xiye understood the meaning behind Jiang Yunpeng's actions, but she was not afraid of him. "General, I will walk the path I have chosen on my own and will not involve irrelevant people."
“Zhou Pei is your younger brother, and he is also my designated successor. How can you avoid getting involved?”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiye was startled. Jiang Yunpeng's direct statement that Zhou Pei was his designated successor was a clear indication that he had revealed his trump card.
“If the general can treat him well, I don’t mind letting go.”
Jiang Yunpeng laughed, "Does Zhou Pei's affection for you resemble that of a younger brother towards his older sister?" As he spoke, he pulled out a document wrapped in brown paper from his pocket and threw it in front of her, "This is a letter of denunciation that I obtained from the Military Commission. I think it was written by you."
Zhou Xiye didn't take the envelope, but just glanced at it. "General Jiang, it's useless for you to say these things to me here now. You have military power, the public security is also your people, and a large number of military personnel are involved in aerospace technology development. I think," she sighed, "you must know that right now, it's just that no one is forcing you to take sides."
"The death of the old general of the Suzhou Military Region should be a wake-up call."
“This is my own business,” Jiang Yunpeng said without comment. “Whether your actions against the Ling family are at Ye Lifeng’s behest or stem from a personal grudge between you and Ling Xingzhi, it’s not good for Zhou Pei or me.”
Zhou Xiye understood, of course, that Zhou Pei was his younger brother and Jiang Yunpeng's right-hand man, which indirectly meant that Jiang Yunpeng was in cahoots with Zhou Xiye, and therefore Jiang Yunpeng had some connection with Ye Lifeng.
Can you guarantee that Zhou Pei will not be harmed in any way?
Jiang Yunpeng laughed heartily, "I thought that Director Zhou, you got to this position step by step on your own, without relying on anyone, so I hoped that Zhou Pei would be the same. But I didn't expect that you still don't trust Zhou Pei... Don't worry, I will definitely protect him. Of course, he needs to be tempered."
Zhou Xiye nodded, "Okay."
“From now on, you must draw a clear line between yourself and Zhou Pei. Go through all the necessary procedures. Apart from your private interactions… it would be best if you didn’t have any contact in private either, and there should be no contact in public either,” Jiang Yunpeng explained simply.
Suddenly, Zhou Xiye seemed to understand, "You chose the Ling family? Or... are you the one above?"
Jiang Yunpeng smiled, "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to him."
Zhou Xiye nodded, no longer looking at Jiang Yunpeng, her head lowered, her black hair falling over her shoulders.
Jiang Yunpeng stood up, looked at her, and out of respect for a junior, he said, "Actually... you don't have to work so hard. With Zhou Pei around, you don't have to work so hard at all."
When Zhou Xiye raised her head again, her face was full of helpless bitter smiles. "General, you have been on the battlefield and must have seen female soldiers. Women are no different from men. I am not the kind of woman who relies on men."
"I know, that's not what I meant..." He was momentarily speechless, thinking of the valiant figure he had once witnessed on the battlefield, and that person's strategic acumen and talent for warfare, seemingly unattainable. "I didn't mean that girls are like men, I just think..."
He met Zhou Xiye's eyes and could tell that Zhou Xiye was still reluctant to part with Zhou Pei, but that was all she was reluctant to do.
“General, I don’t need any sympathy, nor do I need anyone’s approval. I know what I’m doing,” Zhou Xiye stood up. “After we leave this door, we may be enemies or friends. In any case, I thank you for appreciating Zhou Pei.”
Jiang Yunpeng nodded. He knew he didn't need to say anything more. Zhou Xiye was a perfect strategist, more rational than emotional.
From this point of view, he quite disliked Zhou Xiye; he was cold and emotionless.
After the general left, Zhou Pei walked in and saw Zhou Xiye sitting in a chair with his phone in his hand, seemingly lost in thought.
"What did the general say to you?"
Zhou Xiye shook his head.
Zhou Pei noticed the envelope on the bed. He opened it and looked at it. After reading it, he looked at Zhou Xiye and asked, "Sister, is this your doing?"
Zhou Xiye sighed softly, "I guess so."
"Was Jiang Yunpeng talking to you about taking sides?"
Zhou Pei picked up a lighter and lit the letter.
The firelight cast flickering shadows on Zhou Pei's face. Zhou Xiye looked at him but didn't say anything.
She didn't answer. Zhou Pei waited a few seconds, then turned to look at her, her brows furrowing slightly. "...Sister?"
Zhou Xiye snapped out of her reverie and was about to speak when her phone rang. It was her mother calling. She answered, "Mom, what's up?"
The envelope in Zhou Pei's hand turned to ashes, which he threw into the trash can and covered with the lid.
"...What exam? Why is the civil service exam being held now?" Zhou Xiye's eyebrows practically shot up. "Um...okay..."
After hanging up the phone, she sighed and looked at Zhou Pei, "My mom took my brother to Beijing for an exam. They just finished. It seems to be an exam organized by the Ministry of Commerce itself... It's so weird."
Zhou Xiye muttered incoherently, "They said they had nowhere to stay and no money because I wasn't in Beijing for their exams? They said they'd stay at my place? When have they ever stayed at my place..."
Zhou Pei looked at her; Zhou Xiye was behaving very strangely. He couldn't press her for answers, so he simply stayed by her side without saying a word.
It was sometime in the early morning when Zhou Pei was woken up by Zhou Xiye. She whispered in his ear, her hair brushing against the tip of his nose, "Don't sleep, let's go see the stars, okay?"
With his eyes closed, Zhou Pei reached out and put his arm around her waist, pinched it, snorted through his nose, turned his head and opened his eyes to look at Zhou Xiye, meeting her gaze.
"Shall we go see the stars? And then watch the sunrise?"
Helpless, Zhou Pei picked up Zhou Xiye and placed her on his body, burying his face between her breasts and taking a deep breath.
Why bother looking at the stars? The most beautiful stars are in her eyes.
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