Chapter 129 Side Story (Song Zhiyi and Huo Yanli): 4. The Sun Symbol
Huo Yanli had originally planned to stay in New York for five days, but on the third night, Song Zhiyi received an urgent encrypted phone call. Accelerated glacial melting in a Central Asian country had caused a river to change course, triggering a serious dispute between two downstream countries over water resource allocation. Conflict was imminent, and the United Nations needed to immediately send a high-level coordination team to mediate. As a core member of the team, she had to take the earliest flight the following day to the region.
After finishing the call, she put down her phone and looked at Huo Yanli, who was working on emails on his laptop in the living room, with an apologetic expression: "Sorry, it's an urgent mission. I have to leave early tomorrow morning for Central Asia."
Huo Yanli stopped typing and looked up at her. The screen light reflected on his face, his expression calm and even, but his eyes instantly became focused and sharp. He closed his laptop, stood up, and walked to her. There were no complaints, no questions, only action: "What time exactly? Which airport? Do you have the flight number?"
"Seven o'clock in the morning, JFK Airport, flight number pending confirmation, the secretariat will send it," Song Zhiyi replied, already quickly going through the list of items she needed to bring in her mind.
“There’s enough time,” Huo Yanli said, her calm tone calming her racing nerves. “Do you need anything special? A satellite phone? Specific medications? What’s the climate and altitude there? The temperature difference between day and night is large, so bring enough thick coats.”
He asked extremely specific and professional questions, even considering details she hadn't immediately thought of. Song Zhiyi quickly listed a few necessities, and Huo Yanli nodded: "I have a spare satellite phone here, with sufficient encryption and all emergency contact methods pre-stored. I'll have my assistant bring over the altitude sickness medication and acute gastroenteritis medication immediately. As for the rest, make a list, and I'll help you pack them. You can handle the necessary work-related communications and briefings."
He didn't utter a single empty "be careful"; all his concern was translated into concrete actions. Song Zhiyi felt a surge of warmth in her heart, quickly wrote down a list of items and handed it to him, then went to the side to make a phone call to the team and the secretariat.
When she returned to the bedroom after handling the emergency call, she found Huo Yanli had already opened her suitcase and placed it on the floor, stuffing neatly folded clothes inside. His movements were clumsy but extremely careful. On the small table beside him were the satellite phone he had brought, a noticeably upgraded first-aid kit (which even contained medication for potential vector-borne diseases in the area), and several boxes of medicine with detailed English labels and instructions. He had even stuffed a few packets of her favorite nut energy bars and dark chocolate into the gaps in the suitcase, along with a brand-new thermos.
"The clothes might not be folded very well, please bear with it." He said without looking up, his hands still moving. "The medicine and food are in this side pocket, the satellite phone and charger are in this compartment, and I put ginger tea powder in the thermos. I can just make it with hot water when we get there."
Song Zhiyi stood at the doorway, watching his focused profile. Under the lamplight, his brows were slightly furrowed, his expression as serious as if he were completing an important project, a strand of hair falling across his forehead, which he didn't even bother to smooth. At that moment, she suddenly realized clearly that this man, who had once been separated from her by mountains and seas and whose connection to her was solely based on the word "safety," was now weaving himself into the fabric of her turbulent life in the most solid and meticulous way, becoming her most reliable and warmest home base.
She walked over, squatted down beside him, and gently smoothed out a fine wrinkle on the shoulder of his shirt.
Huo Yanli then looked up at her and saw the rare, clear dependence and tenderness in her eyes, which touched his heart like a feather. He put down the clothes he was holding, took her slightly cool hand, and warmed it in his palm.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice a little hoarse.
Huo Yanli lowered his head and gently touched her forehead with his, their breaths mingling. "Why are you being so polite with me?" he said softly, with a hint of helpless indulgence. "Remember, the first priority of a 'comrade-in-arms' is to ensure that the enemy is fully equipped and that their rear is secure. You fight desperately on the front lines, and I'll provide logistical support—it's only right."
Song Zhiyi closed her eyes, feeling the warmth and familiar scent emanating from his forehead. The fatigue accumulated over the past few days and the tension from facing the unexpected mission seemed to find a place to rest at this moment.
At four o'clock the next morning, before dawn, Huo Yanli drove her to JFK Airport. There were few cars on the road, and the city was still asleep. The car was well-heated, and very soft classical music was playing.
While waiting at a red light, Huo Yanli suddenly reached out and took her hand, which was resting on her lap. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb twice without saying a word.
Song Zhiyi interlocked her fingers with his, remaining silent as well.
Upon arriving at the airport, Huo Yanli parked the car and helped her with her suitcase. There was no lingering farewell, no sentimental words of advice. He simply straightened her scarf, carefully put on her hat, then cupped her face in his hands and placed a solemn and warm kiss on her forehead.
“Keep in touch.” He looked into her eyes and said softly, “Same as always, let me know you’re safe every day. If there’s anything in particular, call my private encrypted line via satellite phone, it’s on 24/7.”
"Okay." Song Zhiyi nodded, pulled the suitcase handle, and also reached out to straighten his collar, which wasn't crooked. "You too, eat on time and don't stay up late. I'll text you when I arrive."
She turned and walked towards the security checkpoint, her steps as firm as ever. But this time, her back seemed to be draped in an invisible, warm baggage that he had prepared for her. Huo Yanli stood there, watching her have her ticket checked, pass through security, and disappear into the depths of the passage.
He returned to his car but didn't leave immediately. Only after receiving a brief message from her confirming that he had boarded and taken off did he start the engine, drive away from the airport, and merge into the gradually awakening traffic of New York in the early morning.
Before the phone screen went dark, it displayed the simple daily check-in signal they had agreed on the night before: a sun symbol representing "safety," followed by the two words she had just sent: "Set off."
Thus began their tale of two cities, and even more cities. Ahead lay unknown dangers and long separations, but this time, they held each other's confirmed coordinates in their hands, carried in their hearts a tacitly agreed-upon promise, and gradually accumulated a warm and loving atmosphere and deep connection within their shared home.
Concern takes shape, becoming a key adorned with a knot of "peace"; waiting takes direction, becoming the sun symbol that arrives on schedule every day.
Love between them never needs grand declarations. It's hidden in precise spare medicines, folded among neatly arranged clothes, and landed on a light kiss on the forehead at dawn. It's also woven into the understanding and support that began as "comrades-in-arms" but has long been ingrained in their very bones.
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