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Lu Sha did not avoid Jiao An's sharp gaze; her eyes seemed to sink into Jiao An's dark pupils, remaining still for a long time. Everyone around them waited quietly for the next possible sound.
"I don't know what you think, Lu Sha... We are all trapped in this situation. I understand that living safely is your greatest wish right now, but everyone wants to live a stable life, and no one wants to be caught up in war. However, the edge of happiness always touches its opposite, so great people are needed to protect the world behind them. People will thank you; you see, everyone knows more about your merits than your faults. Just people of justice will always receive understanding and forgiveness, and those who suffer will ultimately receive kindness and help..."
"Don't give me that flowery talk." Lu Sha cut her off decisively, impatiently saying, "Let me guess, is it Viper's people coming back? Your so-called great people can't even deal with these small-time crooks? Forget it, I'm not interested; I won't join you. Figure it out yourselves. After all these years of tormenting my heart and destroying my life, why should I? Am I a slave to humanity? This world can fall apart or not; I don't care if I live or die, okay? I'm done talking; you can take your little followers and leave."
Jiao An did not step back but instead followed Lu Sha, who had turned to walk into the room, and urged her: "It's not like that; everyone misunderstood you before. You are a hero; I believe this is not just my opinion. We..."
"A hero?!" Lu Sha angrily stepped forward, her originally cherry-red hair suddenly appearing blood-red under the changing light, as if ignited. Lu Sha leaned closely towards Jiao An, looking into her eyes: "Have you ever seen a hero being hunted by the police?! The whole world is looking for me, waiting to see my downfall! My situation is just a topic of gossip for them, but this is my life! I've had enough! Help you? Get lost; dream on!"
All the Armed Police raised their guns once again, surrounding Lu Sha with their weapons aimed at her.
"Stop, lower your weapons," Jiao An said calmly, signaling the Armed Police to relax their guard.
Looking at Jiao An's composed demeanor, the impression she left on Lu Sha lingered in her mind. This stark contrast made her realize that her furious outburst only increased everyone's fear, including that of her beloved Grandpa Sen and Lezai. A growing sense of shame prompted Lu Sha to take a step back and smile apologetically at Jiao An: "It's not that I'm cold-blooded; it's just that my heart has turned cold. I'm not a good person; after being hurt like this, why should I protect your so-called homeland? To me, this concept has never been something worth reminiscing about."
"I admit your fate is tragic, but..." Jiao An paused. "If this planet falls, what about the ones you love? Your grandfather, your lover—there will always be something worth cherishing and protecting."
"Grandpa..." Lu Sha's gaze flickered as she turned to look at Grandpa Sen, who was sitting on a wooden chair with an extremely peaceful expression directed at her. It was like a father encouraging his stumbling child. In that moment, Lu Sha felt transported back under last night's starry sky, returning to the mysterious yet intoxicating sense of safety.
"Yes, Grandpa... he and this wooden house are my only refuge now." Lu Sha lowered her head, silently sighing within.
"Lu Sha, this crisis does not come from Viper. That is in the past. Moreover, if it were really them, I wouldn't need to represent the military to find you; dealing with them would be more than sufficient. But the crisis I'm telling you about comes from beyond Earth," Jiao An said. "This will be an unprecedented war in human history; we have no experience to draw from. Forming a strong team is urgent. I've seen your strength and understand what kind of person you truly are at heart—you meet our expectations; that's the first point. However, I don't expect you to fight for some so-called human righteousness because if I were you and had endured so much pain, I would refuse as well. After all, we are both human beings, not compassionate Buddhas. But at least think of your benefactors and look at your elders behind you. If humanity's home is destroyed, do you think Grandpa can survive? He is just an unarmed old man."
Lu Sha did not turn back; she felt she lacked the courage to meet Grandpa Sen's gaze again and chose to remain silent with her eyes slowly closing. She understood that time would not spare anyone; her avoidance would ultimately lead her to a fate worse than death—a life filled with anxiety. As she approached the small wooden house, it seemed like relief washed over her; however, she would not end her fantasy of being captured—the shadows of the past would loom over her for the rest of her life.
Once...
Just thinking about those unbearable memories made Lu Sha tremble uncontrollably. She was angry; she felt helpless; she wanted to scream and even wished to kill everyone. Yet in moments when her violent temperament erupted, those glimmers of memory would gather together and wrap around her like an embrace—seemingly powerless but capable of tightly binding her fury. When she looked into the eyes of innocent people, she could always see her once equally innocent self reflected back at her. Lu Sha would not harm innocent people; when facing wrongdoers, she would unhesitatingly stand against them and tear through the darkness with her rage and hatred—a principle ingrained in her heart by those benefactors who appeared in her life.
After all, if there were truly spirits in heaven, they would seek justice for Lu Sha.
But it was already meaningless; Lu Sha knew well that nothing could change what had happened in the past—it had all dissipated and been taken away by time. What caused pain was memory; only by letting go and moving forward could one truly find peace. So no matter how she chose this time around, it would be a brand new life for herself.
"If war breaks out, is there really no place on Earth left for peace?" Lu Sha asked.
"It won't be possible," Jiao An shook her head. "Lu Sha, I know who you are; you will fight desperately to protect those you are grateful for. And if the world falls apart, you won't get the life you want either."
"I... I still find it hard to accept; I'm sorry."
Lu Sha walked outside the house, wanting to end the conversation proactively: "We have different paths and cannot work together. Saving the world is not what I want to do; I only take responsibility for protecting those around me."
"What can one person change?" Jiao An stepped forward and asked Lu Sha.
"You don't need to worry about that," Lu Sha waved her hand dismissively.
When Lu Sha arrived at the door, Lezai unexpectedly ran up and blocked her way out. Lu Sha was puzzled and patted Lezai's head, saying, "Good boy, move aside."
Feeling someone pressing down on her shoulder, Lu Sha thought it was Jiao An and was prepared to sever ties with her. However, when she turned around, it was Grandpa Sen, who had actually stood up from his chair to catch up with her.
"You need to learn to let go of past pains. Go on, child. I am willing to let you go, and that is what I hope for," Grandpa Sen said. "Officer Qiao has explained to me about the impending catastrophe that the Celestial Warriors Alliance and Earth will face. She also described your deeds to me, and the details were almost identical to what you told me."
"Child, this is an opportunity to restart your life, but it is also an unprecedented crisis. Listen to me; do not let your heart grow cold. We fight and survive for the sake of hope. As someone who has participated in war, I want to tell you that stubbornness will only lead you faster toward death. No war can be won by one person; you are never fighting alone."
"Follow Officer Qiao, Lu Sha. Grandpa has never asked anything of you before, but this time you must agree. For the beauty of the world, leave me."
Lu Sha truly did not expect that Grandpa Sen would stand on Jiao An's side.
"Have you thought it through?" Jiao An called out tentatively to Lu Sha. Lu Sha lowered her head and did not respond.
"It's fine if you don't come; we will look for the next member."
Jiao An signaled to the Armed Police, who formed a square formation and followed her up the Hovercraft's gangway.
"Wait!"
Lu Sha's voice came from behind Jiao An, and Jiao An's dim eyes brightened again.
The shadow of the Chain Spear shot past the edges of the Armed Police's vision and pierced into a nearby tree trunk. Lu Sha swung herself over and joined the others. The Armed Police made way for her as she stood at the bottom of the gangway, looking up at Jiao An.
"How much do you get paid a month? Do you get enough to eat?" Lu Sha asked as she retracted her Chain Spear and placed her hands on her hips.
"No pay because you won't need to spend anything; just say what you want to eat."
The hem of Grandpa Sen's clothing was lifted by the gust of wind as the Hovercraft took off. He watched as Lu Sha turned back three times before boarding the Hovercraft. He seemed to hear Lu Sha shouting about how much she would send him each month just before she disappeared up the gangway. However, the heavy dust stirred up by the Hovercraft's ascent felt like thick mud filling his mouth; he wanted to respond but couldn't find his voice. As the Hovercraft slowly rose into the sky, tears glimmered in Grandpa Sen's eyes. When the sky finally returned to calmness, he realized he hadn't even said goodbye to Lu Sha.
This was the first time this old soldier had shed tears since his retirement.
Everything felt as if there were no witnesses—Time truly takes away something; but what difference is there between past and present scenery?
Perhaps what is most unforgettable is that our reunion was merely a fleeting glance before an eternal farewell as we turned away.
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