Chapter 127: Clouds Spread Across the Sky Like Radiant Glow

The rain outside pattered against the eaves, leaving only a single lamp lit in the corner room on the first floor. Shen Zhaoxi leaned against the head of the bed, her brows knitting slightly as her gaze drifted toward the window.

There, the man was asleep on a wooden bench, covered only by a large military jacket. Because Jingnan had just been struck by floods, even though the building had been cleaned, conditions remained limited. It was already a rarity that the troops could set up camp and rest here for the night. But with only one room and one bed, after Lu Yunzhou had given the bed to her, where was he to sleep? He had no choice but to make do on the bench for the night.

By the dim light, Shen Zhaoxi watched the man’s sleeping face. From her angle, she could only see his profile. He wore a shirt with the collar slightly open and the sleeves rolled up. The hazy glow fell upon him, making his features look exceptionally refined and detached. With his eyes closed, he resembled a deep, still pool in the rainy night, his temperament cold and noble to the extreme. A man who usually appeared so stern in his military uniform—she never expected he would have such an unsullied side in his sleep. Shen Zhaoxi did not know why, but her mind was filled with many thoughts.

As the night deepened, cold winds blew, and the sound of leaves rustling against the rain filled the air. In the silent, pitch-black night, weak lights flickered through the streets and alleys. The dim glow of the streetlamps outlined the silhouettes of the muddy roads. The figures who had spent the day rushing through the downpour for disaster relief were now asleep. After working tirelessly to combat the floods for over twenty hours, they deserved a good night’s rest.

***

The next morning, before dawn, the sky was shrouded in murky mist. In her drowsiness, Shen Zhaoxi seemed to hear the sound of soldiers gathering, but she paid no mind. She was someone with extremely poor sleep quality, yet she had managed to sleep soundly for once.

After the floodwaters receded and the stranded were rescued, the focus shifted to follow-up work. At the rescue site, soldiers were busy hauling sandbags to repair the river embankments and reinforce the defensive lines. When she woke at six that morning, she recalled that the soldiers from the First Military District, who had been assigned alongside them, had already folded their bedding and cleared out all the beds. The room was left in total silence, filled only with a desolate chill.

It was empty, stripped bare. Though autumn had not yet arrived, Lu Shiwu felt as if he were witnessing a scene of autumn winds sweeping away fallen leaves; there wasn't even a single leaf left. The people were gone.

As Lu Shiwu carried a sandbag, he heard someone in the ranks complaining: "It’s truly bizarre. The people from the First Military District are like they don't value their own lives."

"They got back in the middle of the night. Who knows how little they slept? We didn't see them anymore when we got up at six."

They had gotten up at six, but the First Military District soldiers had been up at four. It was even more grueling than the elite selection trials at the military base. How else could they be called the ace division of Country Y? This wasn't even a major military competition or exercise; it was just support work for flood relief, and they were still like this. They were truly the kings of self-discipline.

No, to be more accurate, they were the most relentless existence among all the military districts in Country Y!

"Don't even mention it. When they first arrived the other day, that formation, that momentum... oh my, it was something else." It had left the local Jingnan troops stunned. They had never seen anything like the First Military District. Though they were also soldiers, they were just from various local military bases. There was a significant difference between them and the personnel from the major military districts of Country Y. Furthermore, the others were from the First Military District, the very embodiment of faith for the soldiers of Country Y.

Lu Shiwu slammed the sandbag down, stacking it, his brow furrowed deeply.

"Deputy Captain."

Just then, a soldier ran over, stood beside Lu Shiwu, and reported, "Someone is here to see you!"

Someone looking for him? He didn't know anyone in Jingnan. Puzzled, Lu Shiwu walked out of the embankment repair site and saw a young woman dressed in black sportswear, carrying a drawing board. She held something in her hands, looking toward him with an expression full of anticipation.

"Hello." Lu Shiwu walked over, glanced at the girl, and spoke with a polite tone.

"Are you the ones who saved me the other day?" When the girl saw him, her eyes curved into a smile. "Thank you for sending me to the hospital earlier. By the way, where is your captain?"

Lu Shiwu frowned. "Captain?"

The girl explained, "Yes, I didn't get a chance to thank him, and I was hoping to find him."

"Oh, our captain went elsewhere to attend to some matters." In other words, Lu Yunzhou was not here. She had come at the wrong time.

"I see." The girl smiled. She looked at the sketchbook in her arms, then turned to Lu Shiwu, her eyes sparkling like stars as she asked, "Then, could you do me a favor and pass this on to your captain?"

"This..." Lu Shiwu hesitated, as he had work to do. Seeing his reluctance, the girl handed the sketchbook to him with both hands and said with a smile, "Don't worry, just pass this on to your captain. Thank you, I'll be going now."

After seeing Lu Shiwu take the sketchbook, she thanked him with a smile and left, leaving Lu Shiwu standing there. He flipped through the book, needing to confirm that it was something safe to carry.

***

After Shen Zhaoxi woke up, she could no longer find Lu Yunzhou. She assumed he had gone to handle the follow-up work for the flood. She felt much better today, no longer in pain, so she walked outside. She discovered that the area was filled with soldiers repairing the riverbanks. Because the floods had destroyed bridges and levees, repairs were necessary.

Shen Zhaoxi went to the First Military District’s rescue point, returning only at dusk. Once the work here was finished, the First Military District’s troops would be leaving tonight. After the rain stopped, the heavy clouds in the sky dissipated, swirling with the wind. The setting sun gradually painted the hillside red, suffused with a mesmerizing rosy glow. The cold wind seemed to soften as well. Beyond the mountains lay more mountains, the clouds draped across the sky. On the muddy road, over a hundred soldiers were repairing the riverbanks, piling up sandbags to fill the gaps.

Shen Zhaoxi had led her own people in such tasks before.

"Sister Zhaoxi!"

Suddenly, Shen Zhaoxi’s footsteps faltered, and she whipped her head around. Amidst the coming and going shadows of the soldiers busy repairing the embankments, her heart trembled. But she realized it was just an illusion. Where in front of her was the figure of the young man?

Her eyes dimmed. A gust of wind blew by, carrying a sense of desolation and loneliness. The slender figure stood there, the scene appearing to freeze in time.

*Heh.* Shen Zhaoxi gave a bitter smile in her heart. The departed are revered, but those who remain living are the ones who suffer the most. Such a scene seemed to have appeared in her dreams countless times, yet no matter how she tried to grasp it, she could not.

The boy had remained in Dongzhou forever.