LRAB Chapter 054: Family Wedding
Chapter 054: Family Wedding
As dusk deepened, the charcoal fire burned ever brighter, and the orange-red of the sky faded into a deep blue. Two camping lights were set up in the backyard, their warm yellow glow enveloping the group at the table.
"Selma, open this for me, my hands are covered in oil," First Officer Grayson handed over a can of beer. "That soup of yours is truly amazing, what kind of magical ingredient did you put in it?"
"Basil leaves and black pepper," Selma said, pulling open the jar for him. "And the dried chili peppers that Professor Mance insisted on throwing in."
"That must be thanks to the chili peppers," Mans said, a cigarette dangling from his lips, sounding perfectly justified.
"Chili peppers? Why do they taste numbing to me?" Grayson asked.
"Numbness is just right, it helps to reduce internal heat."
"Professor, you thought you put in chili peppers, but you actually put in Sichuan peppercorns!"
"Both Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers are peppers, so the key is to add plenty of flavor."
"Ding ding ding—"
Ye Sheng put down the tongs in his hand, picked up the iron tongs on the table, and tapped the edge of the oven.
The noisy courtyard gradually quieted down.
Ye Sheng turned his head and looked at Aki beside him. Aki's cheeks were slightly red from the charcoal fire, and she nodded gently. Ye Sheng reached out and, under everyone's gaze, tightly grasped Aki's hand, their fingers intertwined, and Aki rested her head on his shoulder.
Everyone had a premonition and was waiting for the good news to be announced.
"While everyone is here, Aki and I have something to announce. Although we've been with everyone in the Execution Department for a year, that's too short a time. It's not enough to compare us to you outstanding and admirable warriors." Ye Sheng looked around at everyone, his gaze finally settling on Aki's face. "Once the final report for the Kuimen Project is submitted, we will formally submit an application to the academy to withdraw from the Execution Department's combat ranks."
Aki blushed, her eyes glistening with tears. "We're getting married! The wedding is next summer. I think you'll all be there, right?"
The entire courtyard erupted in chaos.
Selma covered the soup pot, grabbed a handful of cumin powder and sprinkled it into the air, laughing and shouting, "Congratulations, senior! Finally, you don't have to secretly hold hands in the archives anymore!"
"Holy crap! The iron tree has blossomed!" Grayson exclaimed excitedly, pouring the beer he was holding directly over his head.
Chief Engineer Kumagai Konaga slapped his thigh hard, making the grill shake: "We absolutely have to send out invitations! Double celebration! I'm also on a blind date in Japan, I'm going to Tokyo for your wedding!"
Gunnar cleared his throat, stood up, and picked up his beer can: "On behalf of the entire crew of the Moniach, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Ye Sheng and Ms. Jiu Deyaji on their marriage. I wish you both..." He searched for a suitable auspicious phrase, "a long and happy life together, and many children."
"No way," Ye Sheng jumped up and said decisively, "Absolutely not."
Professor Mans lay back in his chair, laughing so hard he coughed violently. "Good! Good! This is the kind of student I teach! A wedding! It has to be a grand affair!"
"Oh—kiss me, Ye Sheng!" Grayson mimicked Aki's voice in a high-pitched voice, while opening his arms to Gunayar.
"Oh, but I'm so shy, Aki!" Gunnar exclaimed, dodging Grayson's embrace.
"Please, we're still eating!" Pacino shouted loudly, pretending to gag.
"Give me a kiss." "Give me a kiss."
With Selma leading the way, the crowd began to stir up trouble.
Ye Shengfei quickly tapped Aki's face lightly.
"Oh!" Everyone cheered and applauded.
Lu Mingfei sat on a beach chair, watching Ye Sheng and Ya Ji, their faces flushed but tightly embracing, surrounded by a crowd, listening to the lively laughter and banter around him. They were laughing, arguing endlessly about who should turn the ribs on the stove. They were discussing pay-to-win games, their elementary school teacher's blind date, and their upcoming wedding.
Everything seemed so normal, so real, yet the cup in his hand felt as heavy as a stone. He thought of the world he had experienced, of the people who had become LCL, and then looked at the warm glow of the charcoal fire before him. The happier the atmosphere, the more lonely he felt.
In this world, it's true that you can go back to your hometown to get married after a war.
Lu Mingfei had seen too many flags, and "going back to his hometown to get married" was the one he feared the most. During the years of fighting against the Apostles, Lu Mingfei's logistics colleagues disappeared one by one on the battlefield, and he went from a clueless young man to a senior in other people's eyes.
But as a senior, he had to do more than just take care of the younger generation; he also had to live on carrying the memories of his comrades. The number of keepsakes in his hands grew, and the wishes he had to fulfill for the dead increased. This pain was indescribable. It wasn't until he became the Fourth Child and left the Logistics Department that he realized he had never truly lived for himself.
But becoming a qualified candidate also marks the beginning of another kind of suffering...
The late summer night breeze blew in from outside the villa's courtyard wall, carrying a damp scent of plants.
Lu Mingfei held the black tea, the warmth traveling from his palm to his chest, and the weight on his heart finally eased a little.
He turned his head and looked at Zero.
Ling meticulously gathered the used bamboo skewers in front of him to one side, and casually stacked his empty potato soup bowl on top of another bowl.
Lu Mingfei recalled the way Rei Ayanami closed the book in the darkened corridor and placed it neatly on the chair; he remembered her calm red eyes; he remembered her saying that water retains its temperature for a while, and that life is fragile but not so easy to perish.
He recalled that in that world full of despair, what ultimately sustained him was nothing more than the unwavering will to live.
Then he thought, so after surviving, there's roasted lamb and potato soup, and a table full of people who argue and drink.
Oh I see.
He looked up at the lively group of people at the table, then looked down again at the empty bowl beside him, the bamboo skewers neatly arranged around the edge of the bowl, and the warm yellow circle cast by the camping lamp on the table.
So happy, so joyful. Lu Mingfei felt a warm current flowing from his chest to his limbs. He felt an itch in his throat and couldn't help but want to say something.
"zero."
"Thank you for always..." he thought for a moment, "Thank you for always being by my side."
"As long as you're by my side, I feel like this place is real."
"You make me feel that even if no one remembers those things, they really did happen."
Lu Mingfei let out a soft breath and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, I said something strange. Don't take it to heart."
Ling neatly arranged the last bamboo skewer, then looked up at Lu Mingfei's profile.
"No," she said, "I understand."
Zero was silent for a moment, as if seriously considering what to say next, before finally saying calmly, "Those things happened, you remember them, so they haven't disappeared."
She lowered her head again and gently pushed the empty bowl to the side.
"I remember too."
Lu Mingfei leaned back in his chair, watching Mars fly into the night sky.