Chapter 143

Yan Lei tapped Yan Fu’s head gently. “What nonsense is this?”

“No!” Yan Fu covered her head, still in disbelief. “How is my brother still alive?”

When she was little, her mom would point to photos and tell her that this was her brother, who loved her very much and used to carry her around to show her off.

She asked where her brother had gone.

“He went where he needed to go.”

“He went far away.”

Yan Fu was quite clever; when she grew older, she understood—

Her brother was dead.

If someone in the family died, adults didn’t want to make the children sad, so they would tell them that the person had gone far away.

Yan Fu was actually quite sad because her brother was really handsome.

Once, a classmate boasted about her brother, and she couldn’t help but say, “I have a brother too.”

The classmate looked at her askance. “My brother picks me up from school. Where’s your brother? I’ve never seen him.”

Yan Fu hid and cried.

Don’t cry, don’t cry, be strong, wipe away the tears, she told herself.

Brother must be watching her from heaven.

She wanted to be a strong little sister.

Yan Xiang: “…”

Qiao Wei: “…”

Yan Lei: “…”

Security guard: “…”

Even the black-clad security guards, who had undergone rigorous training, had twitching faces.

Despite the tears and laughter, the family was finally reunited.

Unfortunately, Qiao Wei really wanted to cook a meal for him herself but couldn’t. Yan Xiang’s security clearance was too high, and his diet was taken care of by others.

Everyone tacitly refrained from asking what Yan Xiang’s job was.

As long as they knew he had made significant contributions to the country, it was enough.

On the other hand, Yan Fu, finally meeting her brother, showed no reservations at all, quickly becoming affectionate.

But there was one thing she was very unhappy about regarding her brother.

“When you named me, did you even think about it?” she complained. “Yan Fu, Yan Fu, everyone at school calls me ‘Yan Fu.'”

If a child’s name had a similar homonym, it was inevitable to be given a nickname during primary school, it was an unavoidable fate.

Yan Xiang: “Um…”

“Sorry.” He rubbed her head gently, apologizing tenderly, “It’s the first time I’ve named someone.”

“Forget it.” Yan Fu waved her hand generously. “I won’t hold it against you.”

Everyone laughed.

Qiao Wei asked him, “How long can you stay?”

Yan Xiang said, “Three days, I only have three days off.”

Qiao Wei nodded.

Yan Lei asked, “Do you want to see Jun Jun? He’s in the military district.”

Yan Xiang looked at the security guard, who shook his head.

Yan Xiang sighed softly. “No need.”

Zhao Jianjun was not on the approved security list.

In the evening, Yan Xiang and his parents sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool breeze.

He asked Qiao Wei, “Have you been following the news lately?”

He looked hopeful.

Yan Lei didn’t understand.

Qiao Wei thought of the news that had made her feel strange before, and enlightenment flashed in her eyes.

So it wasn’t an illusion.

Her power was weak; she could only change some people and some things around her.

But Yan Xiang transcended dimensions; he could influence the country, influence the world.

She nodded, “I’ve seen it.”

Yan Xiang smiled.

He knew Mom would understand.

Yan Xiang didn’t go anywhere for the three days; he stayed with his family.

Three days later, he left.

“The safety regulations are different now from before,” he said. “We can still communicate. It’s a bit more troublesome, requiring intermediaries.”

Times had changed, and so had the international situation.

After all, it wasn’t the 1960s or 1970s, when they were on guard against capitalist countries launching nuclear missiles every day.

Experts would be very busy, but it wouldn’t mean being isolated from their families for a lifetime.

Qiao Wei nodded, “Okay.”

Yan Fu was a bit embarrassed, but she still handed him a stack of envelopes before Yan Xiang left. “These are for you.”

Yan Xiang was puzzled, “What are they?”

Seeing him about to open them, Yan Fu hurriedly stopped him, “Look at them when you get back, when you get back!”

Her face was a little red.

Yan Xiang nodded, bidding farewell to his parents and sister once again, and left in the car.

On the way, he opened the envelopes.

The handwriting went from crooked to gradually neat and beautiful.

It turned out these were letters Yan Fu had written over the years to her “brother who had gone to a distant place.”

Rather than calling them letters, they were more like diaries.

They recorded the little girl’s growth trajectory and thoughts.

As Yan Xiang read, he couldn’t help but smile.

But as he laughed, tears fell from his eyes.

For the sake of his dreams, he had missed his sister’s growth, but here, he was compensated.

As the years went by, Qiao Wei watched helplessly as this world deviated more and more from her original world.

In this world, the speed of the country’s military technological breakthroughs was beyond imagination.

A more powerful Eastern power was experiencing a faster revival.

The global situation had thus become different from the other world.

Qiao Wei sighed with infinite emotion.

Wasn’t this the world those people on the internet wanted to see?

Probably.

Thanks to the adjustment of the security regulations, the Yan family could now communicate with Yan Xiang, although it was a bit troublesome with the intermediaries, it was much better than being completely cut off in previous years.

Especially Yan Fu, she wrote several letters to her brother every year.

As the young girl gradually grew up, she had too many concerns that she didn’t want to tell the annoying parents about, she just wanted to confide in her brother in the distance.

Adolescence was really too worrisome!

So busy was her brother serving the country that he had to take the time to contact his mother through the secure line: “Be careful, some bad guys are trying to hook up with Fu Fu.”

Too angry, what kind of level was this, trying to hook up with my sister, worrying about this and that.

I really want to launch a missile over there.

Yan Fu suffered a betrayal by her own brother!

She didn’t write to him for three months, so angry!

My brother was just like a second dad! Just as untrustworthy as the parents!

As time entered the 1990s, Yan Lei was promoted to become a military commander, and Qiao Wei entered the provincial party committee.

Yan Fu was admitted to QH University.

Although she wasn’t set as a super-dimensional figure like her brother, perhaps she basked in the glory of her father’s male protagonist halo, she was also a smart and studious college student.

With the Lu family taking care of her in Beijing, her parents weren’t worried at all.

It was Yan Fu who called back, “Mom, can you contact my brother now?”

“No, I can’t,” Qiao Wei said. “Didn’t he leave a message before? He’s involved in a high-security project again. No contact; we have to wait until he comes out.”

“When will he come out?”

“Who knows, maybe a few months, maybe a few years.”

The country’s technological breakthroughs had made Qiao Wei numb; after all, it was a world with threats.

Love how it develops, she couldn’t control it.

Yan Fu was furious, “Then leave a message for him.”

“Tell him to calm down! I came here to study! Don’t make so much trouble for me!”

“Every day, the old big shots come over to see me, like they’re looking at a panda. Can I still study well?”

A group of elderly people whose photos were displayed on the bulletin board came to see her every day, asking about her well-being. She couldn’t bear this kind of life anymore!

Thud!

Qiao Wei and Yan Lei weren’t worried about Yan Fu’s college life.

They were now concerned about Yan Xiang’s personal life.

At twenty-eight, Yan Xiang was still single, without a girlfriend.

His laboratory was his girlfriend.

Although they were Yan Xiang’s parents, they were out of reach.

Four more years passed until Yan Xiang suddenly contacted home: “I’m married.”

“I’ll bring her back to meet you.”

Yan Xiang’s wife couldn’t be called beautiful, but she had a unique temperament, somewhat aloof.

There was a feeling of excessive rationality.

Qiao Wei even secretly suspected whether she was an AI robot, after all, nothing fantastical about Yan Xiang would surprise her.

But she was indeed a real person.

“She’s a genius,” Yan Xiang said.

To receive such praise from him, she couldn’t be an ordinary genius.

Qiao Wei took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

Although she hoped Yan Xiang would have a partner, she didn’t want Yan Xiang’s partner to only provide him with companionship in life and solace in emotions.

Geniuses need to be understood.

She and he were similar people, which was really great.

“Her original family background isn’t great, they never understood her, causing her a lot of pain,” Yan Xiang told his mother. “She hasn’t been as fortunate as me, so her personality is a bit aloof. But she’s actually a very good person.”

“It’s okay, as long as you two get along well,” Qiao Wei said.

When they were about to leave, the girl said goodbye to Qiao Wei.

“I envy Yan Xiang,” she awkwardly expressed her emotions, “He’s a very gentle person. I’ve always wanted to know what kind of family could shape his character like this. Now I know.”

Qiao Wei reminded her, “You two should take care of each other.”

Both nodded.

With their jobs, it would be several years until they met again.

Sure enough, the next time they met, Qiao Wei was 55 years old and retired.

Yan Xiang and his wife came back, with their child.

The child was three years old, although they had spoken on the phone, it was their first meeting.

Qiao Wei and Yan Lei finally upgraded to become grandparents.

The two of them didn’t want to let go of the child, each arguing to hold him longer.

Yan Xiang and his wife exchanged glances and stated their purpose: “We want to leave the child with you.”

Their jobs were too special, staying in the laboratory for many days without going home was normal.

After serious discussion, the couple felt that leaving the child with grandparents was better than hiring a nanny.

Yan Xiang’s wife communicated with Qiao Wei alone: “I may not be able to fulfill the role of a mother.”

Everyone wishes for a successful career and a happy family, but it’s never that easy.

She said, “I really hope the child can grow up like Yan Xiang.”

Qiao Wei replied, “We’ll do our best.”

The son and daughter-in-law left.

Qiao Wei and Yan Lei turned around and went back into the house, ready to dote on their grandchild.

Yan Lei said, “Is it my turn to hold him now?”

“I haven’t had enough yet.”

“You’ve been holding him for a long time.”

“I haven’t had enough.”

“Tsk.” Yan Lei didn’t argue anymore, he just acted.

Qiao Wei exclaimed, “Hey, what are you doing!”

“You hold the baby, I’ll hold you.” Yan Lei picked up his wife and the child together.

“You’re going to kill me, put us down! Do you want to hurt your back!”

“I’m not even seventy yet, I’m not old.” Yan Lei huffed, “Don’t wiggle around, or I might drop you.”

[End of the text]