Chapter 51

Ruan Ning stared at the messages from days ago and sighed. How had they even gotten her birthday? But those two young masters were powerful enough to find out anything about her, so she didn't bother digging deeper.

Of all of them, she least wanted to read Bu Chen's messages.

Ever since she'd let Haliman escape, she'd felt a nagging unease. The man had vanished without a trace, and there was no further news. Though Ruan Ning worried about her own safety, she hoped more than anything that Haliman was safe.

But the war in Country B was escalating, spreading from the initial southern rebellion to a nationwide conflagration with fierce armed clashes. Today alone, five people had been killed and dozens wounded. A large number of Country A citizens and investors had evacuated, while the nationals left behind lived in constant fear.

When war came, human life was so fragile.

On the news, Ruan Ning saw furious Country B citizens looting and setting fire to shops owned by Country A nationals. Country A deployed its armed forces there to suppress the Country B military resistance. Back home, two sharply opposed factions were locked in heated debate.

One side, led by the Duke of Banting, advocated for war, clamoring for domestic troops to be sent as reinforcements. The other, spearheaded by Bai Fuzhou, consisted of peace advocates who firmly opposed the use of force and the waste of taxpayer money.

The two factions were at each other's throats, and every time Ruan Ning turned on the news, there they were, arguing. It made her chest tight and irritable, a knot of frustration she couldn't release.

Bullets swept across with a "bang bang bang," the enemy dodging nimbly into a warehouse, leaving a string of bullet holes in the wall.

[You got distracted.]

Bai Xingmiao's voice came through the voice chat.

Ruan Ning adjusted her headset, staring blankly at the screen. [Sorry, I've been off my game lately.]

She took off her headset, clicked to go idle, and leaned back in her computer chair. Rubbing her sore, tired eyes, she felt utterly drained.

[What's wrong?] Bai Xingmiao asked.

Ruan Ning replied, [Nothing, just some things I can't figure out.]

[What things?]

Bai Xingmiao rarely pressed further.

Ever since she'd invited him to celebrate her birthday together, the distance between them had unknowingly shrunk. For instance, Bai Xingmiao would occasionally ask how she was doing or wait for her to play games together.

Ruan Ning couldn't help but laugh dryly. Could it be that the days without internet in the countryside had worked some magic, making everyone nostalgic for when she was on the team? After she came back, not only were her teammates in the group chat excited, even Bai Xingmiao, who usually kept everyone at arm's length, had become more proactive.

She'd always felt an indescribable trust in Bai Xingmiao.

Because he was almost the only one who never criticized her thoughts but also didn't completely ignore her. This delicate balance made her—naturally introverted and melancholic—feel she had someone to confide in freely.

She scrolled through the front page, full of news about the fiery battles in Country B, and sighed sincerely. [Why are there so many wars, conflicts, and deaths in the world? When will there ever be a day of peace?]

[Why do you say that?]

Ruan Ning raised an eyebrow slightly. No matter how serious the matter she brought up or how intense her emotions, Bai Xingmiao always rationally asked for the cause and effect first.

At first, she wasn't used to his almost robotic composure. It made her feel like she was an object of observation in his eyes, not a good friend who fought alongside him and laughed together.

Later, she grew accustomed to it and decided it wasn't so bad. After all, analyzing problems with scientific rigor could always help one see through the fog to the essence.

Ruan Ning sent him a news link about Country A's plan to send more troops. [Do you think we'll send more troops?]

Bai Xingmiao replied: [I think yes.]

Ruan Ning was slightly surprised. Bai Xingmiao rarely gave such a definitive answer. She'd assumed he'd side with "no."

After all, Bai Fuzhou was firmly opposed to sending troops, and the people of Country A, having enjoyed their comfortable lives for so long, wouldn't want to go to war.

She didn't like hearing that answer and tried to hedge: [But the latest polls show about 60% of the public opposes the deployment...]

[War is never decided by the people. It's a few at the top who hijack the masses.]

[In war, the people can only play one role—cannon fodder.]

Ruan Ning felt a pang in her chest, uncomfortable. [That's too pessimistic of you to say. If everyone could unite and expose the disguises and tricks of the interest groups, there's still hope for peace.]

[Unfortunately, the masses are stupid and impulsive, easily swayed by a few words. How can they achieve peace?]

Today, Bai Xingmiao's cold cynicism was shocking. Ruan Ning was deeply shaken.

For a long time, she'd believed that Bai Xingmiao, like his tolerant and benevolent mother, was someone who cared about society. He had indeed helped her selflessly before.

But in his words just now, Ruan Ning only saw a cold, misanthropic heart. She couldn't help doubting whether she really knew Bai Xingmiao at all.

She forced a laugh. [You seem pretty pessimistic about society.]

Bai Xingmiao, unaffected by the shock he'd given her, answered matter-of-factly: [We're only passersby in the universe. Our thoughts aren't worth mentioning.]

Alarms rang in Ruan Ning's head. This was the familiar state—just like her own high school self, lying in a hospital bed, overthinking.

She didn't dare to jump to conclusions, but in a panic, she typed out a long string of text.

[Don't ever think like that.]

[You matter—at least you matter to us, your friends.]

[Sometimes I feel insignificant too, like the universe wouldn't change at all without me. But that's not right.]

[If no one around you has ever said this, then I'm saying it now: even if you're just a fragment of the universe, you're a one-of-a-kind fragment. At least we can hold hands and become a bigger fragment.]

After typing all that, Ruan Ning realized what she'd done. Embarrassed, she frantically tried to retract the message, but too much time had passed; she couldn't.

She waited anxiously for his reply, each breath feeling harder than the last, only hoping Bai Xingmiao wouldn't misunderstand.

She didn't know how long she waited, but finally, a line of text appeared on the screen, as if breaking through a time seal. Ruan Ning read it without blinking.

[You don't need to comfort me. Facts don't require comfort.]

Bai Xingmiao was still that impenetrable fortress, just like before.

Ruan Ning felt a twinge of regret. Sometimes, when people hide too deep inside their fortresses, they're safe, but they also cut off any possibility of connecting with the outside world, draining the vitality from life.

She smiled indulgently. [I'm not comforting you. I'm just worried about your state. But it looks like you're solid as a rock.]

She typed another line. [My fault, too. Why did I have to bring that up? It's not a good topic. I won't say it again. Sorry.]

Bai Xingmiao replied flatly: [No need. Few people talk to me so freely. Just stay the way you are.]

[Ha, really?]

[So... are we friends?]

Ruan Ning seized the opportunity to ask, and the wait for his answer was longer than for any previous question.

She smiled, staring at the white avatar across the screen. It looked like she wouldn't get an answer tonight. But she wasn't worried. A new plan was forming in her mind.

"Bai Xingmiao, it's time we met face to face."