Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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It had already snowed by Christmas time in December.
In the warm apartment in Country M, Chen Ruozhi stood next to the Christmas tree, watching Chen Tanliang raise his hand and hang ornaments on the tree.
“No, no, it’s too far to the left, just a little bit more…”
Chen Tanliang was already tall and slender, while Chen Ruozhi only reached his chest. So at this moment, she could only move her mouth, her almond-shaped eyes blinking incessantly.
In her previous life, Chen Ruozhi was a renowned female writer, and she remained exceptionally talented in her second life. Yet, even so, Chen Tanliang only regarded her as a child, at most six years old, no older than that.
“Left side, left side!”
Chen Ruozhi was only looking at the position on the Christmas tree when she felt that Chen Tanliang was hanging it more and more crookedly. She turned her head and saw Chen Tanliang leaning casually against the wall, holding up a small bell in one hand, looking down at her with a half-smile. He looked like he was just waiting for her to get annoyed.
“Chen Tanliang!” Chen Ruozhi reached out and punched him. “Can you please stop treating me like a child!”
Chen Tanliang then carefully hung the golden bell in the place she wanted.
This man was naturally upright, serious, meticulous, and not fond of joking. At a young age, he had the stern demeanor of an old general. Having commanded soldiers for two lives, even those older and more seasoned soldiers were very obedient to him.
It was only when he was with his sister that Chen Tanliang would show such human warmth.
After the two finished decorating the tree, Chen Ruozhi turned on the colored lights, and the Christmas tree immediately became dazzling.
“Why does the tree look different this year?” Chen Ruozhi asked. “Which mall did you buy it from?”
“I cut it down from the mountain,” Chen Tanliang said nonchalantly.
Chen Ruozhi was speechless for a moment. The mountain was on the other side of the city, such a long distance away, and the trees were so tall and big. She only got to know now that Chen Tanliang had cut down the tree and brought it back himself.
Both of them were busy before, one was busy with retirement formalities and the other was busy with her studies, so while other people’s houses were already decorated, the two of them only started decorating the day before Christmas.
Chen Tanliang had just completed all his retirement procedures, while Chen Ruozhi would graduate in the fall. Both of them were now thus considered free agents.
So the two quickly decorated their home to be very cozy. Chen Tanliang even erected a reindeer statue on the grass and put a Santa hat on its head. Seeing that most of the other people’s yards were lit up with fairy lights, Chen Tanliang took some more fairy lights and wrapped them around the reindeer to light it up.
Hmm, it looks much better now.
When Chen Tanliang returned to the room, Chen Ruozhi was on the phone ordering pizza and other takeout.
The brother and sister, one skilled in martial arts and the other in literature, were quite outstanding. However, they were completely clueless about cooking and had no time to learn it. Chen Ruozhi was only knowledgeable about brewing coffee, a habit inherited from her previous life.
When the pizza arrived, the two sat on the rug next to the Christmas tree, put on plastic gloves, and began to eat dinner.
“This year is almost over, and we’re both completely free now. Do you have any plans for next year?” Chen Ruozhi asked.
“And you?” Chen Tanliang asked in return.
Chen Ruozhi paused for a moment. She graduated with top honors from a prestigious university, and the professors all hoped she would continue her studies. Even during international exchange seminars during her university years, professors from other countries were captivated by her and wished to recruit her to their schools for a master’s degree. And in the workplace, she could easily find any job she wanted.
But for a moment, she was also confused.
“I haven’t decided yet.” After a long pause, Chen Ruozhi said, “I’m willing to do anything, as long as I can continue to study, read, and write books, that’s enough. But I hope that my brother and I can be in the same country and in the same city.”
“That’s what I think too.”
The more fame and fortune the brother and sister had achieved, the more they understood that family was the most important thing.
“What’s your plan?” Chen Ruozhi asked Chen Tanliang.
Chen Tanliang remained silent.
His favorite place was the military camp. He loved leading troops and conquering battlefields. However, the situation in this world was different from his previous one. In his previous life, when his father, Chen Jiacheng, was a general, he was still fighting for his own territory and interests. But when he himself went to the battlefield, foreign enemies invaded, and different forces united to defend their homeland.
Clearly, this world was more peaceful than that. And although he enjoyed fighting on the battlefield, he was unwilling to invade other people’s homes. Therefore, he no longer knew what he could do after leaving the army.
It seems that the feeling of being lost after retirement applies to soldiers of any rank in any country.
Chen Tanliang couldn’t help but think of someone— a young man with black eyes like a wild wolf, gleaming dangerously in the shadows.
“Or maybe I should join the underworld? That way, my skills wouldn’t be wasted.” Chen Tanliang thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile.
“Wherever you go, I’ll go,” Chen Tanliang said in a deep voice. “I guess you still want to study, so you can choose whatever you want.”
Chen Ruozhi thought for a moment.
“I want to study philosophy and history,” she said. “I’ve been reincarnated for 22 years and I’ve never felt a sense of belonging to this world. Perhaps, when I understand the history of this world and the thoughts and ideas of humankind, I might understand.”
Chen Tanliang naturally complied with her wishes.
In this world, the best universities for the fields Chen Ruozhi wanted to specialize in were all in G country, but she had already missed the application deadline. However, Chen Ruozhi was considered a top talent, and even if she missed the deadline, there were plenty of universities willing to make an exception and admit her.
Although Chen Tanliang hadn’t figured it out yet, he would go wherever Chen Ruozhi went.
The next day, Christmas Day, Chen Ruozhi called an elderly professor from Country G whom she knew, explained her purpose, and asked if he could help make the connection.
Upon hearing this, the old professor immediately laughed.
“My dear child, this is the best news I’ve heard on Christmas Day.”
He said he would discuss it with the school immediately, but Chen Ruozhi knew they would agree. Besides, this was the school she had her eye on.
Having resolved the matter, the brother and sister, who hadn’t been out to play in a long time, decided to fly to another city where a large-scale carnival was supposedly taking place.
The two boarded the plane at noon.
They arrived early and had just sat down when they saw a group of black-haired, black-eyed people of Asian descent board the plane; it appeared to be a tour group. Although the brother and sister’s country was different from Country C in this world, there seemed to be some connection between the two countries, at least in terms of the same language and culture. Therefore, the Chen siblings both paid attention to this country.
The people in front of them and next to them were all from tour groups, chatting quietly. Although they weren’t from the same hometown, the familiar accents were pleasant to hear.
As the plane took off, Chen Ruozhi sat by the window, covered herself with a small blanket, and took out a book to read. Chen Tanliang, on the other hand, sat upright as usual, his dark eyes beneath his sword-like eyebrows exuding an air of authority, and even as he stared blankly, he seemed to be pondering matters of state.
His appearance was similar to the standard male look that country C preferred. He could easily play a general or a righteous character in a TV series; you could tell he was a leading man just by looking at his face.
The middle-aged man on the other side of the aisle glanced at him, and after a while, he said familiarly, “Young man, were you in the army?”
Chen Tanliang turned his head slightly, a polite smile curving his lips, not giving an inch more. Then he nodded slightly.
The auntie in the middle of the group took one look and liked him very much, so she asked, “Young man, do you have a girlfriend?”
Chen Tanliang nodded gently again, then took his sister’s hand and shook it.
Chen Ruozhi: …
Okay, whatever makes you happy.
Seeing that Chen Tanliang was polite but indifferent, the uncle and aunt decided not to bother him. They chatted about how good-looking the young man was and how he had a different kind of temperament. Then after a few words, they changed the subject to other topics.
While Chen Ruozhi was reading, Chen Tanliang crossed his arms and closed his eyes to rest. He had excellent hearing, and with his eyes closed, he was even more focused, making the sounds around him more noticeable.
Behind them was a foreign couple, chatting quietly in French about their upcoming itinerary. To his left, the older man was telling his wife about his time in the army when he was young. To his right was a quiet young woman, the occasional rustling of pages turning in her book the only sound.
And ahead, two young girls were whispering to each other.
“Look at my idol, isn’t he both cute and handsome?”
“He looks so good when he dances. Why isn’t he in the center position?”
“The guy in the center position is more versatile and definitely has the best basic skills. Let me tell you, we 4T fans are all one family and very harmonious— because harmony and friendship are our family’s principles. From their company to the four of them, and then to the fans, everyone has a very good relationship.”
“This atmosphere is so great. My idol was even attacked by his teammates’ fans before,” another girl exclaimed. “What you’re saying makes me want to become a fan too.”
“I’ll show you the videos of the boys’ debut later.” The girl’s enthusiasm ignited, but she tried hard to suppress it. “Wait a minute, after they finish singing and dancing, they’ll be receiving awards. They’ll thank the company and their boss in a bit. You know their boss?”
“Oh, it’s that one that was trending on social media before—”
“Yes, yes, yes! The beautiful boss is incredibly gorgeous and has such a great presence! Her name is Jiang Shining, we all love her, she’s like a mom to all of us 4T fans!”
Upon hearing the sensitive name, Chen Tanliang suddenly opened his eyes.
The author has something to say:
No second update today, so I’ll write a little more. See you tomorrow! =3=
….
Ning Mama, whose children are everywhere: …Okay, as long as you’re happy.
If someone ever asks Jing Yuan if he has a girlfriend….
Without a younger sister, Jing Yuan could only lift Jing Xuan’s paw and shake it.
Jing Xuan: …Go to hell!
….
This chapter illustrates one thing: don’t dwell on your mortal enemies all the time, or you might find yourself becoming family after meeting them. ←V←
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