Better than the Past

Hamid stood outside the door as he watched Tian Xing Jian walk away. Only then did he enter the room and ask with doubt, “Respectable Al-Ghafar, his answer was the same as mine from before.”

Russell shook his head: “Both your answers are different. What I want is not the right answer, but rather, it’s the way you made your decision.”

Raising his head up from the map, Russell said to Hamid, “Firstly, he knew that this location conceals a trap. The red side’s military power is much less than the blue side’s, so essentially, all they could try and occupy would merely be this front part of the shore. This is not a cost-effective battle for them, so he chose to remain taciturn. And you, you had unhesitantly took the initiative of attacking this location without considering the casualty rates and the possibility of a trap, and neither did you consider the big picture. You only wanted to complete the mission.”

Hamid mumbled to himself, “But he still chose to forcibly attack this location in the end!”

Russell laughed: “It’s different. Before making this strategy, he gave his argument for why he would attack this location, and that’s how he is different from you—he knows why he should attack and when he should attack! He also knew that this is a trap not only to themselves but also to the enemies. If the enemies can make use of it, then so can we.”

Russell sighed as he looked at the map: “Originally, I thought that he would not decisively choose to forcibly attack that location since it would be too huge of a sacrifice. It seems that he has already settled that issue of confusion he had. In this chaotic world, I’m not sure if this is his fortune or not.”

Laughing at himself, Russell looked towards Hamid: “I understand his deduction. His strategy deployment and military usage might still be lacking, but judging on this point where he could see through the opponent’s scheme, he isn’t that weak when compared to me. It’s just that he hasn’t formulated his own combat ideology. If he is willing, he could certainly become a military expert that’s even more outstanding than me Thus, Hamid, you must respect him just as you respect me.”

Hamid lowered his head in agreement.

************

When Tian Xing Jian reached back home, An Lei was already chatting with Mother An on the sofa. The moment she saw him, An Lei waved her hand: “Why did you only come back now? Darling Tian, quickly come over. I have something to ask you.”

Fatty indignantly replied, “I beg of you, please don’t use ‘Darling Tian’ to call me, alright?”

An Lei bit her lips and shook her head before gurgling in laughter: “No way!”

Mother An rebuked her by lightly hitting her and laughed: “This lass, don’t call Xiao Jian as such. He is already a first lieutenant. If other people heard you call him, it wouldn’t be good.”

An Lei merely smiled and did not promise.

These days of staying together day and night had made the relationship between An Lei and Tian Xing Jian from the past silently return. Fatty had even felt that he and An Lei were just like a husband and wife who came back after arguing, ones that became even more endearing to each other after all the smoke and clouds dissipated.

An Lei understood Mother An’s personality. Since young, she had always protected him, so she decided to fan and incite the flames: “So what if he is a first lieutenant? I am already a major and he still has to salute me when meeting me outside. When I call him over, it is regarded as an order.”

Mother An pulled Fatty with her to the dining hall and rolled her eyes at An Lei: “Xiao Jian, ignore this lass. You should eat something fast. Whatever she wants to ask can wait until she comes over and asks. Don’t care about her. What major or old officer [1]? She is still the youngest in this house.”

Fatty took the chance when Mother An wasn’t paying attention to turn around and give An Lei an inciteful raise of his eyebrows, angering An Lei so much that she threw a cushion over.

The daughter and mother of the An family had already eaten their meals. After bringing the dishes and rice over for Fatty, Mother An went back up to rest, leaving behind An Lei and Fatty on the first floor.

The dining hall and living room were linked, with one big and one small. From Fatty’s angle, he could completely see An Lei.

The An Lei who was curled up on the sofa watching television felt quite pleasing to his eyes. Even though she was wearing a set of pajamas that was too big for her, that shapely figure could still be seen; those that should be round were round and those that should be straight were straight. Her pajamas had stuck to her waist and buttocks, drawing the outline of a frightening arc.

She languidly changed the channel on the television periodically. A pair of fair and delicate feet was jade-like, sparkling, and pure. Her perfectly straight and glossy calf felt like silk. She was truly emitting the feeling of a female. This was a result of her dance classes taken during primary school.

Wherever she went, An Lei would be the focus of all the male’s attention. From the start of middle school, this fresh flower grew before finally blossoming with a tender and lovely figure, one that was fresh and beautiful. And from then on, she was indubitably the school’s flower all the way until university.

Only Fatty knew that An Lei’s most attractive characteristic wasn’t her pretty face and neither was it her moving figure. Instead, it was that gentle, water-like temperament and the scent emitting from her body that gave her the scent of a female, which made others want to protect and pity her.

How could such an outstanding female be pulled up by him? It seemed that familiarity breeding fondness was something most people follow, especially so when they fell in love for the first time, making them unable to forget that experience.

Tian Xing Jian had a surplus excretion of hormones today and could not hold on to the stimulation. Seeing An Lei curled up delicately like water on the sofa, he could not help but imagine that moving figure of hers when she was bathing. Truly wanting his life… Fatty quickly turned over to finish his meal.

After he buried himself into eating, the next moment Fatty raised his head, he could see An Lei currently lying on the table as she stared at him eating.

“What are you doing!?” Fatty screamed like a pervert molesting an ugly woman—it could not be said if it was a voice of terror or happiness.

An Lei smiled: “I’ve heard that you are highly despised by other people in the combat planning department. I have a friend there who said that you are so despicable and shameless that it occupies 99% of you.”

Fatty indifferently stood up and prepared to go and wash the plates, only to discover that this was an angle he could use to look into the neckline of An Lei. Without hesitation, he stuck his feet, entered a horse stance, and was not in a rush to leave. Laughing, he said, “What about you? Aren’t you going to help me explain to them what’s the matter?”

An Lei had not come around as she was puzzled why Fatty would be in such a weird stance. Without caring about it, she said, “Why would I need to explain? Hmph, everyone doesn’t look up to you. Ai, aren’t you tired from this?”

“Never!” An Lei heard the staunch reply from Fatty.

Looking up, she saw Fatty’s wretched eyes staring down into her chest as if he wanted to place his eyeballs into it. Feeling resentful and humiliated while kind of happy, she thought of how this person had still remained the same after all these years! With a kick to his leg, she said with annoyance, “Damned fatty, if you continue staring, I’ll gouge out your eyeballs!”

How could An Lei baring her fangs and brandishing her claw look threatening at all? Fatty merely ignored it and sighed regretfully as he went to wash his plates. While on the way there, he mentioned, “It’s not as if I have never seen it before. From young until now, which part of your body have I not seen before?”

An Lei was, after all, still a girl, so how could she bear with this person taking liberties with her? With a stomp, she leapt onto Fatty’s back, clawing and hitting him; the two of them were tangled up together.

[1] It’s a word play here - 什么少校老校，这家里她最小 (少校 - Major) (老校 - 老 refers to old, and 校 refers to the meaning of high-ranking officer)