After lunch, the workers all went home, as the factory didn't provide dinner. Their sole purpose in occupying the factory was to squeeze out people like Li Haojun and Kathy, who were truly responsible for its operation.
午餐之后工人们就都下班了,因为工厂不提供晚餐.他们到这里占领工厂唯一的作用就是挤走了李皓珺和凯西娅这样的真正维护工厂运行的人.
Walking with Margot in the afternoon, Li Haojun wondered when he would withdraw from this mission, from Kael's body. Otherwise, would he still have to go home and share a bed with Margot tonight? Although he wasn't exactly at a disadvantage, he felt it would be unfair to Kathy and Malaya, and to Qin Wenjing, who was waiting for him.
陪着玛戈一起在午后散步,李皓珺想的是什么时候自己会退出这个任务,退出凯尔的身体,不然今晚还要和玛戈回家同床共枕吗?虽然自己也不算吃亏,可是总觉得那样对不住凯西娅和玛莱雅,还有在等自己回家的覃文静.
Hesitating, he stole another glance at Margot's figure behind him. The rhythm of her hips swaying as she walked seemed different from Malaya's youthful lightness; it possessed the charm of a mature woman. But he wasn't sure, because Margot's physique was more mature than Malaya's, and different bone structure would result in different gaits.
犹豫间他又偷眼看了一眼玛戈背后的身影,她走路间臀部摇摆的节奏,似乎不像玛莱雅那样青涩的轻盈,而是有着成熟女人的韵味.可是他自己心里也不确定,因为玛戈的身形本身就比玛莱雅成熟,不同的骨骼特点也会形成不同的步态.
"Shall we go see a movie?" Margot said, hooking her arm around Li Haojun's neck like a close male friend.
"我们去看电影好吗?"玛戈说着把胳膊挎在了李皓珺的脖颈,好像男性哥们儿之间的亲蜜一样,
"Okay," came the monotonous reply, offering no deeper meaning than agreement. Li Haojun was still wondering if she was Malaya. If so, spending the afternoon with her would be fine, but he couldn't quite tell who was inside Margot.
"好,"乏味的回答,除了表示同意没有任何多余的含义,李皓珺还在想她是不是玛莱雅,如果是的话,下午陪陪她也行,只是他自己也分辨不出来到底是谁在玛戈里面,
"What do you want to see? How about 'Happy Valley'? 'Happiness on the Run'? 'Love's Dew'? Want to see it? Hehe," Margot said, pulling Li Haojun closer with her arm around his neck, grinning mischievously as she made a kissing motion.
"你想看什么?"欢乐谷"怎么样?"幸福在奔跑","爱的甘露"要看吗?想要吗?呵呵,"说着玛戈搂着他脖颈的胳膊用力拉着李皓珺靠向自己,鬼笑着,做出要亲吻的动作,
Since they were still inside Kael's body, the act had to continue. Li Haojun kissed her lips, and Margot smiled contentedly.
既然还在凯尔的身体里,那这场戏就还得继续表演下去,李皓珺顺势亲吻了她的嘴唇,玛戈满意地笑了,
"How about this one, 'The Piano'?" she said, looking at the poster and guessing at the plot. Margot continued, flipping through the movie posters in her hand while asking Kael.
"要不这个怎么样,"钢琴课","一边说着,她看着海报照片,猜测着电影剧情,就这样,玛戈一边翻看着手里的院线海报,一边询问凯尔.
There weren't many movies to choose from, mostly older productions; there were no new ones. Hollywood had been submerged by the sea, and the film industry, with the passage of time, had become unprofitable and naturally declined.
可供选择的电影不多,都是过去出品的,没有新的,因为好莱坞已经被海水淹没了,电影业也随着岁月的变迁,不再有利可图,自然也就凋零了.
This was an old-fashioned movie theater, an old-style building with red brick walls and narrow windows. A neon sign for Fox still hung on the exterior wall, and an LED screen above the entrance scrolled the names of the films being shown.
这是一家老旧电影院线上映设施,红砖墙的老式建筑,狭长的窗户,建筑外墙上还挂着福克斯的霓虹灯牌,大门正上方的LED屏幕滚动播放着放映影片的名字.
The small auditorium inside had been converted into a movie screening room. However, it was clear that selling movie tickets couldn't sustain its business; it mainly offered hamburgers, cola, and popcorn, providing a place for people to pass the time.
建筑内部不大的小礼堂空间,改造成了电影放映厅.不过显然靠卖电影票它是无法维系经营的,它主要提供汉堡可乐爆米花,给人们提供一个消遣时光的去处而已.
In the dimly lit screening room, there were few people. The large screen played a series of unknown movies, the progress of which was unclear. Margot held a handful of popcorn, stuffing it into her mouth one by one, making a crisp crunching sound. Her boyfriend sat beside her. The light from the screen occasionally illuminated her cheeks, her eyes, and her pupils, but her face remained expressionless. She wasn't immersed in the movie, nor was the movie reflected in her life.
阴暗的放映厅里,人影稀疏,大屏幕上轮番放映着不知名,也不知道播放进度的电影.玛戈手捧着爆米花,一颗颗塞进嘴里,嚼出咔哧咔哧清脆的声音,旁边陪伴着她的男友,放映屏幕上的光影,时而照亮她的脸颊,她的眼睛和瞳孔,而她的面容却毫无表情,自己没有融入到电影里,也没有被电影照进她的生活.
On her youthful face, Li Haojun saw another possibility for life. Without the nurturing and protection of a family, without systematic education and skills, she was swept into society by various groups, ideologies, and organizational movements, living a life without goals or anxiety.
在她年轻的脸上,李皓珺看到了另一种生活的可能性.没有家庭的抚养和庇护,没有接受过系统性的教育和技能,然后就被各种群体,思想,组织运动裹挟着步入社会,过着没有目标,也没有焦虑的生活.
She didn't need to envision her future; she could hardly control it. Because for these people, she hadn't even begun to see through the first layer of illusions surrounding them.
她不用去设想自己的未来,她也很难掌握自己的未来.因为对于这些人来说,包围她们的层层幻想的第一层,她还没有开始看破.
Li Haojun was somewhat aware of their agenda; for decades, those various social control agendas had been subtly implemented.
李皓珺对她们的议程有所了解,几十年以来那些方方面面的社会控制议程一直在潜移默化的实施中.
They severed historical traditions, betrayed cultural beliefs, deconstructed social order, dismantled family structures, and disintegrated male-female relationships. What was left in such a group? What was surprising about the behavior of people in this group? A fragmented, powerless, defeated, and futureless youth at the mercy of others, and the self-inflicted consequences after the initial glory.
她们割断了历史传承,背弃了文化信仰,解构了社会秩序,拆散了家庭结构,瓦解了男女关系,在这样的群体里,还剩下什么呢?这个群体里的人的任何行为现象,又有什么会让人觉得稀奇呢?零散的,无力的,溃败的,毫无未来的任人宰割的青春,和风光之后的自我买单.
They were being manipulated, blinded by immediate gains, sacrificing their own long-term, greater interests without realizing it.
她们是被操控的,被眼前的利益蒙蔽,损害了她们自身长远更大的利益,却又不自知.
Watching Margot immersed in the illusory light and shadow, Li Haojun couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her lonely situation. She took Margot's hand in her own, feeling her warmth and transferring her own to her.
看着玛戈沉浸在虚幻的光影之中,李皓珺不由得心生了几分对她孤单处境的怜悯之心,把她的手握在自己的掌心,体会着她的体温,也把自己的体温传递给她,
"Hmm? Want some?" Margot asked, offering Li Haojun popcorn. She seemed oblivious to the implications.
"嗯?你也来点吗?"说着,玛戈把爆米花递到了李皓珺面前,似乎她本人并没有想太多什么,
"Your man is running away..."
"你的男人要跑了..."
What? Li Haojun was curious why Margot would say such a thing to her. No, it wasn't Margot who said it; she hadn't opened her mouth. Had she mistaken someone else? Was it a movie line? Why did it sound like Margot was talking to her?
什么?李皓珺有点好奇为什么玛戈要和自己说这么一句话,不对,不是玛戈说的,她并没有张口,自己弄错了,是电影台词?怎么好像是玛戈在对我说?
Startled, he turned his head towards the movie screen. The male and female leads were deeply in love, without any dialogue. Suddenly, the projection equipment malfunctioned, and the image began to distort, spreading out like ripples on water, drifting away…
诧异着,把头扭向电影屏幕,男女主角正在浓情蜜意,并没有台词,只是忽然放映设备坏了,画面开始扭曲,像水波纹一样散开,漂远...
"That's all for today,"
"今天就到这里了,"
"Okay, sure,"
"嗯,好,"
he heard familiar voices beside him. It was Malaya and Kathy. Li Haojun slowly opened his eyes. He knew he had abandoned Margot, leaving her alone in that movie theater, continuing her own journey through life.
耳边是熟悉的声音,那是玛莱雅和凯西娅,李皓珺缓缓睁开眼睛,他知道自己已经扔下了玛戈,留下她独自在那家影院里,独自继续走她自己的人生旅程.
"Ethan, have you forgotten to go home? You're so engrossed." It was Malaya's playful tone.
"伊森,你忘了回家了么?那么投入."是玛莱雅调皮的口气,
"Ah, no, how could I control myself inside?" Li Haojun offered his own excuse, using his inability to control his body's movements to mask his inability to control his compassion.
"啊,不,我在里面又怎么自己操控出来呢,"李皓珺用自己的理由搪塞着,用他不能控制身体进出的自由掩盖了自己无法控制自己同情心的自由.
The immersion pod's hatch had opened automatically, and he sat up. Just as he was about to get out, Malaya said sharply,
这时沉浸舱的舱盖已经自动打开了,他也坐了起来,刚想出来,只听玛莱雅凌厉的一句,
"Make sure you don't leave your heart inside."
"看看别把你的心落在里面."
"Oh," Li Haojun subconsciously glanced down, then looked up to meet her gaze, glancing at Kesiya beside her. He remained silent, quietly descending to the ground.
"哦,",李皓珺下意识地低头看了一眼,又抬头和她对了一下眼光,看了一眼她身边的凯西娅,没有作声,只是自己静悄悄地下到了地面.
Malaya and Kesiya were both sitting in front of the monitoring screen. Li Haojun walked up behind them, not knowing when she had exited the immersion pod.
玛莱雅和凯西娅都坐在设备监视屏幕前,不知道她是什么时候退出沉浸舱的,李皓珺走到她们背后,
"I sent you photos of the data I collected, but the handwriting is messy. Let me explain,"
"我收集到的资料拍照发送给你了,但是手写得潦草,我跟你解释一下吧,"
"No rush," Malaya turned to look at Li Haojun, paused,
"不着急,"玛莱雅扭头看了一眼李皓珺,停顿了一下,
"Well, you should go take a shower first. You've been lying in there for so long. We can talk about the rest tomorrow."
"嗯,你还是先去洗个澡吧,你已经在里面躺了那么久了,剩下的事情明天再说."
Malaya gave a sly smile,
说着玛莱雅鬼魅一笑,
"Don't you want to go home on time today to see your Emily?"
"你不想今天按时下班回家去见你的艾米莉吗?"
Li Haojun didn't understand why she'd brought up this topic again. It was still early, only past noon. But as soon as he turned around, he immediately realized his crotch was wet and cool. So the sensations while lying in the immersion pod were real, not just conscious, but physical too. No wonder Malaya was so eager for him to…
李皓珺不太明白她怎么把话题又扯到这上了,时间还早,才过中午.可是一转身他马上意识到了自己的裤裆里湿湿凉凉的,原来躺在沉浸舱里面的时候感觉都是真的,不只是意识,身体也都感觉到了,怪不得玛莱雅急着让自己去...
Ugh, embarrassing. If he had known this, why hadn't he just… Li Haojun left alone, seething with frustration. Who knew he'd encounter something like this inside? He couldn't very well, a grown man, yell at two young girls, "I'm going to strip naked and lie down inside!" Haha, that's hilarious.
唉,丢人啊,早知这样,为何不一开始是就?李皓珺一边独自离开一边自己懊恼,可是谁又知道进去的时候会遇到这种事呢?总不能一到这种任务自己一个大老爷们就和两个小姑娘嚷嚷,"我要脱光了躺进去."哈哈哈,笑死个人.
Amidst his embarrassment, he heard Malaya's soft explanation behind him:
自己的窘迫中,身后传来玛莱雅的轻声解释,
"Actually, you don't need to worry about your Margo. They won't feel much pain; chips will control their emotions and perception."
"其实你不用牵挂你那个玛戈,他们都不会感到太多痛苦,会有芯片控制他们的情绪和感知."
Returning to his sisters after finishing, he explained the important points of the records he'd obtained. Malaya had been the one talking to him the whole time; Kesiya hadn't turned around, her back always to him.
处理完毕回到姐妹身边,交代了自己获取的记录注意事项,期间一直是玛莱雅在和自己对话交流,凯西娅没回头,一直背对着自己.
Puzzled, Li Haojun approached Kesiya's back, wanting to see her face, her eyes. Why wasn't she responding to him? Only then did he notice that her hair seemed damp, still faintly smelling of shampoo.
疑惑的李皓珺靠近凯西娅的背后,想要看看她的面容,她的眼睛,为什么不搭理自己,这时候他才注意到,似乎她的头发也是潮湿的,还残留着淡淡的洗发露的气息.
Following her cheek, Li Haojun moved his head to face her. She merely glanced at him sideways before looking away. Could it be that Kesiya also came out of the immersion pod?
寻着她的脸颊,李皓珺把头绕到了她跟前,她只是斜眼瞟了自己一眼,就把视线移开了.难道凯西娅也是从沉浸舱里出来的?
With this question in mind, Li Haojun turned to Malaya to ask for confirmation. Malaya simply hummed in response, cleared her throat, and turned her head away with a grin.
带着疑惑,李皓珺把头扭向了玛莱雅向她求证,只见她,嗯一声,清了一下嗓子,笑嘻嘻地把头扭向了一边.
Li Haojun had no choice but to turn back to face Kesiya. She silently glanced at him before lowering her eyes again.
李皓珺只好又回过身来面向凯西娅,她无声地抬眼看了一眼自己,又双眼低垂了下去.
"Time to go home early. Mission accomplished. That's all for today," Malaya announced loudly, breaking the ambiguous silence. As she spoke, she shut down the equipment, turned off the lights, and dismissed everyone. The others had no choice but to leave the room one after another.
"提前下班喽,任务完成,今天就到这里吧."玛莱雅起身大声嚷嚷着,打破了这暧昧的宁静,一边说着一边关闭设备,关灯下了逐客令.其余的人也只好陆续离开了房间.
Li Haojun caught up with Kesiya, reflecting on the day's events, unsure how to begin. What should he say? What relationship should he have with her? After much hesitation, he finally caught up with her, gently took her hand, and walked beside her.
李皓珺几步追上去,跟在凯西娅身后,自己回想着这一天的经历,不知道该怎么向她开口.要和她说什么呢?要以什么关系和她说呢?犹豫再三,也只好追上她,轻轻拉起她的手,并肩陪着她走.
Thinking back to the scene when he faced Margot that morning, was it not the real Margot then? Was it really Kesiya who entered her body? Malaya said she'd go in later, but she didn't mention her sister hadn't either. If Kesiya had entered then, and Malaya was on duty as a guardian, it would make sense.
回想一早晨自己面对玛戈时的情景,难道那时候不是她本人?真的是凯西娅进入了她的身体?当时玛莱雅说她等一会儿再进去,但是她并没有说她姐姐也没有进入.如果那时候是凯西娅进入了,而玛莱雅在执行监护岗位,也说得通.
Considering Margot's behavior and Kael's unusual memories, perhaps Kesiya really had entered her body then. All her constant evasion and avoidance had resulted in Malaya arranging this encounter for her today.
再想想玛戈的表现与凯尔记忆里的反常,或许那时候真的是凯西娅进入了她的身体.自己一直以来的推脱与逃避,结果今天被玛莱雅安排了这样地方式与她相遇.
But Kael was indeed young and handsome. If he had given Kesiya this kind of life experience, as long as she was happy, he would satisfy her in this perfect way, even though he felt a little jealous. As long as she was happy, that was enough.
不过那个凯尔确实年轻又帅气,如果是他给了凯西娅这样的人生体验,只要她觉得幸福,自己那就以这样完美的方式满足她吧,虽然自己心里有点酸溜溜的,只要她觉得幸福就好.
Thinking this, Li Haojun began to organize his thoughts, trying to figure out how to bring this up. He thought, "He's younger than me. If he were to accompany you in the future—no, he's Margot's boyfriend. He can't physically be with Kesiya, and besides, she might not be able to accept it emotionally." "Then I'll say I use his body to fulfill your desires that I can't, hmm, that's more like it."
想到这,李皓珺开始组织语言,想怎么开口对她起齿说这件事,就说,他比我年轻,要是将来他陪伴你,不对,那是玛戈的男友,他不能肉身过来陪着凯西娅,再说她心理上也未必能接收.那就说我用他的身体满足你我不能做到的心愿,嗯,这样还差不多,
"Kesiya, you see, I'm not as young and handsome as him, so I'll use his..."
"凯西娅,你看我没有他年轻英俊,用他的..."
"Shut up."
"住口."
Before Li Haojun could finish, Kesiya stopped, pressing her index finger to his lips to stop him.
没等李皓珺说完,凯西娅停下脚步,用自己的食指按在他的嘴唇上,制止了他的话语,
As she withdrew her finger, finally turning back to continue forward, a shy smile graced her face.
随着她的手指收回,终于在她转回头继续向前的一瞬间,她的脸上,是带着笑容继续向前的,那一丝少女的羞怯的微笑.
The base gate ahead was slowly opening, and the bright sunlight finally shone through the gaps into the dark underground fortifications, illuminating the direction Kesiya was running, and also illuminating her graceful figure and her flowing hair.
前方基地的大门正在缓缓打开,外面明媚的阳光终于透过间隙照进阴暗的地下工事,照亮凯西娅向前奔跑的方向,也照亮她婀娜的身姿,她飘逸的长发.
She stopped himself; she knew what he was about to say. She didn't care that he wasn't as young or handsome as Kael; she didn't even allow himself to be compared to him. Li Haojun felt genuinely happy, as if that figure running towards the light was Kesiya guiding him in the direction he was pursuing, accompanying his dreams.
她制止了自己,她知道自己将要说什么,他不在意自己没有凯尔年轻也没有他帅气,她甚至不让自己和他作比较.李皓珺由衷地感到欣喜,似乎那跑向光明的背影就是凯西娅正在为自己指因追逐她的方向,陪伴她的畅想.
Without further hesitation, he followed in Kesiya's footsteps.
再也没有任何犹豫,跟随着凯西娅的脚步,他追了上去.
"Hey, wait for me!"
"喂,你们等等我,"
Malaya looked up after finishing her errands and saw that the two had already run quite a distance.
玛莱雅在后面处理完琐事一抬头,发现两个人已经跑出去好远了,
"Wait for me!" Although she quickened her pace, the people in front seemed not to hear her at all, rushing off.
"你们等等我,"虽然她也加紧脚步,但是前面的人好像根本没听见她一样飞奔离去,
"You? You're ungrateful."
"你?你们忘恩负义."
"You value women over friends."
"你们重色轻友."
...
...In late autumn at Ashley Lake, the water was even deeper, the sky even clearer, and the golden hues of the lakeshore had faded, replaced by a brownish-bronze hue, deeply inlaid with a pool of indigo.
阿什利湖的深秋,湖水更加深沉,天空更加清澈,湖岸的金碧环伺已经撤下,换成褐赭的古铜色,深嵌着一潭靛蓝.
Months ago, it was here that Malaya helped him sense Kesiya, who was far away on the coast. And now, facing the same lake, there was no need for distant longing; she stood right beside him.
几个月前,就是在这里,玛莱雅帮助自己感知远在海滨的凯西娅,而现在,面对同样一泊湖水,再也不用遥寄相思,她就站在自己的身边.
Li Haojun gazed at Kesiya beside him. The gentle breeze from the lake ruffled her hair, as if she were reappearing before his eyes, but this time her face was no longer gloomy; it was vibrant, brimming with smiles in the autumn light.
李皓珺端详着身边的凯西娅,湖面的清风吹动她的发丝,仿佛记忆中的她在眼前再现,但是脸上不再有之前的阴郁,那样地鲜活,在这秋光里饱含笑意.
"Kesiya," he called her name, pulling her into his arms. It seemed that the barrier between them had vanished without a trace, and all his love for her flowed freely into her heart once more.
"凯西娅,"呼唤着她的名字,李皓珺把她搂在了怀中,似乎不知从何时起,在自己与她之间的那层隔阂,如今已烟消云散,自己对她所有的关爱,再次毫无阻隔地流淌进她的内间.
At that moment, Malaya, having closed the base gate, walked over dejectedly. She observed the two figures in the bright autumn sun and muttered softly beside him,
这时玛莱雅关好基地大门,悻悻地也走了过来,打量着秋风丽日中这对身影,在旁边轻声嘟囔着,
"Oh, quite a big step, huh?" She then glanced at Li Haojun from head to toe.
"哦,迈出的好大一步哦?"说完还在一旁斜眼上下打量一番李皓珺,
Seeing her lonely figure beside him, Li Haojun put his arm around her waist and pulled Malaya closer. He knew very well that everything that had happened before was orchestrated by this little girl.
看她在一旁孤单的身影,李皓珺揽了一把她的腰,把玛莱雅也搂了过来,他心里很清楚,之前的一桩桩,一件件,都是这个小丫头的心思安排.