After bidding farewell to Luna in Boston, Li Haojun arrived in Boise to meet Lily, who seemed perpetually entangled in top-secret projects. Following Lily's navigation instructions, he boarded a shuttle bus at Boise Airport and disembarked at the southern makeshift runway. Walking to the runway's end, he found an old red biplane with vertical tails. Its inverted three-point landing gear and the sharp edges where the fuselage skin met the spars and stringers suggested a rudimentary wooden fabric-covered structure. The exposed planetary engine in the high-mounted nose, paired with a wooden two-bladed propeller, radiated a raw, untamed wildness.
从波士顿告别露娜到达博伊西与莉莉会面,似乎她总是与高保密项目相关.博伊西机场按照莉莉给的导航信息,李皓珺乘坐摆渡车到达南侧简易跑道,下车走到跑道尽头,有一架老式红色垂尾双翼飞机.倒三点起落架,机身蒙皮在大梁和筋板处的棱角,预示着似乎是简易木制蒙布结构.高昂的裸露着行星发动机的机头,木制双桨叶螺旋桨,散发着原始的狂野不羁.
Lily leaned against the fuselage, hands tucked into her pockets, standing by the rear cargo hold. Today she wore a beige suede flight jacket, her long hair tucked beneath a pilot's cap. Tight dark brown leather pants accentuated her figure, paired with high-waisted black leather boots that seemed slightly oversized.
莉莉背靠着机身,双手插兜,站在后机舱处,今天她穿了一件米色翻毛飞行夹克,飞行帽里笼着她的长发.紧身的深棕色皮裤很好地显露着她的身材,一双高腰黑色皮靴,似乎有点肥大.
"From the Red Queen?"
"从红女王那里来吗?"
Lily's sudden, expressionless question left Li Haojun momentarily at a loss for words. He recalled the hallucination in Luna's office—the woman in the red miniskirt sitting in his lap. Was Lily referring to her?
莉莉面无表情的突然发问让李皓珺一时不知道怎么回答.他想到自己在露娜办公室的幻觉,那身穿红色超短裙坐怀的女子,莉莉指的是她吗?
Yes, everyone calls her the Red Queen.
"是的,大家都叫她红女王."
"Oh," Li Haojun replied, a bit dazed.
"哦,"李皓珺有点木愣地回答,
"Let's board the plane," Lily said, stepping aside to clear the rear boarding ramp.
"上飞机吧,"说着莉莉一闪身,让出了后座登机梯的位置,
Li Haojun hesitated slightly, thinking to himself that if he'd known he'd be flying, he would've brought a parachute. But then he reminded himself that even without power, this light aircraft could make an emergency landing. So he steeled himself and climbed up. As he passed by Lily, his gaze swept over her face. He thought, "With a beauty like her by my side, what's a guy like me got to be scared of?" So he smiled back at her.
李皓珺略有犹豫,心想早知道坐飞机就带降落伞了,转念又一想,好在这种轻型飞机即便没有动力也能迫降,就硬着头皮往上爬.经过莉莉身边的时候,眼光扫过她的脸庞,心想,有美女相伴,自己一个爷们儿,怂个什么,于是微笑以对.Lily tilted her head, her eyes fixed on him, a faint smile playing on her lips.
莉莉一歪头,眼睛看着他,嘴角微扬.
"There's a visor on the seat. Put it on," Lily said before turning to pedal her way up the main wing. She walked to the cockpit and climbed inside.
"座位上有风镜,戴上它,"说完莉莉转身蹬着踏板上到主翼,走到驾驶位跨入座舱.
Li Haojun sat in his seat, goggles in hand rather than worn, watching Lily's figure against the blue sky—a figure that seemed to flicker and stutter like a glitchy video. He couldn't tell if his mind had wandered or if he was reliving memories. After a moment's gaze, Lily had already fastened her seatbelt and started the engine. With a crackling sound, wisps of black smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe as the propeller spun wildly. The airflow pulled the plane forward, slowly crawling down the runway.
李皓珺坐在自己的座位上,并没有带上风镜,却只是拿在手里,看着莉莉在蓝天的背景前,似乎闪烁卡顿播放的身影,不知道是自己走了神还是回了忆.凝视片刻,莉莉已经系好安全带,启动了引擎.随着噼啪声排气管冒出几缕黑烟,螺旋桨有力地乱转起来,气流拉动着飞机徐徐蠕动驶上跑道.
As Li Haojun secured his goggles, the aircraft had already aligned with the runway and increased throttle. The propeller churned the air, its roar mingling with the rhythmic tick-tick-tick of the valves. The engine's vibration pulsed through the entire fuselage.
当李皓珺戴好风镜,飞机已经对准跑道加大油门,螺旋桨搅动气流与排气噼啪声中夹杂着气门有节奏地嗒嗒嗒,引擎的抖动传遍机身.
"Buckle up!" Lily shouted over her shoulder.
"系好安全带,"莉莉回头大喊,
"Alright," he replied, leaning forward to fasten his seatbelt. Once the four-point harness was secure, he looked out the window. The rear wheels had already lifted off the ground, and the aircraft was gradually ascending, its body swaying against the crosswind.
"好的,"俯身向前一边回答一边拉起安全带把自己绑紧,等绑好四点式安全带再抬头向外望去,后机轮已经离地,机身与斜横风对抗摇动之中逐渐升空.
Under Lily's control, the aircraft climbed in a stair-step pattern before abruptly executing a steep bank turn toward the mountainous terrain northeast of Boise. After the thin fuselage completed the high-G turn and leveled off, Li Haojun finally relaxed slightly. Glancing at the scenery outside the window, he thought to himself that communicating with Lily now was impossible—the noise was too loud and would distract her. He resolved to demand clear specifications for travel vehicles from the company upon returning; they couldn't keep flying in unreliable junk like this.
飞机在莉莉的操纵下,阶梯爬升高度,然后突然一个大坡度转弯,飞向博伊西东北方向的山区.单薄的机身,经过过载盘旋改为直后,飞李皓珺才略微放下悬着的心,一边看着侧舷的风景一边想,这时与莉莉沟通是不行了,噪音太大,也分散她的注意力,回去后一定跟公司要求明确出行交通工具,不能什么样的不可靠破烂都乘坐.
The small plane flew at a low altitude, drifting over several ridges and valleys before beginning its descent. Thankfully, the goggles were attached to the leather cap; otherwise, my head would have lost heat, and my ears would have frozen solid long ago. A makeshift runway came into view on the ridge ahead. The plane approached diagonally parallel to the runway, maintaining steady speed as it descended into the final approach. Though the terrain was gentle, winter had blanketed the land in snow, save for patches of exposed dirt along the runway worn bare by frequent takeoffs and landings. At the runway's end stood a small lodge and a tiny helipad, where a small aircraft and two all-terrain tracked vehicles were parked.
小飞机的飞行高度并不高,飘摇着飞过几个山梁与山谷便开始降低高度.还好,风镜是连皮帽的,不然头部失温,耳朵也早就快冻僵了.不远看到山脊上一条简易跑道,飞机斜向平行于跑道,匀速接近降低高度进入三边飞行,虽然地势平缓,由于是冬季,大地依然是白雪覆盖,只是跑道由于频繁的起降而翻出了泥土.跑道尽头有一个小旅店,和一个小小的停机坪,停着一架小飞机和两台全地形履带车.
The ground grew closer as Lily maneuvered the plane into its final turn, gliding down toward the runway. She touched down smoothly in the crosswind along the ridge and taxied to the apron.
地面越来越近,莉莉操作飞机最后一次转弯,下滑对准跑道,在山脊的横风中飘然着陆,滑行至停机坪.
Li Haojun helped Lily secure the plane before following her toward the small inn, trailing quietly behind her while secretly cupping his hands over his ears to keep them warm.
李皓珺帮着莉莉一起固定好飞机,便跟随着她走向那个小旅馆,悄悄跟在她的身后,偷偷用双手温暖着自己的耳朵.
This wasn't an inn, merely a two-story wooden structure that outwardly resembled a lodge for mountaineers or a private club. But upon entering the gate, passing through the lobby and front desk, staff immediately escorted visitors into the elevator shaft. Descending underground led to another world entirely. The same identity verification process applied here—another biotech facility. Lily did not accompany him. The facility utilized equipment and technology developed by Tarachi Bio-Genetic Innovations, so once again, Li Haojun came to perform maintenance work. With limited time on the first afternoon, he could only familiarize himself with the facility's scale, the categories and models of applied technologies, and the equipment types. Yet this facility differed from others. Descending the elevator shaft revealed no extensive underground complex; it seemed merely an entrance and transfer station. Multiple facilities required underground high-speed rail transit to reach other locations. They appeared to form a complex of underground structures, each operating as a self-contained functional facility in an isolated state.
这不是一家旅店,只是一个二层木制建筑,外表看起来好像接待登山者的旅店或者私人俱乐部.但是走进大门穿过大厅与前台直接有工作人员陪同进入电梯井降入地下便到达了另一个世界.同样地身份确认,同样是一个生物科技设施,莉莉并没有跟随.设施使用的同样是塔拉奇生物基因创新的设备与技术,所以又是李皓珺到这里来做维护工作,第一天下午时间有限,只能是熟悉一下设施规模和应用技术设施类目和型号.然而这处设施却并不同于其他地点的,这个电梯竖井下来后并没有大规模地下设施,似乎只是一个入口加中转站.需要在地下乘坐高速轨道交通到达其它地点的多个设施.它们似乎是一个地下设施建筑群,并且以相互隔离的状态,作为一个完整功能设施运作.
Returning to the initial transit hub, I ascended to the ground-level building lobby. Looking out, night had already fallen, with only the dim yellow light from the front desk holding back the darkness against the cold winter outdoors.
回到初始中转站,上到地面建筑大厅,朝外望去已经夜色降临,只有前台昏黄的灯光,将夜色抵挡在寒冷的冬日室外.
As he hesitated, Li Haojun spotted the figure sitting on the sofa in the dark corner.
犹豫之际,李皓珺发现那个身影,坐在黑暗角落的沙发里.
"Lily," Li Haojun gazed in that direction, hesitation weighing on his heart as he wondered if she was still there. He called out softly. Only when she slowly rose did he gradually recognize her figure, emerging from the darkness and walking toward the light.
"莉莉,"李皓珺望着那个方向,心怀犹豫,不确定是不是她还在那里,轻声地问了一声.直到她缓缓站起才逐渐确认那是她的身影,正从黑暗中向这边的光亮走来.
"You haven't left yet?" Li Haojun asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"你还没走?" 李皓珺有点疑惑,
Yeah, the instructions I got were simple: just bring you here. That's it. They never said I had to leave.
"是啊,我收到的指令很简单,把你送到这里,没了.没说我必须离开啊."
"Then you don't have one," Li Haojun was about to ask, "Don't you have a family?" but couldn't quite bring himself to say it. Lily smiled and simply replied,
"那你没有," 李皓珺刚想问,你没有家庭吗,可是没好说出口.莉莉一笑,简单回答,
I don't have any plans. Let's just go have dinner at that restaurant over there.
"我没什么打算,我们还是去吃晚饭吧,就在那边餐厅."
This building masquerades as a mountaineers' lodge, yet it does not accommodate climbers. Operating under secrecy, it seems even its visitors never overlap. Only Li Haojun, Lily, and the staff remain in the restaurant. By the flickering candlelight at the corner table, the night outside the window seems to draw the distance between them closer.
这是一个伪装成登山者旅馆的建筑,但是并不接待登山者,似乎因为保密运作,就连到访人员都没有重叠,餐厅里只有李皓珺,莉莉和服务人员.在角落餐桌的仿烛光里,窗外的夜色似乎很好地压缩了两人间的距离.
"Your plane is pretty cool, and that Jaguar you had last time—you really have great taste," Li Haojun brought up the topic first. What big boy doesn't love that stuff?
"你的飞机很酷啊,还有上一次你的捷豹,你的品位真的不错," 李皓珺首先提起了这个话题,有哪个大男孩儿不喜欢这些呢,
"Oh, I'm glad you like it. I spent my entire paycheck on this, haha."
"哦,很高兴你喜欢,我把我的薪水都花在这上面了,哈哈,"
"They're all pretty old models. Did you handle all the maintenance yourself?"
"它们都是很老的型号了,都是你自己做的维护工作吗?"
"Yes, I have my own hangar and maintenance equipment," Lily paused, fiddling with the food on her tray before looking up at Li Haojun again and saying,
"是啊,我有自己的机库和维护设备,"说着莉莉停顿了一下,摆弄着餐盘里的食物,然后又抬头看着李皓珺说,
Maintaining them is my pleasure. Whether it's blue skies and white clouds or country lanes, they bring me great joy.
"维护它们是我的乐趣,无论是蓝天白云,还是乡间小路,它们给我带来很多快乐."
"So, what about your family? Sorry, I really don't remember if you've told me before, but the moment you boarded that plane felt like something I'd experienced before."
"那么,你的家人呢?抱歉,我真的不记得你是否和我说过了,但是你上飞机那个瞬间似乎我从前经历过,"
Lily didn't respond. She glanced up at Li Haojun, then lowered her head again to fiddle with her food.
莉莉没有搭话,抬头看了看李皓珺,又自顾低头摆弄着自己的食物,
Li Haojun didn't press further, merely staring at her face for no apparent reason—one side illuminated by warm candlelight, the other outlined by the cold glow of the night.
李皓珺没有追问,只是莫名看着她的脸庞,一边被温暖的烛光照亮,一边是夜色冷光刻画轮廓.
"Why dwell on it? Honestly, I don't remember much either," Lily murmured softly, her head bowed. After a moment's silence, she lifted her gaze and smiled.
"何必执着呢,其实我也不太记得了,"莉莉没有抬头,只是自己低着头轻声低语.沉默片刻莉莉又抬头笑着说,
So, how's it been since you got back? Does Emily still love you as much as ever?
"说说你吧,这次归来过的怎么样?艾米莉还是那么的爱你吗?"
Oh, you know her.
"噢,你知道她,"
"Of course,"
"当然,"
"Though I can't recall exactly, it feels like our bond has endured for quite some time. Whether I'm awake or asleep, she's always by my side, so—" Li Haojun paused. Praising one woman in front of another always felt a bit awkward to him, so he paused before continuing.
"虽然我不记得了,但是好像我们之间的关系已经维系了好久了.不管我是醒着还是睡着,她都陪伴着我,所以," 李皓珺停顿了一下,当着一个女人夸赞另一个女人,总是觉得有些不自然,停顿了一下才又接着说,
"So I'm still quite fortunate,"
"所以我还是很幸运的,"
"Isn't she?" Lily lifted her head to ask Li Haojun, candlelight illuminating her cheeks and hair, her eyes revealing a woman's sorrow.
"难道她不是吗?"莉莉抬起头对着李皓珺问,烛光照亮她的脸颊与发丝,眼神里透露着女人的哀怨.
Li Haojun realized there might have been a story between them, but his amnesia had freed him from it, leaving Lily to bear the burden alone. Yet at this very moment, he didn't know how to comfort her standing before him.
李皓珺意识到自己与她可能有故事,只是自己因为失忆而解脱了,却丢下莉莉独自承受,而此时此刻自己却不知道如何安慰面前的她.
"Alright, eat up. What else are you thinking about?" Lily urged with a gentle smile, seemingly sensing his unease and changing the subject.
"好了,吃吧,还想什么,"莉莉微微一笑催促道,似乎看出了他的局促,便岔开了话题.
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms. Li Haojun couldn't suppress the restlessness, helplessness, and sense of failure weighing on his heart. He slipped on his coat and went for a walk along the ridge outside the hotel. In the dim night, the all-terrain vehicle and Cessna aircraft parked across the way gleamed with a metallic coldness.
晚饭后各自回到房间,李皓珺无法按耐内心的烦躁,无力与辜负的重.独自穿好外衣散步在旅馆外的山脊.暗淡的夜色里对面停放的全地形车和塞斯纳飞机透着金属的冰冷.
As soon as he stepped out from the hotel's corner, the cold wind sweeping across the ridge whipped up swirling ice crystals and snowflakes that stung his face. It seemed to echo the ache in his heart, piercing his skin as well. Li Haojun thought of the weapons and gear in his basement. Had there been a time when Lily might have been his comrade-in-arms, willing to brave fire and water? Her restraint had likely stemmed from his relationship with Tan Wenjing, yet he had forgotten every moment they'd shared.
刚走出旅馆墙角,掠过山脊的冷风旋转着卷起的冰晶雪块打在脸上,似乎配合着刺痛的心,它也来刺痛着皮肤.李皓珺想到自己地下室的武器,那些装备,是否曾经有些年,莉莉或许是自己赴汤蹈火的战友,她的克制是因为自己有覃文静在身边,而自己已经忘记了与她的所有经历.
It was a night of sparse stars, the darkness deep and unyielding. A sliver of new moon hung over the snow-capped mountain ridge ahead, its pale light reflecting off the white snow, a tale of desolation and icy cold. To stave off the chill, Li Haojun pulled his outer coat tightly around himself, keeping himself moving. The ice and snow crunched beneath his feet. His aimless wandering felt like both a pursuit and an escape. Yet the distant snow-capped mountains and crescent moon remained frozen like a painting suspended in the sky, utterly beyond reach.
这是个星稀的夜晚,夜色黑暗,一弯新月悬挂在前方雪山山梁,月色与白雪互映,凄凉与冰冷相述.为了保持体温,李皓珺搂紧自己的外衣,保持走动.冰雪在脚下发出咯吱咯吱的声音,没有目的的移动犹如追索着什么,又似乎在逃避着什么,那远方的雪山与弯月却似凝固的画卷,悬挂在天际,不可触及.
Only when the biting cold wind had somewhat blown away the melancholy in his heart did Li Haojun turn and retrace his steps, the mountain breeze urging him onward from behind.
直到刺骨的冷风已经多少刮去内心的感伤,李皓珺才转身,寻着自己的足迹返回,山风从背后催促着归途.
From time to time, I glance back at the crescent moon over the distant mountains. It is precisely this incomplete, fragmented form that illuminates the far peaks in the dark night, casting its own silhouette—stretching long beneath my feet, winding and swaying around the mountain.
不时回望那远山弯月,正是它残缺罅隙的身姿,在这暗夜里照亮远山,刻画自己的身影,长长地铺在脚下,盘山摇晃.
Creaking footsteps drew nearer to the wooden lodge. Moonlight reflecting off the snow-covered ground made the building's walls and windows glow unusually bright. At the window of the room at the far end of the second floor stood a figure—it was Lily.
咯吱咯吱的脚步声里,旅店木屋越来越近,月光与地面冰雪的反射使得建筑墙面,窗子异常明亮,就在二楼尽头房间的窗前,站着一个身影,是莉莉.