The next day, Li Haojun received new orders: he was to rest in the morning, then travel to Spokane accompanied by Lily to exchange data. However, no transportation was specified. He thought to himself, with that beat-up plane—not only slow but also open-air—flying in this winter would freeze him to death in no time. Covering hundreds of kilometers like that would surely cost him his life. So, gritting his teeth, he knocked on Lily's door.
第二天,李皓珺收到了新的指令,需要上午休整一下由莉莉陪同到达斯波坎,交换数据.但是没有指定交通工具,心想凭那架破飞机,不仅速度慢,还是敞篷,这冬天飞一会儿就冷得要死,几百公里还不把自己小命交代了.于是硬着头皮敲开了莉莉的房门.
"Sorry to interrupt, but I've received new instructions. Are you also...?"
"抱歉打扰,我收到了新的指令,你是否也,,?"
"Yes, come in," Li Haojun said, feeling a bit awkward himself. Lily was still wearing only a long-sleeved nightgown—a loose, turquoise velvet fabric with long, fluffy sleeves and wide cuffs, a deep V-neck, but held together only by a belt tied at the waist.
"是的,进来说吧," 李皓珺也觉得有点尴尬,因为莉莉还只穿着一条长袖睡袍,松石绿的蓬松丝绒面料,长长的毛绒袖子大袖口,深V领,但是只有一条腰带扎在腰间.
Li Haojun followed her into the room and casually closed the door behind them, not wanting to let too much of the indoor warmth escape. He pulled a chair over to the doorway and, watching Lily's back, asked,
李皓珺跟着她走入房间,随手关上房门,因为他不想室内的暖气跑掉太多.在门口拉了一把椅子,看着莉莉的背影问,
Is there a faster commercial flight to Spokane? Otherwise, I'm afraid I might not make it in time. Let's just be open about work matters. Otherwise, seeing Lily dressed like that is bound to make me uneasy.
"到斯波坎能否乘坐速度快一些的商业航空?不然我怕时间可能来不及,"还是开诚布公谈工作吧,不然看着莉莉的装束难免心神不宁.
"Of course I can. Otherwise, I'd feel cold too," Lily said, turning to sit on the edge of the bed. She shifted her body slightly, crossing her legs and tucking the hem of her skirt between them.
"当然可以,不然我也会觉得冷,"莉莉转身坐在床边,稍微偏转身体,双腿交叠压住衣角.
"Yeah, you're right," Li Haojun admitted with a laugh, unsure whether she'd seen through him or simply agreed. Then he asked,
"是啊,确实,"不知道被她识破了,还是她也同感,李皓珺只好笑着承认,然后又问,
"This time you're taking over John Weiant's data exchange work—is it a long-term arrangement, or just this one time or a few times? I'm just curious," Li Haojun said, silently meeting Lily's eyes as he desperately sought an honest answer about what had really happened.
"这次你接手约翰·韦安特的数据交换工作,是否长期的还是仅仅这一次或者几次?我就是有些好奇,"说完,李皓珺默默看着莉莉的眼睛,很想得到一个真实的回答,到底发生了什么事情.
"Long-term, I guess," Lily said with a teasing smile.
"长期,算是吧,"说完莉莉调侃一笑,
"What long-term plan?" he sighed, seeming to hold back further words and offering no further explanation.
"哪有什么长期啊?"感慨之余,似乎欲言又止,也不再解释下去了,
"Yes," Li Haojun agreed.
"是啊,"李皓珺附和着说,
"Just like me, having lost all my past memories and having to start over from scratch."
"就像我,把前面的记忆都丢了,又得从头再来,"
"Oh, yes," Lily nodded.
"哦,是的,"莉莉点了点头,
So from now on, you'll have to fly all the way to Spokane to exchange data with Qin Wenjing? Back when John was at Montana, it was much closer," Li Haojun thought about where Lily lived—probably somewhere in the southern part of the state—but held back from asking, knowing it was none of his business to pry into someone's personal life.
"那么今后你都要飞到斯波坎去和覃文静做数据交换吗?过去约翰从蒙大拿到那里还比较近," 李皓珺想到莉莉住在哪里呢,应该是在南方的位置吧,但是忍住了没有问,不好问人家隐私.
"No need. Once we get there, we'll update your terminal and hers. You can act as a node, and then I can exchange data with you directly."
"不用,到那里把你和她的终端设备更新一下,你可以作为一个节点,以后我和你交换数据就可以了,"
"Oh, that's great—much simpler," Li Haojun said. Then it occurred to him that their previous fixed location in Spokane had been for security reasons. Could they really change locations freely? He turned to Lily to ask.
"哦,那太好了,简便多了,"说完,李皓珺想到过去定点在斯波坎操作好像是因为安全原因,难道可以随意更换地点吗?于是便向莉莉询问,
Lily thought for a moment and said,
莉莉想了想,说,
"Is that so? That makes sense, but as long as I'm close enough to you, the chances of it being intercepted are slim." After saying this, Lily paused for a moment before adding,
"是吗?有一定道理,但是只要我和你距离够近,被截获的可能性就不大,"说完,莉莉想了想又补充道,
"He must like Spokane's bars, huh?" she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes as she spoke.
"他是喜欢斯波坎的酒馆吧?"说完低声自己嘀咕着什么翻了翻眼睛,
Li Haojun burst into laughter upon hearing this, the earlier embarrassment of being guessed to be cold-sensitive fading away. It seemed Lily knew John better, so Li Haojun wanted to ask again,
李皓珺一听也哈哈笑了起来,刚才被猜到自己怕冷也不那么尴尬了.似乎莉莉更了解约翰,于是李皓珺又想问,
"Excuse me, do you rotate work locations on a regular basis? Or—"
"请问,你们是定期轮换工作地点吗?还是,"
"Not necessarily. Sometimes it's for work, sometimes it's personal reasons."
"不一定,有时候是工作需要,有时候是个人原因,"
I remember John always had that Western cowboy style, seemingly skilled with revolvers and lever-action rifles.
"我记得约翰总是西部牛仔的风格,似乎擅长转轮手枪和杠杆式来福枪,"
"Alright, stop your curiosity," Lily said, gesturing to her nightgown with a shrug of her shoulders.
"好了,停止你的好奇心,"说着,莉莉指了指自己的睡袍,一端肩膀双手一摊,
"Oh, sorry, we'll talk about it later," Li Haojun said as she stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her.
"哦,抱歉,以后慢慢聊,"说着,李皓珺退出了房间,合上房门.
The morning went smoothly. Li Haojun boarded the commercial flight from Boise to Spokane, finally escaping the biting cold. Inside the cabin, warm air circulated, comfortable seats provided support, and the enclosed space offered quiet respite. Yet, he felt a bit cramped—not knowing what to say to Lily, who sat across from him. He could only shrug and say,
一上午很顺利,李皓珺坐上了博伊西到斯波坎的商业飞机,再也不用在冷风里吹了.机舱里有暖风,有舒适的座椅,封闭安静的空间,但是,有点局促,因为不知道该和莉莉谈些什么,还是对坐的座椅,只好也是耸耸肩膀,说,
"It's much warmer this time."
"这次暖和多了,"
Lily looked at Li Haojun without responding. They exchanged glances for a moment before continuing the morning's conversation.
莉莉看着李皓珺,没答话,对视了一会儿,继续了早上的话题,
John is indeed skilled with firearms, and certain confrontational missions genuinely require his expertise. However, the level of confrontation isn't what it was in previous years. Now, the spheres of influence among various factions have largely stabilized. After all, no one wants to engage in endless attrition, so everyone is holding their ground within their respective spheres of influence and technological domains.
"约翰确实擅长枪械,有些对抗性任务确实需要他.但是现在已经不像前些年那样的对抗性了,现在各方势力范围基本冻结了,毕竟谁也不想无尽地消耗下去,所以大家都守着各自势力范围和技术领域."
Did I participate back then? I'm curious, because I discovered I had a lot of weapons.
"那时候我参与了吗?我很好奇,因为我发现我有很多武器,"
"You weren't field personnel, but you did possess a keen sense of crisis, which is why you at least prepared the essential weapons for self-defense. However, in this era, many individuals are enhanced through biological or digital technology, making it difficult for ordinary people to match them. Moreover, the opposition operates in organized systems. Still, I admire the courage you showed back then." After speaking, Lily stared intently at Li Haojun.
"你不是外勤人员,但是确实有危机意识,所以你至少准备了自保必要的武器.但是这个时代很多都是生物或者数字技术强化的个体了,普通人很难匹敌,并且对抗行动都是成体系的.不过我很欣赏那时你的勇气."说完莉莉目不转睛地看着李皓珺,
Pardon me for asking, but are you John?
"恕我冒昧,你和约翰是吗?"
Lily didn't answer. After a brief pause, she took Li Haojun's right hand with her left and gently placed it on her neck.
莉莉没有回答,停顿片刻,用自己的左手拉起李皓珺的右手,轻轻放在自己颈部,
Though slightly surprised, he didn't resist. Instead, he obediently pressed his hand against her skin, feeling the pulse of her carotid artery.
虽然有点意外,但是他并没有抗拒,而是顺从地贴合在她的肌肤,可以感觉到她的颈动脉的跳动,
Lily then moved closer to Li Haojun, slowly taking his hand and pressing it down onto her chest, where he could feel the rhythm of her heartbeat.
接着莉莉又向前靠近李皓珺,慢慢拉着他的手向下按在自己胸前,可以感受到自己心跳的频率.
Faced with such a sincere woman, Li Haojun couldn't very well keep stretching his arm to take advantage of her. He moved forward and met Lily's gaze with genuine sincerity.
面对如此真诚的女子,李皓珺也不好抻着胳膊占人家便宜,也向前移动身体,与莉莉真诚对视.
Just then, a distant memory seemed to resurface in Li Haojun's mind—a car chase, running and hiding through narrow alleys, Lily's figure right before his eyes, pulling him away from danger.
就在这时,李皓珺的脑海中似乎回想起了久远的回忆,汽车的追逐,小巷中的奔跑与躲藏,莉莉的背影就在眼前,拉着自己逃离危险.
You've already experienced it with the Red Queen—some implanted chips can indeed enhance perception and information processing capabilities.
"你在红女王那里已经体验过了吧,有些植入芯片确实可以强化感知和信息处理能力."
"Were those experiences between you and me?"
"那些是你和我之前的经历吗?"
"Yes," Lily said, releasing her hand and leaning back into the seat. She said nothing more, quietly watching the scenery outside the porthole.
"是的,"说着莉莉放开她的手,又坐回座椅靠背,不再说什么,静静地看着舷窗外的风景.
Although he knew these images were projections from outside, he might as well use them to temporarily fill the gaps in his blank memories. Yet Li Haojun couldn't help but wonder: if Lily could project memories onto him, could others do the same to her?
虽然知道这些景象是外部投射给自己的,但是不妨暂时作为空白记忆的填充.只是李皓珺自己的内心也心存疑惑,既然莉莉能够给我投射记忆,那么是否别人也能对她这么做呢.
The intense sunlight reflecting off the clouds outside the porthole fell upon Lily's face, making her fair complexion appear even less saturated with color. Though she was a young woman in her prime, she seemed to lack the vibrancy of life. Unable to resist, Li Haojun asked,
舷窗外云层反射的强烈阳光照在莉莉脸上,她白净的脸庞更加缺少了色彩的饱和度,本是妙龄女子,但却似乎缺乏了生命的色彩.于是李皓珺忍不住问,
Lily, do you like your life now?
"莉莉,你喜欢现在的生活吗?"
Lily remained expressionless, glancing at Li Haojun before turning her gaze back to the window. She murmured softly,
莉莉依旧面无表情,看了李皓珺一眼,目光又转向了窗外,轻声说,
Why not? At least you'll be financially free and able to enjoy the scenery along the way.
"为什么不呢,至少财务自由,还能欣赏沿途的风景,"
"Don't you want a family, a stable life?" Li Haojun finally voiced the question that had been on his mind.
"那你不想有个家庭,有个稳定的生活吗?" 李皓珺终于问出了内心想说的一句话,
Lily finally turned back and flashed a faint smile.
莉莉也终于转回头,露出一丝微笑,
Thanks for your concern, but I'm used to this kind of life. I'm in the field—the word "stable" doesn't really apply to my life.
"谢谢关心,我已经习惯了这样的生活,我是外勤,稳定这个词在我的生活中不太适用,"
"Alright, I hope you live a happy life."
"好吧,希望你生活过得快乐,"
Lily gazed at Li Haojun's concerned expression, smiling as she watched him.
莉莉凝视着李皓珺关切的表情,微笑注视.
Spokane. Qin Wenjing arrived alone for the meeting. The three gathered on the street as the sun began to dip toward the west. The golden glow of winter's fading light spilled through the treetops onto the ground, creating an atmosphere that felt warm yet lacked any real warmth.
斯波坎,覃文静独自前来会面,三人在街道会合,此时已经太阳偏西,冬日的余晖金灿灿地从树梢洒向地面,徒有温暖的氛围却没有温度.
Qin Wenjing was delighted to see Li Haojun, though she refrained from showing it too openly with Lily present. The three chose a coffee shop for a brief chat. After Lily finished setting up their respective terminals, she excused herself first. Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing accompanied her to the door.
覃文静看到李皓珺很是开心,只是碍于莉莉在面前不好过于张扬.三人选了一间咖啡馆短暂叙谈,莉莉设置了各自的终端设备后就先起身告别了,李皓珺和覃文静也出门相送.
The stained-glass café door seemed to separate two worlds. Just moments ago, Lily had turned and walked away through the glass. By the time Li Haojun pulled Qin Wenjing's hand and pushed the door open again, she had already walked far down the street, alone. Li Haojun glanced at Qin Wenjing beside him, gently pulling her into his embrace. Turning back to watch Lily's solitary figure receding into the distance, he felt a pang of pity.
镶嵌玻璃的咖啡馆木门似乎隔绝了两个世界,刚才莉莉透过玻璃转身离去的身影,等李皓珺拉着覃文静的手再推门出去,她已经沿着街道孤单一人走出很远.李皓珺看了一眼跟前的覃文静,轻轻把她搂在怀里,再去转头看莉莉远去的孤单身影,心生怜悯.