The Name of the Rose [Interstellar]

Very depressed: "I thought so at first, but I didn't expect that marbles are all extinct these days."

Before coming to eat, he ran around all the nearby stores, and the clerks said that those things had been sold out for a long time and were out of stock.

In desperation, I had to temporarily buy a box of chess.His chess skills are average, but anyway, he doesn't really want to compete with Xue Yuan, he just finds an excuse to ask the other party out to meet in private.

Thirty-two wooden chess pieces bounced and fell on the clean table.

Xue Yuan picked up a black horse and held it in his palm.The horse is carved with a square head and brain, small and light, with the unique fragrance of wood.After graduating from school, he hadn't touched this thing for many years, and for a while, he felt a touch as if it had been a lifetime away.

Joey wants to play according to the opening formation.Xue Yuan stopped him: "There is not enough time for a meal to play a game of chess, it is faster to start directly from the endgame."

He quickly set up an endgame with only 6 pieces.

"Is there any special meaning to this endgame?" Joey asked.

Xue Yuan pondered for a while, "I guess there is. This is the last official competition I participated in, and I used Heizi."

16 years ago, in the 10-year-old group of the World Youth Chess Championship, he competed with a teenager of the same age for the final qualification.

At the beginning of the game, he accidentally lost the queen. In a state of confusion, he fell into the opponent's serial traps. He lost his rook and bishop one after another. In the end, only one horse and one pawn were left, trying to fight against the opponent's one rook. and 1 elephant.No matter how you look at it, the possibility of winning is very slim.

Until now, he can still clearly recall his loneliness and despair at that time, and the weight of the universe seemed to be falling towards his heart in an instant.The father was less than 20 meters away from the field, but it was useless.He is a lonely king, and there is no one in his world, except that one horse and one soldier, no one can save him.

After a long time, he felt that chess is very similar to cryptography: once it becomes a career, it is no longer a pure intellectual game, but a cruel killing.It is similar to a certain kind of fate: while defending, while cracking, carrying self-esteem, competing step by step alone, towards glory or destruction.

Joey studied the endgame, hesitantly said: "Did you lose that game?"

Xue Yuan didn't speak, but rolled his eyes and said with aura: I will lose?

Joey moved the white car and walked to the grid of C3: "What will you do when you are generalized? Take the general, or run away from the king?"

To prevent someone from eavesdropping, he spoke cryptically.But his eyes conveyed to Xue Yuan the question that both of them had tacitly understood - "Are you going to stay or go?"

Not long ago, Pei Shu sent a message to the two of them by code: 29ASAP (Tonight, assoonas possible. Tonight, as soon as possible).

Tonight is the time for the first batch of light-speed spacecraft to depart, and it is also the golden time for the easiest boarding.The further you go, the harder the situation will be to control, and the stricter the review will be.At that time, mid-level technical officers like Joey and Xue Yuan would hardly have the chance to leave.

Xue Yuan shook his head, and lightly touched the soldier in front of the "king" with his fingertips: "If the king escapes, the soldier will have no protection."

Joey understood, and asked again with his eyes: "For Qi Lian?"

But what he said was: "You have to think about it. If you escape from the king, you still have a chance to come back. If you don't escape, you will lose everything."

Xue Yuan understood what he was alluding to.Without fusion power, the fleet's ecosystem would be unsustainable, and food would soon be scarce.At that time, it is hard to say what will happen, and it is very likely that people will really start cannibalism.

And it's hard to say what a good way out the "wall" is.That mysterious advanced civilization always makes people feel that it has ulterior motives, and there is a hint of insidiousness of "coming soon to the bowl".

No matter how you look at it, walking is the best policy.

but……

Xue Yuan's tone was pretending to be relaxed: "I won't run away from the king. My soldier is about to be promoted to queen, how can I abandon him at this time?"

He also looked at Joey and said, "I'm sorry, I have a reason to stay."

Joey's expression was a bit gloomy for a moment, he very much hoped that Xue Yuan would also go with him.

Xue Yuan said softly: "I won't go see you off, just say hello to Uncle Pei for me."

Joey was silent.

Only to hear the other party say again: "—Joshua, reconcile with your father, before it's too late."

When returning to the residence, Xue Yuan found a figure standing in front of the door.

Squinting his eyes to gather his gaze, he could see clearly by the light in the corridor that it was Qi Lian.He leaned against the door and seemed to have been waiting for quite a long time.

"What are you doing at the door, why don't you go in?" Xue Yuan was a little surprised.

Qi Lian couldn't answer.When he approached, he leaned over and sniffed him: "You've been drinking."

"Oh, I went to have dinner with my colleagues." Xue Yuan rubbed his hair, speaking calmly.

Qi Lian didn't ask any further questions.Xue Yuan was surprised to find that there was a preoccupied look on his face, like a melancholy little prince.

What Xue Yuan didn't know was that Qi Lian knew exactly where Xue Yuan went just now, and also knew why.When Joey came to "borrow" Xue Yuan from him, he explained everything very clearly. ——Because of the experience last time, Joey didn't dare to go to Xue Yuan's privately again.If he is caught again by a loyal dog boy, I am afraid that he will become the No. 1 who can fly out of the solar system at the speed of light without nuclear fusion power.

Qi Lian is simple-minded, but not a fool.He is as clear about the current situation as Xue Yuan.He doesn't care what happens to himself.Whether he goes to the "wall" or goes to the future, it makes no difference to him.

The only person who cares is one person.

Since he was unable to protect this person himself, it was only natural for him to let him go to a safer place.His planet is so barren that he has nothing but this rose to make his home.When the rose withers, his planet is lost.

After Joey and Xue Yuan broke up outside the restaurant, he immediately called and told him that Xue Yuan decided to stay.So he came here to wait, trying to persuade Xue Yuan to change his mind.But when he saw the other party, his heart became flustered again, and he didn't know how to speak.

Xue Yuan didn't know Qi Lian's thoughts, thought that he was angry because of drinking, and tried every means to make him happy.

When he saw the perfume bottle on the shelf, Xue Yuan patted his forehead: "Oh, yes, I suddenly remembered something. I promised you to mix a perfume for you, but I was too busy to forget it later. I will replenish it for you today." ,OK?"

He immediately began to rummage through a pile of essential oil bottles, "What type of fragrance do you want? ——Forget it, it's useless to ask you. I decided on my own."

In the past, when mixing fragrances, he would first set up a comfortable environment, play some light piano music at a low volume, and then open the bottles and cans in front of him in a completely relaxed state.

But he had to find something to do right now, lest Qi Lian see that he was afraid.

With Joey, he camouflages himself perfectly, acting like he doesn't care about the lightspeeder.

However, how could you not care.

Although I am full of curiosity about the unknown world beyond the "wall", if the price is likely to be life, of course I will still be afraid.

He was afraid that he would suddenly change his mind and do something like abandon Qi Lian.

Therefore, you must force yourself to do something to get that thought out of your brain.Maybe he will regret the choice at this moment in the future, but he only wants to do it now.

"What should I use as the top note..." Xue Yuan muttered to himself.

The smell of alcohol on his body suddenly gave him a hint of inspiration.Annick Goutal has a perfume with a simple and pure taste: the top note is red wine, the base note is rose, and the base note is a little amber and musk.Without too many decorations, it is almost like "soaking roses in red wine", so it is called "slightly drunk rose".

And its other name is also very moving: CeSoirOuJamais, tonight, or never.

This is a female fragrance, a bit too sweet for Qi Lian.However, on this special night today, Xue Yuan couldn't think of a more appropriate word to describe his mood.

tonight, or never.

Tonight is really the last chance.

If he gave up today, fate would not give him a second chance to fly away.

Putting an appropriate amount of alcohol into a container, Xue Yuan opened the bottle of rose essential oil.

A dazzling light flashed outside the porthole, it was the flames of the rocket launch pad.The first lightspeed ship launched.The distance between the fleet and the invisible wall is too close for it to accelerate to the speed of light, so it will be sent to the orbit of Saturn by the launch vehicle first, where it will separate from the rocket and begin to accelerate step by step, reaching the speed of light in front of the Oort nebula.

The light of Liuyan distracted Xue Yuan for a moment.The bottom of the hand lost its aim, and a few drops of rose essential oil slid down the outer wall of the container.

"Ah, what a waste." Xue Yuan pulled a tissue to wipe it off, and smiled to hide his confusion, "This essential oil is more expensive than gold."

"..." Qi Lian pulled the opponent's shoulder a little bluntly, and wanted to say something, but was stopped by the opponent's gaze.

Another ray of light ignited, illuminating Qi Lian's face.He turned his head to the side and stared out the window.

Xue Yuan pressed the button and closed the visor on the inside of the porthole: "Don't look outside, just look at me."

At this moment, he only wishes that they have each other and don't need more worlds.

The lights were also turned off, and the room was pitch black, like a universe without starlight.

Xue Yuan took Qi Lian's hand, and slowly reached for the button of his uniform.Only under the double cover of alcohol and darkness can he have such unreserved courage to present himself in front of another person.

Or tonight, or never.

If you still can't break through the wall of your heart tonight when you make a decision, I'm afraid you won't be able to do it again in the future.

Qi Lian didn't say a word, and quietly let her hand be led by the other party, and with a clumsy gesture, silently comforted this proud and slightly drunk rose.

Everything is silent, no words are needed.

Many walls—the walls in the deep space of the universe, the walls in all parts of the world, and the walls in my heart—all were dissolved into nothingness one by one by the other party's moist tongue and gentle lips.

The author has something to say:

☆, cover the nest