Chapter 63: Apology
Deng Xi’s one-sided cold war lasted until the next day. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to talk to the little mute, but the moment he met his expressionless silver eyes, he couldn’t help but remember the silver-tail who had pressed him into the shell and forced him to listen to every word.
The moment they arrived at the military headquarters, Deng Xi couldn’t wait to ride his flying chair to the lounge area. Before he could control it for long, he was held down. Si Jisheng bent down slightly and asked Deng Xi, “Do you remember what I said yesterday?”
Deng Xi nodded his head.
Under the adjutant’s subtle gaze, Si Jisheng straightened the crooked collar that Deng Xi had refused his help with this morning, then extended his fingertip, preparing to stick the silver conch shell earring that was hidden under his golden hair to its proper place.
Deng Xi had also put this on himself. He had refused the little mute’s help and had tried to learn, but the magnetic clasp was crooked, and the earring was also shaky.
Just as he was about to touch it, Deng Xi slightly turned his head to avoid it. He was also a little guilty and said incoherently, “I can do it myself.”
His fingertip missed in an instant. Si Jisheng’s silver eyes narrowed slightly.
Deng Xi was in a flurry. “I-I-I’m going to find Bunny.”
The flying chair instantly flew away at high speed.
The adjutant clearly felt the Marshal’s pressure drop. He looked at the golden accessory that had just appeared on the Marshal two days ago, a small and exquisite conch shell earring.
It was even a couple’s set, one gold and one silver.
And under the military uniform, pressed against his wrist, was a faintly visible, translucent blue fish scale bracelet.
Besides the Imperial epaulets, he had never worn any other accessories. Even his cloakroom was all black. These two decorations were like an exclusive mark on Si Jisheng.
It hurt others’ eyes to look at.
The corner of the adjutant’s eye twitched. He really didn’t understand how the little couple, who had been so sweet yesterday, could be so awkward and arguing today.
Si Jisheng noticed the adjutant’s gaze and looked over coldly.
The adjutant looked away as if nothing had happened.
In the silence.
A voice suddenly sounded, “How long have you been married?”
The adjutant coughed violently, scratched the back of his head, and smiled honestly, “Our fifth anniversary is in two days.”
He had even invited the Marshal to his wedding, and although he had been rejected, the adjutant was sure that the Marshal remembered. He just didn’t know why he had deliberately asked.
Si Jisheng repeated, “Anniversary?”
The adjutant said with great experience, “My wife is very particular about rituals. We can celebrate eight hundred anniversaries in a year. The first time we met, the first time I confessed, the anniversary of how long we’ve been together, the anniversary of our marriage—”
Si Jisheng coldly interrupted the adjutant’s long speech, “What’s the meaning?”
The adjutant was at a loss for words for a moment, his face filled with an indescribable expression. “Isn’t it just finding an excuse to solemnly buy some gifts and make her happy?”
Si Jisheng lowered his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable.
The adjutant then added with a hidden meaning, “If my wife is angry, she’ll immediately calm down.”
Seeing that the Marshal seemed to be in deep thought, the adjutant added another sentence, “But that depends on what she’s angry about.”
But a little couple’s quarrel should be easy to coax, right?
·
After receiving the instructions, the secretary-general had set up a snack cabinet in the lounge the next morning.
A creamy yellow wooden cabinet with a transparent glass door. Considering that Deng Xi couldn’t stand for long, the cabinet was only as tall as Bunny. On top of the cabinet were a few iced drink machines.
Deng Xi put all the unfinished snacks in, but they only took up half of the top shelf.
Dr. Li, who had brought Bunny over, also found it novel to see the busy Deng Xi and put the bread and milk she had brought today into the snack cabinet.
Then she gently pushed Bunny.
Bunny walked to Deng Xi in small steps and mustered his courage to say, “Big brother, I’m sorry.”
Deng Xi blinked his eyes in a daze. “Why are you saying sorry to me?”
Bunny looked at Dr. Li as if seeking help. Dr. Li gave him an encouraging look. Bunny took a deep breath. “My mom said that what Xiaoye and the others did yesterday afternoon was wrong.”
Dr. Li turned to look at the clouds outside the window. Let the children solve their own problems.
Dr. Li had not come back with the Marshal yesterday afternoon. Later, when she had gone to the rescue station to pick Bunny up, she had seen the messy ground and Bunny, who was a little angry and asking the other children why they had hit the Marshal. She knew that what she didn’t want to see had happened.
It was the first time Bunny had experienced this. He didn’t know why Xiaoye and the others had such great malice towards the big brother’s boyfriend. After asking, all he got was the explanation from the others that “he’s a big bad guy.”
Bunny remembered the words his mother had had him understand. “I’m their friend. I also have to say sorry to big brother.” He said with a sense of responsibility, “They’re not sensible. I’ll teach them well in the future! This won’t happen again.”
Deng Xi pursed his lips and said with some difficulty, “But I can’t forgive Bunny, nor can I accept your apology.” He said seriously, “Because I can’t replace the person who was truly hurt.” He curved his eyelids, and his clear blue eyes reflected Bunny, who didn’t know what to do after being rejected. He made a small request, “Can you apologize to the person who really needs to be apologized to?”
“I think that person will forgive you.”
Although the little mute looked very fierce, he was very easy to talk to.
Bunny quickly nodded his head. “I’ll tell Xiaoye and the others.” He couldn’t help but look back at his mother again, but all he saw was her back. He was a little nervous, but he still said what he wanted to say. “I know that big brother’s boyfriend is not a big bad guy. Xiaoye and the others also heard it from others. They don’t understand big brother’s boyfriend.”
Deng Xi froze for a moment, and his face instantly turned red. “No! He’s not my, my boy—” Because it was too difficult to say, he paused, then stammered out the last two words, “friend.”
Bunny looked up in confusion. “But my mom said you’re in a relationship.” Because he hadn’t heard a song today, Bunny’s drooping ears stood up. He said suspiciously, “Big brother can’t lie to me.”
“I know. Being in a relationship means being together every day, hugging and kissing. I saw it all. You even have this.”
Bunny pointed at the earring on Deng Xi’s earlobe. He glanced at his mother and lowered his voice. “My mom and dad also have a love token!” He extended his short and chubby little hand and pointed at his knuckle. “It’s here, a matching ring.”
Deng Xi was stunned on the spot and asked foolishly, “What’s a love token?”
Bunny said as if it were a matter of course, “Big brother is so stupid. It’s a matching, commemorative gift. My dad told me that accepting a love token means agreeing to be together.”
The child’s language was clueless and innocent, but it made Deng Xi understand perfectly. He widened his eyes and, at a loss, pulled off the magnetic earring. The overly hasty action made his earlobe hurt and turn red.
Deng Xi frantically waved his hand. “We’re not…” The pain in his earlobe seemed to have become sharp and piercing in an instant. The conch shell earring in his palm also seemed to be burning hot. Because his fingertips were tightened, the tip of the conch shell also pierced into his palm, pressing against the soft flesh, making it red and painful.
The recording began—
The last three words seemed to have become extremely difficult and arduous to say. Deng Xi repeated once, and said in a small voice, “We’re not together.”
“This is not a love token either.”
“It’s just a gift I chose casually.”
Bunny nodded, half-understanding. “Doesn’t big brother like the other big brother?”
Deng Xi did not speak for a long time. The conch shell earring kept rolling in his palm and silently stopped in his sweaty fingertips.
“I like him.”
“I like him.”
The lounge seemed to have suddenly become quiet in Deng Xi’s ears. The beating of his heart also suddenly disappeared, and the ripples in the fish tank quietly shone on the ground.
Deng Xi took a deep breath. He seemed to be very conflicted. After thinking for a long time, he finally explained slowly, “It’s the kind of like where you want to be together forever, but not the kind of like where you’re in a relationship.”
Dr. Li had been listening quietly for a long time and silently shook her head. It seemed that the love education she had sent to the Marshal had not been of any use.
The lounge fell into a silence. Bunny was because he was trying to understand, and Deng Xi was because his eyes were staring blankly at his palm.
Dr. Li turned back and broke the stalemate. “So? Have you come to a conclusion?”
Deng Xi came back to his senses.
Bunny nodded. “I’ve thought of a way!”
Bunny came over and whispered something to Deng Xi. Deng Xi’s eyes lit up slightly, and he nodded in agreement.
Bunny immediately got up, pulled up Deng Xi, who was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, and said to Dr. Li, “Mom, can you help me call the other big brother to find Xiaoye and the others later?”
Dr. Li nodded slightly.
Bunny led Deng Xi slowly to the rescue station, gathered all the children in one room, closed the door, and began to conspire.
It wasn’t until almost noon that Dr. Li received a message from Bunny, asking the Marshal to come to the rescue station.
When Si Jisheng arrived at the hall, the rescue station was empty. Only the suspended table was filled with things, arranged neatly and orderly. In the front was a small, open piece of paper with his familiar handwriting.
Deng Xi had been practicing human characters recently. He had been learning the interstellar language for a long time, but he still hadn’t memorized many characters. Every time he practiced writing, the characters he wrote would be missing a part here and there.
It was very characteristic of the little merman.
On the paper was written—”This is their apology gift to Little Mute. They hope you will like it, but I hope that Little Mute will not be sad anymore.”
Si Jisheng was slightly stunned before he looked at the things on the table. There were many candies and biscuits, as well as a few flower branches, and even a naturally shed deer antler.
This was the best gift that the children at the rescue station could come up with.
On every apology gift was a small piece of paper with clumsy, crooked large characters.
—”I was the one who threw the biscuit yesterday. I’m sorry.” At the end was a small cat paw print.
—”I threw the toy car. I’ll give it to you. Can you forgive me?” It was pressed down by the shed deer antler.
—”Thank you for saving us, for healing our wounds, and for providing us with a place to live.” A few raccoon hairs were stuck to the paper with tape.
—”I’m sorry, I know they were all wrong. You’re not a big bad guy.” A blurry ink dog paw print.
…
Dr. Li smiled. “You see, Marshal, if you can find a balance between restraint and venting, and are willing to explain to them, it’s very easy to get their understanding.”
She then teased, “Your little friend might be waiting for you too, but you’d better be mentally prepared.”
