Mercenary's War-Chapter 2013 - 1990: A Woman

After dinner was over, it was time to separate and move around freely, but Gao Yang didn’t rush to see Jansen, nor did he stick with Yelena; he called Cui Bo and Lilia aside.

When Gao Yang faced Cui Bo and Lilia alone, he didn’t quite know where to start. After looking at the two of them and being silent for a long time, he finally spoke to Cui Bo in Mandarin: "What exactly is the relationship between you two now?"

Cui Bo glanced at Lilia, then said in a slightly helpless tone, "She’s sort of my girlfriend, I guess."

Gao Yang frowned and said, "What do you mean by ’sort of’?"

Cui Bo sighed and said softly, "Sort of means not really. Yeah, we live in the hotel, each having our own room. She’s... very close with me, but it’s also strange. Brother Yang, I’m a bit confused right now."

Gao Yang sighed and said softly, "I thought you would have made your relationship official by now."

Cui Bo said helplessly, "Sometimes I can be quite a jerk, but I’m not despicable."

Gao Yang impatiently waved his hand and said loudly, "I thought after having experienced life and death situations together, your feelings would be stronger. I’m surprised you still haven’t figured it out."

Cui Bo said softly, "Brother Yang, you got it wrong. It’s me who has a deep-seated memory of her. I thought she was dead, but she doesn’t have the same deep feelings towards me."

Gao Yang was momentarily taken aback, realizing Cui Bo was right. Cui Bo had thought Lilia was dead and had been sad for a long time, but Lilia didn’t have the same emotional experience of permanently losing someone.

Letting out a long breath, Gao Yang said a bit annoyed, "Then what’s the nature of your relationship? I thought you two seemed pretty good together." 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Cui Bo scratched his head and said softly, "It’s good, but it’s more like we’ve got a crush on each other. Naturally, we were excited to reunite, but that’s about it."

Cui Bo returned only two days before Gao Yang, not enough time to fundamentally change one’s thoughts. So Cui Bo hadn’t made any progress, which didn’t surprise Gao Yang much.

"What’s she thinking, exactly?"

Cui Bo sighed and said softly, "I’ve told her, but she still wants to go back. She doesn’t want to stay in America. I thought her perspective would change after arriving, but no, as they say, ’a forced melon is not sweet.’"

Gao Yang nodded and said softly, "Right, a forced melon is not sweet."

Cui Bo turned his head to glance at Lilia and smiled, "I thought she was dead, and it was painful, really painful. Finding out it was just a misunderstanding and seeing her again was a joy that lifted my spirits to the heavens, but now, I find it dull."

Gao Yang frowned, "Dull?"

Cui Bo nodded solemnly, "Just dull. Liking someone who feels smothered being kept by your side—what’s interesting about that?"

Gao Yang looked at Cui Bo and then at Lilia, sighing, "I see. Lilia, what are your thoughts now?"

Lilia had always appeared very silent and desolate, but when Gao Yang started asking her in Russian, she seemed a bit nervous. However, after contemplating for a moment, she looked up and said softly, "I want to go back."

Gao Yang smiled and said softly, "After experiencing war, I thought you might have different thoughts. By now, I thought you would abandon childish ideas, but it seems you’re not one to change easily. So, what do you plan to do when you return?"

Lilia said softly, "Whatever I can. America is great, but it doesn’t suit me."

Gao Yang hesitated for a moment, then directly asked, "So, do you like Rabbit?"

Lilia glanced at Cui Bo, smiled lightly, and said softly, "Yes."

Gao Yang said solemnly, "Do you like him enough to stay for him?"

Lilia took a deep breath, was silent for a moment, then said softly, "No, sir. My father is dead, my mother is dead, they died in shelling, and my brother is also dead. I cannot allow myself to forget these things; I have to go back."

Gao Yang nodded solemnly, "I think war is not suitable for women, especially someone like you who doesn’t understand what war truly means. Going back to Ukraine as a warrior will result only in death. Rabbit likes you, so I can’t watch you go to your death. Once is enough for him to experience seeing your corpse, even if it was a misunderstanding then."

Lilia hesitated to speak. Gao Yang laughed, saying, "I brought you here just to prevent you from quickly becoming a real corpse. You mean nothing to me; I’ve seen too many tragedies in my life. Whether you die or not, I honestly don’t care. But I don’t want to see my brother upset, so I’m sorry if that makes you feel wronged."

Seeing Cui Bo and Lilia about to speak, Gao Yang waved them off with a smile, "Don’t be in a hurry. Let me finish. Lilia, I won’t keep you here forever, hoping you’ll change your mind. I don’t have the time, and neither does my brother want that. So, you can go back to Ukraine and do whatever you want."

Lilia looked at Gao Yang in surprise. Gao Yang spread his hands with a smile, "You can go back, but not now. We have about a month’s rest, so Rabbit can use this month to train you, teach you something. My brother likes you, so I’m willing to spend some resources on you so that when you go back, you won’t die immediately, and you’ll be of some use. How much you learn in a month depends on you, but when Rabbit has to join us for action, whether you’ve changed your mind or not, you have to go back."

After speaking, Gao Yang looked at Cui Bo and smiled, "Now the question is, does she have the potential to become a sniper? If suitable for a sniper, teach her sniper skills. If not, then train her to be an assault soldier or the most ordinary infantry, whatever."

Cui Bo thought for a moment and nodded, "Well, she doesn’t have any extraordinary talent, but she’s not too dull to learn. I’ll personally train her."

Gao Yang laughed aloud, "The problem’s solved, folks, anyone got any other objections?"

Lilia looked at Cui Bo, then at Gao Yang, and said very firmly, "Thank you. When I go back, I will become a useful person, an outstanding warrior."

Gao Yang stood up and said loudly, "Great, the rest is up to you two. Rabbit, come with me to see Big Bird, then, find a place with a similar climate and terrain to Ukraine and start training her. Hope she becomes an excellent sniper, like the Specter."

Cui Bo laughed, "Who’s the Specter?"

Gao Yang let out a breath, looking skyward, and said softly, "A... woman."