Yun Guangzhi suddenly reaching out startled Bai Xiaosheng. Seeing that Yun Guangzhi was interested in his watch, Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback again.
"This, was given to at a European watch shop by the owner," Bai Xiaosheng replied honestly.
"I once had such a watch too," Yun Guangzhi looked at it with mixed emotions, "or rather, it was from the sa batch, the first batch after Huaxia’s founding! Ah, how many years it’s been! Ah!"
Yun Guangzhi was filled with emotion, then he noticed it was inappropriate to be holding soone’s wrist and released Bai Xiaosheng, offering an apologetic smile.
In his hurry, Bai Xiaosheng’s wrist was left red and purple, with five distinct finger marks.
"Elder Yun, you’ve got quite the grip," Bai Xiaosheng remarked with a wry smile as he rubbed his wrist.
"Take good care of it, watches like this are rare these days!" Yun Guangzhi seed lost in mories, muttering to himself, "My watch, my father passed it down to , and I held it dearly. When I was young and in the army during peacekeeping, I had a European friend. We saved each other’s lives. When he went on a mission, I gave it to him. Later, I heard he was wounded on his return, and it’s said that the watch saved him by stopping a bullet. Even though it was destroyed, I was still gratified."
Yun Guangzhi, filled with mories, couldn’t resist sharing this story with a stranger for the first ti.
Yun Guangzhi didn’t see Bai Xiaosheng watching him with a strange, incredulous look as he recounted his story.
When Yun Guangzhi looked up and saw Bai Xiaosheng’s expression, he was taken aback, "Why are you looking at like that?"
Bai Xiaosheng cald his surprise and said to Yun Guangzhi, "Elder Yun, was your friend’s na Sebastian?!"
Yun Guangzhi gave Bai Xiaosheng, who was filled with urgency, an odd look and responded, "No."
No?
Bai Xiaosheng was taken aback. From Sebastian’s earlier descriptions and Yun Guangzhi’s words just now, it seed like they were talking about each other. How could it not be!
Yun Guangzhi suddenly understood what Bai Xiaosheng ant and looked incredulously at the watch he was wearing.
Bai Xiaosheng suddenly rembered the brass plaque describing the store’s history outside "Hugo’s Ho" watch shop. It stated that only soone who inherited the family craft and officially took over the watch shop could inherit the na Sebastian, and old Sebastian’s forr na was—Milo!
"Was your friend’s na Milo?!" Bai Xiaosheng asked.
Yun Guangzhi’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, then he spoke in a deep voice, "Can you let see your watch again?!"
Bai Xiaosheng didn’t hesitate, taking off the watch and handing it to Yun Guangzhi, adding, "This watch was damaged by a bullet and later repaired, though not completely restored, by the old owner Sebastian at ’Hugo’s Ho’. It was modified to commorate that crisis and his friend!"
Yun Guangzhi listened to Bai Xiaosheng’s words without reacting, focusing intently on examining the watch, even taking out a monocle from his pocket to carefully inspect the edge of the dial.
After so searching, Yun Guangzhi seed to find what he was looking for, and his expression beca excited, "’To my husband, Yun Yicheng’—this is Huaxia master-level microlithography, the words my mother gave to my father... this is the watch!"
The usually calm Yun Guangzhi was so moved that he nearly lost his composure, his eyes moist, holding the watch as if it were the most precious treasure on earth, "After all these years, I’ve finally seen it again!"
Witnessing such genuine emotional release, even Bai Xiaosheng was deeply moved.
No matter how strong a person is, no matter how tough their heart like steel, there will always be a tender spot.
Bai Xiaosheng waited quietly, giving Yun Guangzhi ti to reminisce about the past.
Yun Guangzhi stroked the watch face, visibly emotional, then suddenly looked up at Bai Xiaosheng, "Are you saying Milo is still alive?!"
Bai Xiaosheng nodded.
"Still alive! He’s at a European watch shop nad ’Hugo’s Ho’, having inherited the family surna and now goes by Sebastian!"
"Good, good, good!" Yun Guangzhi exclaid three tis, his joy apparent.
"He said he tried to find you but couldn’t," Bai Xiaosheng said.
"After that, I went to South Arica. How could he find ! I also sent people to his hotown to look for him, but we couldn’t find him either!" Yun Guangzhi was quite regretful, but then he broke into a broad smile.
In one’s lifeti, nothing is more joyful than hearing that an old friend is still alive.
"Would you let buy this watch? I’ll pay any price!" Yun Guangzhi decisively asked Bai Xiaosheng.
This watch held extraordinary aning for him.
"Since it belongs to Elder Yun, it should naturally go back to its owner," Bai Xiaosheng smiled.
He was deeply moved by the cross-border friendship between Yun Guangzhi and Sebastian.
Returning the item to its original owner was a beautiful thing.
"Young man, I can give you money, any amount. Just na a price!" Yun Guangzhi stared intently at Bai Xiaosheng, saying in a deep voice, "But don’t think of gifting this item just to gain anything from , you might be disappointed!"
Yun Guangzhi was warning Bai Xiaosheng not to hope to leverage the watch to have him resolve any issues.
Bai Xiaosheng laughed, "Elder Yun thinks I’m using this to exchange for sothing, to have you help with my current troubles? I wouldn’t go that far, nor would I foolishly think you’re that kind of person!"
These words ca out quite pleasingly.
Yun Guangzhi regarded Bai Xiaosheng, nodding subtly.
"To be honest, I didn’t spend any money on this watch!" Bai Xiaosheng admitted.
"Oh?" Yun Guangzhi’s eyes narrowed slightly, raising the watch in his hand in surprise, "You got this without spending a penny?!"
Bai Xiaosheng nodded, "It was given to by Mr. Sebastian, probably because he saw I was Huaxia. He said the watch represents his friendship with you. He might not find you or be able to return to Huaxia to fulfill his wishes. But this watch should return! It holds his gratitude and friendship! He hoped I’d bring it back to Huaxia!"
Bai Xiaosheng’s words struck a chord with Yun Guangzhi.
"Milo! Milo!" Yun Guangzhi murmured softly, "My brother!"
Recalling the life-and-death monts shared with his foreign friend amidst the flas of war, Yun Guangzhi assessed Bai Xiaosheng once more, saying in a deep voice, "He gave you this watch just because you’re Huaxia? There must be many Huaxia people he’s t, but he only gave it to you! Just what... makes you special?!"
Bai Xiaosheng, faced with such a question, didn’t want to boast about how different he was from others.
"Perhaps Mr. Sebastian thought I was more agreeable," Bai Xiaosheng deflected Yun Guangzhi with a simple excuse.
Yun Guangzhi looked deeply at Bai Xiaosheng.
The question was intended to give this young man a chance to present himself, and he surely realized it but chose not to take it!
Really foolish!
Just like Milo back then!
"Humph, I’ll ask you one more ti, do you want money?" Yun Guangzhi said, "Or any other benefits!"
In his words, the "other benefits" held many implications.
Bai Xiaosheng shook his head directly.
Yun Guangzhi maintained a cold expression, said nothing further, fastened the watch on his wrist, cast a glance at Bai Xiaosheng, and got up to leave, "You may go now."
Throughout the entire interaction, Yun Guangzhi never said a word of thanks.
Bai Xiaosheng called out to Yun Guangzhi’s departing figure with just a single word.
"Alright."
User Comments
0 comments from readers