After dinner, Qin Wenjing and Li Haojun strolled along the path from the backyard to the solar farm. Beyond the shadows cast by the house's rear garden, the rest of the path was bathed in the glow of the evening sunset. Li Haojun held her hand—this younger sister was deeply attached to him, and he cherished having such a companion in this world. Though he had forgotten his past life experiences, the inner peace and tolerance that came with middle age allowed Li Haojun to fully savor the quiet, unassuming life he now led. Sometimes he wondered: without his former experiences, how had he attained this present state of mind? Could it be... a gift from the soul?
晚饭后,覃文静与李皓珺走在后院到太阳能农场的小路上散步.除了房屋后院的阴影,小路其它地方还在天边晚霞的映衬之下.李皓珺拉着她的手,这个小妹妹对自己很是依恋,他也是很珍惜有这样一位伴侣在这人世间.虽然忘记了之前的人生经历,但是人到中年那种内心之中的平和与宽容让李皓珺很是享受当下的平淡恬静的生活.虽然他自己有时也纳闷,没有了过去的经历,自己是怎么获得现在的心态呢?莫非这来自于灵魂?
Lost in thought, I watched the sunset fade, a streak of crimson lingering on the horizon. Turning my head, I saw Tan Wenjing gazing at the evening glow alongside me. Moments like these made one feel as though time could stand still forever without ever growing weary.
思索着,看着夕阳西下,天边一抹残红,再扭头看见覃文静,正与自己一起望向晚霞,这样的时光,让人有种永远停留在这一刻也不厌倦的感觉.
Qin Wenjing walked alongside, tugging at Li Haojun's arm as she asked,
覃文静走着,拉了拉李皓珺的胳膊问,
"I'm heading to Spokane again tomorrow to exchange data. Want to come along?"
"明天我又要去斯波坎交换数据了,你一起去吗?"
Didn't I go with you last time? Why not? Huh? Why didn't I get the notification about the data exchange?
"上次我不是也跟你去了吗?为什么不呢?唉?为什么我没有收到交换数据的通知."
"Is that so? Maybe your data got transmitted to my terminal too, since we're in the same area."
"是吗?也许你那里的数据也传输到我的终端了吧,毕竟都在一个区域."
"Hmm, that's possible. So are we still driving tomorrow?" Li Haojun asked.
"嗯,有可能.那明天我们还开车吗?" 李皓珺问,
"No, let's call a cab."
"不要,叫出租车吧."
"Why aren't you driving this time?" Li Haojun asked curiously.
"为什么这次不开车了?" 李皓珺好奇地问,
"Because I like..." Qin Wenjing pouted playfully.
"因为我喜欢..." 覃文静调皮地撒着娇.
"Alright, whatever floats your boat." Li Haojun wrapped his arm around her waist, inwardly marveling at how fickle and unpredictable women's moods could be. Maybe she wasn't comfortable with me back then? No, no, no—it was my fault for not being close enough to her, so she insisted on driving alone? Now that we're closer, she wants to sit in the backseat with me? That must be it. Li Haojun walked alongside her down the darkening path, trying to decipher this woman's psychology as they strolled.
"好吧,你喜欢就好."说着,李皓珺搂了搂她的腰,心里感慨女人情绪的善变与不可捉摸.也许是她那时候与我不熟悉?不不不,是我与她关系不够密切,所以她要单独开车?现在关系密切了,她想要和我一起坐在后排?应该是这样吧.李皓珺一边试图分析这个女人的心理一边陪着她散步在入夜的小路上.
The next day, preparations complete, they booked a flying car to Spokane. Typically, passenger drones only accommodate two people, with a rated capacity of four. Li Haojun and Qin Wenjing had booked for two passengers. Based on their weights and declared luggage, it could be either a two-seater or a four-seater model. However, the route to Spokane only offered flying cars—vehicles that could land and then continue on wheels to deliver passengers right to their doorstep. This might be due to no-fly zones over Spokane or local regulatory restrictions.
第二天,准备完毕,订了一辆去斯波坎的飞行汽车.一般来讲客运无人机只有双人,四人额定乘员,李皓珺和覃文静两个人预定,根据乘客体重和申报行李可能是双人机型或者四人.但是去斯波坎的航线却只有飞行汽车,就是说降落之后还能用轮胎行驶,一直把顾客送上门,或许是斯波坎上空禁飞,或地区法律法规的限制吧.
Of course, price and service go hand in hand. Today we're featuring North End Taxi's service. Its streamlined body, bright yellow base color, and bold black stripes set it apart from competitors. Large-diameter energy-efficient tires are enclosed within wheel covers, with only the lower black rubber treads exposed to the road surface. Symmetrical quadrotor propellers at the front and rear are shielded from passengers by protective covers, while foldable wings retract flush against the vehicle's sides.
当然价格与服务是对应的,今天是北端出租车的服务.流线型的车身,亮黄底色与黑色宽线条涂装区别于竞争对手.大直径节能轮胎被包含在轮毂盖之中,只有下端露出黑色的橡胶轮胎与地面接触.前后对称的四旋翼被保护罩与人员隔离,可折叠的机翼收缩到车身两侧.
Li Haojun was admiring the aircraft when Tan Wenjing approached from behind. Today she wore royal blue harem pants and white sneakers, topped with a white lace-collared blouse. A bohemian red-and-white patterned shawl draped over her shoulders. Dark, wide-rimmed sunglasses. Her jet-black hair was pulled back into a bun, secured with a silver carved hairpin. Diamond-shaped crystal earrings adorned her ears. Her lips were painted a bold, vibrant red.
李皓珺正欣赏着这个飞行器,覃文静从后面跟了上来.今天她穿了一条宝蓝色哈伦裤,白色运动鞋,上身白色蕾丝领衬衫,肩披一套波西米亚红白花纹大披肩.深色宽边框墨镜,黝黑的头发盘在脑后,别了一只银质雕花簪子,菱形水晶耳坠儿,大红唇.
Almost every time she stepped out, Tan Wenjing looked refreshingly different. As Li Haojun watched her glide toward him, she seemed a bit aloof again. Instead of embracing her or kissing her full red lips, he helped open the rear door of the flying car. After she got in, he followed, closed the door, and fastened his seatbelt. It felt as though he had become her entourage or bodyguard. As the quadrotor blades spun and tilted, the flying car deployed its fixed wings, gradually transitioning into cruise mode.
差不多每次出门覃文静都让人耳目一新,李皓珺看着她款款走来,似乎又有些高冷,没有拥抱,也没有亲吻破坏她的大红唇,而是帮忙拉开飞行汽车后门,等她上去后跟着上车,关门,系好安全带.好像自己成了随行人员或者保镖.随着四旋翼的旋转及倾转,飞行汽车展开了固定翼,逐步进入巡航状态.
Qin Wenjing took Li Haojun's hand, her eyes behind sunglasses fixed on him, a smile playing at the corners of her red lips as she asked,
覃文静拉起李皓珺的手,墨镜后的双眼看着他,红唇嘴角带着微笑,问,
"Every time I go on a business trip, I drag you along and take up your time. Are you okay with that?"
"每次我出差都要拉着你,占用你的时间,你愿意吗?"
"Why do you ask?" Li Haojun was puzzled, as the question sounded rather distant. "你为什么这么问?" 李皓珺不太理解,因为这话显得关系很生疏.
Because you used to be so busy, it seems like you're back in the groove now.
"因为你以前总是很忙,现在的你似乎又进入状态了."
"Oh." Li Haojun replied, continuing to listen as she spoke on.
"哦."李皓珺答应着,继续听她说下去,
You've always been someone who can't sit still, always got your own projects to work on, unwilling to waste any time on distractions.
"你以前就是总也闲不下来,总有自己的事情要做,不愿意在其它分散精力的地方花费任何时间."
"Did I ever accompany you on business trips before?" Li Haojun asked calmly, looking at Qin Wenjing.
"那我以前陪你出差吗?" 李皓珺平静地看着覃文静问,
Qin Wenjing spoke, merely nodding and uttering a soft "mhm."
覃文静说话,只是点头嗯了一声,
Li Haojun spoke softly and calmly, "Then I am now too."
李皓珺平静地轻声说,"那我现在也是."
Qin Wenjing wore a smile on her lips as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head against his shoulder.
覃文静嘴角挂着微笑,双手搂着他的胳膊,把头靠在了他的肩上.
Through the windshield, the morning sun rose steadily ahead. Li Haojun casually drew the privacy curtain between the front and rear seats. Golden sunlight filtered through the fabric gaps, illuminating Tan Wenjing's face. Behind the shadow cast by her dark sunglasses, her closed eyes peacefully savored the flight. Li Haojun slipped his left arm around her waist from behind, his right hand cradling her shoulder as he gazed intently at her face.
透过前风挡前方正是早晨冉冉升起的太阳,李皓珺随手拉上了前后排之间的遮阳帘.金灿灿的阳光透过窗帘布料空隙照在覃文静的脸上,深色墨镜投下的阴影后面,她闭着的眼睛安详地享受着这趟飞行时光.李皓珺把左手伸过她的后腰,右手搂住她的肩膀,端详着她的脸庞.
飞行的速度总是要比地面好很多,很快两人就到达了斯波坎城区外飞行汽车降落场地,不同方向,航线过来的都在这里依次降落,然后收起机翼,旋翼,用轮胎在路面行驶进入城区.
Flying was always much faster than traveling on the ground. Soon, the two arrived at the flying car landing zone outside Spokane city limits. Vehicles arriving from different directions and flight paths landed here in sequence, then retracted their wings and rotors before rolling on tires to enter the city.
再次来到香颂阁酒馆,里面还没有其他客人,二人没有坐在吧台,而是在一边小桌坐下,点了一些甜点和甜白葡萄酒,边吃边等候约翰.
After a while, John arrived with the crackling sound of Harley exhaust pipes, still in his denim outfit, still with brandy.
过了有一阵子,随着哈雷排气管的啪啪声,约翰来了,还是那身牛仔装扮,还是白兰地.
The three sat at a table. John first discussed recent developments at their respective factories with Qin Wenjing, then the casual conversation began. John turned his head and asked Li Haojun,
三人坐在一张桌前,先是约翰与覃文静沟通了一下近期各自工厂的情况,然后闲聊开始了,约翰扭过头问李皓珺,
Ethan, how have you been lately?
"伊森,最近过得还好吧?"
Li Haojun smiled and nodded, uttering a soft "mhm." Later, he realized this wasn't quite right—what couldn't be said? If not a single word was spoken, people would inevitably interpret the matter as something personal or private. So he added,
李皓珺微笑着点头,嗯了一声,后来觉得不妥,什么事情不能说呢,如果一字不说,事情的理解就会跑到个人生活隐私那边.于是他又补充,
Things are going well, and I'm adjusting to life much better now. Thanks for asking.
"挺好的,生活适应情况好多了.谢谢关心."
"I hear you're in charge of the new factory?" John asked again.
"听说你负责了新的工厂?"约翰又问,
"Yeah, I've been working on these things with Qin Wenjing for a while now, so I picked it up pretty quickly—they're all similar production facilities." Li Haojun replied.
"是啊,之前跟覃文静也一直在做这些事情,所以上手挺快的,都是同类生产设施." 李皓珺回答,
"She used to do these things with you, you know?" John chuckled. "以前是她跟你做这些事情的,你知道吗?"约翰笑道,
Li Haojun gave a wry smile. "I really don't remember."
李皓珺苦笑,"我真的不记得了,"
After saying this, the two burst into laughter. Tan Wenjing didn't interrupt either, just stood by smiling warmly as she watched.
说完二人哈哈笑了起来,覃文静也不插话,就在旁边笑眯眯地看着.
Li Haojun answered John while pondering: How did he find out I took over the new factory? We're at the same level, and employees rarely interact with each other. Could it be he knew someone who left?
李皓珺一边回答约翰,一边思索,他是从什么渠道知道我接管新工厂了呢,我们是平级,公司员工也很少互相接触,莫非离职的人他认识?
While chatting idly, Li Haojun caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye as someone pushed open the bar door. Brown shoulder-length hair, a trench coat, and high-heeled boots—her gait was elegant. The other person also noticed the group here, turned her head to look over, and their eyes met. It was her! Sophie.
正闲聊,李皓珺视线余光看到酒吧推门进来一个人,棕色披肩发,风衣高跟靴,步态优雅,对方也注意到这边有人,扭头望过来,目光交汇,四目相视,是她!苏菲.
It was quite unexpected that she would come here. Seeing she was alone, Li Haojun hurriedly stood up to greet her and invited her to sit down.
He gave up his seat and introduced Sophie first,
很意外她会来这了,见她只有一个人,李皓珺急忙起身打招呼,邀请她过来坐.
让出自己的座位,先介绍苏菲,
John, Emily, this is Ms. Sophie Martinet, our VIP client. She visited our Ellensburg factory just a few days ago—I was the one who hosted her.
"约翰,艾米莉,这位是苏菲马丁内女士,我们的VIP客户,前几天刚到我们的埃伦斯堡工厂参观过,就是我接待的."
This is Mr. John Weant, our colleague from Montana. This is Emily Qin, also from Washington State like me—and she's my girlfriend.
"这位是约翰韦安特先生,我们蒙大拿的同事,这位是艾米莉·覃,与我同样是华盛顿州的,她也是我女友."
As he finished his introduction, a look of pride flashed across Qin Wenjing's face. Being described like that by her partner in front of someone of the opposite sex—especially someone as stunningly beautiful as her companion—made her feel a surge of satisfaction.
听他介绍到这里,覃文静有点得意洋洋的表情闪现在脸上,被自己的伴侣当着异性这么介绍,尤其对方还是一位大美女.
When John was introduced, Sophie merely gave a brief nod, and John responded with polite courtesy—it was impossible to tell whether they had met before or not. When Tan Wenjing was introduced, Sophie seemed to study her carefully.
介绍约翰的时候,苏菲只是简单点头,约翰也只是礼节性应酬,看不出是否曾相识或者没有.当介绍覃文静的时候,似乎苏菲仔细打量了她一番.
After the introductions were made, Sophie sat down beside him. Li Haojun recalled the wedding march from that day and felt a bit awkward too, reflecting on whether he had overreacted back then. Fortunately, Sophie hadn't mentioned it in front of his girlfriend, instead sharing it as a joke with everyone.
互相介绍完毕,苏菲坐在自己身边,李皓珺想起那天的婚礼进行曲也觉得有点尴尬,也在反省是不是那天自己弄得有点过分,还好苏菲并没有在自己的女友面前提及此事,当笑话讲给大家.
During their conversation, Li Haojun ordered a lady-friendly meal for Sophie, personally brought it over, and explained, "Our company colleagues meet up from time to time. I never expected to run into you here—what a coincidence!"
交谈间,李皓珺给苏菲点了适合女士的餐饮,亲自端过来,并解释道,"我们公司同事会不定期的会面,没想到在这里遇到你,真是巧啊."
But Sophie didn't follow up on his words, making no mention of why she had come here. Li Haojun didn't feel comfortable asking, so he changed the subject and started talking about the company's products.
但是苏菲并没有顺着他的话说下去,没提自己为什么会来到这里,李皓珺也不好问,就岔开话题,聊一些公司产品.
Qin Wenjing said nothing, glancing occasionally at Li Haojun and Sophie, but her gaze lingered more on Sophie. John didn't actively engage Sophie in small talk either. Only Li Haojun kept the conversation flowing with her to avoid awkward silences. Sophie responded selectively or gave perfunctory answers, yet her gaze drifted more frequently toward Li Haojun. He noticed this, and he certainly noticed Qin Wenjing scrutinizing the two of them. So he deliberately directed his own gaze toward her more often, to prevent her from getting any ideas.
覃文静什么也没说,时而看看李皓珺时而看看苏菲,但更多的是审视苏菲.约翰也没有很主动与苏菲闲聊,只有李皓珺在始终与苏菲谈话,避免冷场,而她也只是有选的地回答或者应付一下,但是她的目光更多地飘向李皓珺,李皓珺注意到了,他当然也注意到了覃文静在审视他们俩,所以特意让自己的目光给她更多关照,以免她有什么想法.
Li Haojun also noticed Sophie's keen awareness of the atmosphere between him and Qin Wenjing, so she remained low-key, displaying the composure unique to mature women. She politely finished her meal and drink, then excused herself by saying she had another appointment and took her leave.
李皓珺也注意到了苏菲很敏锐地察觉了他与覃文静之间的气氛,所以很低调,有着成熟女性专有的稳重,很礼貌地完成了吃喝,便借口约了人,告别离开了.
Li Haojun saw her off and returned to sit for a while longer. When John also departed, his task completed, he and Qin Wenjing set off on their return journey.
李皓珺送她离开,回来又坐了一会儿,约翰也离开了,所以完成了任务,他与覃文静也踏上返程.
Sitting in the flying car, Li Haojun reflected on the events of recent days, sifting through his mind for signs that might confirm the underlying connections between John, Sophie, Qin Wenjing, and himself. He had forgotten too much and sought to understand the hidden ties within the external world. Just then, Qin Wenjing shook his arm and asked,
二人坐在飞行汽车中,李皓珺回忆着这些天的经历,在脑中过滤有哪些征兆,可以佐证约翰,苏菲,覃文静,自己,之间的互动的内在联系,自己忘记了太多,他想理解外部世界的内在联系.这时覃文静摇了摇他的胳膊问,
So you were actually there to receive that beautiful woman's visit that day. Why didn't you tell me?
"原来你那天是去接待那个美女来访,你为什么不告诉我?"
Nothing important—why bring it up? Might just make you angry.
"没有什么重要的,何必提,弄不好还惹你生气."
Am I that petty? Do you like her?
"我有那么小气吗?你是不是喜欢她?"
"No, she's not my type. She has her own charm—she's pretty—but I know she's just not right for me."
"不,她不是我喜欢的类型,她有她的特点,漂亮,但是我很清楚并不适合我." 李皓珺解释着,然后突然问,
"Do you think she's a clone?"
"你觉得她是克隆人吗?"
"Why do you ask?" Tan Wenjing was a bit surprised.
"你为什么这么问?"覃文静有点惊讶,
"Oh, I'm just a bit skeptical about this world. Ha ha, maybe I've forgotten too much." Li Haojun chuckled self-deprecatingly, not wanting Tan Wenjing to overthink and worry. He shifted the conversation to other topics instead.
"哦,我只是有点怀疑,这个世界.哈哈,也许我忘记的太多了." 李皓珺自嘲着,不想覃文静因此想的过多而担心,转而问其它方面信息,
"Generally speaking, how often did you perform data exchanges before?"
"一般来讲你以前多长时间去做一次数据交换?"
About a month, give or take. The timeframe isn't fixed, and the duration varies.
"一个月左右吧,时间不固定,周期长短不固定."
"Hmm, do you think the company is monitoring our status to ensure we provide stable service?" Li Haojun pressed further.
"嗯,你觉得公司是在监控我们的状态吗?以确保我们提供稳定服务." 李皓珺进一步问,
"Well..." Qin Wenjing hesitated for a moment. "It's not entirely impossible."
"这个...",覃文静迟疑了一下,"也不是没有可能."
So maybe Sophie was an incident, an attempt to create some distance between me and you. What do you think?
"所以也许苏菲是一个事件,试图某种程度上把我拉开与你的一些距离.你说呢?"
覃文静想了一会,没有回答,又抬头看着李皓珺,
"But why do it this way?"
"可是为什么要这么做呢?"
"Because I have a tendency to push my own limits, in order to protect our relationship, haven't I done this before?" Li Haojun asked earnestly and seriously.
"因为我有拓展自己能力的倾向,为了保护你我的关系,是不是我以前也这样做过?" 李皓珺认真严肃地问,
Qin Wenjing thought for a moment before saying, "You really were just like you are now back then." As she recalled, she added, "In every way—work, studies, research, and even how you treated me—you truly haven't changed."
覃文静想了想,说,"你以前的确也跟现在一样," 覃文静一边回忆,一边补充,"各方面,工作,学习,研究方面,还有对待我的态度上,你确实没有改变."
Well, times have changed. In the beginning, whips were used to drive slaves to work. Later, human survival instincts were exploited. Then came the lure of wealth, profit, and power. Now, perhaps it's about harnessing human will—or rather, manipulating it. So I wonder if there's a connection behind this series of events.
"嗯,时代进步了,最早驱动奴隶做工用皮鞭,后来用人的生存本能压榨,再后来用财富,利益,权力诱惑,现在也许就是利用人的意愿,或者说挑动人的意愿."所以我在想,这一系列事件背后是不是有关联.
"Oh," Qin Wenjing replied, but said nothing more, merely staring at Li Haojun.
"哦,"覃文静应答着,但是没有说什么,只是看着李皓珺.