Flame War Anthem: Beyond the Galactic River (GL) - Chapter 3

After hearing her words, Yan Yu felt a tumult of emotions—indescribable bitterness and astringency, perhaps a mix of both.

And this feeling was stronger than ever, so intense that she wished she could immediately cut open her own heart and replace it with hers.

Yet, she couldn’t bear to let her suffer even the slightest harm, even if that harm came from herself.

Even if resentment filled her heart—resentment toward her obliviousness, toward her teasing that always seemed ambiguous yet impossible to decipher.

Though her thoughts twisted and turned endlessly, her expression remained as calm as ever, betraying no trace of frustration. The emotions in her heart were still tightly concealed, not a single drop leaking out.

“What about you? Have you ever thought about when you’d like to get married?”

An Jingxi’s smile froze at the question.

After a brief pause, her eyes darkened slightly as she sighed and replied, “I have thought about it, but it’s still too early to discuss such things. Let’s just leave it to fate…”

As soon as the words left her lips, she turned to look at Yan Yu, who happened to be gazing back at her. Both of them stopped in their tracks.

The forest path was utterly silent, save for the occasional half-yellow, half-green leaves scattered on the ground.

They stood there, an ordinary scene to any onlooker, yet perhaps because of the unspoken understanding between them—one that others could never hope to match—they exchanged a knowing smile.

However, when it came to topics like love and marriage, there always seemed to be a certain evasion, different from any other subject.

Yan Yu’s expression was as composed as ever, though her face had paled slightly. “Xiao Xi, do you remember our old promise about dating?”

An Jingxi’s eyes flickered with confusion. “Our promise about dating…?”

Her tone grew serious, her gaze unsteady. “We agreed that if either of us ever found someone we liked, we’d bring them to the other first. If the other person thought they weren’t good enough, we wouldn’t continue the relationship. Did you forget?”

Though it had been nothing more than a casual promise made in their youth, Yan Yu had silently kept it close to her heart, hoping it would remain valid forever.

Yet, she also felt selfish for wanting to use such a method to prevent her from falling for someone else.

If she truly found someone more important than herself, what right did she have to stand in the way of her happiness? She might even have to force out words of blessing against her own will…

“Silly Yanyan, don’t worry. I won’t break our promise… No matter what, I’d have to vet them for you. If they truly treat you well, of course I’d approve.”

An Jingxi lowered her eyes, an inexplicable joy mingling with self-deprecating melancholy—hope flickering within her, yet she dared not voice the words in her heart.

Her right hand naturally grasped Yan Yu’s left, warmth meeting coolness as they continued walking toward the library. “When the time comes, I’ll place your hand firmly into theirs and solemnly tell them to cherish and love you for a lifetime, never to hurt you—or else none of us friends will let them off the hook. That way, all these years I’ve spent by your side, protecting you as you grew up, won’t have been in vain. Of course, this would have to be done in private. If it were at a wedding, that would naturally be Uncle Yan’s role.”

Yan Yu said nothing more, quietly letting herself be led, listening as her words lingered softly in her ears, the deeply buried hope in her heart still carefully concealed.

She wished only to have her hand held like this forever, walking slowly through the long journey of life together. Even if time passed until their hands grew inseparable, she would never want to let go.

“You’ve always been indifferent to many things and often neglect your own health. When I’m no longer by your side, remember to take care of yourself. Life in the military won’t be like school—the discipline is much stricter. But then again, you probably don’t need to worry too much. After all, most of the trouble you got into before was because of me. Without me around, I doubt you’ll make any more mistakes.”

“I used to always look forward to graduation, but now that it’s really here, I can’t help feeling reluctant—reluctant to leave the campus, the teachers, the instructors, the classmates… and you.”

As they reached the corner, the atmosphere unwittingly turned melancholic. An Jingxi tightened her grip slightly on her hand, and for a moment, her heart fluttered with unease.

Some words had been weighed and pondered in her heart countless times, yet she could never find the right moment to voice them.

Stopping again, they stood facing each other. Her eyes shimmered with tender affection. “Yanyan… No matter how far apart we are in the future, my friendship with you will never change. Whoever you truly love, I’ll be the first to give my blessings.”

Her blessing—words she didn’t need. She didn’t want her blessing for herself and someone else at all.

Gazing at her quietly, she still wore that gentle smile, her dark eyes glimmering like scattered starlight. “You’re acting strange today. Is something wrong? Why are you suddenly so concerned about my future partner?”

“It’s nothing. It’s just that graduation is near, and the thought that we might not be in the same place anymore makes me a little sad.”

An Jingxi forced a faint smile. With separation looming so close, her heart was filled with endless reluctance and longing—yet what identity could she use to confess these feelings?

The love she harbored and the affection the other held seemed separated by an insurmountable chasm, an abyss too deep to cross.

Would they, like the pilgrims in Journey to the West, have to endure eighty-one trials before achieving their heart’s desire and attaining enlightenment?

How long could the futures they each yearned for truly intertwine? All of it remained an unsolvable riddle…

Yanyan’s soft gaze dimmed slightly, revealing a trace of quiet resignation. She had asked for too much.

“Silly, even if we end up in different places, we can still call often. And when we have holidays, we can meet up… Honestly, I’ll miss you too. We’ve always studied in the same place, but eventually, we had to part.”

“I overthought it. Don’t you overthink it either… Let’s go.”

Still holding her hand, An Jingxi walked silently with her toward the library not far away.

She didn’t notice the fleeting shadow of sorrow and unease that crossed Yanyan’s face the moment she turned away.

But it vanished in an instant, replaced once more by her usual detached composure. The truth was, she hadn’t entirely missed her chance.

Side by side, their two figures in olive-green uniforms gradually disappeared at the end of the road.

Just as before, they maintained that inexplicable tacit understanding and the perfect distance—one that no one else could quite comprehend.

Many years later, An Jingxi could no longer recall the exact date of that day.

But she always remembered how her burning heart had struggled, tangled in hesitation, while she pretended everything was fine.

They were just one step away from saying those final words, yet neither spoke them—and so they missed their chance.

In truth, what she hadn’t said that day was a secret she had kept buried in her heart for years.