Flame War Anthem: Beyond the Galactic River (GL) - Chapter 4

How she longed to tell Yanyan that she wanted to stay by her side forever—through the bloom of youth, the steadiness of middle age, the wisdom of old age, until time itself stood still…

And that she loved her, had loved her for so very long…

Naturally, this secret would never find the light of day.

She wouldn’t tell Yanyan or anyone else that she’d fallen in love with her best friend.

Yet for Yanyan, all this was merely the beginning of a nightmare…

Later, without her by her side, even mischief lost its excuse, and the once vibrant world became shrouded in an impenetrable gloom.

After that accidental conversation, Yanyan keenly noticed Xiao Xi’s subtle changes, though slight, they filled her with unease.

At the time, she hadn’t dwelled on it deeply—military academy life was demanding yet fulfilling.

When busy, those hidden affections gradually quieted, becoming another secret buried deep within.

Years later, An Jingxi, now an elite special forces operative, sacrificed herself heroically on a covert mission, her body never recovered.

Her family, friends, and comrades were plunged into profound grief.

Her parents’ hair turned white overnight, and her younger sister, still in school, fainted from shock.

Yanyan, who had been closest to her, refused to believe it at first, but the tragic news eventually came, drowning her in an inescapable sea of sorrow…

Life is ever-changing, filled with partings and reunions, but in the end, it all comes down to just one word: farewell.

……

Five years later.

Vici Villas, USA, nestled in a peninsula bay in New York.

What made this place most famous was its breathtaking, dreamlike scenery—reminiscent of the magical Western paradise Tolkien depicted in The Lord of the Rings.

Villas dotted the mountainside, exuding elegance and comfort.

Their sunset-red roofs gleamed like jewels scattered across the emerald forest, sparse yet perfectly placed.

On a summer morning, cooled by the refreshing sea breeze,

Wu Chen, now weathered by time and changed by fate, walked barefoot on the soft, powdery sand, feeling the waves repeatedly wash the grains from beneath her feet, a faint tickle rising in her soles.

Gazing into the distance, she saw the silver-blue sea adorned with a jade-green band like agate, dotted with pristine white sailboats under the warm, gentle sunlight.

Here, she could freely express joy or sorrow, run and shout to her heart’s content, completely unrestrained.

At dusk, when sea met sky under the golden sunset, the beauty was so intense it seemed eternal.

She would step outside, spread her arms, and breathe deeply of the briny wind.

In such moments, she yearned for time to freeze, preserving this soul-stirring splendor forever.

At night, the dark-blue sky glittered with stars, the moonlight draping the earth in a delicate, silvery veil, soft and graceful.

On another peaceful evening when sleep eluded her, Wu Chen would stroll leisurely in the cool sea breeze.

Sen Jie followed at a discreet distance, as silent as ever.

Moments later, his phone vibrated in his inner suit pocket. As he retrieved it, his deep, steady gaze remained fixed on the carefree figure ahead, never wavering.

He pressed the answer button, and after a brief conversation, hung up the phone.

His usually unflappable expression became hesitant and grave.

Wu Chen, whenever she shed her disguise, would become like a carefree young girl, delighting in running and jumping along the beach, reveling in the freedom of solitude.

Who could have guessed that such a seemingly harmless woman would be one of the most enigmatic and ruthless international drug and arms dealers?

As if all the dark, sinister schemes and struggles didn’t exist, perhaps her true purpose in facing those brutal and bloody affairs was simply to protect herself.

In the cutthroat, money-and-power-driven world of America, where all sorts of characters thrived, the so-called lines between good and evil, light and shadow, were merely a matter of choice.

Sen Jie quickened his pace to catch up, then slowed to walk beside her, nodding slightly. “Chen, the arrangements in China are all set. Should we convene a meeting—”

Wu Chen stopped in her tracks, crouched down, and scooped up a handful of sand. Her deep, inscrutable gaze remained unchanged as she watched the grains slip slowly through her fingers. Her voice was low and smooth, almost mesmerizing. “Jie, why have you never asked me why?”

Sen Jie looked down at her, pausing for a moment before replying in a firm, resolute tone, “To me, you are just Wu Chen. You don’t need to worry about anyone or anything…”

Hearing this, the corners of her lips curled into a cold smile. She dusted off the remaining sand and stood up. “Is that so?”

Then she turned to face him, her eyes sharp in a way that was almost imperceptible. “When did you learn to flatter?”

A sea breeze swept past, and the temperature seemed to drop abruptly.

Sen Jie met her gaze, his expression unwavering. “I never lie to you.”

“Never mind… Tell them to meet at headquarters tomorrow at two. I’m going back to catch up on sleep.”

Wu Chen flashed a fleeting, carefree smile and, without another word, turned and walked away from the beach.

Sen Jie remained rooted in place, not following, until her figure had completely vanished from sight.

Only then did he allow the sharp ache in his heart to surface, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. In the end, she still kept her guard up around him.

No matter the situation, the smile on her face was always faint, the warmth in her eyes always superficial—never truly reaching the deepest recesses of her heart.

Who had shaped Wu Chen into this?

That heart of hers, cold and unyielding as ancient ice, remained impossible to warm, no matter how hard he tried.

Sen Jie was entirely different from Wu Chen. He didn’t have the typical features of an East Asian.

He was a true mixed-bl00d—his mother from romantic France, his father from Japan.

And not just any Japanese family, but a branch of a prestigious and ancient lineage, with numerous siblings.

Perhaps because his bloodline wasn’t pure, he had never received the family’s attention from the moment he could remember.

His mother passed away early due to illness, leaving him solitary, aloof, and arrogant from a young age, as if nothing in the world could ever truly matter to him.

As an adult, he took only the sapphire brooch his mother had left him and left Japan alone, driven by sheer determination to carve his path through Southeast Asia.

Five years ago, when he first met Wu Chen, she was nothing like the legendary figure now controlling NAS.

Back then, she was struggling on the brink of death.

Having spent years navigating the shadows, he had no mercy for those without value, nor any inclination to extend charity.

Hearing rumors of several mysterious, striking women captured from the border, he came as usual to assess their potential—whether they could be taken and sold for a hefty reward.

Unfortunately, none seemed particularly valuable.

Just as he coldly turned to leave, his gaze briefly swept over the woman slumped in the corner.

Little did he know, that single glance would reveal a face he could never forget—one that stopped him in his tracks.