The time of a cigarette is not long, but it is not short either. It obviously cannot last until this cold night passes, but it is enough for people to chat for a while.

"Yeah, who knows?" After listening to York's words, Yanagihara chuckled and said. She squinted her eyes and looked at the fog in the air and the flying snow behind the fog.

"But I have nothing more to say to you."

"I understand." York raised his brows, held the cigarette in his hand, put it to his mouth and took a long puff.

Then, his violent coughing sound came from under the eaves.

"Ahem, it's like everyone's life can only be chosen by himself, isn't it?"

The young man coughed and said with difficulty.

In the smoke, there seemed to be a faint smile on his face.

"Yes, most of them are like this." Liuyuan nodded and said nothing more. He just leaned against the wall of the stone house and continued to smoke.

Such a snowy night, cold, silent and dark. Just like every night after the disaster, it feels like there will never be an end in sight.

It's so terrifying, but humans are such strange creatures.

The closer you are to a desperate situation, the easier it is to think of the good things in the past.

And this kind of fantasy, which is almost a luxury, seems to be the ability of people to retain a glimmer of hope at any time.

So Yanagihara put out the cigarette in his hand and placed it on the wall of the stone house.

Let the sparks be submerged by frost and snowflakes, let the glimmer of light disappear into the darkness.

"But maybe." She said suddenly, as if she was trying to communicate with York, and she seemed to be trying to communicate with herself.

"Perhaps, I can tell you a story, a story that may be a bit cliché. Would you like to hear it?"

Looking at Liuyuan quietly, York shrugged his shoulders, glanced at the heavy snow in the dark night, and said with relief: "Let's talk, we have enough time, don't we?"

"Well, let me think about it, where should I start?" Liuyuan's voice seemed a little erratic, like an old man lying in a rocking chair.

With a bit of sadness, a bit of tiredness, mixed with a bit of memories. Indistinctly present, but extremely clear, it tells a story about the past.

"We humans, if I can still use the word we are."

"We once had seven billion compatriots. We lived in every corner of this planet. Mountains, oceans, deserts, snowfields, forests. Our footprints once covered the land under our feet. Our palms once could

Easily touching the sky. The moon at that time was very close to us. As for the stars, we were very familiar with them. As long as we wanted to, we could have almost everything."

"In the past, we were the most prosperous species on this planet, as if everything was created for us."

"Every day, we can enjoy sweet water. Every moment, we can eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Every meal, we can taste exquisite food."

"Our dwellings are strong and warm enough to withstand all wind and snow. The floors are paved with wooden boards or fine stone tiles, the windows are decorated with glass that reflects people's shadows, and the carpets and tablecloths are woven with cloth that can slip from the fingertips.

"

"The bed should be so soft that it can sink, and should be filled with sponge and velvet. Most of the furniture is made of wood, which is not as cold as rocks, and also has some unique fragrance of wood. This allows people to lie beside the bed, or

It’s about sitting in a chair, reading books all day, and listening to music all day long.”

"Our city once blocked the sky and the sun, with tall buildings comparable to mountain peaks, endless streets, crowded people, and busy traffic..."

In the wind and snow, Yanagi Yuan slowly described the world in her memory.

Describing that, for York, it may have been a dreamy past.

And her story is people's past, until she changed her tune.

"It's a pity that we were so arrogant and conceited at that time. We even thought that we could cope with all changes, so that we finally came to the end."

"But it is precisely because of this that we understand that the new road should exist in the starry sky. Can you believe it, that was the direction that seven billion people agreed on."

"So York, if, and I mean if, you want an answer from me."

"Even as a bystander, I shouldn't say this, but I still have to tell you."

"You are doing something that can make everyone proud of you, even though it is very dangerous, even though you are likely to die on the way to your goal."

"But, this is the answer you want."

"You are not wrong. You are trying to restore people's previous beliefs and you are continuing people's previous ideals."

"I'm sorry that I am using my identity as a refugee to preach to you, a brave man."

"I don't think I'm qualified to ask you for anything. I just want to tell you that you have done enough. Even if you stop now, you have done enough."

"You did the right thing, so you don't have to be too confused. You just have to follow your heart about what the future should be like."

"Nothing happens overnight. You don't have to force yourself to move forward."

"We should not forget the great era, but it will not come back so soon."

"I think your parents should feel the same way."

After Yanagi Yuan finished speaking, the night became quiet again.

Only the whistling wind roared in the air.

York held the extinguished cigarette butt between his fingers and silently watched the snowflakes falling from the eaves.

To be honest, he was still immersed in Liuyuan's story and had not come back to his senses.

Until he suddenly smiled softly and said slowly.

"So, my parents' death is not meaningless, right, Yanagihara."

This may be the first time that he personally admitted the death of his parents.

"That's right. I'm sorry for saying so many nonsense."

"No, thank you, I think I've gotten used to the smell of this smoke."
Chapter completed!