111 A War on the Brink of Ignition (Celebrating Singleness in the Bachelor Chapter!)

June had already slipped past its midpoint in the blink of an eye.

Unlike the hot and arid Mediterranean climate of Libya, the North Sea region featured a typical temperate continental climate. The summer was hot and humid, and the frequent rain, while washing the dust from the air, seemed unable to alleviate the impending heat.

A white Volkswagen Tiguan traveled steadily westward along the straight Qinghe Avenue. Passing through the busiest section of Deping Road, the car came to a smooth stop at the entrance of Northern University. The door opened, and Liu Bo and Xu Xiaofeng stepped out, looking anxious as they walked toward Meng Yao, who was already waiting by the school gate.

"Meng Yao!"

"Brother Liu, Sister Xiaofeng."

"Here, give me your things!"

Taking the two suitcases from Meng Yao, Liu Bo spoke little, his expression appearing somewhat unnatural. Nearly three months had passed since they returned from Libya. Meng Yao’s mental state had recovered quite well, though she remained thin. She had stopped having nightmares since last month, but her overall state was still far from ideal.

He closed the car door.

The engine ignited, and they drove away.

At a Shangdao Coffee shop on the corner, a group of young people in their early twenties sat around several booths by the window. Judging by their appearance, they were students at Northern University, but at this moment, they were all staring in the direction the car had departed.

"Was that guy Meng Yao's brother? That doesn't seem right. I remember Meng Yao's personal file saying she didn't have a brother, just a younger one, right? What was his name again? Meng Yimin, wasn't it?"

"You've exposed yourself! You’ve even gone as far as finding out the name of your future brother-in-law."

"One word: Get lost! Nothing is set in stone yet, but where there is a will, there is a way. I don't believe she can keep dodging me forever."

*Pfft!*

A girl sitting at the southernmost end on the left suddenly let out a laugh.

Everyone turned to look at her. The girl had long, dark hair and an ordinary face, but she possessed a superior temperament. If not for her overly languid manner, she might have garnered more attention.

"You? If you ask me, any girl like Meng Yao who would take a liking to you must be out of her mind. You should look in the mirror—you look like Brother Pigsy; even Sandy looks better than you."

Meng Yao, already in the car, was naturally unaware of this mindless and trivial discussion. She had no shortage of suitors, but most of them did not know she had already given her heart to someone else.

Of course, before going to Libya, even she could not have predicted that she would have a wartime romance.

The car was not moving fast. Liu Bo seemed preoccupied, while Xu Xiaofeng smiled faintly. The couple’s expressions were quite strange, and Meng Yao, who was sharp-witted, naturally sensed this subtle atmosphere that was different from usual.

"Sister Xiaofeng, is there news about Changjiang?"

In truth, the patience required to wait for someone is far more resilient than the patience required to love them. With Li Changjiang’s fate unknown, this was, for Meng Yao, likely a long, endless wait. Yet, she chose not to forget the feelings that had blossomed between life and death.

"Yes. Your Brother Liu has been restless all day, just not knowing how to tell you."

*Thump! Thump! Thump!*

Meng Yao’s breathing suddenly became rapid. A flush of red spread across her delicate cheeks, and her hands, clutching Xu Xiaofeng’s arm, tightened. Sensing the girl’s tensed nerves, Xu Xiaofeng gently patted the back of Meng Yao’s hand.

"Changjiang is fine, but we don't know the specifics. An old friend of ours told your Brother Liu. We don't know where he is right now, but he left something for you."

Seeing the black card in Xu Xiaofeng’s hand, tears welled up in Meng Yao’s eyes and came streaming down. She threw herself into Xu Xiaofeng’s arms and began to sob uncontrollably.

Xu Xiaofeng and Liu Bo remained silent. They knew very well that Meng Yao had been suppressing her emotions for too long. Since Li Changjiang left Tripoli to find Li Lin in Benghazi, more than three months had passed without a single word. Although Meng Yao hadn't shown it overtly, her nerves had been stretched thin the entire time. As she grew thinner, the accumulated emotions only grew heavier.

They had been terrified that if they were to bring back bad news, this girl might collapse instantly. Thank God it was good news.

It was just that the bastard Changjiang hadn't even shown his face, which was a bit excessive.

Xu Xiaofeng grew increasingly curious about Li Changjiang. She wanted to know what kind of young man could save her husband and Meng Yao from a hail of bullets.

Moreover, Li Changjiang was truly a bit thick-headed; what he had left for Meng Yao was a bank card containing a significant amount of money.

After a long while, Meng Yao finally slowed her sobbing. When she looked up, her eyelids were visibly red and swollen. Dotingly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes, Xu Xiaofeng couldn't help but scold Li Changjiang a little.

"Sister Xiaofeng, don't blame him. He—he couldn't help it either!"

"Look at this, just look! She hasn't even married him yet and she's already speaking up for him!"

Glancing through the rearview mirror, Liu Bo took one look and then looked away, the corners of his mouth curling upward. His jawline seemed to have become more resolute. No one knew that for the past few months, he had been practicing shooting and physical fitness at a local range in the city.

Perhaps he would never return to a place like Libya in his life. As a veteran journalist for the Huaxin News Agency, the chance of reaching a battlefield was slim to none. But no one knew—and even Liu Bo himself wasn't entirely sure—why he felt compelled to do this.

Perhaps the trip to Libya had left too deep an impression on him.

Meanwhile, at the Tunisia border.

After getting out of the car, Li Changjiang followed Wu Sisi’s instructions and walked straight through the border checkpoint, ignoring the slightly casual gazes of others. In reality, he was dressed exactly like a mercenary now.

The sentries responsible for border security paid no mind to Li Changjiang crossing the border. They knew what kind of people these were, and they knew what they intended to do by entering Libya at such a time.

Wherever there is money to be made, there is no shortage of mercenaries. Furthermore, a small North African country like Tunisia tried to avoid sharp conflicts with mercenaries; if they could turn a blind eye, they would not meddle in others' business.

It wasn't until he had traveled nearly 10 kilometers past the border that Li Changjiang stopped in a valley. He took out an encrypted satellite phone from his backpack to contact the number provided by Wu Sisi.

Soon, a slightly husky voice came through the receiver.

"Who is this?"

"I am a tourist, I need—"

Before Li Changjiang could finish his sentence, a bright light suddenly shot into the sky from the direction of the Libyan hinterland. The dazzling light was hard to look at directly. Li Changjiang had a deep impression of this kind of light.

Not good!

"It’s a flare!"