Chapter 285: Chapter 285: A Sentimental Sigh, It’s Good to Be Alive
"Thank you. I’ve always been clearly aware of that."
Stella Sterling accepted the compliment with a smile, showing no signs of modesty whatsoever.
Basil Xavier had spent some time with Stella Sterling before, so he knew this was just her personality.
Most of the time, she seemed cold and distant, but then she would occasionally say something that was astonishing and completely at odds with her appearance.
She was usually very quiet, but she also possessed extreme self-confidence and wasn’t the least bit humble.
And the things she did were just as astonishing.
He had grown used to her being this way, so he wasn’t too shocked. He just smiled.
"The last time we met, we had other things to deal with and didn’t get a chance to properly catch up. This time, none of us have anything pressing, so we can have a good talk."
As he spoke, Basil Xavier pointed to a nearby bench, suggesting they go over there to chat.
Stella Sterling turned her head to look.
’What a coincidence...’
That was the exact spot where she and Louis Grant had chatted just yesterday.
Only a day had passed, and now she was here again, meeting Basil Xavier and about to have another chat.
Noticing the strange expression on Stella Sterling’s face, Basil Xavier asked in confusion, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing. Let’s go."
Stella Sterling shook her head, pushing aside her strange thoughts, and walked toward the bench.
Basil Xavier followed happily behind Stella Sterling, an excited look on his face.
He was quite happy to see Stella Sterling again after more than a year.
Although they hadn’t spent much time together in the past, he considered her a special friend.
So many people had died over the years. Friends came and went, which made the ones from long ago seem all the more precious.
In the blink of an eye, another year had passed. Seeing Stella Sterling this time, he realized how much they had both changed, and he couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.
"What are you thinking about? You look like you’re pondering the meaning of life!"
Stella Sterling sat leisurely on the bench, leaning back with her hands on the armrests and one leg crossed over the other, watching the pensive man.
"I was just thinking about how much time has passed in the blink of an eye. It makes you feel things, you know?"
Basil Xavier replied, "The first time I met you was over three years ago. We were separated for over two years after that, and then this last time we were apart for over a year."
Time really flies. The world has changed so much in these few years; you can’t even see a trace of its former prosperity.
It truly felt like a lifetime ago, leaving him sighing with emotion.
"So it’s only been a little over three years? I thought a much, much longer time had passed."
Hearing this, Stella Sterling’s gaze also grew distant.
She felt like she had already spent half a lifetime living this wandering, uncertain life. It felt like such a long, long time.
But in reality, it had only been a little over three years.
If this were before the apocalypse, three years would have flown by in an instant, and the world would have barely changed at all.
But now, these three-odd years felt incredibly long.
Adding it all up, she had already been living in the apocalypse for over ten years now.
Right after she was reborn, the world was still completely normal. But back then, she was busy hoarding supplies, rushing about all day, and using any spare moment to train and strengthen herself.
A normal life... how many years had it been since she’d had one of those?
She smiled. "We should be grateful that, under these circumstances, we’re both still alive."
Not just alive, but able to meet people you knew from before. That was already incredibly rare.
She leaned her head back and looked up at the sky.
Around this time in her last life, Yara Sterling was dead, she had no idea what happened to the rest of the Sterling family, and Lydia Magnus was dead too.
Back then, both her enemies and her friends were either dead or gone. She never saw them again.
People came and went. Sometimes a person you just met, a partner you just teamed up with, could be dead the very next moment.
She went from being sad at first, to numb, until finally, she grew completely accustomed to it.
Back then, she believed she didn’t need friends at all. Sometimes a friend wasn’t really a friend; they could be the one to stab you in the back later.
In a situation like that, Stella Sterling didn’t dare to think about anything else. Her entire existence was about surviving one day at a time.
But this life was so much better. She had immense power, enough to protect herself, and she even had the ability to shelter others.
The new friends she had made along the way were getting along well with her, they were all still alive and well, and now she was meeting old ones again.
If this were her past life, it would be a situation she wouldn’t have even dared to imagine.
As for what might happen in the future, that was a matter for another day. No one could be certain what would happen with these friends, but she cherished the present.
While they were friends, she would treat them well. If they became enemies in the future due to conflicting interests or other reasons, she wouldn’t be merciful.
Stella Sterling sensed the change in her own mentality. She was very satisfied with her current state of mind, and her mood was quite good.
Basil Xavier was taken aback for a moment, then he nodded. "You’re right. Just being alive right now is incredibly lucky."
Being able to see old friends again was something most people couldn’t even dream of.
So what if it had been two years, or one year?
As long as they were both still alive, there would always be a day they could meet again. That was more than good enough.
As he thought about this, Basil Xavier’s mood brightened considerably.
He walked over and sat down next to Stella Sterling, turning to look at her. He hadn’t felt it that strongly before.
But now, looking at her and thinking back on what she had said, he felt a strange sensation in his heart.
For some reason, he felt that Stella Sterling had changed a lot. The impression she gave him now was different from over a year ago, and even drastically different from when he first met her.
The Stella Sterling of today seemed much more at peace than before; her entire aura was far more serene.
’What a strange feeling!’
She was clearly more talkative now, her personality had brightened considerably, and she was no longer as icy as she used to be.
She would never have said things like that to him in the past.
Even though she had become more talkative, her disposition was more easygoing than before.
In the past, she had given off a ruthless and indifferent vibe.
It was as if the current Stella Sterling had reined in all of those qualities.
But that made her even more unfathomable!
This realization was rather shocking to him.
This apocalypse was filled with blood and brutality. Under such circumstances, everyone, whether forced or by choice, often did things that were beyond their control.
