Chapter 9 – Fragile

Ye Lanzhou followed Xiang Renxi’s suggestion resignedly, accepting Dr Du’s prescribed medication.

This would relieve him of the constant tension in his nerves. Hopefully, it would finally grant him a good night’s sleep.

Xiang Renxi had always resolved trivial matters like these so meticulously.

Leaving the laboratory, Ye Lanzhou fell into step with Xiang Renxi with a practised ease. Together, they headed towards his dormitory.

On the way, Xiang Renxi brought up Huang Shuyin: “Why did you choose her to take care of Chu Chenli?”

“She’s very capable.” Ye Lanzhou replied.

No matter how capable Ms Huang is, there’s no guarantee Chu Chenli is able to keep up.

Xiang Renxi chose not to mention that particular fact. “Miss Huang is indeed dependable, but she can be a bit…impulsive. I heard there was some commotion this morning. Aren’t you afraid of your little boyfriend being bullied?”

Ye Lanzhou’s brows furrowed. It wasn’t the words he spoke that gave him pause, but rather the odd tone in which he said “little boyfriend”.

Ye Lanzhou could understand Xiang Renxi’s dissatisfaction at the comatose Chu Chenli.

However, now that Chu Chenli was awake, a rational person like Xiang Renxi shouldn’t harbour ill intentions towards him.

You can’t get rid of habits overnight. Even if Xiang Renxi’s distaste for Chu Chenli still lingered, Ye Lanzhou couldn’t do much. After all, Xiang Renxi had accompanied him through thick and thin and shouldered his burdens.

He sought neither fame nor fortune, a silent follower at Ye Lanzhou’s side. Truthfully, he had experienced his fair share of suffering.

He, like everyone else, eventually also needed an outlet for their frustrations.

Since Xiang Renxi did not cross any boundaries, Ye Lanzhou usually remained silent, not bothering to correct anything.

Ye Lanzhou glossed over the snide comment. “Shuyin is not someone who causes trouble without reason. It’s natural for her to harbour some resentment for him. But, she respects strength and enjoys studying martial arts. In the future, she might get along well with Ah Li.”

Xiang Renxi’s eyes glinted with a hint of amusement. “Do you think Chu Chenli is a ‘strong individual’ or a ‘punching bag’?”

He made an effort to keep the contempt out of his tone.

He didn’t expect Ye Lanzhou’s response. Without hesitation, he replied, “Ah Li is very formidable.”

Those few words alone were enough to reveal the pride, admiration and wistfulness Ye Lanzhou harboured for Chu Chenli.

Ye Lanzhou only remembered the Chu Chenli from ten years ago.

Ten years ago, Chu Chenli could not be associated with the word “weak.”

He could handle various lethal weapons with ease, his own strength alone sufficient for surviving in the apocalypse.

If Chu Chenli hadn’t taken the bullet for him…

Ye Lanzhou closed his eyes. He refused to dwell too long on those painful memories.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. How fitting that statement was when describing Chu Chenli.

At that time, Ye Lanzhou was always the one being protected. The foundations of his combat skills today were built by Chu Chenli’s hands.

The gap between their abilities was so large, any attempt he might have made to estimate the limits of Chu Chenli’s strength power would be rendered useless.

Even as Chu Chenli slept for ten years, Ye Lanzhou never doubted that he was not “strong”.

He assumed that Chu Chenli would recover, and Huang Shuyin would warm up to him.

Xiang Renxi’s tone was cold as he stated the truth. “Lanzhou, it’s been ten years.”

A decade had passed.

Everyone had grown stronger. Even the current weak and old, if placed in the past, had the potential to become dominant figures.

Only Chu Chenli was lost in the past, forsaken by evolution.

Even if he had been formidable in the past, it mattered little now.

Xiang Renxi pressed forward mercilessly., “After sleeping for so long, his body functions must have sustained significant damage. It’s a miracle he can even stand up now. And there’s something I forgot to tell you.”

“What?” Ye Lanzhou asked dazedly.

“It’s impossible for him to awaken.” Xiang Renxi stated.

Ye Lanzhou’s expression went blank.

–

The next morning still saw Chu Chenli waiting for someone. Only, this time, the person Chu Chenli was waiting for wasn’t Ye Lanzhou .

Instead, Huang Shuyin walked in, having arrived early.

Huang Shuyin wore the same grey jumpsuit as before. It wasn’t particularly stylish, because it was designed to allow ease of movement. Her short hair was tied into a messy little ponytail behind her ear.

It didn’t really matter what she was wearing. With the imposing aura and her looks, she looked good no matter how casual her attire.

She didn’t slam the door today, taking a deep breath and opting to shut the door politely behind her instead.

When Xiao Bai saw her, his first reaction was surprise, then apprehension. Was she here to cause trouble? He blushed, embarrassed.

However, when she spoke, Xiao Bai’s blushing face turned pale.

Directly addressing Chu Chenli, her words were blunt. “Why are you sitting there like a useless rock? Don’t bother waiting, Ye Lanzhou already left with Xiang Renxi at dawn. I saw them coming out of the dormitory together–they didn’t even stop for a meal at the cafeteria.”

Xiao Bai desperately signalled her with his eyes.

Huang Shuyin squinted at him suspiciously. “What? You pull a nerve or something? Why are your eyes twitching?”

Xiao Bai: “…No.”

Huang Shuyin promptly ignored him, ploughing on tactlessly. “Even if he wasn’t out on a mission right now, don’t expect him to be by your side all the time. He has a lot of things to do, and doesn’t have time to run to the medical department.”

“Don’t even think about trying to seduce him during his breaks. Xiang Renxi is more skilled at that than you. Some things are only meant for discussion between those two, there’s no point in getting involved.”

“Don’t blame me for being blunt. This era is different from before. A pretty face doesn’t guarantee survival. Don’t believe in the nonsense about a saviour protecting everyone equally. In reality, people without value are much more likely to die than others.”

Huang Shuyin turned to Xiao Bai, “Do you want to get a doctor to check your eyes?”

Xiao Bai’s expression was somewhat constipated, “…”.

He was starting to wonder if Huang Shuyin was doing this on purpose, but his attention was on the person on the sickbed.

Xiao Bai sent an anxious glance towards Chu Chenli.

Chu Chenli looked somewhat puzzled, wearing a mystified expression. Finally, he asked, “Who is Xiang Renxi?”

By some miracle, no one had ever mentioned the name Xiang Renxi in front of him.

Naturally, he didn’t have a clue who this person was.

Huang Shuyin, evidently, did not possess Xiao Bai’s tact. “Commander Ye’s deputy, the second in command at the base. They partnered up ten years ago, and he’s the person Commander Ye trusts the most.”

In the public eye, Xiang Renxi wasn’t as well known as Ye Lanzhou. This was because he kept a low profile and flew under the radar, his combat abilities merely average. Instead, he leaned towards a strategist and support role, discreetly handling trivial matters.

However, others’ opinions of him were always high.

Xiang Renxi had a rare secondary attribute: healing abilities. Although not as powerful as awakened individuals who specialised in healing, he was more than capable in handling minor injuries on the battlefield.

In terms of aptitude, he was only second to Ye Lanzhou.

One a former lover turned into a burden, the other a companion who had fought side by side with Ye Lanzhou for ten years.

In terms of importance, it was obvious who would win.

Xiao Bai daydreamed about hurling himself out of a window to escape this conversation. . He dreaded seeing Chu Chenli’s dejected look.

But Huang Shuyin wasn’t saying these things to intentionally ridicule Chu Chenli. Seeing his blank expression, she couldn’t help but stop and ask, “Commander Ye didn’t tell you?”

Chu Chenli shook his head, “I only met him once.”

There was only time for Ye Lanzhou to ask about how Chu Chenli felt physically. They’d had no time to talk about the past. He had just quietly sat there, a silent sentry, until Chu Chenli had slipped under a dreamless medicated sleep.

At that time, Chu Chenli’s mind was still hopelessly muddled. He had mistakenly believed that there would be plenty of time to catch up..

It had now been three days since Chu Chenli woke up and his understanding of this era was mostly from Xiao Bai.

Huang Shuyin asked another question, “Has Xiang Renxi not visited you either?”

Chu Chenli said, “I haven’t seen anyone else.”

“Not surprising at all,” Huang Shuyin sneered, “Busy people they are.”

Maybe it was her brash personality, but Huang Shuyin always spoke with a hint of sarcasm. To some extent, you could say she treated everyone equally.

Chu Chenli’s reply was calm and rational. “He’s not obligated to visit me.”

Huang Shuyin glanced at him, “You don’t mind?”

Chu Chenli’s face was somewhat pale, but his expression and tone remained indifferent, “I don’t have the right.”

Nor the luck.

No one had asked him to sacrifice himself.

Ye Lanzhou had borne the burden of him for ten years, and he clearly felt that his duty was fulfilled.

While there was inevitable disappointment, Chu Chenli wasn’t an unreasonable person.

He didn’t like blaming others.

On the contrary, he could recognise that Ye Lanzhou had found someone to accompany him through the long years. He had to work to push the lingering bitterness away, but once he did, Chu Chenli felt more fortunate.

After all, he knew better than anyone how painful it was to walk alone in this world.

Huang Shuyin’s tone was inscrutable. “You are quite magnanimous.”

Xiang Renxi usually spent more time in the medical bay than anyone, caring for every occupant, from awakened individuals to the old and weak. Everyone knew him to be a considerate and kind person.

Chu Chenli was the only exception, making people in the base think there was something wrong with him. Why else would such a good person keep his distance?

The details were a mystery to her. She had never bothered to ask for clarification.

She had no interest in the love-hate relationships among these three people. She merely wanted to warn Chu Chenli in advance not to complain to Ye Lanzhou before the training was halfway through.

Ye Lanzhou wasn’t an unreasonable person, but Huang Shuyin hated meaningless drama like this.

Warning delivered, Huang Shuyin’s tone hardened, ordering Chu Chenli to prepare and follow her to the training ground.

This was her purpose for coming today.

And so, the previous discussion came to an end.

When Chu Chenli moved to stand up, he felt a burst of dizziness. Xiao Bai quickly reached out to support him.

“Are you okay?” Xiao Bai asked nervously. “Shouldn’t you rest a little longer?”

Huang Shuyin looked back and was greeted with the sight of Chu Chenli stumbling around on unsteady legs, Xiao Bai hovering around him anxiously like an overprotective mother hen, occasionally stealing nervous glances at her.

It was as if she were holding an innocent at knifepoint.

A sudden surge of irritation gripped her. “He’s been sleeping for a whole decade! If you went through the same you’d be dazed too. He’s a man, he’s not that fragile. Back off!”

Xiao Bai shrank back, smiling awkwardly, and whispered, “Can’t you go easy during training?”

Huang Shuyin had to resist the urge to punch his second-rate face in. She sneered. When she next spoke, her tone was threatening. , “How about you take his place and test the intensity of my training instead?”

Feeling the invisible pressure in the air, Xiao Bai wisely chose to shut his mouth.

Huang Shuyin then looked at Chu Chenli’s face.

He seemed even paler than before. The an oversized patient gown he was wearing didn’t do him any favours. He looked fragile, as if he would fall over with a gust of wind.

Although Huang Shuyin mocked him, she couldn’t help but feel a bit worried.

“Are you alright?” Huang Shuyin asked him. “If you really don’t feel well, just say it. I would hate to bury you just after you’ve woken up.”

Chu Chenli shook his head and said, “I’m fine.”

The worst of the dizziness had passed, and he’d gotten used to it. He thought it was probably because he had slept too long. He didn’t dwell on it.

However, on the way to the training ground, Huang Shuyin couldn’t help but keep looking back at him.

As if afraid that he would suddenly collapse and blame her.

This person looked so fragile. How in the world had he managed to survive all those years ago?

It couldn’t actually just be because of Ye Lanzhou’s deep adoration of him, right??

Just a few minutes later, her question was answered.

The training ground’s gate was tightly closed. Xiao Bai tried to pull it, but it wouldn’t budge. Huang Shuyin gave it a try and found that the gate was locked, causing her to furrow her brows.

“There hasn’t been any group training recently, so why is the gate locked?” Huang Shuyin turned to go to the management office. “Wait for me here. I’ll get the key—”

Before she could finish her sentence, there was a muffled clang from behind her.

Startled, Huang Shuyin turned around, and saw Chu Chenli holding…the iron gate.

The three-metre-high, several-hundred-kilogram iron gate had been knocked down. He had grabbed the handle like a chopping board, and casually moved his elbow to support the falling iron gate.

A gust of wind blew through where the gate once stood.

Huang Shuyin: “…”

Xiao Bai: “…”

Chu Chenli: “…”

“That was an accident,” Chu Chenli dryly explained, “My hand slipped.”

He paused. Under the silent and shocked gaze of the other two, he added somewhat guiltily, “Sorry.”

He hadn’t expected the gate to be so fragile!

Translator’s note: Happy new year!! May 2024 be a good one for us all :]