The dragon in question strolled through the corridor outside the communication room.
Across a building was the warehouse of the base, and further ahead was the dormitory area.
It was transformed from an old school building, and the base kept the original style even after renovation, having several buildings surrounding a semi-circular area.
In the centre was a quaint garden with flower beds and fountains decorating the walkway. However, it’s been neglected, and now overgrown with weeds. Only occasionally would someone occupy the benches for a break or to chat during the night.
Opposite the small park was the dining hall.
As the day was getting late, the people on shift all came to eat. Some were going to take over their teammates, while others, who had been busy all day, were about to rest.
Xiao Bai carried a stack of reports and opted to take the less crowded path.
Then, he knocked into a stranger, a young man.
The man glanced at him, the corner of his mouth curled upwards.
It was just like meeting a not-so-well acquainted co-worker and offering a polite greeting. However, Xiao Bai felt a sudden unease in his heart.
He smiled back and then just passed by the man.
Only when he reached the end of the path, did Xiao Bai suddenly realise something was wrong—
He couldn’t hear any of the man’s thoughts.
Furthermore, upon seeing another person walk by, the vivid images and scenes of various memories all vanished.
It wasn’t that the ability had vanished. It was just that Xiao Bai could finally shut off the strange passive ability when he didn’t want to trigger it.
As he wondered why he couldn’t hear those voices, suddenly a loud voice boomed out, startling him.
Looking up, it was a gloomy-looking coworker with a huge stature.
A scene of the guy impulsively confessing to a lady as beautiful as a goddess, then being brutally rejected played out. Now, he was crying miserably in his heart. And occasionally, a round little figure would appear, biting a handkerchief and rolling around in despair on the ground.
—None of this could be seen on his face.
Xiao Bai quickly shook his head, dispelling the images from his mind.
The crying disappeared without a trace, and the huge coworker in front of him still carried a fierce expression. He was the splitting image of a tough guy.
The tough guy glanced at Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai’s scalp tingled, he nervously laughed a couple of times, made himself seem smaller and quickly ran away.
At the end of the path which was connected to the dormitory area, Xiao Bai ran into Ye Lanzhou.
Ye Lanzhou had just come out of the warehouse, holding some important documents. Professor Huang had requested him personally, claiming to not trust any one else to collect it.
Since he was already there, he also greeted the people in the warehouse department and reminded them not to withhold Chu Chenli’s medicine.
As Ye Lanzhou stepped out, he saw Xiao Bai barreling towards him anxiously.
“What’s wrong?” Ye Lanzhou called out.
“Ah….nothing.” Xiao Bai looked around, hesitated. He didn’t dare to say that he was terrified because he discovered the inner thoughts of his scary coworker. He hadn’t paid much attention to anything else and ended up there.
“Did something happen to Ah Li again?” Ye Lanzhou had misunderstood his reaction.
“No, no.” Xiao Bai was even more nervous now!
It’s uncertain if Chu Chenli was still in the base.
But Xiao Bai wouldn’t tell Ye Lanzhou even if he was beaten to death.
He had taken the initiative to say that he would stay and cover for Chu Chenli.
Chu Chenli had his own teammates to take care of him, Xiao Bai had no need to worry. But Xiao Bai still remembers what Ye Lanzhou and Xiang Renxi planned to do to Chu Chenli.
If they found out that Chu Chenli is going to leave, what if they stopped him or even…
Xiao Bai shut down his thoughts. He felt somewhat lucky that the base had been in chaos recently, and that Ye Lanzhou and Xiang Renxi have been really busy. They had no energy to inquire about Chu Chenli’s affairs.
Unfortunately, he was terrible at lying. With a dodgy look and a nervous expression, he practically had “there’s something wrong” written all over his face.
Ye Lanzhou was suspicious, he frowned. “If something’s wrong, don’t keep it from me. What’s wrong with Ah Li? Tell me directly. No matter what, I’ll be there for him.”
Xiao Bai quickly shook his head. “No, no, I just took a shortcut and ended up being jump scared by a stray cat…”
Ye Lanzhou cast a disbelieving gaze at him.
Xiao Bai felt anxious, trying to find some excuse to stop Ye Lanzhou from going to the hospital room. While scanning around, his gaze landed on a spot, and he couldn’t help but shout with joy, “Lieutenant Xiang!”
Xiang Renxi had just finished resting and was walking out of the dormitory building.
Even before hearing Xiao Bai’s overly enthusiastic call for him, Xiang Renxi had already noticed them.
He walked over and locked eyes with Xiao Bai.
A forceful smile appeared on Xiao Bai’s face, as if he just realised his behaviour was unusual.
He awkwardly lowered his head, saying, “Since Lieutenant Xiang is looking for you, there must be something important for you to attend to. Commander Ye, you should deal with the urgent matters first.”
However, at this point of time, Ye Lanzhou somehow cared a lot about Chu Chenli.
“Has he been injured again? Or did Dr. Du find some new problem?” Ye Lanzhou frowned concernedly, “But come to think of it, he falls ill so frequently, it does seem a bit suspicious. Was the medication wrong in the first place?”
Xiao Bai’s face turned several shades paler, appearing even more flustered.
Instinctively, he looked up and glanced at Xiang Renxi.
In the next moment, Xiang Renxi’s cold warning gaze made him shrink back, and he didn’t dare to say anything.
Yet, involuntarily, he used his peripheral vision to gauge Ye Lanzhou’s reaction.
Ye Lanzhou, however, looked at Xiang Renxi, whether with genuine curiosity or hidden implications, his gaze seemed to carry a hint of inquiry.
“What do you think, Xiao Xi?” Ye Lanzhou asked.
Xiang Renxi’s heart skipped a beat, but he remained composed. “I think he’s just unlucky. Besides, Dr. Du is so skilled, and yet there haven’t been any conclusive results, right?”
Ye Lanzhou glanced at him without confirming or denying, “Maybe.”
Suddenly, Xiao Bai whispered a reminder, “Commander Ye, weren’t you supposed to bring something to Professor Huang? You shouldn’t keep him waiting for too long.”
Ye Lanzhou nodded, holding something in his hand, turning to leave.
After a few steps, he found that Xiang Renxi didn’t follow.
He turned back and asked, “Xiao Xi, aren’t you going to the lab? Have you not rested well? There’s no need to be so nervous now. If you’re tired, you can go back and rest for a while.”
His face was full of the usual concern, without a hint of scrutiny or suspicion.
It was as if those abrupt questions just now were just a misunderstanding.
Xiang Renxi, as if he just awakened from a dream, quickly circled around Xiao Bai and caught up with Ye Lanzhou’s. He mentioned that he had already rested enough with a smile.
Ye Lanzhou advised him not to push himself too hard.
Although nothing was off about the tone and words, in Xiao Bai’s heart, he couldn’t help but repeatedly recall the two questions Ye Lanzhou had asked him—
Had Ye Lanzhou discovered something?
–
Mu Yanshen crossed the cafeteria, passed through a small path, and finally stopped in front of the new medical building.
Behind it was a small area of wasteland, with a rusty wire mesh wrapped haphazardly around it. On the other side was a small forest and a low hill. Crossing the hill and passing through the woods would lead to the safe zone of the base— a small town made for ordinary people.
At the moment, it was pitch black over there.
But Mu Yanshen had no interest in that place.
He halted, tilted his head back, and looked towards the figure sitting on the rooftop.
Almost in that instant, he smiled. Like the warm spring sun and the brilliance of sunshine, as if all the beautiful things in the world was in front of his eyes.
It wasn’t wrong to say so.
Chu Chenli was the most precious and beautiful thing in his world, without a doubt.
He was the brightest light, the most dazzling star, the embodiment of all the good things in the world.
Only Chu Chenli himself didn’t know this.
But that was okay, he would know in the future.
Mu Yanshen smiled, then extended his arms to embrace him.
The gentle night breeze brushed over his cheeks, and in the next moment, the youth carried by the breeze crashed right into his embrace, as light and gentle as a falling feather.
Mu Yanshen held him tightly.
Originally, it was an action to celebrate their reunion. Chu Chenli thought a brief hug was enough, but Mu Yanshen, finally feeling the true warmth in his arms, unconsciously hugged him even tighter.
He buried his head in Chu Chenli’s neck, rubbing against it as if he were a clingy big dog.
Unfortunately, dogs can’t speak, or make jokes—
Mu Yanshen’s breath rubbed against his ear, “Li-ge, I’ve come to marry you.”
Chu Chenli’s raised hand paused momentarily, suddenly recalling a past joke.
—Of course, it was a joke full of nonsense.
His hand fell again, patting Mu Yanshen’s forehead, saying, “Don’t be silly.”
Mu Yanshen hummed a couple of times against his neck.
Chu Chenli wanted to remind him that he wasn’t really a dog.
But after thinking about it, it wasn’t worth it to ruin the touching reunion with these dumb jokes.
Chu Chenli sighed, relaxed his hands, ruffled Mu Yanshen’s hair, and said, “Put me down.”
Mu Yanshen refused, expressing his concern, “Your complexion’s terrible, and your injuries haven’t healed yet. Plus, I feel guilty for letting you suffer for such a long time. Let me have this.”
It was obviously a joke, but coming from him, it seemed to carry a hint of unclear authenticity.
He said it with a smile, but judging from the slightly tightened grip, Chu Chenli knew he was genuinely angry, suppressing the anger under the smile.
Mu Yanshen didn’t care about the life or death of those who had nothing to do with him— even if they were innocent.
But Chu Chenli cared, so Mu Yanshen would endure, even if he was angry.
He wouldn’t really hurt someone.
Chu Chenli was well aware of this, and that was enough. He wouldn’t delve any further.
This could also be considered his indulgence in Mu Yanshen.
Chu Chenli didn’t refuse anything else and allowed Mu Yanshen to act as his free labourer.
He looked up at several tall buildings with scattered lights in the darkness.
After recovering his memories, he could see clearly that this place could never be his home.
Even if Ye Lanzhou still had feelings for him.
Mu Yanshen knew he was feeling uncomfortable, but he also didn’t want Chu Chenli to think about Ye Lanzhou.
“Those kinds of people…” Mu Yanshen tried to ensure his words wouldn’t be too harsh and continued after a moment, “aren’t worth to reminisce about. Even if they were, it’s not the same him now.”
“I know.” Chu Chenli suddenly reached out and hugged Mu Yanshen’s neck, pulling out a dagger.
The gleam of light flashed on the dark blade, reflecting the cold moonlight, giving off a sharp chill.
Mu Yanshen didn’t show any nervousness at all. Glancing at the blade, he couldn’t help but comment, “The dagger’s not bad.”
Chu Chenli smiled, saying, “It was a gift from a friend from before.”
“A good friend?” Mu Yanshen asked.
Ignoring his peculiar tone, Chu Chenli agilely twirled the sharp blade between his fingers. Lost in thought, he seemed to see through the haze. “Perhaps he was once my best friend.”
“And now?” Mu Yanshen inquired.
The blade stopped twirling.
The next second, the dagger was thrown to the side.
The pitch-black dagger, like a sharp arrow, cut through the night sky and plunged straight into the outer wall of an abandoned building several tens of metres away.
It hit some black vines entwining a flower disk right in the middle.
A strange but faint scream emanated from the entangled black vines, seemingly in pain.
A small cluster of fire flashed on the blade for a moment.
The flames consumed the scream, and the twisting tendrils were twisted for a second before being instantly burned to ashes, leaving only a lonely dagger nailed to the wall.
Chu Chenli stared at the shadow of the handle until it disappeared, then withdrew his gaze.
“There are people we can’t meet and times we can’t return to.” Chu Chenli said lightly, “Some things should just be of the past.”
It was he himself who couldn’t let go.
“Now…” Chu Chenli glanced at Mu Yanshen. Faintly hearing the distant roar of a car on a quiet road, he smiled, “Now I have you guys.”
–
He Ziyue finally managed to get a new car from the nearby old city.
The frame was dented in several places, and the roof had cracks in all four corners, but she simply removed it, turning it into a convertible. However, the engine was not a problem, at least it was much better than the previous off-road vehicle that lost its wheels after a few steps.
Filled up with gas, the car swayed through the mountains from the neighbouring city and finally arrived at a corner outside the Southern Base.
At the first sight of Chu Chenli, He Ziyue almost rushed forward to feel him up, afraid that he might have been bullied and lost an arm or a leg.
Mu Yanshen strongly condemned her for such an unreasonable excuse, he blocked her and started to argue.
The only mature man, Hua Jin, silently sighed. He pushed Chu Chenli to the side, and began examining his body.
Chu Chenli obviously didn’t lack any limbs, but he did have quite a few external injuries.
The wounds left by the attacks of the mutants earlier hadn’t healed yet. They were initially severe, but with the help of a healer named Guan Chi, they had been temporarily treated. However, they were still in a state of slow recovery, and he could still feel a slight pain when walking.
But he had become accustomed to the pain, and it didn’t affect his actions.
These minor injuries were nothing to Hua Jin.
In less than ten minutes, the already scabbed wounds completely healed, leaving only a slightly lighter layer of skin to show the traces of previous injuries. In less than two days, these marks would disappear.
After the treatment, all he needed was a good night’s sleep, and Chu Chenli would be back on his feet, ready to wreak havoc.
However, Hua Jin couldn’t relax his furrowed brows.
“How did you get so many wounds on your body? And poisoned too? Is this a base or some illegal laboratory?” Hua Jin couldn’t hide his worry.
He Ziyue, hearing this, also frowned and then cast a blaming look at Mu Yanshen.
As the only person with direct contact with them, Mu Yanshen hadn’t told them these details. He only mentioned that the base was not good, and the people inside were not good.
Also stating that Chu Chenli was good in all aspects, but just had a bad eye for boyfriends.
Mu Yanshen was unmoved. “After all, we can’t just fly straight here.”
He Ziyue knew he was stating the truth, but she still couldn’t help but grind her teeth and almost broke the key in her hand.
Mu Yanshen looked at Chu Chenli, then turned to Hua Jin.
Hua Jin assured them that Chu Chenli was definitely fine now.
“Get in the car first. I’ll explain the details on the way,” Mu Yanshen urged, eager to hit the road, ignoring the eyes Chu Chenli cast his way. He Ziyue found out where Fang Xiyu is.”
Fang Xiyu was their other teammate.
Chu Chenli could care less about other matters now. “Where is he now?”
Mu Yanshen looked at He Ziyue.
He Ziyue sighed. “Some place called Yingchen Base…”
Hua Jin’s expression didn’t look good either, but he took over, “That place is conducting experiments on human bodies.”
They needed to find the other as soon as possible.
In short, they were indeed running out of time.
They ignored the suspicion in Mu Yanshen’s urgency— he wasn’t usually this serious regarding other teammates.
As the car drifted off, He Ziyue glanced back at the Southern Base shrouded in darkness.
In the rearview mirror, Mu Yanshen, sitting in the back, was checking the wound on Chu Chenli’s shoulder.
“But speaking of which, Xiao Mu, you let those people off so easily this time?” He Ziyue said with some surprise. “That’s not like you at all.”
If it weren’t for the urgency to save other teammates, she would have wanted to go in and give Ye Lanzhou a few slaps publicly.
Mu Yanshen, who didn’t seek to enter the conversation, didn’t respond.
Initially, they were worried that when they reached the entrance of the Southern Base by car, that they would see nothing by ruins.
But now, looking at it, everything seemed somewhat peaceful.
As if nothing had happened.
This was not Mu Yanshen’s usual style.
“Do I seem like such an unreasonable person to you?” Mu Yanshen raised an eyebrow.
“Yes!” He Ziyue said decisively.
Hua Jin also nodded unceremoniously.
Mu Yanshen: “…”
He turned his head, looking for comfort from Chu Chenli, hoping for some reassurance.
“Being too excessive is not good either,” Chu Chenli said, patting his head casually and pushing him aside.
Whether it was his illusion or not, Mu Yanshen seemed to be increasingly fond of physical contact since they met.
Chu Chenli sighed silently, trying to dispel the increasingly dog-like image of him in his mind.
“I just merely suggested some things,” Mu Yanshen, seeking comfort in vain, sneered, his expression changing from sunny to gloomy, “Someone’s still waiting behind to deal with them.”
The tattered convertible carried them, swaying through the mountains and wilds, slowly heading towards the distance…
–
Southern Base.
The dormitory area, which should have been dark by now, was brightly lit.
Everyone who had just returned or had already gone to sleep was awakened by the commotion outside. They crowded in the corridor.
Later arrivals thought there was something exciting to watch and stopped as well. However, after looking inside, they were horrified and fell silent, just like the people before them.
On one side of the crowd was Xiang Renxi.
On the opposite side was Xiao Bai.
Xiao Bai, a new intern in the medical department, had been running between various departments in the base for some time. Many people had seen him and recognized him.
He was a timid and cowardly person, but he had a good temper. He usually treated people with a smile, and everyone had no ill feelings towards him.
At the moment, he was supporting himself with the wall, looking very horrified as he glanced at Xiang Renxi.
Others noticed the vivid finger marks on Xiao Bai’s neck and couldn’t help but feel scared too.
Only Xiang Renxi stood opposite Xiao Bai.
Originally, it was a team member who had come out for a stroll. By chance, they noticed someone in a dim alley, emitting low humming sounds that seemed a bit distressing. Concerned, the team member walked over to take a look, only to find Xiang Renxi choking Xiao Bai.
Initially, they thought they might be fooling around or demonstrating something until they saw Xiao Bai’s face turning red, intermittently crying out for help.
Xiang Renxi genuinely seemed intent on strangling Xiao Bai.
Ye Lanzhou arrived belatedly, following behind the crowd.
The crowd automatically made way for him, and Ye Lanzhou walked to the front. Seeing the situation between the two, he was also taken aback and instinctively asked, “What happened?”
Upon hearing his voice, Xiang Renxi’s mind shook, suddenly snapping back to reality.
Ye Lanzhou, as usual, habitually asked him about the situation. His face was filled with genuine concern, seemingly not considering the possibility that Xiang Renxi might lose control and do something awful.
Xiang Renxi’s heart sank.
As the chaotic thoughts gradually cleared, he opened his mouth to explain, but his gaze fell on the space behind Ye Lanzhou.
Standing behind him, the team members in the front row all had stiff expressions. They instinctively avoided his gaze, some even displaying fear and apprehension.
In the past, there would always be a few who would proactively step forward, providing excuses and reasons for Xiang Renxi, calming the others down. One reason was to avoid chaos, and the other was their belief in Xiang Renxi’s rationality and judgement. They believed that anything he did must have a reason.
Besides, Xiao Bai was just an inexperienced intern.
In the past, they would have suspected Xiao Bai to be a mole or traitor. Xiang Renxi would never have faced such backlash
The reactions of the team members were definitely not solely due to the fact that Xiang Renxi had nearly choked Xiao Bai.
What on earth had happened?
Xiang Renxi’s turned deathly pale— astonishingly, he couldn’t remember anything.
Author’s note:
There should be one or two chapters left to wrap up the plot at the Southern Base (that is, the face slapping part). I don’t have time to finish the chapter today, so I’ll put it into the next chapter.
By the way, I would like to highlight Xiao Mu’s last words [There are people waiting to deal with them behind.]
Now its Ah Li’s teammates’ turn to take revenge on his behal! Later, Ah Li himself is the scumbag behind hzc.
