Chapter 65

Chapter 65

"Brother," Yan Bubu called out loudly.

Feng Chen, who had reached the senior class doorway, paused upon hearing the voice, turning to look at him with a slight smile.

"Hehe," Yan Bubu, still held by the soldier, smiled back at him, then saw his face suddenly become stern, "Go back to your classroom."

Yan Bubu reluctantly watched Feng Chen enter the senior class before dejectedly returning to his own.

Soldiers brought food into the three classrooms. After breakfast, all three classes, junior, middle, and senior, began their lessons.

In the senior class where Feng Chen was, students of similar age to him had all experienced various hardships or the loss of family and friends. Their personalities had somewhat settled; they did not converse much with each other, eating quietly, waiting for the teacher in silence, and listening quietly to the neighboring junior class's singing.

"The puppy goes woof woof, the duck quacks, the sheep baa, the rain pitter-patters..."

Feng Chen found a dried-up ballpoint pen under the table, spinning it rapidly between his fingers while discerning Yan Bubu's voice amidst the singing.

Yan Bubu was notoriously off-key and loud in his singing. Feng Chen quickly identified his voice, also noting that the other children were starting to follow his off-key lead.

"Stop, stop, let's start again, follow the teacher and sing..."

When Yu Yuan entered the classroom, he immediately noticed Qin Shen and the pleased smile on his face.

"Alright, no matter what you're enjoying, it's time to focus and get ready for the lesson," Yu Yuan walked to the lectern, unbuttoning the top button of his military uniform and rolling up his sleeves, "I am Yu Yuan, and I believe you all know me as Colonel Yu from the Western Alliance Army."

Yu Yuan rolled up his sleeves, his gaze sweeping over the faces of these adolescents, "Now, standing here, I'm not just Colonel Yu, but also your teacher. Your first lesson, taught by me, is titled 'How to Survive.'"

Yu Yuan's lesson was filled with practical advice, such as how to effectively seek refuge during emergencies, how to perform first aid on someone critically injured, and how to bandage one's own wounds.

Although Qin Shen was familiar with this knowledge, he listened attentively. Yu Yuan's teachings differed significantly from textbook information or what was taught by instructors at training camps.

He omitted some textbook content and unnecessary procedures, seeming unconventional but proving more practical.

Midway through the class, younger children from the adjacent classroom began queuing for the restroom. As they passed by the senior class, they peeked curiously inside, occasionally calling out "brother" or "sister" excitedly.

Qin Shen, who had been focused on the front, also turned to look towards the door.

The chatter of the younger children grew loud, prompting Yu Yuan to pause his lecture. He didn't bother closing the door, instead leaning on the desk with a smile, watching them.

Yan Bubu, in the middle of the line, naturally noticed Yu Yuan first and waved at him.

Yu Yuan smiled and nodded in response, waving subtly back at Yan Bubu with his hand behind the desk.

Yan Bubu's gaze continued to scan the classroom, but upon spotting Qin Shen seated at the side, he was about to greet him loudly when Teacher Yu reminded, "Students, please be quiet and not disturb the older students' class."

Qin Shen, resting his chin on his hands with half-closed eyes, seemed to look beyond Yan Bubu, focusing on something behind him.

Unsure if Qin Shen had noticed him and unable to greet him aloud, Yan Bubu started to jump and wave his hands.

"Students, don't jump either, walk properly," Teacher Yu advised again.

Reluctantly, Yan Bubu continued walking with the group, and only after he left the doorway did Qin Shen withdraw his gaze.

The morning passed swiftly, and soldiers brought lunch into the three classrooms.

This time was more relaxed. After getting their meals, some of the younger students carried their lunchboxes to find their older siblings in the middle or senior classes.

Yan Bubu, too, with his lunchbox in hand, headed to the senior class, weaving through tables and chairs to reach Qin Shen: "Brother..."

Just as Qin Shen set his lunchbox on a nearby table, Yan Bubu leaned in, sticking close, "I saw you three times today, and you didn't notice me twice."

"What's so special about seeing you?" Qin Shen hoisted him onto a somewhat high chair, asking, "What did you learn this morning? I'll check your work when we get back."

"We learned singing and drawing," Yan Bubu replied. "I can sing for you and draw you a picture."

"That's all?" Qin Shen prodded his spoon in the fish in his lunchbox, inquiring.

Yan Bubu remained silent.

"I'm asking you a question."

Yan Bubu replied sulkily, "We also learned some characters and did math problems."

"Write them down for me to see later."

"…Okay."

Two seats diagonally in front of them, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl was feeding her younger sister, who was Yan Bubu's classmate. The younger girl sat with her mouth open, waiting as her sister spooned rice into it and gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Yan Bubu watched them intently. Qin Shen asked, "What are you thinking about? Your food is getting cold."

Yan Bubu leaned closer to him and whispered, "Look at them."

Feng Chen asked, "What's wrong with them?"

Yan Bubu said, "Her sister is feeding her."

"Hmm."

Feng Chen continued eating, but noticed the lunchbox beside him being slowly pushed towards him by Yan Bubu.

"Don’t want to eat anymore? There’s still so much left?" Feng Chen frowned.

Yan Bubu always had a good appetite and never left so much food uneaten before.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Feng Chen put down his spoon and reached out to feel Yan Bubu's forehead.

Yan Bubu quickly shook his head, "I’m not feeling unwell."

Feng Chen stared at him, and Yan Bubu just looked back innocently.

"Then why stop eating? Tired of the fish?" Feng Chen asked.

Yan Bubu shook his head again, "The meat is tasty."

Feng Chen looked puzzled, "Then what exactly—"

Feng Chen suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as if understanding something, his furrowed brows relaxing, and he looked at Yan Bubu with half-closed eyes.

"That sister is feeding her younger sister," Yan Bubu whispered in a lower voice.

"Fan Renjing, eat your meal properly and stop thinking about unnecessary things," Feng Chen also lowered his voice. "That little sister is younger than you. She can't handle the spoon well enough to scoop up soybeans. You can scoop up five soybeans in one go, which even I can't do. And you still want to be fed? I'm afraid I can't keep up with your eating pace."

Yan Bubu pouted, and Feng Chen patted him on the head, "Eat up!"

As they continued to eat, suddenly a spoon appeared in front of Feng Chen, trembling in the air, stacked with five soybeans.

"You're not good with the spoon, so I'll feed you," Yan Bubu extended the spoon towards Feng Chen's mouth. "Ah... open up."

"I—" Feng Chen barely opened his mouth when Yan Bubu quickly fed the five soybeans into his mouth.

"How is it? Is it nice being fed by me?" Yan Bubu eagerly asked.

Feng Chen, with a mouthful of soybeans, could only shake his head, blocking Yan Bubu from feeding him more.

Yan Bubu said with some regret, "Alright then, you eat by yourself."

The afternoon session was a cultural lesson taught by volunteers on the ship. Feng Chen listened attentively but kept part of his attention on the activities in the adjacent younger class.

The younger class was learning subtraction, and the teacher was calling students up to solve problems.

"Wang Hongwei got five questions right and earned a red flower. Let's give him a round of applause..."

"Chen Feifei also got five questions right and earned a red flower."

"Fan Renjing didn't get it right, you need to keep trying."

Feng Chen: ...

The younger class session was just over twenty minutes. As soon as it ended, the teachers of the older and middle classes hurried to close their doors. Within two minutes, younger students would be peeking at the door, softly calling for their brothers or sisters.

But even with the doors closed, it was no use. Little voices would always be heard through the door cracks: "Brother... Sister..."

As soon as the teacher pulled the door shut, several kids would scamper away, but they'd return as soon as the door closed, hiding behind it to peek and quietly chatter amongst themselves.

Yan Bubu was among them.

However, after that math class, Feng Chen didn't hear Yan Bubu's voice anymore. Even during the following music class, his off-key but enthusiastic singing with his classmates was absent.

At the end of the school day, the younger students were the first to leave the classroom, lining up on the deck under the supervision of soldiers and teachers. They waited for the middle and older classes to join them before taking a hovercraft back to the hive ship.

When Feng Chen emerged from the corridor, he immediately spotted Yan Bubu under the awning, standing dejectedly, staring at his shoes.

"Troublesome spirit," Feng Chen called out.

Unlike before, Yan Bubu didn't respond with his usual excited yell but slowly walked over.

Feng Chen helped him into his raincoat and took his hand, saying, "Let's go, it's time to head back."

During dinner, Yan Bubu had little appetite, eating only two pieces of fish before claiming to be full. He then lay on the bed, hugging Binunu and playing with its ears.

After Feng Chen finished washing the lunchbox and returned, he sat opposite Yan Bubu and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Yan Bubu rolled over to face him, lying down. "Brother, can you make a red flower?"

"Yes."

"Then, can you make one for me? With five petals."

Feng Chen refused: "No."

Disappointment crossed Yan Bubu's face as he uttered a disheartened 'oh', continuing to stroke Binunu's ears. Then Feng Chen added, "But I have a way that can help you earn a red flower."

Half an hour later, as with every study session, Feng Chen's irritable voice filled the room.

"Yan Bubu, I realized today that you really are a poor learner."

"Stretch out your fingers. Ten fingers, minus three, how many are left? Huh? How many? What's ten minus three?"

……

After an intense tutoring session, Feng Chen finally helped Yan Bubu understand subtraction within ten.

Yan Bubu, who had been dispirited from the scolding, was now bouncing with excitement, repeatedly asking Feng Chen if he would earn a red flower the next day.

"Yes, yes, yes, as long as you don't forget what you just learned overnight," Feng Chen said impatiently from the bed. "Stop asking, or I'll sew your mouth shut."

Yan Bubu pouted and moved closer, mumbling, "Then sew it, go ahead."

Feng Chen pinched his chin and pushed him away: "I don't want to see you right now."

Yan Bubu lay beside him, happily reciting the subtraction rhymes, when there was a knock at the door.

Feng Chen got up to open it, and a soldier stood outside.

"This is from Colonel Yu for you both."

Inside the bag Feng Chen opened were blank notebooks, pencils, erasers, several books, and a box of crayons.

Yan Bubu, lying on the bed, saw the crayons and jumped up excitedly, his hair tousled as he ran to Feng Chen: "Brother!"

"What?"

Yan Bubu pointed at the box of crayons, and Feng Chen handed it to him, along with a blank notebook.

"Ha! I'm going to draw!"

Yan Bubu started to draw, while Feng Chen took out the books from the bag, finding, besides two children's drawing books, several military books.

These were internal military publications, incomprehensible to those without a military background. Feng Chen, touching the covers of the books, realized that both Yu Yuan and Lin Fen knew his identity, but chose not to confront him about it.

His feelings were complex at that moment.

Lin Fen, who was also eager for the codebox, could easily force him to hand it over—just by threatening to kick him and Yan Bubu off the ship. Yet they hadn’t exposed his identity, allowing him to stay and keep the vital codebox.

Feng Chen stood frozen for a while before picking up a book and sitting next to Yan Bubu, gently opening the front cover.

Raindrops pattered against the window, pages of a book occasionally flipped, and the sea gently surged against the ship, creating a tranquil and peaceful ambiance.

This serene moment was only interrupted when Yan Bubu, in the midst of drawing, would suddenly leap up and excitedly punch the air, emitting 'heh heh' sounds.

"I'm going to draw a very beautiful picture," declared Yan Bubu.

Feng Chen, without looking up from his book, responded, "Hmm."

"It's going to be the kind that can be hung on the wall of the younger class."

"Hmm."

After his grand statement, Yan Bubu continued drawing, while Feng Chen glanced at the notebook and saw only a few circles drawn on it.

After their baths, with the lights turned off, they lay in bed; Feng Chen lay with his eyes closed as usual, and Yan Bubu continued to chatter away.

"Brother, pinch my ear," Yan Bubu started making requests.

Pretending not to hear, Yan Bubu took Feng Chen's hand and placed it on his ear.

"Pinch it."

Feng Chen pinched it half-heartedly a couple of times and said, "There, I pinched it."

Unsatisfied, Yan Bubu turned his back towards him and said, "Then scratch my back."

Feng Chen pretended not to hear again.

"Come on, scratch my back, scratch my back..." Yan Bubu kept nagging, turning his head back.

Feng Chen clicked his tongue in annoyance: "Why so much fuss?"

Despite his impatience, he still reached out to scratch Yan Bubu's back.

After a short while, Yan Bubu wanted to scratch Feng Chen's back, but Feng Chen pushed his hand under the blanket: "Sleep!"

"Won't you let me scratch your back? Then pinching ears is fine too. Try it, it's really comfortable. I'll do it for you," Yan Bubu suggested.

Feng Chen refused, closing his eyes, "I just want to sleep."

"Alright, then sleep," Yan Bubu said, somewhat disappointed.

The room quieted down, and Yan Bubu soon started to snore softly. Feng Chen adjusted to a comfortable position and closed his eyes to sleep.

Yan Bubu was awakened by the urge to urinate.

In his dream, he was searching everywhere for a bathroom but couldn't find one. Just as he finally found a bathroom and was about to relieve himself with joy, he suddenly woke up.

In the past, in such situations, he would just go ahead and urinate in the dream's bathroom, but tonight he woke up and managed to hold back the urge.

Yan Bubu sat up, climbed over Feng Chen, and got out of bed. Feng Chen woke up startled, sitting up quickly and reaching out to touch Yan Bubu's forehead.

Only after realizing he didn't have a fever did he ask, "Where are you going?"

"Going to pee," Yan Bubu replied, rubbing his eyes.

Feng Chen didn't say anything more and lay back down to continue sleeping, while Yan Bubu shuffled out of the bedroom in oversized slippers, heading to the shared bathroom.

The living room was dark, with only the silhouettes of furniture visible, resembling quiet monsters standing in the corners.

Yan Bubu didn't know where the light switch for the living room was and suddenly felt a bit scared, hesitating in his steps.

He put his hand in his pocket and, finding a thin, hard card, gripped it tightly in his palm.

He wanted to go back and call Feng Chen, but the urge to pee was overwhelming, forcing him to quickly cross the living room and enter the bathroom, where he flicked on the light switch.

The bright light illuminated not only the bathroom but also clarified the shadows in the living room, revealing them to be just furniture against the walls.

The imaginary monsters of his thoughts were instantly dispelled, and the world became safe again.

Yan Bubu let out a long sigh of relief, but as he looked up at the mirror, he froze.

In the mirror, he saw a large, dark shadow on the living room wall, with a long tail slowly swaying.

The shadow was changing direction, its tail moving upwards and a pointed head pointing downwards, as if it were intently observing something.

Although the shadow's size fluctuated, Yan Bubu could see clearly—it was unmistakably a Kanze lizard.

Fear blanketed Yan Bubu's mind, and his legs began to weaken. He wanted to scream for his brother, who was just in the next room, but he knew he had to be silent and still to avoid being detected by the Kanze lizard outside.

He saw in the mirror the shadow slowly descending, seemingly sniffing the area below, which reminded him of the person who was dragged into the ceiling in the boiler room, prompting him to involuntarily look upwards.

Then, he found himself staring into two deep grey glassy orbs floating in the air.

Why would there be glass orbs in the air?

This thought flickered briefly in Yan Bubu's mind before he quickly dismissed it.

As the transparent outlines next to the glass orbs became more distinct, revealing the head, torso, and strong hind limbs of the Kanze lizard clinging to the ceiling.

Yan Bubu stared unblinkingly at the Kanze lizard, so close it seemed his heart stopped beating, and his soul had left his body.

The Kanze lizard's long tongue flickered in and out, drawing ever closer to Yan Bubu's face, as if observing and smelling him.

Yan Bubu heard his own heart pounding violently, as if it were about to burst from his chest.

Unable to bear the close encounter with the Kanze lizard, he averted his gaze to the mirror.

The mirror reflected the Kanze lizard's silhouette on the living room wall, also flicking its tongue downwards. Yan Bubu realized then that the Kanze lizard had always been above him, invisible but casting a shadow on the wall due to the light not passing through its body.

The Kanze lizard observed Yan Bubu for about a minute, then slowly ascended, adhering its entire body to the ceiling.

Yan Bubu kept his eyes on the mirror, watching its shadow move a few times before a section of the ceiling opened and the shadow quickly disappeared into it.

A few seconds later, with a click, the opened part of the ceiling closed again.

Time, which seemed to have frozen, started flowing again, and Yan Bubu slowly and stiffly lifted his head.

Once he was sure the Kanze lizard had really left, he let out a loud, earth-shattering cry, and a puddle quickly formed around the bottom of his pants.

He could no longer hold his urine.