Chapter 195

Chapter 195

When the corridor lights went out again, Feng Chen spoke in a hoarse voice, "Then let's proceed cautiously, not transferring all the virus at once. Otherwise, not just you, even Bi Nunu won’t be able to withstand it."

He felt his trouser leg being tugged again and looked down towards Bi Nunu, "Don't overdo it, we’ll do it little by little as I said."

Yan Bubu started walking towards the door, and the lights turned on again. He noticed that Feng Chen wasn't following him, turned around, and saw General Lin, who had appeared at some point, standing in the corridor in pajamas.

"General Lin," Yan Bubu called out timidly.

He felt a bit nervous.

Yu Yuan was too important to Lin Fen, and this kind of virus transfer was unprecedented for him, with no guarantee of Yu Yuan's safety.

It would be problematic if Lin Fen didn’t allow him to proceed with the virus transfer.

Lin Fen slowly approached, his expression calm, no different from usual. He paused beside Yan Bubu and Feng Chen but said nothing, continuing forward to input the password on the door lock.

His hands were shaking non-stop, mispressing the keypad repeatedly, causing errors. Feng Chen then stepped forward, speaking softly, "Let me do it."

As Feng Chen entered the password, Lin Fen looked at Yan Bubu.

Yan Bubu thought he was going to ask if he was sure about the virus transfer and whether it would be successful, to which he could only truthfully respond—there was no certainty, no guarantee.

But Lin Fen didn’t ask anything, only saying to Yan Bubu, "Dispelling the darkness, welcoming the light. Annoying Spirit, you truly are a light guide." He then looked seriously at Bi Nunu, who had been gazing up at him, "All miracles start with you, beginning with the cleansing of the virus from Annoying Spirit’s body. Good girl, you too are undoubtedly a light guide."

Bi Nunu stood still for two seconds, then clenched its paws into fists, holding them at its waist, and turned in a small circle on the spot. It then raised its chin, looking arrogantly around at the three people and one quantum beast present.

Feng Chen then pushed open the door. As soon as the door opened, Yu Yuan lunged forward. Lin Fen quickly moved behind him, skillfully restraining Yu Yuan’s arms with one hand and holding his chin with the other: “Easy, it's okay, it’s okay…”

Yan Bubu and the two quantum beasts followed into the room.

Watching Lin Fen half-drag, half-carry the struggling Yu Yuan back to the bed, Yan Bubu asked Bi Nunu, “Can we start now?”

Bi Nunu looked at Sasaka, nodding solemnly at Yan Bubu. Sasaka bent down and gently touched its head.

Feng Chen crouched in front of Bi Nunu, cradling its head and touching foreheads with it: “A top student from the Guide Class, you’re really amazing. The whole academy would be proud of you.”

Bi Nunu raised its paw and patted Feng Chen's back, indicating its understanding.

Feng Chen then stood up, looking intensely at Yan Bubu: “Don’t be afraid, whatever happens, I’ll always be here.”

“I’m not afraid,” Yan Bubu placed his hand over Feng Chen’s heart, “And you shouldn’t be either.”

“Okay,” Feng Chen covered that hand with his own.

Yu Yuan suddenly broke free from Lin Fen’s hold and lunged at Yan Bubu, the closest to him. His freshly trimmed nails had grown back, reaching for Yan Bubu's neck, his open mouth revealing sharp teeth.

Lin Fen immediately grabbed Yu Yuan's arm, and Feng Chen shielded Yan Bubu in his embrace, but at that moment, Yan Bubu’s mental power surged directly into Yu Yuan’s spirit realm.

As if a pause button had been pressed, Yu Yuan’s movements abruptly stopped, and his roaring ceased, trapped in his half-open mouth.

Yan Bubu found himself in a dark space. Similar to the zombie spirit realms he had seen before, it was filled with chaotic and frantic noises, resembling low human murmurs or the sound of electricity passing through, full of madness, chaos, and disorder.

The manifestation of a guide’s mental power is different from a sentinel’s, not thread-like but existing in any form within the spirit realm. However, Yan Bubu didn’t find any trace of Yu Yuan’s mental power in this vast space.

He soon noticed a dark shadow approaching him, transforming into a large gaping mouth, aiming to devour him entirely.

Yan Bubu reflexively thought to dodge but then realized it was Yu Yuan’s mental power and stood still, allowing the gaping mouth to descend, close, and swallow him whole.

Yan Bubu’s mental tendrils were instantly coated with a layer of black, rapidly spreading and soaking inwards. At the same time, he felt a force entering his own spirit realm.

He naturally understood that Bi Nunu had connected with him mentally.

It was a peculiar experience.

He felt like a cable or a conduit, with Yu Yuan and Bi Nunu connected at each end. He watched as the blackness on his mental tendrils began to recede, then was covered again by new blackness, continuing to fade…

The dark shadow enveloping him also slowly changed color, shifting from a thick black to ink blue, then further lightening, resembling a gray curtain stained with faint ink marks.

Knowing that Lin Fen and Feng Chen were watching over the outside world and would notify him of any irregularities, he didn't distract himself with Yu Yuan's external condition but focused solely on extending his mental tendrils.

Bi Nunu was also diligently absorbing the blackness on his mental tendrils, turning the gray curtain into a pearly white that gradually emitted specks of silver light.

Time quietly passed. Although Yu Yuan's spirit realm still had many such shadows, Yan Bubu, concerned that Bi Nunu might be overwhelmed, decided to stop for the day.

He withdrew his mental tendrils from Yu Yuan's spirit realm, and in the moment of retreat, he sensed that Bi Nunu had also disconnected their mental link.

As soon as Yan Bubu opened his eyes, he saw Feng Chen.

He was lying in Feng Chen’s arms, with Feng Chen looking down at him, pale-faced and with colorless lips, seemingly quite frightened during this time.

"How are Bi Nunu and Uncle Colonel Yu?" Yan Bubu asked.

Feng Chen's voice was hoarse as if scraped by sandpaper: “They are both fine.”

The room was very quiet. Yan Bubu turned his head to look back and immediately saw Yu Yuan lying on the bed, with Lin Fen propping his hands on either side of his head, staring fixedly at him.

He got out of Feng Chen’s arms and walked to the bedside, joining Lin Fen in watching the person on the bed.

Yu Yuan lay there as if asleep, the blackish hue on his face mostly faded, his skin covered only in a layer of gray, his original features somewhat restored.

Lin Fen’s voice was choked with emotion: “He looks so handsome, doesn’t he? His nose, eyes, mouth… every part of him is beautiful.”

Yan Bubu said, "Right! Every part of him is handsome."

Feng Chen approached and whispered in his ear, "Let’s go, leave this place to them."

Yan Bubu nodded and followed Feng Chen out of the room, stepping lightly.

"What about Bi Nunu?" Yan Bubu asked anxiously as soon as they stepped out of the door.

Feng Chen replied, "Bi Nunu, a second before you opened your eyes, went off to play with Sasaka."

"It’s not in trouble, is it?"

Feng Chen stroked his chin, "Trouble? Well... no major trouble."

Yan Bubu immediately became anxious, "So, there’s a minor problem? What happened to it?"

"It’s fine, not really a problem," Feng Chen glanced at him, "It’s probably off catching mutated species in the forest. Let's go find it."

Yan Bubu relaxed upon hearing this and walked downstairs hand in hand with Feng Chen. Noticing that the back of Feng Chen's clothes was soaked, he felt a mix of sourness and tenderness and asked, "Did it look very dangerous when I was in Uncle Colonel Yu’s spirit realm?"

"It was more of a fright..." Feng Chen pondered, "After all, that face was normal one moment and then turned into a zombie the next. It was quite scary to watch."

Yan Bubu suddenly felt unhappy, stopped walking, and remained silent.

Feng Chen tapped his forehead with a finger, "Are you angry?"

Yan Bubu turned his head away, staring at the wall with a stern face.

Feng Chen sighed and embraced him, gently rocking him, "It was both thrilling and frightening; in just half an hour, you nearly scared half my life away."

"You don't think I look ugly as a zombie?" Yan Bubu swayed along with Feng Chen's movements.

Feng Chen seemed incredulous, "Do you think I was worried about whether you looked good or not at that time?"

Yan Bubu smiled, nestled in his arms, "Then hurry up and say it, say that I still look good even as a zombie."

Feng Chen thought for a moment, "You are really handsome. Your nose, eyes, mouth... there’s not a single flaw."

Yan Bubu playfully elongated his words, "You can’t just repeat what General Lin said. You have to think of something yourself."

"Let me think..." Feng Chen pushed Yan Bubu a little further away, looking at him seriously, "You really are handsome. Your nose, eyes, mouth…"

Feng Chen placed his finger on Yan Bubu’s face, tracing slowly with each word he uttered. His speed grew slower and his voice softer, his finger sliding from Yan Bubu's eyes and nose down to his lips.

The two looked at each other, the air heating up with their breaths.

"Brother…" Yan Bubu spoke softly.

Feng Chen leaned down, murmuring as he captured his lips, "…not a single flaw."

Yan Bubu was led by Feng Chen towards the forest.

Under the streetlight, his lips were bright red, his eyes moist, and Feng Chen kept turning his head to look at him as they walked.

"Do you want to kiss me again?" Yan Bubu glanced at him and said, "You always have that look in your eyes when you want to kiss me."

"Oh? Is that so? Then what kind of look is it?" Feng Chen asked.

Yan Bubu replied adeptly, "It's like you're burning with desire, wanting to pounce on me and—"

"Okay, enough," Feng Chen interrupted him, "tear me into pieces and devour me. And don’t just repeat this line in the future; think of something yourself."

Yan Bubu then puckered his lips and moved closer, "If you want to kiss, then kiss. Now I’ll let you kiss to your heart's content."

As soon as he finished speaking, sounds of chasing came from the woods ahead, and Feng Chen pressed down on Yan Bubu's lips: "Bi Nunu and Sasaka are in there."

Mentioning Bi Nunu, Yan Bubu's expression turned serious, and he quickly became focused: "Hurry, let's see what Bi Nunu is doing."

Sasaka's figure appeared at the edge of the forest, frantically darting left and right in the dimly lit woods, as if trying to corner a hedgehog mutant.

This hedgehog was covered in spikes like swords, each gleaming with a metallic black sheen and tipped with barbs, clearly a formidable opponent. Sasaka seemed to know its danger and didn’t dare use its paws to tamper with it.

"Sasaka, where's Bi Nunu? Why isn’t it here?" Yan Bubu asked, not seeing Bi Nunu.

Sasaka paused, stopped in its tracks, looking somewhat confused at Yan Bubu. The hedgehog mutant seized the opportunity to escape towards Sasaka. Just as it passed under Sasaka's belly, it suddenly leaped upward, its spikes aiming for Sasaka's underbelly.

Before Sasaka could react, the hedgehog mutant was suddenly flung sideways. It flew like a spiky ball, tracing a long arc in the air and landing on another hill.

Only then did Yan Bubu notice a dark shadow beside Sasaka, which upon closer inspection, turned out to be Bi Nunu. It must have been the dim light that made it hard to spot earlier.

Just as he was about to ask Bi Nunu to step into the light, he sensed something amiss.

Despite the dim light, he could clearly see Sasaka, which was all black, so why couldn’t he see it clearly?

Feng Chen coughed lightly and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "You were right."

Yan Bubu turned to him, "Right about what?"

"Its appearance has changed," Feng Chen said in a low voice, but Bi Nunu still heard it. Yan Bubu heard it make an unhappy purring sound, and within the dark shadow, two rows of snow-white sharp teeth appeared, almost as if floating in mid-air.

"Ah... I see..." Yan Bubu slowly uttered a few words.

He silently watched Bi Nunu for a moment and then asked, "Bi Nunu, do you feel uncomfortable in any way?"

Bi Nunu did not respond, and after three seconds, Feng Chen leaned in to whisper in Yan Bubu's ear, "It's shaking its head."

"You can see it?" Yan Bubu asked in surprise.

Feng Chen replied, "Sasaka told me through mental connection."

Yan Bubu strained to see Bi Nunu, but the existing light in the area meant his mental imaging wouldn’t brighten the scene, so he still couldn’t see clearly.

"Ha, haha..." Yan Bubu started to laugh but stopped abruptly upon hearing Bi Nunu purring, swallowing the rest of his laughter.

After two seconds of silence, he chuckled.

"Roar!"

Yan Bubu remained silent, but a few seconds later, he chuckled again.

"Roar!"

Before Bi Nunu could charge at them, Feng Chen pulled Yan Bubu back, "Let's wait until it returns to the room to have a closer look. For now, let's act nonchalant and continue our walk, so it doesn’t get embarrassed and refuses to return."

Yan Bubu nodded, covering his mouth.

Half an hour later, Bi Nunu returned to the room, allowing Yan Bubu to finally get a clear look at it.

"Do you know? This shade of black you’ve turned into is actually quite noticeable," Yan Bubu said, lying on the pillow and looking at Bi Nunu beside him, "It's almost like coal, the kind that doesn’t glow… matte black? But it blocks light, so it's actually quite visible."

Yan Bubu paused, moving closer to observe Bi Nunu, "Are your eyes closed or open? Your eyeballs and eyelids seem to blend together… Oh, you’re glaring at me."

Bi Nunu started to bare its teeth, and Yan Bubu stared at its row of small white teeth, chuckling. Bi Nunu then closed its mouth, making only a purring sound.

"Ignore him," Feng Chen, lying on the other side of Bi Nunu, straightened its head, "He doesn’t understand. You are elegantly dark. Do you know what that means? It’s the kind of black that’s the most beautiful."

Sasaka, lying at the foot of the bed, stretched out a paw, wholeheartedly agreeing with Bi Nunu.

"Tomorrow, I'll make you a floral dress, it'll look beautiful with your elegantly dark skin. Wear it quickly, because once we return to the base and extract the virus, you'll lose this rare color. Beauty is always fleeting, don’t leave any regrets," Feng Chen coaxed further.

Bi Nunu uttered a soft sound and turned to place its paw on Feng Chen.

"Alright, let’s sleep, we need to continue cleaning Colonel Yu's mental realm tomorrow. You two need to rest early."

For the next few days, Yan Bubu and Bi Nunu continued to cleanse Colonel Yu’s mental realm. He was responsible for connecting and transferring, while Bi Nunu absorbed. The black shadows in Colonel Yu's realm diminished, restoring to a soft glowing state before disappearing.

Colonel Yu's condition was improving. Although he mostly slept, occasionally waking up without consciousness, his appearance, apart from a sickly pallor, no longer bore any zombie traits.

Bi Nunu did not become any darker, which Yan Bubu attributed to it reaching the peak of darkness, with no room or shade left to intensify, unless its skin turned into dark matter.

By the sixth day, Yan Bubu meticulously searched Colonel Yu’s realm and found no more shadows.

The realm was completely purified, indicating his body was free of the zombie virus.

The mental core, initially shriveled and covered with black tumors resembling a rotten animal heart, now cleared of the dark mass, regained a soft hue, resembling a clear blue gem.

"Why isn't he waking up?" Yan Bubu, lying beside the bed watching Colonel Yu, softly called, "Colonel Yu, Colonel Yu..."

Lin Fen, calm and content, spooned some meat soup into Colonel Yu’s mouth, "He's still not had enough sleep. He will wake up once he’s fully rested."

"What if he— " Yan Bubu began to ask about the possibility of Colonel Yu never waking up, but stopped himself mid-sentence.

"If he continues to sleep like this, I'm still content," Lin Fen, understanding his unspoken words, replied naturally, then said, "Didn’t I tell you the meal is ready? Go downstairs and eat."

"Oh, did brother cook?"

"Yes, and it tastes quite good, just a tiny bit inferior to my cooking," Lin Fen claimed.

"…Nonsense, the meals brother cooks are tastier than yours," Yan Bubu mumbled under his breath.

Lin Fen turned his head to look over, and Yan Bubu immediately walked towards the door, shouting back, “The food my brother makes is much tastier than yours!”

Listening to the sound of his footsteps fading away, Lin Fen turned back and continued to ladle meat soup, a faint smile appearing on his face.

After feeding Yan, he gave Yu Yuan a massage on his hands and feet.

Yu Yuan's body was free of the zombie virus, but it quickly showed signs of years of physical inactivity. Not only was he thin, but his limbs and muscles had also atrophied somewhat.

Lin Fen rolled up Yu Yuan's trouser legs, his hands gently massaging the slender legs, speaking softly as he worked.

"…You once asked how I came to like you, speculating it was during that mission in the mountains when we got trapped for two days, and I developed other feelings for you."

After a pause of two seconds, Lin Fen said, “Actually, you guessed wrong.”

“Even before we enlisted in the army, when we were still in military school, I had already fallen for you. The moment I saw you, I had only one thought in my heart: you are mine, you must be mine.”

“But you were so dazzling, so handsome, surrounded by admirers. I had to work hard continuously to get the chance to be in the same military unit as you, to undertake the same missions, and to ask if you needed a lift when you couldn’t walk anymore…”

“When I was carrying you, my feet felt like they were floating, I don't even know how I walked that path.” Lin Fen’s face bore a smile, as he turned to look at Yu Yuan, “At that time, I was thinking, if only this road could go on forever—”

His words abruptly stopped, and his hands ceased their movements, sitting there motionless and dazed.

Moments later, he barely audibly whispered three words: "—that would be nice…"

Yu Yuan had woken up at some point and was lying on the bed quietly watching him, the ceiling light reflecting in his beautiful eyes.

As their eyes met, Yu Yuan's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

Lin Fen held his breath and slowly moved closer.

His eyes fixed unwaveringly on Yu Yuan, as if fearing this was all an illusion, his hand braced on the bed trembling continuously.

Yu Yuan’s gaze wandered over his face and spoke softly as Lin Fen drew near, “Actually, that day… I could walk…”

“Really? You could walk.” Tears streamed down Lin Fen’s cheeks as he smiled, “You really had me fooled then.”