Chapter 46: Facing Reality

Chapter 46: Facing Reality

"Professor Yu, during my previous test, there seemed to be some unusual fluctuations in the data. I have a somewhat immature idea that I'll try to formulate into a report by the day after tomorrow."

Upon mentioning research, Yu Bing's focus shifted immediately, and she didn't pursue the matter further.

Despite his best efforts, Luo Le finally finished the report on the third morning. He felt somewhat guilty towards Yu Bing, as he hadn't achieved any tangible results.

He had previously pledged to remain committed, only to withdraw now.

Luo Le hastily sealed the report in an envelope and jogged over to Yu Bing's office. However, she was not there, and only a teaching assistant was present. After entrusting the documents to the assistant, he left.

Exiting Yu Bing's office, Luo Le headed straight for the warship, the same one as before.

The warship, with its black and blue hues, resembled a ghostly entity navigating the darkness.

Suddenly, Captain Lin's voice rang out, "Madam, please follow me."

Luo Le glanced at the long queue behind her and, without further inquiry, nodded and followed Captain Lin away.

They passed through a corridor and arrived at a room on the left at the end.

"Madam, this will be your quarters."

"Alright, thank you for your trouble."

"You're too kind, Madam. Admiral Huo is right across the hall. If you need anything, feel free to approach me or him directly."

Luo Le followed his gaze and saw the nameplate behind him, bearing the three characters 'Huo Lanjing.'

He redirected his gaze back to find that the nameplate in front of him was blank.

Seemingly noticing his attention, Captain Lin stepped forward and inserted a piece of cardboard with his name written on it.

Looking at the sign, Luo Le asked, "No need for arrangements, right? This should be quite close to the battlefield, shouldn't it?"

The battle zone was on the Ninth Planet, and they were currently on it. Logically speaking, it shouldn't be too far to reach.

Lieutenant Lin smiled at him and explained, "There's a place we need to stop by before returning. It'll probably take four days."

"Madam, please go in and rest first."

Luo Le didn't ask further and simply nodded.

Lieutenant Lin smiled and left.

Luo Le pushed the door open. The furnishing of this room was better than the previous one, and the material of the sofa was completely different.

He tugged at his collar and shook it. He had pulled an all-nighter last night and woke up to find that it was almost time for assembly.

He had rushed all the way here, and now his body felt sticky. He planned to take a shower and rest.

The washroom was inside the bedroom. After taking out a set of pajamas from his ring space, he entered the bathroom.

In the spacious office, Huo Lanjing sat in a chair by the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, his tall figure with crossed legs.

He was currently dressed in a creamy off-white turtleneck sweater, likely having just finished a shower, as his hair shimmered with a thin layer of moisture.

An aura of cool detachment enveloped him entirely.

"General, Madam has been safely delivered," the aide reported.

Huo Lanjing closed the book in his hand and glanced at him. "Mm."

"The arrangements have been conveyed as instructed. Also, we've been attempting to contact him, but to no avail."

Huo Lanjing turned his gaze toward the galaxy outside the window. "As a soldier, sacrificing for the Empire is an honor. Go make the preparations."

Lieutenant Lin placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly. "Yes, sir."

---

Luo Le emerged from the bathroom wearing only a pair of underwear, with a towel wrapped around his head. He held the towel loosely, hastily drying himself.

His neighbor was Huo Lanjing—then who had lived here before?

Thoughts swirling in Luo Le's mind, he reached for the remote control on the table. Suddenly, his fingers brushed against a card.

Curious, he picked it up and flipped it over, revealing three familiar characters—Chen Wuxing.

Luo Le was taken aback, then silently put it back where he found it.

So, Chen Wuxing had lived here before him.

Now that he was occupying this space, what had become of Chen Wuxing?

In the next moment, Luo Le shook his head, dispelling these thoughts. Why was he even pondering such matters?

After all, he would leave once everything was over. What happened to Huo Lanjing was none of his concern.

Sleepiness began to creep upon him, and Luo Le leaned back into the sofa, closing his eyes.

Luo Le had intended to take a quick nap, but he ended up sleeping through the night. He woke up to complete darkness, with a slight headache bothering him.

What had happened? How did he end up falling asleep here?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Luo Le opened it to find Captain Lin.

"Madam, General wants to see you."

Why would Huo Lanjing want to see her?

After tidying up, Luo Le followed him.

When she entered, Huo Lanjing had one hand supporting his head while the other held a book, his gaze lowered as he read.

The sight of him irked Luo Le. She approached and asked, "What do you want?"

Huo Lanjing slowly lifted his gaze and put down the book. "Sit."

Captain Lin, understanding the situation, closed the door quietly. With the sound of the door shutting, Luo Le took a seat.

"Come on, tell me what you need."

Luo Le was disinclined to waste time here; his headache was persistent, and all he wanted was some rest.

Huo Lanjing appeared calm and composed.

"Let's talk."

He had been meaning to have a conversation with Luo Le for a while, but numerous incidents had intervened.

Seeing Huo Lanjing's demeanor, Luo Le couldn't help but lose his temper.

"If you have something to say, just get to the point. Stop dragging me here every day. Can't we settle everything in one go?"

"You've been acting very strangely lately."

Luo Le sneered at him. "Strange? No, I'm quite normal. And aren't you supposed to be indifferent towards me? Suddenly you're concerned? Or is it that you've fallen in love with me?"

As Luo Le spoke, Huo Lanjing watched him, a surge of irritation rising within him.

He abruptly stood up, swiftly positioning himself behind Luo Le, pinning his thigh down with one foot, restricting his wrist with one hand, and lifting his chin with the other.

Luo Le was compelled to lift his head, the light above blinding his eyes.

He narrowed his eyes, catching only a glimpse of Huo Lanjing's chin.

Owing to the backlighting, Luo Le couldn't make out his expression clearly.

He made a slight movement, attempting to free his hand. Just as it started to budge, Huo Lanjing seized it and pressed it back into place.

Luo Le shuddered, recalling that card. He erupted completely, gritting his teeth as he spat, "Huo Lanjing, what the hell is wrong with you? Let me go! Damn it, I've had enough! We're getting a divorce right now."

Huo Lanjing lifted his chin again. Luo Le's tears, involuntarily shed under the bright lights, shimmered like translucent highlights, accentuating the depth of his eyes.

Gazing at his slightly flushed lips, Huo Lanjing's gaze darkened. As Luo Le opened his mouth to speak, Huo Lanjing leaned in, silencing him with a fervent kiss, swallowing every unsaid word.

Luo Le's lips were soft, exuding a unique fragrance that drove Huo Lanjing into a frenzy.

The hand that had just lifted his chin now held him firmly by the nape, pushing him forward into the embrace.

Huo Lanjing was addicted, his kisses urgent and intense, conquering territory.

Luo Le struggled to find a rhythm for breathing, nearly fainting from the lack of air.

His consciousness began to blur. Suddenly, his hand was grasped by Huo Lanjing and led to touch a certain spot. Unlike his kisses, there was no sign of arousal there.

Luo Le's eyes widened in surprise, looking up at Huo Lanjing. As he forced his eyes open, tears silently rolled down his cheeks, making it seem as if he were crying.

Seeing this, Huo Lanjing froze. He raised his hand to wipe away the tears at the corner of Luo Le's eyes but paused when his words echoed in his mind - "You fell in love with me."

His thoughts exploded, and his hand drifted to Luo Le's slender, fair neck. Lowering his head, he whispered, "Did you feel that? I don't react to kissing you at all. Love you? Luo Le, are you joking?"

Luo Le's hand was released. He pulled it back, resting the back of his hand gently against his eyelids.

Without reason, his tears multiplied, falling uncontrollably.

Switching to using both hands, Luo Le continuously wiped away his tears, determined not to let Huo Lanjing see him like this.

Why am I so weak? Why am I crying? Luo Le, didn't you know long ago that he doesn't love you?

How pathetic.

Luo Le wiped away his tears, all the while turning her head to avoid his gaze. The moment they returned, she would file for divorce. If Huo Lanjing disagreed, she would take legal action. With so much evidence, there was no way they wouldn't separate.

He had once clung onto hope, but now, with Huo Lanjing's clear statement, he knew it was over.

Something stirred within Huo Lanjing's heart, and in the end, he couldn't help but soften. He forcibly pulled Luo Le's hand away. Her face was already gentle, but with tears streaming down, she appeared pitiful.

His other hand slowly rose, his index finger gently brushing away her tears.

"Why are you crying?"

The firmness in his tone was tinged with an indiscernible tenderness.

Luo Le pushed him away with both hands, but he clung to her like a sticky plaster, impossible to shake off.

"It's none of your business, get lost."

Luo Le had always had a fiery temper, but today, his tone was already quite mild. Yet, the moment she arrived, she seemed determined to provoke him.

If he continued to indulge him, Luo Le would only escalate his behavior next time.

With this thought, Huo Lanjing slowly rose to his feet, looking down at him with a superior stance. "Luo Le, my patience has its limits. Must you persist in this?"

Luo Le abruptly stood up, studying the expression on Huo Lanjing's face. He smiled and gradually approached him, walking and speaking simultaneously. "Must I act this way? Tell me, what have I done?"

As he finished his last word, he reached Huo Lanjing and, without waiting for a response, forcefully stepped down on him.

Luo Le deliberately ground his foot, causing Huo Lanjing pain. He bit the inside of his lip but didn't react further.

Fixing Luo Le with a steady gaze, his tone unchanged, he said, "Are you calmer now? Let's talk."

Calmer now? Did Huo Lanjing truly see all his actions as nothing more than a tantrum?

Luo Le smiled. Was it Huo Lanjing's misunderstanding of him, or did Huo Lanjing not truly know him at all?

"Alright, go ahead," Luo Le agreed.

Huo Lanjing had called Luo Le over today to ask about his recent behavior, but the situation had spun out of control. It seemed inappropriate to continue discussing it now.

Yet, for some reason, he didn't want Luo Le to leave.

"Do you remember the lizard I brought back?"

Luo Le, relieved that the previous topic was dropped, sat down and sipped his tea calmly. He pondered for a moment before responding, "The protected lizard?"

Huo Lanjing also took a seat. "Mm-hmm."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's not actually a lizard."

Luo Le was taken aback, trying to comprehend what he'd just heard.

"Was he once human? How did he end up like this?"

Huo Lanjing nodded, then shook his head. "We couldn't get a clear answer, but genetic tests revealed human DNA. Behavioral observations over three days suggested as much."

Luo Le paused in his action, his earlier suspicion about the lizard now confirmed. There was indeed more to the story.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "If he was so well-protected before, and the insectoids still went through the trouble of rescuing him, he must be of great importance to them, right?"