Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Embracing the Moon in His Arms.

The news of Jing Baiyuan's return had not spread widely.

At least when Chu Li went to class the next day, everything seemed calm and peaceful. Neither the campus network nor the external internet mentioned Jing Baiyuan's name.

It was as if people had forgotten about this general who had been missing for half a year from the expeditionary force.

Chu Li also felt relieved.

Although he knew that the other party must have his own plans, he was still worried that his presence might disrupt those plans.

In the following days, due to lab affairs, Chu Li did not go out, but they continued their casual conversations through their personal terminals.

Based on Chu Li's shallow understanding of Jing Baiyuan, he should not have been concerned about their relationship. However, Jing Baiyuan's current reactions contradicted this assumption. Jing Baiyuan seemed to be more invested in their relationship than Chu Li had imagined.

This realization filled Chu Li with a mix of satisfaction and unease.

What puzzled Chu Li even more was that after so many days, Jing Baiyuan showed no intention of leaving.

He had tried probing for an answer, but Jing Baiyuan had deftly changed the subject, clearly not wanting to share this information.

Three days later, when the laboratory work had reached a temporary conclusion, Chu Li found himself with spare time once again.

Considering that he would be meeting Jing Baiyuan anyway, he decided it would be better if they engaged in some practical activities together.

He proposed to Jing Baiyuan, "Do you know any methods to strengthen one's physique?"

"Are you thinking of training with the Expeditionary Force?" Jing Baiyuan was quite surprised.

"Yes," Chu Li replied. He knew that with the enhancement of pheromones, human physical abilities were vastly different from his previous life. Those who could pilot spacecraft into space must possess exceptional fitness. In the incident with Peng Zihao, apart from the fact that the man was too weak, Chu Li had also caught him off guard.

Such luck might not happen again in the future.

Chu Li didn't want to put himself at a disadvantage.

A certain level of combat proficiency is essential.

But he also knew that in this world, it was unusual for an Omega to learn fighting techniques.

He rubbed his nose, about to come up with an excuse, when Jing Baiyuan said, "It's possible, but you might not be able to keep up with them at first."

Jing Baiyuan's straightforward agreement surprised Chu Li. He blinked and said, "You can give me special training."

Jing Baiyuan: "…"

After a moment of silence, he replied, "Alright, then I'll take you to the current base of the Expeditionary Force."

Chu Li said, "Is it the place where you turned human last time?"

Jing Baiyuan: "…"

The Omega beside him seemed aloof and unapproachable, yet occasionally said things that left Jing Baiyuan at a loss for a response.

He remained silent, which could be taken as an acknowledgment.

Not long after the car set off, they arrived at the towering building from the previous visit. The exterior suggested it was some corporate headquarters, but upon entering, one would discover its tight security. Many sharply dressed bodyguards stood tall with unwavering gazes, clearly professionally trained – they were far from ordinary bodyguards.

As Chu Li walked in, he asked, "Are you concealing your current state from the outside world?"

Jing Baiyuan paused and replied, "I'm hiding it from only a select few, and they'll find out soon enough."

Studying Jing Baiyuan's profile intently, Chu Li surmised that there must be trouble within the Expeditionary Force, yet Jing Bai still had time to spend with him. How severe was this issue, then?

Since Jing Baiyuan refused to divulge more, Chu Li could only speculate.

Lost in conjectures, they quickly reached their destination floor. It was the same lounge Ya Lan had led him to during his last visit. The room's arrangement remained untouched, even the cup Chu Li had used appeared to be left in its place.

Jing Baiyuan seemed to have noticed this detail as well. Glancing at the table, he said, "Take a seat for now. I'll go arrange the training session. I'll ask Ya Lan to come over and keep you company later."

Chu Li had a favorable impression of Ya Lan, so he nodded in agreement.

With them being back on Jing Baiyuan's turf, he visibly relaxed. As he walked out, he casually unbuttoned the top button of his impeccable collar.

His physique was already impressive, and with the collar slightly open, a glimpse of his solid muscles beneath was revealed.

Chu Li obediently sat on the sofa, blinking his eyes as he pondered over some matters he shouldn't be thinking about.

After Jing Baiyuan left, Ya Lan quickly came over. She was much livelier than Jing Baiyuan, entering the room and asking Feng Yichen to help change the tea water while she herself sat beside Chu Li with a smile. "How have you been feeling lately?"

Her question was too broad, leaving Chu Li uncertain if she was asking how he felt after losing his cat or how he had been getting along with Jing Baiyuan recently – or perhaps both.

Chu Li could only choose a safe response. "I'm doing okay."

Ya Lan seemed to see through his evasion, giving him a sly smile.

Just then, Feng Yichen arrived with the tea tray. Ya Lan poured Chu Li a cup before suddenly remembering something. "Wait, I shouldn't be serving you tea. I've been influenced by the boss... Would you like a glass of milk instead?"

Chu Li's lips twitched. "No, that's alright. Tea is fine."

Ya Lan chuckled. "The boss said you have an affinity for Chinese culture, and it seems to be true."

Hearing a familiar name from afar always brought a sense of joy. Chu Li nodded, not denying her statement.

Ya Lan was about to say more when Jing Baiyuan returned.

Upon entering the room, he immediately noticed the two of them sitting extremely close on the sofa. His brow furrowed as he said, "Tu Ya Lan, are you done with your training?"

Ya Lan felt the boss's displeased gaze and quickly understood the situation. She inwardly complained: "Isn't it because you were afraid that the little Omega would be bored sitting there, so you asked me to come over and keep him company? And now you're finding fault with me?"

Despite being an Alpha, she didn't have a liking for Omegas, let alone the Omega who held the position of the leader.

With a subtle smile on his face, Ya Lan rose gracefully and said, "Reporting to the boss, nothing... Yichen, let's go!"

Ya Lan's visit was fleeting, leaving Chu Li alone with Jing Baiyuan in the room soon after.

Chu Li noticed that when they were alone, Jing Baiyuan's sharp and imposing aura would soften slightly.

Fixing him with a composed gaze, he asked, "The training room is ready. Are you coming with me?"

Chu Li rose to his feet. "Yes."

Exiting the lounge, they found themselves in a corridor where the walls had been transformed into glass, allowing outsiders a clear view of the training sessions inside.

In different rooms, individuals were engaged in various forms of training, some running with weights, others sparring.

The scene resembled what Chu Li had witnessed at the military academy, mostly Alpha males towering above 6 feet.

Chu Li found himself captivated by their movements, stopping in front of one wall to observe as one man knocked down and pinned another to the ground. He couldn't help but analyze the points of impact and vulnerable areas on the man's body.

Compared to these Alphas, his only advantage was his profound understanding of the human body and its weaknesses... Could he possibly win if he were to engage in a fight with them?

Even after training, his chances of victory seemed slim.

Fortunately, his goal was merely to defend against ordinary people; he didn't need to master such advanced skills.

"Cough."

Lost in his jumbled thoughts, Chu Li was startled by Jing Baiyuanting's soft cough beside him.

Realizing that he had been staring into the glass for quite some time, he quickly turned around, his ears slightly reddened as he asked, "Have we arrived?"

Jing Baiyuanting stood by an open door, his gaze toward Chu Li filled with a mix of emotions.

Chu Li hurried over.

As he passed by Jing Baiyuan, the man suddenly whispered into his ear, "Are they very attractive?"

The deep voice brushed against his earlobe, causing Chu Li to jump. "What?"

Looking up, he saw that Jing Baiyuan had already entered, leaving only his back view.

"..."

So, was it just an illusion?

It must have been an illusion.

Why would Cat ask such a question?

Chu Li entered with an even redder face.

This room was different from the others; there were no glass walls, and it was entirely enclosed. In one corner stood a massive screen.

The floor was carpeted with an unknown material, providing a soft cushion underfoot.

The walls and corners were fortified with protective measures.

As Jing Baiyuan walked in, he removed his coat.

His physique was truly astonishing; while wearing the coat, he appeared tall and slender, with a straight back that exuded confidence. However, when he took it off, one could see his firm muscles beneath the white shirt, stretching the fabric taut.

Presumably for ease of movement, he unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled them up slightly.

After making some preliminary preparations, Jing Baiyuan stood in the center of the room with his legs parted, one in front of the other, and waved at Chu Li. "This is a beginners' training room. You can learn some self-defense techniques here. I'll teach you."

Chu Li: "..."

Well, he had asked for it, so he had to endure it.

Once Jing Baiyuan was ready, he beckoned to Chu Li. "Show me any moves you know. I want to assess your foundation."

Chu Li did have some martial arts skills, but they were barely adequate for self-defense in his previous life, let alone in this new world where standards were much higher.

Yet, he still followed Jing Baiyuan's instructions and demonstrated each move he knew.

Twenty minutes later, Chu Li was drenched in sweat as he collapsed to the ground. Jing Baiyuan, standing in front of him, remained motionless without a single bead of sweat on his forehead.

Jing Baiyuan's expression was also rather helpless.

Chu Li's face flushed red again, but this time, it wasn't from embarrassment; it was from awkwardness.

How could he not feel awkward? As an adult male, he had been punching and kicking another adult male for twenty minutes with no effect. Instead, he was the one exhausted and drenched in sweat.

It was utterly humiliating.

At this moment, Chu Li conveniently chose to ignore the fact that he was an Omega.

Watching Chu Li sit on the floor, panting heavily in a disheveled state, Jing Baiyuan found him incredibly adorable. His lips even curved into a slight smile.

Just before that smile formed, Jing Baiyuan managed to stop himself in time. He cleared his throat, assuming a serious expression, and held out his hand to Chu Li. "Let me help you up."

Chu Li shot him a look of resentment, but still took his hand—Jing Baiyuan's hands were large and warm. Despite the long session of exercise, his palms were still inexplicably cool.

Chu Li hesitated for a moment before firmly grasping the hand and pulling himself up from the ground.

Straightening his posture, Jing Baiyuan only then cleared his throat softly. "Apologies, I didn't notice."

Chu Li: "You..."

Before Chu Li could misunderstand, Jing Baiyuan continued, "You're a beginner without any systematic training. If I use full force, you might get hurt. It seems you know a move or two, but it's still quite superficial. Are you really determined to learn? To delve deeper, you'll have to endure hardships."

Chu Li rolled up his sleeves. "If hardship is what it takes, then so be it. Suffering now is better than regretting later."

This answer was precisely what Jing Baiyuan expected.

He looked at Chu Li, revealing a faint smile.

Chu Li was taken aback. This was probably the first time he had seen Jing Baiyuan smile, right?

Seemingly embarrassed by the gaze, Jing Baiyuan averted his head, coughed lightly, and said, "Let's begin. First, show me your horse stance."

In this world, countless martial arts likely all started with mastering the horse stance.

A weak foundation renders any attempt at mastering techniques futile.

Chu Li was mentally prepared, but the actual practice was still grueling. Once Jing Baiyuan started training mode, he became unreasonably strict, his smile vanishing, and his gaze turning colder.

He fetched a short ruler from somewhere and circled around Chu Li, occasionally tapping his shoulders, thighs, and arms with it to correct his posture.

"Your movements are precise, but your strength is inadequate, and your stability needs improvement," Jing Baiyuan commented after about ten minutes. "Alright, get up."

Chu Li couldn't even stand up; the moment he relaxed, he fell back onto the ground.

He felt embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do. In the past few months since he transmigrated, he had been frantically catching up on academic knowledge and had no time for exercise.

The original owner's physical condition wasn't great to begin with.

Chu Li blinked innocently, sitting on the ground and looking up at Jing Baiyuan with hopeful eyes.

Jing Baiyuan: "…"

"Cough." He cleared his throat twice, averting his gaze from Chu Li. "Building a solid foundation doesn't happen overnight. I can teach you a set of body techniques that should help you deal with the troubles you're facing now... But in the future, you must exercise regularly."

Chu Li smiled. "Sure, Professor Jing."

The title "Professor Jing" caught Jing Baiyuanting off guard.

His father's surname was 'Jing' while his mother's was 'Bai'. When he was named, both surnames were included, reflecting his parents' influence. To him, 'Jing' and 'Bai' were both his surnames. Due to certain reasons, people often addressed him as 'Admiral Jing Bai' or 'Mr. Jing Bai.' This was the first time someone had called him 'Professor Jing.'

Jing Baiyuanting fell silent again, seemingly lost in thought.

Chu Li had no choice but to call out again, "Professor Jing?"

Only then did Jing Baiyuanting snap back to reality, hastily saying, "Let me help you up."

Chu Li extended his hand towards him. As an Omega, his hand appeared even more delicate and fair, causing Jing Baiyuanting to steal a few more glances before reaching out to pull him up.

Whether it was due to Jing Baiyuanting's distracted state, causing him to exert too much force, or Chu Li's exhaustion from overexertion, the sudden pull made Chu Li stumble, losing his balance and lurching forward!

Just as Chu Li let out a startled cry, Jing Baiyuanting's body reacted instinctively, taking a step forward to catch him in his arms.

In that instant of embracing Chu Li, he sensed a sweet fragrance that held an innate allure for him... and his resistance was zero.

In that instant, Teacher Jing, who had just been strictly demanding of Chu Li, instantly cast aside his principles and standards. The person in his arms seemed to have transformed into a precious and fragile porcelain vase; he couldn't bear for them to even bump into his body, so he leaned back with the force exerted —— and both of them tumbled to the ground.

Oh, no, to be more precise, it was Jing Baiyuanting who fell unilaterally.

Chu Li was held securely in his embrace, completely unaffected.