Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Yi Ye thought he was pretty shameless, to say such things without feeling guilty.

But there was no other choice. The noise he had just heard in the room was terrifying. He never liked the sound of storms pounding against the glass, finding it scarier than thunder or landslides. Besides, he knew he might die today, so even if it was humiliating, he had to stay in the protagonist's room.

But Bai Chuan's expression was a bit dark.

"You said you want to sleep with me? Do you realize what that implies?"

Yi Ye didn't react fast enough, as Bai Chuan's face was already close to his. He caught a faint scent from Bai Chuan, mixed with something else.

It was indescribable.

"Sleeping is just sleeping, what else could it possibly mean?" Could this phrase have taken on some other meaning in the interstellar world?

"And the storm outside is really loud," Yi Ye awkwardly scratched his head, trying to appear calm. "I know you were scared of these sounds as a kid and always clung to me to sleep. See how good your brother is to you? Come on, let's have a brotherly get-together tonight..."

As he spoke, he tried to barge in. A cold hand stopped him in his tracks. Bai Chuan stepped forward and shut the door behind him.

Yi Ye instinctively stepped back, his waist hitting the railing, only to be yanked back by Bai Chuan. Bai Chuan's hands were on either side, trapping him in a dominant stance.

"Are you sure you want to come inside?"

Yi Ye didn't realize how odd this position looked to others, only focused on sticking close to the protagonist.

He earnestly held up three fingers: "Don't worry, I won't touch anything, I promise to stay still the whole time, or I can sleep on the floor!"

Bai Chuan stared at him silently, his face cold and emotionless, but Yi Ye clearly got the message:

No.

Is sleeping in your bed really going to kill you? Yi Ye screamed internally.

It seemed this tactic wasn't working.

Suddenly, he had an idea. Slowly lowering his hand, his head bowed, his slightly protruding shoulders began to tremble, and he choked out, "Actually, I'm afraid I might never see you again. You're going to the Imperial Honor Military Academy tomorrow, and you'll be there for four years. If we don't spend time together today, when will we ever have the chance? Thinking about it makes me so sad, so heartbroken, I'm crying..."

Bai Chuan frowned: "Didn't Mr. Langley tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Yi Ye was dramatically covering his face, but upon hearing this, he looked up, his expression blank and foolish.

"..."

Bai Chuan pressed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Two days ago, he had discussed with Mr. Langley about letting Yi Ye accompany him to the academy. He thought Kewen Langley would inform Yi Ye, so he didn't bring it up himself. But now, considering Mr. Langley's constant drunkenness and his tendency to be half-asleep most of the time, he probably forgot all about it.

Bai Chuan closed his eyes helplessly, "Actually, tomorrow you—"

"Even if I might die tonight, you won't let me in?"

Bai Chuan's pupils contracted, his face darkened, and he instantly looked at him.

"Don't talk nonsense," his voice carried a hint of anger.

Yi Ye sighed sorrowfully, "Actually, I had a dream, a very tragic dream."

"...A dream?"

Bai Chuan's furrowed brows relaxed, his expression saying, "I'll let you keep spinning your tale."

"I had a dream that I would suddenly die tonight. Little brother, even if you've been finding me annoying lately, if I die, who's gonna have your back, huh? When you were young and ran into those troublesome Alphas, it was me who stepped in, wasn't it? Think about it, isn't it great to have a brother like me? You don't really want me to die, do you? So just let me in, okay? Just for tonight!"

Bai Chuan: "If you really are going to die, what's the use of coming into my room?"

Because I have the protagonist's halo protecting me.

Yi Ye thought to himself, while pretending to cry: "Don't ask, it's top secret."

Bai Chuan: "..."

"Please," Yi Ye pleaded, disregarding his dignity as an elder brother, hugging Bai Chuan's arm, "This is my only request. If not, I'll agree to anything you want in the future, I promise!"

Bai Chuan paused: "...Anything?"

Yi Ye nodded frantically.

"Fine."

Yi Ye was stunned, only snapping out of it after a dozen seconds, as the other had already turned and entered the room. He followed, amazed... Was that sentence really that effective?!

Bai Chuan's room was dim and heavy with silence, with only a mulberry leaf desk lamp lit on the table.

He dragged a chair over, sat down with his arms crossed, and closed his eyes to rest.

What's this about? Is he giving me the bed?

Bai Chuan had no intention of saying more. Yi Ye hesitated for a moment before lifting the blanket and lying down.

The storm raged outside, but inside it was so quiet that every little sound was noticeable.

He caught the faint scent in the blanket. It was familiar—the scent of the shower gel they both used.

Yi Ye was a bit picky about beds, but the overly similar scent made him feel no different from lying in his own room. He squirmed under the blanket, too alert to sleep. After downing too much strong coffee and stimulants earlier, his mind was racing, making sleep impossible. With his chin resting on his knees, out of sheer boredom, he started to sneakily check out the room's decor.

Bai Chuan always kept him out, leading him to suspect some hidden secret.

But the walls, furniture, and bedding were all so neat, everything seemed plain and boring at first glance. The only thing that looked messy was the trash bin, spilling over with crumpled paper.

Wait, no, the real issue doesn't seem to be here.

Yi Ye squinted, staring at the bin full of used tissues.

Something flashed through his mind, followed by his ears suddenly turning red. He coughed uncomfortably, his gaze guiltily glancing towards the seated figure.

Being men, how could he not understand what these crumpled papers meant.

"That, that..." he said with feigned calm, "Little Bai, is your heat period coming soon?"

"What do you want to say?" came Bai Chuan's cold voice.

Yi Ye braced himself: "It's just... after all, I am your brother. If your heat period comes, don't endure it alone. Maybe I can help you..."

The atmosphere inexplicably froze.

Yi Ye heard the sound of fabric rubbing behind him, footsteps approaching, the other side of the bed sinking.

Yi Ye opened his eyes wide as Bai Chuan leaned over. He was seriously examining him. The warm yellow light fell on his deep and distinct face, the azure pupils tinged with the warmth of the light, seeming not so distant for a moment.

Bai Chuan whispered, "How are you going to help me, brother?"

?

Is there another way to help?

Yi Ye hesitated for a moment, tentatively asking, "Isn't it about buying suppressants for you?"

Bai Chuan: "..."

Sensing the sudden gloom around him, Yi Ye hurriedly added, "I'll run and get them for you!"

"But what if the suppressants don't work?" Bai Chuan emphasized each word, "If we were in a desperate situation without suppressants, would you just stand by and watch me die from the heat cycle?"

Yi Ye was speechless; he hadn't really prepared for such a scenario.

"Then what are we supposed to do? I can't just sleep with you!" He paused, his eyes widening, "And you can't sleep with me either!" As a straight guy with strong principles, he would at most marry a female Beta in the future; how could he mess around with his own brother!

Seeing Bai Chuan's expression darken, Yi Ye instinctively felt that the topic should not continue. He quickly tried to change the subject. His eyes caught sight of the mulberry leaf desk lamp on the table, and he immediately exclaimed excitedly, "Ah!"

"By the way, I can't believe you still have this. I haven't seen this in ages, haha..."

Bai Chuan: "..."

He closed his eyes, lowered his head, and turned away.

"Never mind, there's nothing to talk about with you."

What does that mean?

Never mind, as long as the topic is dropped. But he was really curious why Bai Chuan still had something he gave him six years ago.

"I still remember how tough it was to get this thing back then. The boss set the odds really low, and it took me half a year's worth of pocket money to get it." He leaned in to touch the warm lampshade; apart from the old bulb, the surface was almost brand new, "I didn't expect you to take such good care of it."

Bai Chuan said indifferently, "Just left it lying around."

"Then give it to me; my desk lamp is broken, and I need a new one."

"No."

"Why?"

"I need it for my desk."

Yi Ye reluctantly dropped the idea.

"What did you come to my room for today, exactly?"

Bai Chuan wasn't naive enough to believe it was just a dream. Yi Ye had been sweet-talking him for fifteen days straight for tonight; if it wasn't something crucial, there was no need to go to such lengths.

"Brother, it was just a dream—"

"You told me when we were kids that dreams are the most unreliable."

Yi Ye was at a loss for words.

How does this guy remember words from so long ago?!

"So what's the big secret in my room that made you come in?" Bai Chuan stared at him motionlessly in the dim light, his eyes suddenly flickering, his voice lowering, "Or, do you know what's going to happen tonight?"

"..."

Before Yi Ye could get a word out, a deafening explosion suddenly erupted!

A blinding flash erupted outside the window, followed by the rumbling collapse of the wall. In an instant, Yi Ye quickly lunged over to shield Bai Chuan with his own body. The two tumbled together as bricks and debris rained down around them.

A muffled groan escaped, and Bai Chuan looked up to see Yi Ye frowning beside him.

Without hesitation, Yi Ye grabbed him and hurried toward the door. Just as they reached the railing, a beam crashed down exactly where they had been lying moments before!

They had narrowly avoided being crushed.

"Your back," Bai Chuan's eyes widened as he noticed the wounds on Yi Ye's back from the shrapnel.

"Ah, this..." Yi Ye glanced back casually, "It's nothing, doesn't hurt much."

Bai Chuan's lips tightened into a thin, pale line.

Yi Ye didn't have time to dwell on his condition. His gaze shifted to the neighboring room, now a charred ruin from the explosion, and his expression hardened.

He probably... knew how he was going to die.

Clenching his fist, he turned his head and said, "Let's get downstairs first."

The two hurried downstairs and found Old Man Kewen, who had also been woken up. He had been sleeping on the first floor, and the blast had torn through from the second floor all the way to the basement, destroying not only Yi Ye's room but also the kitchen and basement directly below. Surviving such a violent explosion was nothing short of miraculous.

The tremors lasted a full two minutes before subsiding.

The house fell silent, but the howling storm from the rooftop instantly turned the interior freezing cold. Old Man Kewen grabbed protective suits for them, and the three made their way to the kitchen, staring at the gaping hole that led down to the basement. It was pitch black, with no end in sight.

"Is there anything in the basement?"

Through the protective suit, Yi Ye's voice came out muffled.

Kewen Langley: "Just some mech wreckage."

As soon as the words left his mouth, everyone froze.

Mech wreckage... Zerg!

"Damn it!"

They quickly found a ladder and climbed down. The basement was only forty square meters, with items neatly categorized. The Zerg section contained only the mech wreckage they had brought back earlier, making it easy to search. But unfortunately...

Yi Ye stared at the empty space beneath the "Zerg" label.

The wreckage had disappeared.