Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Darkness. Exhaustion. A long time.

The harsh sunlight filtered through the glass, scattering fragmented light spots across Yi Ye's face. He struggled to open his eyes, his hearing still dull from not being fully awake. He could barely make out someone calling his name, but the voice was muffled and indistinct.

"Yi Ye... Yi Ye..." The volume gradually increased.

In a daze, he turned his head and saw Kaiser.

Pressing his temples, Yi Ye shook his head vigorously, and the chaotic noise in his mind slowly subsided.

"Why am I here?"

The area was sectioned off by medical curtains, and the air was thick with the sharp smell of disinfectant. He must be in the academy's infirmary.

"You passed out in the West District, and the security team brought you back."

"West District?"

Right, he had followed the armed squad to the West District after leaving the aerial mansion... He paused, looking at Kaiser in surprise, "I wasn't hurt?"

"No. Luckily, you're resilient." Shortly after Kaiser and Instructor Alva found Bai Chuan, they got a call from the security team. They found Yi Ye in the West District, and a red Zerg was about to attack him. Luckily, the security team stepped in just in time to handle the threat.

Kaiser frowned, "Why did you run off there? If it weren't for the security team, you'd have been eaten by that red Zerg."

Yi Ye had no memory of it; he had passed out suddenly. The Zerg's voice and the system's words were jumbled together, and he had a splitting headache at the time. It's a miracle he didn't end up brain-damaged...

"Wait!"

He suddenly stopped, "Say that again."

Kaiser frowned but obliged, "Why did you run off there...—"

"Not that, the next part!"

"If it weren't for the security team, you'd have been eaten by that red Zerg?"

Yi Ye's expression was puzzled, "You said red?"

"Yeah."

Yi Ye clearly remembered encountering a silver-white Zerg, but Kaiser couldn't possibly get something so basic wrong.

"Is the Zerg's body still there?"

"It's under the school's custody. Don't move yet." Kaiser pressed down on his body to prevent him from getting out of bed, "While you were out, the Empire sent people from the military and the Senate. After their investigation, they only found traces of the red Zerg, a high-level one. The bloodstains on its appendages matched the deceased. The joint conclusion from several parties is that the academy's defense barrier was compromised, allowing the Zerg to invade. The barrier has now been reinforced."

"This incident has caused quite a stir. The academy doesn't allow students to discuss it privately," Kaiser said, with a hint of disdain, "Anyone caught discussing it privately and reported will face severe punishment."

"...Then why are you telling me?"

"Do you think I'm afraid?" Kaiser retorted.

"..."

Alright, alright, you're Kaiser, you're the best.

Yi Ye smiled perfunctorily, recalling the scene before he fainted. The Zerg he saw couldn't have been fake. Did it escape? Such a large Zerg body couldn't stay in the academy without being noticed. But why wasn't he eaten?

Could it be that they found him too repulsive to eat?

Yi Ye thought to himself, feeling he needed to check out that Zerg's corpse.

Kaiser waved his hand to bring him back to reality: "Care to explain why you went near the mansion instead of staying in the safe zone? And without any weapons on you?"

Yi Ye was about to say he was looking for Bai Chuan but stopped, confused. "Why do I need to explain myself to you, Young Master?"

As for weapons, he wanted them, but all he found were broken guns and bullet casings, useless in his hands. It was better to run faster empty-handed.

"Because, because..." Kaiser stammered, struggling to explain, and forced out the words through clenched teeth, "You should've called me! With your skinny arms and legs, you could've been Zerg food!"

Yi Ye covered his ears: "Young Master, I'm a patient now. Can you keep it down?"

"No!" Kaiser snapped, but still lowered his voice. "You should thank me. If it weren't for me, no one would've looked after you in the infirmary these past few days."

"What about my brother?"

"Hmph, he can't even take care of himself, much less you."

"What happened to him?" Yi Ye's face instantly turned serious.

Kaiser was annoyed seeing him so worried about that Omega and turned away irritably. "He got attacked by a Zerg and hurt his gland. He's in the infirmary next door... Hey! He won't die if you don't check on him!"

Yi Ye broke free from Kaiser's hold and stumbled out barefoot, not even stopping to put on his shoes. He pushed open the door to the next room, where Bush Meihua was standing. He stood by the bed, his back to Yi Ye, holding Bai Chuan's collar with two fingers, as if about to do something.

"What do you think you're doing!"

Yi Ye's alarm bells went off, and his mind raced with those inappropriate scenes. Furious, he threw a punch. But his body hadn't recovered, and his strength was pitiful. Bush Meihua raised his hand and pulled, sending Yi Ye tumbling into his arms.

"Careful there, Yi Ye," Bush Meihua chuckled, his hand on Yi Ye's lower back.

Feeling a man's hand on his sensitive lower back, Yi Ye broke out in goosebumps, his face twisted in disgust. He stepped back quickly, gritting his teeth and growling, "Were you about to do something inappropriate to my brother!"

"Huh?" Bush Meihua was momentarily stunned, then smiled helplessly. "Actually..."

"I'm warning you, don't get close to him. If you have anything, come at me. Don't harbor any dirty thoughts about my brother!"

He was determined to protect the purity of this world. No inappropriate scenes! Absolutely not!!

To his surprise, Bush Meihua nodded unexpectedly. "Alright, you said it yourself."

"Is he out of his mind? Do you believe him?" Kaiser pulled Yi Ye away, eyeing Bush Meihua warily. "What are you doing here?"

"The instructor asked me to check on my teammate. But since Yi Ye is here, it's none of my business anymore," Bush Meihua waved at Yi Ye. "But next time, we must have a deeper conversation, Yi Ye."

"Why do you talk so much!" Kaiser was annoyed seeing him and Yi Ye in the same frame and dragged Yi Ye away.

The noisy conversation between the two was cut off by the sound of the door closing, gradually fading away. After Kaiser took Bush Meihua away, he didn't return. The infirmary was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Yi Ye felt a bit dizzy, his body swaying unconsciously as he sat down on the bed. His feet felt cold, and he looked down to realize he hadn't even put on his shoes. But Kaiser had brought his shoes over earlier and placed them by the foot of the bed.

Bai Chuan's face was pale, his lips dry and cracked, with a thick bandage wrapped around his neck. Blood was still seeping from his gland. Yi Ye touched the back of his hand, which was icy cold.

Yi Ye sighed in relief, lowering his eyes.

This was the first time the plot had gone beyond Yi Ye's control. He had thought that saving the protagonist meant stopping the plot before it happened, but he had forgotten about the butterfly effect. Everything had changed beyond his expectations. He had been too arrogant, forgetting that Bai Chuan was a living person who wouldn't always follow his plans.

"It won't happen again," Yi Ye whispered. "Big brother won't let you get hurt again."

...

Brother...

Brother...

Bai Chuan felt as if he were trapped in a cramped, dark space, surrounded by translucent walls, with no light or sound. He curled up like a cocoon, his consciousness overwhelmed by a wave of heat, plunging him into a state of extreme chaos. It was unbearably hot, his body felt like it was on the verge of exploding, and deep within his glands, a tearing pain so intense it made him wish for death.

The only coherent thought left in his mind was about Yi Ye.

He dreamed of Yi Ye holding his hand, the cool temperature seeping into him. But he greedily wanted more—to press against the youth's body, to feel the slight protrusion of his shoulder blades.

The days on Qixing were always scorching, and sometimes Yi Ye would wear nothing but a tank top and shorts, revealing a stretch of fair skin. The muscles on his calves were straight and beautiful, his knees always tinged with a faint red, adorable beyond words. There was also a red mole on his right shoulder, perfectly placed.

Every inch of skin Yi Ye had ever exposed, Bai Chuan remembered clearly, etched deeply into his memory. Even if asked to replicate it on the spot, he could draw it flawlessly.

But Bai Chuan felt he was being insatiable; this was far from enough.

They should become an even closer pair, sharing a relationship that no one else could intrude upon or disrupt. He could be a creature tamed only by Yi Ye. If he misbehaved, Yi Ye could scold or even hit him. But at the same time, he would also extract what he desired from Yi Ye.

...

Snap—

The dream's thread broke.

The heat rapidly receded, and cold air flowed from the vents of the climate control system.

Bai Chuan opened his eyes, his damp, red gaze fixed on the ceiling, his consciousness still scattered as he woke. He remembered being attacked by something, a sharp pain in his glands, and then nothing but endless darkness.

Later, he had a vivid dream, in which Yi Ye appeared, and...

Bai Chuan suddenly let out a hoarse, burning breath, raising his hand to press the bridge of his nose, but he touched something.

He glanced to the side, his expression slightly rigid.

The youth was leaning against his hand, peacefully asleep.

"..."

Bai Chuan's silence was unnerving, his eyes dark.

He propped himself up on his side to gaze at the youth, and after a moment, he brushed aside the strands of hair on the youth's forehead, revealing those well-defined and handsome brows.

In his sleep, Yi Ye looked more fragile than usual. The corners of his eyes, moist from drowsiness, had lashes that fluttered like butterfly wings, and his cheek, pressed against his arm, resembled a sticky rice ball.

"Stop it..." Yi Ye instinctively nuzzled his hand with his head.

Bai Chuan's Adam's apple bobbed, an inner voice urging him to lean closer to the youth.

Very gently, he kissed his forehead.

...

Yi Ye was sleeping soundly, stretching and yawning, only to meet the cold, indifferent face of the protagonist.

Bai Chuan had already gotten up, sitting by the bed with a book in hand, not even glancing at him, and said indifferently, "If you're awake, go back to your own dorm."

The stretching motion froze, and Yi Ye glanced at the book in Bai Chuan's hand, seeing the bold, black letters: "Human Pheromone Studies." Reading something so profound right after waking up from an injury? How does the protagonist's brain even work?

"Are you not feeling any discomfort at all?" He pointed at his neck, "Doesn't it hurt?"

"No, it doesn't."

"...By the way, where did you run off to at that time? I couldn't find you. Did you see what the Zerg that attacked you looked like? What color?"

With a snap, Bai Chuan shut the book and gave him a blank stare.

Yi Ye chuckled awkwardly, "Sorry, sorry, go ahead and rest."

Bai Chuan closed his eyes helplessly, "I went to the lab to find something. The Zerg attacked from behind, I didn't see the color."

He blacked out instantly, and when he woke up, he was already being treated in the infirmary. Regarding the Zerg invasion, he knew less than Yi Ye.

The Zerg invasion dealt a heavy blow to the military academy. For the sacrifices, the school held a grand mourning and made substantial compensation to their families. However, the military considered sacrifices a normal part of the battlefield, and only issued a light commendation roster, ending the incident with a few black and white printed words.

When Yi Ye heard about this from Kaiser, he was sitting on the bed in the infirmary peeling an apple. He barely reacted, as if he'd expected it or grown accustomed to such things. After a brief pause, he went back to munching on the apple, and even gave a piece of the badly cut apple to Kaiser.

Kaiser grimaced but ate it anyway, finishing every last bit.

After spending 3 and 5 days in the infirmary, Yi Ye and Bai Chuan were finally discharged. On Yi Ye's diagnosis certificate, it was noted "recovered", while Bai Chuan's was marked "pending?".

His gland had sustained some damage, and it didn’t seem serious at the time, but it might cause his recent fever period to be more chaotic. The school doctor told him to stock up on strong inhibitors before sending him on his way.

Due to the long rest in the infirmary, when the two finally returned to class, they’d missed a lot of important updates.

Take, for instance, the final freshman assessment results.

The result Yi Ye saw was still sent to him by Kaiser through the terminal, straight to the point, just three lines.

"Kaiser the Divine"

You: Combat 20, Mecha Exam 99, Simulated Battlefield 95.

"Kaiser the Divine"

Me: Combat 100, Mecha Exam 90, Simulated Battlefield 95.

"Kaiser the Divine"

You and me, comprehensive ranking first.

Yi Ye: ....

Would it kill you to say a few more words!!

He never expected to score 99 on the mecha exam. He’d half-slept through that exam.

Not only did he not understand, everyone who saw his scores was livid and rushed to Instructor Clark’s office, demanding to know if Yi Ye had cheated.

Instructor Clark simply made the surveillance during the exam public, and everyone fell silent after seeing it.

There was no cheating. It's just that this kid, he breezed through the 3-hour exam in just 2 hours, and then he was still doodling there! Everyone else was praying and flipping coins, but what about him? He was doodling turtles?!

Ahhhhhhh, they were so angry!!

The classmates were fuming but helpless, but angry as they were, they had to admit that he really didn't cheat. Forget it! There are not no smart Betas, just a better memory, what's the use?

Hearing this, Yi Ye was indignant.

Good memory? That was clearly the result of him cramming until 5 a.m., blood, sweat, and tears! His temper flared up, and the more he looked at that 99, the more it irked him. He marched straight to Instructor Clark to demand where that last point had been deducted!

Instructor Clark smiled at him, then laid out the printed exam in front of him, pointing to the last line.

Yi Ye glanced over and let out a whimper, too afraid to speak.

He was so exhausted when he finished that his mind was foggy, and at the end, he scribbled:

"May there be no more exams in the world, Amen."

"Deducting one point for that little note, is that fair?" Instructor Clark smiled exceptionally gently.

"...Sorry."

Yi Ye bowed deeply in apology, then bolted out of the office.

Apart from these incidents, many things have happened recently, but most of them are not related to their first-year freshmen, whether it's the new upgrades to the defense barriers or the new policies issued for the senior year task assessments. The official documents were dense and endless, each word clear on its own, but strung together, they were as tedious as a long-winded rant.

Yi Ye half-listened to Kaiser with one ear, while the other tuned out, a fork spearing a piece of pineapple pork, lost in thought.

Until Kaiser mentioned something about a freshman dance.

"...?"

He looked up, pineapple still in his mouth, and asked, "How do you space folks manage to live with so much style?"