Chapter 125

Chapter 125

...

The light flicked off abruptly, and Bai Chuan and Eugene stayed completely silent. They even slid into their sleeping bags as quietly as possible.

The ruined city plunged into a deep silence at night. Not even the chirping of insects broke the silence.

The tent was dark, only moonlight through the screen window barely illuminated the blurry figures nearby. Yi Ye drifted off quickly. He’d been plotting to infiltrate Blue Flower Star for days, leaving him sleep-deprived.

But someone was always wide awake.

Eugene lay on his back with one hand under his head, staring blankly at the pitch-black tent ceiling, bored and restless. The tranquilizer’s side effects left him wide awake, his mind oscillating between sharp clarity and throbbing pain.

While the tranquilizer calmed his emotions temporarily, he still felt trapped, like his body was crammed into a tiny iron box, desperately seeking an outlet.

He pressed his fingertips hard into his brow, the bruise there hinting at his pain. But the pain couldn’t offset the tranquilizer’s side effects.

Beside him, Yi Ye’s steady breathing filled the air. Eugene turned his head, his eyes fixed on the youth’s blurry, rising and falling back.

His black hair fanned out, exposing the soft, delicate curve of his nape, glistening under the moonlight. His gaze locked onto that patch of skin, and he suddenly reached out, his knuckles white from clenching.

But unlike his usual habit of strangling the condemned, this time, he delicately lifted a strand of the youth’s hair, twisting it around his knuckles, trying to form an unbreakable knot.

He tried repeatedly, failing each time. Finally giving up, he gripped the strand tightly in his fist.

He buried his nose in his palm, inhaling the scent of the black hair deeply. An elusive, indescribable scent mingled with the youth’s, fleeting yet intoxicating.

Eugene shuddered his shoulders, slowly raising his head.

The monster in his head suddenly became completely quiet, the pain dissipated, replaced by an accelerated heart rate and gradually hardening muscles. Eugene had never experienced this feeling before, frowning in surprise.

What was... that smell?

He gazed passionately at Yi Ye’s nape, like an Alpha in rut smelling the pheromones of a beloved Omega, his brain becoming sticky. He wanted to kiss, to embrace, to make love wildly.

Saliva secreted from his mouth, a surge of thirst.

His body involuntarily moved closer, his hand about to touch the youth’s gland when it was suddenly blocked.

A flash of white light in his head, Eugene immediately came to his senses, meeting Bai Chuan’s cold, stern gaze.

That fragrance also disappeared.

Bai Chuan coldly said, "What are you doing."

"..." No longer able to smell that scent, Eugene frowned, pushed his hand away, and changed his posture to sit up, "Get lost."

"Stay away from him."

"Only verbal warnings?" Seeing Bai Chuan, Eugene’s whole body wilted, retorting irritably, "If you really had the ability, you should kill me, only good at talking, even the homeless folks on the street are stronger than you."

Bai Chuan and Eugene could never have a completely harmonious moment, but the black-haired youth was still asleep. They deliberately kept their voices very low, the words they spat out still sharper than the last. Until intermittent murmurs interrupted, both turned to look at the youth.

Yi Ye frowned tightly, sleeping uneasily, muttering something in his mouth,

Was he having a nightmare?

Eugene leaned in to catch what the young man was mumbling, but Bai Chuan shoved him back with a quick motion, which only fueled Eugene's irritation. He was on the verge of snapping.

"Jiang..."

Eugene: Jiang?

"Jiang... Duming..."

Eugene and Bai Chuan exchanged a quick, uneasy look.

"Who is Jiang Duming?" Eugene asked.

But Bai Chuan’s face looked even grimmer. "I don’t know."

He’d never heard Yi Ye call out anyone’s name in his sleep before.

Yi Ye’s shoulders shook faintly, his breathing rapid, his face a mix of fear and grief so raw it was heartbreaking. It was obvious how much the name "Jiang Duming" meant to him, how significant this person must be. But... Bai Chuan had never known anyone named Jiang Duming in Yi Ye’s life.

"Yi Ye, wake up."

Eugene, without hesitation, shook the young man’s shoulder. Bai Chuan was too late to intervene, and could only watch as Yi Ye suddenly woke from his dream.

His face was ghostly pale in the dim light, drowning in a wave of dark emotions, still half-trapped in the nightmare.

"‘Idiot,’" Bai Chuan muttered under his breath, then turned to Yi Ye with a gentle tone, "Brother... you alright?"

Yi Ye looked at Bai Chuan belatedly.

It felt like he’d just been through an endless dream.

Damn it... why did it have to come back now?

It’s gotta be this cursed Blue Flower Star.

He swore under his breath as he sat up, knees drawn up, face buried in his hands, letting out a tired sigh.

"Brother, want some water?"

Yi Ye shook his head.

After almost five minutes, he suddenly spoke, "Were you two at it again just now?"

Bai Chuan immediately said, "No."

He shot a look at Eugene.

Eugene rolled his eyes, "No. But you—who were you calling out to in your sleep?"

"..." Yi Ye was stunned, "Who did I call?"

"Didn’t hear clearly, something like Jiang Duming... that doesn’t sound like an Imperial name. When did you get to know someone from the Federation?"

Bai Chuan fought the urge to knock Eugene out. "If you can’t speak properly, then shut up... he misheard, brother, you didn’t say anything just now."

Yi Ye’s face was unreadable, neither answering nor reacting. Bai Chuan clenched his hand, sensing a strong unease, and said in a low voice, "Brother, don’t think about it anymore—"

"You two go to sleep first," Yi Ye interrupted, turning to grab his coat. "I’m going out for some air. Don’t follow me."

He stood, pushed the tent flap aside, and stepped out.

Bai Chuan remained seated alone, and after a long while, he turned to Eugene with disgust: "Moron."

...

Yi Ye stepped out of the tent, coat draped over his shoulders. The area was littered with building ruins, with six tents scattered around, the largest of which contained the detection equipment brought from the main planet.

He wandered aimlessly, flashlight in hand, the cool breeze on his face sharpening his thoughts. As he continued walking, he saw a burly figure perched on a boulder three to four meters up, legs swinging.

He flicked the flashlight on, catching the youth’s profile: "Qi Wen?"

The youth on the boulder turned around at the sound, his eyes lighting up: "My idol?! Hang on, I’m coming down!"

He pushed off the boulder with both hands and jumped down, nearly toppling over on landing, but Yi Ye steadied him.

Embarrassed, he scratched his head: "It’s so late, idol—why are you still up? It's already two in the morning."

"Can't sleep, what about you?"

"The captain put me on night watch," Qi Wen chuckled. "I never thought I’d bump into my idol on watch, I'm really lucky. But why can't you sleep, is it..." He cautiously pointed towards the tent, "Did their arguing keep you up?"

"No, I just came out for a walk."

Yi Ye didn’t answer, instead gazing up at the boulder, "How’s the view from up there?"

"Amazing! You can see for miles!"

Yi Ye murmured, intrigued, walking halfway around the boulder and finding a trail of stacked rubble. Qi Wen quickly ran over, guessing what he wanted to do, and climbed up first. Standing high, he reached out his hand: "Idol, grab my hand—watch your step."

Yi Ye glanced at the hand, then accepted it without hesitation.

The moment their fingers interlocked, the youth’s touch sent Qi Wen’s muscles rigid.

He gulped nervously, averting his gaze: "Take it slow..."

He walked very slowly, as though fearing Yi Ye might misstep, taking a step forward and then turning back to check, making sure Yi Ye was safe before continuing. The few meters took over ten minutes to cover, and Yi Ye couldn't help but laugh and urge him to hurry.

The view from the boulder surpassed Yi Ye’s expectations.

Though surrounded by the city’s remnants—crumbled walls and ruins—from above one could see freely growing shoots piercing through the city's skeleton, flowers sprouting from the trunk, lush and sturdy vines, large patches of ivy covering the steel and concrete, and yellow buds emerging from the cracks in the ground.

"Beautiful, isn’t it?"

Qi Wen stood with his hands on his hips, proudly humming: "Although it lacks the human touch, I think it's much more beautiful than the tracks and spaceships hanging over our heads on the main planet."

Yi Ye nodded in agreement.

Qi Wen was even happier. He knew his idol would agree with his thoughts.

"Stop calling me idol—just call me Yi Ye."

He still wasn't used to being idolized.

Qi Wen obediently sat down, rubbing his hands together, "Yi, Yi Ye?"

"Hmm?"

"Yi Ye!"

Yi Ye propped his chin on his hand: "I told you to call me, not to shout my name randomly."

"Oh..." Qi Wen shrank back, but stayed quiet for no more than ten seconds before exclaiming, "Yi Ye!"

Yi Ye was at a loss for words.

"Speaking of which, why do you see me as an idol?" Sure, he might be a bit handsome, but there are plenty of good-looking people in the interstellar world, even bugs can morph into human-like forms, and the military is full of muscular, handsome men with eight-pack abs.

Yi Ye stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Qi Wen was also puzzled.

Admiring an idol comes as naturally as breathing, how could he explain something as natural as breathing?!

"Maybe it's because... the first time I saw you on the screen, my brain started screaming."

It felt like my entire future was decided in that moment.

Yi Ye was baffled by such an abstract description.

Qi Wen tried to articulate his idol worship more concretely, but he struggled to find the right words. After a while, Yi Ye concluded that Qi Wen simply admired his combat skills. Hmm... so he's just a fan of strength?

In Qi Wen's mind, he had a long, elaborate narrative of how he fell for Yi Ye at first sight and became his devoted fan.

Dreaming about him had become a nightly ritual, and his room was filled with countless handmade Yi Ye merchandise, including but not limited to photo albums (self-made, screenshot-enhanced versions), life-sized body pillows, cups and umbrellas with Yi Ye's image, etc., each of which could sell for a high price as premium fan gear.

But a comrade had warned him that if Yi Ye found out, he might be blacklisted for life, so Qi Wen downplayed them as 'just a few fan items.'

"Merchandise..."

Yi Ye assumed it was just photos and posters. Though it was odd, since Qi Wen bought them himself, there was no reason to make him toss them. But he still felt puzzled: "There are plenty of stronger people, like Generals Lin Pei and Mo Xi. Shouldn't soldiers like you idolize these generals more?"

"That won't do."

Having their body pillows on his bed would give him nightmares.

"General Mo Xi is my superior, my leader. Idolizing your leader never ends well. I knew someone who idolized General Mo Xi, only to be scolded for three hours and publicly disciplined, leading to his breakdown."

"...How is he now?"

"Oh, he converted to the Holy Religion and became a devout follower."

Yi Ye: ...That doesn't sound like a good outcome either.

"But you're right, idolizing a leader never ends well."

He understood.

"And I like you as an idol, not just because you're strong and good-looking." Qi Wen's cheeks turned red, and he shyly lowered his head, "There won't be a second person on the main planet who would stand up for Dr. Anderson regardless of life and death like you did. You, you're really special."

Being praised by an excellent soldier like this, Yi Ye felt a mix of emotions. It wasn't that he wasn't happy, but recalling the dream he had, these words now sounded somewhat harsh.

He was someone who had given up on himself on the battlefield, the culprit who caused his comrades and fellow soldiers to lose their lives or become permanently disabled. Qi Wen said he was special, but that wasn't true. He was a particularly bad person, who had been running away for a long, long time, and still hadn't escaped his past.

"Qi Wen..."

"What's up?" He blinked and tilted his head to look at him.

"Actually... I'm not really suited to be a soldier's idol."

Qi Wen asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"Because," Yi Ye laughed, trying to sound casual, "look at your muscles! And then look at mine. If I grew to two meters tall, I might stand a chance at being your idol. Ugh, even talking about it pisses me off. I should’ve worked out more."

"Yi Ye..." Though Qi Wen wasn’t the quickest, he could tell the laugh wasn’t real.

When he was young, his parents once wondered if he had a learning disability. Afraid that he would feel inferior if he heard about it, they’d only cry and fight behind closed doors, always smiling in front of him. Those smiles back then, just like Yi Ye’s now, left him feeling helpless and awkward.

"Why’d you call my name again?"

"You don’t really want to laugh, do you?"

"..." Yi Ye pouted, "Why wouldn’t I want to laugh?"

Qi Wen: "I, I don’t know, but I just feel..."

"Do you think my laugh is ugly?"

"Of course not!" Qi Wen panicked, flailing. Seeing Yi Ye’s red lips curve again, his mind buzzed, and he suddenly reached out, yanking Yi Ye into a tight hug.

When his parents smiled like that, he would always clumsily reach out to hug them too. He would pat their heads and rub their backs.

Yi Ye froze, tilting his head back to rest on Qi Wen’s broad shoulder.

"Stop laughing," Qi Wen said, his hands protectively covering his own back, his voice urgent. "Can you... can you cry instead?"

Yi Ye: ...

He’d never heard anything like that before.