Chapter 318: Overlap

Chapter 318: Coincidence

The photo in Jiang Qi's communicator was of Pei Gu.

Ye Wang disliked taking photos, especially after inhabiting Pei Gu's body—he couldn’t even be bothered to look in the mirror. Jiang Qi wasn’t the type to cherish group photos either. The only picture the two had ever taken together was on that podium.

Amidst the phony script, canned lines, rehearsed gestures, and expressions—facade upon facade—the only tangible reality for Jiang Qi had been the warmth of his skin.

Ye Wang tutted, feeling oddly unsettled.

He thought to himself, *What the hell? Why would Jiang Qi treasure a photo of Pei Gu so much?*

The commander studied his reflection. He was taller than Pei Gu, had more hair, better-looking eyes, a straighter nose, a slimmer waist, and even *that* was bigger than Pei Gu’s. From every angle, Ye Wang was convinced he outclassed Pei Gu in every regard.

Yet, the only photo Jiang Qi kept was one with Pei Gu.

For some reason, the commander felt strangely irked.

Then, Ye Wang lay back in bed, unable to sleep for a long while. Every time he closed his eyes, the dip of Jiang Qi’s waist, the planes of his abdomen, lingered behind his eyelids. Several times, he considered going to the bathroom to splash cold water on his face, only to notice that Jiang Qi next door was also tossing and turning, getting up every hour, sneaking around like a burglar—clearly restless.

Afraid of being noticed, Ye Wang forced himself to stay still. By the time dawn broke, he faked a lazy stretch, and the iron bed let out a soft groan.

There was no movement from the other side for a while. Then, Jiang Qi got up as well. This time, he didn’t bother masking his footsteps, openly slipping on his shoes and heading to the bathroom to wash up.

The two left the house almost simultaneously.

Jiang Qi went to teach his students, while Ye Wang—unsure of what to do—simply found staying home awkward and decided to pretend he was busy, making a show of heading to the military headquarters.

They collided head-on in the hallway, both sporting matching dark circles under their eyes.

Unfortunately, the commander was slightly taller than Jiang Qi, who kept his gaze lowered, fixated on the floor, too nervous to look up. He couldn’t see Ye Wang’s exhaustion, but Ye Wang caught every detail of his.

Ye Wang flexed his fingers.

Jiang Qi looked somewhat haggard—it didn’t suit him. The smudges of exhaustion beneath his eyes were like unsightly paint, making the commander want to reach out and wipe them away.

Under normal circumstances, Ye Wang would’ve dismissed such thoughts as absurd. But now, he detected something different in this strange impulse.

—He wanted to settle Jiang Qi into a sunlit villa with a beautiful terrace, bundle him into plush bedding, and ensure he slept soundly every night.

Suppressing the urge to lift his hand, Ye Wang instead adopted a teasing tone and asked knowingly, “Jiang *laoshi*, didn’t sleep well last night?”

Jiang Qi didn’t look at him, merely organizing his teaching materials with his head down. “Mm, the mosquitoes were noisy.”

Ye Wang: “Since when do mosquitoes swarm in winter?”

“…No idea where they came from. Wouldn’t shut up all night.” Jiang Qi hurriedly added, “Commander, mind moving? I have a class soon.”

As he brushed past Ye Wang and descended the stairs, his silhouette nearly gone around the corner, Ye Wang suddenly called out, “Jiang Qi?”

Jiang Qi halted.

After a brief hesitation, Ye Wang said, “…I just wanted to say, yesterday, I might’ve crossed a line. But that wasn’t my intention.”

Jiang Qi paused, then replied calmly, “I understand.”

At the concert yesterday, he had let his emotions get the better of him in the heat of the moment. On second thought, if Ye Wang had truly wanted to mess with him, why bother with the theatrics?

This man was a Federation major general with actual clout—his status in the Federation was at least as high as Pei Gu’s over in the Empire. Given his open contempt toward Pei Gu, it was unlikely he’d bother imitating him.

Thinking this, he felt a wry sense of self-mockery.

The other man disdained Pei Gu but thought highly of him.

Ye Wang leaned against the staircase, pausing for a long moment before suddenly asking again, "By the way, you and Pei..."

He had many questions he wanted to ask. For example, why did you keep that photo of you hugging Pei Gu? Did you want to hug him? If Jiang Qi answered yes, Ye Wang would ask, "Do you like him a little?" If Jiang Qi said he did, Ye Wang would further inquire, "What do you like about him? His face? Or..."

Or what?

"Apologies, Legion Commander Ye," Jiang Qi abruptly spoke, his tone turning stiff again. "Please understand, there are some things I’d rather not discuss."

"......"

In the end, Ye Wang only said, "Sorry."

Jiang Qi: "No need for apologies."

They brushed past each other.

Ye Wang took his aircraft to the military headquarters.

The war between the Empire and the Federation had just begun, and the frontlines were understaffed. Pang Su had already been dispatched to the front, while Wen Muyuan, still in a clerical role, remained holding down the rear for now. The two ran into each other at the military headquarters.

Wen Muyuan was carrying a stack of documents in his arms, walking hurriedly and looking rather harried. Ye Wang stopped him and asked, "How’s the situation?"

Wen Muyuan: "Give and take. The Empire is in internal chaos now, but old habits die hard—they still have some cards to play. Yesterday, they took down one of our supply lines with their Third Legion. That line was well-hidden; no clue how they found out."

Ye Wang: "A mole?"

The Federation had infiltrators in the Empire, and naturally, the Empire did the same in the Federation. Moreover, compared to the Empire’s strict caste system, where those from the lower districts could hardly enter the upper districts, the Federation’s open society made it easier for spies to operate.

Wen Muyuan: "It’s possible."

Ye Wang: "Any progress in the investigation?"

Wen Muyuan: "Just started. I heard the higher-ups are conducting internal checks, and it’ll gradually extend downward. Anyway, you won't be implicated, so don’t worry."

Ye Wang was the Legion Commander’s son—if the investigation reached him, all hell would break loose.

After shooting the breeze a bit longer about the situation, Wen Muyuan hurriedly excused himself. Ye Wang helped review a few documents, and when it was time for lunch, the Legion Commander, fresh from a meeting, invited Ye Wang to eat together.

Ye Wang thought it over—he actually had something to ask the Legion Commander.

Strangely enough, everyone around Ye Wang was single. Aside from him, the Legion Commander, both Wen Muyuan and Pang Su had stayed single all along. Looking around, the only person who could offer romantic advice was his father, a middle-aged man.

So, each with a lunchbox in hand, the two sat facing each other in the Legion Commander’s office.

Ye Liao, a fit fifty-something with a handsome and resolute face, scrutinized Ye Wang up and down. "You never come without an agenda. Spit it out—what do you want, kid?"

Ye Wang: "Say, Dad—just theoretically—if you asked someone if they liked another person, and that person avoided the topic, unwilling to even mention the other’s name, what does that mean?"

Ye Liao snorted: "It means they're into them."

Ye Wang: "...Really?"

Ye Liao began tapping the table. "Why wouldn’t they mention it? Because they don’t dare to, understand? If they didn’t like them, what’s there to be afraid of?"

Ye Wang: "Makes sense."

The commander lowered his head in thought, while Ye Liao lit a cigarette, gazed into the distance and sighed softly.

Ye Wang suddenly remembered that the Legion Commander, too, had someone he couldn’t bring himself to mention.

The Legion Commander had lived a hardened military life, yet the only person he couldn’t bring himself to speak of was Ye Wang’s mother. Both of them came from humble backgrounds, childhood sweethearts who grew up together, married without a hitch, and soon had Ye Wang. As a child, Ye Wang often ran around the old streets. Later, as the Legion Commander’s rank rose higher and higher, they saw each other less and less. During one of his deployments, Ye Wang’s mother fell critically ill and passed away. For decades after that, the Legion Commander never dared to utter her name again.

Having gotten the answer he sought, Ye Wang got up to leave, deep in thought—so much so that he even forgot to bid his father farewell.

Ye Liao stubbed out his cigarette and muttered, "That brat."

Ye Wang returned to the academy.

He thought about taking Jiang Qi out to eat—by any means necessary, whether getting him drunk or tricking him into talking—to figure out his true feelings toward Pei Gu. If it was Pei Gu’s personality he liked, that would be ideal. If it was Pei Gu’s looks...

The commander pondered. If Jiang Qi was purely a shallow person who only cares about looks, it wouldn’t be a big issue.

But if his taste was off, that might be slightly troublesome.

Yet, after reviewing several documents in his old dorm and even checking the Empire’s media coverage of that speech until sunset, when cadets started milling about the field after classes, Jiang Qi still hadn’t returned.

Ye Wang remembered Jiang Qi had no class in the second period that afternoon.

Growing impatient, he went to the faculty office.

Jiang Qi, being a part-time instructor and a reserved and unassuming guy, had an out-of-the-way desk with barely any personal touches—almost invisible in the office. Ye Wang had to ask around before someone knew his whereabouts.

"Oh, Instructor Jiang? Someone from the military came by, said they needed his assistance with some investigation. He left with them."

Ye Wang’s eyebrow twitched. "Which department?"

"Uh, National Security, maybe?"

The National Security Department handled information leak investigations, espionage intelligence, and counter-reconnaissance. Colonel Bu Nian, who had previously collaborated with the Empire, belonged to this department.

Though Ye Wang was a major general, each department had its own jurisdiction, and stepping on their turf wasn’t easy. He couldn’t easily interfere with National Security matters.

The commander chose to call his father, the Legion Commander.

When the Legion Commander picked up and heard it was about Jiang Qi, he perked up, more invested than Ye Wang himself, saying it wasn’t a problem.

Twenty minutes later, an address was sent to Ye Wang’s phone.

"An investigation is a necessary procedure—unavoidable. Given Jiang Qi’s sensitive background, avoiding scrutiny would only invite gossip and harm his future prospects. But you can attend as an observer. I’ve arranged it. Go ahead."

Ye Wang set off immediately.

With his rank displayed, he moved through unchecked. But as he descended underground, he paused briefly.

Interrogation rooms were all cut from the same cloth.

A place untouched by sunlight—four high walls, stark white paint, crimson slogans, and cold metal chairs.

Jiang Qi wasn’t handcuffed.

This was just routine questioning, part of a broader screening. Once done, he could leave—unlike the Empire’s detainment system. All officers with sensitive backgrounds had undergone this process. A few hotheads had even shattered glass, but if they were cleared, no harm done.

But Jiang Qi was different. He had PTSD.

Ye Wang picked up his pace.

The interrogator took a seat opposite Jiang Qi, his demeanor was quite courteous: "Good day, Mr. Jiang. We need to verify some details with you."

He even extended his hand for a handshake.

Jiang Qi hesitated briefly before shaking it, his palm clammy with sweat.

He averted his eyes, his face appearing pale under the cold light, his eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath his eyes.

He said, "Understood, proceed."

The interrogator turned on the audio-visual recording and took out a notepad: "Here’s the situation, Mr. Jiang. One of our supply routes was cut off by Imperial forces. According to our investigation, the operation unit belonged to the Third Army. You previously served in the Third Army, correct?"

"..."

Jiang Qi’s lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to argue, but after a moment, he only said quietly, "Yes."

The interrogator watched him closely: "Could you briefly describe your experience in the Third Army during your time serving there?"

"..."

Jiang Qi wondered—what was he supposed to say?

Used as disposable labor, putting his life on the line just to afford stabilizers for his siblings at home—what perspective should he have?

Jiang Qi: "I despised the Third Army."

The interrogator: "You didn’t like the Third Army, yet you served there the longest, and you're engaged to a major general from the same army. Could you explain why?"

"..."

At this point, anything he said now would sound like a lie to evade blame.

His untimely silence made the interrogator change tack: "You once received the Empire's highest honors, even giving speeches as their Imperial Star. What made you choose the Federation instead?"

"..."

Jiang Qi looked at him, thought numbly, he hadn’t chosen the Federation at all.

It was Pei Gu who had chosen the Federation for him.

But the name stuck in his throat, impossible to utter.

Jiang Qi’s stomach turned again.

Yet if he vomited now, he could already imagine what the report would say:

"Extremely uncooperative, showing clear signs of resistance." Or perhaps simply, "Poor mental state, recommended for detainment."

He twisted his lips into a weak smile, trying to say something agreeable, but in the end, the words died in his throat.

The interrogator: "Mr. Jiang? Did you hear me? My question was about your time in the Empire—"

Before he could finish, three crisp, measured knocks sounded at the door—polite yet firm.

The interrogator looked up. Ye Wang had displayed his authorization on his communicator, meeting the interrogator’s gaze through the glass with a smile. "Hello, I’m the adjutant overseeing proceedings. Gentlemen, may I come in?"

At that voice—Jiang Qi’s head snapped up, locking onto Ye Wang.

He dug his fingernails into his palm.

For a fleeting moment, that strange sense of familiarity returned. Ye Wang seemed to overlap with a distant shadow from the Empire, making reality and memory indistinguishable.