Chapter 320: Sunset

Chapter 320 Sunset

Their fingertips met, warm and soft. Ye Wang turned and switched hands to hold Jiang Qi, tentatively stroking his back.

He’s so thin.

With a slight pressure, Jiang Qi obediently leaned into his embrace, pulling Ye Wang closer in return, resting his chin on Ye Wang’s shoulder and nuzzling gently.

The strands of hair tickled his neck.

Ye Wang responded by rubbing his cheek against Jiang Qi’s, their closeness bordering on intimate, until Jiang Qi’s earlobes flushed red.

Jiang Qi whispered, "Sir."

He only called out once, without continuing, as if he simply wanted to say Ye Wang’s name. Yet his voice trembled faintly for some reason.

A surge of tenderness filled the commander’s heart, aching softly. He held Jiang Qi tightly, pressing him close, wishing he could wrap him in his coat. They stayed like that for a long while before the man in his arms finally settled.

When Ye Wang lowered his gaze, Jiang Qi’s earlobe was right by his neck.

Jiang Qi’s skin was cool and pale, but that small, soft spot was flushed deep red, like a drop of blood. Ye Wang thought, *It looks tempting to kiss.*

As if compelled, he lowered his head.

Warm breath brushed against Jiang Qi’s ear, making him shiver. Though he could easily pull away, his feet seemed rooted in place, unable to move, allowing those lips to barely graze his skin before retreating.

Like a thief caught red-handed, the commander didn’t linger, only tightening his embrace.

And so, Jiang Qi was completely enveloped in Ye Wang’s scent.

The crisp winter air mixed with the sweet aroma of strawberry milk from the kitchen, like being wrapped in a blanket by a winter fireplace—so comforting it was nearly sleep-inducing. Yet Jiang Qi still felt unsatisfied. He tugged at the buttons of Ye Wang’s coat. "*Sir.*"

Ye Wang: "*Hmm?*"

"Can you undo this?"

He meant the commander’s coat buttons.

It was winter, and both were bundled in thick layers. Jiang Qi had already taken off his coat upon entering, but the commander, still fully dressed, had been heating milk for his once-rival.

Ye Wang unbuttoned his coat.

Jiang Qi watched his slender fingers undo each button before draping the coat onto the sofa. Beneath it was a plush high-necked sweater, still warm from his body heat.

Jiang Qi reached out and embraced him again.

He shut his eyes, satisfied.

Ye Wang smoothed the stray hairs at the back of Jiang Qi’s head, like petting a stray cat, then gently pinched his nape, thinking, *Too thin.*

He needed to fatten him up.

The commander’s thoughts wandered aimlessly about feeding schedules as the atmosphere remained warm and harmonious—long-separated lovers curled together in a cozy home—until a sharp alarm ripped through the quiet.

—The commander’s pot had burnt dry.

Neither had remembered the milk still heating in the kitchen. The poor liquid had scorched into a blackened, gluey mess crusted onto the pot. Two minutes later, the pot would’ve cracked.

"..."

The commander fumbled to turn off the stove, pulling the pot off the burner and placing it in the sink, only to hear laughter behind him. Ye Wang turned around to see Jiang Qi pressing his lips together, just barely holding back his laughter.

Meeting the commander’s gaze, Jiang Qi coughed solemnly, putting on a dead-serious face, like he was facing a military review.

"..."

For a moment, Ye Wang forgot about the pot in the sink. He reached out, pinched Jiang Qi’s cheek, and gave it a rough squeeze. "Still laughing! Do you even realize who this milk was for? No milk for you tomorrow!"

Jiang Qi couldn’t hold back another laugh, his eyes curving like they held little stars.

After all this time together, neither Ye Wang nor "Pei Gu" had ever seen Jiang Qi smile like this—not to please, not out of duty, not forced, but genuine, heartfelt joy. That smile melted away his usual coldness, leaving nothing but warmth behind.

Ye Wang was momentarily stunned, almost afraid to look too long. He rubbed his nose and averted his gaze, trying to sound stern. "...What are you so happy about? I said no milk for you tomorrow!"

"...Sir?" Jiang Qi paused, then, to his surprise, started wheedling softly. "But I want to drink it tomorrow, sir."

"..."

Ye Wang sighed. "Fine, fine. Drink, drink. We’ll go to the supermarket tomorrow."

Thanks to the mishap, dinner was a lost cause. Ye Wang tossed the ruined food in the sink and checked his watch—dawn was less than four hours away.

He herded Jiang Qi toward the bedroom. "Go to sleep. You have class in the morning."

The commander’s bedroom had a large, soft bed covered with a beige fleece blanket, so plush Jiang Qi could disappear into it.

His old rival clambered onto the bed without hurry, pulled the covers over himself, then glanced at the doorway in confusion. "Sir? Aren’t you coming up?"

"..."

The commander had initially planned to make do in the guest room, but at those words, he stalled, then doubled back to the bed.

He lay down at the very edge, uncertain of what to do next.

Was this too fast? They had only just reunited—was sharing a bed on the first day too much? Would Jiang Qi find it abrupt? How were they supposed to sleep? On their backs? Could he hold him?

In the dead of night, there was no one to offer Ye Wang romantic advice. Too busy overthinking, he didn’t react when Jiang Qi quietly reached out under the covers, brushing against him. Jiang Qi contentedly laced their fingers together.

The commander thought, *To hell with abruptness.*

He scooted over in one bold move, turning onto his side and pulling Jiang Qi into his arms.

"Sleep," Ye Wang said. "I’ll drop you off at work tomorrow."

Jiang Qi breathed him in and soon drifted off.

*

The next morning, Jiang Qi woke to find the commander gone.

Still half-asleep, he nuzzled into where warmth should’ve been, only to touch cold sheets. Jiang Qi froze, instantly awake.

He frowned.

If not for the unfamiliar bedroom decor, so different from his faculty dorm, he might have thought yesterday was just a dream.

Wide awake now, Jiang Qi quickly got up and hurried downstairs. Scanning the empty living room, he found no sign of the commander, and his frown deepened.

—Gone already? It wasn’t even close to the military’s standard work hours. Why?

Then a noise from the kitchen perked him right up.

Ye Wang had already finished washing the pot, reheated the milk, and somehow dug out a toaster to make bread.

His cooking skills were nothing to write home about, just good enough to handle appliances, but fortunately, the house was well-equipped, allowing him to manage.

Jiang Qi stuck his head in: "Sir?"

"You're awake," Ye Wang checked his watch. "Right on time. Sit down, breakfast is ready."

The plate held toasted bread, paired with milk and salad dressing. Ye Wang placed three plates in front of Jiang Qi and sat across from him: "Here, try it."

Jiang Qi picked up a slice of bread and said earnestly, "It's delicious."

Ye Wang: "...Don’t call everything delicious. I barely managed not to burn it."

They polished off breakfast. Ye Wang brewed a small cup of coffee, chugged it in two swigs, then sat watching Jiang Qi sip his milk slowly. When the cup was empty, he reached out: "Come on, I’ll take you to work."

Jiang Qi held his hand: "Thank you, sir."

But as they reached the door, Ye Wang gave Jiang Qi’s outfit a once-over and raised an eyebrow: "Professor Jiang, don’t you think you’re dressed a bit too lightly?"

Jiang Qi had reduced his material needs to the bare minimum. The capital had recently cooled down, with bitter winds raging outside, yet Jiang Qi seemed oblivious to the cold, wearing only a thin, threadbare jacket—a decade-old style only grandpas wore on the streets.

Ye Wang scowled: "Professor Jiang, you’re seriously going out like this? I clearly bought you plenty of clothes, didn’t I?"

Back in the empire, Ye Wang had hauled a whole suitcase’s worth for him.

Jiang Qi blinked once, twice.

Ye Wang arched a brow: "So where are those clothes? Did you throw them away? Why aren’t you wearing them?"

Jiang Qi’s gaze grew shifty: "N-no, I didn’t throw them away."

Ye Wang: "Then where are they?"

"..."

After a long hesitation, Ye Wang just made out his mumble: "I... stored them carefully at the bottom of the closet."

The commander was exasperated: "You’re being a martyr for no reason, Professor Jiang. Clothes aren’t gold bars—why hoard them like treasure?"

"..."

Jiang Qi looked away, mumbling to himself. It took Ye Wang a while to decipher: "I... couldn’t bring myself to wear them."

Ye Wang’s frustration evaporated.

In the end, Ye Wang pulled open his own wardrobe, hauled out a camel-colored trench coat, and tossed it over Jiang Qi’s shoulders. Then, from who-knows-where, he produced a checkered scarf and wrapped him up snugly.

He herded the bundled-up Professor Jiang onto the aircraft: "Alright, let’s go. Time to take you to class."

The aircraft landed smoothly at the school.

Jiang Qi stepped down, turned back, and waved goodbye, his face half-buried in the plush scarf, eyes crinkling with a smile—clearly in high spirits.

"Jiang Qi!" Ye Wang called out on impulse: "Don’t leave tonight—I’ll pick you up after school!"

Jiang Qi’s smile deepened.

And so, the class noticed that Professor Jiang was unusually cheerful that day.

He broke his usual pattern by letting a few troublemakers slide without starting a fight on the spot. When demonstrating techniques, he patiently repeated them several times, which totally threw the students off—though some couldn’t help but wonder why the classroom felt so warm while Jiang Qi kept his scarf on the entire time.

After finishing his demonstration, Jiang Qi let the students practice freely, working the room to adjust their postures now and then.

Someone whispered, "Jiang Qi’s coat looks way too big on him—isn't that way too big for him?"

Another scolded, "Talking during Jiang Qi’s class? You *want* him to beat you up?"

"I just think it looks like someone else’s clothes..."

Jiang Qi overheard their conversation but said nothing, walking past them silently and letting it slide.

The two students immediately held their breath, not daring to speak again. After a long pause, one murmured, "He didn’t hear us, right?"

"Definitely not—if he did, we’d be dead..."

In the past, compared to sitting alone in the teacher’s dormitory, staring blankly at a staticky TV screen, Jiang Qi preferred staying at school. The students’ lively energy always dispelled some of the Withering around him. But now, Jiang Qi found the workday unbearably long.

He checked the time like eight hundred times, unable to help himself, and stood in the hallway gazing at the playing field. Finally, when the silhouette of an aircraft appeared on the horizon, Jiang Qi dismissed the class.

He walked onto the field as the sky burned violet—and for the first time, Jiang Qi realized how beautiful dusk could be.

The lower districts of the Empire had no sun, and his days in the Federation had always been bleak. This was the first time Jiang Qi really took in the sunset.

Tightening his scarf in the fading light, he walked briskly toward the aircraft.