Chapter 53

Chapter 53

They stripped off their protective suits as quickly as possible. The moment their skin met the air, a burning sensation flared, urging them to flee this inhospitable place. Lu Huainan grabbed Shen Muyun's hand, pulling him down a narrow path. Behind them, rustling footsteps and hushed voices followed.

"This godforsaken place, it's like a constant guerrilla war. What's happening now?"

"Exactly! They're churning out nothing but illicit goods. Profits? In this bleak economy, where else would they come from? It's all from these shady dealings."

"Hurry up! The power's out, and without the filters, the toxic gas levels are off the charts. If you dawdle, something bad's bound to happen."

Shen Muyun's head buzzed with an inexplicable discomfort, yet his gaze remained fixed solely on Lu Huainan. Holding his hand, it felt as if every problem, big or small, would somehow resolve itself.

They were almost there—just a little further. The faint glow of the exit was now visible.

*Boom!* A deafening explosion ripped through the air, and a powerful blast, reeking of rotten eggs, surged out of the confined space like a ruptured pipe.

There was nowhere to hide. What could they do? It had all happened too suddenly. Lu Huainan instinctively pulled Shen Muyun into his arms, his eyes scanning for a small alcove ahead.

"Brother Yun, don't be afraid. I'm right here with you."

Lu Huainan spun around, shielding Shen Muyun completely within his embrace. The blast behind them hit with tremendous force; they could even hear the tearing of fabric.

*Thud… Crash…*

A wave of screams followed.

"Shit, it exploded! Run!"

The temperature in the workshop soared instantly. Whether it was an illusion or not, the air filled with a smell like roasted meat, suffocating and nauseating.

When the explosions finally subsided, the air was so thick with pollution that every breath felt gritty with particulate matter.

"Huainan, Huainan, are you okay?"

It was pitch black. Though the exit was so close, there wasn't a sound. Lu Huainan's tall frame leaned heavily against Shen Muyun, still shielding him.

Shen Muyun reached out to touch Lu Huainan, but his wrist was abruptly caught.

"*Cough cough...* Brother Yun, don't worry about me. I'm not dying. I'm still waiting for you to agree to be with me."

"Now's not the time for nonsense."

Lu Huainan shifted slightly. "Sss..."

His back was definitely injured, the stinging pain assaulting his nerves. His face was streaked with grime from the factory floor.

In the complete darkness, Lu Huainan, guided by touch, reached for Shen Muyun's cheek. A warm wetness met his fingertips, quickly filling his palm.

Lu Huainan sniffed anxiously—thankfully, it wasn't blood. Shen Muyun was unharmed. He regretted ever agreeing to let Shen Muyun investigate the factory.

Lu Huainan loosened his grip on Shen Muyun slightly. The path outside was completely blocked by debris, leaving no way out.

"Brother Yun, it seems we're trapped here. Do you think there are rescue teams outside?"

Shen Muyun reached up and flicked Lu Huainan's forehead. "Of course there are. Let's wait a bit. They ought to be here soon."

Lu Huainan braced himself to maintain their small pocket of space, doing his best to make Shen Muyun more comfortable.

Then, a hand clutched at Lu Huainan's ankle. In the darkness, it was impossible to see who it was.

"Help… help me…"

From the voice, they could tell it was the foreman from earlier. Before Lu Huainan could respond, the man's grip loosened. He was likely already gone…

"Brother Yun, hang in there a little longer. Don't worry. I've got a burner phone in my pocket. Take it out and see if there's any signal."

Shen Muyun acknowledged, reaching into Lu Huainan's pocket. His fingers hooked around the phone, and he pulled it out—finally, a sliver of light.

Shen Muyun quickly checked on Lu Huainan's condition. His forehead was beaded with sweat, but he seemed okay otherwise.

Shen Muyun immediately dialed Officer Zhou's number. After a few rings, Officer Zhou's voice came through.

"Huainan, what's wrong? I'm stationed at the chemical plant. There was an explosion just now, and I'm coordinating the rescue."

"Officer Zhou, it's me, Shen Muyun—"

"Ah, Second Young Master Shen? What's happening? It's chaos here, and I can't hear you clearly."

"Officer Zhou, Huainan and I are trapped in the corridor of Workshop 3, about ten meters from the exit. Can you send help?"

Officer Zhou gripped his phone tightly. "Just hold on, you two! I'll send someone right away!"

In the last second, the phone screen went black. Thankfully, fortune had smiled on them—they had managed to convey their situation in time.

Lu Huainan pulled Shen Muyun tightly into his arms again. The sound of their heartbeats was proof they were still alive.

Another rumble came from deeper within.

Faintly, they could hear the noise of excavators and voices outside, calling out, "Is anyone there?" Then came Officer Zhou's voice—it seemed help had arrived.

"There's been a secondary collapse, Zhou! What do we do?"

"There are still people inside, I'm sure of it. We have to get them out!"

The sound of excavators grew closer. Shen Muyun felt his head growing heavy, as if he had inhaled too much of the polluted air. His lungs felt uncomfortable too.

Lu Huainan felt Shen Muyun going limp. He lowered his head, nuzzling his hair, and managed a weak smile. "Brother Yun, just hang in there a little longer. We'll be out soon."

Shen Muyun felt his eyelids growing heavy. Uncomfortable—so uncomfortable. The sensation was absolutely wretched.

"Huainan, is the air getting thin? There's so much dust… It's awful."

Acting on muscle memory, Lu Huainan pressed his lips against Shen Muyun's, sharing his breath.

The noise outside grew louder, and a shaft of light suddenly broke through the darkness.

With a slight circulation of air, Shen Muyun's breathing eased somewhat, and the fog in his head began to clear. Officer Zhou's voice reached their ears.

"Huainan, Second Young Master Shen, are you in there?"

"We're here! Just a little further."

"Keep digging! Careful now—this whole section could go."

Before the words fully faded, another tremendous crash sounded from inside, as if the ceiling was about to crash down.

*Thud!* Dust scattered once more. Shen Muyun felt Lu Huainan's body convulse, followed by the warmth of his embrace. "Don't be afraid."

Lu Huainan's voice was like a healing balm, illuminating Shen Muyun's world.

The noise outside grew louder, and the light became even more dazzling.

"Whew, finally found you two. Are you hurt?"

Lu Huainan stretched out his foot, indicating there was someone beneath him. Officer Zhou came over, checked, and felt the person's carotid artery—the person had long since stopped breathing.

Lu Huainan carried Shen Muyun out of the passageway, shielding him from the outside light with one hand.

"Tsk, Huainan, is this what you call risking yourself? Luckily, I was nearby today—what if I hadn't been?"

"Wouldn't matter. I only care about the one beside me. As long as Brother Yun is fine, that's all that matters."

Shen Muyun struggled a bit in Lu Huainan's arms. "Um, Huainan, put me down. I'm fine. It was just the air inside that was a bit irritating."

Seeing Shen Muyun's cheeks slightly flushed and Officer Zhou nearby, Lu Huainan coughed lightly and set him down on his feet.

Only then did Shen Muyun notice that the back of Lu Huainan's clothes was almost completely scorched, with some wounds visible. The edges of the wounds were curled, revealing raw, red flesh—it looked quite serious.

"And you said you weren't hurt? Look at this state!"

Lu Huainan took Shen Muyun's hand and said calmly, "It doesn't hurt at all. Just come with me to change clothes later."

Officer Zhou abruptly interrupted their moment. "Why is it that every time I'm on a case, I run into you two?"

Lu Huainan smiled. "Maybe it's just my innate constitution—I attract trouble. Officer Zhou, how's the case going? Did you get the key evidence here?"

Officer Zhou chuckled. "Huainan, even though we're classmates, I can't disclose case details to you. But I have your recordings and the things you filmed. We've received them all. It's about time to wrap this up."

"Was planning to let Brother Yun have some more fun, but I guess it's not needed. Officer Zhou, you're busy."

Lu Huainan kept talking, Shen Muyun smiled.

"Brother Yun, looks like there's no more fun here. Let's head back to the fruit shop. There's still unfinished business there."

Shen Muyun nodded, glanced back at the chemical plant, and thought of the employees inside. It hadn't been long, but their condition was worrying—probably quite a few had died.

"Huainan, what will those struggling working-class people do without their wages from here?"

Lu Huainan paused and stopped walking, looking back into Shen Muyun's eyes as if trying to see through something.

"Brother Yun, you should worry about yourself first. Look, your face is covered in dust, and there's a scrape here too."

Lu Huainan raised his hand and gently touched Shen Muyun's shoulder.

"It's fine, just superficial. But you're the one who's worse off. I saw a clothing store nearby—let's buy some clothes to change into before heading back to the fruit shop."

Neither was in the mood for shopping, so they casually picked two outfits and checked each other over. Fortunately, the injuries weren't too severe.

Shen Muyun looked toward the distant fruit shop. The shopkeeper was holding flowers, gazing in the direction of the chemical plant. With all the noise, he must have seen everything.

"You two went to see the excitement? Why are you back so late?"

Shen Muyun glanced at Lu Huainan. "Yeah, just went over to take a look, and time flew."

Lu Huainan looked at the flowers in the shopkeeper's hand. "Are these from your wife for you?"

The shopkeeper looked at the flowers. "Exactly. We had the same idea. Maybe after being married so long, we understand each other's hearts. Young men, no offense, but there's no reason to stay in a place like this."

Shen Muyun nodded. "Yeah, we'll leave in a few days once we find jobs."

"Ah, kid, that's not what I meant—it's not a kicking you out. I mean, looking at you two, you don't belong here. There's a bigger world out there. Don't trap yourselves in that shipping container. And if you like someone, confess—don't miss the chance."

Lu Huainan directly wrapped his arm around Shen Muyun's shoulder, looking down into his eyes. "Yeah, I know. It's really late today, so we should call it a night."

The shopkeeper watched their figures and sighed. "Young people these days... I'm really getting old."

Passing through the path, the two arrived at their temporary lodging. Opening the door, they were met with that same salty and fishy smell. Even though they had protective suits in the chemical plant, there was still a hint of the smell of chemicals—no wonder the shopkeeper noticed right away.

"Brother Yun, since the owner isn't around, why don't we go out and find a place to stay for the night? Our clothes reek, and it might not be good for our health..."

Shen Muyun nodded, his throat tight from inhaling the chemical plant smoke. His body felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Seeing Shen Muyun agree, Lu Huainan checked for the nearest hotel and they relocated.

Shen Muyun tugged at his clothes—the original lemon scent had been completely replaced by a sulfuric smell.

Fortunately, the hotel here was normal, unlike that guesthouse from before. Even now, remembering the room setup made him flush.

Lu Huainan leaned against the front desk, one arm around Shen Muyun's waist, the other holding his ID. "Just booked a room."

The girl at the front desk stared at them as if they were celebrities, making Shen Muyun uncomfortable—he kept wanting to avoid her gaze.

"Are you two... celebrities?"

Lu Huainan smiled. "No, we're just here for fun."

"Wow, so handsome! Are you two a couple?"

Lu Huainan looked down at Shen Muyun in his arms. "What do you think?"

Shen Muyun punched Lu Huainan's chest. "Don't talk nonsense."

The front desk girl, as if she'd stumbled upon huge news, pulled a room key from the drawer. "Sir, here's your key. It's peak tourist season, so only this room is left—but it's pretty quiet."

Lu Huainan nodded, satisfied—it was just what he wanted.

Shen Muyun shot a look at Lu Huainan. Every time they went out, there was always only one room left—wasn't this obviously designed to make him uncomfortable?

Lu Huainan lowered his head and whispered in Shen Muyun's ear, "Let's go. If you want them to stare a bit longer, I don't mind."

Shen Muyun immediately grabbed Lu Huainan's hand and headed into the elevator. Tenth floor—the top floor—no wonder it was quiet.

They stepped out into the hallway. Clearly, some rooms had their doors open—how could she say there was only one left?

"Click..."

Lu Huainan and Shen Muyun entered the room. A huge floor-to-ceiling window greeted them, with scattered lights outside.

"Brother Yun, I ordered a few changes of clothes. They'll be delivered soon. Let's shower first—they should arrive by the time we're done."

Shen Muyun stood by the window—the vantage point was perfect to see the distant chemical plant, now completely dark. Had it been cleared out? The main thing is, Zhou Shiqing—why was he always showing up?

"Huainan, you go first. I need to rest a bit—I feel tired."

Lu Huainan didn't push it. He stripped off his clothes right there and ducked into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of the shower filled the room.

Shen Muyun walked into the inner room and shut the door behind him. "System, are you there?"

"Beep, Respected Host Master, what does my lord command?"

"How's that thing I asked you to investigate going?"

"Not much progress, really. But the system did notice that your main mission completion rate has reached ten percent. Did you... do something with Lu Huainan? How did it suddenly increase?"

Shen Muyun slapped the system on its forehead. "Cut out those strange ideas of yours. Nothing happened, and that's that. I don't want him to be lonely, and I don't want to disappear either. Right now, I'm trying to figure out how to have the best of both worlds."

The system's small screen flickered a few times. "Host," it said, "'How in this world can one have it both ways—neither failing enlightenment nor failing you?' I think this line of poetry perfectly captures your current dilemma. There's no such thing as having it both ways. Your indecision will only slow down the main mission progress. Nothing can change it—this is the predetermined world line, and no one can interfere. Besides, Host, you studied theoretical physics. You must understand space theory, right? In this timeline, the two of you might not end up together, but in another timeline, you're definitely together."

Shen Muyun fell silent. Even though that's how things were, he couldn't help thinking about every little detail of Lu Huainan. Well, whatever—he'd take the main mission one step at a time.

"Brother Yun, why is your door locked?"

Lu Huainan's knocking came from outside the door. Shen Muyun quickly responded, "It's nothing, I was just taking off my clothes."

Shen Muyun pulled off his clothes and tossed them onto the bed, then got up to open the door.

To his surprise, as soon as the door opened, he saw Lu Huainan bare chested. Shen Muyun immediately tried to close the door, but Lu Huainan blocked it with his hand. "Brother Yun, what should and shouldn't be seen has already been seen. It's time for you to take a shower."

Shen Muyun patted Lu Huainan's arm. "Alright, I'll go shower. You're not allowed to come in."

Lu Huainan nodded earnestly, he said, "Yeah, I promise. But, just so you know, the bathroom door somehow can't be locked. Don't worry, I won't go over there."

Shen Muyun glanced at him. "You'd better keep your word."

"Of course, I guarantee I'll complete the mission."