Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The assessment exercise concluded, and fleets of aircraft descended from the sky to pick up the personnel involved for their return journey.

The sweltering heat was utterly draining, but riding the high of victory, the cadets’ grime-streaked faces still bore expressions of exhilaration, forming a stark contrast to the defeated-looking veterans of the Nawei Military Region.

As the aircraft landed before them, Bai Luming deftly yanked open the door and slipped inside, sinking back comfortably against the seat cushion, automatically adjusting to the most relaxed posture.

When He Yilan boarded, he noticed those sprawling legs taking up too much space and stopped beside them: "Move your legs over."

Bai Luming glanced up at him, puzzled: "There's plenty of space, isn't there?"

Even if the aircraft were crowded, the number of cadets needing a return trip from this area added up to only three. Why did this guy have to crowd right next to him?

He Yilan shot him a glance but didn’t respond, striding over as if he owned the place and taking a seat beside Bai Luming.

The moment their legs brushed against each other, Bai Luming’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately pulled his legs back as if electrocuted.

When he looked again, He Yilan had already settled into his seat with refined posture, as if completely unbothered by the earlier incident.

Bai Luming: "…"

This guy must be deliberately trying to start something.

He Yilan noticed Bai Luming’s gaze and turned to him: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Bai Luming: "You’re poison."

He Yilan smiled but didn't bite.

The exercise assessment site was quite far from the fortress residential area. It took over two hours before Bai Luming, in a drowsy haze, finally landed. By the time the cabin door opened, it was completely dark outside.

Other cadets arrived one after another, still excitedly discussing today’s unexpected victory.

Bai Luming undid his buttons as he climbed the stairs. By the time he entered the dormitory, he had already taken off his outer coat, revealing the inner shirt drenched with sweat.

The thin, clinging fabric perfectly accentuated his well-defined physique, while the sweat on his hair tips made his silver-gray strands glisten under the lights.

He Yilan followed behind. The moment he stepped inside, he took in the sight. After a brief pause, he walked to the water dispenser and picked up a cup.

Bai Luming tossed his mud-stained coat aside and glanced back just in time to see He Yilan methodically brewing a cup of black tea. He blurted out: "Where did you get the tea bags?"

"The registrar downstairs gave them to me."

He Yilan asked, "She said this flavor of black tea is quite good. Want to try it?"

"No, I don’t drink tea. This thing doesn't agree with me—it’s more your style." As he spoke, Bai Luming casually grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom, leaving behind a remark: "I’m taking a shower first. No peeking."

He Yilan didn’t respond, leaning against the wall with his teacup, taking a small sip. The rising steam softened the intensity of his gaze.

Ever since that time in the attic, this person always seemed to specifically emphasize "no peeking." Was it because of the scars from mechanical modifications left on his body?

By the time He Yilan finished his tea, Bai Luming came out from the shower: "I’m done. Your turn."

Translucent water droplets left his hair shimmering. He Yilan glanced at the still-damp patches on Bai Luming’s neck, set his cup down on the table, and replied: "Mm."

Bai Luming watched He Yilan enter the bathroom. As he lazily lay down on the bed, drying his hair with a towel, he spotted a book on the table. Picking it up, he saw it was a poetry collection titled *Roses and Nightingales*, stamped with the fortress’s military emblem—clearly a library item.

Flipping through it casually, Bai Luming couldn’t help but feel a certain admiration for Mr. He. Despite such a drastic change in living environment, he always managed to retain that particular, refined habit in these minor details.

After skimming a few pages, Bai Luming began to feel drowsy.

The bathroom door opened from the inside. Just as He Yilan stepped out, he saw Bai Luming yawn widely, looking completely at ease.

His gaze swept over the book in the other’s hand, and he understood: "If you like this style of work, I can recommend many others."

"Thanks, but no need." Bai Luming declined without hesitation. "For me, this kind of book serves only one purpose: helping me fall asleep faster and improving sleep quality."

With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the book to He Yilan.

He Yilan caught it and placed it back on the table.

It returned to its original position, neatly aligned, just like the other items arranged in perfect order.

Despite being the same table, the half near Bai Luming was a chaotic mess, as if representing two entirely different worlds.

Bai Luming couldn’t hold back any longer: "Do you have OCD or something?"

He Yilan replied: "Not exactly. I just prefer maintaining a certain order within reasonable bounds."

Bai Luming nodded understandingly: "Respecting personal habits."

After arranging the book, He Yilan’s gaze settled on Bai Luming.

Both were now by the bedside, though compared to Bai Luming’s casual sprawl with legs crossed, He Yilan’s composed sitting posture was undoubtedly much more proper.

He Yilan’s back was straight, and even in the fortress’s common casual uniform, he carried an unmistakable air of elegance.

With his fingers interlaced before him, he looked at Bai Luming as if presiding over a tribunal.

"Then what about you? What are your personal habits?" Bai Luming heard He Yilan ask.

Their beds were on opposite sides of the room, separated only by a narrow aisle—a distance neither too close nor too easy to escape.

Bai Luming seemed to have anticipated this development. In a way, it was a confession session.

Resting his head on his arm, he sank deeply into the blankets behind him, meeting He Yilan’s gaze. With playful curiosity, he shot back: "What do you think my personal habits are?"

He Yilan held his gaze steadily: "Adapting to circumstances, getting by however I can, and—"

He drew out the pause before finishing slowly: "Conning and scamming."

Bai Luming objected to this assessment: "I swear, all my earnings are above board—I make honest money and never deceive anyone."

"Honest money? Never deceive anyone?" Amusement flickered in He Yilan’s eyes. "Are you sure?"

As those last three words brushed past his ears, Bai Luming smoothly revised his statement under He Yilan’s gaze: "Well, there might be the occasional white lie, but my conscience is clear."

After he spoke, he heard He Yilan let out a soft laugh, though it was unclear whether he was doubting the "white lies" or the "conscience is clear."

Bai Luming didn’t mind it either, lazily raising an eyebrow: "Besides, everyone has their own little secrets. Maintaining a certain mystery and respecting each other’s personal habits is a comfortable distance for everyone."

Here, his gaze toward He Yilan also took on a hint of teasing: "Of course, secrets can be shared—but such sharing is usually mutual. At the card table, if you want to see someone else’s hand, you have to show your own cards too. That’s only fair. Otherwise, it’s easy to have someone flip the table on you. Don’t you think so, Mr. Yi?"

As he uttered those last three words, Bai Luming’s tone laced with mockery carried a distinctly suggestive meaning.

The cadet dormitory wasn’t particularly spacious. The night breeze blew in through the window, passing through this sudden silence as if hanging frozen within the room.

It wasn’t until several seconds later that the air seemed to flow freely again.

"You're right." He Yilan nodded slowly, lying down and turning off the dorm light as he did so. "It's been a pleasure having such an open conversation with you. You've worked hard today. Good night,"

As the surroundings' lights went out completely, Bai Luming heard an indistinct, soft laugh in the pitch black: "Lu Ming."

A moment later, a faint smile also appeared at the corner of his mouth. "Good night."

*

Although the exercise assessment had ended, the atmosphere in the trainee barracks remained tense.

After the initial joy of victory faded, everyone quickly realized—the branch sign-ups were about to begin officially.

Three days later, all the trainees gradually gathered on the drill ground.

As soon as Bai Luming entered, he saw a long list displayed on the central screen—the final point rankings from the exercise assessment.

Aside from the command unit, which had special evaluation criteria, the final scores were undoubtedly one of the key references for today’s branch placements.

Most of the trainees on the list had gotten lucky during the melee, scoring two or three takedowns to earn their points, resulting in a long string of names. Looking further up, Bai Luming and He Yilan’s names were near the top, and above them, Chu Xiao’s twenty-six points stood out prominently.

Twenty-six points was undoubtedly a high combat score, yet Chu Xiao was still not the top-ranked in the combat system.

Above him was another name—Tang Ruyan, with fifty-two points.

While Chu Xiao had become the talk of the town, these days everyone had been talking in awe about this mythical Tang Ruyan.

Rumor had it that this leader of Squad 2 had led her team deep behind enemy lines alone, wiping out the enemy base in one move and securing the final victory. The forty points earned from capturing the base were enough to firmly place her name at the top of the rankings.

Bai Luming glanced at the name and felt a flicker of interest in Tang Ruyan. As he looked around, wondering if he could spot her, someone called out to him from a distance: "Lu Ming, Yi Lan, you’re here too!"

Bai Luming turned and saw a figure charging over toward him, stopping squarely in front of him. The gust of wind from the sudden halt sent his silver-grey hair fluttering.

Bai Luming looked Chu Xiao up and down. "You look well-rested these past few days. You seem pretty energetic."

Chu Xiao grinned brightly. "Of course! I slept for three whole days in the dorm!"

Then, he asked excitedly, "Which department are you planning to join? The Infantry Department too? With your performance, you’ll definitely get in. Does that mean we’ll be together again?"

Under Chu Xiao’s expectant gaze, Bai Luming opened his mouth to answer but paused, his eyes fixing on something behind Chu Xiao.

As Chu Xiao wondered why Bai Luming wasn’t answering, a voice sounded from behind him: "Excuse me, are you Chu Xiao?"

"Yeah, that’s me. What—" Chu Xiao turned instinctively, only to find the speaker standing unexpectedly close. He was caught off guard by a pair of bedroom eyes, and his breath hitched. "...can I do for you?"

The last two words came out choked and soft.

The person’s peach-blossom eyes seemed to hold a languid, spring-like warmth, but what stood out even more was the cascade of teal-blue hair flowing down. The strands fell casually over their shoulders, and though they wore the same uniform as everyone else, the collar button was loosened slightly, whether intentionally or not, revealing a sapphire pendant resting against their neck. Against their pale, cool-toned skin, it shone as dazzlingly and vividly as the person themself.

They were slightly taller than Chu Xiao and now leaned in slightly, studying him up close. Their affectionate gaze made Chu Xiao feel as though he were about to drown in it.

Being so close, Chu Xiao could also catch a subtle, sweet scent coming from them.

When he finally snapped out of his daze from the stunning sight, he felt a rush of heat shooting straight from his feet to his head.

Their soft, thin lips parted, and a voice as gentle as water brushed past his ear: "Still just a kid, huh."

Before they could continue observing, Chu Xiao jumped backward like he’d been zapped, putting a large distance between them in an instant: "M-miss, men and women should keep their distance. If you have something to say, just say it. D-don’t get so close."

"Miss? Is that what you’re calling me?"

The beauty laughed at this, slowly straightening up and tossing their teal-blue hair behind their shoulder. They glanced down at Chu Xiao’s completely flushed face and smiled and beckoned him. "Come here."

Chu Xiao’s mind had practically blanked from the overwhelming impact. Hearing this, he instinctively took two steps forward, only to feel the other person gently take hold of his wrist.

In the next second, guided by their strength, his hand was pressed directly against their chest.

Chu Xiao: "!!!?"

What is this?!

In those few short seconds, Chu Xiao felt like countless fireworks were exploding in his mind. After a series of dazzling images flashed through his head, he finally realized something and gradually regained a sliver of rationality.

Wait… this chest—it’s flat?!

After a long moment, Chu Xiao finally looked up dazedly: "You…"

Under his gaze, the beauty smiled at him, confirming his suspicion: "Mhm, male."

That smile carried a world of charm. The beauty seemed about to say more when another hand suddenly appeared in their field of vision, openly checking their chest.

Their smile faltered slightly: "...And you are?"

Bai Luming also looked surprised. After checking it out, he gave Chu Xiao a confirming look: "Definitely male."

Chu Xiao: "..."

After savoring the sensation, Bai Luming glanced at the person’s face again and turned to invite: "Want to feel for yourself?"

He Yilan: "..."

After eyeing Bai Luming’s reluctantly withdrawn hand, He Yilan maintained his polite demeanor through a full ten seconds of silence before speaking: "Thank you, but no."