Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Due to the great victory on the front lines, the soldiers successfully returned to the planet, sparking a long-lasting celebration across the star systems.

But no one knew that the Commander had not left his room for a week since returning to the planet.

Yan Zhuo hadn't slept this long in ages, but the dreams didn't relax him; his nerves stayed tense. Vaguely, a familiar figure flashed by, but he couldn't reach it no matter how hard he tried.

Was it a dream from beyond?

He thought about it and chased with all his might, but that phantom figure always lingered not far off, yet he could never grasp it, as if deliberately keeping this elusive distance.

For a moment, a hint of bitterness even welled up in his heart.

Isn't Ruan Yunchu usually like this? Always cold and distant, and even in dreams, he keeps up that habit.

Indescribably complex emotions surged within him. He didn't know how long he had chased, almost depleting the endurance he once prided himself on, but just as he was about to collapse from exhaustion, the figure ahead suddenly stopped.

The young man turned his head; his face, once somewhat childish, had become more refined, far more flamboyant and bright than before.

Meeting those eyes, Yan Zhuo's pupils constricted sharply, and he subconsciously stepped forward.

"Yunchu."

He could barely speak, his voice hoarse. He wanted to say, please don't go. I promise I won't use sweet talk on you anymore, I will respect everything about you, even if you really don't want to be with me, that's okay.

But even if he said these words, he didn't know if they meant anything, and he didn't know if the person in front of him wanted to hear them.

After hesitating for a long time, he came back to his senses and only saw the person in front of him staring at him with no expression at all.

"Do you... hate me?"

Yan Zhuo finally asked this question.

"These past days, I've been heartbroken every moment. I used to think I understood you, but now I realize that in your heart, everything I've done is no different from those who once hurt you."

"Is it because of this that you are unwilling to stay by my side? To the point of preferring death?"

How could he not know?

Even when he first infiltrated the Ruan family, he had noticed Ruan Yunchu's unusual emotional state, that heavy, oppressive atmosphere always lingering around him.

If he hadn't been aware of Ruan Yunchu's personality, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to have so many people watch over him.

But even so, he couldn't keep a close enough watch on him.

He couldn't help but laugh inwardly.

He had been too clever for his own good.

"No." A cool voice suddenly came.

Yan Zhuo raised his head to look at him, with disbelief in his eyes.

"I don't hate you."

Ruan Yunchu only said this flatly and then turned to leave.

Yan Zhuo still wanted to chase after him, but his body wouldn't obey. His feet felt heavy, and he stood rooted to the spot, and amidst the overwhelming despair that engulfed him, he suddenly lost consciousness.

"..."

At the same time, Ruan Yunchu, lying on the messy bed, suddenly opened his eyes. The blurry scenes from the dream gradually came back, causing him to frown, putting him in a bad mood.

These days, he must be losing his mind, always having such strange dreams.

He sat up and heard a commotion from the living room. Subconsciously, he threw off the covers and went out, only to see Xiao Nan coming out of the kitchen holding a pot, about to pour something onto a plate. The pot contained a strange black paste.

Ruan Yunchu: "...What are you doing?"

Xiao Nan's face instantly turned red. "I was just trying to fry some noodles."

Ruan Yunchu stared at him for two seconds, ran a hand through his hair, and motioned for him to follow into the kitchen.

Xiao Nan followed him in with the pot.

"This is the smart housekeeper; it can handle simple cooking." Ruan Yunchu taught him. "Press this, and just talk to it. Once you prepare the ingredients, it will tell you the specific time, and it'll be ready on time."

Xiao Nan seemed to have discovered a whole new world; his eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously.

"This is amazing!" As he said that, he became dejected again. "No wonder you said Star A doesn't need manual laborers. Do they all use these things over there?"

"Machines are machines. When conditions allow, people still prefer to eat food cooked by humans; that feeling is different—more personal." Ruan Yunchu turned to go wash up, and with a tap, he opened a promotional picture of a famous restaurant's kitchen on Star A for him to see.

Xiao Nan stared at the people in chef uniforms in the picture, his eyes wide.

When Ruan Yunchu finished washing and came out, he saw a little whirlwind dart in front of him and start bouncing excitedly.

"Brother Fu Yun, I want to be a chef too!"

Ruan Yunchu: "Don't you change your mind too often?"

Xiao Nan said with a serious expression: "I actually really like cooking. I feel like I've found the career I want to dedicate myself to in this life."

Ruan Yunchu hesitated, but then decided not to say much. "Think it over again."

"Oh."

Xiao Nan nodded wistfully, turned around, and went to wrestle with the smart housekeeper.

Before leaving for class, Ruan Yunchu grabbed a sandwich from the smart housekeeper, told Xiao Nan to stay home and study, and then left the house.

At school, after finishing his elective course, he reported to the project team. After the meeting, he found out about a field survey location.

"Star C, Sector B?"

A senior student nearby leaned in and said with a smile, "Yeah, Star C is also a highly developed planet. The teacher said there's plenty of time; the rest is basically a trip."

Ruan Yunchu asked, "Can I not go?"

The senior student hesitated, glanced at the teacher who was texting, then leaned in again. "I'm afraid not. Teacher said everyone has to go. Someone just tried to ask for leave and got scolded."

Ruan Yunchu frowned slightly, not knowing what to say, and had to nod.

"Thank you."

The senior student stared at his pale earlobe, hesitated for a long time, and then asked in a low voice, "Junior, are you free on Sunday? I bought two tickets to the starship exhibition from Star A. I heard they are all the latest models. Let's go see it and broaden our horizons?"

Without a second thought, Ruan Yunchu said, "No need, I'm not really interested."

The senior raised an eyebrow, almost thinking he was talking nonsense. "How could you not be interested? Others can't even get tickets, and you've never seen it before."

Tangsen had been observing this junior for a long time. He usually didn't interact much with others, always appearing indifferent. Perhaps this current rejection was just an act of pretending to be above it all?

In any case, he had checked—this junior had no background, just an ordinary civilian.

"..." Ruan Yunchu gradually lost patience. He looked up at him, his lips pressed tightly, devoid of any emotion.

But his calm demeanor, when seen through Tangsen's eyes, felt like a stunning blow, making him hold his breath for a moment before he couldn't help but cough twice.

"That... I didn't mean it that way. I just thought it'd be good to take a look. Didn't the teacher say we should broaden our horizons?"

Ruan Yunchu stared at him for two seconds, then slowly averted his gaze.

"Not going."

This time, his refusal wasn't even tactful, showing clear rejection.

Even for someone as thick-skinned as Tangsen, he couldn't bring himself to persist.

"Alright... alright."

Before they set off, the professor indeed brought up the trip and collected their information for booking tickets.

Ruan Yunchu thought for a moment and decided not to stand out.

He knew this opportunity was rare.

But since he had to go to C Star, he needed to wrap up his own affairs first.

Back home, Xiao Nan was listening to an online course. Having wandered outside for too long, he had forgotten most of what he'd learned and needed to take an exam before re-enrolling.

Hearing the sound, he looked up happily toward the door. Seeing Ruan Yunchu, he began sharing his progress for the day.

"Mm." Ruan Yunchu gave a quick check and switched the screen away. "I'll be away next week. Look after the house, and tell me if anything unusual happens."

Xiao Nan hesitated slightly. "What counts as unusual? Like someone breaking in?"

Ruan Yunchu: "Increased patrols of the Alliance guards nearby, someone following you, or hanging around the house—those are unusual."

"Oh..." Xiao Nan's expression grew complicated. "Brother Fu Yun, why do you seem like a secret agent?"

Ruan Yunchu just glanced at him without any expression.

"Remember what I said."

"Got it."

Over the next few days, Ruan Yunchu fortified the house inside and out, upgrading the already precise smart security system to the highest level. Only after thorough preparation did he finally set off with peace of mind.

Tangsen waited a long time before boarding the starship. He had tucked away the most beautiful flower plucked from the garden that morning, planning to give it to the junior when he arrived.

But as time ticked by and departure approached, the figure still hadn't appeared.

"What's going on?" The professor was getting annoyed.

Tangsen cleared his throat. "Maybe he got delayed. Xiao Yun is usually punctual."

Just as the professor was about to call, unhurried footsteps sounded from behind.

"Professor."

A young man in a cashmere coat, wearing a hat and mask, came into view.

Ruan Yunchu only exposed a pair of beautiful, elongated eyes, revealing little emotion. "Sorry, I'm late."

The professor finally relaxed. "Get on the ship first."

"Yes."

Ruan Yunchu brought up the rear, catching a glimpse of the senior slowing down to walk beside him.

"Why the mask?" Tangsen looked at him but only saw the indifferent, elongated eyes beneath the lashes.

"Allergies," Ruan Yunchu said curtly.

Tangsen wanted to ask more, but they had already boarded the starship. Their seats weren't together—Ruan Yunchu was by the window in the middle row, while Tangsen was on the other side, so there was no chance to talk.

The starship slowly lifted off. Ruan Yunchu leaned back in his seat, confirmed everything was fine, and let out a slow breath.

Although C Star was relatively close to A Star, it was still a considerable distance away—he didn't need to worry so much.

The flight was boring. He had been busy the night before with other things and hadn't rested much, so soon he fell into a deep sleep.

Unlike his recent good dreams, as his consciousness faded, he sank into a familiar dream.

There, he saw Yan Zhuo again. But this time, Yan Zhuo didn't question him like before; he just stood still and watched.

After more than a year on the front lines, Yan Zhuo had become colder and more ruthless, like a drawn blade radiating cold sharpness and killing intent.

This made Ruan Yunchu feel a sense of unfamiliarity, but also a complex, unspoken emotion.

He stared at the man for a while, wondering whether to approach, when suddenly the man before him smiled.

Before he could react, the man, who had stood motionless like a statue, finally moved. He walked toward Ruan Yunchu, pulled him into a tight embrace, and deeply inhaled the scent at his nape.

A broad palm pressed against his lower back. The familiar, scorching warmth of that body almost made Ruan Yunchu's limbs go weak, sending chills down his spine.

He immediately frowned and tried to push him away, but his wrist was seized.

The hot, rough fingers rubbed heavily against the smooth, cool skin, gripping tightly as if unwilling to let go for even a moment.

At the same time, his lips were captured, fiercely kissed—deep and heavy.

Ruan Yunchu's pupils dilated. But before he could struggle again, the man suddenly released him, holding his face in trembling hands. His bloodshot eyes were filled with intense, wild emotion, as if he wanted to devour him alive.

"Baby, don't leave me."

A chilling wave shot down Ruan Yunchu's back. Before he could slap the hands away, he shuddered violently.

He jerked awake, breathing rapidly. Still shaken, he looked out the window and heard the announcement that they were about to land on C Star.