Chapter 14: Pretty Flowers, Right?

Chapter 14: The Flowers Are Pretty, Right?

Internal Military Anonymous Forum.

A post that had been trending on the front page for a day and a half:

"[URGENT URGENT URGENT] We HAVE to Talk About That Thing!!!"

": In broad daylight, in front of everyone, doing that—can someone think about our feelings?

Huang Sanqi: Uh, the captain actually said, 'It'll be really happy to date a general.'

Huang Sanqi: For me, it is.

Huang Sanqi: ...Can you word it better? That's a Golden Retriever! A Golden Retriever!"

-

Military Affairs Bureau, Director's Office.

Li Wuya shut off his terminal, looked up, and asked, already knowing the answer.

"Why aren't you at work?"

Qin Shu was sprawled on the couch, his face covered by Li Wuya's military cap, not moving.

"I'm not going. There's definitely gonna be a bunch of people gossiping around me."

Li Wuya said, "You've been through a lot, sacrificing so much for me."

"The meal you bought me yesterday covers it."

"Only one meal?"

Qin Shu said, his voice muffled, "You have to play games with me every day for the next month."

"Okay."

Qin Shu was surprised: "Why did you agree so easily? Don't you have anything to do?"

"Things wrapped up yesterday, so I've got some free time for the next few days."

When work came up, Qin Shu suddenly remembered the gossip he and his team had talked about in the office yesterday.

He took the military cap off his face and gestured for Li Wuya to come over.

Li Wuya walked over, bent down obediently, and lowered his head.

The shadow fell across Qin Shu's face as they locked eyes up close.

Qin Shu's eyes sparkled: "What were you busy with the other day?"

"Curious about what I do?"

"Yeah."

Li Wuya was silent for a few seconds.

"Busy dealing with Duke Shangguan. There's a lot of stuff tangled up on his end, and it's really tedious."

"Mm."

"Also dealing with the White Tower. The management is too corrupt and needs a major overhaul."

"Mm, and what else?"

"..." Li Wuya said, "A Shu, what rumors have you been hearing?"

There were a lot of things he couldn't tell Qin Shu, and he wasn't sure what Qin Shu wanted to know.

Qin Shu sat up from the couch in one swift motion, hooking his arm around Li Wuya's back, his bright black eyes full of sympathy.

"It's okay, Wuya, I understand you."

"..."

Li Wuya instinctively knew he was about to say something outrageous.

"Just a blind date with a guy—nothing to be ashamed of. I've been through it too. Don't let it get to you!"

Li Wuya's expression didn't change: "I've actually run into a lot of these cases recently. A lot of nobles want to sell their sons for glory."

So far, three fainted from fear, five cried, seven ran away, and four were choked unconscious—those four tried to get close to Qin Shu through him.

"Wuya, if you run into any tough ones, make sure to call me for help. I've got experience dealing with this kind of thing!"

Li Wuya let out a cold laugh: "Experience with getting coffee thrown in your face."

Qin Shu: ...

"Then you can still call me over to keep you company!"

Call you over so I can watch you smile and chat with those guides?

Li Wuya nearly ground his teeth to dust, but with Qin Shu's earnest gaze, he could only respond coldly: "If the opportunity comes up."

"Mm!"

There won't be such a chance.

-

After lounging around at Li Wuya's place for half the morning, some bad news came:

Work came crashing down.

No matter how unwilling he was, he had to go.

Refusing Li Wuya's kind offer to call in sick for him, Qin Shu went back to the Star Union Agency, all resentful.

Sure enough, as soon as he walked through the door, he was met with a bunch of colleagues staring at him.

That look—three parts shock, three parts curiosity, three parts pity, one part wanting to say something but holding back—definitely meant they thought he was gay, right?

Qin Shu pretended to be aloof, walked into the office, and preemptively warned the team members who crowded around.

"There's nothing going on between me and Wuya, stop gossiping!"

Little Fang grinned: "Completely innocent, right? I get it."

"Don't worry, Captain, we're on your side!" Bob raised a hand.

Golden Retriever said solemnly: "You guys are too sycophantic!"

Qin Shu was very moved: "Little Yellow..." So he did have good team members after all?

Golden Retriever turned his head: "Captain, if I say that, will I get a raise?"

"..."

This bunch of little idiots!

Qin Shu was so angry he nearly fell over backwards.

"Seriously, what's the mission that you called me back for?" he asked.

Golden Hair: "It's just that the Director wants to see you, Captain. Covering for you while you skipped out was brutal!"

Suddenly the door opened.

The visitor was the Director of the Star Union Agency, a trusted subordinate of the old Marshal, who was usually not often in the agency.

"Little Qin, can I borrow you for a minute?"

Qin Shu was suspicious: "Can't we talk right here?"

"Hehe, it's nothing really..." The Director smiled and handed him a piece of paper.

Qin Shu looked down.

"Marriage Status Form for Active Military Personnel."

Qin Shu: ???

He nearly flung the paper away: "What the hell is this?"

"Don't worry, Little Qin. This is a standard military form. It's not about you specifically, but your situation is kinda unique, so I'm giving you a copy first."

Qin Shu was terrified: "I've never planned to get married!"

The Director smiled: "I get it, I get it. Young people and free love."

He stepped closer and lowered his voice: "Regarding this matter, the Marshal's mood is not very high, but speaking only for myself, I am very supportive. Society is open now; sentinels can register marriage with sentinels. No need to be nervous."

Qin Shu: "I don't—"

"Okay, okay, I'll stay out of you kids' love life." The Director was very kind, patted Qin Shu on the shoulder, and left with a laugh.

Qin Shu: ...

The door closed, and it was quiet.

The team members all stared at Qin Shu with expressions that said "their view of the world had just been shattered by homosexuality."

Golden Hair: "So it's gotten to this level?"

Little Fang: "We really underestimated the General!"

Qin Shu: ...

He opened his mouth, but realized any words were pointless.

At this moment, he finally understood the true power of that bouquet of flowers.

Bro, what a huge decoy I've been for you?

-

"KongtongUnavailable7432: So seriously, can you even believe it? They brought me back just for this."

"KongtongUnavailable7432: That's so unfair!"

"L51: That's too much."

"L51: So what'd you put on it?"

"KongtongUnavailable7432: Obviously, I left it blank."

"L51: Alright."

"L51: Still waiting for you to take me out. You're paying, don't forget."

"KongtongUnavailable7432: Didn't forget. 6:30, Central Plaza. You in or what?"

"L51: Deal."

-

Two hours later.

Finally, the clock hit quitting time, and Qin Shu made a dash for it!

He'd prepped for this dinner, from the restaurant reservation to the gift.

Qin Shu stopped in front of a shop near Central Plaza.

It was a tiny, cute flower shop, with flowers displayed at the entrance. Qin Shu ducked down and pushed the door open.

The shop owner was a sweet lady with a rosy complexion: "Sir, are you here to buy flowers?"

Qin Shu always got a little awkward around women: "Oh, hi. I placed an order yesterday. My ID is—"

The lady suddenly realized: "Kongtong?"

"...Yeah, that's right."

Why didn't I use my real name?

"I was just wondering when you'd show up since it's almost time." The lady smiled and brought out a bouquet from the back.

It was a gorgeous silver-gray with white, green, and light purple accents, tied with a bow at the bottom.

"The main flower is the anemone you picked. I arranged the rest. How's it look?"

"It's gorgeous—even better than the picture." Qin Shu took it gently, careful not to mess up the perfect bow. "It's perfect for my friend. Thanks!"

"Oh, it's for a friend. Can I ask, is your friend a sentinel?"

"Yeah."

You can tell that from the flowers?

The lady's eyes crinkled: "The flowers you picked are really classy—clean, simple silver. Your friend must be super composed and elegant."

Complimenting his buddy was like complimenting himself!

Qin Shu lit up: "Yeah, that's totally him. This bouquet fits him perfectly."

The aunt froze for a second, then her expression softened even more. "You're a very gentle person too."

She turned and looked around, then handed Qin Shu two small cloth pouches. "Auntie's rooting for you!"

...Success at what?

Still confused, he got gently nudged out of the flower shop. Qin Shu looked at the two small pouches.

One was silver, the other black. They smelled of flowers—seemed like sachets or something.

Alright, one for him and his buddy!

The black-haired sentinel stuffed the two small pouches into his coat pocket, holding the bouquet as he walked down the street.

He got a ton of looks.

Qin Shu was used to it by now. After all, he was a high-level sentinel, and unlike Li Wuya, he didn't have the talent to conceal his presence.

But fortunately, his face wasn't well-known among the general public. To non-military people, he was just a regular, ridiculously handsome male sentinel.

Wait, does ridiculously handsome count as regular?

Qin Shu rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a weird commotion broke out.

The busy central plaza, with the mall up ahead, was full of screams and people rushing out of the mall's entrance.

Qin Shu paused, catching a hint of mental disturbance.

He pulled out his terminal, shot off a few messages, and quickly ran against the crowd toward the scene.

The closer he got to the mall, the stronger the disturbance got—until he stepped through the entrance.

At a store counter, a male sentinel had a male guide in a chokehold.

The guide's face was deathly pale. No one dared to get close. The mall security guards had their weapons out, but they didn't dare make a move.

The mental energy spreading was wild as a storm—oppressive, crazy, even warping the air in spots.

A high-level sentinel who'd already lost control?

A walking human disaster.

Qin Shu's face darkened. He was about to step forward, but then he stopped dead.

He shoved the bouquet into the hands of a bewildered female sentinel nearby.

"Can you hold this for me?"

"Huh?"

Before she could even react, he was gone.

-

"Thud!" A dull impact. Qin Shu landed solidly behind the guards.

The scene was silent. The out-of-control sentinel's eyes were blood-red.

"Back off!" he roared, veins bulging in the hand that was strangling the guide.

Qin Shu raised his hands: "Alright, I won't come closer."

The guard seemed to recognize him and stepped back.

The out-of-control sentinel didn't buy it, dragging the guide back a step, the guide's face pale, as if he had no strength left to struggle.

"You want to catch me too... everyone does—" he muttered.

Qin Shu spread his mental energy expressionlessly.

"I'm not here to catch you. I'm just passing by." His voice wasn't loud, but it had a strangely convincing rhythm. "I understand you. Losing control sucks, doesn't it? Your senses have become a disease—don't you feel like ripping your own brain apart?"

The sentinel actually nodded slowly.

"I know you didn't mean it. You've been in pain for a long time. You're just looking for peace. Can that guide in your hands give you any peace?"

Qin Shu paused: "He can't. But I can."

Transparent mental energy surged to the out-of-control sentinel's ears, bringing a painful, icy clarity.

He stared at the only clear figure in this bizarre, distorted world—the man with beautifully shaped lips moving, speaking.

The handsome, sharp-featured man managed to produce such a cold, low voice:

"...So hang in there, and I'll give you a reward."

...

His dazed gaze fully focused.

Qin Shu stepped forward.

No one present could see what happened next.

In the blink of an eye, Qin Shu was beside the out-of-control sentinel. One hand gripped the sentinel's neck, while the other twisted and pried, splitting the connection between the two right down the middle.

The guide stumbled out of the danger zone, and the guard caught him.

The out-of-control sentinel finally seemed to react. Rage replaced the earlier confusion, and his mental energy exploded like a tidal wave.

This was exactly what Qin Shu had been waiting for!

His icy mental energy completely overwhelmed the sentinel.

The sentinel threw a punch, but Qin Shu caught his wrist and twisted it back. The other hand, holding a shard of glass, was also grabbed by Qin Shu.

With two simple moves, Qin Shu pinned the sentinel's arms behind his back, slammed him to the ground, and drove a knee into his back.

Less than five seconds. A good deed for the day.

Qin Shu let out a breath.

Silence fell all around them. The guard forgot to approach, the onlookers forgot to turn on their device cameras, and the rescued guide stared at Qin Shu, frozen.

Qin Shu casually gestured for the guard to come and cuff the man.

Taking a closer look, he realized the guard was a soldier he had once trained. The guard excitedly tried to say something, but Qin Shu waved him away.

The Star Union Agency and White Tower rescue team finally arrived, and the crowd slowly began to move again.

Qin Shu stood up and immediately found the sentinel girl, wanting to retrieve the flowers meant for Li Wuya.

But the girl stared at him with hesitation and fear.

What's wrong?

Thinking there was probably some dirt on his face, Qin Shu subconsciously rubbed his cheek—and suddenly felt the wetness on his hand.

He opened his palm to look.

His palm had been cut open in several places by the glass shards just now, blood already overflowing his entire right palm.

Wash his hands first, or take the flowers with his left hand first?

Qin Shu hesitated between the two choices for three seconds.

At the 3.5th second, as if sensing something, he turned his head and saw that the slowly flowing crowd had parted at some unknown moment.

Li Wuya stood there against the light.

At the fourth second, Qin Shu's eyes lit up. No longer caring about his wounds, he scooped up the flowers with one hand and rushed forward excitedly, stuffing them into Li Wuya's arms.

Bright red soaked through the silver ribbon, with specks of blood splattered on the white petals.

Above the flowers, Qin Shu's right hand was dripping blood.

"The flowers are pretty, right?" Qin Shu asked him, eyes sparkling.