Chapter 32: Let Me Help You Come

Chapter 32: I'll Help You * It Out

Shu Hanqing noticed Yan Shenyun's gaze falling on his bare feet.

Because he was standing on the cold floor, Shu Hanqing's toes curled slightly from the chill. He was just about to reach for the half-dried undergarment nearby.

Yan Shenyun raised his eyes and broke the silence: "Why aren't you wearing shoes?"

Shu Hanqing froze mid-movement.

He couldn't very well say outright that he didn't dare touch anything in this place—that would make him look like a coward. He answered vaguely: "...I just don't usually wear shoes inside."

Yan Shenyun said nothing more. He grabbed a pair of clean slippers, then opened the wardrobe nearby and pulled out one of his own clean shirts, handing it to Shu Hanqing.

After doing all this, he reached up and tugged at his collar, undoing the top button to reveal a sliver of collarbone. Then he sank wearily into the wide recliner by the window, took off his glasses and set them aside, folded his hands over his stomach, and assumed a textbook, rigid sleeping posture. Closing his eyes, he said: "I'll rest for a bit. Make yourself at home."

The room fell quiet.

If not for the fact that Yan Shenyun's chest was still rising and falling in a steady rhythm, Shu Hanqing might have gotten the impression that the man had simply drifted off into eternal slumber right then and there.

Was he really just going to leave him alone like this?

Shu Hanqing reached out and touched the old garment that was still slightly damp and not fully dry. After a moment's hesitation, he picked up the shirt Yan Shenyun had given him and pulled it on.

Yan Shenyun's shirt hung loose on him—both the waistline and shoulders were noticeably larger by a full size, swaying slackly around his frame. Shu Hanqing slipped his feet into the slippers, and his toes, which had been cold all this while, finally began to warm up.

Shu Hanqing made every movement as quiet as he could, afraid of making any unnecessary noise.

Yan Shenyun kept his eyes closed and didn't say what he should do next. Shu Hanqing stood in place for a while, then tiptoed over to the window.

A thick layer of fog had formed on the glass, blurring the world outside. He raised his hand and wiped away the moisture, revealing a small clear patch.

Looking out, the scene beyond was shockingly desolate. At the edge of the sky, faint sunlight was breaking through the clouds, casting a pale light down. The residual snow covering the ground had mostly melted, exposing large patches of bare, muddy earth. For miles around, this place seemed like a lifeless place forgotten by time—except for the laboratory they were in, which stood as the only functioning oasis of life.

Shu Hanqing turned around, bent down to look at Yan Shenyun reclining in the chair.

Were all psychic-type superpower users this careless?

Without the glasses hiding his face, Shu Hanqing could now clearly see the man's complexion—a sickly pallor from lack of sleep, dark circles under his eyes, and a deep furrow of exhaustion etched between his brows. Yet even so, his striking bone structure remained handsome with an air of refined elegance.

Shu Hanqing recalled that when Yan Shenyun's eyes were open, his irises were very light—giving him a somewhat mixed-race look.

Shu Hanqing put on his shoes, quietly shut the door behind him, and headed toward the cafeteria.

The moment Shu Hanqing left the room, Yan Shenyun opened his eyes. He thought to himself—how could anyone have such curiosity, like a cat, wanting to touch everything?

The afternoon training session got off to an extremely rough start.

When Shu Hanqing came down from the machine again, his bangs were soaked through with sweat. Yi Ran, noticing this, poured a cup of hot water and handed it over, comforting him quietly: "In this entire lab, aside from Professor Yan, there's not a second person who can walk off that thing without flinching. The intensity you pushed through today is already a lot. Don't be too hard on yourself."

Shu Hanqing took the cup, curled the corner of his mouth, and produced a barely-there self-deprecating smile, though a hint of frustration flickered in his eyes: "But I'm just so weak."

Yi Ran said: "Don't say that. You're not a psychic-type superpower user. Rumor has it that Professor Yan's mental power can cover the entire testing zone."

Shu Hanqing murmured: "That's way too insane. Doesn't that mean he could spy on anyone he wanted?"

Yi Ran laughed: "The professor certainly wouldn't use his mental power for something like that."

Shu Hanqing thought to himself—why wouldn't he? He's human, not a machine.

When it was over, Shu Hanqing walked out of the core laboratory, pulled his coat tighter around himself, and stood outside Yan Shenyun's office. The corridor was cold and drafty. He stood in the shadows, waiting until Yan Shenyun's colleague came out holding documents, then quickly stepped forward, knocked on the door, and walked in.

Behind the desk, Yan Shenyun was holding a thick experimental report. Hearing the sound, he lifted his gaze from the pages, confusion in his deep eyes: "Why haven't you left yet?"

Shu Hanqing pointed awkwardly at the coat he was wearing that was clearly a size too big: "This shirt... I'll wash it and return it to you tomorrow. Thanks for today."

Yan Shenyun was silent for a long moment before saying a single flat "Okay."

Shu Hanqing turned and pushed the door open to leave.

And not long after, Yan Shenyun also put on his overcoat and walked out of the office, following Shu Hanqing at a distance.

Just then, someone in the corridor called out to him, asking him to go to the No. 2 experimental base to verify the fresh core data. Yan Shenyun told them to wait. By now, the sky outside had gone completely dark, and fine snowflakes had begun to drift down again. Seeing this, the assistant behind him quickly opened a black umbrella and hurried forward to hold it over Yan Shenyun's head. Yan Shenyun stepped out, his expression cold.

When his gaze swept toward the gate in the distance, his footsteps stopped short.

In the swirling snow, Shu Hanqing—who had just left his office not long ago—was walking quickly across the snowfield.

He moved with the energy of a young boy, darting forward a few steps to circle around behind a tall, well-built man. Suddenly reaching out both hands, he playfully covered the man's eyes. This seemed to be some kind of unspoken little game between them. From a distance, Yan Shenyun couldn't make out his lip movements, but he could see Shu Hanqing tilting his head up slightly, a radiant, infectious smile spreading across his face.

The man whose eyes were covered didn't move. After a moment, he let out a helpless low chuckle. He turned around and pulled Shu Hanqing—still wearing that oversized coat—into a tight hug, rubbing Shu Hanqing's wind-tousled hair with endless tenderness.

The wind and snow raged around them. Shu Hanqing obediently wrapped his arms around the man's waist, tilted his chin up slightly, and gave a soft kiss on the man's lips.

In the eyes of others, they really did look sweet together.

At least, Yan Shenyun could allow himself to think so.

It wasn't until the assistant beside him, somewhat puzzled, quietly reminded him of something that Yan Shenyun was jolted back to reality and withdrew his gaze. His handsome profile looked tense beneath the shadow of the umbrella. Without a word, his face darkened as he turned and strode away. The assistant, utterly confused, could only quicken his pace, half-jogging to keep up with the man's suddenly quickened pace.

It was Mu Ye.

Yan Shenyun thought in the bitter wind—he was useless.

Last time he'd seen Shu Hanqing with someone else, it hadn't been this man, but rather that young man named Rong Hua.

Was this intangible thing called love really that important? Yan Shenyun had asked himself this question countless times. But in Shu Hanqing's world, those passionate but fleeting relationships seemed to be his whole life.

Perhaps Shu Hanqing himself didn't know—whenever he looked at someone with that unguarded gaze, what kind of hope filled those bright, clear eyes, capable of shattering anyone's resolve.

After Shu Hanqing got into the car, the car was warm and cozy. A few unmelted snowflakes still clung to his bangs. Mu Ye leaned over, his thumb brushing across the ends of Shu Hanqing's hair as he remarked that his hair was getting a bit long.

Shu Hanqing really hadn't gotten his hair cut in a long time. In the past, he'd found it troublesome and would just grab any clippers and buzz it off, which made him look more severe. Now that he'd settled down at the base, his hair had grown out a bit longer, falling softly around his ears—which, ironically, gave him an unusually gentle appearance.

Back at their residence, Shu Hanqing took off his coat and flopped onto the bed, mumbling that he was exhausted. Mu Ye walked over, about to massage his shoulders, when his gaze landed and he noticed that the clothes Shu Hanqing was wearing weren't the ones he'd worn to the lab that day.

Mu Ye leaned down and brushed his cheek against Shu Hanqing's. The ticklish sensation made Shu Hanqing instinctively dodge, ducking his head and repeatedly saying it tickled.

Mu Ye asked him where his other clothes were.

Shu Hanqing explained that his clothes had gotten wet at the lab and hadn't dried, so they were hanging in the lab. The one he was wearing now was temporarily borrowed from Yan Shenyun, and he'd need to wash it and return it clean.

Mu Ye's expression darkened for a few seconds in the dim light. His grip on Shu Hanqing tightened slightly, but in the end, he said nothing. In his usual tone, he told Shu Hanqing to change into something else, then went to get the tools, planning to help him cut his hair.

Shu Hanqing sat in the chair, a game console resting on his knees as he pressed the buttons. Midway through, he instinctively looked up and happened to catch Mu Ye holding a pair of scissors, twirling them in his fingers, apparently practicing cutting motions in the air. The clumsy display was enough to make anyone nervous.

Shu Hanqing spoke hesitantly: "...Maybe I should just use the clippers myself?"

Mu Ye chuckled softly: "It probably won't turn out too ugly. If I mess it up, I'll make it up to you. Hanqing, let me try first—I want to cut it for you."

Shu Hanqing looked up to meet Mu Ye's eyes, which were full of expectation, and let out a resigned sigh. "Alright."

Unexpectedly, the final result was actually quite decent. The slightly longer strands were trimmed away, revealing a clean, elegant neckline and fresh, sharp features.

Shu Hanqing blew a breath at the mirror and ran his hand through the newly shortened bangs on his forehead.

Mu Ye, while tidying up the hair clippings on the floor, casually mentioned that tomorrow he'd be going on a mission assigned by the higher-ups. He'd be away for at least a week before returning, so Shu Hanqing would need to drive himself to the lab, take good care of himself, and eat properly.

Ever since they'd formally been integrated into the regular squad of the Central Security Zone, the original Shengsu Squad had been completely disbanded. Everyone had been reassigned to the most suitable positions based on their Superpower levels and attributes. Yun Ying, after comprehensive consideration, had been placed in a relatively safe logistics role—at least she wouldn't have to run around risking her life with them like before.

This arrangement clearly demonstrated the high-level leadership's extreme emphasis on and efforts to win over top-tier combatants like Mu Ye.

The Central Base's absolute control over the other security zones stemmed largely from its near-monopoly on the most elite superpowered individuals. In this era where power was everything, that was the iron rule.

Mu Ye's immediate superior was named Luo Xingxiong.

At the mention of that name, memories from his past life surfaced in Shu Hanqing's mind. In his previous life, he'd indeed crossed paths with this man on numerous occasions. Luo Xingxiong held a rank in the base equal to Lei Zheng's, but the two men's methods and personalities were worlds apart. He was a solid, steady, tough-as-nails middle-aged man.

Shu Hanqing reached up and cupped Mu Ye's face in both hands, saying he understood, urging him to be careful during the week he'd be away. Finally, he added softly, telling him to think of him whenever he had a free moment.

Mu Ye couldn't help but laugh at that, a tender smile warming his eyes as he softly replied, "Okay." Then, still a bit concerned, he looked Shu Hanqing over and said gently, "If anyone gives you a hard time at the lab, if anything bothers you, you gotta tell me when I get back, okay?"

Shu Hanqing nodded. "It's fine, actually. Yan Shenyun may seem cold on the surface, but he's actually quite considerate."

Mu Ye said in a low voice, "Hanqing, people like him are very stubborn. If you ever stand in opposition to him, he won't respect you."

Shu Hanqing found it unusual—Mu Ye, being the easygoing guy he was, rarely had a bad word for anyone, except Rong Hua and Lei Zheng.

After the brutally intense mental overload training that day, he should've been dead tired and out cold the second his head hit the pillow. But after dozing in bed for a bit earlier, he wasn't sleepy at all—if anything, his mind felt wired.

Shu Hanqing nodded and asked Mu Ye if they were going to do it tonight.

Mu Ye shook his head. "You're tired today. Let's just get some sleep."

Maybe because he'd dozed off in the car, Shu Hanqing wasn't the least bit sleepy now. As a reward for Mu Ye cutting his hair, he leaned in close to his ear and murmured softly, "Then how about I help you * out?"

Not many men could resist that kind of temptation.

Shu Hanqing figured he was pretty good at it.