Chapter 53: (Quick Look) Tell Him to Leave Now

Chapter 53 (Quick, Look) Tell Him to Leave

Rong Hua lay on the hospital bed, his eyes squeezed shut.

This was already his seventh day in a coma.

It wasn't until the day before that he finally showed signs that he was about to wake up.

Thankfully, he hadn't been infected with the zombie virus—his body was just having a rejection reaction.

As the icy blue serum was forcibly injected, Rong Hua's chest suddenly began to heave violently. Then his eyes, which had stayed shut for days, snapped open, and a guttural roar ripped from his throat.

Luckily, they'd prepared thoroughly before the injection. Rong Hua's forearms were strapped to the bed frame, and he thumped against the restraints as he struggled.

Standing outside the isolation room's glass, Shu Hanqing watched Rong Hua's agony and frowned.

He turned to Lei Zheng and said, "Can I go in and see him? He's not a threat anymore."

Lei Zheng paused, then gestured for his subordinate to open the door and let Shu Hanqing in.

Shu Hanqing walked over to the bed and reached out, pressing his palm against Rong Hua's cheek. He leaned down and wiped the sweat from his brow: "It won't hurt much longer, Rong Hua. You've got to be strong..."

Rong Hua heard the familiar voice, his eyes wide, staring blankly at Shu Hanqing.

Shu Hanqing thought Rong Hua looked like a big dog with a fatal wound, its whole coat gone dull and gray. His wet lashes trembled hard, and after a long moment, he forced a faint murmur through his cracked lips: "Hanqing..."

Hearing him call him that again, Shu Hanqing's eyes suddenly stung. He cupped that face—once so arrogant and wild, now so fragile—and kept answering, "I'm here. I'm right here."

"It hurts so much... so much..." Broken whimpers escaped Rong Hua's throat as he instinctively reached for the person closest to him. "Hug me."

Shu Hanqing leaned down and gathered him into his arms. He buried his face in Rong Hua's hair, which smelled like medicine, and stroked his back over and over, murmuring softly, "Rong Hua, go to sleep. Be good, close your eyes, and it'll all be better once you sleep."

Meanwhile, Yan Shenyun arrived at the isolation room from the other direction and saw Lei Zheng not far away, his face dark as a storm cloud, staring through the one-way mirror at the two figures embracing inside the ward.

Even half-unconscious, Rong Hua was still causing trouble.

He never should have let Shu Hanqing go in, no matter what.

Lei Zheng stayed silent, his fierce, death-hardened aura pressing down on the air until it felt thick.

Yan Shenyun's expression remained calm as he walked past him.

Just as they brushed past each other, Lei Zheng looked at him: "You're jealous too, aren't you?"

Yan Shenyun glanced at the two inside, clinging to each other like no one could ever come between them: "I won't make things hard for him."

Lei Zheng turned away: "Weirdo."

Yan Shenyun ignored Lei Zheng's jab and casually slipped both hands into his pockets.

At the same time, out in the wilderness a hundred miles away.

A black SUV was bouncing over ruined terrain, its engine roaring.

In the passenger seat, Mu Ye looked exhausted, unable to hide it. Dusty and tired, with his hair a little too long over his forehead, he had a melancholic, handsome look about him.

As the vehicle swayed, he slowly opened his eyes—like a hunter waking from a false sleep, his dark eyes unfathomably deep.

Sang Mai, who was driving, glanced at him and asked in a low voice, "Captain, should we head back to Central Base first?"

Mu Ye: "Yeah. Lei Zheng gave me such a big gift—I plan to return it to him in full, not a single piece missing."

The distant sunset's glow trailed behind the vehicle.

After waking that day, Rong Hua slept for another two more days.

When he opened his eyes again, he just looked dazed, like someone waking from a long illness. Shu Hanqing saw he was awake, and the tension in his body finally eased. He murmured, "Thank God. Thank God."

Rong Hua's lips parted slightly, his eyes landing on him. Shu Hanqing leaned in: "Rong Hua, don't think about anything right now. Just rest and get better soon."

Rong Hua was utterly exhausted. He obediently tilted his head and nuzzled against Shu Hanqing's warm palm.

Shu Hanqing tucked the blanket in around him, then quietly slipped out and closed the door behind him.

Cold wind whistled through the corridor. He walked back down the empty hallway, and after only a few steps, that familiar electronic voice suddenly popped up in his head.

—Hey, host. The Plot Guide is back online.

Shu Hanqing stopped in his tracks.

The voice in his head went on: "...I ran out of energy and needed to recharge, so I had to go offline for a while."

Shu Hanqing: "You actually need to recharge?"

It felt absurd—if this thing needed recharging, who the hell was behind it, feeding it fuel?

Plot Guide: "Yeah. Though looks like you've been having a pretty good time while I was gone."

"I told you, I don't believe your crap anymore," Shu Hanqing cut it off. "Unless you tell me right now what you really are."

Everything around him was silent, with only the voice in his mind.

"...The Plot Guide exists to make sure all the plotlines go along their original, normal path."

"Path? Whose path? If there's a path, that means someone's controlling you from behind. Who?"

"...Everything I do... is for you, host..."

The voice in his head suddenly got all staticky, like a signal cutting out—broken and fragmented. The last few key words got cut off, like someone yanked the power cord.

It went offline again.

Shu Hanqing stood there for a moment, his face going pale. He didn't waste any time. He turned and went straight to Lei Zheng, telling him everything that had just happened—every word the Plot Guide had said.

Lei Zheng: "Shit... What the hell is it, really..."

"It said it needs to recharge," Shu Hanqing said, his eyes serious. "Lei Zheng, who could possibly be feeding it energy?"

Lei Zheng stood up: "Let's wait and see. We'll deal with whatever comes—I want to know what the hell they're really after with all this scheming."

Shu Hanqing nodded. He suddenly remembered he'd asked Yan Shenyun to try to reach Mu Ye, but the word was he still hadn't come back to Central Base.

He looked up at the man in front of him: "Do you know where Mu Ye and the others actually went for their mission?"

Hearing that name, Lei Zheng looked at him: "He's not gonna die. Maybe once we're back at base, you'll see him."

Shu Hanqing wanted to push more, but Lei Zheng clearly didn't want to hear about anyone else right now: "You worry about this one, worry about that one—can't you worry about me for a change?"

"When we get back, if Mu Ye still hasn't shown up, I'll personally send an elite team to find him. Okay? Worrying won't help."

Lei Zheng's indulgence and compromise made Shu Hanqing give in with a slight nod.

But Lei Zheng's self-restraint usually lasted only a short while—his hand had already slipped under Shu Hanqing's clothes, his fingertips brushing against the bare skin of his waist.

Shu Hanqing tried to push him away, but the next second, Lei Zheng pinned both his wrists together and locked him in his embrace.

Shu Hanqing: "...Can you just talk to me like a normal person?"

Lei Zheng said nothing, only gazing at him with a covetous, entranced look. The desire churning in his eyes was almost alarming in its intensity. He grabbed Shu Hanqing's chin and captured his mouth in a fierce, unrestrained kiss.

Sultry sounds filled the air. Shu Hanqing thought to himself that maybe he should just throw down with Lei Zheng today—he didn't want to leave this man any shred of dignity.

But Lei Zheng suddenly stopped. He hovered over Shu Hanqing: "...Did I realize it too late? Is there no room for me in your heart anymore?"

Lei Zheng's eyes were getting red-rimmed. He said in a pained voice, "Baby, I really regret it. The first time I saw you, I should have taken you away no matter what... I was in love with you from the very first moment I saw you."

＊

He wanted to devour Shu Hanqing whole.

Shu Hanqing's conflicted feelings gave way to resignation: "...Last time."

Lei Zheng figured, one time or two, who cares—take what you can get.

The heavy blackout curtains in the room were drawn tight, completely shutting out the end-of-days daylight outside.

The temperature kept climbing.

Lei Zheng insisted on leaving the lights on.

＊

Shu Hanqing's eyes were already filled with unshed tears, his unfocused gaze wet and dazed. A few strands of jet-black hair stuck to his sweat-damp forehead. This face, usually so cold and aloof, was at this very moment...

＊

"......"

Shu Hanqing arched his long neck high, gasping for air, his swollen lips releasing puffs of hot white breath. The heat showed no sign of cooling—if anything, it was building.

Lei Zheng savored the sight of him so lost in pleasure.

"You said this was the last time, Lei Zheng..."

＊

"Stop biting..."

Pushed past his limits, Shu Hanqing's mind went completely blank, even his fingertips spasming out of control.

Lei Zheng gasped for breath, pulling the still-unconscious body into his arms, holding him close, sweaty and tender.

He loved shattering this man's cold, aloof shell with his own hands, loved watching him fall apart, helpless and wanton, all because of him.

"I'm done... I want to sleep."

Shu Hanqing's voice was sleepy and languid.

He turned onto his side on his own.

＊

A knock came at the door.

Lei Zheng's brows furrowed. Before he could even let out a curse, Rong Hua's voice came from outside, calling through the door: "Brother."

That little shit Rong Hua—why was he suddenly out of bed?

＊

His other hand pressed against Lei Zheng's chest, he urged: "Quick, tell him to leave!"

＊

Lei Zheng also wanted to curse. He didn't know why no one was keeping an eye on the guy. And with Rong Hua's temper, who the hell could handle him anyway?

"Aren't you supposed to be lying in bed? Why are you coming to find me at this hour?"

Rong Hua outside the door was clearly oblivious. Not only did he not leave, he kept knocking, stubborn as a mule.

"Brother, I can't lie down. What are you doing in there? You clearly don't have anything going on today," Rong Hua insisted. "Let me in. I have something really important to tell you—I won't be able to sleep unless I tell you."

From the sound of it, he was fully prepared to camp out at the door and refuse to move unless it opened.

Shu Hanqing couldn't take it anymore. His fingers clawed at Lei Zheng's shoulders as he desperately tried to prop himself up and crawl toward the headboard.

Lei Zheng wouldn't allow it. He yanked the man back against his chest: "Where do you think you're going?"

Shu Hanqing's spine was zinging with electricity. He wanted to curse—what the hell was going on?

The bed creaked as Lei Zheng's body, hot as a brand, pressed against him: "Get the hell out! I don't have time to solve your problems right now!"

But that brat Rong Hua outside the door didn't catch the warning in Lei Zheng's voice at all.

His mind was still foggy. Hearing the irritable rejection from inside, he simply plopped down on the floor and said through the door: "I don't care! Brother, I'm saying it today! I'll feel awful if I don't."

One door apart.

Outside, Rong Hua's relentless chatter; inside, Lei Zheng's relentless rhythm.

The contrast was too much. Shu Hanqing had no way to escape, utterly helpless, so he could only deceive himself by squeezing his eyes shut and burying his face in the pillow, trying not to think about the shame flooding through him.

"He... he's just recovered from a serious illness... his body isn't well yet... don't... don't rile him up at a time like this..."

Lei Zheng was equally tormented by how utterly defenseless and tempting Shu Hanqing looked, wishing that meddlesome brat outside would vanish into thin air on the spot.

His movements grew fiercer as he snarled toward the door: "Spit it out if you have something to say! Then get the hell back to bed!"

Outside the door, Rong Hua rested his chin on his hand and let out a deep sigh.

Having gone through the life-and-death trial of the zombie virus, Rong Hua's originally somewhat youthful face had lost some of its boyish softness and gained a more steady, mature look. Yet on his pale, just-recovered face, two strange patches of red had appeared, making him look like a young man in the awkward throes of a crush.

"Brother, you told me before that Shu Hanqing dumped me for another man, that he was playing with my feelings the whole time. I was heartbroken back then, and I swore I'd never forgive him." Rong Hua muttered to himself against the door panel. "Even though my head's still fuzzy now and I can't remember much... I just can't shake the feeling that he wasn't that cruel to me. Brother, do you think I should go after that guy and win him back?"

Lei Zheng was speechless.

And Shu Hanqing, who had been lying there with his eyes squeezed shut, froze the moment he heard his own name.

Shock made him dig his fingers into Lei Zheng's forearm as he demanded through gritted teeth: "Lei Zheng... what the hell have you been telling him about me behind my back?"

Lei Zheng flinched as Shu Hanqing's nails dug into his flesh, nearly losing it on the spot. Knowing he was in the wrong, he quickly lowered his head and pressed a few hasty, placating kisses to the sweat-dampened side of Shu Hanqing's face by way of explanation.

"Back then he was carrying on like a madman, acting like he'd die if he didn't get what he wanted. I just wanted him to give up for good, didn't I? I thought he'd figured things out and moved on on his own, so I just happened to gripe a little in his ear. Who could've guessed this idiot would lose his memory but had to go and memorize every damn word I said?"

Outside the door, Rong Hua paid no mind to whether anyone inside responded—didn't even wait for a sound—and kept spilling his guts to the door on his own.

"When I first saw him, I was furious too. I was gonna slowly torture those two backstabbing bastards."

"Ah, but the second I saw him, I lost my damn mind. What's so great about that Mu Ye anyway? Shu Hanqing's eyes still show he's got feelings for me—I have to win him back no matter what!"

Hearing this, Shu Hanqing's expression turned incredibly complicated.

Lei Zheng simply roared at the door: "Get lost! Can you even beat Mu Ye? The hell you gonna win him back! Get your ass back in bed!"

Hearing this, Rong Hua sprang to his feet, brushed the dirt off his pants, and declared without a shred of shame: "How could I not beat him? Shu Hanqing clearly still has feelings for me! Besides, I nearly gave my life to save him this time—he owes me his damn body!"

After dropping that big talk, Rong Hua finally walked away.

Hearing that the commotion had truly died down, Lei Zheng let out a long sigh of relief and sidled back over, planting wet, clingy kisses on Shu Hanqing's neck. "Baby, the nuisance is gone... let's continue."

Shu Hanqing sat up expressionlessly, propping himself up on the sheets with both hands, and slapped Lei Zheng's hand away.

Under Lei Zheng's dazed gaze, Shu Hanqing grabbed the rumpled pants from the foot of the bed, pulled them on, buttoned up his shirt, which was wrinkled like a damn rag, and looked down at the man still bare-chested and unsatisfied on the bed, saying mercilessly:

"Go jerk yourself off, you lying piece of shit."

Lei Zheng could've strangled Rong Hua right then and there.