Chapter 43
At his words, Lu Wanqing froze.
He glanced at him, pulled the privacy curtain around the infirmary bed, and then turned away, his purpose unclear.
A smile played on Shu Ciâs lips as he teased him relentlessly. âShy? What kind of Alpha are you?â
After saying it, he stuck his tongue out playfully.
When a person gets bold, they truly know no bounds. He was banking on the fact that Lu Wanqing let him get away with everything, daring to flirt with a decorated general.
In truth, Shu Ci didnât actually think Lu Wanqing would hug him.
âEven though they had built a strange kind of trust, had exchanged their deepest secrets, and had an unspoken understanding that neither would betray that confidence, with or without a written oath.
Nor did he, just because he had received some care from Lu Wanqing, confidently believe the man would develop any feelings for him.
Their compatibility rating was one thing; Lu Wanqingâs perpetually cool and reserved expression was another.
He had always been a meticulous observer of micro-expressions, yet he could never quite decipher the profound, unreadable look in Lu Wanqingâs eyes. Lu Wanqing would probably see him as a good teammate, a good student, but likely not a good husband.
Knowing was one thing, but he still couldnât help but want to tease him.
With a man like a living Muse standing before him, he found it difficult to restrain the frantic, creative desire in his heart, wanting to see that dream-like face show more and richer expressions.
So he lay on the infirmary bed, fighting off his exhaustion, and raised his arms. He made no effort to hide his direct gaze, his tone carrying a hint of playful entitlement he himself didn’t even notice.
As expected, Lu Wanqing pulled the curtain shut with a complicated expression on his face.
Swishâ
The curtain was pulled open again. Lu Wanqing walked to the bedside and looked down at him.
Shu Ciâs arms were still hovering in the air. âReally not going to try again?â
He didnât blink, committing the subtle shifts in Lu Wanqingâs brow and the corners of his mouth to memory. By now, his arms were aching terribly. He pursed his lips, shook out his wrists, and prepared to lower them.
Suddenly, his fingertips were caught.
A steady warmth flowed from Lu Wanqingâs palm, and where they touched, there was no rejection or discomfort. They were holding hands like any normal people.
Lu Wanqing squeezed his fingertips, guided his arm down, and then pinned his hand back against the bed as he leaned over him.
Shu Ciâs pupils trembled, his heart pounding wildly.
With a soft click, a tiny prick of pain came from his arm a second later.
Shu Ci instinctively looked down and saw the needle sliding into his vein.
A lump formed in his throat. He waited quietly as Lu Wanqing slowly pushed the liquid from the vial into him.
âWhat is it?â
âNutrient and glucose supplements, to balance out what you just expended.â
âWhat were you doing when you pulled the curtain just now?â
âDisinfecting my hands.â
He knew it.
Shu Ci rolled his eyes without a sound and closed them, waiting for Lu Wanqing to finish the injection. He could feel the manâs thumb pressing gently around the vein. Even without an embrace, it was proof that their situation had indeed improved a great deal.
The needle was withdrawn, and Lu Wanqing handed him a cotton swab to press against the spot.
His body was already beginning to absorb the supplements, and a wave of drowsiness washed over him. While Lu Wanqing was disposing of the medical waste, Shu Ci let out a relaxed yawn. He was pressing on his arm and about to get up to head back to the dorm when his vision suddenly went black and his back was lifted off the bed.
In his peripheral vision, the white curtain in the distance swayed.
Lu Wanqing leaned down, one arm slipping under his back and the other supporting the nape of his neck, gathering Shu Ciâs upper body into his arms. Their cheeks brushed almost imperceptibly, and the most sensitive spot on the back of his neck could clearly feel the Alphaâs light breathing.
Shu Ci stared blankly at the curtain Lu Wanqing had closed. For the full three minutes he was held in that embrace, his mind was completely blank.
Lu Wanqingâs pheromones were completely retracted.
Even this close, Shu Ci didnât feel a single trace of the overwhelming desire he felt from Gu Lanzhu. He didnât carry the scent of sweat and Alpha-dominance from the training grounds; his embrace, like the man himself, was utterly refreshing.
Shu Ci felt as if he were embracing the clear spring breeze.
It held both the lingering chill of winter snow and the nascent warmth of early spring.
The tranquility was shattered by a piercing alarm.
Lu Wanqing instantly released him, straightened up, and immediately activated his real-time communicator.
His expression was normal, but his slightly trembling hand accidentally turned on the speakerphone:
âEmergency alert, emergency alertââ
Shu Ci didnât notice anything amiss. His own racing heart was caught up in the tense, serious voice coming from the device, and he instinctively sat up straight.
âA tsunami has struck the Far-flung Third District. Initial disaster assessment is five-star. The Marshal has approved the Third Districtâs request for reinforcements. Generals of the Far-flung Seventh and Eighth Districts are to immediately assemble all available personnel for rescue operations. Deploy within thirty minutes!â
âRepeating the alertâŚâ
Lu Wanqing cut off the transmission, sent a quick confirmation reply, glanced at Shu Ci, and turned to leave.
He had to be ready in half an hour. There was too much to do.
Anything he wanted to say, anything he wanted to do, had to be pushed back down.
Shu Ci jumped off the bed and trotted after him. He pulled out his phone, opened the camera, and aimed it at Lu Wanqingâs profile.
Lu Wanqing paused for a second. âGo back and rest. What are you filming here for?â
The baseâs emergency siren began to wail. He didnât have time to wait for Shu Ciâs reply and broke into a run.
Buoyed by the two vials of nutrients, Shu Ci kept pace a short distance behind him. âYouâre leaving in half an hour, so we canât shoot your scenes tomorrow! You do your work, Iâll do mine.â
He had already received the Marshalâs approval to film anywhere on the base that wasnât restricted to him.
However, all the footage he recorded would be reviewed before he left, and anything unusable would be deleted.
ââŚâ Lu Wanqing hadnât expected him to be thinking about his directing career even at a time like this.
But he had no time to deal with him and could only let him trail behind, filming.
For that brief half-hour, Shu Ci held his breath, controlled the shaking of his hands, and recorded the entire processâfrom Lu Wanqing receiving the alert, to assembling his troops, to deploying the rescue teams.
Those thirty minutes were more powerful than all the footage he had shot over the past few days combined.
Supplies, equipment, personnel⌠not a single member of the Far-flung Seventh District made a mistake. Their orders were short, but everyone knew exactly what they had to do. Five minutes before departure, everyone stood ready, looking sharp and prepared.
Cui You was off to the side, doing a final inventory check.
Shu Ci glanced at the vehicles of the neighboring Eighth District. While they were also moving quickly, they lacked the reassuring, crisp efficiency of the Seventh.
âBrother Shu.â
Yu Xingxing had appeared from the ranks at some point and was now standing beside him, his face a mask of displeasure.
Shu Ci wasnât sure when his form of address had changed from âMisterâ to âBrother.â Seeing the trace of grievance on the boyâs youthful face, he stopped recording and asked gently, âThey didnât let you go?â
Yu Xingxing sulked. âI donât know. They didnât give me an assignment before dismissing us. Maybe my dad gave them some last-minute instructions. I insisted on going to the Far-flung Region back then, and now that Iâm finally back, maybe he wants to keep me here.â
He wanted to help save people, to do his part.
Heaven knew how surprised and nervous he had been on Dragon Spine Island when Lu Wanqing had appointed him captain of the patrol ship. He was a veteran captain, for crying out loud. Why wouldnât they let him go?
âYou can contribute from anywhere,â Shu Ci said, his eyes on the man framed in the center of his camera. He turned to Yu Xingxing. âLu Wanqing isnât the type to casually crush someoneâs wishes. Look on the bright side. What if he needs you to stay at the main base to help him with something?â
He himself had been so teasing and shameless in his demand for a hug, and Lu Wanqing had given it to him without hesitation.
There was no reason Lu Wanqing would stop Yu Xingxing from wanting to throw himself into the cause.
âYu Xingxing, over here.â
Sure enough, just as everyone was boarding the vehicles to depart, Lu Wanqing called Yu Xingxing over.
Shu Ci kept a respectful distance, filming the two of them from afar.
Some departed by helicopter as the advance team, while others loaded supplies onto vehicles with the main force. A stream of traffic flowed out as helicopters roared overhead. Against this backdrop of organized chaos, the man and the boy stood facing each other.
The fiery red sunset was perfectly centered in the frame, outlining their ramrod-straight figures.
Then, bathed in the golden light, the boy saluted Lu Wanqing!
âYes, sir!â the boyâs clear voice pierced the sky. He then turned and strode quickly against the flow of people, heading toward the rear.
At that moment, Shu Ci felt an inexplicable sting in his nose.
It was as if he could see the adoring light in the boyâs eyes from all those years ago, when Lu Wanqing had rescued him from the hands of villains.
His eighteen different plot scenarios were all just contrived nonsense.
None of them could ever be as powerful as the scene unfolding before his eyes.
The recruitment for the Golden Shield wasnât just for a profession or a position.
It was a call for the passing of a golden will.
As he was lost in this thought, Lu Wanqing walked toward him and his camera.
Shu Ci looked at the calm, solemn Alpha, slowly lowered his phone, and voiced a small complaint on Yu Xingxingâs behalf. âHe thought you werenât going to let him participate.â
Lu Wanqing was silent for a moment before saying, âThis country isnât as stable as you think. Trouble in the Far-flung Region is an opportunity for some in the capital districts, especially those backed by the great families and councilors. They will always choose to stand by and watch. Theyâll only ever dispatch Far-flung units for rescue missions. To them, it would be best if we all died out there, so we canât shake their foundations here.â
Shu Ci was stunned. âSo you left Xingxing behind toâŚ?â
Xingxing? Lu Wanqing frowned.
Calling him so intimately?
He said impassively, âAll eyes are on this. The Marshal couldnât keep me here, but we need to have one of our own in the main command center.â
With Yu Xingxingâs status as a second-generation officer, no one would object to him being placed in the command center.
He had trained the young master hard at the base, pushed him relentlessly. He had allowed Yu Xingxing to complain, mock, and argue with him. To some, it might look like the former generalâs son was being wronged and couldnât take it anymore.
If they wanted to win him over, this was the perfect time.
And, of course, it was also the perfect time for them to gather intelligence and plan ahead.
âSo you entrusted him with a great responsibility,â Shu Ci said, relieved. âI knew it. You wouldnât just crush someoneâs wishes like that.â
Lu Wanqing raised an eyebrow at his words.
He glanced at his watch. Seeing that his vehicle hadnât arrived yet, he said calmly, âStill want that hug? I have one minute left.â
Shu Ci blinked. âCan I?â
Lu Wanqing nodded and opened his arms.
Shu Ci flew into them, hugging his sturdy shoulders and lowering his voice. âBe safe. I donât want to be a widower.â
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