Part 2
When 2:00 AM arrived—the time when the night is thickest and people sleep most deeply—Bai Mu slowly opened his eyes at the ladybug’s call. The room was pitch black, with only faint light filtering through the gaps in the curtains. Bai Mu got up and crept to the door, listening intently. The breathing outside was deep and steady, indicating a deep sleep.
Bai Mu gently opened the door and walked to the bathroom with extremely soft steps. He double-locked the bathroom door, opened the window, and with great agility, climbed out. He grabbed the water pipe and slid down. They were on the third floor, and Bai Mu soon reached the ground.
After observing the surroundings and seeing no abnormalities, he avoided the surveillance cameras and moved quickly between buildings, heading toward the energy pool.
Relying on his memory from earlier that day, he quickly found the light mecha energy pool. From a distance, he released the ladybug; as long as someone entered or exited, the ladybug could slip in on its own.
After releasing the ladybug, Bai Mu didn’t pause for a moment. He ran back to the apartment building, climbed up the water pipe back to the third floor, and climbed into the bathroom through the window. He leaned against the bathroom wall, his heart pounding incessantly, gasping for breath.
Once his breathing leveled out, he pressed himself against the bathroom door, listening to the movements outside. Han Naijin’s breathing was still as steady and rhythmic as it had been before he left. Bai Mu finally felt at ease. He opened the bathroom door and stepped out.
He should have gone straight back to the bedroom, but he couldn’t control himself and turned his head toward the small bed where Han Naijin was sleeping. Han Naijin seemed to be sleeping very uncomfortably; his body was curled up, his feet were hanging off, and the blanket had been kicked to the floor.
Bai Mu’s footsteps faltered. As if possessed, he changed direction and softly approached Han Naijin, crouching down to pick up the blanket from the floor.
He crouched beside Han Naijin. In the gloom, Han Naijin’s breathing was long and steady. He gazed at that face just inches away; even in the deep night, the sharp angles of Han Naijin’s features were still clearly defined.
Bai Mu couldn’t help but recall Han Naijin saying, “Why are you a bit of a dummy sometimes?” when they crawled out of the reactor. Bai Mu shook his head and smiled silently. Wasn’t the person before him the same? Wrapped under a reckless and lazy exterior was a burning, brave, and fearless heart.
He gently covered Han Naijin with the blanket in his hand, then stood up and turned around.
At that moment, the folding sofa let out a series of creaks. Then, with a whoosh, the blanket was thrown aside. Before Bai Mu could turn his head, a pair of large hands wrapped around his waist, pinning him. Bai Mu instantly lost his balance and was pulled forcefully onto the sofa.
The already flimsy sofa continued its creaking protest, but Han Naijin—ignoring the sound—pinned Bai Mu around the waist in his arms. Scorching heat spread from every inch of their touching skin. Han Naijin’s hands once again began to wander over him.
Two thoughts occurred to Bai Mu at this moment:
First, he took back his praise of Han Naijin from five seconds ago. This man was a rogue and a scoundrel!
Second, he was being searched again. Han Naijin knew he had just slipped out!
A voice, clearly laced with drowsiness, came from behind: “Where did you just go?”
Bai Mu felt his body turn cold and his throat tighten at those few words. Had Han Naijin truly noticed, or was he just bluffing? He couldn’t tell right now. The breathing behind him was still heavy, as if the man were half-awake and half-asleep. As they pressed against each other, the air between them heated up rapidly. Bai Mu realized his lips were trembling slightly. Forcing himself to stay calm, he said, “Commander, do I need to get your permission to go to the bathroom now?”
Han Naijin let out a soft laugh. “Well, that’s not necessary.”
Then Han Naijin released his hold on Bai Mu. Bai Mu took the opportunity to stand up from the sofa and walked quickly back to the bedroom.
With a click, the door closed.
Han Naijin looked at the closed bedroom door, all traces of drowsiness having long since vanished. When he fell from the platform during the day, he hadn’t activated his light mecha even in such a crisis. Yet he had shown a strong will to survive and had no intention of dying. That could only mean one thing: his light mecha was unusable.
He had been in the bathroom for so long—long enough to make a round trip to the energy pool. Since he didn’t have a mecha on him, he must have gone to charge it.
So that was it.
Calculating every move just to recharge his light mecha.
So, after the charging was done, what else was he going to do?
Bai Mu lay on the bed, deep in thought once more. He no longer doubted that Han Naijin had discovered he had slipped out. As for what he had slipped out to do, he didn’t know if Han Naijin had guessed. It would take about two hours for the ladybug to fully charge. He didn’t want to wait any longer; as soon as the ladybug was charged, he would leave the base directly before dawn.
Bai Mu didn’t plan on sleeping anymore. He saw that there were paper and pens on the bedroom table; this was perfect. He would leave a farewell note for Han Naijin before he left.
Knock, knock, knock!
A knock sounded at the door. He didn’t even have to think to know who it was!
Bai Mu didn’t know what Han Naijin wanted now. He got up to open the door, only opening it a hand’s-width wide to cautiously observe the person outside. Han Naijin’s silhouette was framed in the doorway. Looking further down, Bai Mu saw he was holding his blanket and pillow.
The moment Bai Mu saw the blanket, he reacted instantly and reached out to close the door. But Han Naijin was faster; using a clever bit of force, he blocked the door with his foot, and the door bounced open. He quickly slipped into the bedroom, threw his blanket and pillow on the floor, and lay down directly. “The sofa is too cramped. I see this room is quite spacious, so I’ll sleep in here. You won’t mind, will you?”
Bai Mu’s plan was disrupted once again. He had already decided to leave tonight, and now Han Naijin had run straight into his bedroom. Had Han Naijin even discovered that he was planning to leave tonight?
Bai Mu said coldly, “If I say I mind, will you leave?”
Han Naijin said categorically, “No.”
There was no drowsiness in Han Naijin’s tone, and his flickering eyes grew sharp. The two stared at each other through the darkness for a long while before Bai Mu lay back on the bed.
Bai Mu felt a pang of self-blame, accusing himself of being too impatient and overestimating his abilities. Knowing he couldn’t pull off a clandestine move under Han Naijin’s nose, he had rushed into it anyway, only to expose himself. Han Naijin must have already guessed his objective.
Bai Mu knew his wish to leave today had been dashed; he could only find another time. He turned over to face the wall, staring at the somewhat mottled surface, his frustration difficult to quell. Just then, a voice came from behind: “As for today… thank you.”
Bai Mu’s heart stirred.
Han Naijin’s tone was very sincere, devoid of any playfulness or mockery. This made a complex emotion rise in Bai Mu’s heart. He would have preferred it if Han Naijin had said it with a laugh, or not at all, rather than thanking him so seriously. Bai Mu paused for a moment before saying flatly, “You’re welcome, Commander.”
After Bai Mu spoke, the room fell into silence, and the atmosphere became strange.
Perhaps because they had just experienced a life-and-death crisis together and had entrusted each other with absolute trust in a moment of danger, a faint connection had formed between them. It felt like a fine electrical current touching the body—only a subtle perception, but impossible to ignore.
A few full minutes passed, and Bai Mu thought Han Naijin didn’t intend to say anything more when he heard the man speak again, his voice very gentle: “Hey, what do you think of ‘the Commander’?”
Bai Mu’s body grew tense, and his breathing hitched for an instant. After a moment of silence, he whispered, “What… about him?”
“If you really encounter some difficulty, say it. ‘The Commander’ might be able to help you solve it.”
Bai Mu finally turned over, lying on his side to face Han Naijin. Han Naijin had also turned his head to look at him. The night starlight reflected on Han Naijin’s face, making his features look clear and bright. At this moment, there was a shimmer in his eyes—a burning light that could make someone lose themselves.
This was the first person since he had been convicted of treason who had told him they wanted to help him. Bitterness and a warm current spread through Bai Mu’s heart simultaneously, like a stone suddenly cast into a calm lake, stirring up powerful yet silent ripples in this small bedroom. Those ripples circled and surged, striking the chords of Bai Mu’s heart.
He believed Han Naijin was being sincere at this moment, but no one could help him with his situation. He also didn’t want to involve innocent people.
Bai Mu felt a sourness from his heart to the tip of his tongue, and his words were somewhat muffled: “It’s late. Go to sleep.”
Without waiting for Han Naijin to say anything, Bai Mu turned his back to him again and lay down.
Han Naijin looked at Bai Mu’s thin silhouette, not knowing what to say for a moment. He couldn’t quite guess the thoughts of this Omega. He could risk his life to venture into danger alongside him in a moment of crisis, but once the crisis passed and everything returned to peace, he put up his thorns again, refusing to utter a single word of truth.
Han Naijin let out a helpless smile and whispered, “Okay.”
Recommended Reads
