Chapter 59: “I want to see you all the time.” / The Army’s Public Countdown
“I ran into a group today on my way back, using religion as a front, trying to eliminate the Command Center.”
Du Xun said, “They had guns. It just grazed my arm, nothing serious.”
Shen Zhuo frowned sharply.
Yet, looking at the wound, it wasn’t just a gunshot wound.
“It’ll heal in two or three days.”
Du Xun kissed the inside of Shen Zhuo’s wrist.
Shen Zhuo felt a bit ticklish but didn’t pull his hand back.
He pursed his lips, his fingertips brushing over the bandage.
“Does it hurt?”
Du Xun shook his head. “Not at all.”
Shen Zhuo closed his eyes.
It was like a suppressed sigh from his throat:
“I’m the Empire’s only S5 Omega, but right now it feels like I can’t do anything to help you.”
“I want to stand by your side as soon as possible.”
“Just like how you protect me.”
“I want to protect you too.”
The man lowered his head, his voice calm and steady:
“From the moment we chose to enter the military academy, we were destined to walk a path from which there is no turning back.”
“Just like you said before.”
“We all have dangers we need to face, and tasks we have to do. It’s not the fault of any one of us.”
There was a certain relief in the man’s tone, and his features softened with a gentle smile:
“This is what Madam taught me, and I’ve always remembered it well.”
Shen Zhuo had no words to argue.
He had been teaching Du Xun to reconcile with himself, and Du Xun, in turn, was teaching him how to be resolute.
Perhaps their being together was something fated.
They were so complete.
Complete like two jade pieces perfectly fitting into each other’s gaps.
Every day, they would grow in each other.
Every day, they would witness a better version of one another, and a better version of themselves.
What kind of feeling was this?
Shen Zhuo couldn’t describe it.
He only knew that trusting the other person might be easy.
But not everyone could steadfastly believe in themselves.
However, with Du Xun by his side, it seemed like he could always trust Du Xun and also always be confident.
“Hmm.” The young man took a deep breath and stood up.
“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? I’ll go cook for you.”
Du Xun’s face changed slightly. “Is Madam hungry? I’ll cook.”
Shen Zhuo immediately pressed him down.
“An taught me a few dishes these past days. Just wait, it’ll be ready soon.”
Hearing that An had taught him, Du Xun eased up a little.
An was always reliable, so there shouldn’t be any problems.
Just as Shen Zhuo ran to the kitchen, An arrived in the living room with a medical kit.
With a glance, he asked, “Where has Madam gone?”
Du Xun replied, “He said he’s gone to cook.”
The man raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you teach him?”
An’s face shifted, and he immediately put down the medical kit and turned around to chase after him.
Half an hour later, unable to stop him, An followed behind a very satisfied Shen Zhuo, his eyes twitching.
Du Xun picked up his chopsticks and looked at An. “What’s wrong?”
An said, “Madam has made great progress these past few days. From inedible to now, he’s improved a lot.”
Shen Zhuo raised his chin, a little proud.
Du Xun nodded and picked up a piece of stir-fried sweet and sour potato strips.
He put it in his mouth.
His expression stiffened, almost imperceptibly, and then his chewing sped up as if several times faster.
An: Somewhere between edible and inedible.
An: Actually, it’s just really inedible.
But he didn’t dare say that.
Shen Zhuo sat to the side, propping his chin on his hand, and eagerly asked:
“How is it? Does it suit your taste?”
Du Xun swallowed and put on a smile:
“It’s delicious. I really like it.”
An: ?!!
An: Only you could say something so against your conscience.
The sweet and sour potato strips had soy sauce instead of vinegar, and the sugar in the sweet-sour flavor was all salt. Half the potato strips were mixed with ginger.
And then, to top it off…
There were shredded apples.
And were those scallions on top?
No—they were—
Chives, mistakenly taken.
An had silently stood aside, forbidden from intervening.
When Shen Zhuo finished cooking, he could only applaud.
“Madam is amazing.”
This was sincere.
“Master is truly fortunate.”
This was a lie.
“I’ll label the condiments later on for you, to make it easier to find them.”
A good steward always takes the blame upon themselves.
It must’ve been his fault for allowing Madam to cook such an extraordinary dish—
The sweet and sour potato strips were already the most edible of the three dishes.
“I’ll go make some noodles. Madam must be hungry too, right?” An asked thoughtfully, observing carefully.
Just as Shen Zhuo was about to say, “No need,” Du Xun spoke up:
“I’m still a little hungry. How about you join me, Madam?”
Shen Zhuo could only nod. “Alright.”
Before leaving, An glanced at Du Xun, whose expression remained unchanged.
Du Xun even finished the dish and picked up another bite.
“Madam is really amazing,” Du Xun said as he patted the young man’s head, sincerely praising him, “Much better than I was back then.”
The young man grinned and leaned forward, opening his mouth: “Then let me have a taste too.”
Du Xun quickly moved the bowl away, protectively:
“The dish Madam made for me is, of course, only for me to eat.”
An: …
An: Master, really, I’m crying on the inside.
When An brought out a bowl of noodles five minutes later, he noticed that Du Xun was eating at double the usual speed.
Shen Zhuo thought Du Xun was just too busy at the Command Center to have time to eat and didn’t think much of his own “amazing” cooking skills.
In the following days, Du Xun seemed to get even busier.
But in the evenings, Du Xun asked him, “Want to come to the Command Center and check it out?”
“Check it out?” Shen Zhuo found the word interesting and repeated it, “Check out what?”
“I want you to join the Command Center,” Du Xun said bluntly.
This was something to be decided after Shen Zhuo graduated and met the required years of service on the battlefield.
Yet Du Xun was now openly discussing it.
“Why bring this up all of a sudden?”
When the time came, Shen Zhuo hadn’t even thought about whether to continue on the battlefield or choose another path.
“With Madam’s talent, joining the Command Center is just a matter of time. Actually, if you want to join early, you can do so by passing the examination.”
The man paused, “But the Empire will always give an S5 infinite opportunities.”
Shen Zhuo glanced at him from the side. “You’re going to administer the exam?”
Du Xun shook his head. “As your spouse, I must avoid suspicion.”
Shen Zhuo folded his arms. “Will you cheat for me?”
Du Xun answered seriously, “Given your character, there’s no need, and you wouldn’t stoop to cheating.”
“As for me, I wouldn’t cover for anyone.”
Shen Zhuo nodded at this, leaned into Du Xun’s arm, and fiddled with the remote, fast-forwarding the movie:
“You should know, I want to join the Special Task Force.”
Du Xun seemed to have anticipated this long ago and said warmly:
“I’m short of a Silent Judge by my side, and your ability, **Listening to the heart**, is perfect for the role.”
“And the Special Task Force, as the Empire’s strongest unit, doesn’t participate in every war.”
“So, in between training and combat, you can act as my Silent Judge.”
Shen Zhuo lifted his head and looked into the man’s lowered eyes.
Shen Zhuo raised an eyebrow: “No personal motives?”
Du Xun couldn’t help but lower his head and kiss him: “Of course, I have.”
“I want to see you all the time.”
Shen Zhuo’s face warmed at such a candid statement.
Du Xun chuckled softly, his voice deep: “And with your ability, you can do even more.”
“This is an opportunity, and also my wish.”
Shen Zhuo pondered for a moment.
The Command Center was, besides the battlefield, his best option.
And just as Du Xun had said—
His ability was perfectly suited for this position.
A Silent Judge differs from an interrogator. They observe the suspect’s subtle movements behind everyone else to determine whether they are telling the truth.
It requires an extremely sharp sense of insight and observation.
It also requires the ability to assess danger instantly.
His **Listening To The Heart** ability was almost tailor-made for the role.
Shen Zhuo couldn’t think of a better option. “When is the exam?”
“No rush,” Du Xun said, stroking the young man’s hair, which felt soft to the touch. “You need to be 19.”
The next day, Shen Zhuo accompanied Du Xun to work.
When they arrived at the Command Center, it was 7:30 in the morning.
Previously, when Shen Zhuo had come with Ji Weishen, they had taken almost deserted fast lanes.
But this time, Du Xun led him through the main entrance, onto the wide, flat central road.
Many people were coming and going, and upon seeing Du Xun, they all stopped to salute him respectfully.
The incident at the Palace Dance had not spread to the Command Center, as everyone there had been preoccupied with the battlefield.
Everyone was shocked, sneaking glances in Shen Zhuo’s direction.
Several bold Alphas quietly stopped to stroke their chins and gossip.
“I remember that Omega, an S5. Incredible. I’ve seen his videos. You could say he’s on par with an S4 Alpha.”
“Damn, how did an Omega like that fall for Commander Du? The boss is so fierce, he probably doesn’t know how to pamper someone.”
“That Omega looks cold too. What do they even do in a relationship? Do they just sit there in silence on dates?”
“I don’t know about the rest, but I know this must be hell on earth. Madam must be a saint, here to save us all.”
“True, the boss’s temper isn’t easy to deal with. Poor Madam.”
“Damn, if I had such a gorgeous and capable Omega as my wife, I’d slap myself silly during arguments.”
“You know, imagining the boss in that scenario… Ah, satisfying! Yesterday’s punishment of 2,000 push-ups, I deserved it for executing the move wrong.”
“Wait, did the boss call you late at night to brag about his badass Omega being his spouse?”
“Of course, did you think you were worthy? I know I’m not.”
The voices weren’t particularly hushed. The Alphas in the military never bothered to keep quiet.
As a result, Shen Zhuo heard every word clearly. He glanced at the Alpha by his side, who appeared calm, and cleared his throat as if nothing had happened.
Then he noticed the man had stopped walking.
Du Xun turned back, his gaze cold as he looked at the group of gossiping Alphas behind them.
“Not enough training?”
The Alphas immediately stood at attention, saluting with tense faces, and in unison, they shouted:
“Plenty!”
Muttering “Let’s go, let’s go,” they quickly scattered.
Only then did Du Xun take his gaze back, smiling helplessly:
“They’ve grown wild on the battlefield, completely undisciplined.”
Shen Zhuo smiled slightly. “It’s nice. It seems like they’re easy to get along with.”
As they followed Du Xun into the Command Center building, an Omega in training gear came down the stairs.
This Omega was tall, with a striking and elegant appearance.
He was tying his long hair up with a pen and, upon seeing Du Xun, didn’t salute:
“Weren’t you supposed to be on leave?”
The Omega glanced over Du Xun’s shoulder, looking at Shen Zhuo:
“And who is this…?”
Recommended Reads
