Chapter 356: Meeting at Last
The sky over the Twelve Cities was blanketed in dark clouds, with not a single star in sight. The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt hard to breathe.
The military base was located on the edge of a forest inhabited by Mutant Beasts. Its overly modernized facilities were impersonal to the point of desolation.
The base had just repelled a surprise attack, and the thick stench of blood was nauseating.
"...This is Zone C, the armory department. Further ahead is Zone B, which is mainly used for troop housing. The hospital we’re headed to is also located in Zone B."
To avoid interfering with combat operations, flight was prohibited throughout the military base during non-critical periods, with the exception of the airport. As a result, the group traveled to the hospital by vehicle.
Marshal Sun sat in the back seat, explaining things as he glanced at the others beside him.
Fang Chi and Xie Youchen had both spent a long time in the Lower District and were long accustomed to the smell of blood. Yi Nuo, aside from some initial discomfort, now looked unfazed.
He was more worried about the two women.
Lü Xin, a researcher who had long resided in the Upper City District, had been vomiting the entire trip, and her face was pale. Fang Chi conjured a few vines that gave off a refreshing scent for her to smell, and only then did she feel slightly better.
Jiang Qingli, seated beside her, also looked unwell.
But it wasn’t because of the stench of blood outside, but because of what Marshal Sun had just said.
Jin Li considered Qin Muye’s current condition and said, "Miss Jiang, the Prince still has to undergo a physical examination tonight. The healing treatment won’t start until tomorrow, so you can get some rest first."
Seeing Jiang Qingli’s worried expression, 030 deliberately changed the subject: ’After that system of his ran off, this guy sounds a lot more normal when he talks!’
Jiang Qingli came back to her senses and nodded at Jin Li. "There’s no need."
The young woman’s face was pale, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her hands, resting on her knees, were clenched into fists, her nails seemingly digging into her flesh. Xie Youchen took her hand and gently uncurled her fingers, but a few seconds later, she clenched it tightly again.
She had faint dark circles under her eyes and a veiled exhaustion in her features, as if she hadn’t slept well.
’Looks like she’s really worried about Qin Muye.’
’Their relationship doesn’t seem to be as terrible as the Star Network and the tabloids make it out to be.’
As this thought occurred to Jin Li, he suddenly felt a pang of melancholy.
He felt a nudge on his arm. Turning his head, he saw Fang Chi baring his teeth at him and hissing fiercely, "Stay away from my sister! You old, ugly geezer!"
’He’s acting as if I, his own cousin, were some kind of villain with sinister intentions.’
Jin Li almost laughed out of exasperation. "Fine, you just keep being her white knight."
’Once he gets his memory back, let’s see how embarrassed he feels.’
-
「Ten minutes later. The First Military Hospital of the Twelve Cities.」
Through the viewing glass of the observation window, Jiang Qingli finally saw Qin Muye again.
But the moment she saw him, the rims of Jiang Qingli’s eyes instantly reddened.
He lay on the pristine white hospital bed, his skin so pale it seemed almost transparent, like a fragile bubble.
A transparent mask covered the young man’s face. He was as still as an unconscious husk, and only the faint, ragged sound from his throat with each breath, along with the flickering numbers on the monitor, proved he was still alive.
Qin Muye had yet to regain consciousness and was unable to eat. He could only receive nutrients and medication, drop by drop, through an IV.
Each falling drop was a pang in Jiang Qingli’s heart.
The memory of him smiling as he said goodbye to her was from not long ago, yet it already felt like a distant memory.
Jiang Qingli simply couldn’t reconcile the husk before her, shrouded in white and entangled in machines, with the vibrant, energetic Qin Muye she knew.
Her breath fogged up the glass, and her fingers trembled slightly as she wiped it away.
The visit was brief. Five minutes later, Jiang Qingli was politely ushered out.
Leaving the room, she suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulder. Lü Xin said softly, "Miss Jiang, don’t be too sad. Based on my observations, all his vitals are good. The chances of recovery are still very high. Have faith in the skill of the researchers."
"I will... Thank you."
As Jiang Qingli spoke, she realized her voice was choked with emotion.
She had spent a long time mentally preparing herself before she arrived.
But seeing Qin Muye in such a state with her own eyes sent waves of pain through her heart. She could only blame herself for not coming sooner.
Seeing that Jiang Qingli was not in good spirits, Marshal Sun didn’t talk with them much longer and simply had someone escort them to their accommodations.
...
The military base was strictly hierarchical. The higher an officer’s rank, the more centrally they were housed.
Xie Youchen lived in the centermost high-rise building. As a special consultant, Jiang Qingli was assigned the room next to his. Yi Nuo, her attendant, was housed on the floor below Jiang Qingli.
Meanwhile, Fang Chi and Lü Xin were taken by Jin Li to stay in the rooms next to his.
Fang Chi was very unhappy when he heard he’d be staying next to Jin Li. Lü Xin had to coax him into reluctantly following along by saying, "This way, you can keep an eye on that old geezer and make sure your sister is safe."
...
After washing up, Jiang Qingli sat on the edge of her bed in a daze.
A knock came at the door. She got up to open it, and just as she’d expected, Xie Youchen was standing there.
He had changed into sleepwear, softening his normally chilly aura.
Jiang Qingli asked, "Aren’t you going to sleep?"
Xie Youchen walked into the room, closed the door, and said gently, "I came to sleep with you."
"Is... this in line with regulations?"
"Isn’t this what secret lovers do?" Xie Youchen was growing more and more comfortable with this role.
He pulled back the covers, slipped into bed, and patted the space beside him. "Ah Li, come."
Jiang Qingli knew he was worried about her, so she didn’t say anything more. She turned off the lights, walked over, and burrowed into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Brother..." she whispered.
They held each other. Jiang Qingli had only whispered that one word, offering no explanation, but Xie Youchen understood all her unspoken emotions.
"He’s going to be okay, Ah Li."
Xie Youchen stroked the top of her head, pulling her closer into his embrace and patting her back comfortingly, over and over.
Nestled in his arms, the exhaustion that had evaded her for a full day and night finally washed over her, and she sank into a deep slumber.
Once her breathing steadied, Xie Youchen opened his eyes, took out his terminal, and tapped on it a few times.
-
Early the next morning, Jiang Qingli got up and went downstairs with Xie Youchen.
At the hospital, Marshal Sun, who had met them the previous night, was waiting. With him were three unfamiliar young men.
Marshal Sun explained, "These are three members of Qin Muye’s squad. They heard you’d arrived and wanted to come along."
After greeting each of them in turn, Jiang Qingli suddenly asked in confusion, "Why haven’t I seen Que Feiling? I thought he was on the same squad as Qin Muye. Is he okay?"
The moment Jiang Qingli finished asking her question, she felt a sudden, heavy silence fall around them.
"This..." Marshal Sun sighed. "We haven’t found him yet."
"Miss Jiang, the mission was to investigate a region exhibiting anomalies. A total of five people were dispatched: the Seventh Prince, Que Feiling, and three others."
"Those three were ambushed midway through the mission and sent back by Que Feiling. Afterward, Que Feiling doubled back to find Qin Muye, and then we lost contact."
"After he had been out of contact for twenty-four hours, we sent a search party. But they only found Qin Muye. There was no sign of Que Feiling..."
Jiang Qingli remembered the red-haired boy’s beautiful, clear, gem-like eyes, and how they would sparkle whenever he saw her. Her heart gave a painful lurch.
Yuan Liang looked at Jiang Qingli and said slowly, "Miss Jiang, we speculate that Qin Muye and Que Feiling saw each other before they disappeared."
"Perhaps when he wakes up, we’ll finally have our answer."