EDEH Chapter 134

Given everything that had happened before, they should have been in an adversarial relationship, but everyone’s emotions were unexpectedly peaceful.

 

Evelyn even invited them to their temporary residence. The trap they had stepped in earlier was also set by them.

 

The grime on both sides of the street was very deep. Tilting buildings leaned against each other, forming long triangular spaces with the ground that felt very oppressive. The four of them made their way through the long street, with shadows from the collapsed buildings overhead.

 

When the wind blew, undegraded aluminum cans on the ground would roll several times, spreading a noisy, soundless desolation.

 

The temporary residence was in a small alley residential building. The construction quality from over a century ago was indeed good—it had survived the meteor impact without being invaded by pollutants. The walls remained solid and stood firm.

 

The interior had some simple furniture that had already been cleaned, making it quite refreshing. Ji Zhen lit a campfire by the window, setting up a simple iron pot to cook some meat soup.

 

Sang Jue’s nose twitched, and he suddenly felt a bit hungry.

 

Ji Zhen searched around the room and handed Sang Jue two boxes of fever medicine: “There’s no water source here for bathing, we can only boil some hot water for washing.”

 

“Okay, thank you.”

 

Sang Jue had even less hatred toward them now. He naturally squatted down and accepted the meat soup Evelyn brought him.

 

He blew on it for a while, then handed it to Huo Yanji.

 

Huo Yanji said: “Eat it yourself.”

 

Sang Jue frowned slightly: “Don’t you have an appetite?”

 

“…” Huo Yanji took it and sipped.

 

They probably hadn’t planned to stay long, much less expected outside visitors—there were only two bowls in total. Ji Zhen refused the bowl Evelyn offered her, shaking her head and saying she wasn’t hungry.

 

Their relationship was also quite subtle, with an indescribable strangeness.

 

Huo Yanji didn’t seem worried about them poisoning the bowls, and unknowingly ate almost half. The meat soup was very hot, and combined with the fever, his forehead quickly broke out in sweat.

 

Sang Jue raised his hand to wipe it away. But before he could withdraw it, his wrist was grabbed.

 

Sang Jue made a questioning sound: “Mm?”

 

“It’s nothing.” Huo Yanji rubbed it for half a second before letting go, bringing the bowl to Sang Jue’s lips: “Have a couple sips.”

 

The meat soup tasted much better than the meat Sang Jue had roasted these past days—at least it had flavor.

 

Huo Yanji only drank half a bowl, while Sang Jue finished half the pot by himself. In the end, his stomach was still flat—who knew where all that food went.

 

Ji Zhen said: “There’s a room inside that’s been cleaned up, you can make do staying there.”

 

For what came next, Sang Jue didn’t let anyone help. He carried over a small bucket of fresh water, put it in the pot to heat, his movements somewhat clumsy.

 

Huo Yanji just watched quietly from the side. Several times when Sang Jue nearly got burned, he started to get up, but ultimately held back, only his fingertips moving unconsciously.

 

Evelyn had gone off to do something again, leaving only Ji Zhen organizing books nearby.

 

“Scavenged from ruins?”

 

“Mm, fell into a sandy area a couple days ago. There was a large library underground—picked out a few books to bring out.”

 

Paper books were extremely scarce resources in this materially depleted era.

 

Huo Yanji asked about the specific location but didn’t probe further.

 

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Sang Jue bustled back and forth, accidentally touching the scalding pot edge. He ran over with a calm expression and requested: “Blow on it.”

 

Huo Yanji blew on it, his warm fingertip inadvertently touching dry lip corners. Before he could speak, Sang Jue had walked away again.

 

“…” Huo Yanji touched his lips, slowly withdrawing his gaze, and asked: “What are your plans going forward?”

 

Ji Zhen said: “We’ll go wherever we end up.”

 

Huo Yanji said: “You’re both on the wanted list.”

 

Ji Zhen hummed in acknowledgment: “If we get caught, that’ll be our fate.”

 

The two didn’t make eye contact, nor did they have much more to say. Huo Yanji didn’t mention the safe zone’s upcoming arrest plans, and Ji Zhen didn’t reveal their route ahead.

 

But thinking about it—two people traveling through the endless wasteland, shuttling through vast windstorms, boundless forests, poison-filled swamps… gave off a desolate and lonely feeling.

 

Huo Yanji’s tone was indifferent: “Are you two together?”

 

“That’s not like you,” Ji Zhen said. “You never used to ask about such things.”

 

“General Ange told me some things about the past, how the Council retaliated against Lady Lydia—”

 

“It’s not just that.” But Ji Zhen had no intention of discussing the past, only saying, “We’re not the relationship you imagine.”

 

…

 

Sang Jue had good hearing and knew what they were talking about over there, though when he moved too far away, he couldn’t hear clearly.

 

He carried the hot water to the room and soaked the towel in it.

 

When he came out, the conversation outside had already stopped. Ji Zhen was nowhere to be seen. Sang Jue stared at Huo Yanji for a while and asked: “Did you take your medicine?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Sang Jue stood on tiptoe and touched Huo Yanji’s forehead. Apart from a thin layer of sweat, the temperature had dropped somewhat.

 

“Time to wash up.” Sang Jue was like taking care of a disabled partner, extremely serious.

 

“I can do it myself,” Huo Yanji said.

 

“No.” Sang Jue said, “You’re now my—”

 

He thought for a moment, then said: “You’re now my kidnapped little slave, and I need to take good care of you.”

 

The corners of Huo Yanji’s mouth lifted slightly: “Since when do masters take care of little slaves?”

 

Sang Jue said in a muffled voice: “Because I’m a particularly considerate master.”

 

Huo Yanji walked to sit on the bed: “Do I need to call you master?”

 

“No, no need…” As if he hadn’t expected this, cracks appeared in Sang Jue’s calm expression. He stuttered, then quietly added: “Though you could call me that.”

 

“…” Huo Yanji said methodically: “Master?”

 

Sang Jue was quiet for three seconds, then fiercely shouted: “Take off your clothes!”

 

As he turned around, the back of his pale ears turned pitifully red.

 

Huo Yanji’s gaze softened: “Really not going out? Didn’t you say I stink, but you still want to help me wash?”

 

Sang Jue’s nose twitched, and he said: “I don’t mind my little slave.”

 

Sang Jue wrung out the towel. Seeing that Huo Yanji still hadn’t moved, he simply walked over and efficiently unfastened Huo Yanji’s shirt buttons, looking exactly like a domineering evil dragon forcibly taking an innocent man.

 

“Close the door.”

 

Sang Jue hesitated for a moment, then obediently walked over and closed the broken, cracked door.

 

Having experienced the explosion and recovered for so long, Huo Yanji had lost some weight, but his physique was still excellent. Good genes had given him a perfect frame, with evenly distributed muscles and proper proportions.

 

Sang Jue picked up the scalding hot towel and spread it over Huo Yanji to wipe him down.

 

From neck to chest, then to his refined waist and abdomen, the towel moved lower and lower.

 

Sang Jue looked up and said seriously: “I’m not thinking about anything, I’m just giving you a bath.”

 

Huo Yanji hummed in acknowledgment.

 

Sang Jue continued: “But you’re not modest at all, very wanton. I could reluctantly help out.”

 

The two looked at each other.

 

Huo Yanji suddenly realized this was Sang Jue’s way of making peace after so many days of “cold war”—awkward yet adorable.

 

He wanted to laugh but couldn’t.

 

Huo Yanji pulled Sang Jue into an embrace, holding him in his arms: “We won’t do it.”

 

Sang Jue seemed unsure where to put his hands and feet. The towel in his hand rested lightly against Huo Yanji’s back. After a long while, he drew out a small “oh” with a trailing tone: “If we won’t do it, then we won’t…”

 

Sang Jue relaxed completely, settling himself in Huo Yanji’s embrace, leaning his head against him in an indescribably dependent posture.

 

A very soft murmur reached his ears: “When will our Sang Jue grow up…”

 

Sang Jue denied: “I’m already very grown up.”

 

Huo Yanji released Sang Jue, a trace of indescribable restraint flashing in his eyes before returning to his usual coldness: “Clearly still so small.”

 

“…?” Sang Jue felt something was off but couldn’t say what.

 

“I’ll wash myself, otherwise the situation might get out of control later.”

 

“Why do we need to control it?”

 

Perhaps Sang Jue would never understand that given their current relationship, they shouldn’t engage in any intimate behavior.

 

The realistic words circled in his throat several times before he swallowed them back. Huo Yanji answered: “Because I’m still a patient and it’s inconvenient for strenuous exercise.”

 

“We could also be less strenuous…” Sang Jue muttered, but didn’t insist.

 

He turned around, preparing to find something else to do.

 

But after taking two steps, he turned back and said: “Can I have some non-strenuous exercise?”

 

“…What?”

 

Sang Jue frowned, very conflicted: “I want you to kiss me.”

 

His straightforward yet uncertain request seemed afraid of being rejected.

 

Huo Yanji’s expression froze. After a long moment, he extended his hand: “Come here.”

 

Just like countless times before, whenever Huo Yanji reached out his hand, Sang Jue would immediately abandon everything else and come over without hesitation.

 

Huo Yanji embraced his waist, lifted his delicate chin, and gently pressed their lips together.

 

This was a lingering kiss.

 

Sang Jue had never been obsessed with kissing before, perhaps because whenever he wanted it, he could have it. But now he wanted it, perhaps because he was no longer certain he could have it whenever he wished.

 

“Close your eyes.” Between their lips and teeth came Huo Yanji’s low, hoarse voice.

 

Sang Jue obediently closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Huo Yanji’s neck, immersing himself in the long-absent tenderness.

 

However, the next second, he felt a sharp pain at his waist. The paralyzing sensation he had experienced before swept through his entire body.

 

Sang Jue instantly opened his eyes wide, biting down hard on Huo Yanji’s lip, trying to retain the warmth on his lips. His two arms transformed into vines, tightly coiling around Huo Yanji’s waist.

 

His waist was still firmly confined by powerful arms, the heavy force as if trying to blend him into the very bones.

 

In the moment before his consciousness faded, he heard a low murmur by his ear: “Sang Jue, you need to grow up.”

 

Sang Jue went limp like a puddle, his eyelids closing heavily, and the vines retracted as well.

 

The syringe fell to the ground with a snap, and blood continuously seeped from his bitten lip.

 

Huo Yanji didn’t pay it any mind.

 

He looked at Sang Jue and sat by the bedside holding him for a very, very long time.

 

The sky slowly darkened, and some sounds came from outside the door.

 

Huo Yanji stood up and placed Sang Jue on the bed.

 

The water in the basin had gone completely cold. He casually dampened the towel and pulled down his waistband to simply wipe himself—

 

On his lower back, where Sang Jue hadn’t noticed, was a narrow wound about two centimeters long. Due to improper treatment, it had already become infected.

 

This was probably the reason for his fever.

 

“Knock knock—”

 

“Come in.”

 

Ji Zhen pushed open the door and saw Sang Jue lying unconscious on the bed, showing no surprise.

 

She said calmly: “I can only do my best.”

 

Huo Yanji hummed in acknowledgment: “Thank you.”

 

Huo Yanji put on his shirt and jacket. Walking to the door, he stopped and turned back to look at Sang Jue from afar, then left without looking back.

 

Ji Zhen saw him to the door. The night wind and sand were stronger now. Watching the figure disappear into the darkness, she suddenly spoke: “Why must you live so fragmented?”

 

Huo Yanji paused but didn’t answer.

 

He retraced his path, heading toward the aircraft.

 

Pushing through layers of night, he walked for a full hour.

 

Orderly footsteps grew closer and closer, along with the sound of weapons being loaded. The huge spherical craft sat among the ruins, surrounded by circles of soldiers in military uniform.

 

Huo Yanji wasn’t surprised: “What are you looking for?”

 

The leader, Ling Gen, whipped around: “You—”

 

He looked Huo Yanji up and down, and after confirming he was unharmed, let out a genuine sigh of relief. But soon his voice rose again: “Where is Sang Jue?”

 

“Probably left already.”

 

“What bullshit are you talking? Where did you hide him?”

 

Huo Yanji mockingly said coldly: “Major General Ling should know clearly that I’m just an ordinary person. An ordinary explosion could have killed me—how would I have the ability to hide him?”

 

The atmosphere around Ling Gen was very oppressive.

 

He slowly approached Huo Yanji, leaning in slightly to speak in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Are you still on humanity’s side?”

 

Huo Yanji said: “Of course.”

 

“I don’t think so.” Ling Gen said through gritted teeth, “You’ve betrayed humanity, Major General Huo.”

 

The atmosphere between them was very tense, like drawn swords ready to clash.

 

Huo Yanji’s tone was ice-cold as he countered: “What are you talking about?”

 

Ling Gen questioned word by word: “The positioning chip I implanted in your body—why did it suddenly lose signal this morning?”

 

***

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