Lin Han felt the hand that was only loosely holding his five fingers suddenly tightened. Although there was impulsiveness and hot-headedness, he really wanted to tell him the truth, whether He YunTing believed it or not.
Today, the third round of selection had just begun, and He YunTing personally came down to the field to inspect, so he wasn’t dressed in his regular clothes like he would, but was very formal.
He YunTing wore a golden ribbon below his right shoulder epaulets and between the buttons of his clothes, hanging on the pale blue military uniform, casting a light shadow. His expression didn’t change, but the hand holding Lin Han moved subconsciously, revealing that the owner’s emotions at the moment weren’t calm.
Lin Han felt the light trembling of the other party’s fingertips, and only when he heard the heartbeat in his ears did he belatedly understand that He YunTing seemed to be nervous.
【What’s mind reading?】
【Mr. Lin will know what I’m thinking right now.】
【What to do…】
【What to do?】
【How can Mr. Lin know what I’m thinking?】
【But Mr. Lin told me to trust him.】
Lin Han didn’t expect that He YunTing, who had always been quiet, would be so psychologically active now, “…”
【Then will he be angry with me?】
【Did I think anything over the line before? Does he still remember?】
【What if Mr. Lin really gets angry?】
【I’ll ask Lu AnHe if he has any snacks yet.】
At this moment, the words in He YunTing’s heart kept pouring into Lin Han’s ears, one after another, all revealing a worry and caution that was completely at odds with his own.
Lin Han even thought, Does He YunTing really remember what he thought before?
His heart felt like it was lightly tickled by a feather, it wasn’t uncomfortable, resembling a fine itch. He wanted to tell He YunTing what he heard, not to win his trust, but simply to share the secret with him.
“I…” He spoke deliberately, wanting to tell He YunTing what he had just heard. Lin Han blinked and looked up at him.
He YunTing’s heart wasn’t at peace, and Lin Han himself was certainly not any better.
Lin Han looked into He YunTing’s eyes and his lips moved slightly, “I’m not angry…”
I wanted to come and tell you this.
He thought He YunTing should be able to understand Lin Han’s words when he heard these words, but he didn’t know if it was because he didn’t pay attention, or he was too nervous and immersed in his own speculation, but he didn’t respond, still staring at Lin Han.
In He YunTing’s eyes, the young man in front of him wearing a white uniform, his moist black eyes focusing on him. Even if there was no other emotion, it was still a bright color in his barren, dull life.
He YunTing also had doubts.
They had never met before, but he couldn’t help but be attracted to him. He had lingered in the galaxy countless times, but had never seen such a pure and dazzling star.
As He YunTing realized this, his previous nervousness faded away and turned into a more straightforward voice.
【Mr. Lin’s eyes are so beautiful.】
Lin Han’s breath hitched, not expecting that He YunTing’s heart tone would suddenly chang, so the words that were piling up on his lips suddenly became difficult to say.
And that’s when He YunTing’s lips moved as he finally spoke to Lin Han directly.
“——Then can Mr. Lin tell me… what’s on my mind right now?” His voice sounded a little colder than his heart’s voice, and without that uneasiness, it was as if he was just questioning calmly and carelessly, not believing any of it.
【I don’t think he heard what I was thinking.】
【But why is Mr. Lin blushing?】
【Can he really read it?】
Lin Han, in a rare moment of panic, lowered his eyes, “I…”
“Mr. Lin?”
He YunTing called him again, as if urging him, and confirming his own thoughts, afraid that Lin Han could really hear what he was thinking.
Lin Han didn’t say anything, He YunTing’s heart was always more frank and passionate than his words. He didn’t know what he looked like blushing, and he didn’t want He YunTing to see him like this, so he turned his face away and tried to pull back his hand.
But whether or not it was intentional or not, He YunTing didn’t give him the chance to pull his hand away. Seeing him trying to escape, he subconsciously held it tighter, his strong knuckles firmly clasping Lin Han’s hand, unwilling to let him break free.
“Lin Han,” this time He YunTing didn’t call him by his title, but directly called his name, “why won’t you look at me?”
The lie needed to be supplemented with acting skills, but one couldn’t stop their internal thought.
Even He YunTing himself couldn’t control his own heart, even though he knew Lin Han might really have the ability to read his mind, right now, he couldn’t stop looking at his eyes.
【Maybe Mr. Lin really heard it.】
【But the way Mr. Lin blushed was so cute.】
【His eyes are so beautiful.】
Lin Han’s ears were filled with He YunTing’s low voice, hitting his eardrums one after the other.
【I want to tie his hands with a ribbon and blindfold him.】
【So that no one else could see.】
The first time Lin Han heard the other’s thoughts was even more excessive than this, and he didn’t get angry in the end, but now his mind was disrupted by these few words of He YunTing, and he became speechless, even his thoughts coming to a stop.
He YunTing’s heart just finished, and his mouth repeated the request he said before, as if testing Lin Han while deceiving himself, “Does Mr. Lin know what I’m thinking?”
Yes, he heard it all.
But Lin Han opened his mouth and found that he couldn’t repeat what He YunTing had just thought.
He originally wanted to “coax” He YunTing, but he ended up in a state of panic and confusion instead.
Lin Han raised his eyes slightly and saw the ribbon on He YunTing’s military uniform.
The cold metallic color, connected with his merits for the empire, that was the proof of his honor. But He YunTing’s words just now gave the ribbon another purpose.
Lin Han felt as if his face was getting even redder, and finally said a casual excuse, “I guess the General’s actually thinking about… tomorrow’s training.”
Then the fingers holding him loosened slightly.
【Luckily, Mr. Lin doesn’t know what I’m thinking about.】
【Mr. Lin’s hands are very white, if…】
This time Lin Han couldn’t take it anymore and fiercely pulled his hand out of He YunTing’s hand, took another step back and stopped looking at him.
He YunTing’s mind-voice instantly disappeared.
But Lin Han felt that compared to what He YunTing said just now, the vibrating sound in his own chest gradually expanded until even his heart started to tingle.
Lin Han looked down at the tip of his shoe.
He had no way to repeat those words, but he still wanted to help He YunTing. But he couldn’t find a breakthrough anymore.
Just as the evening bugle sounded, Lin Han finally said, “Then, General, I’m leaving.”
Luckily, He YunTing didn’t stay silent for long this time, he answered first and then waited until Lin Han walked to the door, before calling out to him.
“You’re right.” He YunTing’s voice didn’t rise and fall, as if all those heartfelt voices before weren’t his, “I was indeed thinking about the training content just now.”
Lin Han didn’t make a sound.
“Mr. Lin, I’ve figured it out,” He YunTing said, “whether it’s that thing you said before or today’s words, I believe you.”
Lin Han froze as he pushed the door.
“If there’s anything in the future, you can come and talk to me. I’ll believe you.”
Lin Han’s turbulent emotions slowed down a bit, then he nodded and looked back into He YunTing’s blue eyes, “Yes. Thank you, General.”
The next few days were indeed very busy for Lin Han. Since the selection was in the third stage, Lin Han kept running between training grounds, while He YunTing stayed in the command room and didn’t come back.
The only difference from before was that the soldiers noticed that the lean, seemingly cleanliness-obsessed special mecha master hadn’t worn the white gloves recently.
Lin Han would occasionally think about that day when he was free, and sometimes Lin Han thought it was for the best, because after all, he was only impulsive back then, remembering what He YunTing had said before. If Lin Han had really held back his emotions and retold it all, the ending wouldn’t necessarily have been as good as it was now.
So be it, Lin Han thought, at least between him and He YunTing, there was something called trust.
Lin Han didn’t know what kind of emotions he was holding for He YunTing, but he often thought that maybe at some point he would tell He YunTing the truth again.
And He YunTing didn’t have time to think about anything else these two days, solely because what Lin Han said about Wen Tianyao earlier was confirmed one after the other.
“Boss,” Lu AnHe said in the communicator, “I secretly looked into it in the past two days, and got someone to find the recent trip of His Highness the prince. Although there’s no communication record, we can still find some traces.”
“He had contact with Mr. Luo no longer than a day or two ago. Even before we defeated the Star Pirates, they were already connected.”
“The reason why no one noticed before is because he covers up after meeting with Luo Qi every time, either by pretending to also visit the council, or directly communicating with Jiang Lian’s side. Separately it’s not that obvious, only after comparing it do the clues appear.”
Lu AnHe sent over the recently found clues to He YunTing, “But whether it’s the celebration or the dinner, he didn’t participate, and is also truly unaware.”
“Got it.” He YunTing replied indifferently.
Lu AnHe finished the report, still curious about the source of the information, “Mr. Lin actually found this out… If he didn’t let you know, I wouldn’t have believed that Wen Tianyao’s on Luo Qi’s side. It’s so odd, at the last council meeting Luo Qi was still desperately accusing the Zerg of being brutal and unreasonable, and that we need to teach them more lessons even after winning the war. Do you remember? Wen Tianyao was also present, and was also persuading him to calm down.”
“In any case, thanks to Mr. Lin for giving us this information.” Lu AnHe said.
The two exchanged a few more words and He YunTing hung up the phone.
He didn’t tell Lu AnHe specifically how Lin Han knew about the information.
But Lu AnHe also seemed to trust Lin Han, so he didn’t ask further questions. After investigating his words, there was really no mistake.
He YunTing looked at the document in his hand and recalled that day.
It was also the first time he said “trust” to someone.
His experience had made him unable to trust anyone quickly, but when Lin Han said he could read minds, he felt differently than usual.
He still didn’t know why Mr. Lin told him all this, but after the emotion passed, He YunTing’s heart became strangely calm again.
He YunTing would be responsible for the people of the Empire, and would always have his own share of insistence. But at the moment he touched the other party’s hand, He YunTing felt that Lin Han wouldn’t lie to him no matter what.
Although the word ‘trust’ seemed illusory, he couldn’t say no to Lin Han.
He YunTing was prepared to remain loyal to the Empire even if Lin Han lied to him — but before there was a possibility of that happening, he wanted to follow his heart first.
So even though Lin Han wrongly guessed his thoughts, He YunTing called out to him the moment the other man was about to leave.
Although you may not really know how to read minds, I’ll still choose to believe you.