Lin Han quickly accepted this fact after sending Shen XiuNan away. He tidied the kitchen that He YunTing hadn’t finished cleaning up, before habitually preparing Grr’s lunch. He turned on the newscast for him, before returning to his room to work with the materials sent by Shen XiuNan.
Perhaps because his mental strength had been restored, he wasn’t so tired when he started to work. After checking a new batch of mecha, he went back to the living room to see what the little one was doing.
He YunTing was still appearing frequently in the news, as if last night’s company was like a beautiful dream that would be shattered at the first poke. Because it was daytime and Lin Han’s place was near the Imperial Military University, there were many students passing by at the moment, so it was quite lively.
The place where He YunTing was standing was so ordinary that if he hadn’t unintentionally glanced down, he would’ve missed it.
Lin Han looked at his hands, and his inner thoughts became clearer and clearer.
He heard a small sound coming from the living room, and turned his head to see that Grr had finished what he had prepared and was rolling into the container contentedly, his tail touching the edge with a crisp sound.
On the news, He YunTing’s face was magnified several times, and several people sitting in the virtual studio were commenting on something.
Lin Han was worried that Grr was angry with He YunTing again, who had been here yesterday, and he was thinking of turning off the news first, as the little dumpling couldn’t keep getting on He YunTing’s nerves.
He just turned his head, but found that, strangely, Grr didn’t show hostility to He YunTing on the TV, just played with its fur, its black bean eyes still staring at the screen, looking to be in a good mood. Lin Han walked over with some doubts, leaned down and spread his palm, letting Grr jump onto his hand.
The little guy was full of drink and food, so it yawned a little, ready to take a nap in Lin Han’s hand comfortably. Lin Han hooked the corner of his mouth and asked in a small voice, “Don’t you hate him the most?”
Grr blinked and hardly reacted, curling up like usual. When it understood what Lin Han was talking about, it suddenly started acting unnatural. It carefully tucked its limbs away, even curling its little tail, completely shrinking into a ball, and even began to avoid Lin Han’s gaze.
“Why are you…” Lin Han didn’t finish his sentence, like he understood something, and asked tentatively, “Did he say something to you yesterday?”
Grr, of course, didn’t speak, just shrunk itself more into a ball, rolling in Lin Han’s palm, as if refusing to answer the question. After another moment, Grr stretched out its limbs again and jumped at He YunTing’s handsome face on the TV, all its fur drooping down, as if… it was apologizing.
The doubt in Lin Han’s mind grew even more. He understood that Grr could understand what they said, but became a little lost due to the inability to communicate further. That meant that He YunTing must’ve said something to it…
Lin Han raised his hand and gently stroked Grr’s fur, soothing it to sleep without asking any further questions. When he was completely well, he would make a trip to the base.
The reason He YunTing hurried back to the base without even saying goodbye was because the matter he asked Lu AnHe to check before finally came to light. During the time he and Lin Han were forced to stay in the border area, Lu AnHe was unable to go further because of his restricted movement, and only after he returned could he investigate deeper into his previous suspicions.
And two days ago, Xu Zhiheng finally found He YunTing privately and explained his intention to come. Xu Zhiheng actually had no very clear political stance, and in the end, still had a reputation in the academic world, and wasn’t interested in a group of old men bickering all day around a certain matter. The main peacemaker Jiang Lian was his best friend, and it was only because of their arguments that further research on the Burning Blood Omega was prevented.
“I know that now someone has restarted the research on this matter,” Xu Zhiheng sounded anxious, “maybe the other party has made further moves.”
“I heard that the General was once almost assassinated…” Xu Zhiheng said, “I shouldn’t need to go into the details.”
He YunTing believed in Xu Zhiheng’s words, but he didn’t understand why he suddenly wanted to get involved in this matter, “So what does Professor Xu mean?”
Xu Zhiheng had a hard time saying the next words, “I will have a routine academic lecture at the Imperial Military University in a few days. But the problem is… Since three months ago, something’s not quite right. It seems that someone’s always watching me from the shadows, but not communicating with me directly, deliberately spreading the news of your almost successful assassination.”
He YunTing gave him an ice-cold glance and waited for him to continue.
“Due to my relationship with Mr. Jiang, it was impossible for them to approach me directly, but they made sure to let me know this fact.” Xu Zhiheng’s half-white hair flickered for a moment as he whispered, “Wanting me to see with my own eyes what I had stopped happening again without giving me a clue.”
He YunTing had no way of knowing how much effort Xu Zhiheng had expended to stop this research from continuing. He YunTing pondered for a moment, “We can provide protection for you, and we can also cooperate with you in some investigations,” He YunTing said.
Xu Zhiheng showed a little joy, He YunTing added. “But in exchange, I also have a subject that you need to pay attention to.” He YunTing said.
Xu Zhiheng froze for a moment, “Not the one who tried to assassinate you…”
“There’s another one.” He YunTing briefly recounted what happened that day, “Three shots were fired, but his body still didn’t suffer too serious injuries.”
Xu Zhiheng’s face turned white, “Impossible, three years ago all—” But soon he stopped himself, “I understand.”
“I will specially arrange a laboratory for you, and will secretly transport you there. You won’t be discovered.” He YunTing’s tone was reassuring.
Xu Zhiheng was silent for a moment, but finally agreed. “But General…” He paused, his back was still straight even when he was begging He YunTing, and the previous surprise was quickly put away, returning to his usual calmness, seeing the poise of his youth, “I request you, do your best to stop this project.”
“I know.”
And He YunTing came back this time also because of Xu Zhiheng.
Xu Zhiheng’s academic lecture was held as scheduled, He YunTing originally wanted to arrange a random person to follow him, but in the end, for the sake of caution, he chose to let Lu AnHe go ahead to protect him.
Everything was well arranged, and Lu AnHe kept in touch with He YunTing in the dark. But accidents could happen in a flash. When Lu AnHe was about to leave the room and found a strange Omega trying to pounce on Xu Zhiheng, it was too late. When Lu AnHe cut off the communication, he only said one sentence, “I will definitely guarantee his safety,” and nothing else.
Lin Han didn’t know what had happened when he arrived at the base. Since very few people knew about the incident, the base wasn’t the least bit different from usual.
The people at the base were familiar with him, and because of his relationship with He YunTing and the things he had explained before, they understood that Lin Han was coming to get something, and no sergeant stopped him. Lin Han was still wondering why Lu AnHe was not there, but when he returned to the room he had reserved, he just opened the door and saw He YunTing with a cold face. He looked different than usual.
In front of him was the stone that had been given to Lin Han as a birthday present, giving off the feeling like he had been staring at it for a long time. He YunTing’s face was grave, sitting alone in this room where Lin Han had briefly stayed, his gaze almost less angry when he cast it at him.
After seeing that it was Lin Han who had arrived, He YunTing unexpectedly didn’t call his name. Lin Han felt the difference in a moment, and with almost no other thought, he shook the other’s hand.
It was in that moment that he heard the entire story.
Knowing the situation wasn’t optimistic at this moment, as well as He YunTing’s uncertainty that was different from the calm appearance.
At the last moment, he finally heard the thoughts in He YunTing’s heart.
【I can’t even save my own adjutant…】
【How can I dare to love him?】
“General.” Lin Han called him.
He YunTing raised his eyes at the sound of his voice, his lips flattened. His hand remained on He YunTing’s hand until he slowly let go when he heard the last sentence. Lin Han wanted to say a lot of things.
The moment he raised his hand he saw He YunTing’s military jacket, the jacket he had worn many times, and now there were wrinkles, as if He YunTing had really wandered for a long time, but there wasn’t even a safe place he could talk about it, and he could only choose to sit here.
So, it turns out that you also love me.
Why won’t you tell me?
But when he faced He YunTing’s face, he couldn’t say anything.
He could read He YunTing’s weakness, but also his hesitation and uneasiness.
There was no news about Lu AnHe, and apart from him, the only person who knew about this matter was Qi Jiamu. He YunTing couldn’t come out personally, while Qi Jiamu went to the scene first, but only in the dark.
Lin Han had just learned about these things. He took a few steps forward and slowly moved down with the hand that was originally placed on He YunTing.
How could it be worse than now?
There would be no more.
All conspiracies were slowly unveiled in front of the two, as they passively endured, one refused to talk about it, and one had concerns.
“He YunTing, He YunTing…” Lin Han opened his mouth, speaking calmly, only the corners of his lips trembling slightly, giving away his completely opposite emotions at the moment.
Lin Han’s face was burning, he wanted to cry without reason since he met He YunTing, but he couldn’t stop it. He didn’t want to continue to spend time in the unwarranted self suspicion and uncertainty.
It wasn’t just a matter of being capricious or not.
Irresponsible or not.
He was obviously also sad, so why couldn’t he accompany him? The room Lin Han had previously lived in was well soundproofed, isolating the sound of the sergeants training outside the door, giving him the illusion that there were only two people left in heaven and earth. Lin Han’s eyes and the tip of his nose were sore, and his heart was flooded with a dull, soft pain.
“He YunTing,” Lin Han called his name for the third time, trying to purse the corners of his mouth to keep his emotions from being too obvious. With just a blink, his tears fell again, and since it was all said and done, it was better to break the jar. “You obviously treat me differently from everyone else.”
He YunTing’s eyes had an emotion that could almost be considered as fragile, his eyes were deep but he remained silent.
“You obviously reacted to me the first time you saw me. You said I had beautiful eyes, that I was cute when I blushed and when I slept. You almost got stabbed at the ball, yet you still pushed me away right after, not wanting me to see that scene. You said you believed in me and you gave me the star just hoping I wouldn’t be unhappy.”
Lin Han said all this while crying. His current appearance must be very unsightly, but he couldn’t care about that. He only reached out his hand and very gently grabbed the ribbon of He YunTing’s military uniform.
“Right, you also said that you wanted to tie my hands with the ribbon and blindfold me as well.”
The scene in front of Lin Han was all blurred, tears smeared his eyelashes, and his voice was tinged with sobs. But he still tried to look up at the man in front of him, remembering the nebula he had shown him, remembering his embrace, remembering his gentle but restrained mark.
He YunTing looked like he froze, not expecting at all that some of his earlier inner thoughts had really come out of Lin Han’s mouth, word for word.
Lin Han couldn’t see the subtle expression on He YunTing’s face, and seeing that He YunTing still didn’t say anything, he got really disheartened, but still summoned up his greatest courage to get closer to He YunTing. He murmured softly at an extremely close distance, seemingly questioning, and seemingly just talking to himself.
“I’m standing right here, do you dare to love me?”
It seemed like a long time had passed, while it was only a moment at the same time.
Lin Han’s heart was relieved after finishing, although he still couldn’t control his emotions, his chest rose and fell slightly, his fingers crumpled the front of He YunTing’s clothes, and he didn’t want to let go. He just kept holding on without any direct contact with the other’s hands. He didn’t want to know what He YunTing was thinking, and didn’t even feel embarrassed, just felt relieved.
And He YunTing let him grip it, not saying a word.
His most trusted lieutenant was now either living or dead, and the man he begged for was standing in front of him, forcing him to ask why he was timid to this extent. He YunTing looked completely calm, his face returned to its usual indifference, before he lowered his eyebrows so that Lin Han couldn’t peek into those blue eyes.
He seemed to be waiting for Lin Han to calm down, but also not.
The only sound left was Lin Han’s unsteady breathing.
The next second, He YunTing suddenly moved.
He gently pushed Lin Han against the door, clasped him in his arms, then he closed his eyes and bit his red, trembling lips.