Ji Ling was slightly discouraged by his continuous failures at courting death. He felt that he’d already done the most vicious things possible and didn’t know what more he could do to succeed. That’s why he locked himself in his room all day, feeling depressed.
One day, he heard a shrill alarm sound outside.
Ji Ling was stupefied. He then realized that it should be from the empress’ attack. Last life, the concealed empress made a surprise attack on the base, causing Brandon to fall into peril. However, he and Jing Sui were both reborn this time, so there definitely wouldn’t be any danger.
Ji Ling relaxed.
They fought chaotically outside, and the repeated booming sounds were deafening. Ji Ling wasn’t able to rest and relax at all. Although he’d already experienced this once before, going through it again still made him anxious. He couldn’t resist his curiosity in the end, and pushed open the door quietly, preparing to go outside and see what the situation was like.
The area around the structure he was at was completely deserted. He hadn’t met a single person on the streets. The troops should have all gone out to fight already.
Ji Ling walked out through the metal hallway. Outside, the battle sounded like it was just about over. He cautiously poked his head out of the corridor, and gauged the situation.
As a result, a huge arthropod corpse suddenly fell down from above him. The ugly monster was beaten bloody. The body landed right by his feet, and probably wasn’t completely dead yet. Twitching once, it grimaced at Ji Ling, revealing its ferocious fangs. Thick blood splashed on his pants...
Ahhhhhh! You almost crushed the great me to death!
Ji Ling was so scared that he sat on the ground. His face paled, and he couldn’t stop shaking. F*ck…I couldn’t catch the climax after all. I shouldn’t have come out!
Curiosity kills the cat!
Brandon had just partnered up with Jing Sui to wipe out all the empresses. They were cleaning up the aftereffects at the base now, and taking care of the bugs that had slipped past. As a result, he coincidentally saw the youth cautiously stick his head out of the corridor and pale in fear as the arthropod body smashed down in front of him.
Brandon's eyes froze, and he suddenly jumped down from his mecha. It crashed to the ground with a bam. Without any hesitation, he stepped forward to help the frightened boy up from the ground, hugged his slightly shaking body, and lightly patted him on the back, saying: "It's okay, it's okay..."
He could feel the youth’s fear, and the boy had tightly gripped his arm. The youth right now was clearly so weak and small.
Brandon remembered last life when the youth had driven a mecha, and broken a bloody path through countless bugs just to save him.
How could a person who was truly afraid of death muster such courage?
The boy seemed weak, but at the most crucial moments, such excess courage could burst forth from within him, disregarding life or death. This wasn’t something many people could accomplish.
In this life, however, I'd rather you never have to burst forth with courage like that again, and never have to suffer consequences like that… All you need to do is be protected like this.
I want to protect you, not because you saved me, but just because… I want to.
A gentle and complex look lay in Brandon's gray eyes, and there seemed to be some strange emotion surging up in his chest. He tried his best to lower his voice and not scare the frightened boy, saying slowly, "Don't be afraid, I'll protect you."
Ji Ling really was frightened just now. He hadn’t recovered from his shock yet when he was held in Brandon's arms. Hearing Brandon's gentle words at the moment, made his body stiffen slightly.
I'm as cowardly as a mouse…What are you comforting me for? I haven't even saved you this time.
Ji Ling was despairing over all this, and was so stunned that he forgot to continue with his act.
Just as he was at a loss for how to deal with the situation, he suddenly heard powerful and rhythmic footsteps approaching from in front. A man in black boots and a black military uniform strided over steadily and forcefully!
Jing Sui looked at Brandon who was holding Ji Ling. Cold light flashed in the golden eyes. Meaningfully, he glanced at Brandon, and said in a deep voice: "The east side still needs to be cleaned up. Go there for a bit, and leave this place to me.”
However, Brandon didn’t respond immediately this time, and looked straight into Jing Sui’s eyes. Time seemed to freeze.
Jing Sui watched Brandon, and his eyes dimmed slightly, looking cold and firm.
After a long while, Brandon slowly let go of his hand, and gave Ji Ling a glance full of deep affection. Then, he turned to leave without further hesitation.
Although he didn’t want to let go… what Ji Ling needed was Jing Sui.
It had always only been Jing Sui.
This point, he was extremely clear on from last life.
Jing Sui watched Brandon leave, and then step-by-step walked in front of Ji Ling. Gently, he picked him up and brought him back to his room.
Ji Ling obediently stayed in Jing Sui's arms, because he’d been ‘scared’ by him several times already. How could he dare move now? Jing Sui carefully placed him on the bed, and then sat by his bedside, saying softly, “Were you frightened?”
That was true… I'm a coward, after all! One of those scaredy-cats you hate the most! Ji Ling nodded with a pale face.
Waves stirred in Jing Sui's eyes. Remembering the danger just now, his heart sank, and he sighed: "I told you to stay here obediently."
Ji Ling pressed his lips together, not meeting his eyes and not saying a word.
Jing Sui gave a helpless look. He couldn't bear to blame the youth at all. He was really worried about him just now... His boy was so fragile that he couldn't handle any danger at all.
He was so fragile that he couldn’t even take one of Carlos’ shots, and just up and died in his arms.
Jing Sui closed his eyes to mask the pain in the bottom of his eyes.
During those countless nights, endless regret and pain kept surfacing again and again. There were many words he’d never had a chance to convey before, and many things he’d never had the chance to share. He hadn’t even had the chance to treat the boy nicely… At the time, he’d always thought that he’d never be able to make up for it…
Because people like him didn’t deserve salvation.
After a long time, Jing Sui finally reached out, and gently covered the blanket over Ji Ling. He looked at him deeply, saying: "Sleep. Everything’s over already.”
This time, I will protect you.
I will never allow anyone to hurt you again.
..........................................
Jing Sui waited until Ji Ling fell asleep, and then gently closed the door and left. Going outside, he saw that the battlefield was cleaned up. In the dark of night, the steel base was shrouded in silence. Only a bloody smell remained in the air to show that there had been a brutal battle here.
A man with red hair and gray eyes stood at the door. Like a guard, he’d stood there for who knows how long. Looking up, a cold face with hard lines was revealed. He stared fixedly at Jing Sui.
Jing Sui said lightly: "You were waiting for me."
Brandon stared at Jing Sui. On his beautiful face, those golden eyes were as cold and indifferent as always, making it difficult to tell his emotions. It seemed as if he would never take anything to heart.
So are you really putting Ji Ling in your heart this time?
Or is it only because of your guilt from last life?
Brandon slowly clenched the hand hanging by his side.
Why was it that whenever he recalled the scene where Jing Sui held Ji Ling in his arms, and remembered when Ji Ling looked at Jing Sui with loving eyes... Every time he thought of those, there seemed to be some kind of sour emotion flowing out of his heart.
He’d never even felt this kind of emotion when Ning Yu and Jing Sui got together last life.
This kind of feeling… was it the so-called ‘jealousy?’
So even I can feel jealous...
He was jealous that Jing Sui would have to audacity to receive the youth’s love, the youth’s everything… While he himself could only let go time and time again; could only watch the youth leave one time after another. He wasn’t even qualified to get close to the boy.
Brandon took a deep breath. He looked Jing Sui in the eye, and said in a low voice, emphasizing every word: "If you’re not sincere, and only approaching him because of your guilty conscience, then you shouldn’t continue like this… He’ll get hurt."
Jing Sui narrowed his eyes slightly, and his sharp glare fell on Brandon's face. He was very familiar with his friend, and they had an implicit understanding of their rebirths.
And you... Do you only feel guilt towards him now?
Jing Sui's thin lips parted slightly, and his eyes were cold like a knife. His voice was as dark and as cool as the night when he said: “And how do you know I’m not sincere?"