So, the members of the rescue team, who had been on high alert, saw their team leader, Zong Lin, lift the dangerous figure in the wheelchair as if he were holding a treasure.
One hand stretched over his knees, the other hand supported the person’s back, allowing them to nestle into his chest.
The movement was devoid of any excess, appearing very familiar.
Shen Jie reached his hand around Zong Lin’s neck.
Although he had a slender figure, he surprisingly felt light.
Zong Lin held him, feeling like he was holding a soft and cold cloud, requiring almost no effort.
Perhaps due to bodily mutation, Shen Jie’s body temperature was very low at this moment. Although it was warmed up slightly by Zong Lin’s previous embrace, it wasn’t much. Many scales had grown on his body, resembling mutations from the direction of the ocean, but without any scent of the sea.
When Zong Lin touched those light-colored shimmering scales, he only felt slippery and ice-cold, unlike the usual human skin texture.
…But still pleasant to touch.
Zong Lin carried Shen Jie into the cabin.
This aircraft was specifically designed for expeditions of ability users, a combat transport plane. The cabin was spacious, with thick and soft carpets covering the floor.
To accommodate the diverse body shapes of ability users, the seats inside were also designed to be very spacious.
Zong Lin placed Shen Jie by the window and sat down next to him.
The alien city was separated from the human city by an entire ocean’s distance. Although the spatial teleportation ability of “Space” could cover hundreds of miles in an instant, it had various conditions and limitations and could not be used for long periods. For long-distance travel, mechanical transportation was still needed.
It took more than ten hours for the plane to return to the city.
Zong Lin took out a medical kit from the storage compartment of the seat and helped Shen Jie treat the wounds on his hands.
He grasped his lover’s wrist and removed the thin white gloves.
The state of mutation on Shen Jie’s hands was more severe than on his face. Fine scales had already covered large areas of his hand back and palm. Moreover, a thin layer of purplish light gauze-like fins had grown under his wrists.
When Shen Ji was touched, he twitched sensitively, brushing against Zong Lin’s fingertips.
Zong Lin felt as if his heart had been suddenly brushed as well. He was stunned for a moment before coming back to his senses, flipping his lover’s hand over to reveal a wound in the center of the palm, cut deeply by a blade.
The wound was deep, with flesh and scales rolled aside, looking shocking.
This was the wound Shen Jie had to suffer when facing the attack of the aliens and had to raise his hand to grasp the knife.
“Is it hurts?” Zong Lin asked.
Shen Jie initially wanted to say “It’s okay,” but after some thought, he made a soft sound and said, “It’s a bit painful.”
He lowered his eyes, still expressionless, avoiding eye contact with others. His body was cold, his heartbeat slow, and the human aura was not as strong as the aura of the alien.
But that nasal “voice” was clearly a coquettish one.
So Zong Lin gentled his movements even more, using mild disinfectant to carefully clean the wound and apply the medication.
Ning Ye and Tang Xiao Bao intentionally sat in the seats beside them.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
As members of the Special Operations Team, they sat across the aisle, both discreetly turning their heads, their eyes alert as they watched Shen Jie.
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Of course, the bandaging process was very safe, and nothing dangerous happened.
Zong Lin gently tied the bandage on Shen Jie’s hand back, then lifted his hand and blew on it lightly.
“Does it still hurt?” he asked.
Shen Jie’s fingertips trembled from the blowing, and the light purple fins on his wrist moved slightly. “It doesn’t hurt anymore,” he replied.
The team members who witnessed this scene: seemed like they got hit in the face with something. Upon closer inspection, oh, it’s dog food.
Zong Lin’s gaze was drawn to the shell-sized fin. He pursed his lips, resisting the urge to touch it, and looked away before asking, “What about your legs?”
Although Shen Jie liked to be carried around at home, he generally didn’t ask to be carried outside. Moreover, when they met just now, Shen Jie had told him that walking would be painful.
And when they just met, Shen Jie told him that walking would be painful.
Sensing his concern, Shen Jie reassured him, saying, “It’s nothing serious. It’s just that the mutation is quite severe.”
Mutation towards the oceanic direction wasn’t suitable for walking on land.
Moreover, because of the dry air in the plane, he felt very thirsty. Yesterday, he drank over a dozen glasses of chilled tomato juice in the temple, but still didn’t feel quenched. Since Wu Yan and Hein left, he hadn’t had any water.
“Is there any water?” he changed the subject.
Zong Lin quickly brought him a cup of warm water.
Shen Jie held the water and drank slowly, taking several sips before feeling a bit more comfortable.
The amount of water he was drinking didn’t seem normal no matter how you look at it.
But Zong Lin remained silent, and the people on the plane kept their eyes to themselves, not daring to ask.
At this moment, the doctor from the rear cabin of the plane came over.
They were responsible for testing infection levels and administering suppressants to the ability users.
“Captain Zong,” the doctor greeted Zong Lin, sneaking a glance at Shen Jie sitting in the adjacent seat.
This had to be Zong Lin’s ordinary companion.
He had been very curious about Zong Lin’s rumored companion—a supposedly powerless ordinary person, just a beautiful vase.
Now, it seemed that the outstanding appearance was true, but the term “powerless” had to be put into question.
Even someone like him, a non-combatant, could sense the danger emanating from the person in front of him. It wasn’t like the suppression of low-level ability users by high-level ones when facing Captain Zong, but rather an instinctive fear of facing an unknown dangerous creature.
He swallowed nervously and, as usual, measured Zong Lin’s infection level—89.5.
“Captain Zong’s infection level has stabilized a lot recently,” the doctor said.
He had seen Zong Lin’s infection level skyrocket to 90 after completing a mission. Not just once or twice.
Zong Lin nodded.
The doctor then turned his attention to Shen Jie, trying to force a professional smile and said, “Mr. Shen, we also need to measure your infection level here. Please extend your hand.”
Shen Jie was still holding a cup of water and didn’t seem inclined to stretch out his hand.
Zong Lin said, “I’ll do it.”
He took the detector and placed the antenna against Shen Jie’s left hand skin.
Shen Jie didn’t flinch.
After a moment, the doctor let out a low exclamation.
The infection value displayed on the detector showed several bright red digits—
98.5.
Beside him, Ning Ye almost jumped out of his seat, only to be pulled back by the seatbelt.
Although this infection value hadn’t reached the point of corruption, it was dangerously close.
When ordinary people reach this infection level, they typically lose their sanity and descend into madness.
Yet, Shen Jie was still able to sit in the chair and converse with them.
Although Zong Lin had some expectations, he never imagined it would be this high.
It had always been Shen Jie who comforted him. But now, Shen Jie’s infection value was even higher than his highest.
His pupils were crimson, and his abilities were uncontrollably flowing on his skin.
Shen Jie was an excellent coordinator. Every time his infection value spiraled out of control, Shen Jie would pull him back from the brink.
But now, it seemed like he couldn’t do anything.
Chen Jiahua had been watching the situation all along and hurriedly said, “Doctor, what about the suppressant? Hurry up and administer it!”
The doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, “Ordinary people can’t handle suppressants; their bodies would collapse under the strain.”
“What should we do?” Chen Jiahua scratched his bald head.
The doctor hesitated. According to protocol, such a high infection value would warrant being sent to the nitrogen chamber. But… he glanced at Zong Lin.
Zong Lin: “You all go back to the rear cabin. I’ll watch over him.”
“This…” The doctor hesitated, and Ning Ye also disagreed. “Captain Zong, his infection value is too high, we can’t…”
Before he could finish, a layer of “Soul” ability unfolded, forming a silver-white “membrane” that enveloped their position — a clear protective stance.
The gaze and voices of outsiders were all kept at a distance, as Zong Lin lowered his head and looked at Shen Jie, saying,
“Xiao Jie…”
He wasn’t just doubtful about Shen Jie’s condition; he was more worried than doubtful.
A 98.5 infection value… When his own infection value exceeded 90 before, he had never felt panic, but now, he was indeed panicking.
Panicking about losing his beloved.
Shen Jie sensed his concern and said, “I’m fine.”
He paused for a moment and added, “If you’re worried, you can bite me again. It might make me feel better.”
The bodily transformation was secondary. At present, the containment was unstable, and his condition was indeed fluctuating. The previous Soul Mark could alleviate some, but it wasn’t enough.
He needed a deeper, more thorough, and longer-lasting connection and mark from Zong Lin, perhaps only then could he achieve a longer period of stable relief.
But it couldn’t be done on the plane.
But it was okay if one didn’t delve too deeply.
Zong Lin held his hand and leaned down to bite him.
…
…
…
The airplane flew through the clouds.
The outlines of the city slowly appeared at the end of the sight. The sky was filled with clouds, and the light shining through the porthole fell on the embracing couple.
The infection value detector placed nearby continuously displayed real-time values.
Shen Jie’s infection value remained unchanged, steadily fixed at the number 98.5.
During the dozen hours of travel, every one or two hours, Shen Jie would come closer and request marking.
Zong Lin entered Shen Jie’s consciousness space several times, only to encounter a silent and desolate world.
That world was filled with varying shades of red, accompanied by silent black and white.
Once again, he brought Shen Jie out of that world and opened his eyes.
The evening sun shone on Shen Jie’s face.
The other person still had their eyes closed, nestled in his arms, their long eyelashes casting shadows, still looking very obedient.
The plane landed outside the city.
Shen Jie’s infection value was too high to pass the city’s defense checkpoint, so they could only rest in a temporary outpost for superpower users a few kilometers away from the city.
Although it was a temporary outpost, the city always took good care of ability users. They arranged a top-floor room with facilities no less luxurious than those in Shen Jie’s room.
Ning Ye and a few others stayed in the neighboring room to monitor security. Chen Jiahua and the others went into the city to the research institute, trying to find a way to invite “healing” ability users to assist.
Ability users capable of reducing infection values were extremely rare and were well protected by the city. The one who could be mobilized immediately outside was Su Shiyu from the bunker. If that savior… perhaps there could be a solution to Shen Jie’s excessively high infection value. Zong Lin thought and carried Shen Jie into the room.
“Go to the bathroom,” Shen Jie whispered, holding onto his neck.
I am very satisfied with this dog food that was stuffed into me
Thanks for the chapter! (≧ω≦)
Thank you for the chapters!!!🫶🫶🫶🫶
Time for the saviour to save himself
Thank you for the chapters! Shen Jie being coy with Zong Lin haha. They make such a cute couple.
So sweet hopefully these humans don’t get any dumb ideas.
I suddenly want Shen Jie to merge with his exoskeleton in front many humans 😌😌 the reaction will be hilarious 🤣🤣
Thanks for the chapter!! 😍😍
Fr that would be amazing lol, imagine how speechless they would be
Imagine he not wanting it to happen,but due to unforseen circumstances he merges with the skeleton, and then everyone is afraid that he ‘ate’ the savior of humanity and him not wanting to explain
🥺🥺🥺
Thank you for the chapters! ❤
It’s sad to think that SJ only wants to have feelings and not be lonely
Why is this is so sad yet so wholesome.? If the city higher-ups do something to SJ or ZL, I would wish in them a very hyper-realistic feeling of having a knife pass through their brain every 3 minutes.
Thank you for the chapter!
Oh, they are so sweet, what an amazing couple! I really enjoy being hit by such “dog food” 😌
Dog food again…hahahahaha