ko-fi extra chapter for diabolomenth 
Thank youuu (๑>ᴗ<๑) ❤️
Xu Ze still ended up buying a safe, the smallest one. He placed the badge inside with some bank cards and documents. He set a password and locked it tightly.
Xu Ze didn’t go to the 195th Hospital these days, spending all his time in the laboratory of the Military Medical University. He only returned to his dormitory in the early hours of the morning, after which he washed up and lay in bed to work on assignments—look for restaurants.
Lu Heyang said that Xu Ze could choose any time, but Xu Ze preferred to follow Lu Heyang’s schedule. He didn’t plan to delay. Every day he didn’t deal with this matter, it would linger on his mind. Lu Heyang didn’t know when he would leave the capital, so Xu Ze might end up worrying about this dinner for a long, long time.
Xu Ze compiled a spreadsheet of the top restaurants from various food apps. He listed their addresses, ratings, signature dishes, and user reviews as well as copied the restaurant’s layout into the table for comparison. He rarely ate out, sticking to the 195th Hospital’s and the Military Medical University’s cafeterias. Whether dining with colleagues or team members, they frequented the same restaurants, none of which he found particularly good.
In the past, he had only treated Lu Heyang to noodles. Now, he could afford a better restaurant. Such an opportunity might only come around once… There were many reasons, but the only reason might be that the other party was Lu Heyang, prompting Xu Ze to take it seriously without any apparent reason.
Xu Ze sent the table to Chi Jiahan, thinking he might have more insight, and inquired: Which one of these restaurants is the best?
Soon, Chi Jiahan replied: ?
Chi Jiahan: What’s this for?
Xu Ze: I want to invite a friend for dinner.
Chi Jiahan: What friend? Lu Heyang?
Xu Ze opened the table to look at it again. He found that neither the title nor the contents mentioned “Lu Heyang”. He wondered how Chi Jiahan had cracked it in a second.
While he was still pondering about it, Chi Jiahan called.
“I heard that Colonel Lu visited your department two or three times.” Chi Jiahan said, “Just those few times, you two haven’t screwed, have you?”
Doctor Chi used rather extreme language, but Xu Ze didn’t react because no such thing had happened. He simply asked, “How did you guess who I was inviting to dinner?”
“Duh! For a person like you, who else could make you go to the trouble of making a spreadsheet for a meal other than Lu Heyang?”
“Okay.” Xu Ze got his answer and nodded on his end of the call.
“How is it okay? Did he remember anything about you?”
“No.”
“Then who suggested dinner? It couldn’t have been you, right?”
Xu Ze remained silent so Chi Jiahan continued, “Lu Heyang asked? Why would he ask you to treat him to dinner? Is he joking? Or trying to seduce you?”
“…” Xu Ze thought the second guess was really absurd and said in a serious tone, “Don’t say that.”
“Xu Ze, I think Lu Heyang saw through you ages ago. You can’t act, and you can’t hide anything from him.” Chi Jiahan sighed, “Honestly, do you think Lu Heyang liked you in high school?”
The phone slipped from Xu Ze’s palm and landed on the pillow. Xu Ze slowly picked it up and replied, “I don’t know.”
“Even if he did like you, that was a long time ago and he doesn’t remember anymore.” Chi Jiahan suddenly became serious, “He might be curious and interested in you now, but every time you see him, do you really feel okay? Even if one day he finds out what happened between you two, he’ll just know it but he can’t have the same emotions and feelings as before.”
“In other words, the past Lu Heyang can’t come back. It’s not that the current him is bad, but you’re probably the one who can feel the difference the most. I’ve always believed in considering the worst situation first, so I’m telling you to think it over carefully.”
Xu Ze was silent for a while and replied, “Okay, I understand.”
“…Forget it,” Chi Jiahan muttered, “What’s the point of telling you all this? Deep down you already know.”
Chi Jiahan couldn’t understand why Xu Ze was so foolish and stubborn, like a machine waiting for Lu Heyang’s command. He could remain silent for years even if the order never came. That was just the way he was.
The term “waiting” might not be the most appropriate, considering that Xu Ze had no expectations and didn’t insist on an outcome. Chi Jiahan wondered how someone could like another person without having any goals, ideas, or wishes.
“Don’t worry about me, it doesn’t matter,” Xu Ze reassured him.
Xu Ze didn’t dwell on it. He didn’t need Lu Heyang to know about the past or to recover his memories—he had no delusions about that. If Lu Heyang asked him to have a meal, Xu Ze would accept, treating each encounter as if it were the last.
This was probably the most effort Xu Ze could put into comforting him, and it amused Chi Jiahan, “That’s right, you got used to eating the 'last meal' before, so it’s not so bad this time, right?”
This metaphor was both inappropriate and graphic. Xu Ze didn’t know how to respond, so he just said, “Have you gone home? Get some rest.”
“Not yet. I’m getting ready to leave in the hospital parking lot.”
“Okay, drive safe.”
“I know.” Before hanging up, Chi Jiahan added, “The third restaurant. The food is good. It’s a little pricey, but since you’re treating Lu Heyang, you probably don’t care about the price.”
“Alright, thank you.”
After the call ended, Xu Ze circled the third restaurant on the spreadsheet.
—
“Colonel Lu.”
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.
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The first time they met was during Lu Heyang’s second year at university when he took the initiative to seek psychological counseling from Su Li’an after an air battle.
“What did you see?” Su Li’an asked.
“I saw a classmate who had been in the same class for over two years.” Lu Heyang frowned, “The fighter jet he was piloting was hit fifty meters from me and crashed.”
It was a typical case of post-war traumatic stress disorder, most common in patients who had just been exposed to war or had been in a war environment for an extended period. Lu Heyang’s reaction was among the milder cases.
The psychological counseling session didn’t last long. It ended in less than fifteen minutes as Lu Heyang received a mission notification halfway through and left for the airport.
Their next meeting took place after the regional conflict ended. Fifteen fighter jets landed at a military airport. Lu Heyang was dressed in a combat uniform and carrying the ashes of his comrades as he stepped onto his homeland’s soil under the scrutiny of government officials and the military.
After that, Lu Heyang never mentioned anything about the battlefield. Instead, he shared a recurring dream with Su Li’an.
A phone ringing incessantly, a blurry screen, a call that could never be answered.
“It could be scenes from before you lost your memory or maybe it is another form of projection of certain memories. Or it could just be a dream,” Su Li’an told him.
“Perhaps,” Lu Heyang replied.
He seemed to have already considered these possibilities and hadn’t hoped to get different answers from his psychiatrist.
During this visit to the capital, Su Li’an’s main agenda included giving lectures and attending seminars at the Military Medical University. She decided to visit the air base this morning since she had some free time.
“In our last conversation, you mentioned that you might be finding some answers. I’m curious what you meant by that.”
“I’m curious too,” Lu Heyang crossed his fingers and rested them on his lap, “I just have a feeling that I might have met the key person.”
“Could it be the person who calls you in your dreams?”
“Not sure yet.” Lu Heyang smiled, “But I hope he is.”
—
On the fifteenth day, Xu Ze decided to try reaching out to Lu Heyang to invite him to dinner. He just happened to have some free evenings these days.
Sending an invitation was a challenging task for Xu Ze. He had no idea when Lu Heyang would check his phone. Consequently, Xu Ze woke up at 6 am with the alarm clock and was still glued to the chat screen at 6:30.
Finally, realizing he was about to be late, he closed his eyes and sent the message, then turned off his phone and headed to the 195th Hospital.
After a busy morning, it was nearly noon when Xu Ze returned to his office. As he turned on his phone, he remembered sending a message to Lu Heyang. He noticed that there were no unread messages from him.
A colleague called him to join him for lunch, so he turned off his phone, put it in his pocket, and left the office.
Noon, afternoon, evening—Lu Heyang didn’t reply to the message. Xu Ze’s initial uneasiness transformed into doubt. He wondered if Lu Heyang had just joked politely when he asked him to treat him to dinner.
However, the text had already been sent, and Xu Ze couldn’t delete it. If it was a joke, all he had to do was wait for Lu Heyang to refuse.
Xu Ze found waiting for Lu Heyang’s rejection to be more relieving than waiting for his acceptance.
After returning to the apartment and freshening up, Xu Ze opened his computer to read documents. Normally, he would put his cell phone on silent mode while studying at night, but today he just set it on vibrate.
As he sat in front of the computer for two hours, his phone vibrated several times. Each time, Xu Ze checked it, but there was still no message from Lu Heyang.
It was getting late. Xu Ze shut down the computer, washed his hands, and went to bed.
Before going to sleep, Xu Ze opened the text he had sent in the morning. It was a simple message: Hello Colonel. It’s Xu Ze. Regarding our conversation about dinner last time, I was wondering if you have any free time recently.
The more he looked at it, the more he felt that the sentence was awkward and poorly constructed. Xu Ze was speechless of himself and turned off the light.
Sleep didn’t come easily. He had fragmented dreams and even dreamed of a message alert. Xu Ze fumbled for his phone and hazily saw a reply from Lu Heyang, seemingly asking him to give him a call.
How could that be, Xu Ze thought as he drifted into the next dream.
Not long after dawn, Xu Ze woke up before the alarm clock and felt a mild headache. He opened his eyes and collected himself before picking up his phone to check the time.
Before seeing the time, Xu Ze noticed the notification preview on the screen. The words “Colonel Lu” stood out among all the messages as if they were bold and highlighted. Xu Ze froze, unlocked the phone, and entered the chat.
Colonel Lu: Dr. Xu, call me if you wake up before 6:30. Or I’ll call you later, around noon.
After reading the message, Xu Ze immediately checked the time: 6:13 am. Without pausing to hesitate, he sat up and dialed Lu Heyang’s number.
In the few seconds of waiting for an answer, Xu Ze could distinctly hear his heartbeat. The last time he called Lu Heyang was at the age of eighteen, and despite numerous attempts, none of them went through.
“Hello? Dr. Xu.”
The moment Xu Ze heard the voice, he unconsciously held his breath. After a moment, he replied, “Colonel.”
“Sorry, I had a lot going on yesterday and returned to my apartment late. I couldn’t reply to you in time.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Xu Ze touched the side of his neck and only then noticed that his palms were sweaty.
“I have a meeting tonight, so we might not be able to eat dinner together. How about tomorrow?”
Not a refusal. Xu Ze was slightly stunned and said, “Sure.”
Lu Heyang seemed to be smiling as he asked, “Dr. Xu, have you chosen a restaurant yet?”
“I have.” Xu Ze nodded on the phone, “A friend said the place has good food.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow. I’ll contact you in the evening.”
“Mn, see you tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Xu Ze still felt a strong sense of disbelief. He reread Lu Heyang’s message and checked the call log, ultimately confirming that it was real.
Time seemed to slow down from the moment Xu Ze finished the call with Lu Heyang. He didn’t notice it when he was busy, but as soon as things quieted down, the words “have dinner together” would pop into Xu Ze’s mind. Every time he thought about it, he would stop for a second to check the time, only to find that it was still a long time away.
A new patient checked in in the afternoon. Once the hospitalization details were sorted, Xu Ze sat in his office to write medical records. The setting sun streamed through the window and shone on the back of Xu Ze’s hand. He looked at it for a while, then turned his hand over. The yellow light felt warm in his palm.
The phone rang. Xu Ze turned his head and answered without checking the caller ID, “Hello?”
“Dr. Xu, are you done working?”
The palm that had been spread out in the sun suddenly curled up. Xu Ze replied with an “Mn”.
“I’m almost in the city center. Do you want me to pick you up?”
“There will be a traffic jam. I’ll send you the restaurant location and take the subway.”
“Alright.”
After ending the call, Xu Ze sent the restaurant address to Lu Heyang, then packed up his things and went to the changing room. He had never left work so enthusiastically and even forgot to clock out.
“Hey, Dr. Xu!” The nurse at the reception desk saw Xu Ze, who had already taken off his white coat and was rushing toward the elevator, and called out to him, “Remember to sign out!”
Xu Ze halted, then walked back to scan his fingerprint.
“You’re leaving so quickly. Is there an emergency?”
“No.”
“Could it be that you’re rushing off for a date?” The nurse chuckled, “It’s rare to see you leaving on time.”
Xu Ze smiled faintly, “No.”
The subway was extremely crowded during the evening rush hour. Xu Ze held the handrail and watched the station signs change from green to red. The subway doors opened and closed, and the crowd rushed in and out.
Upon arrival, Xu Ze stepped off the subway and swiped his card to exit. After taking the elevator, he took out his phone and saw a message from Lu Heyang five minutes ago: I’m at Exit D.
Xu Ze had gotten off at Exit C, but it didn’t matter. Exit D was right across the street. He replied: OK, I’ll be there soon.
Several enormous LED screens lit up the busiest commercial district of the capital, where people streamed like a river. Xu Ze looked across the street amid the crowd and quickly spotted the alpha on the sidewalk.
Lu Heyang was wearing an ordinary, inconspicuous black T-shirt, standing there upright and relaxed. Perhaps it was his height that made him stand out, or maybe it was because, among all the unfamiliar faces, Xu Ze instantly recognized that one familiar face.
The traffic light turned red. Xu Ze stood at the crosswalk, still looking at Lu Heyang from a distance. After a moment, he saw Lu Heyang’s eyes shift, and the light reflected in them landed on Xu Ze’s face.
The moment their eyes met, Xu Ze felt a sudden stiffness in his entire body. Lu Heyang, on the other hand, didn’t seem surprised. He just looked at Xu Ze and smiled.
The traffic flowed between their eyes. At this moment, Xu Ze confirmed that Chi Jiahan was mistaken—Lu Heyang hadn’t really changed. Whether he was a teenager or now, he was the same. The only difference was in Xu Ze’s perspective. Just because Lu Heyang didn’t remember him, he shouldn’t define them as two different people.
The red light seemed endless. In the last few seconds of the countdown, Xu Ze even felt like he could no longer stand still. However, he didn’t react immediately when the green light came on. It wasn’t until someone accidentally bumped into his shoulder that he started to move.
The two groups of pedestrians from both sides of the street converged on the crosswalk. Lu Heyang stayed where he was. Xu Ze maneuvered through the oncoming pedestrians to the sidewalk and walked up to Lu Heyang.
Lu Heyang reached out and almost grasped Xu Ze’s arm to pull him a step closer. The surroundings remained noisy, but Xu Ze felt like his body was floating. He asked, “Have you been waiting for a long time?”
“I haven’t.” Lu Heyang released his hand, “That’s why I wanted to tell you not to walk so fast just now.”
Xu Ze had no memory of his actions during the past half minute. He couldn’t help but ask, “Did I seem to be in a hurry?”
Lu Heyang turned to the side to glance at him with a hint of a smile in his eyes. He said, “Not really.”
The restaurant was considerably quieter because it was a stand-alone building rather than in a shopping mall. Xu Ze had reserved a window seat with a night view of the riverside. He ordered a few signature dishes and intended to let Lu Heyang choose the rest.
Lu Heyang ordered only one dish and then asked Xu Ze, “Is there anything else you’d like to order, Dr. Xu?”
Xu Ze shook his head, “Nothing more.”
“Alright.” Lu Heyang handed the menu back to the waiter.
Because it was quiet, Xu Ze felt a little uneasy. He looked outside. The night view of the capital was actually gorgeous, yet it appeared he had just noticed it today.
“Have we ever eaten alone like this before?” Lu Heyang suddenly asked.
Xu Ze turned around and replied, “Yes, we have.”
But the few times they ate in a restaurant, it was with He Wei and Gu Yunchi. When it was just the two of them, it was only in the old house or that shabby and noisy noodle shop.
“What did we eat?”
“I cooked, and we also had noodles.”
“Dr. Xu, you remember so clearly.” Lu Heyang continued, “Did you cook at your place?”
At this point, Xu Ze realized something was off, but Lu Heyang’s expression was natural and didn’t seem to have a specific meaning. Xu Ze nodded, “Yes.”
“Did I go to your place often back then?”
“Not… too often.”
But Lu Heyang said, “So it’s often, right?”
“Maybe.” Xu Ze had reminded himself to keep it together and answer carefully, albeit with little success.
“What did we usually do at your place? Besides eating.”
At this point, if he said that they studied together, it would definitely be more ridiculous than a joke. So Xu Ze answered, “We chatted.”
Unfortunately, this answer was only second to studying together in terms of funniness. Lu Heyang laughed, “Were you talkative in high school, Dr. Xu?”
Xu Ze knew that Lu Heyang had probably discovered he was lying again. But Lu Heyang didn’t seem angry about it and was rather relaxed and happy.
Fortunately, the waiter arrived with a food cart and saved Xu Ze. Xu Ze said, “The dishes are here.”
Lu Heyang nodded cooperatively, “Mn, I saw it.”
A meal shouldn’t be this short, Xu Ze thought for the first time. He tried to eat as slowly as possible.
As the dinner came to an end, Xu Ze looked out of the window and then at Lu Heyang. There might not be moments like this in the future, but Xu Ze felt happy because he had finally treated Lu Heyang to a proper meal.
“Finished eating?” Lu Heyang asked.
“Yes.”
“Let’s go.”
Xu Ze nodded and pressed the service bell to ask for the bill. After paying the bill, they walked outside. Xu Ze assumed that Lu Heyang’s car was parked near the restaurant, so it would be time to say goodbye when they reached the entrance.
Loss was a meaningless emotion, but Xu Ze couldn’t help but feel it. When they reached the entrance of the restaurant, Xu Ze waited for Lu Heyang to say goodbye.
“Do you have any other plans for tonight, Dr. Xu?”
Xu Ze froze, “No.”
“How about watching a movie together?” Lu Heyang’s eyes were dim and blurred under the lights from above. He continued, “The drive-in theater is about twenty minutes from here.”
Xu Ze had lived in the capital for over twenty years but had no idea there was a drive-in theater nearby.
Although he was tempted to say yes, he still asked, “Won’t it delay your time, Colonel?”
“You’re the one who was invited, no need to worry about me.” Lu Heyang smiled, “Tonight is my private time, no worries about delays.”
Xu Ze looked at him and agreed, “Alright.”
Lu Heyang was still driving an ordinary military all-road vehicle. Xu Ze sat in the front passenger seat. He was about to close the door when he caught a glimpse of a small package at his feet. Thinking it was trash, he leaned over to pick it up.
“Did you drop something?” Lu Heyang turned on the car’s interior lights to help Xu Ze search.
“No, it seems to be…”
As Xu Ze straightened up, his words trailed off. Lu Heyang fastened his seatbelt and looked at Xu Ze’s hand.
The lighting was clear. It wasn’t garbage, it was an unopened condom.
Author’s note:
Colonel Lu spent the whole night investigating who was the last person to use the car.
I couldn’t stop myself from cackling at the last line 🤣
Are they gonna use it? 👀👀👀👀👀👀
Thank you for the chapter 🙂 My heart is still hurting that he doesn’t remind him.. but at least they’re spending time together..
Lol whoever used the car last should hide properly or else colonel lu might skin u alive~
Thank you for the chapter ☺️
unopened but not for long (i hope)