extra ko-fi chapter for Sandiiiahh ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧ wow thank you so much! ❤️
On the fourth day of the new year, Xu Ze packed his bags minimally and was driven to the airport by Chi Jiahan.
Huang Liling didn’t come to see him off. Xu Ze brought the project with him this time, and Huang Liling would soon arrive at the research institute as well.
“How is He Wei?”
“What could be wrong with him?” Chi Jiahan said expressionlessly, “That mouth of his will be sewn shut sooner or later.”
“He really likes you,” Xu Ze said.
Despite the misunderstanding that he and Chi Jiahan were going to get married, the first thing He Wei wanted to do after waking up from the surgery was tell him about Tang Feiyi’s death. Xu Ze felt he should do something for He Wei, like subtly hinting at Chi Jiahan.
Chi Jiahan remained silent for a few seconds before saying, “Who do you think would be the happiest if I ended up with him?”
Without waiting for Xu Ze’s answer, Chi Jiahan continued, “It would be my dad and stepmom.”
“Do you know what position He Wei’s dad holds now?” Chi Jiahan said calmly, “There couldn’t be more pleasing in-laws for my dad. It’s a perfect match in his eyes.”
“That’s the reason. As long as I’m his son, I can’t escape being used as a bargaining chip. It’s not just He Wei, I wouldn’t consider any rich or powerful alpha.”
Although the suggestion was ridiculous, Xu Ze still tried, “What if you don’t get married?”
“He Wei is his parent’s only son. Could they allow him not to get married?”
“Okay,” Xu Ze nodded, “It’s your decision.”
Over the past few days, Chi Jiahan had sensed that Xu Ze was a little different, but he couldn’t pinpoint why. However, he suspected it might have something to do with Lu Heyang. He deliberately asked, “So is the matter of us getting married still on the table?”
Sure enough, Xu Ze hesitated and only after a while said, “Probably not anymore.”
“Why?” Chi Jiahan acted puzzled, “You said you would help me.”
“Everything else is okay,” Xu Ze was embarrassed but firm, “But not this.”
“Then tell me why,” Chi Jiahan turned to look at him, “Why? Why?”
Xu Ze was forced to make an excuse, “Marriage shouldn’t be rushed into.”
Chi Jiahan laughed, “You, who practically has ‘I lied’ written all over your face, probably made Lu Heyang suspicious the moment he laid eyes on you. You still think you can hide it so well?”
Reflecting on the past, whether it was back in high school or now, it seemed like this was indeed the case. Xu Ze remained silent.
When they arrived at the airport, Xu Ze checked in his luggage. Before he went through the security check, Chi Jiahan hugged him, “Come back when you have time. Don’t ghost me once you’re abroad and take care of yourself.”
“Mn,” Xu Ze replied, “You too.”
Chi Jiahan watched as Xu Ze passed through the security check. Before leaving, Xu Ze turned to wave to him. Chi Jiahan also smiled and raised his hand. During university, it was always Xu Ze who saw him off when he went abroad to study. This time, the roles were reversed. Chi Jiahan, looking at Xu Ze’s back, suddenly realized that Xu Ze always seemed to be the one saying goodbye.
Fortunately, even though Xu Ze appeared to come and go at will now, there must still be attachments in his heart.
Having attachments was a good thing, otherwise, people would be swept away by the wind and would no longer yearn for a place to call their own.
It was evening when the plane landed. Among the colleagues who came to pick him up, one was Xu Ze’s university classmate and the other was an old acquaintance with whom he had shared life and death on the battlefield for almost a month. The initial unfamiliarity was quickly dispelled as they all went to a restaurant together to welcome Xu Ze.
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.
Every doctoral apartment consisted of two bedrooms and a living room, with one bedroom serving as a study. After dinner, Xu Ze sat on the sofa with his phone in his hand in thought instead of immediately unpacking his things—contemplating how to start the conversation.
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Gfrqlaf tlr foobgar, We If mbeivc’a mbwf eq klat j qfgofma bqfclcu ilcf. Lf uijcmfv ja atf alwf jcv gfjilhfv la kjr jigfjvs ijaf. Po tf vlvc’a rfcv j wfrrjuf abvjs, la kbeiv yf mbcrlvfgfv jc jyrfcmf. Lf bqfcfv atf mtja klat Oe Lfsjcu jcv asqfv j ofk kbgvr rfglberis: Jbibcfi, jgf sbe riffqlcu?
After hitting send, even though he knew that Lu Heyang couldn’t possibly reply right away, Xu Ze still stared at the chat screen without moving. To his surprise, he received a reply in just ten seconds: You are?
Xu Ze was taken aback. He thought Lu Heyang might have accidentally deleted his contacts and replied: I am Xu Ze.
Lu Heyang: Is this the Dr. Xu who promised to stay in touch with me but went silent for four days?
Even though he had asked while knowing the answer, Xu Ze explained: I just arrived at the research institute today.
Lu Heyang: I know.
Lu Heyang: Can we talk on the phone?
When he asked this, Xu Ze didn’t waste time replying and called directly.
“Colonel.”
“Mn.” Lu Heyang asked, “Have you arrived at the dorm?”
“Just arrived.” Xu Ze, keeping his promise to find a topic, continued, “Are you resting?”
“Just got out of the command room.”
Following these words, Lu Heyang didn’t continue, leaving only the sound of footsteps audible on the other end of the phone. Xu Ze, still immersed in the question-and-answer mode, got stuck. After a few seconds, he let out an “Oh,” and then said not so smoothly, “It’s so late, you’ve worked hard.”
Lu Heyang seemed to let out a laugh, but Xu Ze wasn’t sure. Then he heard Lu Heyang ask, “Do you live alone in the dorm or with roommates?”
“I live alone.” Xu Ze looked around the unfamiliar surroundings, “It’s much bigger than the previous one.”
“How big is it?”
“There’s an extra study and the bedroom is separate.” Xu Ze described in detail how spacious it was, “The balcony is also much larger.”
“What about the sofa?”
Xu Ze was unsure, so he looked at the sofa and replied, “It’s big too, big enough to lie on.”
“I’m coming to S City next month for a meeting. Can I crash on your sofa in your dorm?”
Lu Heyang was coming to S City and sleeping on his sofa—both things left Xu Ze unable to respond. He sat up a little straighter and asked, “When?”
“Around the first third of the month. The Union government is having a meeting, but the exact date hasn’t been set yet.”
Xu Ze thought quickly and said, “Today is only the 6th.”
That meant there was still over a month to go.
“Why do you sound so disappointed?” Lu Heyang called him, “Dr. Xu.”
Even if “I lied” was written on his face now, as long as he wasn’t face-to-face with Lu Heyang, he wouldn’t find out. Xu Ze said, “No, I’m not.”
“That’s good. The flight must have been tiring. Get some rest.”
“Mn.” Xu Ze nodded over the phone. He hesitated before asking, “Today, was it okay?”
“What do you mean?”
“Chatting like this, is it okay?”
“Dr. Xu, I’ll give you ninety points.” Lu Heyang’s voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement, “It would have been better if you were more honest.”
Even though Xu Ze was caught lying again, scoring ninety points made him happy. He said, “I’ll call you tomorrow as well.”
“Yeah.”
After hanging up, Xu Ze dragged his suitcase into the bedroom. He opened it and took out the yellowed notebook from the inner compartment. When he turned to a certain page, there were twelve somewhat faded circles. As he turned to the next page, half of the page was filled with the tally “卌”. Xu Ze squatted on the floor, looked at it for a while, then turned to another page. He took a pen and wrote today’s date at the top, followed by a checkmark.
As promised, Xu Ze called Lu Heyang the next day and the day after that, every single day. Before calling, Xu Ze would send a text message to confirm with Lu Heyang, and he always received a quick reply. On days when Xu Ze was busy until late, he would find time in the corridor to make the call earlier.
Every time Xu Ze spoke quietly in the corridor, Lu Heyang would ask him, “Did you sneak out to call me again today?”
The checkmarks on the small notebook filled several pages without a single day’s break. For the first time, Xu Ze had been in contact with Lu Heyang for such a long time. It appeared to be more than all the calls they had made during their high school days put together.
However, because of the rough date, the time until Lu Heyang came to S City seemed extra long. Especially when Xu Ze learned that the meeting was finally scheduled for the 10th.
So, the first third of the month meant the last day of the first third of the month.
“I planned to come a night earlier, but I can’t get away from the base,” Lu Heyang said, “After the meeting on the 10th, I have to go to the Union’s main military district.”
It would be a lie to say that Xu Ze wasn’t disappointed, but he expressed his understanding, “It’s okay. We’ll meet the next time you are free.”
“We’ll meet this time too,” Lu Heyang assured Xu Ze, “There should be two or three hours between the end of the meeting and my trip to the main military district. If you’re available, I’ll come to find you.”
Xu Ze seemed to have lost his mind and replied without thinking, “I’ll be available.”
A total of 35 checkmarks were drawn. Xu Ze asked Huang Liling in advance to take leave on the 10th. He planned to go near the Union government building in the afternoon to wait for Lu Heyang to finish the meeting. This would save time as Lu Heyang wouldn’t have to pick him up from the research institute.
—
At 9:00 am, the first half of the meeting started on time. This time, Gu Yunchi and a navy captain accompanied Lu Heyang from the capital.
On the main stage were the leaders of the Union government and the commanders of the various military districts. Lu Chengyu sat in the center and watched Lu Heyang salute the commanders beside him before taking his seat.
The meeting lasted until 11:30 am. After a one-hour lunch break, the second half began. It lasted until almost 3:00 pm and the meeting came to an end. The attendees began to leave the venue. Luo Jun pulled Lu Heyang aside with a rare expression of hesitation. In the end, he just patted Lu Heyang’s shoulder and said, “I trust your judgment. Be careful with everything. I don’t want anyone but you in my position in the future. Do you understand?”
Lu Heyang smiled, “I’ve made you worry.”
Luo Jun glanced behind Lu Heyang and lifted his chin, “Someone is looking for you.”
Lu Heyang turned around and saw a government official smiling professionally not far away, “Sorry to interrupt. The Chairman would like Colonel Lu to come to his office.”
“You go ahead. I’ll head to the military district first,” Luo Jun said.
“Mn.”
The secretary opened the door of Lu Chengyu’s office for Lu Heyang and invited him in.
There was a chair in front of the desk, but Lu Heyang had no intention of sitting down. He simply asked, “What does the Chairman want with me?”
He hadn’t called Lu Chengyu “dad” for many years, ever since Lin Yumian divorced Lu Chengyu.
After losing his memory due to the kidnapping that year, Lin Yumian hired a professional psychological counseling team to treat Lu Heyang. However, during the treatment, Lu Heyang sensed that something was amiss. He realized that instead of recovering his memories, the psychological suggestions and memory interference he received were stronger—these doctors seemed to be trying to manipulate his memories.
Lin Yumian almost trembled with rage when he found out about this. He immediately stopped the psychological treatment on Lu Heyang and flew to S City to confront Lu Chengyu.
Three months after his return from S City, Lin Yumian completed the divorce, completely freeing himself from the title of the Chairman’s wife. As for why Lu Chengyu agreed to the divorce, Lin Yumian didn’t say, and Lu Heyang and Lu Qingmo didn’t ask.
Lu Heyang was straightforward, so Lu Chengyu also got straight to the point, “I heard you’re undergoing psychological treatment.”
“Is there an issue, Chairman?”
“Have you reported it to the military headquarters?” Lu Chengyu raised his eyes to look at him.
Lu Heyang looked directly at him calmly, “This issue should be dealt with by the military headquarters.”
“Undergoing psychological treatment without proper reporting is a violation of military regulations. As a colonel, you should be aware of this.”
“I’m willing to step aside if the Chairman can immediately find a suitable candidate to take over the capital’s air base. However, it seems that the Union government has no authority to interfere with the transfers of military personnel,” Lu Heyang said, “Or you can discuss it with Commander Luo.”
These words indicated that Luo Jun knew about it and had tacitly approved. Lu Chengyu didn’t say anything more, and Lu Heyang nodded at him, “I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave.”
In the elevator, Lu Heyang opened his phone and saw a message from Xu Ze ten minutes ago: I’m at the fountain in the central park.
Lu Heyang replied: OK, I’ll be there soon.
The military vehicle arranged for pick-up was parked downstairs. A captain from the main military district was sitting in the front passenger seat. Only Gu Yunchi was in the back seat, as the navy captain had already taken another car to the military district.
“Colonel Lu,” the captain greeted Lu Heyang with a smile.
“Long time no see,” Lu Heyang smiled and then said to the driver, “Go to the fountain in the central park.”
“Sure, what about you, Colonel Gu?”
Gu Yunchi looked at his phone, “Hold on.”
After a few seconds, probably upon receiving a message, he read out a shop name from the screen and said, “Go here.”
“Sounds like a dessert shop,” Lu Heyang remarked.
“He said he wanted to eat the croissants from this place,” Gu Yunchi said indifferently, “I wonder if he’s never eaten bread in his life.”
The central park was close to the Union government, and they arrived there in just a few minutes. In the distance, they could see a tall alpha standing on the side of the busy street, wearing only a black hoodie. The sun was shining today and S City was generally warmer than the capital.
“Huh?” the captain asked in surprise, “Is that, is that Dr. Xu?”
Lu Heyang took off his military cap and looked at him when he heard this, “You know him?”
“Well, sort of. I met him two years ago at the frontlines in the western war zone, the same time you came for support. Dr. Xu asked me for the location of your unit, so I checked it for him. It turned out that your team had just flown to another area ten minutes ago and missed him,” the captain said, “I assumed Dr. Xu was looking for someone from the Air Force team, it turns out he was looking for you.”
Gu Yunchi glanced at Lu Heyang who remained silent and whispered, “Let me sit at the main table at the wedding.”
The car stopped at the side of the road and Lu Heyang opened the door to get out. Xu Ze froze when he saw him. He was about to smile when he suddenly noticed that Gu Yunchi was in the car behind Lu Heyang. The window on the passenger side was lowered, and the captain who had met Xu Ze a few times waved at him, “Dr. Xu, do you remember me?”
Xu Ze quickly remembered, “I do, Captain Yu.”
He regretted it. If he had known, he would have stood in a more hidden place. Even though it was just a casual encounter, it would be better to avoid unnecessary involvement considering Lu Heyang’s status was special. Just like when he asked Captain Yu about the location of the Air Force unit, he didn’t explicitly mention that the person he was looking for was Lu Heyang.
While Xu Ze was thinking this, Lu Heyang’s hand was already on his back, guiding him forward as he said goodbye to Gu Yunchi and the others.
As the car started moving again, Captain Yu still seemed surprised, “Colonel Lu and Dr. Xu seem to have a good relationship.”
“It’s not bad,” Gu Yunchi replied. He opened his phone and promptly sent Lu Heyang a health checkup report from eight years ago.
Author’s note:
Gu Yunchi: On this beautiful afternoon, I will send my brother some proof of his wife’s false pregnancy from back then.
GYC you rascal lol 😂
Also thank you for the extra chapter 💓
Mr Gu.. is helping us to jog Lu’s memories.😹
Hopefully the author has some side story for Gu and He🤩🤭
Thanks for new translated chapter
gu yunchi is in his evil phase omg
Haha, Gu Yunchi literally telling Lu Heyang what he and Xu Ze been doing in high school😭
Spoiled by extra chapter! Thank you!!!
Young master Gu you are so good~ hope it’s going well with your wife~
Lol send that report 😂
Thank you for the chapter ☺️
The author note is killing me xD
I cant wait to reas Gu Yunchi’s story 🤭