Chapter 45 The Countdown to Return

The woman rose from the sofa and approached him, stopping a step away. Her limpid eyes gazed quietly at him; Ji Yaoming couldn’t recall how long it had been since he last saw those lively eyes.

“Stay, Yaoming.”

The woman extended her hand.

“Yes, yes, brother, stay with us!”

Ji Yaoming looked down. Ji Yue’s large eyes fluttered, making her look like a doll. He paused, then slowly raised his right hand toward the woman.

The curve of the woman’s lips deepened. Ji Yaoming moved his hand directly above hers, pursed his lips, and stared at her.

His hand remained suspended, unwilling to descend.

“Ji Yaoming!!”

Suddenly, a shout came from outside. In a flash, a loud “bang—” echoed, and the woman’s expression drastically changed. Instantly, she staggered backward, clutching a gunshot wound that had pierced her right shoulder.

Another bang sounded, and the door behind him swung open.

“Ji Yaoming!” Wen Qi, dressed similarly in a black uniform and holding a satchel in his right hand, stormed in. Without a word, he swung the bag at Ji Yaoming’s head!

He shouted, “Snap out of it!! I don’t know what you’re seeing, but wake up!”

The woman behind him shrieked his name, her voice ragged: “Don’t listen to him! He’s lying! He just doesn’t want you to stay with me. He only wants to take you away from us!!”

Ji Yaoming looked at the person gripping his collar, eyes red-rimmed, then turned to glance at Shi Yuewei’s heartbroken expression. After a moment of silence, he moved his right hand to Wen Qi’s, forcefully making him let go.

Wen Qi widened his eyes, gritting his teeth. “...Ji Yaoming!”

Ji Yaoming faced him, silently took two steps back, and stood beside the woman. Wen Qi stared in disbelief, then aimed at the woman and raised his satchel again.

“I’ll go with you.”

“With whom?” Two voices spoke simultaneously.

The woman behind him urgently asked, “You mean with me, right, Yaoming?” She laughed as if relieved. “I knew it. You still care—”

Swish! Ji Yaoming twisted his right wrist twice, then swung the knife fiercely toward the ground, instantly leaving a bloodstain on the pristine floor.

“You...” The woman clutched her neck, reaching out to him in disbelief. Without looking back, Ji Yaoming walked toward the person in front of him. The surrounding scenery began to disintegrate, shattering into pixel-like fragments piece by piece. Ji Yaoming stepped up to the red-eyed figure, lowered his head, and the next moment—

Held the knife to his neck.

“So, are you also an illusion of mine?”

Wen Qi stood still, unfazed by the blade. He retrieved a pistol from his left thigh, loaded it, took aim, and shot the Alien Species kneeling beside Ji Yaoming’s leg. Only then did he look up and meet the other’s gaze.

He couldn’t actually see, as the cave was too dark.

“I can be,” Wen Qi said, holstering his pistol, “as long as it helps you break free.”

The pulse throbbed hot against the blade. Ji Yaoming breathed heavily and swiftly withdrew the knife. In response, Wen Qi secretly sighed in relief, but before he could fully relax, someone shouldered him roughly.

“Then forget it.” Ji Yaoming’s voice was muffled. “Reality is more interesting.”

Wen Qi grinned brightly, slung his sniper rifle over his shoulder, and half-dragged, half-supported Ji Yaoming as they slowly made their way out of the cave.

“You’re heavy,” Wen Qi said.

Ji Yaoming: “I’m wounded.”

“Injured people don’t say that. I’m not a doctor.”

“Didn’t you say it already?” Ji Yaoming’s voice was soft, and combined with the crunching underfoot, Wen Qi barely caught it.

“What?”

“You said you could be.”

Wen Qi had no idea where this sudden statement came from. Unable to respond, he silently guided the “patient” another ten meters out of the cave, stepping over at least ten bodies still oozing fresh blood, until they reached the subordinates waiting anxiously.

“Captain!!!!”

Cries and cheers erupted intermittently. Ji Yaoming had long since straightened up, as if he’d never been unable to walk. The team, understanding the situation, discreetly dispersed upon seeing he was fine. The group then headed back, spending a day traveling back to the main base.

“Open your mouth... Lift your clothes, let me see... Turn around... Jump twice for me.”

“I told you, I’m not injured.”

Dr. Xu snapped off his beloved flashlight, scowled, adjusted his glasses, and gritted his teeth while jabbing a finger at Ji Yaoming’s shoulder. “I don’t believe a word you say. Get into the monitoring capsule. I’m giving you a full body check-up.”

Ji Yaoming glanced toward the door. “No need. I have things to do.”

Dr. Xu rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “No. The battle’s over. What else is there? Lie down.”

“It’s because the battle’s over that I have reports and meetings waiting for me.”

“Are you done?” Wen Qi pushed the door open a crack and asked.

Ji Yaoming: “Done.”

Dr. Xu: “Not done.”

“.....”

Wen Qi looked left and right, then said to Ji Yaoming, “Sorry, Captain Ji, something urgent came up. It’s already dark outside. I’ve asked Brother Sien to drive you back later. I’ll take my leave now. Thanks, Dr. Xu.”

Without giving Ji Yaoming a chance to respond, Wen Qi rushed upstairs and found an empty room to take the call.

“I told you not to call me, Wen Mo. If you have any conscience left, you shouldn’t disturb any of us.”

Wen Mo gave a low chuckle. “Fine. As long as you can handle the consequences of not returning, I won’t force you.”

Wen Qi switched the phone to his other hand. “What do you mean?”

“To be frank, a few days ago I attended the Yabesuote family’s banquet. We agreed to go vacation at the resort developed by You An’s family in the south half a month from now and renew the contract for the next ten years while we’re there.”

Wen Qi laughed lightly. “So?”

“So, you need to be there. This is the condition for the Marshal to renew the contract with the Wen family.”

“I think I’ve responded to this many times already.”

“Oh, as your father, I don’t mind being patient with you.” The voice on the other end was disgusting and shameless. “But I suggest you return, and the sooner, the better.”

It was the same old demand for him to return. Wen Qi was fed up with hearing it and impatiently prepared to hang up.

"Just a reminder:"

Wen Qi's hand stilled.

"If you still want to see Wen Lifei, meet me in the capital."

Wen Lifei?

"Wen Mo, what do you mean? What happened to Wen Lifei?!"

But all he heard was a dial tone. Even when he called back, the call was immediately cut off. Wen Qi then tried calling Wen Lifei directly, but no one picked up, no matter how many times he tried.

That bastard Wen Mo!

Beep, beep, beep—

"Hello?" came the lazy reply, with a racket in the background. If he wasn’t mistaken, this person was out partying again.

"You An, have you seen Wen Lifei recently?"

"Fei-jie?" The voice on the other end hesitated. "The last time I saw her was before playing golf with you. What’s wrong with her? Now that you mention it, I really haven’t seen her in a long time."

"Can you help me find out where she’s been these past few days?"

"Oh, sure thing." He then heard You An muttering to someone nearby. After a moment, he said, "I just asked a few people who are close with Fei-jie. They all said they haven’t seen her for a week. She hasn’t updated her social media either, and no one can reach her. No one knows what’s going on."

Wen Qi’s anxious heart finally sank.

If no one had seen her, there was only one possibility.

Wen Qi opened his phone and scrolled through ticket options, but they were all sold out. Not just for the next three days, but even for a month later. Probably because of the recent Alien Wave, many people had bought tickets to get away while they could.

"You An, I need a favor..."

---

When he returned home that evening, the lights were on inside.

"Oh, Xiao Wen Qi is back?" Lu Sien stood up and brushed past him on his way out. "Then I’ll take off. You—" He pointed at Ji Yaoming, "If you want to succeed, make sure you do exactly as I said, understood, dear junior?"

"What’s this about?" Wen Qi asked curiously.

But Lu Sien said nothing, only giving a mysterious look before running off.

Wen Qi hung up his coat and asked Ji Yaoming, "What was Brother Sien talking about?"

Ji Yaoming was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, casually draped in a jacket. In his left hand were two folded tickets whose content was unclear; on his right side was a pile of unopened suppressants. Wen Qi raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Have you eaten?"

Ji Yaoming turned his head at the sound, paused for a moment, then shook his head.

Wen Qi: "How are you feeling? Did Dr. Xu say how long you need to rest?"

"Nothing serious." Ji Yaoming was somewhat exasperated that Dr. Xu had given him nearly a hundred suppressants, saying that he was going to the capital on business in a couple of days to settle some scores, so he might as well take a month’s supply upfront.

A hundred suppressants piled up certainly looked intimidating at first glance.

"It’s just that my pheromones are still unstable."

Wen Qi murmured "oh."

Ji Yaoming’s eyes followed him as he moved: "I thought you’d be shocked when I revealed my secret."

Wen Qi’s hand, pouring water, froze.

He’d forgotten about that!

"Uh... wow—"

"Never mind." Ji Yaoming cut him off, stood up, and casually stuffed the suppressants into a cabinet. "Why don’t you tell me what rumors are circulating about me outside?"

Wen Qi choked on his water.

"Uh... you already know?"

Ji Yaoming raised an eyebrow: "I’ve heard a little."

How could the person involved only have heard a little?!!! If you already know, it’s no fun at all!

Of course, Wen Qi kept these thoughts to himself, only coughing a couple of times to pretend it was from the water. Ji Yaoming, who had been watching him the whole time, didn’t miss his reaction. He fiddled with the two tickets in his hand—Lu Sien had shoved them at him, saying to take things slow: first see a musical, then have dinner, and to pursue someone step by step, letting things happen naturally.

But this... was just too cliché.

Ji Yaoming felt a toothache.

But since this was how Lu Sien had gotten together with Rong Qiu... After thinking it over, Ji Yaoming finally spoke to the person who was rummaging for something to eat.

"Wen Qi, want to go out together tomorrow?"

Wen Qi took out his vibrating phone from his pocket and said in Ji Yaoming’s direction, "Let’s talk about it tomorrow. I need to take this call."

Then Wen Qi walked into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

Ji Yaoming, startled by the sudden loud noise, stood frozen in place: "......"

He looked down at the two pitiful tickets in his hand, then glanced wistfully toward the bedroom door.

Was this...

a rejection?

Meanwhile, inside Wen Qi’s bedroom, just a wall away.

"Got the tickets. 9 p.m., five days from now. The details are sent to your server."

"Thank you, You An. You’re a lifesaver."

"No problem. I owed you from that time on the golf course anyway—said I’d buy you something." Jian Youan laughed heartily. "But why the sudden decision to come back? Is that jerk Ji Yaoming giving you trouble again?"

"No." Wen Qi had no idea how Jian Youan and Ji Yaoming had ended up on such bad terms. "I just want to go back and see."

"You’d better mean that."

Wen Qi smiled calmly as he looked out the window: "Of course. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know."

"Alright then. Let’s hang out when you’re back. Speaking of gatherings, I remember at the Yaborsote family banquet a few days ago, Wen Mo did show up, but surprisingly, he didn’t cause any trouble. He didn’t bring up any marriage alliances or spout his usual nonsense. He even came over to chat with me—just casual small talk, didn’t even ask where you were... Did he take the wrong pills or something?"

Hearing that name, Wen Qi unconsciously tightened his grip on the phone.

"Anyway, you’re coming back at just the right time. In about half a month, right? The Yaborsote family invited a few of us out for a trip, but you know it’s never just a simple vacation. I heard the military is planning to upgrade their mechas. Coincidentally, my dad recently developed a new model that’s still in testing. I’ll take you and the marshal to the testing ground then, get your opinions and all."

Wen Qi agreed; he was going to go anyway when the time came, though he wasn’t sure if it was a setup or some kind of trap. But to him, it made no difference. If anything, having Jian Youan there made him feel a bit better.

Wen Qi checked the time. "Alright, we'll catch up when I get back."

After hanging up, the ticket information had indeed been updated in his account. Wen Qi no longer felt like eating, so he simply lay down and began looking over the info.

Leaving in just five days?

He wondered if he’d be able to return after leaving. Before going, he’d have to ask Ji Yaoming for leave...

If he really went back, Wen Mo would never let him off the hook—the arranged marriage would be unavoidable. Then, things between him and Ji Yaoming would be completely over... No, they were only ever ordinary friends, childhood friends at most. It was his own overthinking that had complicated everything.

Thinking about it, it had been nearly half a year already. This cohabitation he’d once dreamed of—though he’d shamelessly assumed it meant more—had still been satisfying in its own way.

Besides, he and Ji Yaoming were gradually getting back to how they were as kids. Though not fully restored yet, it was only a matter of time.

If only Jian Youan and Ji Yaoming could get back to how they were, too.

His mind involuntarily pictured the two of them interacting now, but with the mannerisms of their childhood selves...

Wen Qi, who had been on the verge of sleep, jolted awake.

Ugh. Why did that feel so unnerving?

Meanwhile, one-half of the "unnerving" pair currently occupying his thoughts was standing right outside his door. Steam still rose from his body, and his hair was fluffy and completely dry—clear signs that someone had just taken a shower.

Yet there he stood, foolishly staring at the doorknob as though it might offer answers.

After glowering and trying the handle three more times, only to find the door still firmly locked, Ji Yaoming reached a conclusion—

He had well and truly been locked out by a certain someone.

---

Author's Note: What do you mean by "locked out"? Were you ever allowed in? [sarcasm][just watching the drama]