Gu Cheng's past

Everything was ready. All that remained was to set off.

After several days of rest at the Printing Factory, their long-standing exhaustion had finally vanished.

Each team member took charge of a vehicle. Gu Cheng still drove the Biohazard Vehicle, with Ye Ruan beside him.

Ye Ruan was now responsible for clearing the road. One punch from those soft little fists could crack open a Zombie's forehead.

Gu Cheng winced at the sight. Those little hands sent sparks through him when he held them, or when they brushed over his chest as they kissed.

One touch, and he was instantly wide awake.

His heart fluttering, Gu Cheng gazed at his little bunny in a lovestruck daze.

Out on the road, Ye Ruan violently seized a Zombie by its collar while twisting sideways and kicking another Zombie hard enough to snap its neck.

One of the two Zombies was level two; the other was a mutated Level Three Monster.

Its appearance was still somewhat bearable. Neither quite cat nor human, it looked rather like the Cat-Faced Old Lady, with exceptionally sharp claws.

In the vehicle behind them, Yu Jingjing was itching for a fight and wanted to get out and help, but Ye Ruan never gave her the chance.

Ye Ruan pulled the pin on a bomb, swung himself up onto the Level Three Monster's shoulders from behind, clamped its head between his knees, and tossed the bomb into its mouth with a backhand throw!

Planting a foot against the back of the monster's head, Ye Ruan flipped off and rolled away.

With a muffled boom, the monster became a puddle of black-and-red minced flesh.

Gu Cheng: "..."

What was he supposed to do with such a violent wife?

It only made him hotter!

As soon as Ye Ruan got into the vehicle, Ren Fei'er and Li Tuantuan burst into applause.

"You're so amazing, Brother Ye Ruan!"

Embarrassed by the children's praise, Ye Ruan tugged at a strand of his hair. "Not really."

Ye Ruan settled back into the passenger seat. "Captain, can we reach Cloud City today?"

Beyond Cloud City lay the defensive line the military had established, enclosing every exit from City H.

Gu Cheng glanced at the sky. "Yes, but we'll go around the outskirts tomorrow morning. They've been driving all day. They must be pretty tired."

"Are you tired?" Ye Ruan hooked his fingers around Gu Cheng's knuckles. "Want me to drive for a while?"

Gu Cheng chuckled softly. "Give me a kiss, and I won't be tired anymore."

He had only meant it as a joke. Fang Ci was sitting behind them, and his little bunny was easily embarrassed, so he was just teasing him.

Ye Ruan took him seriously, though. Leaning over, he asked, "Where do you want a kiss, big brother?"

Gu Cheng's Adam's apple bobbed. "Ahem. My cheek will do."

Ye Ruan murmured his agreement, lifted his face, and kissed Gu Cheng's cheek, holding it there for two seconds before pulling away.

Fang Ci in the back seat: "..."

Ren Fei'er, covering Li Tuantuan's eyes: "..."

That public display of affection had caught them completely off guard!

Fang Ci almost wished he could turn evil on the spot. His leg was broken, and now he had to endure their lovey-dovey antics too.

As night fell, all the vehicles stopped at a landmark sculpture park outside Cloud City.

They called it a park, but it didn't even have benches to rest on.

Ye Ruan tilted his head back to study the sculpture before him. "Is this... a loach?"

Yu Jingjing examined it for a moment. "Kind of, but why is this pitch-black loach eating its own tail?"

"Probably hungry," Li Rang said offhandedly.

Yu Jingjing slapped her thigh. "Right! I'm hungry too. Those flatbreads Factory Manager Hu made were harder to chew than a rag. I nearly broke my teeth on them."

They couldn't light a fire in such an exposed place for fear of attracting monsters, so everyone ate the dry rations they had brought.

They gathered in a circle on the ground, the grass prickling through their trousers.

Using Gu Cheng's body to shield him from view, Ye Ruan took a dozen or so large, steaming buns from his Storage Wristband.

Gu Cheng had made these mushroom-and-greens buns himself yesterday, kneading the dough, chopping the vegetables, and wrapping them. The filling had been tossed with sesame oil and smelled delicious.

Yu Jingjing bit off half a bun in one mouthful. "Captain, your cooking is fucking amazing."

Ye Ruan took a bite too. His red eyes sparkled; he clearly loved it.

Lu Jiayi laughed. "I remember when we went to Iceland on a mission last year. Everything there was either shrimp or fish, and none of it tasted good. If the captain hadn't cooked for us himself, it would've been rough."

"Ah, there's nothing worth reminiscing about. Some of our brothers got frostbite in their legs and are still bedridden. Others we'll never see again."

Li Rang rubbed his stinging nose. "But the dumplings we had that time were the most memorable meal I've had in years."

A trace of confusion appeared in Ye Ruan's eyes. He didn't understand.

Fang Ci explained quietly, "The Iceland mission was brutal. Hot food went cold before we could eat it. We lay in ambush in the snow, dozens of degrees below zero."

"Our brothers kept falling during those days, or losing the use of their limbs to frostbite. That Lunar New Year, we huddled together for warmth and ate a meal of dumplings filled with nothing but white radish."

Yu Jingjing suddenly said in a small voice, "That was the first time in all those years I ever saw the captain cry."

Ye Ruan froze.

Yu Jingjing's eyes reddened as she spoke. "The mission failed. The First Team suffered terrible losses. The bodies were laid out in a row. It was the first time he cried."

Silently, with half his face buried in his coat. Only the slight trembling of his shoulders betrayed Gu Cheng's grief.

Ye Ruan instinctively turned to look for Gu Cheng.

The tall man stood with his back to them, holding a pot of freshly boiled water and distributing it to the survivors.

That same irreverent smile remained on his face, and he bent slightly as he listened to their thanks.

Suddenly, Ye Ruan's heart ached for him, as though a needle had pierced it.

Fang Ci said gently, "It was a long time ago. Let's not talk about it anymore. It's in the past."

"Yeah." Lu Jiayi sighed. "We should look ahead. We can keep living for those who died."

Despite those words, the bun in Ye Ruan's hand no longer tasted good. He nibbled at it listlessly until it went completely cold.

By the time Gu Cheng returned, more than half remained.

Gu Cheng sat beside Ye Ruan, took the leftover bun from him, and finished it in two bites.

"It's cold. Don't eat it. How about we go to the vehicle and I secretly make you something special?"

Ye Ruan shook his head. The loose hair over his forehead shifted, revealing his damp eyes.

"What's wrong? Why do you look so down?"

Gu Cheng cupped his chin and kneaded his soft cheeks. "Come on, whisper it to me. I'll cheer you up."

"I just... feel a little sad for you."

Ye Ruan glanced around. Yu Jingjing and the others had gone to arrange the tents for the night.

No one was paying attention to them. Ye Ruan reached out and hugged Gu Cheng, resting his cheek against his shoulder and closing his eyes.

Gu Cheng hugged him back. "Why do you feel sad for me?"

Ye Ruan sold Yu Jingjing out completely.

"Jingjing said that six years ago, you were on a mission in Iceland..."

Six years ago, Gu Cheng had only been nineteen.

Gu Cheng, who was now planning to sell that black cat for a pittance when they got back, suddenly smiled.

"I thought it was something serious. That was ages ago. Still, it really was humiliating. We failed the mission, and the Headquarters Team tore us a new one."

Gu Cheng clicked his tongue. "If it hadn't been so far away, the head of the Headquarters Team probably would've come over and chewed me out with a gun pressed to my forehead."

Growing more animated as he spoke, Gu Cheng buried his face in the crook of Ye Ruan's neck like an oversized dog and aired his grievances.

"If I get the chance, I'm definitely throwing a sack over his head and beating him up. That guy's so petty."

With just a few words, Gu Cheng had Ye Ruan wanting to laugh. The moisture in his eyes dried, and he really did start laughing.

Feeling his little bunny's shoulders shake, Gu Cheng sighed and patted Ye Ruan's back.

"Ye Ruan, I've lost a lot of people in my life. I'm actually terrified of goodbyes, because I always feel that once we part, we'll never meet again."

Ye Ruan froze for a few seconds, then sat up straight and looked into Gu Cheng's eyes.

"If we're destined to part one day, don't be afraid. I'll find you."

They could look forward to their next meeting.

Just like that listener twelve years ago, who had never shown his face beyond the window framed by morning glories.

Those notes that danced beside his ears, impossible to catch.

"I like you, Gu Cheng."