Inside the primeval forest assessment site, a drone flew overhead, and Xie Ji reached out to wipe the sweat that had slid down his face.
Even with a general idea of the location, the raid was still incredibly difficult. The dense jungle offered almost no sunlight, the supplies provided by the examiners were scarce, and the light from the lamps was very weak, limiting visibility.
Xie Ji lost his footing and tripped over something in the darkness, falling onto the jagged rocks. He gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound, getting up with lightning speed.
Lu Xunji led the way, and when he heard the sound and turned around, Xie Ji had already caught up.
"Come here." Lu Xunji stretched out his hand to him.
Xie Ji shook his head. "Let's go forward, brother. I'm fine."
Lu Xunji, wearing black half-finger gloves, grabbed Xie Ji's wrist, pulled him close, and leaned down to press his lips against Xie Ji's.
Dry and peeling, with a metallic, gunpowder-like smell.
He took a water bottle from his backpack and handed it to Xie Ji, saying, "We can walk a little further and then find a place to rest."
Xie Ji pushed away the water glass, sighed, and said, "I don't need it."
The examiner only gave them this one cup of water. The two of them had been walking through swamps and wetlands the whole way, without a single drop of clean water.
Xie Ji wasn't in good physical condition; he was sweating profusely as he walked, and he drank almost all the water that the two of them needed.
With only this last sip left, Xie Ji was too embarrassed to drink it.
Lu Xunji didn't speak, but unscrewed the bottle cap and whispered, "You've sweated too much; if you don't replenish your fluids, you'll go into dehydration shock."
"Then what about you?" Xie Ji pursed his lips and looked up at Lu Xunji: "You haven't even had a sip of water."
Lu Xunji's dark, tousled hair was damp with sweat and stuck to his forehead. Finding it too troublesome, he simply swept it back with his hand, revealing a smooth, full forehead. His sculpted face appeared even more cold and wild under the light.
"I'm used to it." Lu Xunji's lips were already chapped and bleeding, his voice hoarse like desert sand. "Don't make me talk too much, be good."
Xie Ji took the water glass, drank the water, and leaned in to press his lips against Lu Xunji's.
The cool liquid flowed down his lips and teeth, and Lu Xunji subconsciously swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Alright," Xie Ji, putting the cup away. "Let's go."
Lu Xunji paused for a moment, pursed his lips, and said, "Let's find a place to rest nearby."
"Huh?" Xie Ji was walking ahead, turned around. "Didn't we say we were going to walk to the front again?"
"I'm changing tomorrow's route," Lu Xunji said. "I'm very tired today too."
Xie Ji nodded and followed Lu Xunji to find a relatively flat spot nearby, where he took out his military sleeping bag from his backpack.
The forest was very humid, and there were no dry branches to start a fire. The only food available was the compressed biscuits and nutrient solution in the backpack.
The two of them shared half a pack of compressed biscuits and half a test tube of nutrient solution.
Although Xie Ji wasn't picky, he still choked on the dry energy biscuits until his veins bulged.
"Damn." Xie Ji finished one bite, but couldn't eat the remaining two. He tucked the bag into his arms and sat on the sleeping bag, lost in thought.
When people are overly tired, they can actually become more energetic.
Xie Ji was in this state right now; his eyes were sore and his whole body was screaming in pain, but he couldn't fall asleep even if he closed his eyes.
Lu Xunji studied the map for a few minutes in the dim light, then picked up his backpack and said, "Wait for me here."
Xie Ji subconsciously sat up and tugged at Lu Xunji's sleeve. "Where are you going?"
"Spot the way." Lu Xunji gently touched Xie Ji's cheek with the back of his hand. "Be good."
Xie Ji frowned, then released his hand. "Oh."
In fact, ever since he inexplicably reconciled with Lu Xunji, Lu Xunji's attitude towards him has become much more ambiguous than before. In addition to kissing, there are all sorts of pet names and compliments.
Lu Xunji treated him very well, sheltering him from the wind and rain, and considering everything for him.
Even if he throws a little tantrum in front of Lu Xunji, Lu Xunji will indulge him.
Lu Xunji didn't have that kind of patience with others.
But Xie Ji felt something was off, as if he wasn't someone who could stand on his own in front of Lu Xunji, but rather a kitten that Lu Xunji had carefully raised, or a child who hadn't grown up.
This made it even harder for Xie Ji to understand his relationship with Lu Xunji.
If Lu Xunji really liked him... but Lu Xunji never said it, did she?
He was certain that Lu Xunji had never explicitly expressed "I like you" or anything like that to him.
Most of the time, Lu Xunji meant "I've fallen for you."
Use him as a tool to slightly alleviate anxiety?
Xie Ji didn't understand, but he didn't dare to ask. He felt that no matter what Lu Xunji's answer was, he wasn't prepared to accept it.
Lu Xunji took away another lamp. Xie Ji stared at the only dim light, his mind a jumble of thoughts, obediently waiting for Lu Xunji to return.
Time alone can feel exceptionally long, and the current environment isn't safe enough. Xie Ji started to get anxious as he waited, feeling like Lu Xunji hadn't returned for a long time. He took out his watch and saw that only half an hour had passed.
Just as Xie Ji was nervously pacing around the edge of the camp, he heard the sound of branches snapping underfoot coming from the dense forest not far away.
He immediately became alert, picked up the lamp, and looked in the direction of the sound.
A familiar figure appeared in the shadows, illuminated by the lamplight. Lu Xunji's tall frame was encased in a well-tailored military uniform, exuding an imposing and reassuring aura.
Xie Ji went to greet him, relieved. "You're back."
"Hmm." Lu Xunji took off his backpack, took out two water bags filled with water, and said in a low voice, "Take out the filter."
Xie Ji hurriedly reached into his bag to rummage for a water filter. "You went to look for a water source? Didn't you say there weren't any water sources nearby?"
Lu Xunji didn't speak, but after filtering the water, he placed it in Xie Ji's hand and exhaled a hot breath. "Eat and rest. I'll keep watch tonight."
Xie Ji held the water glass, unsure of what to say.
"Are you really tired?" Xie Ji leaned closer, looking at the dark circles under his eyes in the lamplight. "Why don't you go to sleep first? I'll keep watch. I can't sleep anyway."
Lu Xunji nodded, leaned back, and closed his eyes to rest.
Xie Ji leaned over, gestured left and right, and then moved the man's head onto his shoulder.
Lu Xunji opened his eyes, glanced at him, then simply lay down, wrapped his arms around his waist, and fell asleep with his head on his lap.
"..." Xie Ji paused for a moment, looked down at him, and reached out to brush his bangs aside.
He looked very tired; Xie Ji had never seen him so exhausted before.
Come to think of it, Lu Xunji Lu Xunji everything along the way; all he had to do was follow him.
Around noon, Xie Ji twisted his ankle, and Lu Xunji carried him on his back for more than three hours. They only stopped when Xie Ji insisted on getting down.
Xie Ji held Lu Xunji in his arms, and after an unknown amount of time, the person lying quietly in his arms stirred.
"What's wrong?" Xie Ji looked down and met Lu Xunji's bewildered eyes.
His purplish-red eyes seemed shrouded in a layer of mist, which slowly dissipated before his eyes, gradually regaining their clarity.
Lu Xunji sat up, rubbed his forehead, and asked in a hoarse voice, "How long have I been asleep?"
"Two hours." Xie Ji yawned, looking a little sleepy. "There's still time."
"Okay, you go to sleep, I'll keep watch from now on."
"You're just asleep..."
"That's enough." Lu Xunji: "Don't worry about me, go to sleep."