Chapter 18#
Concealment#
“Qu Yan…” Ning Feng’s voice choked, and he couldn’t speak for a moment.
“I’m asking you, how long have you had this insect poison?”
Qu Yan walked over slowly, bent down, dabbed a bit of the blue-purple blood, sniffed it, and his brow furrowed slightly.
A dozen versions of rebuttals flashed through his mind, but Ning Feng knew the man before him was one of the Empire’s top experts in insect research. He could identify insect poison by smell alone; how could he possibly hide anything now?
Ning Feng smiled bitterly, his eyes darting toward the corridor outside the door.
Noticing the man’s small movement, Qu Yan walked over to close the door. But when it was halfway shut, he paused. His brow arched slightly, the closing motion slowing, and a playful smile curled at the corner of his mouth.
“What’s wrong?” Ning Feng looked up to see.
“Nothing.” Qu Yan quickly shut the door. “Alright, now can you talk?”
He pulled out a cigarette case, grabbed a cigarette, and was about to fish for a lighter when he thought better of it and simply held it in his mouth.
Ning Feng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sat on the edge of the bed.
“Three years.”
“Three years…” Qu Yan murmured, then his expression tightened sharply. He stared at the other man in shock. “The Dominant’s insect poison?”
Ning Feng didn’t answer, just wore a loose smile that made Qu Yan want to punch him.
He had vaguely guessed that Ning Feng might have been infected, but recently they’d only encountered lower-tier insects, so he assumed it was third- or fourth-tier poison, at most no higher than seventh. He never expected it to be the Dominant’s poison!
For three years, this guy had been bouncing around right under his nose, taking medicine, and no one in the base had noticed—not even him, an insect expert, had been fooled.
Qu Yan laughed in exasperation.
“Deputy Ning, you’ve been hiding this deep.”
“What else could I do? Let them transfer me? Then go home and wait to die?”
Looking up, Ning Feng let out a breath and raked his bangs forcefully. He glanced at the other man. “I had high hopes for the research department, you know. I thought they’d come up with an antidote eventually. Who knew you’d dawdle for years and only manage a seventh-tier one with a ton of side effects?”
Hearing this, Qu Yan’s gaze lowered, his lips pressed tight, biting a crease into the cigarette filter.
Ning Feng froze, then let out a lazy laugh.
“Ah, come on, what’s that look for? I was just joking.” He tapped the other man with the back of his hand. “What? Professor Qu took it to heart?”
Qu Yan stared at the man, fixed on that smile. Suddenly, he reached out with his long arm and pulled the man into a tight embrace, ignoring the grime on his clothes.
“I will definitely develop an antidote,” he said in a low voice.
Ning Feng paused, lowering his gaze in silence for a moment.
“Don’t tell Bei Chen.”
Call him a coward, call him an escapist—he knew that in Yin Beichen’s eyes, nothing mattered more than defeating the insects. Once Beichen discovered he had the poison, given his personality, he’d have no hesitation in replacing him, even if he was his deputy.
What awaited him then would be nothing but a lonely death.
He didn’t want to leave. At least, not in such a pathetic state.
Qu Yan’s body stiffened. He sighed.
“Mm.”
**
Later, Qu Yan gave a few instructions and hurried back to the lab.
Left alone, Ning Feng rested for a long time. By the time he felt well enough to move, it was lunchtime.
Contrary to usual, no one had come to ask him about the terminal equipment during that time. Worried something had gone wrong, Ning Feng quickly changed clothes and rushed to the terminal room. When he got there, he found many people already working on repairs. Upon asking, he learned Yin Beichen had arranged it.
Suddenly, Ning Feng remembered that during his poison flare-up earlier, Yin Beichen had touched his scar. Combined with how Beichen hadn’t sought him out since—an unusual move—a terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
Could Yin Beichen already suspect something?
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed likely. Ning Feng frowned for a long time, then opened his light brain and pressed the communicator.
The ringtone lasted several seconds before it was picked up.
“What is it?”
The voice was still cold, still devoid of emotion. It sounded no different from usual. Ning Feng delivered the pre-planned words.
“Commander, have you eaten yet?”
“No.”
“I’m heading to the mess hall now. Want me to bring you something?”
“…Mm.”
After hanging up, Ning Feng stared at his light brain for a while, rubbed his face hard, and turned toward the mess hall.
It was late when he arrived; the mess hall was packed. The man queued for a long time, managed to snag a few dishes the commander liked, skillfully packed them separately, and jogged toward Yin Beichen’s rest room.
“Commander, the takeout’s here,” Ning Feng said, already panting from that short run, possibly due to his recent episode.
Contrary to his usual behavior, Yin Beichen didn’t mock him. Instead, he stood at the door, his deep-sea-like eyes scanning the man from head to toe like a ray.
“What’s wrong?” Ning Feng’s heart pounded like a drum, but he wore a confused expression.
Yin Beichen stared for a long while before stepping aside. “Come in.”
Afraid of being seen through, Ning Feng said lazily, “Commander, I’ll eat in my quarters.”
“I said come in.” Yin Beichen gave him a faint glance.
Ning Feng: …
Fine, I’ll have a few bites then.
That lunch was unusually oppressive.
Ning Feng ate absentmindedly, sneaking glances at Yin Beichen’s reactions.
Ever since the argument that day, they’d been busy with the insect tunnel. Aside from work, there was nothing to talk about. Now, Yin Beichen ate quietly, but then again, he never spoke much—it seemed normal.
It appeared Yin Beichen hadn’t become suspicious.
The man sighed in relief, but then a flicker of disappointment set in.
Even Qu Yan, who didn’t see him often, had noticed something was off. Yet the person he spent every day with hadn’t noticed a thing.
Actually… they weren’t really spending every day together, were they? Most of their conversations were about military matters. Even when they chatted over meals, he was the only one talking.
It was like a one-man show.
Suddenly, Ning Feng lost his appetite.
Just then, Yin Beichen lowered his gaze, set down his utensils, and wiped his mouth.
“What happened to you just now?”
“Just now?” Ning Feng’s heart raced, but he quickly laughed it off. “Nothing, just had to go to the bathroom.”
Seeing the man start rambling again, Yin Beichen half-lowered his eyelids, masking the emotions underneath.
He knew the man was lying.
After Ning Feng left earlier, he had followed him to the end of the hallway, where he saw the man lying weakly on the bed from a distance.
Just as he was about to approach to ask, he spotted Qu Yan’s figure. His hurried steps slowed, then stopped at a distance.
Clearly, the other man had seen him too.
Yin Beichen watched quietly as Qu Yan deliberately slowed the door’s closing with a sly smile, watching that almost provocative grin disappear behind the door until it shut completely.
He couldn’t describe the feeling—angry, a little bitter, even a trace of disappointment.
Disappointment? What was he disappointed about?
Yin Beichen clenched his jaw. He lowered his gaze, making it hard to read the emotions flowing beneath. When he spoke again, his voice was even colder. “What happened between you and Qiao Xi?”
Ning Feng’s lashes trembled. He didn’t speak, still wearing that smile.
Sure enough, what had to come, came.
“You made a move on him?” Yin Beichen stared at him, face expressionless.
“You feel sorry for him?” Ning Feng shot back, feeling the pressure of the other’s gaze.
“He said you pushed him.” Yin Beichen’s eyes narrowed.
“You believed him?”
“That’s why I’m asking you.”
“Then why didn’t you ask what he said?”
“Tell me.”
“It’s nothing serious.” Ning Feng toyed with his utensils. “He just shared his criteria for a partner and what it felt like to be doted on by the Commander.”
“What nonsense are you spouting?” Yin Beichen frowned deeply.
“I’m not spouting nonsense.” Ning Feng crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. “He said it himself. He even expressed his deep affection for you, Commander—so heartfelt—”
“Ning Feng!” Yin Beichen stared at him, a hint of anger in his cold voice. “Do you ever speak the truth?”
At that, Ning Feng’s expression faltered. Though the smile lingered on his face, bitterness crept into his mouth.
“Ah, Commander, I’m being wronged. Every word is the truth.” His tone carried a hint of playful laziness, and a trace of barely perceptible sorrow. “But have you ever believed me?”
Yin Beichen was taken aback, his lashes drooping to avoid the other’s gaze. “Get to the point.”
Snorting softly, Ning Feng dropped his utensils, rose slowly with a leisurely air, and said, “Everything I’ve said is the point. I think Qiao Xi isn’t simple.”
“Why?”
“When he talks about insects, he gets… excited.”
Ning Feng had dealt with researchers before—he had a close friend who was a die-hard research nerd. Maybe such people were more obsessed with knowledge than most, but…
Could it make them act so differently?
Remembering that chilling gaze from earlier, a shiver ran down Ning Feng’s spine.
Yin Beichen stroked his chin as if considering something. He spoke slowly, “Maybe it’s just a researcher’s quirk. You know that well enough yourself.”
“You don’t think he’s a problem?”
“You’ve looked into Qiao Xi’s background. There’s no evidence suggesting he’s problematic.” Yin Beichen turned his head to glance at him, his icy-blue eyes meeting the man’s gaze. “He might be overly zealous in some ways, which could lead to misunderstandings. I’ll have Qu Yan talk to him about it.”
Ning Feng’s gaze dimmed, and his expression slowly darkened.
He knew Yin Beichen’s reasoning was sound, but he still felt something was off—he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Especially hearing Beichen speak up for Qiao Xi, it scratched at his heart, leaving him uncomfortable.
No, very uncomfortable.
Silence fell again.
Yin Beichen’s gaze settled on the man’s pale face. His brow twitched, and a hint of unreadable emotion crept into his eyes. “If there’s nothing urgent, rest early tonight.”
Ning Feng froze.
Rest early?
Did that mean he was getting the night off?
Yin Beichen was a workaholic through and through. With so much going on at the base, having him not work through the night was a blessing. Giving him time off?
Unbelievable.
“Are you feeling sorry for me?” Ning Feng raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” Yin Beichen closed his eyes, not looking at him.
Right, why would Yin Beichen care about him?
If anyone deserved his care, it would be that precious little lover of his.
“Ah, how heartbreaking.” Ning Feng curled his lips into a sarcastic smile, shrugged, and said cheerfully, “Commander, we’re done eating. I’ll get back to work.”
Under the other man’s gaze, Ning Feng swiftly cleared the utensils and limped out of the room.
Only then did Yin Beichen withdraw his gaze. He stood up, walked to the window, and idly rubbed his fingers together. His thin lips pressed into a cold line. For a long moment, he said nothing.