Chapter 7#
The Reception#
“Deputy Adjutant Ning…” As soon as she saw the man, Qiao Xi shrank behind Yin Beichen, looking at him with a pitiful expression, like a bullied child.
“What are you afraid of? It’s not like I’m going to eat you.” Ning Feng sauntered slowly towards the two, his gaze landing on the fruit. “What? You like fruit too?”
Seeing the man’s grim expression, Yin Beichen furrowed his brow in thought for a moment. “It has nothing to do with him. I gave it to him.”
The man casually crossed his long legs, his posture appearing lazy, but his expression was cold. “Aiya, I was just asking casually. Why is the Commander so tense?”
“…We were discussing work.”
“What kind of work?”
“Research on the Silver Fruit.”
“Research? Research on how to eat it?”
“It’s just a fruit.” Yin Beichen’s brows tightened.
“Just?” Ning Feng let out an incredulous laugh. He adjusted his breathing, afraid that in a moment of impulse, he’d punch that handsome face.
Although Silver Fruits were rare, they weren’t unaffordable. If he genuinely wanted to do research, forget one piece—he could buy a whole box on the star network and have it delivered to the starport the same day.
Why did he have to give away the one he gifted?
And to Qiao Xi of all people!
After a long pause, Yin Beichen finally continued, “Ning Feng, with your current mood, it’s hard for us to continue this conversation.”
“Don’t bother talking to me.” The emotion in Ning Feng’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by a slow smile. “This is your property, Commander. How you dispose of it has nothing to do with me.”
Without giving the other man a chance to respond, he turned and walked away.
Bang!
The door slammed shut heavily. Qiao Xi seemed to have finally realized what had happened, her face full of guilt. “Commander, has Deputy Adjutant Ning misunderstood? Maybe… maybe I should explain things to him.”
“No need.” Yin Beichen’s expression was displeased.
Ning Feng was furious right now; if he went, it would only make things worse. He’d have to wait until the anger subsided before finding an opportunity to explain.
Everyone thought the man was easygoing, but Yin Beichen knew that once he was truly angered, the aftermath would drag on for a very, very long time.
**
Ning Feng strode quickly back to his dormitory, his unusually cold demeanor making passersby reluctant to speak to him.
Good for you, Yin Beichen!
Not only did he give away his Silver Fruit, but he also turned things around to blame him?
What a load of crap!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He simply poured all the medicinal liquid into the bathtub and soaked himself in it.
A strange smell filled his nostrils. The pitch-black liquid seeped into his pores. Though the water temperature was just right, he felt a chill penetrating his heart. The scar on the back of his neck throbbed with unbearable itching and pain, as if something were crawling under his skin, yet he couldn’t pinpoint the source.
After a while, his churning anger finally subsided. Ning Feng stared blankly at his reflection in the water.
The man in the reflection looked exhausted, yet his gaze remained sharp. His thin lips were tightly pressed together, as if all the pain and suppression could be hidden away like this. He couldn’t quite describe the feeling in his heart, so he simply submerged his entire face in the water. Only when his lungs felt like they were on fire did he take a deep breath. His throat itched, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
The blue-purple bloodstain quickly dissolved in the water, spreading a strange, tangy-sweet smell in the air. He stared at it for a long time before letting out a scornful laugh.
“What garbage medicine did Qu Yan develop? It’s completely useless. I should have just thrown it away.”
Right, he should have thrown it away.
Just like that Silver Fruit.
After finally finishing his cleansing, Ning Feng collapsed onto the bed, feeling dizzy and groggy, a wave of exhaustion washing over him.
So sleepy, so tired, completely unwilling to move.
As the time for the reception approached, he glanced at the uniform draped over the back of the chair. After a moment’s hesitation, he connected to Yin Beichen’s channel. He was still thinking of an excuse when the other side answered in less than a second.
“Speak.”
“I’m really tired. How about you go to the reception alone—”
“No.”
“Hey, I’m genuinely sleepy, not pretending.”
“I said no.”
“…”
Cold, direct, brooking no resistance—just like the speaker himself.
His own feelings didn’t matter. Perhaps he himself meant nothing in that man’s eyes.
Oh, no, that’s not right. He counted as a barely usable adjutant.
A bitter and angry taste spread in his mouth, yet he couldn’t voice it. Sometimes, Ning Feng really felt like he must have had something covering his eyes to fall for someone like this.
He pressed his lips together and remained silent.
Suddenly, a soft sigh came through the channel, sounding slightly more conciliatory. “Just show your face, then we can leave.”
Taking a deep breath, Ning Feng thought it over. Fine, it wouldn’t hurt to do it just this once. “Alright. Just for a moment.”
Yin Beichen was silent for a moment. “Just now—”
Beep!
Ning Feng unhesitatingly ended the call, covering his eyes with his palm.
No need for extra explanations. Give it to whoever he wants.
**
The reception was held in the base’s bar.
To call it a reception was generous—it was just adding a few balloons and changing the color and flashing frequency of the neon lights.
Ning Feng dawdled for a long time before finally heading out. By the time he arrived at the bar, it was already packed. Except for those on duty, no one wanted to miss out on free drinks.
The bar’s music had shifted from its usual fierce, screaming roar to elegant accompaniment. The resident singer stood on the spotlighted stage, surrounded by a few lit candles that cast reflections on the cold metal tables. Still, the crowd was drinking, chatting, and making a ruckus as always.
People greeted him warmly, and he responded with a smile. Lifting his gaze, he immediately spotted the familiar figure staring back at him.
Yin Beichen stood in the center of the crowd, holding a blue drink. Despite the throng of people, an empty space remained around him. Many, emboldened by alcohol, had tried to approach him for a chat, only to be met with indifferent responses, completely out of sync with the lively atmosphere. Qiao Xi stood beside him, her small face slightly flushed.
Ning Feng took in the picture-perfect scene of the two standing side by side. To him, it was more dazzling than the neon lights on the stage.
He frowned and strode into the main hall.
“Oh, Commander, having a good time?” Ning Feng said lazily, one hand in his pocket and a lazy smile on his face.
“You’re too slow,” Yin Beichen said.
“Slow? Not really, is it?” Ning Feng swept his gaze around. “Anyway, with your adjutant here, I’m just in the way.”
Qiao Xi’s face flushed red. “Um… Deputy Adjutant Ning, you’ve misunderstood.”
“Misunderstood?” Ning Feng raised an eyebrow.
“I asked the Commander for that Silver Fruit.” Qiao Xi adjusted her glasses. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d be so upset. I really don’t want you two to fight because of me…”
“Oh.” The man shrugged indifferently.
Qiao Xi bit her lower lip pitifully, her moist eyes rimmed red.
“Ning Feng.” Yin Beichen frowned.
“Aiya, with such a lively atmosphere, don’t be such a killjoy, Commander.” Ning Feng turned, no longer looking at him. “Well, I’ve shown my face. I’m leaving now.”
“Leaving so soon, Deputy Adjutant Ning? You just got here!”
Suddenly, a rough male voice came from the side. Before Ning Feng could turn around, a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and the smell of stale sweat mixed with alcohol instantly filled his nostrils.
The man was burly, with a shiny bald head and a sparse beard. His combat uniform was wide open, hanging loosely on his body, clearly indicating he’d come straight to the bar after finishing his duty.
“Come on, bottoms up!” He shoved a glass firmly into Ning Feng’s hand.
“Captain Qu, I’ll pass on the drink.” Ning Feng smiled and pushed the big man away.
Major Qu Jingshan was a battalion commander, also the head of the Marine Corps, and one of Yin Beichen’s capable subordinates. He had once competed with Ning Feng for the position of adjutant but had lost, and had held a grudge ever since.
“How can you do that?” Qu Jingshan laughed, pushing the glass back, spilling a few drops. “You’re the adjutant, the Commander’s right-hand man. If you don’t drink, wouldn’t that let the Commander lose face?”
The stench of alcohol was nauseating, smelling like unwashed socks left to fester for days. Ning Feng knew Qu Jingshan’s drinking capacity was one of the best in the base. There was no way he was already drunk after just two or three beers.
Seems like someone was looking for trouble today.
At the thought, the man’s smile deepened. He pushed the glass away and said, word by word, “I really won’t drink.”
After staring coldly for a long time, the big man scoffed and let go. “As expected of an adjutant. Quite the airs you have.”
The commotion drew the attention of others. Seeing the tension, other team members quickly tried to pull the big man away. “Captain Qu, you’re drunk…”
“Get off me! I’m perfectly sober!” Qu Jingshan shook them off, glaring viciously at the man.
“Isn’t it just because you were in the same military academy as the Major that you climbed up through connections? The best you did was pilot a mech and scrape by at the bottom of the rankings. What’s there to be proud of?” Suddenly, he gave a sinister grin. “I heard you even like the Major? Hah, take a good look at yourself. Compared to Qiao Xi over there, what are you? You think the Commander would ever fancy you? A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh.”
“Captain Qu!” The others wanted to cover the big man’s mouth.
Hearing that, Ning Feng’s face tensed. He didn’t bother to explain, just stared at the floor.
The onlookers couldn’t stand it anymore and tried to pull Qu Jingshan away, but he pushed them off.
“What? Did I say something wrong?” Emboldened by alcohol, Qu Jingshan became more reckless. “Who knows what you did behind the scenes to crawl into the Commander’s bed—”
“Oh? Is that so?” Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind.
Everyone turned to see the crowd parting, Yin Beichen walking slowly forward. “Then tell me, which night did he crawl into my bed? I need to jog my memory.”
The air froze instantly. Even the singer on stage fell silent.
Stared down by those blade-like blue eyes, Qu Jingshan sobered up by at least thirty percent.
“Commander, I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Then what did you mean?” Yin Beichen stood by Ning Feng’s side.
His face alternating between red and white, the bald, burly man mumbled but couldn’t find words.
Just as the tension was reaching its peak, Qiao Xi walked over, placing a hand on Yin Beichen’s arm and gently persuading him, “Commander, please don’t be angry. The battalion commander meant no harm. He just wanted to invite Deputy Adjutant Ning for a drink.”
Seeing this, the others quickly chimed in.
“Yeah, he was just joking. Brother Feng surely doesn’t mind.”
“Exactly. Brother Feng didn’t accept Captain Qu’s toast either. So it’s even.”
…
After a long moment, Yin Beichen’s expression softened slightly. “Jokes have their limits. I don’t want to hear words like that again.”
Seeing that the Commander wasn’t pursuing the matter, Qu Jingshan breathed a sigh of relief and shot a grateful look at Qiao Xi. The latter responded with a shy smile, waving her hand as if to say, ‘Don’t worry about it.’
The surrounding atmosphere gradually relaxed, but Ning Feng’s expression slowly darkened.
He was the one who had been insulted. He hadn’t said a word, yet somehow someone else had already forgiven the transgressor on his behalf, and others even saw that person as considerate and understanding.
How ridiculous.
His thoughts felt like they were being seared by a reactor. A certain emotion fissioned and churned in his chest. He actually felt like laughing out loud, and so he did.
“If Captain Qu offers a drink, how could I dare refuse? But I really can’t drink today.” Snatching the glass, Ning Feng’s lips curled into a smile as he turned to Qiao Xi. “Since you said you’re sorry to me, how about you drink this for me?”
Hearing this, Qiao Xi was stunned.
“Huh? I… I can’t drink—”
“Drink.”
Ning Feng’s handsome face darkened, and his hawk-like eyes suddenly erupted with a chilling, murderous aura.
For a moment, the entire venue fell into dead silence.