Chapter 78#
Game#
The next moment, a clamor erupted below.
Everyone began guessing at once, their gossip-loving hearts burning fiercely.
“The commander has someone he likes?!”
“When did this happen? He hid it too well!”
“Are you stupid? Isn’t it Qiao Xi?”
……
Everyone turned to look at Qiao Xi. Some faces showed understanding, while others looked heartbroken. As for Qiao Xi, his small face flushed crimson as he shook his head desperately in denial, but it only gave off a sense of trying to cover up the truth.
Just then, someone eagerly crowded in. “Commander, do you really have someone you like?”
Yin Beichen lifted his gaze to look at Ning Feng, but did not answer.
Seeing this, Ning Feng’s sword-like brows furrowed.
He glanced at Qiao Xi, whose face was full of shyness, then scrutinized Yin Beichen with a probing look.
After a noisy hubbub, everyone once again pressed impatiently, their faces brimming with the excitement of having uncovered a secret. Watching the eager eyes below, the commander in charge of the next round gained inspiration. Glancing at the major general, he bared a set of white teeth.
“I’ve confessed to the person I like.”
Yin Beichen’s brow twitched slightly. Under everyone’s burning gaze, he slowly curled down one finger.
This was nothing less than a storm!
“It’s a secret crush!?”
“Idiot, couldn’t it be that the other person confessed?”
“That’s true… The commander is so popular…”
……
Crazy Rat was so delighted he propped up his legs and cracked melon seeds, shouting for them to continue, while Qiu Zhen fell into thought.
“Radish, did you hear that? Did you hear that?!” Wen Qianyong was so shocked he nearly overturned the table.
“I heard. It’s not like my receiver is broken,” Ning Feng said lazily.
A secret crush?
Qiao Xi’s feelings had long ceased to be a secret. How could Yin Beichen possibly be the one with a secret crush? But come to think of it, he’d been following Yin Beichen around a lot lately, and sure enough, he hadn’t seen those two cross paths. Instead, it was him and Yin Beichen who were always together.
Likes someone, but hasn’t gotten together…
Or maybe… the one he likes isn’t Qiao Xi?
Ning Feng raised an eyebrow, took a long swig from his oil bottle, and drank slowly.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ou Jingshan rubbed his bald head, his gaze constantly shifting between Ning Feng and Yin Beichen.
He vaguely guessed that Yin Beichen must be referring to that scrappy robot, but from the commander’s attitude, it didn’t seem like he wanted to make it public. That robot was too dense to figure it out, but if anyone found out, it would be a huge problem.
He glared at Yan Zhengsheng, who was preparing to ask a question. “Hey, you bastard, don’t take it too far. Careful, the commander will cut you off later.”
Yan Zhengsheng glanced at him expressionlessly. “Don’t worry, my question is very ordinary. The commander won’t cut me off.”
Trusting that the other party surely knew his limits, Ou Jingshan relaxed a little. But before he could breathe easy, he heard the other man speak in a stiff, measured tone.
“The person I like is not here right now.”
Ou Jingshan: …
As soon as the words landed, boos rang out from below.
After all, there were very few couples within the base; most families were outside. Asking that was essentially pointless. The crowd clamored for Yan Zhengsheng to pick another question, but he was unexpectedly stubborn.
“No, I’ll stick with this question.” He shook his head and turned to look at the major general.
Yin Beichen’s expression was indifferent as he slowly curled down another finger.
Seeing this, everyone erupted.
Yin Beichen’s beloved really was in the mess hall, right here!
As if by silent agreement, they all turned to look at Qiao Xi with expressions of “I knew it,” then crowded around him, teasing about when he would marry the general.
Qiao Xi was so embarrassed he couldn’t lift his head, fidgeting with the hem of his clothes.
“What the hell, so it really is him? How did the general get so blind as to pick someone like that?” Wen Qianyong was very disappointed, since his impression of Qiao Xi was pretty bad anyway. He was about to complain to Ning Feng about Yin Beichen’s taste, but found Ning Feng sitting with his chin propped up, smiling mockingly.
Confused, he tilted his head. “Radish, what’s wrong with you?”
Ning Feng’s tone carried a hint of irreverent teasing. “Nothing.”
Not Qiao Xi, yet here.
The person Yin Beichen was talking about… who the hell could it be?
Suddenly, an absurd and ridiculous idea flashed through his mind.
Very absurd. Very ridiculous.
The engine hummed incessantly in his chest, even giving him the illusion of oil back-flowing. Ning Feng half-lowered his eyelids to conceal his emotions, casually stretching his long legs, a contemptuous curl to his lips.
The game on stage continued. The next questioner was Qu Yan.
At this point, everyone noticed that he had only one finger left standing, just like Yin Beichen. That meant all he had to do was say something about himself, and he could make the major general lose the game.
Qu Yan fixed his gaze on the tall figure in the distance, then glanced at the quiet man beside him. Suddenly, he adjusted his glasses, a playful smile stretching his lips.
“The person I like likes me back.”
With that, he curled down his last finger.
The others froze, seemingly confused that Qu Yan had said something about himself that wasn’t true. But soon, all eyes turned to Yin Beichen.
However, Yin Beichen paid them no heed.
He lifted his eyes slightly, fixing his gaze on Ning Feng in the distance, who was watching the drama unfold.
Ning Feng said nothing, his lips curling into that trademark, slightly mocking arc, an endless irony directed at the scene before him.
Their gazes collided and entangled mid-way. Though they were a good ten meters apart, they could still clearly catch every detail on each other’s faces, as if trying to brand their gazes onto each other.
Low murmurs filled the entire space. It seemed they were isolated in another world.
Only each other existed in their eyes.
After a long while, Ning Feng gave a slight smirk and raised his bottle in salute.
Yin Beichen’s throat bobbed twice, his eyelashes trembling. Slowly, he curled his last finger into a fist. Then, under everyone’s stunned gaze, he stood up gradually, took the murky glass of wine, and said softly,
“I lose.”
With those words, Yin Beichen closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and downed it in one gulp.
The strangely colored liquid quickly disappeared between his thin lips, carrying a taste of sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy—so revolting that just watching made people nauseous, yet he drank it all without changing his expression. A few stray strands of hair fell, slightly veiling the emotions in his eyes. A few drops of liquid splashed onto his lips, which he wiped away with the back of his hand.
With a thud, Yin Beichen set down the empty glass. When he opened his eyes again, they had returned to their usual calm.
“Continue,” he said expressionlessly.
Now, the crowd was completely dumbfounded.
“No way, why would the major general…”
“Doesn’t Qiao Xi like him?”
“They’re supposed to be mutual feelings, right?”
……
Everyone clearly sensed that something was off, but couldn’t pinpoint what, so they could only exchange awkward glances and fall silent. It wasn’t until Ou Jingshan burst into a loud laugh and heartily praised, “Good one!” before quickly suggesting they start the next round, that the atmosphere warmed up again.
But the cheerfulness was only surface-deep. The crowd whispered among themselves, various speculations quietly taking root in everyone’s minds, rumors spreading rapidly through the crowd.
Ning Feng, his ears full of gossip, turned his head and lifted his eyelids.
“Like? Hah~”
Suddenly, all of Yin Beichen’s previous oddities now had a logical explanation, but ironically, that reason was the most illogical of all. Fingertips rubbing against the smooth bottle, Ning Feng rested his head on his hand, chin raised arrogantly, eyes lazily half-closed.
“So it’s ’like,’ huh…”
Abruptly, he stood up, dragging out his words. “I’m heading back.”
Wen Qianyong blinked. “Huh? You’re not playing anymore?”
“I’m going back to recharge.”
“Recharge?”
Didn’t this new battery last several days? Why would he suddenly need to recharge? Before he could ask, Ning Feng had already sauntered slowly out the back door.
“What’s up with Radish?” Wen Qianyong scratched his cheek.
“No idea. Maybe he was moved by General Yin’s love?” Qiu Zhen said seriously.
“…Huh?”
Watching the departing figure, Yin Beichen’s fingers curled slightly, then he turned his gaze back to the center of the venue.
The officers and soldiers below were in chaos—some drinking, some arm-wrestling, some playing games, some burying their heads in devouring food… Bursts of cheers erupted periodically, the entire space filled with a joyful atmosphere.
Yin Beichen watched quietly, his expression as indifferent as ever, as if everything before him had nothing to do with him. Only occasionally did a faint flicker of emotion flash through his eyes before disappearing.
Qu Yan watched silently, a hint of vindictive pleasure in his gaze. He looked toward the direction Ning Feng had disappeared, his eyelids trembling slightly, then refilled his own glass.
“Kill the enemy a thousand, lose yourself eight hundred.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh and downed the drink in one go.
Staring at the figure on stage drinking alone, Qiu Zhen propped his head on his hand, not blinking.
“Ah Yong, who is he?” He pointed ahead.
Wen Qianyong glanced over.
“Oh, that’s Qu Yan, cousin of Brother Mu.”
“Cousin? Then why is he sitting on the stage?”
“Heh, you don’t know, do you?”
Wen Qianyong hooked an arm around his shoulder. “Let me tell you, don’t be fooled by his face. He’s the head of the R&D department. The antidote Brother Mu used was all his work! Pretty impressive, huh!”
“Is that so?” Qiu Zhen blinked at that. He scratched his cheek, then looked again at the slightly tipsy, handsome man, a faint glimmer in his eyes.
“Qu Yan…?”
**
After seeing Yin Beichen drink the wine, Qiao Xi kept his head lowered and said nothing more. The others felt a bit sorry for him, but they also understood that feelings couldn’t be forced, so they could only comfort him to take it easy.
“I want to go back first,” Qiao Xi said softly, his voice full of grievance.
Someone immediately volunteered to accompany him, but he declined with a bitter smile and a shake of his head. Finally, under the crowd’s somewhat sympathetic gazes, Qiao Xi also left the mess hall alone through the back door.
Slowly turning a couple of corners, Qiao Xi narrowed his eyes slightly. His earlier dejection vanished as he quickly pursued the path ahead.