Sixteen Years

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Twelve hours after the outbreak of the apocalypse, Fu Yan, just like in his previous life, received an “urgent reinstatement” notice. However, this time, he didn’t immediately follow the order to return to Yan City. Instead, he reported the situation truthfully about Shao Xuefan.

“Fang Sining is in Pengcheng, and I think it’s necessary to protect him,” Fu Yan said calmly. “Once the infection truly spreads, we will need all the scientific talent we can get.”

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were considering his proposal. Finally, they said that Fu Yan should temporarily stay put and that they would hold a meeting to discuss the matter further.

Fu Yan wasn’t in a hurry, as he knew they would ultimately agree.

After about half an hour, the phone rang again, and when Fu Yan answered, he heard a slightly hoarse male voice on the other end.

“Wu Diao,” the man said.

Fu Yan quickly adjusted his posture discreetly, and Lui Ruosong blinked, feeling like this was some kind of reflex.

“Number One,” Fu Yan replied. “Is that you?”

“Get to the point,” the man known as “Number One” said in a deep voice. “In addition to S City, cases have also appeared in Shanghai and Jiang City. This ‘rabies’ is spreading too quickly, and our response time is limited. Once necessary, we will immediately implement evacuation and containment measures.”

Fu Yan acknowledged.

“Fang Sining is crucial. I’ve already approved your request, and later, we will try to arrange for Bai Touyuan’s team to assist you,” the man said. “Given the uncertain circumstances, we may not be able to provide you with actual assistance. Be prepared for that.”

Fu Yan agreed and said, “Rest assured.”

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The man sighed, then added, “Stay in sync with the coordinates, and stay safe.”

Both ends of the conversation were brief and to the point. The call lasted only about fifty seconds, which seemed unusually short for a “mission briefing.”

“Did your superiors agree?” Lui Ruosong asked.

“Yes,” Fu Yan replied. “Since Shao Xuefan is gone, Fang Sining, as his closest student, will have to do for now.”

Lui Ruosong raised an eyebrow, thinking, “This guy doesn’t show much respect for scholars.” Silently, he added, “Fang Sining is a highly accomplished scholar, not just a substitute lab instrument.”

Lui Ruosong sighed and thought that he hoped this mission would go smoothly and that nothing unexpected would happen.

He had a lot on his mind—worries about Fu Yan’s safety during the 1,000-kilometer journey, concerns about the blood samples in his possession, and a tangled mess of thoughts and emotions. His heart raced.

Lui Ruosong leaned back in his seat, staring at the night sky through the moonroof. His mind was spinning, but he couldn’t come up with any solutions, feeling like a bearing spinning uselessly.

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After a few minutes, a thick jacket was tossed onto him. Lui Ruosong, puzzled, turned to look and saw that Fu Yan had handed him the jacket, adjusting it to ensure it covered him properly. This way, the stiff collar wouldn’t rub against his neck uncomfortably.

“Get some sleep,” Fu Yan said, retracting his hand. “Do your best to get some rest.”

Fu Yan sat upright in the driver’s seat, wearing a thin undershirt that showcased his well-defined muscles. His right hand idly rested on the gear shift, while the other hand lightly traced patterns, his gaze unfocused as it stared straight ahead through the windshield. It seemed he was lost in thought or on high alert.

Lui Ruosong unabashedly studied him, wrapped in the jacket provided by Fu Yan. He couldn’t help but find Fu Yan attractive, both due to his reliability and the gentle care he showed in moments like this.

Lui Ruosong couldn’t explain the source of his feelings. Maybe it was because of Fu Yan’s dependability, or perhaps it was the attention to detail he showed even in unromantic situations.

Fu Yan was like a double-edged sword. His charm and flaws came from the same source. Lui Ruosong felt uneasy at times, but he also derived a constant sense of security from him.

The silence in the cramped car lingered. Lui Ruosong quietly observed Fu Yan for a couple of minutes and then extended his hand from the oversized jacket to touch Fu Yan’s.

Fu Yan quickly snapped out of his reverie and took Lui Ruosong’s hand, asking what was wrong.

“Do you have something on your mind?” Lui Ruosong asked. “What were you thinking about just now?”

“I was thinking about what you’ll do after returning to the base,” Fu Yan said. “We still don’t know the situation over there.”

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In his previous life, when Lui Ruosong returned to the base, it was already the stable period of the apocalypse. The outside world was a wasteland, and the cities had nearly ground to a halt. However, now, they were still in the early stages of the apocalypse, and public awareness of the situation was limited. Fu Yan was genuinely concerned that Lui Ruosong might face difficulties upon his return to the base.

“Is that what’s bothering you?” Lui Ruosong chuckled. “Don’t worry, Uncle Zhao is an old friend of my dad’s. At worst, I’ll just visit him, and he won’t kick me out.”

That was the truth. Fu Yan’s “Number One,” Zhao Jincheng, was an old comrade of Lui Ruosong’s parents. They had a close relationship, and as a child, Lui Ruosong had often snacked on Zhao Jincheng’s treats.

But in reality, Fu Yan was more concerned about another matter. The fact that a mission notification had been issued meant that rescue operations had already begun. Barring any surprises, an official rescue operation would be organized by S City by tomorrow at the latest. At that time, he would hand Lui Ruosong over to the authorities, and he would set off to find Fang Sining.

In other words, at the latest by tomorrow, they would be separated.

After the early stages of the apocalypse in his previous life, almost all public transportation came to a halt. Airplanes, trains—all the means of easily traversing mountains and seas were lost. Seeing each other had become increasingly difficult.

Even in the late stages of the apocalypse, due to a lack of manpower and the inability to maintain public facilities, communication equipment was affected. The disappearance of long-range communication meant that the distance between people had grown even larger. Fu Yan recalled that during the final stage of his previous life, he and Lui Ruosong had relied almost entirely on their memories of each other to get through their days.

When they were busy, it was difficult to feel anything, as their minds were occupied with rescue missions, survival, and scarcity of resources. There was no room for nostalgia. However, deep down, Fu Yan knew that he missed Lui Ruosong.

Especially now, in this rare moment of quiet, he had the selfish thought that he didn’t want to part ways with Lui Ruosong.

Fu Yan’s previously suppressed guilt began to resurface, and in the quiet of the night, it sprouted like a tender shoot from the depths of his heart, gently tugging at his emotions.

“Today, the weather is really nice,” Lui Ruosong suddenly said. “Even though it’s not a good day, the stars are so bright.”

Fu Yan followed his voice and looked up, realizing that he had opened the moonroof at some point. In the suburbs, there weren’t many streetlights, so the stars shone brightly in the night sky, clearly visible.

Liu Ruosong was accustomed to finding joy in tough situations. He shifted into a more comfortable position, resting his right arm behind his head and giving a little shake to the hand he held with Fu Yan.

“I know it might not sound right, but I feel like it’s been a long time since we spent time like this,” Liu Ruosong said. “The last time we planned to stargaze at Fragrant Hills was three years ago, but unfortunately, you had a last-minute training session that day.”

Fu Yan paused, clearly recalling that incident, and offered an apology.

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“It’s okay, today’s stars look pretty too,” Liu Ruosong said.

Liu Ruosong’s voice was gentle, and at times, Fu Yan even thought that his mild-mannered personality made him well-suited to be a teacher—definitely the type of teacher that kids would love, Fu Yan thought.

“You don’t need to worry,” Liu Ruosong said. “I’ll make sure to deliver the items safely. Although the weather is a bit dangerous, I’ll try to figure out a way to keep them in a low-temperature environment during the journey.”

“I’m not worried about the blood samples,” Fu Yan said.

“So, you’re worried about me?” Liu Ruosong chuckled and continued, “You’ve even entrusted your gun to me. I—”

“Once we’re apart, we might not be able to see each other for a long time,” Fu Yan said in a low voice. “I’m thinking about whether you’ll be able to adapt there.”

Liu Ruosong blinked in surprise.

Fu Yan didn’t know what had triggered these thoughts, but he tightened his grip on Liu Ruosong’s hand slightly and gave it a firm squeeze.

“I’ll return as soon as possible,” Fu Yan said. “In the future… I’ll do my best to come back.”

Fu Yan wasn’t one to utter sweet or affectionate words. Even saying something like “I miss you” or “I can’t bear to part with you” made him feel embarrassed. However, just these two sentences left Liu Ruosong momentarily stunned.

For both of them, parting had become a routine occurrence. In the past, Liu Ruosong had often accommodated Fu Yan, choosing his vacation days when Fu Yan had to leave due to unexpected missions.

They had grown accustomed to reuniting and parting in their lives, waiting for the next time they could see each other. Fu Yan was the one with the unique and demanding job, and Liu Ruosong had learned to accept this as part of their relationship, even subconsciously considering it normal.

This was the first time Fu Yan had openly shown a sense of reluctance. Liu Ruosong didn’t know what Fu Yan had thought of during those brief minutes, but he couldn’t help but be affected by Fu Yan’s emotions.

Both of them understood deep down that opportunities like this, where they could peacefully chat, were becoming increasingly rare. The Sword of Damocles hung over everyone’s heads, and the current tranquility was just a brief respite in the looming storm.

“Although I’ve said this many times before,” Liu Ruosong pursed his lips, sounding a bit nervous, “but… stay safe. Even if you can’t find Fang Sining, it’s okay.”

“I know,” Fu Yan said.

After saying this, Fu Yan leaned closer to Liu Ruosong. His hand slipped under the jacket, carefully reaching for the gun holster on Liu Ruosong’s waist. He ran his fingers along the edges of the holster, inspecting it closely.

Liu Ruosong obediently allowed him to inspect it, and Fu Yan finally secured the holster’s clasp before adjusting his own slightly displaced jacket.

Having completed these tasks, he lowered the car’s sun visor, closed the moonroof, and then slightly bent down to plant a kiss on Liu Ruosong’s forehead.

“Get some sleep,” Fu Yan said.

1Military wives deserve our respect for sure!

1Military wives deserve our respect for sure!