EDEH Chapter 73

Huo Jiangmian said calmly, settling for the next best thing: “Drop you off at the Supervision Center first, then take me.”

 

Huo Yanji said: “That would be impolite.”

 

Huo Jiangmian: “…”

 

And directly kicking him out of the car was more polite?

 

The car soon drove into the lane behind the Supervision Center, avoiding the noisy residents.

 

Huo Yanji said to the reporting executive: “Nine o’clock curfew as usual. Detain anyone who hasn’t returned.”

 

The other person said with difficulty: “The prison is already full.”

 

Huo Yanji glanced at him: “Don’t we still have the supervision stations?”

 

The executive immediately understood.

 

Each supervision station had a huge indoor space, used in the past for deviants to come for contamination index testing, and in case of alarms, it could serve as a temporary centralized shelter.

 

Now that the Dawn Plan was exposed, few deviants would willingly come for contamination testing, so these spaces naturally became vacant.

 

“Understood.”

 

Huo Yanji turned back: “Take General Huo back.”

 

Driver: “Yes.”

 

Huo Jiangmian raised his hand to stop him: “I don’t think I’ve ever been to your office. Won’t you invite me up to sit?”

 

Huo Yanji said flatly: “No. If people see you coming and going here, tomorrow’s front-page news will be ‘Huo Brothers Join Forces in Rebellion.'”

 

Huo Jiangmian: “…”

 

He gave a thumbs up and sat properly, signaling the driver to start the car.

 

Only after the car slowly drove away did Huo Jiangmian look back at that straight figure walking into the building.

 

He still remembered Old Herman’s first impression of Huo Yanji: “If a person always maintains a straight posture, they will eventually face the day when they break. The straighter they stand, the more painful the break.”

 

He wondered if that day would ever come.

 

However, after meeting Sang Jue, Huo Yanji had indeed changed somewhat… In the past, he would never have joked like he just did.

 

The driver asked: “General, where to?”

 

Huo Jiangmian looked at the dim street scene outside the car window and said leisurely: “Your superior probably won’t be going out tonight… Take me for a drive around the city.”

 

Driver: “Yes.”

 

…

 

Sang Jue made a call to Colin.

 

Colin answered quickly: “Hello, Sang Jue?”

 

Sang Jue asked: “Are you busy?”

 

Colin said: “Not busy right now, just getting ready to rest.”

 

“Then I’ll bother you for a moment.” Sang Jue asked: “What does it feel like when you like Wei Lan?”

 

Colin was completely stumped by the question.

 

He’d been rather tired these past few days, and his brain couldn’t quite process it. After a long while, he answered: “How to describe it? Probably the feeling of your heart going ‘thump thump’ non-stop whenever you see her.”

 

Sang Jue hummed: “But hearts are supposed to beat anyway. If they don’t beat, you die.”

 

Most animals rely on their hearts for blood circulation.

 

Colin was speechless: “Normally you can’t hear your own heartbeat, but when you see her you can hear it. When you get close, not only does your heart race, but you get nervous and blush, your palms get sweaty… you want to do all kinds of intimate things with her.”

 

“…”

 

Except for the last point, Sang Jue didn’t match any of these. He even wanted to cripple Huo Yanji and pack him up to take away.

 

Could it be that he really didn’t like Huo Yanji? The little evil dragon fell into contemplation.

 

Fortunately, Colin asked in time: “Why are you asking about this? Want to know if your superior likes you?”

 

“He likes me very much.” Sang Jue said: “I just want to know if I really like him.”

 

Colin broke out in cold sweat. Sang Jue couldn’t go a day without putting him in an awkward position.

 

He immediately sobered up and said carefully: “Everyone expresses their feelings differently – you can’t use a template. But in most cases, you’d want to do intimate things with them and want to spend a lifetime together.”

 

Sang Jue imagined spending a lifetime with Huo Yanji. His face showed no particular reaction, but his tail swayed happily behind him.

 

That actually sounded quite nice.

 

“So what kind of pet names should couples have?”

 

“…” Colin was exhausted.

 

Why did he have to ask a straight man about these things – and a straight man who hadn’t even won over his crush yet?

 

He gave vague examples: “Common ones are baby, sweetheart, darling, husband, wife…”

 

Sang Jue looked thoughtful.

 

Steady, composed footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the office. He immediately said: “I understand. Thank you, get some rest early.”

 

Even from far away, Sang Jue could smell Huo Yanji’s scent.

 

He had already learned from 007 about everything that happened outside, including Ji Zhen’s existence.

 

If these people really wanted to hand him over, he would kidnap Ji Ji and take him back to his home planet, leaving nothing behind.

 

Huo Yanji pushed open the door and entered, his eyes softening slightly.

 

Sang Jue had already changed into clean clothes, sitting cross-legged on the sofa with his tail wrapped around from behind to rest on his legs.

 

He hung his coat on the rack by the door and removed his gloves: “Are you tired?”

 

Sang Jue shook his head, then nodded.

 

Not very tired, but if he could sleep with Huo Yanji, he could be tired.

 

Huo Yanji sprayed some decontamination spray, loosened his shirt collar and tie, then undid his cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves: “How was dinner?”

 

“Very delicious.”

 

As soon as he sat down, Sang Jue naturally crawled over, pressing down on his shoulders. Once he was lying on the sofa, Sang Jue knelt and sat down directly, not avoiding any particular position.

 

Sang Jue almost immediately felt something hard beneath him.

 

He said frankly: “I can help you with that too.”

 

“…No need.” Huo Yanji pressed down on Sang Jue’s waist. “Let’s sleep, I’m tired.”

 

It was the first time Huo Yanji said he was tired.

 

Sang Jue was somewhat curious. He touched Huo Yanji’s eyelashes, then stroked the slight bags under his eyes – the dark circles weren’t very obvious. Whether from his father’s or mother’s genes, both Huo Yanji and Huo Jiangmian had fair skin, though not as fair as Sang Jue’s.

 

Especially his torso and limbs – from years of wearing military uniforms without sun exposure, they were so pale that every blue vein was clearly visible.

 

His male could sometimes be fragile too.

 

Realizing this, Sang Jue offered: “Do you need lullaby service?”

 

Huo Yanji’s brow moved slightly: “We can try.”

 

Sang Jue lay on Huo Yanji’s chest. He really liked this position because whenever Huo Yanji spoke, his chest would produce a gentle resonance that transmitted into his ear canal.

 

Very pleasant, like using his body to converse with him.

 

“Then I’ll tell you a bedtime story.”

 

Sang Jue cleared his throat and said slowly: “Once upon a time, there was a happy and peaceful kingdom. It was prosperous and lively, and people lived happily. But suddenly one day, they were attacked by monsters. To protect his people, the young prince voluntarily accepted a witch’s curse and became a powerful evil dragon…”

 

The little evil dragon’s voice was clear and transparent. Though without much emotional fluctuation, it sounded natural and comfortable – neither casual nor overly formal.

 

“But there were too many monsters, and his strength alone couldn’t resist them. The kingdom was about to fall. The prince stood atop a high tower and shed sad tears. His tears mixed with the tears of countless suffering people, forming a turbulent ocean. He was in great pain, not knowing how to make the kingdom’s glory eternal, so it wouldn’t become mere fleeting sparks in the river of time…”

 

Sang Jue waited a moment, then asked quietly: “Are you asleep?”

 

Huo Yanji: “…Is that the end?”

 

Sang Jue hummed: “The doctor only told me up to that point before we separated. I never heard the rest of the story.”

 

Huo Yanji’s eyes flickered slightly. He rubbed Sang Jue’s head and said: “The doctor was your former guardian who took care of you?”

 

Sang Jue hummed and nuzzled against Huo Yanji’s neck: “When I couldn’t sleep before, the doctor would tell me stories to help me fall asleep… I miss her.”

 

The warm breath brushed against his neck. Huo Yanji asked: “Is she still alive?”

 

Sang Jue didn’t speak for a long time, so long that one might think he had fallen asleep, before finally mumbling: “I don’t know.”

 

Sang Jue rarely spoke in such a tone – dejected, helpless, with a trace of unease.

 

Huo Yanji asked: “Why don’t you know?”

 

Sang Jue rubbed against Huo Yanji’s Adam’s apple: “Because she’s very, very far away. I’ve been away from her for a long time.”

 

He didn’t know how many years he had been in hibernation in the spacecraft… He could actually ask 007, but he hadn’t.

 

“How far is very far?”

 

“…Just very far.”

 

Sang Jue didn’t know how to explain, so he simply buried his head and acted stubborn.

 

He suddenly thought: if he brought Huo Yanji back to his home planet, they would have to hibernate for many years in the spacecraft. Would Huo Yanji still be able to wake up in the end?

 

Huo Yanji said: “You’ll see each other again.”

 

He didn’t press further. Sang Jue had some weight to him, filling his embrace completely, their pressed-together chests growing hot from each other’s body heat.

 

Sang Jue suddenly said: “The person who delivered clothes asked if I wanted to set up a bed in the office.”

 

Huo Yanji stated a fact: “You refused.”

 

Sang Jue blinked: “We don’t need that much space.”

 

Indeed they didn’t.

 

Huo Yanji was Sang Jue’s bed. Though they were two people, they only occupied one person’s space.

 

Huo Yanji said flatly: “You’ll give me internal injuries from the weight eventually.”

 

His tail swished in dissatisfaction, poking Huo Yanji’s thigh: “I’m not that heavy.”

 

Huo Yanji curved his lips slightly: “You eat so much, how come you don’t gain weight?”

 

Sang Jue’s thought process was always different from others: “Do you like more meat? But I can’t eat it.”

 

“Nonsense.” Huo Yanji said flatly. “How can you not eat it?”

 

Sang Jue: “…”

 

He almost forgot – humans would eat anything and dare to eat anything, except for cannibalism due to ethical constraints.

 

A trace of wariness appeared in his pure black eyes: “I don’t taste good.”

 

Huo Yanji asked: “Have you tried?”

 

Sang Jue snorted quietly. Why would he eat himself: “You haven’t tried either.”

 

Huo Yanji said: “I’ve tasted a little bit. The flavor was quite good.”

 

Sang Jue immediately sat up, staring wide-eyed down at Huo Yanji. He didn’t remember having any flesh carved off! But judging by the tone, he couldn’t tell if Huo Yanji was telling the truth or deliberately teasing him.

 

Huo Yanji looked up at him and uttered one word: “Fool.”

 

“…I’m not a fool, Colin is the fool.” Sang Jue suddenly felt somewhat uncertain: “Will you hand me over tomorrow?”

 

Huo Yanji’s eyes flickered: “You know about it?”

 

Sang Jue nodded: “You said before that there might be situations in the future like last time when you had to set me on fire, things you’d have no choice but to do…”

 

Huo Yanji paused slightly, then after a long moment said: “Don’t want to be handed over?”

 

Sang Jue nodded: “Of course.”

 

Huo Yanji said: “Then say something nice.”

 

Sang Jue didn’t understand this logic: “You shouldn’t hand me over in the first place. Their lives are precious, but an evil dragon’s life is precious too.

 

“And I have the ability to protect myself. I don’t need to exchange sweet words for your protection… I just don’t want to be handed over by you. That would make me very angry and unhappy.”

 

Sang Jue emphasized the tone on the word “you.”

 

Sang Jue being earnest and logical was particularly enticing. When his lips parted to form the next syllable, Huo Yanji suddenly inserted a finger and hooked that soft tongue.

 

The little evil dragon blinked, obediently holding the finger in his mouth, and said unclearly: “Are you listening to me?”

 

“I heard you.” Huo Yanji said carelessly. “You’re right, but I still want to hear something nice as motivation for tomorrow’s battle of words.”

 

Sang Jue could barely accept this reasoning, but he didn’t know what standard constituted “nice words.” After much contemplation, Sang Jue said: “I can’t say nice things, but I can call you something nice.”

 

Huo Yanji asked: “What?”

 

With his tail perked behind him, Sang Jue bit Huo Yanji’s finger and called out with perfect pronunciation, very clearly: “Wife.”

 

Human males usually called their wives “wife,” so converting to human spouse relationships, as a male little evil dragon naturally taking on the human male identity, Huo Yanji would be his female.

 

The logic was perfect, without any flaws.

 

**

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