The Third Rebirth (REBIRTH)
The blanket was warm, and Ye Xiao, nestled close to Ling Chen, drifted off to sleep in a daze. He wasn't sure how long he had slept, but when he woke up, Ling Chen was kissing him. It wasn't deep, just a gentle back-and-forth between his lips and teeth, much like savoring a piece of candy.
Noticing that Ye Xiao was awake, Ling Chen pressed his lips against his and asked, "Little Fuzzball, did you sleep well? Hmm?"
Ye Xiao nodded sluggishly, still somewhat groggy while being buried in the soft pillows and blankets. However, his body reacted faster than his mind, and he instinctively licked Ling Chen's lower lip before smacking his lips as if savoring the taste.
Ling Chen chuckled at his little gesture and asked with amusement, "Little Fuzzball, am I tastier than milk candy?"
After asking, Ling Chen actually felt a bit nervous.
Ye Xiao thought carefully and shook his head, "Milk candy is tastier."
After such high hopes, the disappointment hit hard.
Ling Chen couldn't help but kiss him fiercely and nibbling on Ye Xiao's lips, though he didn't dare to bite too hard and just gently grinding his teeth.
Ye Xiao laughed, "Captain, that tickles!"
Ling Chen: "Is the Captain handsome?"
This time, Ye Xiao nodded without hesitation, "Yes!"
"Among all the people you've met, who's the best-looking?"
"You!"
The more Ling Chen listened, the better his mood became. "Then who's the strongest?"
Faced with this question, Ye Xiao hesitated for a while before answering, "Still you, because I can't draw my blade against you."
"Tsk, our Little Fuzzball is quite confident," Ling Chen thought for a moment, "We'd probably end up in a draw because I can't shoot at you either."
The two of them lay on the hospital bed with their shoulders brushing against each other and feet touching in an intimate closeness. Ling Chen could even smell the scent of Ye Xiao's body wash, something like grapefruit or citrus, sweet and tangy, very pleasant.
"What soap are you using? It smells so nice."
"It's body wash, Auntie brought it for me," Ye Xiao smiled with his eyes curving, and gestured with his hands, "Auntie also made bacon fried rice for me. I've never had such delicious fried rice before, it was this big!"
Ling Chen looked at his satisfied, smiling face and thought, ‘You're going to break my heart.’
In the afternoon, Ye Xiao was dragged by Jiang Cancan and Jian Lan to the dining room for dinner, while Ling Chen leaned on his pillow and chatted with Bai Hengyun.
"Thanks, Mom."
Bai Hengyun was surprised, "What for? You've been lying here injured for so long, and I haven't had time to take care of you."
Ling Chen spoke earnestly, "Thank you for being so kind to Ye Xiao."
He knew Bai Hengyun was a science fanatic that often lost herself in her research and forgetting to eat or sleep. Once, she stayed up for two days straight while drinking only seven or eight cups of coffee, and eventually collapsed in the lab from a stomach hemorrhage, spending several days in the hospital.
Yet now, she was willing to take time out to make bacon fried rice for Ye Xiao and worry about little things like what body wash he used.
Bai Hengyun leaned against the wall with her hands tucked into the pockets of her long white lab coat, her smile bright and gentle. "Ye Xiao is such a heartwarming kid," she said softly. "The night you were brought back with severe injuries, the car stopped at the base entrance, and the medics carried you out on a stretcher. Ye Xiao jumped out of the car while covered in your blood with his eyes red as he walked over and apologized to me."
"Later, when you were in the emergency room, he wanted to wait at the door, but I forcibly pushed him into the bathroom. After a while, he turned on the faucet and used the sound of water to mask his quiet sobbing in the bathroom."
She sighed softly, "That child has clearly suffered a lot. Seeing all those scars on his body, big and small, made me feel sad. He's used to enduring and hiding everything, not fighting or grabbing, not being greedy, and he remembers every little bit of kindness people show him.
But when it comes to you, it's different. That look in his eyes, like they're filled with stars, is impossible to hide."
Ling Chen remained silent.
Bai Hengyun looked at him, "Speaking of which, it was because of me and Old Ling that you joined the Second Division back then. Later, when you became the commander of the Second Division, you gained brothers you could trust with your life, going through life-and-death situations time and time again. Old Ling and I fully respect your choices. Everyone has the right to choose how they live.
But Ling Chen, just like you taught Ye Xiao to cherish his life, I hope you learn to cherish your own life too. Not for anything else, just think about it—if you die, what will happen to Ye Xiao?"
Not long after Bai Hengyun left, Ye Xiao returned while carrying takeout food.
"Captain, the chef in the dining room made soup today. Drinking it will help your wounds heal faster."
Ling Chen asked, "Why did he suddenly make soup?"
He used to make soup, but ever since the chef in the dining room realized that these soldiers couldn't tell the difference between soup that had been simmering for five hours and tap water, he stopped putting in the effort.
"I asked the chef to make it yesterday," Ye Xiao opened the lid of the container while smiling sheepishly, "In exchange, I carried ten bags of flour to the kitchen for him."
Ling Chen couldn't quite identify the emotion welling up inside him, "Was it tiring?"
"Not at all, I'm strong."
After finishing every last drop of the soup, Ling Chen suddenly thought about how Ye Xiao had quietly done so many things for him without ever mentioning them. If he didn't ask, he would never know how much Ye Xiao had done for him in places he wasn't aware of.
Remembering the question that had arisen in his mind earlier at the testing ground about who was assigning tasks to Ye Xiao, Ling Chen pushed it back down again. If Ye Xiao didn't want him to know, then he wouldn't ask.
For the next several days, Ling Chen had soup with every meal—pork rib soup, fish soup, chicken soup, all in rotation—making him worry that his eight-pack abs might turn into a little belly.
Perhaps all that soup really did have an effect, because after lying in bed for half a month, Ling Chen was finally allowed to get up and move around.
Jiang Cancan and Jian Lan ran to the kitchen, got a basin, threw in some dry branches and leaves, and lit a fire.
"Chen Ge, come over and step over the fire basin! Drive away the bad luck!"
Ling Chen laughed and scolded, "Have your brains been corroded by superstitious beliefs?" Despite his words, he still stepped over the fire basin with his long legs.
Jiang Cancan and Jian Lan cheered, then carried the fire basin out of the room.
With the two noisy ones gone, the room immediately fell silent.
Ling Chen asked Jiang Mu, "How have things been these past two weeks?"
Jiang Mu: "The training for the reserve team is on track. I had Jian Lan and Cancan act as instructors, and it's been very effective. Only Baozi and Xiaoshu are left in the third group of the reserve team, and according to their own wishes, they've merged into the second group. Although the third group is empty now, the structure still exists."
Ling Chen nodded, "Any news from Holy Judgement and the Command Center?"
"Yes. General Jian has planted someone in the Command Center. According to the information received, two more research institutes have lost control. The experimental subjects inside killed all the researchers and then escaped from the institutes. They lack human rationality and are driven only by the instinct to kill like wild beasts. It took nearly a hundred people to finally suppress the situation."
"Because of this incident, the higher-ups' theft of Holy Judgement's Gene Fusion Technology has also been brought to light."
Ling Chen pondered, "They won't openly break ties. Holy Judgement, after all, is just a large-scale mercenary organization. It was only after they gradually expanded and grew stronger by relying on Gene Fusion Technology that they began internal restructuring and reforms. They still don't dare to sever ties with the higher-ups."
"These two sides are like leeches that sucking each other's blood and wait to see who will destroy whom first."
He then asked Jiang Mu, "What about Soaring Dragon? Have they returned?"
Jiang Mu shook his head, "No. They set off on the 9th to pick up scientists from the Academy of Engineering in District One. Today is the 18th, so they should be on their way back."
Ling Chen felt uneasy, but he didn't say anything and changed the topic.
In the evening, Ling Chen didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid, so he dragged Ye Xiao out for a walk.
The temporary base had many trees, and some unknown flowers were blooming, filling the night breeze with a fragrant scent.
The place where they walked was secluded, with no streetlights and no one around.
After walking for a while, Ling Chen's gaze fixed on a large tree with a thick trunk, and he changed direction accordingly.
Ye Xiao didn't notice and followed the change in direction.
The tree had lush foliage, and its large canopy blocked even the moonlight from above. Ye Xiao's night vision was excellent, and he walked steadily step by step.
Suddenly, Ling Chen stopped before he reached out to hold Ye Xiao's waist, and pinned him against the tree trunk. To prevent the rough bark from causing discomfort, he cushioned Ye Xiao's back with his hand.
Ye Xiao felt inexplicably parched and stared at Ling Chen's indistinct outline in the darkness, "...Are you going to kiss me?"
Ling Chen's soft laughter was clear in the silence filled only with the sound of the wind, "Yes, I want to kiss you."
As the last syllable faded into the wind, Ling Chen leaned in and kissed him.
His rough, broad hand cradled Ye Xiao's head, while the other hand slid down his back and into his clothes while slowly and meticulously kneading Ye Xiao's waist. Within moments, Ye Xiao's breathing became rapid.
They were so close that they could clearly sense each other's subtle reactions.
Ling Chen deepened the kiss while trapping Ye Xiao between the tree trunk and himself, and indulging in his actions. Their breaths turned from hot to scorching, as if they were about to ignite the air.
Ye Xiao's mind grew hazy, and his body softened. His hands instinctively wrapped around Ling Chen's neck, and he pressed himself against Ling Chen, driven by instinct.
This friction ignited a fire within Ling Chen, and his kiss became more aggressive and increasing in intensity that he even forced Ye Xiao's head to tilt back. The sound of their lips and tongues intertwining was both ambiguous and tantalizing.
At that moment, both of them heard footsteps approaching from a distance.
Ling Chen's fingers slipped into Ye Xiao's waistband before whispering close to his ear, "Shh, let's be quiet." He soothingly kissed the corner of Ye Xiao's mouth and felt Ye Xiao unconsciously rubbing against him. He gently patted Ye Xiao's buttocks, "Be good, stay close to me, and I'll satisfy you."
On the other side, the two newcomers began to argue after confirming that no one was around.
"Shitou, what the hell is going on with the coordinates?" It was a male voice that sounded young and had a hint of anxiety as he deliberately lowered his voice but still came off as sharp.
"What coordinates are you talking about? I don’t know anything about that." This must be the person called Shitou. His voice was slightly rough that trying to stay calm, but the underlying panic was easily detectable.
The younger one grew impatient, "I saw it! After training, you secretly sent a coordinate to someone—it was the coordinate of this place!"
Ling Chen continued to kiss Ye Xiao’s lips and chin, and because he noticed that Ye Xiao particularly enjoyed having his lower back touched, he kept his hand moving.
Shitou seemed angry, "You’re accusing me!"
The younger one paused for a moment, "I’ll report this to Captain Wu. If it turns out I’ve wronged you, I’ll apologize, even kneel if I have to. But if I’m not wrong, Shitou, then you’re a traitor."
After saying this, the sound of footsteps on grass could be heard, indicating he was about to leave.
Suddenly, catching a peculiar movement, Ling Chen acted swiftly.
The dagger tucked at his lower back was thrown out before landing with a "thud" precisely on Shitou’s wrist. At the same time, the silenced gun in Shitou’s hand fell into the grass.
A minute later, Ling Chen, holding Ye Xiao’s hand tightly, picked up the gun from the ground and pointed it at Shitou’s head before asking lazily, "Do you know who I am?"
Shitou’s eyes flickered, and he nodded cautiously.
Ling Chen then looked to the side, "Comrade, state your identity."
"Reporting to Ling Zihui, serial number TE985527, Zhang Cheng, a reserve member of the Soaring Dragon team!"
Ling Chen nodded.
Jiang Mu had mentioned before that the Soaring Dragon, Cheetah, and reserve teams had added many new members. "Explain the situation."
Zhang Cheng was visibly nervous in front of Ling Chen as he kept swallowing four times before speaking, "I... I was returning to the dorm after training this afternoon and saw Shitou with his back to the door while doing something and I wanted to scare him. When I tapped his shoulder, he was so startled that he dropped what he was holding. I glanced at it and saw a series of numbers."
He scratched the back of his head, "It was just a few numbers, so I didn’t pay much attention, but his expression seemed off. Later, while eating, I kept thinking about it and realized those numbers looked familiar. I checked and found out they were the exact coordinates of the temporary base." His voice lowered slightly, "But I couldn’t believe it, so I called him out to ask for clarification."
Ling Chen understood and looked down, "Your turn. I’ll ask, and you answer."
"First question, were the coordinates sent to the military district or to Holy Judgement?"
"...Holy Judgement."
"How did you get in touch with Holy Judgement?"
Shitou remained silent.
Ling Chen’s aura suddenly turned sharp.
His military boot, reinforced with steel at the toe, kicked Shitou’s shin with full force. The "crack" sound indicated that the shinbone had likely been fractured.
Shitou cried out in pain as his forehead was covered in cold sweat. He gasped while looking at Ling Chen with fear, "Before I left with General Jian, someone from Holy Judgement approached me."
His voice trembled uncontrollably and his entire body kept shaking like a sieve. "But they hadn't contacted me before. Last... last night, they suddenly reached out and asked me to provide the detailed coordinates of the temporary base." After saying this, he seemed to break down completely. "I really only provided the coordinate points! I didn't do anything else! Don't kill me, please don't kill me!"
"Only provided the coordinate points?" Ling Chen's voice was icy, as if laced with shards of frost. "The time of the attack."
"...It should be just before dawn. They... they seem to already be nearby."
Ling Chen didn't say another word. He pulled the trigger and ending the man's life with a single shot.
Zhang Cheng watched as Shitou disappeared before his eyes with his heart filled with dread—if Ling Chen hadn't been there by chance, it would have been him who died. By dawn, when Holy Judgement launched their attack, all his comrades-in-arms from training and the scientists and researchers would have been killed.
Wiping his face, Zhang Cheng tried to calm himself down. He glanced at Ye Xiao, who stood nearby with a cold aura and holding the Long Blade, then turned to Ling Chen. "Ling Zihui, what should we do now? And Shitou... aren't we going to interrogate him?"
"There's nothing to interrogate. He was in direct contact with Holy Judgement, and we wouldn't get anything useful out of him. Keeping him alive would only cause trouble."
Ling Chen tossed the gun to Zhang Cheng, his presence fierce and commanding. He opened his Communicator and announced, "Everyone, meet in the conference room in ten minutes. We've got another fight on our hands."
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