Chapter 11: Exchange of Communications
Inside the house, the atmosphere was warm and lively.
Qi He was simmering a pot of creamy curry potatoes.
The kitchen was open, facing directly toward the living room.
Mo Jiayan and the others were gathered around the sofa, while Yu Tianxing was curiously picking at kernels of corn that had sprouted from a sunflower.
The entryway door clicked open—Ye Yi had arrived.
Mo Jiayan popped her head up: “Captain!”
Ye Yi walked over, set a bag of apples on the table, and sat down. “Mm.” Her gaze swept around the room. Some of the people were familiar to her, some not.
She paused for a moment before speaking: “On my way up, I ran into Colonel Yan.”
Meng Yan nodded naturally. “Oh, oh, Brother Yan, huh.”
Zhou Ziqian chimed in cheerfully, “I ran into him too when I came over. I even told him I’d first—”
His words cut off, and the living room fell silent for two seconds.
“Wait, ‘on your way up’?”
“What do you mean, ran into him on your way up?” Meng Yan swallowed and looked toward the entryway. “He… didn’t come in with you?”
Ye Yi said nothing.
Everyone drew in a sharp breath—
Could it be… Yan Chuanbai wasn’t invited!?
All eyes instantly swiveled over.
Qi He lifted his head from behind the counter, slicing two chunks of carrot with a “thunk, thunk.” “What’s the matter?”
Zhou Ziqian thought to himself: with the kind of relationship their Brother Yan had with Qi He—he’d even gone in person to bring him to the base—no way they’d leave him out of dinner, right…
He cautiously asked, “Who did you invite? Did everyone come?”
Qi He kept slicing carrots, “thunk, thunk.” “Didn’t look too closely. Just tapped group send in my contacts.”
“……”
A heavier silence descended.
Wait a minute—did the two of them… not even add each other’s contacts?
The dead silence dragged on until Meng Yan suddenly let out an “Ah!” as if waking from a dream. Yu Tianxing was so startled he dropped the sunflower in his hands.
Meng Yan shot upright and hurried to smooth things over: “I was the one who helped send the invites. I must’ve missed it when I tapped through—”
She stretched out her hands in frustration. “Ugh! These useless hands of mine!”
Everyone: “……”
Qi He, still slicing carrots: “……”
Meng Yan sneaked a glance. “So… should we make it up to him?”
After all, each of them had already bumped into him. If Yan Chuanbai never found out, it’d be fine. But if he did… it would be way too awkward.
Qi He kept slicing carrots and nodded casually. “Go ahead and invite him.”
Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
But then a new problem arose: they had all been notified long ago, and only now were they thinking of calling Yan Chuanbai. Wouldn’t that make the “afterthought” too obvious?
Meng Yan, who knew the real reason behind the “missed invite,” hesitated. “Mm, then… how do we put it?”
Qi He paused his movements, thinking for a moment.
Suddenly, the system piped up: [I have a plan.]
Qi He perked up his ears. “Let’s hear it.”
The system still hadn’t given up on salvaging the plot and his character setting: [To embrace one person, you embraced everyone. To invite one person, you invited everyone. You just need to say—it’s not that you didn’t invite him, it’s that you saved him for last. He is your final revelation, your unspoken word.]
Scritch! A sliver of carrot shaved off with the knife.
Qi He sighed in admiration. “So you’re Pang Tong—the hidden genius, the phoenix chick to my crouching dragon.”
System: [……]
Qi He turned toward the living room. “Forget the messages. Just say the food’s almost ready, and call him down to eat together.”
Yu Tianxing stood up and pressed his palms together. “I’ve got elevator access—then I’ll go fetch him~”
With that, he drifted gracefully out the door.
—
Three minutes later, the door opened again.
Yu Tianxing led Yan Chuanbai downstairs.
There was a stir at the entryway. Qi He looked up, and across half the living room his eyes met Yan Chuanbai’s. Yan Chuanbai’s gaze was deep, carrying the faintest trace of a smile—or not.
Qi He greeted him naturally, “Better to come at just the right time than to come early. The food’s just done—go wash up, we’re about to eat.”
Yan Chuanbai walked over and washed his hands at the sink beside Qi He, his back to the living room. His voice, neither light nor heavy, mingled with the sound of running water:
“Thank you—for letting me arrive at just the right moment.”
“You’re welcome. Thoughtfulness happens to be one of my many virtues.”
Yan Chuanbai lifted his eyelids and gave him a short laugh.
Qi He ventured, “You seem like you’ve got some feelings toward me.”
Turning off the water, Yan Chuanbai dried his hands with casual ease. “You’re overthinking. What kind of feelings could I have toward you?”
“None is good.”
Qi He passed over a pot of stewed potatoes. “Since you came at the perfect time, would you do me the favor of carrying this over?”
Yan Chuanbai glanced at it, said nothing, and took it into the living room. Meng Yan also came to help, and together with Qi He carried the remaining dishes out.
Everyone sat down around the living room table.
The ingredients were limited, but the spread still looked, smelled, and tasted like a proper meal.
Yu Tianxing sighed with nostalgia. “Ever since the apocalypse, we’ve hardly had the chance to eat such a big, normal meal.”
Mo Jiayan picked up a piece of potato, then exclaimed in surprise, “…It’s actually really good.”
Under the table, Ye Yi gave her a discreet kick on the foot.
Qi He ignored the word “actually” in that earlier remark, and simply accepted the praise: “A skill honed after living alone.”
He remembered that the original owner had moved out to live independently after coming of age, so there was no flaw in that explanation.
Yan Chuanbai also took a bite.
It was very good. And whether it was the knife work or the handling of the ingredients, it was all done with practiced ease and skill.
He gave a soft laugh. “Seems like you picked up more than a few skills after living alone.”
Qi He shook his head. “People are always forced to grow.”
Yan Chuanbai: “Just like when I took over Base I.”
“……”
A tacit understanding surged between the two, an undercurrent unspoken but clear.
Yu Tianxing, sitting nearby, just smiled without saying anything—he could see right through it, but he wouldn’t say it aloud.
Zhou Ziqian, after giving it some simple thought with his straightforward brain, suddenly caught on: “Oh right, didn’t Brother Yan want to go to headquarters before? I wasn’t there that day, but I heard all about how you captured Ying Zhen alive—”
Excited, he slapped his thigh. “So that means, Brother Yan staying at Base I is basically thanks to you!”
Everyone: “……”
The three who knew the truth: “……” Well, the wording wasn’t wrong.
Zhou Ziqian shifted the topic. “But Brother Yan, why do you insist on going to headquarters? With your personality—so free-spirited, so unrestrained—shouldn’t you prefer to stay far from restrictions?”
Several gazes turned his way.
Yan Chuanbai lowered his eyes, silent for two seconds.
He did hate restraints, yet he also needed them.
He faintly sensed his own underlying obsession, so for years he had deliberately suppressed his desires, refusing to let emotions sway him. Sometimes he even felt he wasn’t a normal person, that he needed something—someone—to keep him bound.
Qi He sat directly across from him.
He could clearly see the trace of shadow in the other man’s eyes. Yan Chuanbai’s hand, braced on the table, lifted slightly as if by habit to reach for a cigarette—but in the end, he held back and set it down again.
The next moment, Yan Chuanbai returned to his usual carefree self.
“Not really insisting. Just… felt like it.”
Zhou Ziqian straightened in respect. “There aren’t many people as pure-hearted as you anymore.”
“……” The whole table fell silent.
Qi He got up and refilled his empty glass. “Ah, so it was just out of water.” With the level that low, no wonder he couldn’t see his reflection.
Zhou Ziqian: “Eh? Thanks?”
Yan Chuanbai looked away, unwilling to linger. “Eat.”
—
When the meal was done, Qi He stood to clean up. Ye Yi and the others tried to help, but he stopped them. “Just sit and relax.”
At that moment, Yan Chuanbai also rose. With one long arm, he swept up the used bowls and plates.
“I’ll do it.”
Qi He glanced over, and this time didn’t refuse. “Much obliged.”
System: [Why are you playing favorites again?]
Qi He carried a stack of dishes back to the counter, turned on the water, and got ready to wash them. “Didn’t you want me to get closer to Yan Chuanbai?”
Yan Chuanbai happened to follow him over.
The system was stunned: [Your idea of ‘getting closer’ is literally bringing him close to do the dishes together!?]
Qi He was quite pleased.
There were two sinks at the counter.
Yan Chuanbai had already squeezed out soap on the bowls and plates, rolled up his sleeves, and started scrubbing. Qi He took the ones he washed and rinsed them clean.
The sound of rushing water mingled with the faint fizz of bubbles.
Then Yan Chuanbai’s voice came from beside him: “By the way, in a few days all the S-class ability users will be having a meeting. Just giving you a heads-up first.”
Qi He rinsed a plate. “Why give me a heads-up?”
The voice at his side was unhurried. “In case we don’t cross paths in the base these next few days, I wouldn’t want you to miss the notice.”
Qi He’s hands stilled for a moment. He narrowed his eyes slightly.
But the next second, as if he hadn’t noticed the subtext, he nodded smoothly. “True. You really do think things through.”
“……”
The sound of bubbles stopped for a few seconds.
Then a quiet chuckle drifted out. “Heh…”
Wiping his hands on a cloth, Yan Chuanbai held out a communicator in front of Qi He. When Qi He turned his head, he found Yan Chuanbai’s gaze lowered toward him. “Add me?”
Since he was being so open, Qi He matched him with equal ease.
He pulled out his communicator and connected. “Sure.”
…
After the meal, everyone else left.
There were missions to handle around the base. Over the next two days, everyone was busy with their own tasks, and Qi He really didn’t run into Yan Chuanbai.
On the third day things eased up a little.
Qi He rested that morning. In the afternoon, just as he stepped out to pick up a mission, he saw sentries outside moving in haste—and a squad hurrying past from the direction of the research institute.
He paused for a moment. …What’s going on?
Just then, his communicator beeped twice.
Qi He opened it—it was Yu Tianxing. But before he could answer, the call cut off, and in the next instant a voice came from ahead: “Qi He!”
He looked up and came face-to-face with Yu Tianxing.
Seeing him, Yu Tianxing’s eyes lit up. He rushed over and grabbed him. “Perfect, I was just looking for you!”
Qi He staggered a little. “What is it?”
“The relay station outside the base has malfunctioned.”
Yu Tianxing’s expression grew serious. “There’s no signal in East Ring Zones II and III. The ability users we sent out have temporarily lost contact. Right now, they’re urgently recalling all ability users still in East Ring Zone I.”
The East Ring Zones I, II, and III referred to areas divided outward in concentric rings from the center of the base.
The relay station was set up between Zones II and III.
Qi He asked, “What exactly went wrong?”
“No idea, we just need to check it out.” Yu Tianxing explained, “With the signal down, the safest option is to send an S-class ability user along with the technicians. Yan Chuanbai went out on a mission and isn’t in the base. He should be outside Zone I—and we’ve already lost contact with him too.”
He wasn’t particularly worried about Yan Chuanbai, but the signal issue couldn’t wait.
Qi He understood. “I’ll go right now.”
He didn’t bother asking why the other S-class ability user wasn’t being sent.
Looking out into the distance: untainted greenery, clean water sources, and cultivation bases ready for research and planting…
From his very first day in the base, he had realized it—only an S-class water-ability user could sustain the entire purification system that stretched from the surface to the underground.
Even if Yu Tianxing had to be sent out to fight, Yu Jiang would never be allowed to leave.
Yu Jiang was the “lifeblood” of the base.
Yu Tianxing nodded. “Then I’ll leave it to you.”
…
Three technicians were quickly assembled.
Qi He said, “I’ll drive.”
He yanked the heavy car door shut with a bang! Then, after a moment’s thought, he pulled out his communicator and sent a message to Yan Chuanbai:
『The base station is down. Contact me once communications are restored.』
He pocketed the device and started the engine.
The modified off-road vehicle roared out through the base gates. Ahead lay Z City, backed by a stretch of mountain forest. The sky hung low, as though it were pressing down from the horizon.
Qi He glanced up at it through the window.
A storm was coming.
