Chapter 18: Heartbeat
The air in the control room fell silent.
At the very instant when Qi He lifted his head to look at him, Yan Chuanbai’s heart gave a sudden, heavy thump.
And then he heard those words—
that the other couldn’t leave him.
Yu Tianxing seemed to draw in a quiet breath.
For a few seconds, the communicator stayed mute, until Zhong Panqing’s hesitant voice finally came through:
“Mm, ah… is that so?”
Qi He was unwavering.
“That’s exactly it.”
Zhong Panqing paused for a moment. Probably realizing that Yan Chuanbai was right there beside him, his tone turned stern:
“Chuanbai, why didn’t you tell me about something like this earlier?”
“……”
Yan Chuanbai shifted his gaze onto Qi He.
The latter’s expression didn’t waver. Yan Chuanbai reconsidered the meaning behind his words, and then let out a soft laugh under his breath—
because this was something he had only just learned himself.
The system was shocked: [What nonsense are you spouting again?!]
Qi He: “Which word was wrong?”
System: [……] Every word was correct, but put together it was completely wrong!
All of a sudden, a voice answered from beside him: “Mm.”
Qi He turned his head and saw Yan Chuanbai with one hand in his pocket, replying with casual indifference:
“Major General, you never asked me either.”
Qi He’s gaze landed on him for a moment, then slowly shifted away again.
Zhong Panqing was struck speechless.
After a pause, he let out a long sigh. The military also valued human consideration—since things were as they were, he couldn’t just forcibly separate them and send them off to opposite corners of the world.
“…Forget it then.”
He continued, “Chuanbai, you’re here to give your report, aren’t you?”
Yan Chuanbai straightened his posture slightly.
“Yes.”
…
There hadn’t been any major incidents lately, so the debriefing only took ten minutes.
Once the call ended—
The three of them left the control room, and as soon as the door closed, Yu Tianxing’s gaze—heavy with a thousand unsaid words—settled upon them.
In Qi He’s mind, the system was screeching:
[It’s over, the storm is coming. Yan Chuanbai definitely saw through you using his name as a shield, making you spout nonsense on the spot!]
Qi He had already braced himself for questioning.
He looked toward Yan Chuanbai.
The other man stood in a dark uniform, restrained and silent against the pristine white corridor. His lowered lashes hid any clear expression, but when he sensed Qi He’s gaze, he turned slightly. He didn’t ask a single question—just cast him a glance, the corners of his lips tugged into something that was almost a smile, almost not.
Then a cold laugh slipped out: “Hmph…”
Qi He: “……”
He spoke in an idle tone, “Do you have something you want to ask?”
Yan Chuanbai straightened a little, his voice quiet.
“I don’t want to ask anything.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Yu Tianxing quickly darted him a look, but in the end swallowed his words and hurried a few steps to catch up with him.
Their footsteps echoed along the polished corridor.
Colonel Yan, so intimidating that even silence carried weight, said nothing. Yu Tianxing couldn’t think of anything either, so he simply said, “I won’t say a word about it.”
Yan Chuanbai, unhurried and at ease, replied, “Go on then, let’s hear what you would say.”
Yu Tianxing: “……”
Why did he even start talking? Now he had nothing to say.
The two descended the stairs in silence and went their separate ways.
Yan Chuanbai walked straight out of the research institute. The light outside the main doors flared in his eyes. He wasn’t a fool; in nearly an instant, he understood what Qi He had meant.
But that fleeting jolt of emotion, that stirring in his chest—
that hadn’t felt fake.
Yan Chuanbai suddenly let out a short, incredulous laugh. “…Heh.”
…
After returning to his quarters, Qi He took a shower.
Then he sat down at the desk to record the trainees’ progress for the day. The system, still shaken, popped its head out:
[The storyline nearly collapsed… I told you not to draw too much attention. Luckily, it turned out all right in the end.]
Qi He was also relieved.
“Good thing I always manage to save the day.”
The system opened its mouth to curse him, but realizing it could never win an argument, it swallowed the words back.
Qi He continued making plans at the desk.
So far, no one had achieved cross-level evolution, but growth within one’s level was definitely possible. It was just that Yu Tianxing’s “Nirvana Project” hadn’t been worked out yet—everything was still running on instinct and guesswork.
As for his own “evolution,” there were already clear signs.
And then there was Yan Chuanbai…
Yesterday’s loss of control over his ability showed that he had been provoked. But why was there just one fluctuation, with nothing that followed?
As he pondered this, the communicator at his side suddenly beeped twice.
Picking it up, he saw three characters: Yan Chuanbai.
To his recollection, the other had never once taken the initiative to contact him. Slightly surprised, Qi He opened the message. At the top was a single line of text:
“Base, Northeast Sector, Warehouse 3-1.”
Qi He: “?”
Qi He replied: “No ransom. Not that close.”
Yan Chuanbai: “Heh. Didn’t you say we’d fight a few more times in private?”
Qi He suddenly understood, and sent back a single “1.” Then he stood, changed clothes, and headed out.
“My sample has arrived.”
…
The northeast sector of the base was an entire block of warehouses.
Some stockpiled daily necessities; some stored weapons and equipment. Others contained machines and tools hoarded before the apocalypse—things useless now, but too much of a waste to discard, so they had been piled into storage.
The warehouse district was vast, with patrol guards stationed outside.
Qi He used his S-level clearance to scan his face and walked straight in.
Warehouse 3-1 was located in the innermost corner.
It was a storage space for old machinery. By the time he reached the door, the latch was already undone. Qi He pushed it open.
Creaaak— light spilled into the warehouse.
One wall had a small window, through which sunlight filtered in, stirring thin layers of dust. The machines had been shifted to the sides, and Yan Chuanbai was leaning casually against a stack of cargo crates.
Qi He glanced around, then shut the door behind him.
“You had to pick this place?”
“Better to fight with the door closed—no need to worry about collateral damage, and we can go all out.”
“That’s true.”
The instant the door clicked shut, the lock froze solid.
A wave of danger surged at him! Qi He’s eyes widened slightly—he spun hard to one side—
Clang! Several ice spikes slammed into the iron door.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots fired in rapid succession.
At the same time, Yan Chuanbai launched forward with explosive force, cutting off his retreat.
Qi He’s heartbeat spiked in an instant.
He could feel it—today, Yan Chuanbai carried a razor-sharp momentum, unleashing his full strength from the very first move.
Scrrrch— the bullets deflected, striking deep into the floor. As the attack came at him, Qi He leapt back, pushed off the wall behind him, and used it as leverage to vault right over Yan Chuanbai’s head.
The moment his body dropped back toward the ground—ice spears shot up from beneath!
Qi He reacted in a split second, yanking himself backward with force—
Finally, distance opened up between them.
From across half the warehouse, he locked eyes with Yan Chuanbai.
The latter’s tall figure stood before the wall, a shaft of light slicing across his eyes. He looked like a slumbering beast awakening.
And in his gaze—
blazed a sharp, glacial battle intent.
Qi He’s blood was boiling, his spine trembling with excitement…
Yet his hand was steady as it reached for the gun—click—chamber loaded.
Then, locking eyes with Yan Chuanbai, he surged forward.
Crash—
The warehouse machinery toppled in heaps, dust swirling as shards of shattered ice littered the ground, scattering light. Two figures collided and grappled, until a heavy thud! echoed—
Yan Chuanbai’s back slammed hard against a stack of crates.
The two-meter-high cargo pile shuddered. With a knee strike, Qi He pinned him, straddling his body. One hand clamped down on his shoulder, the other pressed the gun to his forehead. Lowering his eyes, he said coldly:
“Game over…”
Yan Chuanbai suddenly lifted his gaze.
Before Qi He could react, the man pushed forward—meeting the gun barrel head-on—and flipped him down to the ground.
Thump!
His back hit, a cloud of dust rising beneath him.
Yan Chuanbai pressed down with his full weight, dark hair falling across his forehead. Their chests crushed together, Qi He’s leg wedged against his hip, ready to shove him off again—
When suddenly, a hand clamped firmly onto his lower back.
Qi He froze for a beat.
Then he saw Yan Chuanbai, forehead braced right against the gun muzzle, his gaze dropping lazily as he smiled.
“…Using me as your shield?”
Qi He: “……”
Of course. He should’ve known Yan Chuanbai wouldn’t let it slide so easily.
Perhaps because Qi He didn’t answer, Yan Chuanbai’s eyes narrowed. His fingertip pressed deliberately into a spot at Qi He’s lower back.
“Mm—” A sharp ache jolted through him. Qi He’s waist arched instinctively, his gun hand skewing aside as his other hand seized Yan Chuanbai’s arm in retaliation.
Yan Chuanbai lowered his gaze again, studying him.
“Why push me away? Didn’t you say you couldn’t leave me?”
Qi He: “……”
He held his stare for two long seconds—then abruptly flipped again.
Bang! He shoved Yan Chuanbai back against the crates once more.
Qi He straightened, lowered his head, and said to him with a tone that was half-genuine, half-teasing, “But if you cling too tightly, I’ll lose interest too.”
The two of them held each other’s gaze in silence for a few seconds.
Sunlight streamed through the small window above, casting a faint golden patch of light onto the floor beside them.
After a moment, the hand pressing against Qi He’s lower back finally dropped.
Yan Chuanbai’s stance relaxed. Leaning back against the crates, he declared, “Today’s spar ends here.”
Qi He tucked the gun away and got to his feet.
Dust clung to his knees and back; he lowered his head to pat it off. A tall figure rose in front of him, stepped past, and headed toward the door.
The ice on the door latch had already melted. Yan Chuanbai pushed it open, turned his head, and left behind a single line: “Remember to lock up after.”
With that, the door clicked shut.
[……]
From the moment Yan Chuanbai had gripped Qi He’s waist, the system had fallen completely silent. Now, gathering up its scattered fragments of code, it spoke in a trembling voice:
[You… he…]
Qi He sighed. “Yan Chuanbai really knows how to hold a grudge.”
[…What?]
He pressed a hand against his lower back.
When he’d first been grabbed just now, he had indeed blanked out for a few seconds, though by now he had already fully recovered.
“I told you he’s like a dog, but you didn’t believe me.”
The system’s voice was dazed: [No… no, something must have gone wrong…]
Qi He locked up the warehouse on his way out, offering comfort as if in passing:
“Don’t worry. With so many bugs, one or two more won’t make a difference.”
—
After returning to his quarters, Qi He showered again.
When he came out, the communicator beeped twice. He picked it up and saw a message from Meng Yan:
『Are you free tomorrow?』
『My research hit a bottleneck. T^T The mutant plants we brought back have all lost vitality. I want to go outside the base and study living ones directly.』
Leaving the base, in principle, required a three-person team.
Meng Yan didn’t know any other combat-type ability users. But if she could find an S-class, one would be enough.
Qi He checked his schedule:
『Happens I’m free. Tomorrow I’m not assigned to training classes. Otherwise, you’d have to ask Yan Chuanbai.』
Meng Yan replied in alarm:
『No no no, Brother Yan is far too busy. I couldn’t possibly trouble him.』
Far too busy.
Qi He said to the system, “You people all wear rose-colored glasses when it comes to Yan Chuanbai?”
[Not rose-colored.]
The system stated matter-of-factly:
[He’s not only busy all day—he’s also on standby all night.]
“……”
Qi He skipped over that subject. He arranged the time for tomorrow morning, then put down the communicator and went to rest.
—
The next morning.
Qi He stepped out the door just as the elevator descended from above.
The display stopped first at the 29th floor, then dropped to his level. Ding! The doors opened.
Yan Chuanbai and Yu Tianxing were inside.
Qi He met Yan Chuanbai’s gaze. The latter tugged lightly at the corner of his lips, and Qi He answered with a smile. Then he greeted the person beside him: “Morning.”
Yu Tianxing: “…Morning.”
The doors closed again, and the elevator continued downward.
Qi He didn’t speak to Yan Chuanbai. Seeing the silence between them, Yu Tianxing also shut his mouth. The cabin, full of acquaintances, descended to the first floor under this strange, subtle quiet.
When the doors opened, Qi He was the first to walk out.
Yan Chuanbai followed a few steps behind, exiting the tall building.
The gaze beside him kept flicking his way. He endured it for several breaths before finally halting and turning his head.
Yu Tianxing seemed startled: !
Yan Chuanbai drew in a deep breath and laid it out plainly: “Stop imagining things. Yesterday was just his excuse.”
Yu Tianxing recalled his routine monitor check from the day before.
In the rarely trafficked warehouse district at the northeast corner, he had first seen Yan Chuanbai emerge from a side path. A few minutes later, Qi He also came out—his collar still a little rumpled.
Yu Tianxing said, “Oh.”
They walked a few more steps before he switched angles and asked, “So it’s not one of those ‘can’t live without each other’ situations?”
Yan Chuanbai’s stride faltered ever so slightly.
Then, as though something had crossed his mind, the severity between his brows eased. He didn’t answer directly—only said:
“In this world, there’s no such thing as someone you can’t live without.”
—
Qi He left with Meng Yan as planned.
Before they got in the car, he went ahead and pulled open the driver’s side door. Noticing Meng Yan glance his way, he explained,
“I can drive.”
Meng Yan’s expression was full of awe:
“Mm-hmm, I know—Qi Qi the Speed Demon.”
“….”
Qi He slammed the door shut with a bang and smiled gently.
“I can also be Qi Qi the Racecar Driver.”
Once Meng Yan buckled up, he hit the gas, tearing through the base gates like a bolt of lightning.
Their destination was the forested mountains of Ring-II District.
That area had a wide variety of mutated flora, and it wasn’t too far. At Qi He’s breakneck pace, it would take only two or three hours.
As Z City fell behind them, shrinking into the horizon, Qi He took the chance to ask,
“How’s the progress on the nutrient solution?”
Meng Yan suddenly sat upright.
“So far I’ve only tested it on vegetables, chicks, and Brother Yan! For the first two, there was clear growth promotion with no harmful side effects.”
Qi He: “…”
She didn’t seem to notice anything wrong with lumping those three together.
He let it pass naturally.
“Do you have any data?”
Meng Yan rattled off a string of figures in rapid-fire succession. After finishing excitedly, she noticed Qi He was actually listening seriously. She paused.
“Aren’t you combat division? Why are you interested in research stuff too?”
Qi He: “Occupational habit.”
Curious, Meng Yan asked, “What did you do before?”
Qi He recalled his cover identity and compromised a little: “I played fighting games.”
Meng Yan: “…” That counts?
After two hours of speeding, they finally reached the edge of Ring-II District.
Mutated plants spread in dense profusion across the mountains.
Qi He swept his gaze around, about to pick a good spot for fieldwork, when a panel suddenly flashed before his eyes:
[Ding! System loading…]
[■■■ Load complete ■■■]
[Key Plotline will commence in 5 minutes. Host, please prepare.]
Qi Qi the Racer jolted violently in the driver’s seat.
“……”
A calm hint of madness flickered in Qi He’s eyes. “System.”
Five minutes until it starts?
Right now, Yan Chuanbai is ten thousand miles away.
————————————————————————————————
Author’s Note:
Yan Chuanbai: There’s no such thing as someone you can’t live without.
Qi He: Yes, there is. You just don’t get it. (calmly losing his mind)
