Chapter 28: Offensive
The two of them stood up one after the other and left.
For a moment, the three people remaining in the conference room were silent.
Guan Shangchun lowered his gaze, saying nothing. Yu Tianxing and Yu Jiang both stared wide-eyed, holding their breath.
Just moments ago, Yan Chuanbai had very openly sent a message in front of everyone—they’d only seen Guan Shangchun ask Qi He to train with him, then Yan Chuanbai sent a message right there on the spot, and Qi He immediately turned and refused Guan Shangchun.
The atmosphere could be described as currents of tension flowing right under the surface!
Yu Tianxing’s sense of something subtle grew stronger and stronger. Keeping a smile, he looked at Guan Shangchun and said, “Guan Shang, you’re…”
“Qi Qi turned me down because of Colonel Yan.”
Guan Shangchun lifted his eyes, speaking frankly. He smiled lightly and said, his tone slow and deliberate, “I really want to know—what exactly did he send?”
Two sharp inhalations sounded nearby: —!
Yu Tianxing held his breath for a few seconds, then raised both hands like claws.
“Wait, wait—you’re planning to interfere in their relationship? Being the third wheel isn’t good!”
“Third wheel?” Guan Shangchun looked at him. “But they’re not together.”
Yu Tianxing: “?”
“Not together?” He turned to Yu Jiang, who was struggling to keep his eyes open. “You know about their relationship—are they really not together?”
Yu Jiang blinked. They’d broken up… and hadn’t gotten back together yet. “Yes.”
“……” Yu Tianxing was speechless.
Guan Shangchun rose to his feet, about to leave.
Just before walking out of the conference room, he suddenly turned back, a glint of conquest flickering in his eyes.
“Qi Qi is so strong. In my eyes, no one is worthy of him. And since no one is worthy—then Colonel Yan and I are standing on the same starting line.”
After speaking, he nodded slightly to the two of them and walked out the door.
The two left in the room: …
Just what part of this entire sequence did they miss!!!
—
The time Yan Chuanbai had set was in the evening.
Qi He had just come back from the dust-filled battlefield that day. After eating dinner and taking a shower, he went upstairs and knocked on the door of the 29th floor.
The door opened—Yan Chuanbai was inside, dressed casually.
When he saw Qi He, he raised an eyebrow slightly, then led him into the room.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, night had already fallen.
Only the faint glow from energy crystal cores and the soft light from a strip of floor-level lamps illuminated the room.
Yan Chuanbai walked over and sat down at the foot of the bed.
Bracing his hands on either side of him, he looked up calmly and asked, “What do you want to do?”
Qi He confirmed, “Anything is fine?”
Yan Chuanbai nodded, smiling by default.
According to what they knew, the current storyline didn’t allow Yan Chuanbai to come into contact with certain substances—but if it was extracted directly from him…
A small knife appeared in Qi He’s palm. “I need a little of your blood.”
“Mm.” Yan Chuanbai sat there in a relaxed posture, letting him do as he pleased. “Where do you want it from?”
Qi He walked closer, his gaze unconsciously tracing along the man’s smooth neck, over his shoulders, chest, and abdomen, continuing downward… His lower stomach seemed to tense slightly. Qi He lifted Yan Chuanbai’s hand and made a small cut on his fingertip.
“Here.”
Blood welled up—the storyline didn’t stop him.
Qi He took out a test tube. “I’ll collect a bit.”
The other cooperatively pressed his fingertip against the tube’s opening.
Qi He held his hand steady—Yan Chuanbai’s palm was large, radiating warmth. When his fingertips brushed against the pulse at the wrist, it felt slightly faster than usual. The blood slid down the inner wall of the tube.
The other man said nothing, nor did he ask what the blood was for.
In the quiet that followed, Qi He probed, “Do you still plan on going to Headquarters?”
Yan Chuanbai lifted his eyelids slightly. “Do you want me to go to Headquarters?”
“I’m just asking,” Qi He replied smoothly. “So I can prepare accordingly. After all, I can’t be apart from you—you know that.”
At his fingertip, the blood continued to trail down the inside of the tube.
Yan Chuanbai seemed to let out a quiet laugh. “Mm.”
“……” Qi He sensed something unusual. “System, why isn’t he mocking me?”
The system replied briefly: [The wolf’s here.]
…
When the small vial was filled, Qi He tucked it into the pouch at his waist.
Yan Chuanbai didn’t bother with the small cut—an ability user’s healing was faster than an ordinary person’s; the bleeding had already stopped on its own.
He asked, “Anything else?”
Qi He lowered his eyes, thinking carefully. Under his influence, Guan Shangchun had come to Base I, and the plot had already shifted significantly. If he now used himself to influence Yan Chuanbai’s storyline…
He looked at the man for a few seconds.
Then, suddenly, he reached out and pushed.
Yan Chuanbai didn’t resist; he let himself fall back onto the bed behind him. Qi He knelt between his legs, towering over him—
His tall, slender frame was outlined by the light coming through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
A soft halo traced his silhouette. Yan Chuanbai’s elbows supported him against the mattress, his shoulders and back forming a subtle arch like a raised hill. He stared up at the person in front of him, his throat shifting slightly as he swallowed.
“…What are you doing?”
Qi He looked down at him as well. If he showed signs of changing the nature of their relationship—or hints of developing a romantic subplot…
He suddenly leaned forward, one hand pressing down beside Yan Chuanbai.
In the instant he drew close, the breath beneath him seemed to catch.
A hand came to rest at Qi He’s waist—at first as if to push him away, but instead it pressed down, fingers settling firmly at his side. The not-yet-dried blood left a vivid streak of red against the pale fabric. The wide hem of his coat fell, outlining smooth, lean lines and the faint texture of skin beneath.
Yan Chuanbai’s eyes darkened.
The system’s alarm blared: […Wait—wait, what are you doing!?]
Qi He felt completely in control. “Relax. I’m not actually going to do anything to him.”
It was just a test—both of them knew that.
Still, the system, watching the tense lines of Yan Chuanbai’s legs and his unwavering gaze, couldn’t shake the feeling that Yan Chuanbai was about to do something to him.
Yan Chuanbai’s voice came out low, with a faint rasp. “…Are you done?”
Qi He wanted to wait a little longer. “Not yet.”
Yan Chuanbai stared at him. He knew clearly that Qi He didn’t mean anything by this—but so what?
Suddenly, his hand tightened at Qi He’s waist, and with one swift motion, he flipped them over—pressing Qi He beneath him.
He did.
Thump. The world turned over; Qi He tensed instinctively, then relaxed again once he realized there was no hostility in the movement. His body sank into the softness of the bedding, dark hair spilling loosely across it.
Yan Chuanbai braced himself above. “Is this all you wanted to do to me?”
He asked again, “Is this enough?”
Qi He’s eyes widened slightly.
He knew Yan Chuanbai was deliberately cooperating, yet for a moment, it felt like something magnetic had drawn him in—Yan Chuanbai leaning closer as if pulled beyond control.
Countless fragments of information surged through Qi He’s mind—about the plot, about the test… and something else, subtle and unfamiliar, an undetected disturbance in the orbit of two bodies that could never truly meet.
Qi He hesitated for a beat, then said quietly, “That should be enough.”
Yan Chuanbai’s lowered lashes trembled slightly; his fingertips slowly tightened…
Just then—beep, beep! A communication alert went off.
The charged silence broke. Qi He snapped out of his daze and took out his communicator to glance at it.
“It’s Guan Shang.”
A flicker of irritation lit in Yan Chuanbai’s eyes. He gave a quiet laugh. “…And what does he want with you?”
Qi He had already sat up, reading the message. “He says he’s alone in the training room—seems to have twisted something. He’s asking if I can go take a look.”
“…” Yan Chuanbai let out a short, incredulous laugh.
This was even more cliché than the ‘broken water heater’ excuse.
But there was no way to refuse outright—after all, Guan Shangchun was a valuable S-rank psychic type; they couldn’t just leave him unattended.
Clearly, Qi He thought the same. “I’ll go check on him. It’s an S-class training room—no one else can get in.”
He said this while standing up, straightening his clothes, and heading for the door.
He’d barely taken two steps when Yan Chuanbai said, “Yu Tianxing happens to be at the research institute. I’ll have him go.”
“?” Qi He turned back. “He’s still there at this hour?”
“He is,” Yan Chuanbai replied with full certainty.
Then he pulled out his own communicator and sent a message:
[Guan Shangchun’s in the training room—says he twisted something. Go check on him.]
Yu Tianxing: [?]
After about ten seconds—apparently after some thought—the reply came:
[I have a question…]
Yan Chuanbai, as if already knowing, replied directly:
[Mm. Romantic rival.]
Yu Tianxing: [!]
Qi He had already come back over. “What did he say?”
The last message was still displayed on the screen. Yan Chuanbai tilted it slightly for him to see.
“He’s in a hurry,” he said mildly. “He’s going right now.”
“Good.” Since someone else was handling it, Qi He replied to Guan Shangchun:
[Yu Tianxing happens to be nearby. He’ll come check on you.]
A couple of minutes later, the reply came.
[Alright, you’re busy—it’s fine, don’t worry about me.]
Yan Chuanbai glanced at the message and gave a quiet, derisive laugh. “Heh.”
“?” Qi He looked at him.
From the system’s bystander perspective, things were starting to feel increasingly strange: [Don’t you think something’s off?]
Qi He frowned slightly, thinking. “Yeah. It seems like none of the key factors for Yan Chuanbai are actually affecting the ‘final storyline.’”
Whether it was collecting his blood sample, changing his position, or even altering their relationship—none of it had triggered any kind of punishment.
He was still thinking about it when a voice suddenly asked, “Continue?”
Qi He’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up.
Facing the man in front of him—expression perfectly calm—Qi He finally understood a bit of what Yan Chuanbai must’ve felt earlier.
“Don’t suddenly say things that make people think the wrong way.”
Yan Chuanbai said, “Did I? I thought our conversations were always like this.”
Then he asked again, “So, continue?”
Qi He shook his head readily. “No. That’s enough for today.”
Yan Chuanbai gave a low hum of acknowledgment. “Not staying over?”
Qi He, no longer thinking about any further testing, replied, “I’m going home.”
Yan Chuanbai said nothing more—his tone even, composed. “Alright.”
—
The next day, Qi He delivered the blood sample to Meng Yan.
Meng Yan was in charge of biochemical and pharmacological research. Compared to the crowded staff at the institute, she was one of the few trusted insiders—making her a safer choice to handle and study the sample.
Even after the handover, the act still didn’t trigger any punishment.
After reminding Meng Yan that the blood was Yan Chuanbai’s and that she should handle it carefully, Qi He was rewarded with a startled, hiccup-like “Hik!”
After dropping off the sample, he headed to the research institute.
Today was the joint training session for all S-rank ability users.
The trip to deliver the blood had delayed him a bit, and by the time he arrived, everyone else was already there.
The training room doors were wide open.
Yu Tianxing, Yu Jiang, and the others were already geared up in their tactical harnesses. Yu Jiang sat in her wheelchair, her light-colored hair tied back in a ponytail. When she saw Qi He enter, her eyes widened slightly, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.
Qi He paused for a moment.
“System, if I were an oblivious guy with a superiority complex, I’d probably think she liked me.”
The system commented objectively: [You wouldn’t. You had your ‘romantic subroutine’ uninstalled ages ago.]
“?”
[Qi Mu.]
“……”
Ignoring the system’s attempt at a joke, Qi He stepped fully inside, greeted the others briefly, and went over to put on his own tactical gear.
Yan Chuanbai happened to be standing in that corner. When Qi He saw him, his gaze instinctively dropped to the man’s fingertips. “How’s your hand?”
“Fine,” Yan Chuanbai said. After a brief pause of two seconds, he added, “You don’t have anything planned for today?”
Qi He’s hands froze momentarily as he tightened a strap. After thinking for a bit, he said, “Well, I might bring up a few ‘requests’ later—or veto some of your actions. Just follow along.”
He was just saying it casually.
Yan Chuanbai didn’t ask for an explanation. “Alright.”
Once Qi He finished gearing up, he walked to the center of the training room.
Guan Shangchun greeted him with a polite smile. “Morning.”
“Morning,” Qi He replied, glancing at him. “How’s your sprain?”
“Thanks for your concern,” Guan Shangchun said smoothly. “I worked hard to recover—it won’t affect training.”
He was just about to offer some encouragement when a cold laugh came from behind him.
“‘Got better through effort’? You’re a medical miracle.”
“……”
Qi He turned his head.
Guan Shangchun’s expression remained mild, but the look in his eyes was sharp as a blade.
Yu Jiang and Yu Tianxing both stiffened: !!
Yan Chuanbai only gave a faint curl of his lips before walking past them.
“Begin training.”
—
The training included mental strength, ability control, firearms, and combat response drills.
The first item was shooting.
Yan Chuanbai took up his usual weapon, a Beretta 92FS, but just as he lifted it, Qi He spoke:
“Change it.”
Everyone froze for a moment. Yan Chuanbai turned his head toward him.
Facing the puzzled looks, Qi He kept a straight face.
“From now on, you’re not allowed to use the Beretta 92FS.”
Yan Chuanbai: “……”
He paused for two seconds, then quietly switched guns.
“Alright.”
Yu Tianxing: “?”
There was no disciplinary trigger, and the weapon itself wasn’t important anyway.
Qi He picked up a random gun that felt comfortable in his hand and aimed at the target.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots rang out one after another.
Standing on Yan Chuanbai’s other side, Yu Tianxing asked, “By the way, for the next outside-city mission, are you planning to head east or west?”
Yan Chuanbai said, “East.”
Qi He immediately turned toward him. “Can’t you just go west?”
Yan Chuanbai: “……”
Yu Jiang happened to roll by to swap guns and froze when she heard that. Her ears perked up, and her gaze darted back and forth in surprise.
Yan Chuanbai pressed his lips together, then nodded.
“Mn, then west it is.”
Yu Tianxing: “???”
Even Guan Shangchun turned his head at that.
Sensing the shift, Yan Chuanbai met Guan Shangchun’s eyes over Qi He’s shoulder. For a moment, their gazes locked. Guan Shangchun’s gentle expression cracked slightly, his look turning dark and subtle—
All this effort, just to flirt with Qi He.
————————————————————
Author’s Note:
Qi He: Some obedience tests. (Fake.)
Yu Jiang: Why haven’t they gotten back together yet???
I hope the third wheel is rejected soon.