FI CH 44

Chapter 44: Pre-War Preparations (I)

Kurosawa and Bai Hua returned to the surface a day later than expected. When everyone saw the two of them safe and sound, the tense atmosphere finally relaxed.

“If you two hadn’t come out soon, we were about to go back down there to find you…” He He walked up to Bai Hua emotionally, but halfway through speaking, he seemed to notice something and suddenly stopped. “You two… really…”

“Mm.” Bai Hua knew what he wanted to ask and didn’t deny it.

Something like this couldn’t be hidden. Anyone with a sharp enough sense present could tell—they were already marked by each other. The higher the compatibility between a Sentinel and a Guide, the more obvious the pheromone fusion would feel.

Although Kurosawa had already hinted at it back in the underground city, He He still found it a bit unreal. He hadn’t expected that the two would actually end up together—and their first time was even…

He suddenly leaned in closer, a little curious and a little embarrassed, lowering his voice: “So… who’s on top?”

Bai Hua glared at him and clearly had no intention of answering that question.

“Come on, Bai Hua, tell me…”

When Bai Hua turned to leave, He He relentlessly chased after him.

While Bai Hua and He He were bickering, Kurosawa had already walked over to An Shi and asked, “Did you catch him?”

“No, he got away.” An Shi’s face was bruised, and he had various wounds all over his body. It was clear he hadn’t returned to the surface much earlier than Kurosawa and Bai Hua. “But you were right—he really can imitate other people’s voices.”

“Did you notice anything unusual?”

“Not at the moment, but he’s very good at hiding. A tough opponent,” An Shi replied. “Still, I get the feeling that’s not all—like he’s deliberately concealing his true strength…” He recalled the events of the fight, then added, “Also, he’s a Sentinel.”

“I figured as much,” Kurosawa said after a moment of thought. “Thanks for your hard work.”

“No need to be polite—it’s my duty,” An Shi replied, looking at Kurosawa. “After all, it was an order from Admiral Blackfeather. I wouldn’t dare disobey. Besides, Bai Hua is my friend too…”

Kurosawa looked at him and asked, “How much do you know about Bai Hua?”

“I don’t know anything,” An Shi shook his head. “I’m not interested in anything else. Just know that I support you two.”

Hearing this, Kurosawa smiled slightly and simply said, “Alright.”

As dusk approached, two helicopters sent by the Sentinel-Guide Association arrived. The medical team handled the wounded, while the others boarded the aircraft one after another according to instructions.

Bai Hua sat by the window, looking out at the ruins of the underground city nestled in the desert, a strange feeling of melancholy settling over him. After some thought, he said, “Kurosawa…”

Kurosawa knew what he was about to say and responded first: “Don’t worry. I won’t say a word.”

Neither of them would mention seeing Feng Xu down there.

The past was already over. No matter what the truth was, the dust had settled, and no one could change the ending.

Around dawn, they finally returned to base. Unexpectedly, Wei Yang had somehow caught wind of their return and had been waiting at the helipad.

As soon as the helicopter touched down and stabilized, Wei Yang couldn’t hold back—he rushed forward, craning his neck to look at everyone stepping off. When he spotted An Shi, he ran over and threw his arms around him without a second thought.

It was still dark, and Guides didn’t have great night vision—he didn’t notice that An Shi was injured. The force of the hug caused An Shi to grunt in pain.

Hearing the sound, Wei Yang realized something was wrong. He immediately pulled back a little and started shrieking, “Oh my god! What happened to you?! Why are you so beat up?!”

“I’m fine,” An Shi replied coolly, taking a step back.

Wei Yang clung to him again. “Don’t brush me off at a time like this—let me help bandage you up.”

The two of them were tugging back and forth right at the aircraft door, blocking the way for the people behind them. Bai Hua happened to be right behind An Shi and didn’t quite know whether or not he should speak up and interrupt.

“Wei Yang.”

It was Kurosawa who spoke first. Only then did Wei Yang realize everyone was watching them, and he quickly stepped back. He looked up, just about to say something to Kurosawa—but then his eyes landed on the two of them and stayed there, wide with shock. He stammered, “You… you guys…”

Bai Hua glanced helplessly at Kurosawa. He didn’t want to explain anything. Acting like nothing happened, he just walked past Wei Yang.

An Shi followed him naturally.

Behind them, the sound of Kurosawa and Wei Yang talking quietly drifted over. That was the trouble with being a Sentinel—no matter how low someone’s voice was, you could never fully block it out.

An Shi, unusually, was the first to speak. “You’ll have to get used to it.”

“Hearing that from you is what I’m not used to,” Bai Hua smiled at him. Taking advantage of this moment, he finally got the chance to ask what had been on his mind. “You and Wei Yang… what exactly…”

“What do you want to know?”

Bai Hua didn’t beat around the bush. “I just want to know how you feel about him.”

“Nothing.” An Shi answered without hesitation.

Bai Hua turned to look at him.

An Shi added, “I don’t like him, but I don’t dislike him either. The only reason I saved him back then was because it’s instinct to protect a Guide.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“I did.” For once, An Shi showed a different expression—it looked like he was a bit troubled. “But he wouldn’t listen.”

Bai Hua couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you hesitating about something? Like… your spirit animal?”

An Shi followed his line of thought. “You know… scaring him off would actually be a pretty good outcome. But that’s not the main reason.”

Bai Hua offered, “If you really want to make him give up, you could give it a shot. Maybe then he’ll stop clinging to you.”

An Shi didn’t respond.

Bai Hua continued, “An Shi, I’ve known you for a long time. This is the first time I’ve seen you falter.”

Still, An Shi said nothing. But after a long silence, Bai Hua finally heard him mutter softly, “Maybe.”

(To be continued…)
T/L: I SUPPORT AN SHI X WEI YANG SHIP!! ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ – ˵ ) ✧