Zhong Qing (Cherish) - Chap 27
As an adult, Qin Yun rarely dreamed of the past, though he occasionally missed his foster mother, Bixi. and the ranch where he spent his childhood—where the grass grew with the arrival of early spring and birds fluttered about until the snowy days of winter
Bixi always had a lazy appearance, with her silver hair casually hanging down. She enjoyed riding horses but had little interest in caring for them. Qin Yun, on the other hand, was the opposite. He could never manage to ride these ‘antique’ creatures, but he took great joy and diligence in feeding them and brushing their coats.
He and Bixi were not related by blood, but they loved each other deeply, just like a real mother and son.
The only time they ever argued was over Qin Yun’s visit to the military headquarters.
They had a cold war for a long time, and until last year Bixi had not been able to forgive him.
Shen Zhuofan was sitting beside the hospital bed, dozing off little by little. When he suddenly woke up, he found Qin Yun looking at him.
“Are you awake?” Shen Zhuofan hurriedly approached him and looked at him, “How do you feel?”
Qin Yun moved his neck, “I can’t feel anything…when did you come?”
Shen Zhuofan sighed, “I’ve been here for three days, and you’ve been in a coma since you returned to the Imperial Capital…” He said with some disapproval, “You’re really reckless, taking so many stimulants like that. Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”
“I didn’t think much about it at the time.” Qin Yun took a sip of the water brought by the other party, “Anyway, it’s all going to end… might as well give it a final shot. Weren’t you the same back then?”
Shen Zhuofan’s anger welled up, “Could my situation back then be compared to yours?!”
Qin Yun didn’t reply this time. He held the cup silently and stared at the holographic image on the wall.
The news was reporting on the war on Eta Star. The two armies were in a stalemate, and even Moschery had to sit on the front line. The Empire had never been pushed into such a mess before, and the media was even outright criticising this time as a failed battle for the Emperor…
“It’s all bullshit.” Shen Zhuofan turned off the hologram irritably, “The Cabinet only had so much ability to control public opinion. It’s not interesting to watch.”
Qin Yun looked at him and said helplessly, “I haven’t said anything yet… Why are you so angry?”
Shen Zhuofan had a sullen expression. He had always been at odds with the Cabinet, and he had the urge to slap Berlin’s face with the sole of his shoe every minute.
“You should avoid that old hag of a Prime Minister from now on.” Shen Zhuofan said angrily, “Otherwise, who knows how you’ll end up.”
“…” Qin Yun, “I don’t think I would be seeing her either…”
Shen Zhuofan: “Just because you don’t go to her doesn’t mean that she won’t come to you.” He put on a serious expression, “This time, you have an incident with His Majesty. The Cabinet knows as much as we do; Tristana has already intercepted several waves of their people on your behalf.”
Qin Yun frowned, “But I no longer have the ability to guide…”
Shen Zhuofan sneered, “It is precisely because you are useless that it’s more convenient for them to get rid of you.”
Tristana brought her homemade pancakes to visit the patient. Qin Yun was dumbfounded, looking at the strange patterns on the plate. Shen Zhuofan couldn’t help complaining, “Stop it… No matter how much you do, your household chores point will still be unsatisfactory.”
“…” Tristana pinched his neck and roared, “It’s already good that I’m cooking for you! Eat all of it for me!!”
Qin Yun: “…”
Shen Zhuofan made a pot of tea, and the two of them finished most of the pancakes with the tea. Tristana crossed her legs on the hospital bed and said disgustedly, “Isn’t this finished…how does it taste?”
Shen Zhuofan twirled his fingers, “It’s too sweet…”
Tristana started to lift up her sleeves.
Qin Yun hurriedly made up for it, “Sweet and crispy! Very delicious!”
The female general then snorted with satisfaction. She looked at Qin Yun and said meaningfully, “You’re quite a sweet talker. No wonder His Majesty likes you.”
“…” Qin Yun was embarrassed to say that his manoeuvre didn’t work well on Moschery…
“It’s just a pity…” Tristana stopped smiling, “You’re too impulsive… I’ve checked your frontline achievements. Your abilities are outstanding, and you prefer independent actions. You single-handedly guided nearly a hundred sentinels at Major General Elberna on G Star. Later, you even managed to divert a high-level guide by yourself… Luckily, His Majesty saved you.”
Being said so by his immediate boss, Qin Yun couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. He wanted to argue that he was just checking the situation, but it was an indisputable fact that he was deceived by Lan Zhi.
In the final analysis, he still overestimated himself and often forgot that he was just a low-level guide.
“A high-level guide has a certain chance of curing the brain nerves of a guide with a lower level than yourself.” Tristana closed her eyes. She regretted, “I tried several times, but it didn’t work for you.”
Shen Zhuofan raised his eyebrows, “You mean… Qin Yun’s real level may be higher than the SS level?”
“I don’t know.” Tristana’s expression was calm, “But you killed a high-level SSS guide, and you are the only one who can channel His Majesty’s consciousness cloud. Even if there is no spiritual link… You shouldn’t be low-level.”
“But it’s too late for anything now…” Qin Yun smiled bitterly and pointed at his brain, “I’m not even as good as a low-level now.”
Tristana smiled, “Everyone makes mistakes sometimes.” She looked at Shen Zhuofan, “Even if others don’t forgive you, occasionally, you need to forgive yourself.”
Shen Zhuofan coughed. He pretended not to understand what the female general said and crossed his arms with a serious expression, “What should we do now? Sooner or later, the Cabinet will know that Qin Yun no longer has the ability to guide. Who will protect him then?”
Tristana sighed, “It depends on His Majesty.” Her expression was very gloomy, “The current situation is very unfavourable to the royal family. I have to take care of it alone, and it is out of His Majesty’s ability. The Cabinet even plans to abolish the imperial power. As for Lin Dongliang…he was finally able to withdraw from the front line, but he had to be temporarily separated from Skarter.”
Qin Yun: “What happened to General Skarter?”
Tristana did not deliberately hide it. She said calmly, “In order to protect you, Skarter took the responsibility for breaking the peace treaty. I heard that he will be taken away by the Cabinet tonight for surveillance and investigation.”
Skarter had a fresh wound on his back that cut almost across his entire shoulder blade, and Lin Dongliang sat behind him, carefully applying a hemostatic agent to the wound.
The king crocodile lay quietly in the corner, and the red panda Yuanbao nestled next to it, with its big tail wrapped around the crocodile’s.
Skarter suddenly twitched his nose and looked at his guide with squinted eyes, “You don’t smell right…are you trying to seduce me?”
No one was more familiar with Skarter’s pheromone fluctuations than Lin Dongliang. He did not deny it. He endured the foreshadowing of Bonding Heat and rarely took the initiative to kiss the other person. Skarter reached out and held the back of Lin Dongliang’s head. He neither pushed it away nor catered for it.
The Secretary of State looked a little frustrated, “…you don’t want to mark me?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Skarter rolled his eyes and pinched Lin Dongliang’s neck, “I can’t even fight, eat, dream or pee without thinking about how to fvck you until you cry.”
Lin Dongliang blushed and stammered, “Then, why…”
Skarter sighed: “But not now.” He gently pressed the guide’s forehead, “The cabinet is coming soon, and such a short time is not enough to have sex.”
Lin Dongliang pursed his lips. He naturally knew the real reason why Skarter didn’t want to mark him now. This was actually the same reason why he wanted to be marked.
Neither of them wanted to expose the other, yet they both protected each other in similar ways.
Skarter’s wounds had not been completely treated when he heard the sirens outside. Lin Dongliang looked at the intruder with a sullen face.
High-level SSS guide, Professor Quinta, the executive director of Averio Academy, was once Lin Dongliang’s mentor but ended up standing against his own students.
He ordered three level 3 guides to surround Lin Dongliang. The King Crocodile swung its giant tail violently, and a huge dimensional cage unfolded in front of it.
“This is not in accordance with the procedure, teacher.” Lin Dongliang’s face paled, and Yuanbao’s back hair was completely blown out. His mental power was under the suppression of the three guide mental nets, “His Majesty Skarter’s military rank has not been revoked. You have no right to forcibly confine his spiritual link!”
The dimensional cage was a device specially designed to confine a sentinel or guide’s spiritual link. Because it will have a severe torture effect on the spiritual link, it was generally only used on death row prisoners.
Quinta’s expression was as still as water. He looked at Lin Dongliang quietly, “The Cabinet has the right to impose spiritual link confinement on dangerous elements who undermine the peace treaty.” He waved his hand and motioned for the people around him to step forward and cuff Skarter.
Lin Dongliang clenched his fists, and the whites of his eyes were stained with a thick dark brown. The three guides who were originally surrounding him subconsciously stepped back. Quinta frowned. As soon as he raised his hand, Skarter grabbed his arm.
“Lin Dongliang.” Skarter took a few steps forward and held his guide’s face, “Calm down… I’m fine…”
Lin Dongliang was panting rapidly, his eyes almost indistinguishable from where his pupils were, and it took a long time for the dark brown whites of his eyes to slowly fade away.
Skarter kissed his lips, and Lin Dongliang watched the other’s king crocodile climb into the dimensional cage. Because of its large size, the crocodile could only coil its tail in an aggrieved manner, with its huge snout attached to the transparent partition.
Quinta handcuffed Skarter’s hands himself, and he took one last look at his former protégé.
Lin Dongliang just stared blankly at the shackles on Skarter’s wrists.
On the other side, the red panda struggled to stand upright on its plush hind legs, stretched out its paws, and hugged the dimension cage with all its strength. Its tail was hanging on the ground, and it carefully licked the crocodile’s snout through the glass.
