“What’s wrong?” Gu Chi asked when he noticed Chi Ying hadn’t spoken in a while.
“Oh…” Chi Ying shook her head. “It’s nothing. Where are we headed next? That tall building ahead?”
She glanced through the windshield. The enormous domed structure loomed in the distance—clear and imposing—but despite driving for a while, it still seemed far off.
“Yeah,” Lu Yunfei replied, visibly more relaxed now that they were inside the headquarters. He held the steering wheel with one hand, far less cautious than usual.
Leaning back in his seat, he spoke in an easy tone. “That dome you’re looking at—that’s the base we usually return to.”
“Looks close, doesn’t it? But it’s still a long way off. The place is way bigger than you’d imagine. The base is surrounded by high-end greenhouses full of rare plants.”
His eyes lit up as he remembered something. “Hey, you haven’t seen where the captain lives, have you?”
Chi Ying shook her head. Since arriving, she’d barely seen anyone at all.
She turned to look at Gu Chi, puzzled as to why Lu Yunfei would mention his residence.
Lu Yunfei grinned. “Good lord, it’s next-level. There’s a greenhouse next to his place with all kinds of exotic plants. I saw it once before he kicked me out. It’s honestly amazing.”
Gu Chi’s lips twitched downward in faint disagreement. He clarified, “Don’t listen to him. That place was assigned by headquarters. I’d just been promoted to senior commander. It was… a privilege back then.”
“Back then?” Chi Ying asked. “Not anymore?”
“Mm. Later on, Professor Yu needed the greenhouse for his research—he needed top-tier equipment for growing certain herbs, so I let him use it.”
“Oh~”
“But I still grow some things myself,” he added casually. “Mostly fruits and vegetables that are hard to find nowadays.”
Chi Ying looked up at him. “Oh,” she said again, slower this time.
Was this… him showing off?
For a while, Gu Chi didn’t say anything, and just as Chi Ying assumed the conversation was over, he glanced out the window and added nonchalantly, “I think there’s a lemon tree in there.”
“…Oh.” Chi Ying blinked at him.
What did that mean? Did he want her to try one?
“Huh? Captain, what kind of lemon—” Lu Yunfei perked up with curiosity, turning to look at Gu Chi.
“…Nothing,” Gu Chi interrupted quickly.
“Ha! Captain, why are you hiding stuff from me? I want lemons too! I need vitamin C—it’s the apocalypse!”
Gu Chi rolled his eyes. “You heard wrong. There are no lemons.”
“Tsk, stingy… Since when were you this petty?”
Chi Ying listened to them, feeling a bit awkward. She sneaked a glance at Gu Chi, who looked irritated, and that strange emotion she’d felt earlier welled up again.
It wasn’t even a big deal. It was just that when she’d been asked for a “final wish” before, she’d joked that she wanted to eat lemons.
But now, hearing Gu Chi lie about it like that—almost like he didn’t want anyone to know—it made her feel strangely uncomfortable.
Gu Chi noticed Chi Ying’s gaze and turned away, staring out the window. He couldn’t see her, but her presence behind him felt unusually heavy.
Realizing what he’d said, he pursed his lips. Why did he lie about lemons? Just a few lemons. Was he really led astray by this girl?
Ugh. So annoying.
When they got out of the vehicle, more than a dozen people were already waiting outside the base’s entrance—among them, a few in lab coats.
The man leading the group stepped forward first. “Commander Gu, welcome back.”
Gu Chi gave a nod.
The man wasn’t just there to welcome them. After a brief greeting, he got straight to the point. “The subject you reported to headquarters… did you bring him back?”
“Yeah,” Gu Chi replied. “It’s in Mu Yu’s space. I had her freeze the body with ice to prevent decay.”
He turned to Mu Yu. “Take out Zhang Bin’s body. They’ll handle it from here.”
The man signaled to the two scientists beside him, who immediately brought over equipment and walked toward Mu Yu.
“Professor Yu is still in the lab,” the man added, “but we’ve already informed him of your return.”
“No rush,” Gu Chi replied, glancing toward Professor Lin, who was being supported by Lin Xun.
He gestured toward him. “This is Professor Lin from Experimental Base No. 36. You’ve probably heard about the situation there. Please make sure he’s properly taken care of.”
“Of course,” the man said seriously. “Professor Lin has made significant contributions to our research. We won’t be careless.”
He then noticed Chi Ying standing next to Gu Chi, a flicker of surprise crossing his face—but he said nothing.
Once Zhang Bin and Professor Lin were taken care of, Gu Chi turned, ready to lead his team back inside the base.
“Captain Gu—” the man called out again.
Gu Chi tilted his head slightly.
“Commander Ye returned two days ago.”
Gu Chi raised an eyebrow. “So?”
“Ah—nothing. Just thought I’d mention it. He brought back a girl with a unique ability. Seems… very special.”
Chi Ying, walking behind, quickened her steps slightly. Commander Ye? The hero of the apocalypse?
Gu Chi’s expression didn’t change. “Got it,” he said coolly, and walked up the stairs.
The man winced. He’d heard rumors about tension between Gu Chi and Ye Wuhan—why had he even brought it up?
But still, the girl Ye brought back… her power had been shocking. He couldn’t help himself.
Once inside the base, the team members returned to their individual residences, eager to shower and clean up.
Even with Gu Chi’s ice ability keeping them relatively fresh, there was no substitute for actual hygiene.
Chi Ying, having no assigned place, simply followed Gu Chi.
“You’ll stay in this room,” Gu Chi said, stopping at a door. “I’ll get the key for you.”
Chi Ying looked at the nameplate that read Gu Chi and hesitated.
Gu Chi noticed. “Don’t worry, this room was assigned to me by the old headquarters. It’s been empty for a long time.”
“Oh~”
After a pause, he added, “I live next door. That room has everything I need. I haven’t used this one since moving in furniture.”
“I actually wanted to request a room for you through headquarters, but… you’re not an official team member. You’ll probably leave in a few days, and the approval process takes time.”
Hearing him explain so much, Chi Ying felt a little awkward.
“It’s fine. I just didn’t want to take your space.”
“The greenhouse Yunfei mentioned? It’s right outside this room.”
Chi Ying looked around, confused. Everything nearby was made of metal or tiles. Where could a greenhouse possibly be?
“It’s out back,” Gu Chi clarified. “This room has two doors. You’ll see the other one once you go inside. The greenhouse is just beyond it.”
“Oh! Got it!” Chi Ying’s eyes lit up with excitement. This room was cooler than she expected.
Gu Chi watched her flushed, excited face for a moment, then looked away.
“…Mm.”
The two fell silent. The atmosphere was suddenly a little strange.
Chi Ying waited quietly, but Gu Chi said nothing more. The buzz of excitement started to fade under the awkwardness.
After a long pause, she finally spoke. “Um… you haven’t given me the key yet.”
Gu Chi: “…”
He handed her the key, and after she went inside, he returned to his own room.
Shrugging off his coat, he lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. A rare moment of peace.
Maybe he was just overtired. His reactions felt sluggish. She’d stood next to him forever waiting for that key…
Beep!
A knock at the door.
Gu Chi sighed, stood up, and opened it.
Standing outside was a stooped old man with a cane and a kindly smile.
“Professor Yu?” Gu Chi greeted him. “You came all the way here?”
“Hmph, just finished my experiment. The students said you were back, so I figured I’d drop by,” Professor Yu said, stepping into the room.
“I heard you brought back a girl?”
Gu Chi paused. “Met her on the road. Planned to drop her off in a safe zone.”
“I see. I thought…” Professor Yu trailed off with a sigh. “Did you see the girl Ye Wuhan brought back?”
Gu Chi’s brows furrowed. This again?
“No.”
“I don’t know the details,” Professor Yu said. “But my students say her ability is very special.”
Gu Chi didn’t respond. He hadn’t cared about Ye Wuhan’s affairs for a long time.
But then he thought of Chi Ying. Her ability was odd. Though it seemed like a bottomless storage space, something about it felt… deeper.
Professor Yu rapped his cane against the floor and changed topics.
“Ye Wuhan recently reached Level Seven. Did you know?”
“…No. We haven’t kept in touch.”
“Well, now that you’re back, I’m sure you’ll see him soon.”
Gu Chi frowned. Their departments were far apart. Why would they meet?
Professor Yu gave him a knowing smile. “He just hit Level Seven. You returned at the same time…”
Gu Chi finally understood.
Ye Wuhan had always been in quiet competition with him. He was beaten by him to the title of senior commander. (Here it means that Gu Vhi became commander first, followed by Ye Wuhan hence the competition) Always one step ahead.
Now that he’d reached Level Seven, how could he not flaunt it?
Gu Chi narrowed his eyes, annoyed.
Tsk. What a headache.
GhostCloudd On WBICDPH Chapter 93