Approaching
by M1zushi
“Commander, I altered the recipe a little,” An Yu said, following a short distance behind him. “After my gene induction experiment ended, I was really craving for the texture of wheat berries, because only when I was chewing them did I feel like I was still alive. But Billy also said that when you were little, you liked to listen to vinyl records while chewing on nuts he bought for you, and you could finish a whole jar in an afternoon. So I added a little bit of oats and nuts.”
He paused, then murmured in a low voice, “I’m sorry. Ling Qiu said I’m terrible at dealing with people, so I can only make wild guesses about your preferences. If my attempt backfired, please don’t take it to heart.”
An Yu kept walking as he spoke, right until he bumped into Qin Zhilu’s back.
Qin Zhilu came to his senses and stared at him. “Why are you trying to cater to my preferences?”
An Yu was momentarily baffled.
“Because you’re my Commander.”
“And besides that?”
“Isn’t that enough? You provide for my safety, so I hope you can live a little better, too.” An Yu gently fiddled with the hem of his clothes. The high-polymer fabric was very comfortable to wear, and even the way he fidgeted with his clothes was more careful than before. “I’m sorry, I can’t explain it clearly, but if it were possible, I would want the four-year-old Commander, and the sixteen-year-old Commander, to have lived a little better. Unfortunately, I can only make time go faster; I can’t make it turn back.”
Just as Sisi had said, the ten years that were missed, were missed for good.
But how many more than ten years had the Commander walked all alone?
After An Yu finished speaking, he noticed something flicker for an instant in the dark eyes in front of from him. Qin Zhilu stared at him in silence, his expression stunned and complex.
“What’s wrong?” He suddenly regretted his meaningless hypothetical.
He wondered if saying something stupid would affect the Commander’s opinion of him.
Qin Zhilu stared at him for a long time before saying in a low voice, “If one day, you could turn back time, what would you want to do?”
An Yu breathed a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment, then said, “Even if I could turn back time, I probably wouldn’t have the power to change this world, much less prevent the decisions of the higher-ups. But I could wait outside this door a little earlier, just as you hoped.”
He bit his lip as he spoke, then lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Commander. I overheard your inner thoughts in your memories. But it wasn’t on purpose. When viewing memories, you can perceive the other person’s emotions to a certain extent.”
He stared anxiously at the floor, not daring to meet Qin Zhilu’s gaze again.
But after a long while, Qin Zhilu didn’t reprimand him. He just reached out, lightly took the bento box from An Yu’s arms, and turned to continue walking. “Mm. If you really could go back, then go and wait for me.”
He paused, then added, “If you can’t wait, then just stay and talk with me for a while.”
An Yu looked up in astonishment, watching the figure walk slowly away. He jogged to catch up and muttered, “Okay. But Commander, I think we’re discussing something impossible.”
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Qin Zhilu didn’t answer. He broke the remaining pie in half and handed one part to him.
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Qin Zhilu sampled them while listening to An Yu report on the events that had occurred in the Spire over the past two days.
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An Yu’s eyes widened in surprise. “That fast?” He then glanced at the avatar in the chat box and was even more bewildered. “Xi De? You’re letting a high-level Commander be my physical training instructor?”
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An Yu stood dumbfounded for half a minute before saying, “…Oh.” He struggled for a moment, then decided to put up a fight. “I have too many weaknesses. Do I have to overcome them?”
He had planned on just lying flat in the Main City.
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That afternoon, as he followed the map on his terminal into the mysterious training facility deep within the Spire’s gym, he immediately regretted it.
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But familiar, steady footsteps sounded from behind him. He turned around. Qin Zhilu walked towards him, dressed in black trousers and a short-sleeved top. The tailored fabric hugged his lean, capable physique. He reached An Yu’s side, took An Yu’s hand, picked up what looked like the most gentle pistol from the table, and raised it towards the bullseye.
An Yu’s heart began to race erratically. “Commander…”
“I’m here. What are you afraid of?” Qin Zhilu was close to his face, his breath warm on An Yu’s ear as he spoke. Those dark eyes stared at the distant bullseye, while his other hand wrapped around from behind An Yu to the front, pulling back the safety. With a crisp click, the bullet was chambered.
Qin Zhilu was almost pressed against his cheek, whispering, “Focus.” “Remember, you are the hunter, not the prey.”
Author’s Note:
Snowflake fragments
[Zhao Ran (1/5)]
[Because I’m Happy]
In this era called the “Resistance Era,” few people stepped onto the stage purely out of love.
My peers simply sought a meal from the Main City’s bigwigs. They fawned, they put on airs, they flattered.
They didn’t understand why I showed disdain towards those in power.
Even harder for them to comprehend why those bigwigs could tolerate my arrogance.
I had no interest in guessing the bigshots’ thoughts.
As for myself, the reason was simple—
I wasn’t an aberrant, I had no family, and I wasn’t some superior genetic specimen.
I was humble, therefore free.
Whether in the slums or on the grandest stage of the Main City world.
I only sang.
Zhao Ran was always just Righteous Light, not Lumen.
Aberrant or not, he was simply a free singer.
Without ties, unrestrained, not bound by dogma.
He only acted as he pleased.
In the author’s notes of the previous chapter, the description card for the candle biscuits [Do not eat too much, or you’ll hiccup all night] comes from Chapter 38, Chen Nian’s childhood memory of first seeing Sisi. It’s not about An Yu eating too much and hiccuping.
Additionally, junior high entrance exams, college entrance exams, and college English tests (CET-4/6) are all this month. I wish everyone taking exams a successful outcome.
Thank you for your companionship. See you Monday night.
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