At noon on the Gobi Desert, the sun was so fierce it felt like it could melt the skin off your scalp.
The moment Su Yun stepped outside, the wave of heat hit her head-on, making her sway slightly.
The canned peaches had barely brought her blood sugar back to a passable level, but the aftereffects of the quantum lab overload still lingered.
Her whole body felt weak and sore, her feet like they were stepping on cotton—unsteady with every step.
Xiao Zhan had long legs and an even longer stride. Within two steps, he was already three meters ahead.
“Hurry up!”
He stopped, turned back, and frowned deeply at the slow-moving “snail.”
“This is the core area of the base, not a stroll through a department store. At your pace, you won’t even reach your bed by nightfall.”
Su Yun stopped where she was, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the blinding sunlight.
Her small face looked almost translucent under the sun, beads of sweat forming at the tip of her nose.
“Can’t walk.”
She said the three words as if they were perfectly justified.
Xiao Zhan took a deep breath, his chest rising sharply.
He was known in the special forces for forced marches—when had he ever dealt with someone this slow?
“Su Yun, did you forget how bold you were earlier? You insisted on going to the border to find ore, and now you can’t even walk a few hundred meters?”
She ignored his sarcasm and simply extended her hand—her pale wrist glaringly bright under the sun.
“Captain Xiao.”
She blinked, her eyes full of innocence. “I’m a protected priority target now. If I faint from the heat on the way, can you afford to answer to Chief Engineer Liu?”
Xiao Zhan stared at the hand suspended in midair. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
This woman knew exactly that he couldn’t touch her now.
“Delicate.”
He muttered, striding back.
Instead of taking her hand, he grabbed her elbow and lifted.
The force was no different from picking up a chick.
“Hiss—gently.”
Su Yun frowned. “You’ll break my bones.”
“Are you made of flour?”
He snapped, but unconsciously loosened his grip.
He lowered one side of his body slightly, half-dragging, half-supporting her so most of her weight rested on his strong arm.
The two of them walked in that awkward posture along the main road of the base.
It was peak hour—shift changes, people heading to the cafeteria.
Base 031, though top secret, was still like a small isolated society.
Aside from research and training, people’s greatest pastime was gossip.
And who was Xiao Zhan?
The man who could make recruits cry, break stubborn soldiers, and even make wild wolves detour.
In an era where strict propriety between men and women was enforced, not even a female mosquito could get within three meters of him.
Yet now, this “King of Hell” was practically escorting a delicate girl like a personal attendant?
And to match her tiny steps, his long legs had to deliberately slow down—an incredibly awkward sight.
“Am I seeing things? That’s Captain Xiao?”
Under a poplar tree, two female communications officers nearly dropped their lunch tins in shock.
“Who’s that girl? Look at her attitude! And Captain Xiao’s posture—it’s like he’s a stretcher bearer!”
“That’s the Su Yun everyone was talking about this morning, right? Heard she ate three days’ worth of rations in one meal and even pissed off Doctor Lin.”
“Hey, look! They’re practically stuck together! Out in public like this—no shame at all…”
Su Yun heard everything clearly.
She tilted her head slightly, glanced at the furtive stares, and curved her lips into a faint smile.
“Captain Xiao.”
She leaned more heavily against his arm, her voice just loud enough for others to hear. “My legs are weak. It’d be nice if we had a jeep.”
A vein twitched at Xiao Zhan’s temple. He gritted his teeth and muttered, “Say one more word and I’ll leave you here to dry into jerky.”
But his arm didn’t move at all—steady as iron.
To outsiders, the scene looked very different.
A delicate girl leaning in, a tough man yielding.
A perfect case of “even heroes fall for beauty.”
…
Ten minutes later, the medical staff dormitory.
Lin Wanwan sat on the edge of her bed, gripping her mirror so tightly it creaked.
Her reflection, once gentle and pretty, now looked slightly twisted with jealousy.
“Sister Wanwan, you saw it, right?”
A young nurse named Zhang Yan sat across from her, always eager to flatter.
“I saw it with my own eyes! That Su Yun was practically hanging off Captain Xiao! It’s… it’s indecent!”
“Exactly!”
Another female soldier chimed in. “Captain Xiao is a hero, a role model! How can he be corrupted by some bourgeois princess? I bet she’s not even sick—just pretending to be weak to seduce him!”
Lin Wanwan took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness rising in her chest.
She remembered Xiao Zhan feeding Su Yun canned peaches—mashing them first.
“She’s a specialist personally approved by Chief Engineer Liu.”
Lin Wanwan set the mirror down, her tone calm but her nails digging into her palm.
“We shouldn’t gossip. That violates discipline.”
“Specialist? Please.”
Zhang Yan scoffed. “I asked around—just some educated youth who’s never even worked in the countryside. Probably just draws a few diagrams. She treats this base like a vacation retreat!”
“Sister Wanwan, you’re a top graduate from a military medical university—and the pride of our base.”
Zhang Yan leaned forward eagerly.
“You saw how weak Su Yun is. If something happens to her under Captain Xiao’s watch, who takes responsibility? As medical staff, you have every reason to… check on her.”
That struck a chord.
Yes. She was a doctor.
Checking on a patient was perfectly justified.
And she needed to see for herself what kind of woman could make Xiao Zhan lower his guard.
“You’re right.”
Lin Wanwan stood, straightened her white coat, and buttoned it neatly.
“Comrade Su Yun fainted earlier. Her condition must be unstable. Captain Xiao is a rough man—he doesn’t know how to care for patients. We should go check. It’s part of our duty.”
“Let’s go!”
Zhang Yan immediately stood. “Perfect chance to see what this ‘delicate lady’ is really like!”
…
Expert Courtyard No. 1.
The gate was shut tight.
Inside, Su Yun lay sprawled in a carved wooden chair, utterly ungraceful—like a boneless salted fish.
This body was just too weak.
A few hundred meters had drained all the energy she’d just regained.
[Warning: Energy reserve down to 8%. Recommend sleep or food.]
The system prompt in her mind only made her more irritated.
Xiao Zhan was busy inside.
Despite his rough appearance, he worked with almost obsessive efficiency.
He checked the windows, poured a cup of water, even wiped a perfectly clean table out of habit.
“This place is empty except for me. Lock the door at night.”
He tossed the cloth aside and looked at Su Yun.
“Meal times are noon and six. Miss it, and you go hungry.”
Su Yun didn’t even open her eyes. “If I starve, the missile won’t have range.”
“You—” Xiao Zhan felt his throat clog.
At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the gate, followed by hushed voices.
“This is the place, right?”
“Shh, keep it down. Captain Xiao’s inside.”
“What’s there to be afraid of? We’re here to show concern.”
Su Yun slowly opened her eyes.
She recognized the voice—the doctor from the cafeteria.
Tilting her head, she glanced through the window and saw silhouettes outside.
“Xiao Zhan.”
“What now?” He was about to fetch water.
“Your rotten admirer is here.”
She pointed toward the gate, lips curling slightly. “Looks like Doctor Lin cares about you a lot—chasing you all the way home.”
Xiao Zhan’s expression darkened instantly.
He hated this kind of clingy nonsense.
“Not your business.”
He snorted.
“How is it not?”
Su Yun shifted, resting her chin on one hand, her eyes glinting mischievously.
“If she comes in and sees me like this, she’ll accuse me of treating you like a servant and ruining revolutionary friendship. I’m timid—I hate being labeled.”
She paused, then added softly:
“And when I’m scared, my brain doesn’t work so well. I might forget what that key ore looks like.”
Veins bulged on the back of Xiao Zhan’s hand gripping the bucket.
Timid?
She was clearly someone who could tear a hole in the sky.
Before he could respond, the gate was knocked.
“Captain Xiao, are you there? It’s Lin Wanwan.”
Her gentle, overly deliberate voice came from outside.
“I heard Comrade Su Yun isn’t feeling well. I brought a few colleagues to check on her—and to give some care instructions.”
Su Yun raised her brows and mouthed two words to Xiao Zhan:
“Open. The. Door.”