“Enemy attack?!”
Xiao Zhan burst into the inner room, his gun sweeping the space in a sharp arc.
No one. No spies. No explosives.
Only that delicate little burden curled up in the corner, hugging her knees, her head buried in her arms, shoulders trembling.
Xiao Zhan lowered his gun, veins throbbing at his temple. “What now? Did that thermos bite you?”
Su Yun looked up.
Her face was practically a cruel joke by the heavens.
She hadn’t done anything—just a faint redness around her eyes, a sheen of moisture on her lashes—and it already looked like she’d suffered some unimaginable injustice.
She lifted a hand and pointed at the thermos, her voice trembling. “It’s too heavy… I can’t lift it.”
Xiao Zhan: “…”
He took a deep breath, reminding himself that killing people was illegal—especially state-protected scientists.
“You can’t lift something that weighs five jin?”
He found it absurd. “The three buns and braised pork you just ate weighed more than that!”
“That went into my stomach. It’s different.”
Su Yun said it righteously, her voice tinged with a sob. “And it splashed on my foot. It hurts.”
She lifted her pant leg, revealing a slender ankle.
Her skin was pale to the point of glowing, and there were indeed two small red marks—probably from the hot water.
But to Xiao Zhan, it looked no worse than a couple of mosquito bites.
Yet Su Yun kept crying.
Not loud sobbing—just silent, continuous tears.
Like a string of pearls snapping, one drop after another falling onto the concrete floor, darkening it in patches.
Xiao Zhan felt like his skull was about to split open.
“Stop it! No more leaking!”
He barked irritably, striding over and grabbing the damned thermos.
“Splash—”
He poured the scalding water into the enamel basin, then added cool water to temper it.
He dipped his hand in to test the temperature.
Then he set the basin down heavily in front of her. “Wash!”
Su Yun sniffled, pushing herself up against the wall.
She dipped two fingers into the water, then looked at Xiao Zhan again, her gaze innocent and pitiful.
“What now?!” Xiao Zhan felt like he was about to explode.
“The towel’s in my bag.”
She pointed toward the outer room. “I don’t have the strength to get it.”
Xiao Zhan: “…”
He stormed out, dug the white towel out of her bag, then stormed back in and tossed it into the basin. The splash nearly hit her in the face.
“What else do you need? Soap? Toothbrush? Want me to chew your food and feed you too?!”
Su Yun wrung out the towel and pressed the steaming cloth to her face, letting out a satisfied sigh.
“No need to go that far.”
She wiped her face clean, revealing that delicate, almost unreal beauty, and gave Xiao Zhan a sweet smile.
“Captain, you’re very… domesticated. Way better than that stepmother who tried to sell me.”
Xiao Zhan felt his breath get stuck in his chest.
Domesticated?
That word was meant for him?
“Su Yun.”
He ground his molars, his gaze dark. “You’d better actually double that missile range. Otherwise, I’ll personally bury you under a desert shrub as fertilizer.”
“Relax.”
She handed him the towel, gesturing for him to hang it up. “As long as you take good care of me, forget doubling it—I can make missiles dance.”
The veins on the back of Xiao Zhan’s hand bulged as he gripped the damp towel.
He wanted to fling it in her face—but in the end, he just snorted and turned to hang it up.
First round: total defeat.
…
7:00 PM
A young soldier from the mess hall delivered dinner.
Given Su Yun’s special status and Chief Engineer Liu’s strict orders, the meal was still lavish enough to make others envious.
A lunch box of stewed chicken with mushrooms, two coarse-grain buns, and a bowl of millet porridge.
Xiao Zhan sat on the narrow camp bed in the outer room, wiping down his Type 56 military dagger.
The blade gleamed white, reflecting his cold, sharp features.
From the inner room came a faint rustling sound—then silence.
Xiao Zhan’s ear twitched.
Half a minute later, he sheathed the dagger, stood up, and walked inside.
Su Yun sat at the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the food in front of her.
“Not eating?” he frowned. “Picky eater?”
“No.”
She raised her right hand.
It was trembling slightly—not violently, but rapidly.
After high-intensity operation, the quantum lab caused temporary nerve spasms. Combined with her recent recovery from low blood sugar, she genuinely couldn’t hold chopsticks steady.
“My hand’s shaking.”
She looked at him. No tears this time—but her eyes clearly said: I’m useless, and I can’t help it.
Xiao Zhan stared at the hand trembling like Parkinson’s for three seconds.
Was this woman made of paper?
Her wrist hurt from lifting a thermos, her hand shook from eating.
How had she survived alone out there? By breathing desert wind?
“Troublesome.”
He cursed, striding over and snatching the chopsticks from her hand.
He picked up the lunch box, grabbed a piece of chicken, and shoved it toward her mouth.
“Open up!”
Su Yun obediently opened her mouth.
“Ah—”
She bit down.
Xiao Zhan fed her with murderous intensity, as if he were stuffing grenades into her mouth instead of food.
Each motion carried the force of choke on it and die already.
But Su Yun ate happily.
While chewing, she mumbled, “The mushrooms are a bit salty. Next time tell the kitchen to use less salt—it’s bad for the kidneys.”
“If there’s food, shut up and eat!”
Xiao Zhan shot her a glare, but didn’t stop, stuffing a bun into her mouth to silence her.
Only when Su Yun burped and indicated she was full did he finally set the lunch box down.
He cleared the dishes, then glanced at the window.
Night had fully fallen.
The desert wind howled, rattling the paper windows.
“Sleep.”
Xiao Zhan stood up, looking down at her. “Six o’clock tomorrow. If you don’t get up, I’ll throw cold water on you.”
Su Yun burrowed into the sun-scented quilt, only her eyes visible, curving into crescents.
“Okay, Nurse Xiao.”
“Get lost!”
Xiao Zhan turned off the light and strode out, slamming the door behind him.
Outer room
Lying on the one-meter-wide camp bed, Xiao Zhan rested his hands behind his head, staring at the dark ceiling.
He replayed the past few hours in his mind.
He fetched the water, wrung the towel, fed her.
Those so-called “three rules”—aside from the first, which hadn’t been tested yet, the rest had already collapsed completely.
“Damn it.”
In the darkness, this battle-hardened soldier—feared by enemies—muttered in frustration.
“I got played.”
Yet in his mind, he couldn’t help but picture her puffed cheeks as she ate chicken—like a hamster hoarding food.
He turned over. The creaky camp bed let out a miserable squeak.
Something that delicate, thrown into a wolf’s den like this—without him, she probably wouldn’t last three days.
Inner room
Su Yun listened to the sound of him turning over outside and curled her lips into a faint smile in the dark.
The quantum lab interface unfolded in her mind.
Current energy: 15%. Processing power restoring…
She closed her eyes and drifted into a peaceful sleep.
As for six in the morning…
Heh. Whoever wants to get up can get up.
She definitely wasn’t.