The fantasies swirling with memories in his mind came to an abrupt halt, and the burning excitement gradually faded. He Yu stared at Lian Xu nonchalantly; whether it was those suspicious eyes or the face that overlapped perfectly with the boy in the cage, nothing could remain hidden.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it quietly takes root and spreads.
Three years ago, He Yu received orders to train new recruits at the base. In a vast sea of people, he spotted Lian Xu at a single glance, but those amber eyes had kicked his unrealistic fantasies out of the picture.
During training, he always found himself watching the Omega. But after just one week, Xia Zhi was sent to the Desolate Planet to gather intel, and He Yu was transferred to the Cabinet to take over Xia Zhi’s duties.
He didn’t see Lian Xu again until two years later—just one week before the Lacala operation began a year ago.
The Omega was intimately holding the Cabinet Premier’s arm, speaking in low tones in the hallway of the base dorms. Yin Zhuo didn’t even spare his companion a glance, introducing him offhandedly: “This is my fiancé. He’ll be living with me from now on.”
His indifference toward Lian Xu was written all over his face; he introduced random subordinates with more formality than that.
Yu stared at the Omega hiding shyly behind Yin Zhuo. After a few seconds, he said flatly: “Hello, sister-in-law.”
Those amber pupils stabbed straight into his heart.
Until now, as He Yu looked at Lian Xu seriously again, he noticed many details he had missed before.
For instance, the slight protrusion of the knuckle on the finger he was currently squeezing, or the small mole on Lian Xu’s collarbone he saw when he was pinned beneath him last night.
If he had noticed these sooner, perhaps he wouldn’t have waited until now to confirm that Lian Xu was indeed that boy.
“Is that so? To think someone looks just like you,” He Yu said, playing along. “Then he must be a beautiful person as well.”
Lian Xu hummed in agreement.
He was indeed the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
Yu smiled. Since Lian Xu wouldn’t admit it, he would act along with his wishes. One day, Lian Xu would admit it himself.
“Alright, keep looking. I’ll keep watch over you.” He rubbed Lian Xu’s cheek, stepped back, and sat under the tree to rest, bothering him no further.
Lian Xu analyzed the map with incredible speed. Even in territory he had never stepped foot in, he could pinpoint locations accurately using the information provided by Bonnie and Hami.
In truth, Bonnie and Hami had stayed at the Small Hill since birth; they had never left this tiny patch of land before the Chief arrived with his team.
Foreign enemies had provoked them repeatedly, trying to invade the Small Hill, which led Bonnie to hire Hami to help protect the place.
As it turned out, the two were unfamiliar with operating an aircraft, lost their way, accidentally ended up on an Imperial planet, and mistook Lian Xu for an invader. It was only by following him that they returned here.
Unexpectedly, they discovered the cruel truth of the Desolate Planet along the way.
Once Lian Xu finished his analysis, he prepared to set off immediately.
“We start from here. We must arrive before noon and head back with the rare earth. Though your aircraft isn’t destroyed, we don’t have time to go back to the base. You two will come with us.”
Bonnie and Hami nodded in unison. Though they didn’t want to lose the aircraft the Chief had given them, there was no better way. Without Lian Xu, they couldn’t get back to the Small Hill at all.
“Go with him,” Lian Xu pushed Bonnie toward He Yu.
Yu walked straight past them toward Lian Xu. “I’m going with you. Let the two of them take my aircraft.”
“No,” Lian Xu said firmly.
He Yu’s attitude was equally resolute. “Either I go with you, or we waste time here and nobody leaves. The Commander gave you a deadline, but he didn’t give me one.”
“Don’t be stubborn.”
Looking at Lian Xu’s helpless expression, He Yu’s heart softened. “I want to be with you. In case of an ambush, I can ensure your safety.”
“You piloting your own aircraft is the only way to ensure my safety.” Lian Xu lightly scratched He Yu’s palm. “I don’t trust them. You have to watch them.”
“I’m leaving my back to you,” Lian Xu said.
Not just his back, but a love he no longer wanted to run away from.
Lian Xu always prepared for the worst-case scenario. Naturally sensitive, he never trusted anyone but himself. He couldn’t leave his back to two complete strangers from a foreign planet; only with He Yu behind him could he relax slightly.
To this, He Yu stopped resisting and instead asked for a “sweetener.”
“Then give me a kiss.”
Lian Xu didn’t want to waste any more time and gave He Yu a quick peck on the cheek.
The corners of He Yu’s mouth curled up. He grabbed Bonnie by the collar and tossed him toward the aircraft.
Lian Xu led the way while He Yu provided cover from behind. The two aircraft soon reached their destination.
Just as the map indicated, this was the Small Hill. It didn’t look like a place fit for habitation, but the resources here were rich.
As they prepared to land, Lian Xu noticed the soil here was different from where they had started. Under the sunlight, the ground shimmered with a golden light—a breathtaking sight.
“Is this soil?”
“Yeah, it’s soil,” Bonnie said. “This is the center of the Desolate Planet, the place least suitable for human life. Only ‘outcasts’ like us live here. The Chief and the regular residents all live in the far north.”
“The south is barren. The elders said it was for prisoners and exiles. The bases are usually there too.”
Lian Xu asked, “You’re outcasts? Why do outcasts live here?”
“The elders told us. We don’t know why. We’ve lived on this planet for generations, yet somehow we’re treated as outcasts,” Bonnie said with a bitter smile.
If the New Leader hadn’t fled here for refuge and gained a new understanding of them, “outcasts” might have ceased to exist on this planet entirely.
“Driven out?” Yu suddenly remarked.
Being viewed as outcasts and driven away by people of the same planet was a form of discrimination. In He Yu’s eyes, Bonnie and his people likely possessed traits that differed from the general population of the Desolate Planet.
Bonnie smiled. The elders did say they were driven here, but those were old stories. Some said they were born on this Small Hill.
“Aren’t you looking for rare earth? Follow me.” Bonnie rubbed his nose and led the way. Hami walked beside Lian Xu, while He Yu brought up the rear, scouting the surroundings.
Bonnie spoke as they walked: “I don’t know what ‘rare earth’ is; I’ve never heard of it. But we do have a rare type of soil here called Golden Soil.”
Golden Soil, as the name implied, was a soil ore that looked like gold.
Lian Xu was curious. “Does this place produce a lot of it?”
“Produce a lot?” Bonnie burst into a laugh that sounded much coarser than his normal voice. “You Imperialists really haven’t seen much!”
Yu’s brow furrowed imperceptibly. He stared at Bonnie’s back, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes.
Lian Xu didn’t take it to heart. In his view, the humans of the Imperial planets knew very little of the outside world, becoming somewhat insular.
“Golden Soil is our planet’s treasure!” Bonnie continued. “It’s rare elsewhere, but on this Small Hill, it’s everywhere. Wasn’t it right where we landed?”
“It’s just that the Golden Soil there has too many impurities; normal people can’t use it. The further into this cave we go, the purer the Golden Soil gets.”
Guided by Bonnie, the group entered the cave. A ding-dong sound echoed from the deepest part.
Lian Xu paused. “Is someone inside?”
Bonnie waved his hand, thinking he was overreacting. It was a cave—of course there would be sounds. Imperialists really didn’t understand anything. They probably didn’t even have caves like this on their planet.
Naturally formed caves were nearly non-existent in the Empire. He Yu hadn’t seen one, but that didn’t mean Lian Xu hadn’t.
Lian Xu’s hometown was a distant “Waste Planet.” The residents lived in prosperity, but the areas outside the cities preserved the most primitive ecosystems. A perfect blend of human homes forged by technology and the natural ecology bestowed by nature—it was a beautiful planet many longed for.
Such natural caves were not uncommon there.
Lian Xu had followed his father into various dangerous caves during training as a child. He knew the sounds coming from this cave weren’t accidental; someone had broken in.
But Bonnie was already walking deeper, waving his hand and shouting, “Come on! We won’t be able to see anything once it gets dark!”
“Wait, don’t—” Lian Xu didn’t have time to stop him before a massive rumbling sound shook the surroundings.
He Yu, who was still lingering near the entrance, heard the wrongness of the sound and immediately rushed in to grab Lian Xu. “Go!”
Lian Xu turned back. Yu’s face was full of panic as he gripped Lian Xu’s wrist. Beside them, Hami was frozen with fear.
BOOM—
Debris fell thick and fast from the cave ceiling, giving the three no place to hide. Seeing the entrance about to collapse, Lian Xu—who already had one foot out of the cave—forcefully pushed He Yu away and turned to charge back inside.
“Lian Xu!”
Lian Xu didn’t look back, continuing to run inward.
Yu tried to chase after him but was dragged back by Hami. “Are you crazy?!”
With a world-shaking tremor, the cave entrance was sealed tight by falling boulders.
“Lian Xu!” Yu rushed forward, clawing at the stones with his bare hands.
Sharp rocks sliced his palms, staining the stones with blood. Yu’s eyes were bloodshot as he gripped a protruding boulder with his fingertips.
He couldn’t budge it. Even with all his strength, it wouldn’t move.
The stones he threw aside were covered in blood. Hami gritted his teeth and grabbed He Yu. “Save your strength! You can’t move these rocks with human strength alone!”
Hearing this, He Yu’s blood ran cold. He suddenly spun around, pinned Hami to the ground by his throat, and roared: “Why did you pull me back?!”
“If something happens to him, can you take responsibility?!”
“Cough… cough…” Hami’s face turned purple from the lack of air. “If I didn’t… you’d be… buried too… then… no one could save him…”
Yu released Hami and knelt on the ground, slapping himself across the face.
What use was he?
He couldn’t even protect the person he loved. He would rather be the one trapped inside.
“Lian Xu… you lunatic.”
Pushed him away yet again.