Soil and rocks fell, the off-road vehicle hitting rocks and bouncing, rolling multiple times before crashing head-on into a large tree, the steel body enveloping the tree trunk, finally coming to a stop.
The entire car was twisted, barely recognizable. After an indeterminate time, the already deformed rear door opened, and Sinan, covered in blood, crawled out difficultly.
Clang!
Sinan gasped and looked back, seeing a blood-covered hand emerge from the side window, grabbing the half-collapsed car door and forcefully prying it open.
Immediately after, Romuel squeezed out onto the ground.
“Noah,” he stood up supporting himself on a tree trunk, though covered in blood and looking miserable, he spoke with a smile: “You want to kill me?”
Sinan closed his eyes, then opened them again. Intense pain and dizziness made even opening his eyes difficult, with a bloody sweet flow rising in his throat with each breath, as if his internal organs had been ground into meat paste.
But he still stood up, some invisible willpower turning into strength, rigidly supporting his spine.
“You must die…” he panted, blood seeping between his teeth as he spoke.
“Your ambition, your delusion, and the White Eagle Base’s apocalyptic blueprint…”
Sinan staggered forward, throwing a punch at Romuel, which was caught. Immediately they grappled, crushing the bushes and broken wood scratching their bodies, their blood mixing and staining the dry grass.
“…must be buried here, along with the Pandora virus, along with this disaster that killed billions…”
Sinan’s eyes, red like a trapped beast, flipped Romuel over, using all his strength to choke his throat, blood flowing from his nose and mouth:
“Disappear forever… from this earth…”
A sharp sound pierced the tension as Sinan’s pupils contracted, then suddenly dilated.
His hand gradually loosened, revealing a small knife embedded in his abdomen, its blood-red handle held by Romuel.
“Good,” Romuel coughed violently, his internal injuries from the car crash quite serious. He finally flipped and pinned Sinan down, looking at his pale, dying face inches away, and laughed: “Then let’s go together.”
Sinan couldn’t make a sound, trembling as he tried to pull out the knife, but Romuel held his hand.
“I loved you, Noah… I loved you. Though I can’t realize my ideal, I can at least take you with me.”
He lifted Sinan’s hand, bringing it to his blood-stained mouth to kiss, with an unmasked, chilling light in his eyes – a crazy, twisted obsession:
“Let’s be buried here together.”
Before Romuel could turn back, he was knocked down by a punch as heavy as a thousand pounds!
Romuel tumbled into the bushes, grabbed by the neck by Zhou Rong, who immediately began beating him mercilessly. This was no longer venting anger but killing, each punch and kick landing on fatal areas like eye sockets, temples, and abdomen. A final kick to the chest sent Romuel flying back, crashing into a tree trunk and sliding down, his chest visibly caving in!
Zhou Rong picked up an assault rifle, stepping forward to press the gun barrel against his head.
“Do you think you can take Noah away? No, Sinan will replace him, and he will bury himself. Your sick, selfish love will only drag people into hell, and Sinan deserves better; from eleven years ago, he was destined to get something better.”
“…” Romuel mustered all his strength to lift his chin but did not look at Zhou Rong; his blood-covered gaze passed over him and fell on Sinan, who was lying under the tree.
After a while, the corner of his mouth curved up in a chilling smile, slowly and hoarsely saying:
“I’ll wait for you in hell…”
Zhou Rong coldly replied, “Go to hell yourself.”
A bang echoed through the canyon.
Romuel fell heavily into the bushes.
Zhou Rong threw away the gun and staggered forward, horizontally embracing Sinan in his arms, using his hand to block the bleeding wound where the knife was inserted in his abdomen.
“… Don’t… don’t pull…” In a daze, Sinan whispered: “If you pull it out, I’ll die…”
Zhou Rong sat down by the tree, constantly caressing his icy face, printing one hot kiss after another on his lips.
“Zhou Rong…”
“Shh, don’t speak.”
“I’m going to die…”
“No, how could you die? As long as Rong-ge is here, you will never die. As long as Rong-ge is here, you will never die.” Zhou Rong paused and said in a low voice: “Wherever you go, Rong-ge will follow you.”
Sinan looked at him, his gaze scattered and unfocused.
“Listen to me, Sinan.” Zhou Rong whispered close to his lips, “None of this is real. You’re just dreaming. Eleven years ago, when Rong-ge saw the bad guys biting you outside the hospital room, he went in and rescued you, then put you in his pocket and brought you back to the country. We went to military school together, graduated together, passed the assessment and joined 118 together, met Yan Hao, Chun Cao, Xiang Zi, Da Ding, Ying Jie… Later, Rong-ge proposed to you with a pigeon egg, and you agreed. We had a perfect wedding by the sea.”
“No electric shock, no zombies, no global disaster and human catastrophe. You just had a long dream, and now the dream is about to wake up. Rong-ge is waiting by your bedside for you to wake up. Please don’t fall asleep again, okay? Look at me, Xiao Nan, try to open your eyes and look at me. Don’t fall asleep, okay?”
Each word was like a small stone thrown into the soul, rippling on the lake’s surface, preventing consciousness from completely sinking into darkness.
Sinan’s pupils dilated, his eyelids growing heavy. He slowly raised his hand, trembling in mid-air, then his fingertips slid across Zhou Rong’s wet cheek:
“I…”
“I love you…”
Zhou Rong pressed his hand firmly against his own face, hot tears rolling down: “I know, Xiao Nan.”
“Rong-ge… only has you.”
The hurricane raised by the propeller approached from afar, the bushes swaying, leaves and branches falling like a rainstorm. Zhou Rong held Sinan tightly and raised his head, the reflection of the helicopter in the high sky reflected in his eyes.
South Sea Headquarters Military Helicopter Z-19.
The rescue team had arrived.
One week later, South Sea Military General Hospital.
Sinan’s eyelashes trembled, then he gradually opened his eyes, with Zhou Rong being the first to enter his vision.
Zhou Rong was sleeping soundly with his arm as a pillow, leaning on the edge of the hospital bed. His eyebrows were slightly furrowed, mouth pursed, hair standing up in a mess, with a distinct profile.
A warm feeling emerged in Sinan’s heart. He struggled to remove the oxygen mask, hoarsely saying: “Zhou Rong…”
No response.
“Zhou Rong…”
Still no response.
Sinan weakly pushed a few times. Zhou Rong finally stirred in his sleep – he turned his face, showing his back to Sinan, followed by snoring.
Sinan: “…”
Xiao Nan was furious, gathering strength to kick, and Zhou Rong tumbled off the chair to the ground, finally awake.
“Ah! Sinan!” Zhou Rong rushed forward to hug him and stroke his fur: “Thank God you’re finally awake.”
Rong-ge was so worried, couldn’t eat or sleep, guarding you for seven days and seven nights. If anything happened to you, I would have wanted to die with you…”
Sinan, being petted until his fur stood up, said expressionlessly: “You shaved.”
Zhou Rong hurriedly brought water for him to drink.
“And got a haircut.”
Zhou Rong quickly rang the bell to call the doctor.
“And changed clothes!” Sinan suddenly roared: “Are you here to take care of a patient or to peacock around!”
Ning Yu entered the room, seeing Zhou Rong forcibly rolling Sinan into a ball and holding him in his arms: “Be good, be good, Rong-ge specially spent two hours styling his hair. They say married men must always maintain their charm to win their wife’s heart…”
