UAAG CH84

Under the scorching sun, a black Ferrari sped rapidly along the narrow coastline.

Upon arriving at the COMAC airport parking lot, Fu Cheng got out of the car. Today was the most critical test flight, and both of them had their own missions. After exiting the vehicle, they exchanged a glance; Fu Cheng strode toward the pilots’ waiting room, while Zhuo Huan headed for the airport control tower.

The blazing, blinding sun hung high overhead. A blue and white aircraft sat quietly at the gate. Dozens of ground crew and researchers were conducting the final checks. Though drenched in sweat, they worked with conscientious dedication, not daring to relax for even a moment.

High up in the towering airport control tower, Zhuo Huan entered the command room, where many were already waiting.

After completing the final data handover and confirmation with everyone, Zhuo Huan walked to the 360° panoramic floor-to-ceiling window. He looked down to see a young pilot in a black uniform walking slowly out of the terminal building. As if telepathic, Fu Cheng raised his head to look up at the tower.

Across that long distance of five hundred meters, the two shared a silent gaze for a few seconds.

Fu Cheng withdrew his gaze, walked toward the fuel tank, and began his inspection of the aircraft.

Time ticked by, minute by minute.

After a long while, the ground crew removed the boarding ladder positioned by the cabin exit, and the cabin door slowly closed. Inside the dimly lit cockpit, amidst the boundless darkness, every illuminated switch became like stars filling the sky. Within this galaxy, Fu Cheng lowered his head slightly, holding the safety checklist in one hand while meticulously inspecting everything.

When all pre-flight checks were complete, Fu Cheng put down the manual and opened the radio communication system.

“COMAC CR939, confirmation work complete. Requesting takeoff.”

The young man’s voice was steady and calm. When it rang out over the control tower’s broadcast, everyone who had been feeling tense and anxious involuntarily settled down.

Zhuo Huan looked at the airplane in the distance and pressed the talk button: “Cleared for takeoff.”

The white aircraft was like a vigorous seagull soaring through the waves. It accelerated continuously down the runway, faster and faster, until finally, it leaped up, emitting a brisk hum as it flew into the blue sky.

On one side, Fu Cheng piloted the plane, beginning the official test flight; on the other side, the work of the COMAC researchers had only just truly begun.

“Confirm takeoff wing load data.”

“Wto/S, 163.9.”

“Takeoff thrust-to-weight ratio.”

“Fto/Wg, 0.279. Confirming real-time dimensionless acceleration…”

Countless points of data converged into blue streams of information, frantically calculating and processing across a dozen computers.

At an altitude of twenty thousand feet, Fu Cheng first maintained a period of level flight. Once he stabilized the aircraft’s normal configuration, Zhuo Huan’s cold, calm voice came through the headset: “COMAC CR939, do you require real-time follow-up data and flight maneuver guidance?”

Hearing that familiar voice, the hand gripping the yoke tightened slightly.

Fu Cheng curved his lips, revealing a confident smile amidst the blue sky and white clouds: “COMAC CR939, no need.”

The very next moment, he executed a beautiful bank turn.

In the airport tower, Zhuo Huan watched the small point of light symbolizing the plane’s position on the radar map. He raised an eyebrow slightly and laughed softly.

Every movement was crisp and decisive. There were no second attempts, nor was there a need for them.

One hour later, after circling over the East China Sea, the plane returned.

Seeing the airport runway from a distance, Fu Cheng aligned the nose of the plane with the center of the runway. The altitude dropped lower and lower. After a barely audible hum, the aviation tires created intense friction against the runway surface. Slowly, its speed decreased, then it stabilized its posture and taxied slowly toward the terminal.

At this moment, inside the control tower, over a hundred researchers erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

Chief Designer Wu took off his glasses and rubbed the corners of his eyes wearily. His heart felt a bit sour, but mostly, he was filled with overwhelming emotion.

At this moment, Fu Cheng didn’t know if the tower had obtained the data they wanted. But without a doubt, since Zhuo Huan had not asked him to repeat a single maneuver from start to finish, it meant his flying was flawless, and the data obtained from his flight was error-free.

After checking off the entire list, he opened the cabin door.

The ground crew swarmed up. After Fu Cheng finished filling out the paperwork, he took off his hat and tucked it under his arm. Suddenly, a deep, powerful male voice came from behind: “Fu Cheng!”

Fu Cheng turned his head and saw Commander Nie. He immediately brought his legs together and gave a military salute: “Commander!”

Commander Nie strode forward, looked at him steadily, and after a long moment, smiled and pulled the young, outstanding pilot into a hug.

“You did an excellent job!” Not stinging with his encouragement and praise, Commander Nie patted Fu Cheng’s back and said from the bottom of his heart, “You are my most brilliant soldier!”

After the test flight mission ended, everyone stayed busy for another full day.

Before today, the designers at COMAC had been working overtime for two weeks. During meals and breaks, these young aviation professionals had said countless times that once the test flight was successful, they would definitely go home and rest. However, when they actually obtained the needed data, not a single person mentioned taking a break.

It was as if they had been injected with adrenaline; they had boundless energy. They threw themselves frantically into the career they loved.

That gem, reborn from the blood of countless failures, was already emitting a glimmer of brilliance. They couldn’t wait; they were desperate to dig it out, hold it in their palms, and care for it meticulously.

However, Zhuo Huan and Fu Cheng’s work ended here.

UAAG had, after all, only accepted the commission from COMAC to assist in the design and R&D of the new model. Now that the core step had succeeded, what followed was massive data calculation and iterative improvements and polishing.

Wu Hui and Commander Nie personally saw Zhuo Huan and Fu Cheng off.

Both men looked at Zhuo Huan, hesitating to speak. In the end, a thousand words merged into a single sentence: “I am incredibly proud and honored that China has talents like you! Thank you!”

Zhuo Huan looked up at Wu Hui and Commander Nie, extended his hand, and shook theirs.

The black Ferrari drove west, facing the sunset.

They hadn’t been driving for long when Fu Cheng received a text from Lina.

[Lina: Back in the city?]

Fu Cheng was a bit surprised and replied: [Yes, how did you know, Lina?]

[Lina: Because I just received the payment from COMAC. It’s a huge figure. Fu, although you guys ended this secret mission suddenly, catching me off guard, I still successfully booked a restaurant to celebrate. And also as a congratulation for your birthday yesterday, a belated party.]

[Lina: I’m sending you the address.]

Soon, Fu Cheng received the restaurant address from Lina. It was near Zhuo Huan’s home, a French restaurant by the Bund.

Fu Cheng: “Lina wants us to go here.”

Zhuo Huan turned his head to glance at the phone in Fu Cheng’s hand, frowning: “What for?”

Fu Cheng: “She says it’s to celebrate us completing the mission, and to make up for my birthday yesterday.”

“When did they get back to Shanghai?”

“Yesterday.”

Zhuo Huan gave a light “Oh” and said, “Turn on the navigation.”

Fu Cheng: “Teacher Zhuo, I’ve lived in Shanghai for twenty-seven years.”

“So?”

“Do I still need to turn on navigation?”

Under Fu Cheng’s guidance, an hour later, the two arrived at the French restaurant.

A waiter led them toward the private room Lina had booked. Upon reaching the door, the waiter stopped, turned slightly sideways, and opened the door for them.

Fu Cheng didn’t think much of it and stepped forward to walk in, failing to notice that Lord Zhuo beside him scoffed and subtly took half a step back.

The next second, there was a loud BANG.

“Happy Birthday!”

Ribbons and confetti rained down from the sky, covering Fu Cheng from head to toe. Su Fei, Old Joseph, and Lina cheered as they popped the party poppers, watching Fu Cheng get covered in colorful streamers. However, Su Fei quickly noticed something was wrong: “Where’s RIP? Why is RIP missing?”

A contemptuous snort sounded. Lord Zhuo, hands in his pockets and chewing gum, strolled nonchalantly into the room and pulled out a chair to sit.

Zhuo Huan: “Do you take me for a fool?”

Su Fei: “…”

Lina blinked helplessly: “Reid, couldn’t you just play along and experience our enthusiastic salute?”

Zhuo Huan: “Oh, no.”

Lina spread her hands and explained to her companions: “He’s been like this since he was a kid. No matter what prank you pull on him, he always knows in advance and avoids it. Even if it’s a well-intentioned joke, like celebrating his birthday, he won’t fall for it.”

Old Joseph shook his head: “Reid, a child who is too smart cannot have a wonderful childhood.”

Zhuo Huan gave a scoff, too lazy to even acknowledge them.

Fu Cheng pulled the ribbons off his body and threw them in the trash. Just as he was about to find a seat, Zhuo Huan, while looking at the menu and without lifting his eyes, pulled out the chair next to him. Fu Cheng paused, then walked over and sat down.

Soon, the dishes were served.

Old Joseph, holding the wine list, asked with a smile, “Lina, is tonight’s meal on UAAG’s account?”

Lina laughed: “Yes.”

Old Joseph cheered, then looked cautiously at Zhuo Huan: “My dear Reid, may I order a bottle of Pétrus?”

Zhuo Huan asked lazily: “You just want Pétrus?”

Old Joseph didn’t react immediately: “Is that not allowed? Then Lafite is fine too.”

Zhuo Huan pulled a key card from his pocket and handed it to Lina. Lina froze for a moment, then smiled at him: “Reid?”

Zhuo Huan: “I have a bottle of Romain Conte at home. Find someone to go get it.”

Old Joseph: “…”

Lina: “…”

Su Fei, who knew nothing about red wine: “What? What Romain Conte? Is this wine expensive?”

Old Joseph shouted excitedly: “I’ll go get it! I’ll personally go get it! Oh, my dear Reid, what has gotten into you today? How have you become so handsome? No, even more handsome.”

Zhuo Huan glanced indifferently at the calm young man beside him, the corner of his mouth curving into a barely perceptible arc: “Didn’t you say it was to celebrate his birthday?”

Old Joseph: “Huh?”

Zhuo Huan: “Romain Conte, that’s about appropriate for a celebration.”

Old Joseph froze, finally realizing. He asked coyly: “Reid, what do you think my birthday deserves to be celebrated with? It doesn’t have to be Romain Conte. I prefer whiskey over red wine, Macallan would be fine…”

Zhuo Huan: “Hah? Why would I celebrate for you?”

Old Joseph paused, subconsciously saying: “Why wouldn’t you celebrate for me? Aren’t we friends?”

Zhuo Huan sneered: “You’re not my boyfriend.”

As soon as these words landed, no one reacted. Even Fu Cheng and Lina were stunned in place.

When they finally processed it, Lina slowly smiled. The beautiful blonde looked at her good friend, feeling joy in her heart and happiness for him.

Fu Cheng, on the other hand, went red to the tips of his ears. He raised one hand to cover his face, looking down through gritted teeth, while using his other hand to type on his phone.

A moment later, Zhuo Huan’s phone rang. Lord Zhuo, while chewing gum, opened it to look.

[Fu Cheng: What are you doing?]

[Zhuo Huan: Celebrating your birthday?]

After sending this message, Zhuo Huan tilted his chin toward the bewildered Old Joseph: “Weren’t you going to get the Romain Conte?”

Old Joseph woke as if from a dream: “Oh, oh, right, I’ll go, I’m going right now.” taking the key card, Old Joseph ran to the door of the private room. He turned back and threw a wink at Zhuo Huan: “Reid, if you don’t mind, I could actually be your boyfriend.”

Zhuo Huan: “…”

Fuck.

Disgusting enough to vomit.

Zhuo Huan said word by word: “I. Am. Not. Blind.”

Old Joseph said regretfully: “Sigh, that is truly a pity.”

Zhuo Huan: “…”

Lord Zhuo, having lived for thirty years, was rendered speechless by someone for the first time in his life.

Long after Old Joseph left, the punk teenager finally snapped out of it. He opened his eyes wide in shock, his gaze shifting back and forth between Zhuo Huan and Fu Cheng. First pointing at Zhuo Huan, then at Fu Cheng, and finally back at Zhuo Huan: “You, you, you guys are actually dating?!”

Fu Cheng had no words, so he could only bury his face deeper into his palm.

Zhuo Huan put both hands in his pockets and leaned back against the chair: “Amazing?”

Su Fei: “AMAZING!!!”

Zhuo Huan: “You came back to Shanghai last night, didn’t you see that giant LED ad on the building?”

“Huh?” Su Fei thought for a moment. “The one that said ‘Fu Cheng I Love You’? Holy shit, holy shit, that was really you guys?! I knew it, I knew it! I messaged Brother Fu this morning asking about it, and he actually ignored me, he even changed the subject. Holy shit!!! You guys are actually dating, ahhhhhh…”

Zhuo Huan turned to look at Lina: “You checked his Harvard graduation certificate, it’s real?”

Lina nodded seriously, smiling: “It’s real.”

Su Fei: “…”

Su Fei: “You personally went to Harvard to invite me! Damn, could I possibly be fake!”

Zhuo Huan gave a scoff: “Oh.”

The entire dinner echoed with Su Fei’s disbelief and inquiries, and Old Joseph’s exclamations over the fine wine.

The restaurant was located at the midpoint between Zhuo Huan’s home and the UAAG staff dormitory. A walk to either side would not take long, roughly half an hour. No one intended to take a taxi back; the cool evening breeze blew from the Huangpu River.

Leaving the restaurant, it was time to part ways.

Su Fei: “Eh, Brother Fu, aren’t you coming with us?”

Old Joseph, having enjoyed the man’s hospitality, pulled Su Fei away and chuckled: “No, don’t worry about him. I’ll take him with me, you guys carry on.”

Su Fei realized as well, his muttering drowned out by the night wind: “It’s just dating, like who hasn’t dated before, going on a date, who doesn’t know how to do that.”

After they left, Lina stood at the restaurant entrance holding her bag, smiling at her friend, then at Fu Cheng. She reached out to tuck her wind-blown hair behind her ear and smiled gently: “I’m really happy, Reid. Fu, I wish you both the best.”

Zhuo Huan nodded casually.

Fu Cheng smiled: “Thank you, Lina.”

Lina took an exquisite Graff gift box out of her bag and handed it over: “You already received Old Joseph and Su Fei’s gifts earlier. This is the one I picked for you. I was originally wondering if giving this would be a bit too forward. But yesterday when I got off the plane and saw the words on the building across the river, I knew my gift wasn’t wrong.”

Fu Cheng paused: “What is it?”

Lina blinked: “Open it and see?”

Fu Cheng opened the box. Under the bright lights of the Bund, two bracelets lay crossed in the velvet center of the box. Diamonds overlapped in settings, the light dazzling and brilliant. It appeared to be custom-made; the outside of one bracelet faintly reflected an ‘R’ in small diamonds, while the other reflected an ‘F’.

Fu Cheng raised his head and looked at Lina.

Lina smiled slightly: “They are couple’s bracelets.”

Fu Cheng lowered his head and looked at them quietly for a moment, then looked up: “Thank you.”

Having delivered the gift and chatted for a while longer, the driver arrived from the parking lot. They said their goodbyes; she waved and got into the car.

Facing the evening breeze, Zhuo Huan and Fu Cheng walked along the riverside. On one side was the rushing stream of traffic, on the other, the surging, ceaseless Huangpu River.

The bracelets were already on their wrists. Fu Cheng raised his head and immediately saw the Aurora Plaza building.

The LED advertisement on that skyscraper had long since changed to “I Love Shanghai,” a public service ad for city promotion. In a trance, it felt like returning to yesterday, as if the words on the building had turned back into that sentence.

Involuntarily, Fu Cheng stared at the words on the Aurora Plaza building a little longer, until a man’s indifferent voice came through the night wind beside him: “Want me to buy it again?”

Fu Cheng turned his head: “No.”

Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow: “Fu Cheng, wasn’t it you who said yesterday that Rogue 318 hasn’t been fished up yet? And you actually want me to buy it again, tsk.”

Fu Cheng: “…”

“I didn’t say to buy it again.”

“Oh, then I guess you didn’t say it.”

“…”

This person really has issues!

The two continued walking forward.

Zhuo Huan: “Actually, you just want to see it again.”

Fu Cheng looked up at him. He fell silent, pursed his lips, and didn’t make a sound.

Zhuo Huan: “You are really troublesome. It’s either yes or no. Not speaking means you’re defaulting to yes?”

“Yes.”

Caught off guard, Zhuo Huan froze. After a few seconds, he snapped back to reality and turned his eyes to Fu Cheng.

Fu Cheng looked at him, his gaze clear and quiet: “I said yes. So… Teacher Zhuo, do you really want to buy it again?”

Zhuo Huan laughed: “No.”

Fu Cheng: “I feel like you actually seem to enjoy it quite a bit too.”

Zhuo Huan: “…Fuck, you are really annoying.”

Fu Cheng gave him a calm, composed look and stepped forward to walk away. Suddenly, his hand was pulled from behind. He turned around to see Zhuo Huan holding his hand, letting out a soft hum from his nose. “What are you looking at? Not walking?”

Fu Cheng watched him silently, then slowly smiled: “Yeah, let’s walk.”

Holding hands, they walked along the riverside path.

The quiet night breeze blew over their tightly intertwined hands. The platinum bracelets on their wrists touched lightly, the crisp and faint sound disappearing into the surging river water.

Originally, Fu Cheng hadn’t planned to move into Zhuo Huan’s apartment so quickly. But Su Fei had gotten up early for two consecutive days, running curiously to his house. Using “running together” as an excuse, he would sneakily peek inside the door, seemingly determined to find Zhuo Huan…

Helpless, Fu Cheng moved to Zhuo Huan’s place.

After Lord Zhuo helped him move his luggage into the house—Fu Cheng didn’t have much stuff—Fu Cheng bowed his head to unpack while Zhuo Huan stood by wearing a thin gray sweater, drinking ice water and watching.

Zhuo Huan: “Tsk, I told you to come over two days ago.”

Fu Cheng straightened up expressionlessly: “I didn’t want to come originally.”

Zhuo Huan raised an eyebrow: “Oh? Didn’t want to live with me?”

Fu Cheng glanced at him, lowered his head, and continued organizing his luggage, ignoring him.

With a clink, the glass was placed on the marble bar counter. The man walked over, wrapped his arms around Fu Cheng’s waist, and gently rubbed his knee against Fu Cheng’s thigh. “What for? Why didn’t you want to live with me?”

Fu Cheng closed his eyes briefly and broke free from his hands: “Nothing.”

Zhuo Huan hugged him again: “Speak. The reason.”

Fu Cheng: “Nothing.”

Zhuo Huan: “There is. If you don’t say it, I’ll guess.”

Zhuo Huan: “Family matters, inconvenient to leave? No, your sister isn’t in the country, it’s the same wherever you live. You don’t like living here, don’t like a bigger house? No, you don’t look like you have that kind of weird habit. Then why?”

Lord Zhuo hugged Fu Cheng, pulling him to sit on the sofa. He touched his lips: “Wow, so you hate the rich, Fu Cheng?”

Fu Cheng: “…”

What is all this nonsense!

Zhuo Huan: “Then are you afraid someone will come to my house and discover you’re cohabiting with me? That won’t happen either. Zhuo Jing won’t come again. The only people who know I live here are Su Fei, Old Joseph, and Lina, and they already know I’m your boyfriend.”

“Oh, so it’s because of that…” He deliberately dragged out the tone.

Fu Cheng asked subconsciously: “What?”

Zhuo Huan looked down at him, his clear, cold eyes narrowing slightly as he laughed. He leaned down and kissed him, sealing Fu Cheng’s breath.

“Because… you want to sleep with me.”

The man’s soft laughter slowly turned into the heavy panting of two people amidst a fierce kiss. The moment Zhuo Huan said those words, Fu Cheng’s pupils constricted, but the kiss followed immediately. He closed his eyes and kissed back. After trying it once, as if by accepted convention, they didn’t go to the bedroom to get a condom; they did it right there on the sofa.

After the release, Zhuo Huan pinned the young man to the sofa, pinching his chin with one hand, and asked with a low laugh: “Fu Cheng, do you particularly want to sleep with me?”

Hearing this sentence, the young man’s thick eyelashes trembled slightly. Fu Cheng panted in low, short breaths. He raised his eyes; his beautiful pupils reflected Zhuo Huan’s half-smiling expression. After a long while, Fu Cheng tilted his head and asked back with a smile: “Don’t you want to sleep with me, Teacher Zhuo?”

“…Fuck!”

A scorching kiss descended. Zhuo Huan buried his fingers into Fu Cheng’s sweat-dampened hair, clutching him tightly, kissing intimately.

On the first day of cohabitation, the two barely got out of bed.

The second day, they only ate one meal; the rest of the time, they were fed in bed.

Just starting a real relationship and coinciding with a holiday, the two hot-blooded young men could no longer suppress their desires. Like lightning striking fire, they stayed in bed for four or five days straight.

Fu Cheng had a premonition—this was one of the reasons he hadn’t moved in with Zhuo Huan earlier. Not living together was fine, but once they lived together, because he loved this person, he wanted to make love to this person. It all felt natural, and he was immersed in it; living together might mean not wanting to get out of bed for days.

Zhuo Huan was the same.

However, even the best stamina would be exhausted after such wanton indulgence for several days.

After fooling around day and night for a few more days, Zhuo Huan panted heavily, leaning against the headboard to smoke.

Fu Cheng shielded his eyes with one hand. After catching his breath, he looked up at Zhuo Huan: “Any cigarettes left?”

Zhuo Huan’s hand holding the cigarette paused, and Fu Cheng froze as well.

This sentence seemed a bit familiar. It seemed that half a year ago in Dubai, after their first time, they had this exact dialogue. Zhuo Huan looked down at the young man on the bed. Under the bright lights, the young man’s already fair skin looked almost transparent. Those lips were swollen, kissed red and soft by him, and his eyes inevitably held a rich, alluring luster. After being taken for several days, Fu Cheng had never thought about what he looked like in Zhuo Huan’s eyes right now—

From head to toe, every single strand of hair was radiating a scent that seduced men.

Zhuo Huan sucked in a breath, closed his eyes, and stuffed the cigarette into Fu Cheng’s mouth.

He accepted his fate, forcing a few words through his teeth: “…You. Fucking. Won.”

Fu Cheng was slightly stunned. He watched as Zhuo Huan climbed out of bed and haphazardly put on his clothes.

A few minutes later, Fu Cheng put on his clothes, walked to the balcony, and stood beside Zhuo Huan.

Zhuo Huan glanced back at him, then withdrew his gaze. looking far out at the turbulent, ceaseless Huangpu River, he said indifferently: “Who called this morning.”

Fu Cheng: “You heard it?”

As soon as the phone rang, he had immediately gone out to answer it.

Zhuo Huan gave a light tsk: “It was as loud as a rocket ignition, how the fuck could I sleep?”

Fu Cheng remained silent. He thought Zhuo Huan’s neurasthenia had improved a bit these days. At least after they made love and slept, Zhuo Huan hadn’t woken up suddenly from dreams like before. However, the ringtone was still a burden to him.

Fu Cheng: “Commander Nie called.”

This answer exceeded Zhuo Huan’s expectations. After a long while, he gave a hum of acknowledgment.

Fu Cheng: “You aren’t going to ask what he called for?”

Zhuo Huan asked with a lazy smile: “Oh, what for?”

Fu Cheng looked at him seriously: “He asked me if you had any intention of going to COMAC.” He paused, then added, “Not just COMAC, but also CAC (Chengdu), SAC (Shenyang)… China’s military fighter jets also need an excellent aircraft designer. The Commander said China trusts you, and China needs you.”

Zhuo Huan laughed: “That trust is built on the fact that their need far outweighs their suspicion.”

Fu Cheng was silent for a moment: “No, the Commander is serious. Everyone is serious.”

Zhuo Huan turned his head to look at him.

Their gazes met in the air; neither spoke.

After a long time, Zhuo Huan reached out to hold Fu Cheng’s waist and kissed his lips. After a gentle and tender kiss, their lips parted. Fu Cheng hesitated for a few seconds, then hugged Zhuo Huan’s body.

High up, when the city’s noise drifted over, only scattered bits of sound remained.

Zhuo Huan held Fu Cheng with one hand, looking down at the magnificent, intoxicating night view of the city beneath his feet. His voice seemed to ring out from the void: “Do you know the reason I left McFly?”

Fu Cheng: “Rogue 318?”

“Yeah, one of the reasons. Even without Rogue 318, sooner or later, I would have resigned from McFly.”

Fu Cheng looked up at him: “Why?”

Zhuo Huan laughed self-deprecatingly: “Do you know what McFly’s biggest aircraft market is?”

Fu Cheng thought for a moment, and suddenly understood: “…Fighter jets.”

Zhuo Huan: “Yeah. For the past fourteen years,” he paused, continuing, “I should say, from the time I entered McFly at sixteen until I resigned at twenty-eight. I never touched a single bit of McFly’s design data regarding military aircraft. I didn’t even see a single piece of basic cabin data. They wouldn’t let me see it.”

Zhuo Huan’s voice carried a smile, but Fu Cheng remained silent. He didn’t know what to say; he just held this person tighter.

After a while, Zhuo Huan tilted Fu Cheng’s chin up, making him look into his eyes.

“Fu Cheng, my hair seems a bit long.”

“Mn, Teacher Zhuo, you only just realized?”

“Tsk, why are your words so unpleasant to hear now?”

After a moment of silence, Fu Cheng retorted: “Learned it from you? I heard kissing can transmit colds, maybe it can transmit a toxic tongue too… mmph…”

After the burning kiss ended, their foreheads pressed together, their heavy breathing sounding as if it had merged into one.

Zhuo Huan’s voice was hoarse: “Hey, Fu Cheng.”

“Hmm?”

“Cut my hair for me.”

Fu Cheng’s body paused. He looked up at the man before him, then nodded gently.

“Okay.”

Bringing scissors from the study, Zhuo Huan sat on a chair on the terrace. Fu Cheng stood behind him, scissors in one hand, holding the overly long strands of hair in the other. Fu Cheng stared fixedly for a long time, not making a cut.

Zhuo Huan: “Are you an idiot? You can’t even cut hair?”

Fu Cheng: “…”

Cutting the hair expressionlessly, Fu Cheng set the scissors aside: “Done.”

Zhuo Huan stood up, touched his hair, and then: “…”

“Fuck, did you actually cut it or not?”

Fu Cheng: “I did.” He pointed at the scattered hair on the ground.

Zhuo Huan ran his hand through his hair a few times, gathering it into a small bun at the back of his head: “Hah? This is your definition of cutting it?”

Fu Cheng: “This is how I saw it in Helsinki a year ago.”

Zhuo Huan: “…”

Zhuo Huan: “I meant, cut it to a normal look, like the length when I gave that speech at your Air Force training camp back then.”

Fu Cheng: “…”

“Then I’ll cut it again?”

Zhuo Huan said grumpily: “Hmph, forget it.”

Seeing Zhuo Huan’s face which said “I am tolerating you, you better coax me quickly,” joy skipped lightly in Fu Cheng’s heart. He looked at him, the corners of his mouth rising uncontrollably, and he looked up to kiss him.

Under the peaceful, quiet night curtain, the two kissed to their hearts’ content, facing the evening breeze and the sweet scent of verbena.

Meanwhile, at the bottom of the vast, calm Pacific Ocean, at an underwater volcano.

No one knew that a terrible earthquake was occurring here. In the center of the Pacific, an underwater volcano 2,100 meters below sea level was steaming, emitting billowing white smoke. The next moment, a shockwave almost condensed into solid form buzzed as it cracked open, spreading in all directions.

Across the entire seabed, countless creatures were vibrated directly into dust by this terrifying seismic wave. The remaining few that were lucky enough to survive were roasted to death by the volcanic eruption triggered by the earthquake.

And one thousand five hundred nautical miles east of this underwater volcano, in a rugged shoal of reefs, the powerful, terrifying seismic wave dissipated there, having already been weakened tens of thousands of times. After a barely perceptible crisp sound, deep within that pile of black reefs, a tail fin fragment cracked off from a corroded fuselage and drifted into the seawater.

Slowly floating up, floating up, until it drifted to the surface.

On this red and white tail fragment, one could faintly see English letters not completely corroded by the seawater.

RO…

It drifted all the way east, following the North Pacific Current, slowly drifting toward Alaska.

Author’s Note:

Zhuo RIP: Fu Cheng is deeply impressed by my technique, wanting to sleep with me every day. Tsk, his brain is full of yellow waste [dirty thoughts].

Fu Cheng-cheng: …………………. If I didn’t fucking love you, you would have been a single dog for life!!!

Volume Seven: Heart of the Ocean

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