“An unsolvable loop, endless love, gifted to my unparalleled you.”
Actually, ever since I put this card into my ID holder—just like how Jiang Huan treats my birthday card with care—I’ve felt that something’s not quite right. Hiding a few nail clippings and a ring is already risky enough, let alone this card, which is larger and more prone to damage.
Shen Shanwu knew that the best course of action would be to place it on the outside, safe and secure… but if he could do that, he wouldn’t be agonizing over it here.
After all, when faced with extreme psychological resistance, Jiang Huan’s gaze as he opened the ID card holder to gaze at the birthday card—that focused and profound look, the complete reliance and sole emotional anchor he placed in it—truly left an indelible mark on Shen Shanwu’s heart.
So, with a hopeful mindset that as long as he was careful and cautious, he wouldn’t be discovered, Shen Shanwu slid the card behind his ID and even placed another sheet of white paper on top to conceal it.
Occasionally, Shen Shanwu would shamelessly entertain the thought that if Jiang Huan knew he deliberately placed the card with his own in the same location, both behind their IDs, this romantic little detail would surely make Jiang Huan ecstatic.
Jiang Huan was indeed ecstatic, so ecstatic that he was almost dying with joy.
But it wasn’t his own death he was thinking of, it was Shen Shanwu’s.
“Speak,” Jiang Huan’s face turned colder, his tone grew more intense, his eyebrows furrowing tightly. With each word he uttered, he signaled the increasing anger within him. “I need a reasonable explanation.”
Where could Shen Shanwu possibly go to provide him with a reasonable explanation? He couldn’t possibly say that he found the card on the street, could he?
His procrastination and silence gradually depleted Jiang Huan’s patience. Finally, just before Jiang Huan impatiently spoke again, Shen Shanwu blurted out, unable to hold back, “I found it on the road!”
“…” Jiang Huan raised an eyebrow coldly. “Oh?”
“Just, just that day when I was getting hot water in the adjacent pantry, I saw this small card on the floor.” Shen Shanwu’s gaze shifted, and he pretended to suddenly realize, clapping his hands as if having an epiphany. “That day, the window of the pantry was strangely open, and I was quite surprised when I saw it… Then I picked up this small card, and the poem on it was really well-written, I liked it a lot, so I kept it… Uh, Captain, is it yours? You should keep it safe and not lose it again.”
Jiang Huan remained silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing as if he were assessing Shen Shanwu’s explanation. Then, his expression softened slightly, and he said, “It’s indeed mine.”
Shen Shanwu let out an inward sigh of relief. He managed to explain himself without revealing the deeper truth about the card’s significance to him.
Jiang Huan’s finger moved, and the card spun deftly around his fingertip. “Well-written poem… Jiang Tong, aren’t you illiterate?”
“… ” Shen Shanwu choked for a moment, quickly explaining, “I’ve been in school for so long, studying diligently every night, of course, I can recognize the characters on the card!”
Being shameless knows no bounds, and Shen Shanwu was quite impressed with himself for being able to say “I study seriously every night.”
“Is that so?” Jiang Huan also didn’t argue with Shen Shanwu. His scrutinizing gaze quickly scanned the room, and then he lifted his foot to kick the end of the bed straight open by half a meter. The loud sound and vibration seemed to quiet down the entire building. Shen Shanwu leaned slightly against the table behind him, and he and Jiang Huan both lowered their heads to look under the bed.
It was also empty.
Days ago, the vain Shen Shanwu had already changed into all the stylish outfits that Milk Tea had given him and had thrown the clothes along with the suitcase outside the base.
In a mixture of relief and anxiety, Shen Shanwu quickly acted shocked and a little scared, plaintively asking, “Captain, what are you doing? Did I do something wrong? Is there something wrong with the card?”
The space under the bed was empty, but Jiang Huan still examined it carefully for a while. Eventually, he raised his gaze and asked Shen Shanwu, “What did you put under here before? There are obvious drag marks.”
“I didn’t put anything there.” Shen Shanwu took advantage of Jiang Huan’s inability to produce evidence and played the innocent card with great effort. “This used to be a storage room before, maybe it’s the traces left from back then? Captain, what’s going on? Please tell me…”
Jiang Huan looked at him steadily, his gaze tracing the contours of Shen Shanwu’s features, moving from his eyebrows down the bridge of his nose, and then meticulously outlining the familiar shape of his lips. Shen Shanwu felt a chill down his spine under his scrutiny, awkwardly shifting his gaze away and lowering his head slightly.
At that moment, Jiang Huan walked forward slowly, extending his hand towards Shen Shanwu. Shen Shanwu quickly resisted by placing his arm horizontally in front of him, pushing against Jiang Huan’s chest. “Captain, don’t do this, I’m scared…”
With one hand supporting himself on Shen Shanwu’s waist, Jiang Huan’s other hand went straight past him and gently exerted pressure, opening the drawer of the desk behind Shen Shanwu.
Shen Shanwu: “…”
“Do you know, many habits are difficult to change, just like…” Jiang Huan whispered, his hand moving over the top of the drawer. With calloused fingertips, he gently traced along the rough wooden surface. Quickly, he sensed a subtle gap, and with a gentle push upward using a single finger, he released the latch, revealing a hidden compartment effortlessly.
Inside, there was a glass bottle with wolf dog nails, and a paper bag containing a ring. Just a minute ago, Shen Shanwu had been acting recklessly, thinking there was no evidence. Yet, now Jiang Huan had thrown the evidence onto the table and leaned calmly against the edge, waiting for an explanation.
Indeed, if he were to persist in claiming he didn’t know when faced with Jiang Han’s direct question, there wasn’t much Jiang Huan could do. However, if he couldn’t provide a reasonable explanation to Jiang Huan, this matter would forever linger between them, an insurmountable obstacle.
“Jiang Tong” could feign ignorance, uncertainty, and lack of understanding, answering with ‘I don’t know’ to any question. But what about that audacious man who had secretly met with the captain in his chamber the very next day – “Shen Shanwu”?
I accidentally lost the card you gave me, the ring was given to a kid to play with, and I even managed to get some mutant nails for the kid as toys… Is this even coherent?
Shen Shanwu let out a deep sigh. “Alright, Captain Jiang, I’ll be honest with you… The card, the ring, and the nails—all of them belong to my cousin, Shen Shanwu.”
“…” Jiang Huan remained silent, his gaze heavy and dark as he scrutinized Shen Shanwu. It sent shivers down Shen Shanwu’s spine, but he forced himself to continue with a stiff smile, “Actually, not everything I said in front of that Bellona captain was a complete lie. My original name is indeed Shen Shannan. I’m the son of my cousin’s father’s sister.”
“He found me some time ago and only told me not to mention that I’ve met him to anyone and not to use my original name anymore. He didn’t explain the exact reasons for it, so I made up things like the ex-girlfriend.”
“He found me a little over a month ago, recognized me, and told me that this place is good. He said you, Captain, are someone he knows well, trustworthy and reliable, and that I can stay here indefinitely… Captain, please don’t doubt it. The last time you were in danger on a mission, I received the information and immediately informed my cousin, asking him to come and rescue you all!”
The furrowed brow of Jiang Huan seemed to be easing slightly, and his eyes narrowed just a bit. It was unclear what he was thinking. Seizing the moment, Shen Shanwu, who knew that Jiang Huan hadn’t watched the anime “Detective Conan” as a child, continued his elaborate fabrication, “These are my cousin’s actual nails, a token. As long as I keep them on me, other mutants will assist me when they see it. The ring and the card are with me because he’s worried about losing them, getting them dirty, or them getting oxidized in high radiation areas… or something like that? He treasures this ring a lot, so he entrusted it to me for safekeeping.”
Shen Shanwu’s speech pace quickened as he continued, even supplementing his earlier abnormal behavior, “I lock the door at night because my cousin comes to see me. I hand him the ring, and he goes off to do something for an hour or two before returning the ring.”
As his words trailed off, silence spread throughout the room. Jiang Huan waited for a moment, observing Jiang Tong anxiously pinching his fingers as he awaited a response. Under his soft black hair, there were the worried eyes of a young deer. Upon closer inspection, the tips of his dense eyelashes seemed slightly damp.
Who could bear to excessively reprimand such a pretty and adorable child?
“The details are well thought out,” Jiang Huan said expressionlessly, giving a feigned applause of two claps. “If it weren’t for you mentioning your name as Shen Shannan at the beginning… If my memory serves me right, the name you initially gave yourself was Shen Shanrong.”
Shen Shanwu: “…”
Shen Shanwu: “Um, I haven’t used it in a long time, so I forgot… But that’s not important. The name Jiang Tong is good enough, I’ll just use this name from now on.”
“No need, you better go back to your original name,” Jiang Huan stood up straight, his tone icy as he said, “I don’t care what you’re called; from the very beginning, you’ve been full of lies. I trusted you, respected you, guided you, treated you sincerely, but even till this day, you haven’t spoken a few words of truth to me.”
“Tomorrow morning, you’ll leave the coastal base and go find your cousin or wander around, I don’t want to see you again,” Jiang Huan said firmly.
“Captain…” Shen Shanwu’s eyes widened, he never expected Jiang Huan to be this ruthless…
“And by the way, pass on a message to your cousin for me: the bad habit of leaving things scattered around needs to be corrected as soon as possible,” Jiang Han pulled out the birthday card from the cardholder and placed it together with the card he had given away from his desk. “And also…”
“People can’t be easily pacified for the time being.”
The sound of their argument had drawn a lot of attention, starting with the loud noise when Jiang Huan kicked the bed. Many of their teammates were waiting outside the door, curious about the commotion inside the room. Even Lu Jingzhi was among them.
Earlier, Lu Jingzhi had learned about the events of the day from Yao Wuque. He thought that Jiang Huan was upset with Jiang Tong’s mischievous behavior. He jokingly said, “Calm down, Dad, calm down. You’ve already punished him to write a three-thousand-word self-critique that should make him realize his mistake. If that’s not enough, add another five thousand words, and that should really teach him a lesson!”
“No need to write it.” Jiang Huan’s voice was firm and calm. He looked towards Yao Wuque, who stood nervously by the wall. “Yao Wuque, you and…” He paused, originally about to say Zhang Xiaowen, but then considering her injured leg, he changed it to “Zhong Yin. You and Zhong Yin pack up Jiang Tong’s belongings. Let him take whatever he wants. Cancel his identification tomorrow morning and drive him out of the base.”
Yao Wuque and Zhong Yin exchanged glances, their expressions revealing a mix of surprise and concern.
“Ah??” Yao Wuque listened in shock, almost doubting his own ears. “Cancel his identification? Leave the base? Where is he supposed to go?”
“Ask him. If he can’t provide an answer, just leave him at the entrance of the base,” Jiang Han replied with a cold tone.
Lu Jingzhi also looked puzzled and quickly advised, “Jiang Huan, what do you mean by this? You can’t use this to frighten a child. Don’t scare Jiang Tong, the area outside the base is so dangerous, if something happens…”
“He has family, they will come to pick him up tomorrow.” Jiang Huan said this and stopped speaking further, leaving only a statement for Yao Wuque, “If this matter isn’t handled properly, you and Jiang Tong will leave the Coastal Base together.” Then he walked towards the staircase with a gloomy expression.
Just as Jiang Huan stepped onto the stairs, Shen Shanwu rushed out of the room at that very moment. He absolutely, absolutely couldn’t be sent out of the Coastal Base!
The security checks and patrols at this damn base were way too strict. Even if he went out, he wouldn’t be able to come back in!!
Lu Jingzhi raised an eyebrow and scolded, “Jiang Tong, look at what state you’ve driven your father to. Hurry up and apologize!”
Shen Shanwu didn’t even care about Lu Jingzhi’s teasing gestures anymore. He hurriedly approached Jiang Huan, stepping in front of him with his arms outstretched to block his path. Then, he looked up urgently and said, “Captain, Captain! Give me one more chance, I’ll tell you the truth.”
Jiang Huan was coldly trying to pass him and head downstairs, but Shen Shanwu grabbed his wrist firmly. “It will definitely be the truth, Captain.”
“…” Jiang Huan struggled for a moment, surprised by the unexpected strength of this young man. He found it hard to break free.
Shen Shanwu softened his voice and pleaded, “Please.”
Jiang Huan tried to break free again, but still couldn’t. He narrowed his eyes skeptically and said cautiously, “Speak.”
Shen Shanwu realized that Jiang Huan intended to settle the matter right there and then, in front of everyone. He quickly added, “You need to come back to my room for me to explain.”
Jiang Huan remained unmoved.
“Captain, it’s true; I swear it’s true. If you come back with me to my room, I’ll close the door and explain immediately,” Shen Shanwu pleaded. He noticed Jiang Huan’s guarded gaze and had to bring out his final argument, “You don’t trust me, but can you trust my cousin?”
Jiang Huan fell silent.
After a few moments of standoff, Jiang Huan eventually yielded under Shen Shanwu’s persistence. He wordlessly turned around, entered the nearest room belonging to Lu Jingzhi, and locked the door once Shen Shanwu and Jiang Tong had also entered.
Shen Shanwu let out a long sigh, wondering if the Prophet had foreseen today’s situation in advance, prompting him to find Shen Shanwu and discuss those matters about supernatural abilities beforehand.
Jiang Huan watched Jiang Tong in silence, his gaze urging him to speak up faster, not to further test his limited patience.
“…” Shen Shanwu had never seen Jiang Huan treat him with such an attitude, whether as ‘Jiang Tong’ or ‘Shen Shanwu’. Being scrutinized by those cold and unfamiliar eyes left Shen Shanwu inexplicably disheartened.
He sighed once more, crossing his arms and gripping the hem of his shirt before taking it off completely.
Jiang Huan was taken aback, his astonishment clear as he straightened up from his previous position with his arms crossed. Just as Shen Shanwu was about to undo his pants’ zipper, Jiang Huan’s expression twisted with anger as he sternly exclaimed, “Don’t take them off!”
“Ah?” Shen Shanwu raised his head in confusion. Was Jiang Huan thinking he was wearing Hulk-sized underwear that would surely burst if he didn’t take them off?
“What are you trying to do? Is this your idea of being honest with me?” Jiang Huan was almost uncontrollably angry. “Did Shen Shanwu tell you about our relationship? Are you trying to use your resemblance to him to…”
Shen Shanwu didn’t quite understand what Jiang Huan was trying to convey, but he could guess the general idea and knew it was probably another misunderstanding. As long as he transformed back into his true self, everything would clear up. So, without paying much attention to Jiang Huan’s words, he proceeded to take off his pants.
The author has something to say:
35: Let Me Show You a Big Treasure! (Taking off pants)
Huan: Blushing (widens eyes and looks intently)
*
Well, regardless of whether it’s a playful reference or not, please refrain from labeling it as a plot device.
Yao Wuque’s character was initially depicted as a spirited young man with a bit of clumsiness. He has strengths and weaknesses. In the previous chapter, the falling-off-the-horse scene could have been portrayed differently. However, I ultimately chose to have Yao Wuque make a playful comment that slightly crosses a boundary. This choice is based on his personality; I believe he’s capable of such behavior. You can choose to like or dislike a character, but please don’t make it seem like I’m forcibly creating plot points. Otherwise, why would I have included the part where a young girl sent a letter to Shen Shanwu earlier? It’s simply to showcase his charm.
I’m quite hurt, sob sob sob…
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![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")
