The youthful body was fresh and fair, as beautiful as a smooth and tender milk pudding, without a single scar or blemish. It was so white that it almost dazzled the eyes. In reality, Shen Shanwu’s body at the age of ten wasn’t as flawless; his abilities had embellished everything.
However, Jiang Huan had no inclination to even cast a glance. His brow furrowed tightly, and he abruptly grabbed the plush blanket from the nearby lower bunk and covered the person from head to toe.
“Jiang Tong, no matter how much you resemble Shen Shanwu, I won’t be interested in you. Moreover, you’re just a ten-year-old child, and you should cherish your body.”
“…” Finally, Shen Shanwu understood this time. Silently, he reverted to his original form under the blanket. Just a second before Jiang Huan was about to slam the door and leave, he pulled the blanket open. Then, a voice, deep and magnetic, belonging to an adult male, tinged with helplessness, resonated within the room, “Jiang Huan, where did your mind wander off to…”
Jiang Huan’s whole body stiffened. The voice imprinted in his soul caused all his anger to suddenly dissipate. His fingers remained in the position of being poised on the door lock, but he turned his head in a daze. Instead of seeing Jiang Huan’s figure, he was met with the sight of a tall man who had loosely covered himself with a blanket, his lower body barely concealed.
In his adulthood, Shen Shanwu had a tanned complexion, healthy and quite masculine, with an even and pleasing tone. It was as if an artist had carefully mixed ochre and rouge to create a masterpiece.
The supernatural ability also erased all scars from his body. Beneath his alluring Adam’s apple, the hollows of his collarbones undulated as Shen Shanwu flexed his muscles, revealing his well-defined chest and the chiseled abs. The V-line drew attention to his lean, narrow waist, which disappeared beneath the blanket.
One can imagine that this powerful narrow waist would surely have a strong impact when making contact, capable of knocking someone off their feet.
With each step, the well-defined muscles of his thighs hinted through the gaps in the blanket. It wasn’t until Shen Shanwu had approached quite closely that Jiang Huan suddenly snapped out of his daze, flustered and hastily withdrawing from this overwhelmingly charismatic display of masculinity.
He was taken aback, rendered speechless by the situation. Countless thoughts raced through his mind in an instant. Jiang Huan’s wavering gaze scanned the man in front of him from top to bottom, and almost subconsciously, he reached out and pulled back the blanket that was covering Shen Shanwu, asking, “Where’s Jiang Tong?”
Under the blanket, apart from the two long and straight thighs, there was nothing. The child who had been complaining and expressing grievances just moments ago had vanished without a trace.
—Not exactly nothing, but there was something quite prominent and ready to burst out as if in a fight.
As its presence became overwhelmingly intense, and after confirming that no one was hiding by Shen Shanwu’s legs, Jiang Huan’s gaze was uncontrollably drawn to it, as if under a spell.
Shen Shanwu was still wearing the white boxer briefs that belonged to Jiang Tong, but the green ‘small apple’ at the front of the briefs had been forced to stretch into a ‘big watermelon’, the kind of watermelon that was ripe to the point of almost bursting open.
Jiang Huan’s impulsive action surprised Shen Shanwu, and he couldn’t help but use his fingernail to hook the waistband of the boxer briefs on his thigh. The tightly stretched fabric instantly tore open a slit, which, though somewhat comical, allowed for a ‘struggling to breathe’ kind of relief.
Jiang Huan immediately blushed and covered one side of his face with the back of his hand. His narrow and vigilant eyes, which had been wide and round, now resembled those of a startled puppy—hesitant to escape, yet unwilling to stay, curling up with its tail tucked between its legs in a corner, pitifully gazing at the person who was teasing it.
The previously cold and unfeeling demeanor of Jiang Huan had completely vanished, leaving him looking bewildered, embarrassed, and flustered. He seemed like an entirely different person before and after.
“You, how did you…” Jiang Huan was even too embarrassed to form coherent sentences. A suggestive shade of crimson quickly spread across his skin, enveloping his body in a flush that seemed to originate from his ears, hidden beneath his dark hair. At the same time, the temperature at the back of his neck began to rise, extending down to the collar of his clothing.
Despite his efforts, Jiang Huan’s gaze involuntarily kept drifting downward. No matter how he admonished himself to be more discreet, no matter how he held his breath and strained to lift his gaze upwards, it inevitably got drawn back to the attention-grabbing “big watermelon,” as if enchanted.
…Probably because he was behaving like a pervert.
Hastily, Shen Shanwu wrapped the blanket back around himself. Otherwise, he felt that their conversation wouldn’t be able to continue at all.
For a moment, both individuals in the room heaved sighs of relief.
Jiang Huan temporarily tucked away the visually pleasing scene in the depths of his mind and spoke earnestly, “Shanwu, what’s the deal with you and Jiang Tong? Is it one person or two? Can you switch bodies with him? Is there a condition for the switch? Are you using him to enter and exit the Coastal Base?”
For a brief moment, Shen Shanwu contemplated whether he should follow Jiang Huan’s train of thought and split himself and Jiang Tong into two individuals. This could significantly reduce the enormous sense of embarrassment that both of them were about to face – like shamelessly acting cute or Jiang Huan’s amorous thoughts. However, almost immediately, Shanwu also recalled Jiang Huan’s earlier words, “..even till this day, you haven’t spoken a few words of truth to me.”
Who would enjoy being constantly deceived and manipulated, regardless of the reasons behind it?
“I am him,” Shanwu said, and right before Jiang Huan’s eyes, he slowly contracted his body once again, transforming into the appearance he had when he was seventeen or eighteen. Although his height and overall look were nearly identical to his current self, his demeanor underwent a drastic change. The mature and determined facial contours were replaced by a vibrant student aura. The black and red zombie-like eyes lost their blood-red hue, revealing the human-like black and white eyes.
It was the same appearance as in his university photo, a period that Jiang Huan had missed and profoundly envied.
Jiang Huan watched in extreme astonishment at the scene before him. Despite having mentally prepared himself for various incredible scenarios, he was still so taken aback that he was rendered speechless by this display that defied human norms.
Seeing Jiang Huan’s lack of response, Shen Shanwu thought it might be due to the subtle changes, so he shrank his form even further, revealing the appearance of a fifteen-year-old. Then, he transitioned into an older age, rapidly transforming into a middle-aged man with fine lines around his eyes.
Throughout this entire transformation, Jiang Huan remained silent. It wasn’t until Shanwu reverted back to his true age of thirty-one that Jiang Huan reached out and gently pinched Shanwu’s shoulder, his fingertip tracing over the skin that bore no marks from the skeletal shifts. He softly asked, “Does changing your body like this cause you pain? Back then, you often complained of bone pain. Was it because of this?”
Shen Shanwu contemplated saying it was painful to invoke Jiang Huan’s sympathy, hoping he would forget about the earlier matter. However, he ultimately didn’t want Jiang Huan to worry and honestly shook his head.
“Will there be any lingering effects?” Jiang Huan inquired.
“No.” Shen Shanwu’s lack of elaboration implied a negative answer.
“Well… that’s good to hear,” Jiang Huan sighed in relief, letting his gaze drop. “So, Jiang Tong is you. Then, why did you transform into the appearance of a child—”
He paused, his words halted by the understanding that Shen Shanwu might have had valid reasons for doing so.
“That day, I infiltrated the Central Alliance to deliver something to a mutant’s family, and I accidentally got noticed by you,” Shen Shanwu explained. “When you misunderstood and thought I was dead, I also misunderstood that you wanted to sever our connection. Amid my frustration and sorrow, a glimmer of hope emerged in me that these were all misunderstandings. So, when I heard you were planning to adopt me, I initially resisted but then agreed, hoping to see your true attitude toward me.”
“What other attitude could I possibly have toward you?” Jiang Huan tightened his grip on Shanwu’s shoulder, as if wanting to expose his heart and show him it was red through and through. “These four years, not a moment went by without me thinking of you!”
“So, right after I realized the misunderstanding, I immediately found a chance to let you know I was still alive,” Shen Shanwu said, his hand gripping Jiang Huan’s elbow, offering a comforting touch.
But the comfort backfired. Once he was comforted by Shen Shanwu, all his pent-up grievances surged forth like boiling water, bubbling up and overflowing. He knew it wasn’t Shen Shanwu’s fault, but he just couldn’t reconcile with it: “Mutants are truly hard to find. You were clearly alive, yet for four long years, without you actively reaching out to me, I didn’t receive any news from you.”
Four years, one thousand four hundred and sixty-one days, so long that it could change a person’s character, yet it couldn’t change the yearning in his heart.
Shen Shanwu wrapped his arms around Jiang Huan, comforting him with a gentle pat on his back. “It’s big brother’s fault. Big brother should have been more careful, at the very least, I should have asked you myself.”
“…It’s my fault.” Jiang Huan buried his face in Shen Shanwu’s shoulder, the sensation of their close skin contact comforting and reassuring. The scent that was uniquely Shen Shanwu filled his senses, and he affectionately rubbed his cheek against him. “I should have cared more about you back then, rather than focusing on those unimportant things, striving for youthful spirit.”
“You do have quite the temper.” Shen Shanwu chuckled, his hand gently rubbing Jiang Huan’s nape. Leaning in close to his ear, he deliberately used a teasing tone, “Why were you so harsh on me just now? You even threatened to throw me out of the base. You scared me to death…”
Jiang Huan was ticklish to the point where he felt like shrinking away, but Shen Shanwu mischievously held him down, not allowing him to move. The warmth of Shen Shanwu’s breath brushed against his sensitive earlobe, and the tingling sensation traveled down his neck, leaving a bone-deep shiver as if feathers were lightly caressing the area between his legs, evoking a blush-inducing sensation.
Just a simple sentence had Jiang Huan quivering in Shen Shanwu’s embrace. He gritted his teeth to suppress a nearly escaping moan. With his arms pressed against Shen Shanwu’s chest, he raised his gaze and said, “I’m angry that you casually gave away the gift I gave you to someone else. You promised me that you would always wear that ring. ‘Ring with Spirit,’ how could you just throw it away again?”
Does it hold such profound meaning? Shen-Gay-Shanwu, who was somewhat of a Chinese language novice, fell into guilty silence.
“The card as well, you had no reason at all to hand it over to Jiang Tong for safekeeping. Clearly, keeping it with yourself would be safer. Even if carrying it around is inconvenient, you have so many places to stay in the radiation zone, where couldn’t you put it? Handing it over to someone else is just being careless, and it even seems like you find it too much trouble to keep it, don’t you?”
“You didn’t even consider that Jiang Tong might actually be me in person?”
“…I thought Jiang Tong might be a clone of you or something,” Jiang Huan said, “But even if it’s a clone, it’s not you as a person. Two entirely different minds and bodies, yet you still breached the agreement.”
Shen Shanwu raised an eyebrow, a clone? It seems Jiang Huan’s imagination is even more creative than he expected.
“He hardly eats, and his habits are somewhat similar to yours as well. I thought you wearing the ring was just a way to appease me, to take it off when he came and hand it over to your clone… Don’t laugh, okay? Mutants like you can survive even if your body is severed, split it in half and it automatically heals, so it’s not surprising to create another version of yourself.”
“…I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I really don’t have that ability.”
“…” Jiang Huan retorted, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and anger. “You deliberately tried to win me over with the ring, wearing it when you’re with me and taking it off when you leave. Your behavior… wasn’t that an attempt to use my feelings to your advantage?”
Shen Shanwu, now bizarrely labeled a heartless manipulator, responded, “…Use you for what?”
“How am I supposed to know what you wanted to use me for? Just the thought that you might be using me for your own gain, even if you really were just planning to use me, I would have willingly helped you without holding back… That’s what makes me even more angry.”
Shen Shanwu was at a loss for words, laughing and crying at the same time. “…Don’t be angry, don’t be.”
“Anyway, Jiang Tong must have a significant connection with you. Even if you left him outside the base, you would come to pick him up. So, this disobedient little troublemaker, let’s just forget about him.”
Shen Shanwu purposely showed a look of grievance. “Big Brother Huan, don’t abandon me.”
Jiang Huan couldn’t help but curl his lips, and he cheekily squeezed Shen Shanwu’s waist while admiring the view. Yet, his curiosity got the best of him, and he asked, “Can all mutants change their appearance as easily as you do?”
“…” Shen Shanwu rested his head on Jiang Huan’s shoulder and pleaded, “Don’t ask, please don’t ask. I’ve already told you too much today, and that’s already a big taboo. I can’t say anything else.”
Jiang Huan quickly responded, “I’m sorry, I won’t ask anymore.”
“Your challenge caught me off guard…” Shen Shanwu sighed, contemplating the issue of revealing his abilities from the moment he transformed into Jiang Tong.
On the way back to the coastal area from the Central Alliance, he had considered the possibility that the team might encounter insurmountable danger. At that moment, he could only transform in front of everyone to turn the tide. However, he could conveniently make ‘Jiang Tong’ disappear amidst the chaos, and then have ‘Shen Shanwu’ inadvertently pass by again.
Immediately after that, he wondered if someone might discover his transformation along the way. As soon as this thought arose, Shen Shanwu felt that if he relied on the heightened senses and vision of a mutant, a transformation lasting less than half a second could still be seen. He might as well dig a hole and bury himself.
Later on, Shen Shanwu also worried that, in the unlikely event of encountering a mutant with a less-than-perceptive mind on the way, like a troublemaker, they might see his face and blurt out, “Hey, Top Student, what are you doing?”
Fortunately, this toothache-inducing scenario didn’t occur.
Even after arriving at the coastal base, Shen Shanwu also considered the possibility of someone entering his room when he wasn’t around. So, he created a small hidden compartment beneath one of the drawers. Unless Jiang Huan himself had suspected him and deliberately came to his room to search for evidence, no one could find his “incriminating evidence.”
Shen Shanwu was never afraid to let others see his wallet. The card that Jiang Huan gave him was hidden between his ID and a piece of blank paper. It was virtually impossible to notice with the naked eye. Countless times, Zhang Xiaowen had taken out his wallet from his coat pocket while doing his laundry, and she hadn’t noticed anything unusual.
Shen Shanwu dared to say that any danger that could potentially expose his identity would be ruthlessly snuffed out before it even had a chance to develop.
Only someone like Yao Wuque, who doesn’t play by the rules, could catch him off guard like that. Shen Shanwu had calculated and anticipated every possible scenario, but he could never have predicted that Yao Wuque would suddenly decide to prank him. There was no warning, no preparation, and to make matters worse, Yao Wuque had foolishly enticed Jiang Huan into the mix, leading Jiang Huan to pick up his wallet and feel the difference in thickness of the ID.
Shen Shanwu had underestimated Jiang Huan’s heightened sensitivity, which had developed over the years. He had grown more than Shen Shanwu had ever imagined.
This unexpected combination of moves from Yao Wuque truly caught Shen Shanwu off guard, leaving him utterly bewildered.
If there weren’t any new mutants around, this rational-to-the-extreme guy, Shen Shanwu, might have actually deactivated his ID and left the base. He would have anxiously waited outside the gate for Jiang Huan to come out for the next mission.
Unfortunately, among the mutants, not only was there this new person with unclear intentions, but also Hugo, who had been imprisoned and experimented on. Shen Shanwu had seen him with his own eyes six months after the Shenghe Hospital incident. Despite being separated by half a year and being under the careful care of the Prophet, Hugo’s mental state remained extremely poor. It’s hard to imagine what his condition was like when he was just rescued six months ago.
So, Shen Shanwu couldn’t wait any longer.
Even more so, the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. After spending some intimate time with Jiang Huan, he grabbed Jiang Tong’s clothes and transformed back into his child form with a surge of anger. He stormed into Yao Wuque’s room and yanked him off the bed.
Yao Wuque had been sitting on the edge of the bed, discussing with Zhong Yin how to calm the captain down and persuade Jiang Tong to stay. He saw Jiang Tong burst in, looking energetic and assumed everything was fine as the captain was standing by the door with a normal expression. Yao Wuque was about to say something with a smile when he was suddenly caught by the ear by Jiang Tong.
“Uh, uh, brother. Brother Tong, I was wrong.”
“Calling me ‘brother’ won’t help either. Didn’t your mom teach you not to touch other people’s things?”
“…My parents both died when I was six. My dad mutated first, and he bit my mom and my grandpa. My mom locked me in the study and told me not to come out. I was too young to understand anything, I was just happy that I could play on the computer. I happily watched cartoons for the whole afternoon… but after I finished, the whole house was empty, and I was all alone.”
Shen Shanwu paused for a moment, seeing that Yao Wuque didn’t seem to mind discussing this matter, he continued with a wry smile, “So, your ‘dad’ today is going to take up the responsibility of a father and teach you some manners.”
“…”
Yao Wuque wailed, “Can’t you have some sympathy for me? Spare me, I won’t dare to do it again. I’ll be as obedient as a dog.”
“While I sympathize, there still has to be a punishment,” Jiang Huan said calmly. His voice was not loud, but its impact was stronger than anything else. Yao Wuque immediately stopped struggling and cautiously asked, “What’s the punishment, Captain? Carrying weights while running? Or pull-ups…?”
“Punishment: a 3,000-word self-critique, due before bedtime.”
Yao Wuque: “…”
Yao Wuque’s face suddenly turned pale.
The author has something to say:
35: The weather has turned colder, and I feel a bit cold without a jacket.
Huan: Here’s a turtle shell condom for you.
35: Are you making fun of me?
Huan: That was said by Lu Jingzhi, it has nothing to do with me.
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