Admiral, Your Wife Is Gone ABO - Chapter 25
Huo Lanjing paused, staring at the mecha that had materialized out of thin air.
He never imagined Luo Le would one day stand in front of him, shielding him.
But he knew Luo Le had no chance against these Insectoids.
He grabbed Luo Le’s hand and whispered urgently, You can’t beat them. Run! Get reinforcements. Don’t worry, they won’t kill me so easily.
For once, Huo Lanjing’s voice lacked its usual coldness.
Luo Le pried his hand away. At this point, you’d be better off saving your energy for your own escape.
Without another glance, he climbed into the mecha.
The Insectoids snapped out of their daze and began spitting venom.
Luo Le maneuvered the mecha to evade, but it was still hit, several holes corroded through its armor.
This wasn’t the time to worry about the mecha’s damage.
Even with his agility, he could only barely dodge the Insectoids’ attacks. For now, they were still wary, unsure of his capabilities.
But if they realized he was just a showpiece, they wouldn’t hold back like this.
Then he’d have no chance at all.
What should he do?
Luo Le’s mind raced, and suddenly, an idea struck him.
The Insectoids… there was a drug that could temporarily paralyze them!
He thought he might have brought some with him.
Luo Le gazed at Huo Lanjing lying on the holographic screen and poured the contents of the medicine bottle into the mecha’s mouth.
He then pressed the spray button, and a white mist instantly billowed through the forest.
He had released enough to incapacitate two hundred Insectoids, but because it was in gaseous form, its potency was significantly reduced.
The effects weren’t immediate, forcing him to evade while desperately hoping the medicine would take effect soon.
Suddenly, a centipede, moving with lightning speed, slammed its foot heavily onto his chest, hissing fiercely at Luo Le.
From this angle, he could clearly see its drooling mandibles, and a wave of nauseating stench washed over him.
Humans controlled mechas through mental energy. Luo Le’s mental energy was already weak, and the mecha itself wasn’t top-tier.
The impact cracked several fine lines across the mecha’s hull.
Luo Le felt as if his head had been struck with a heavy club, his body jolting violently.
Clinging to the armrests, he vomited until he dry-heaved, yet the nausea persisted.
It’s been so long! Why is this medicine taking so long to work?
Have they already evolved resistance to these drugs?
This is terrifying. It’s only been six months since we discovered these drugs were highly effective against Insectoids.
Watching the Insectoids on the holographic screen show no signs of mental impairment, Luo Le’s heart sank.
Are we going to die here today?
The centipede slammed Luo Le’s mecha away, and a lizard caught it, only to whip it back with its tail.
Back and forth, Luo Le was tossed around like a rubber ball.
Just as the tail was about to strike again, Luo Le stabilized his mecha and backflipped to evade it.
Before he could regain his footing, another lizard stomped him to the ground from behind.
Having fun?
It was the same lizard who had spoken to Huo Lanjing earlier.
Luo Le didn’t answer, instead turning his gaze to the short lizard in the white coat.
It was the only Insectoid not participating in this cruel game.
Staring into its deep brown pupils, Luo Le felt something was deeply wrong.
Receiving no response, the lizard pressed its foot down harder, and a dark blue liquid dripped onto Luo Le’s mecha’s chest.
The scorching, caramel-scented venom burned a large hole through the mecha’s chestplate.
Simultaneously, Luo Le felt as if his own chest had been engulfed in flames, a searing pain flooding his entire body.
Ah…
He clawed frantically at his chest, tearing at the flesh until it was a bloody mess, yet he couldn’t stop.
His agonized screams echoed from within the mecha, piercing the entire forest.
Huo Lanjing struggled to his feet, staggering forward. Luo Le, he called out. Hang in there!
Luo Le was in so much pain that he could no longer hear the outside world, his body feeling like it didn’t belong to him.
Just when he thought they were both going to die there, the weight pressing down on him vanished.
Luo Le gasped for breath, pushing himself up to look at the holographic display.
The lizard that had been stomping on them lay unconscious nearby.
On the screen, Insectoids were collapsing one by one into slumber.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Luo Le staggered to his feet in his damaged mecha.
Sparks shot from the mecha’s motherboard, which seemed to have been burned out.
Retracting the mecha, Luo Le grabbed the wristband with one hand and flew back at top speed. He seized Huo Lanjing’s wrist and lifted him higher.
The wristband propelled them back the way they had come at maximum velocity.
Whether from tension or something else, Luo Le’s hand was clammy.
His body heat transferred through their wrists to Huo Lanjing’s hand.
Luo Le kept his eyes fixed forward, alert to any danger.
Huo Lanjing stared up at the sweat-drenched face above him, a flicker of emotion stirring within him. He wanted to wipe the sweat from Luo Le’s forehead.
The collar of Luo Le’s uniform was also damp, whether from sweat or something else.
If someone had told Huo Lanjing in the past that Luo Le would one day rescue him from the battlefield, he would have scoffed in disbelief.
Yet today, it had actually happened.
Huo Lanjing’s deep, dark eyes were clouded with shadow, his thoughts unreadable.
His gaze followed the line downward, from Huo Lanjing’s jawline to his shoulder, wrist, and finally settling on the point where their skin met.
Luo Le’s mental energy was stretched to its limit. Moments later, the energy in the pull ring ran out.
He had reached his breaking point.
The two plummeted from mid-air. Luo Le cried out in alarm as they fell.
The impact wasn’t as painful as he’d imagined his palms even felt something soft beneath them.
Huo Lanjing!
Luo Le pushed himself up on one arm.
Honey, are you okay?
Looking down, he saw Huo Lanjing lying unconscious with his eyes closed.
Panic seized Luo Le. He grabbed Huo Lanjing’s shoulders and shook him. Honey, are you okay? Don’t scare me like this! Honey? Huo Lanjing? Huo Lanjing! Wake up!
He slapped Huo Lanjing’s cheek, but the man showed no signs of waking.
They had landed in an open clearing, still within the Insectoids’ line of sight and vulnerable to discovery.
Luo Le took a deep breath. He looped Huo Lanjing’s arm around his neck, gripping his hand with one hand while wrapping his other arm around Huo Lanjing’s waist.
Huo Lanjing was more than half a head taller than Luo Le, and most of his weight now hung on Luo Le. Already heavier than Luo Le, Huo Lanjing’s unconsciousness made him even more burdensome.
Luo Le stumbled forward, taking a step and then pausing to rest. The fifty-meter journey took him twenty minutes.
Finally, he managed to prop Huo Lanjing up and lay him down inside the tree hollow.
Luo Le retrieved two nutrient ampoules from his ring. He gulped down one, then squeezed a few drops of medicine into the other.
Luo Le gripped Huo Lanjing’s jaw, forcing his mouth open.
He wasn’t in a hurry, slowly dripping the nutrient solution into Huo Lanjing’s mouth.
When the solution was gone, Luo Le gently wiped the corner of Huo Lanjing’s mouth with his sleeve.
After finishing, Luo Le propped his chin on his hand and traced a line from Huo Lanjing’s forehead to the tip of his nose, then down to his lips, throat, Adam’s apple, collarbone, and finally stopping at his chest.
The crimson bl00d from the wound had stopped flowing, but the raw, gaping hole looked as if the flesh had been forcibly gouged out.
A pang of sorrow struck Luo Le. If he hadn’t come today, Huo Lanjing would have died here.
Fvck his invincibility, Luo Le thought bitterly. He’s just a man, not a god.
Luo Le stood up, tore several strips of cloth, and awkwardly bandaged Huo Lanjing’s wound.
Even though the bleeding had stopped, the bandage would only trap heat. But the air carried a strange, acrid smell who knew what foul things might be lurking?
Having done all he could for Huo Lanjing, Luo Le had no energy left for himself.
He lay down on Huo Lanjing’s uninjured side, resting his head against his chest and listening to his faint heartbeat.
Huo Lanjing’s scent was comforting. Luo Le hadn’t slept well in days, tormented by worry and fear.
Whether from exhaustion or pain, Luo Le drifted off to sleep.
He dreamed of a gloomy day. He stood before the grand entrance of a majestic building, surrounded by people smiling and greeting him.
The next moment, he was shoved inside. The door slammed shut behind him as soon as he had steadied himself. The interior was solemnly decorated, and his father dragged him forward.
Why does this scene feel so familiar…?
Just as he was about to struggle free, Huo Lanjing appeared, his expression impassive, and stood beside him.
Mr. Luo Le, do you take Admiral Huo Lanjing to be your lawfully wedded husband, for life…
His heart pounded violently.
Luo Le instinctively turned to look at the man beside him, but Huo Lanjing’s features were becoming increasingly indistinct.
Gradually, darkness enveloped his face, and the skin began to fester. Drops of bl00d dripped onto the white sleeve of his suit.
Huo Lanjing!
Luo Le jolted awake, sitting up in bed, his heart still racing from the nightmare.
Sweat beaded thickly on his forehead, trickling down his jawline. His body felt clammy and deeply uncomfortable.
He wiped the sweat from his brow. Where am I? Wait, where’s Huo Lanjing?
Luo Le frantically threw back the covers and tried to get out of bed, but his legs buckled the moment his feet touched the floor, sending him crashing down.
He clung desperately to the edge of the bed, barely avoiding a faceplant.
You’re awake?
Luo Le looked up to see a young man dressed in blue, wrapped head to toe in fabric.
He recognized the face.
It’s you?
It was the young man whose face had been scarred by Insectoid attacks. The scars had faded considerably.
Yes, it’s me. Lie back down. You’re still weak and shouldn’t get cold.
Setting down the plate in his hand, the young man stepped forward to help Luo Le onto the bed.
But Luo Le slapped his hand away. Where’s the person who was with me?
The young man smiled. He’s in another room. Don’t worry, he’s fine.
Luo Le frowned. I want to see him.
The young man paused. Rest assured, Admiral Shang’s injuries were severe, but his constitution is strong. He’s already mostly recovered.
Luo Le continued to stare at him, insisting, I said, I want to see him.
The young man sighed. Why is this guy so stubborn?
Then I’ll go get him.
The young man returned shortly with Huo Lanjing behind him. Huo Lanjing was dressed in loose-fitting white casual clothes, paired with flowing white pants.
This was a stark contrast to his usual attire, lacking the maturity he exuded in suits or military uniforms.
As Huo Lanjing entered the room, he saw Luo Le propped against the headboard, wearing pale blue loose-fitting clothes. His face was so pale it seemed bloodless, and his eyes widened as soon as Huo Lanjing stepped in.
A few strands of hair stuck up from his head, and his bangs partially obscured his eyebrows, giving him a remarkably docile appearance.
Huo Lanjing sat down at the edge of Luo Le’s bed. They had been here for two weeks now. Huo Lanjing had woken up a week earlier than Luo Le, and he had visited him every day since.
Luo Le glanced at the young man behind Huo Lanjing, then decided against using the title he knew. Are you okay?
Huo Lanjing’s expression remained as cold and aloof as ever. He gave a curt nod.