Admiral, Your Wife Is Gone ABO - Chapter 47

Luo Le pursed his lips, his voice tinged with worry. What do we do now? He’s been rescued. Doesn’t that mean our lead is gone?

Huo Lanjing looked up at him, his expression suggesting genuine concern. It was as if the earlier incident had already been forgotten, his demeanor shifting even faster than Luo Le’s.

He frowned slightly. There are other leads.

Luo Le’s brow furrowed. What leads?

Huo Lanjing opened his mouth, then closed it again, ultimately remaining silent.

Noticing his hesitation, Luo Le quietly withdrew his foot. Is there anything else?

Huo Lanjing glanced at Luo Le’s half-dried hair. Didn’t dry it properly?

Caught off guard by the question, Luo Le paused before realizing what he meant. Mm.

Seeing that Huo Lanjing seemed to have calmed down, Luo Le stood up to leave.

Over the next few days, Luo Le didn’t encounter Huo Lanjing again. Despite living across the hall from each other and Luo Le making no effort to avoid him, their paths never crossed.

If it were just coincidence, Luo Le would never believe it. How could things be that coincidental? Huo Lanjing must be avoiding him again.

But Luo Le didn’t dwell on it. After all, this wasn’t the first time.

At three in the afternoon, the warship came to a halt.

Outside the window, yellow sand filled the sky, and towering stone forests stretched as far as the eye could see. The few withered green plants hinted at the scorching sun outside.

Luo Le donned the protective suit he’d been issued, opened the door, and was about to step out when he found Huo Lanjing waiting for him.

He was alone, no one else around.

Luo Le glanced at him and asked, Where’s Captain Lin?

Huo Lanjing, also in a protective suit, paused slightly before replying, Mm.

Luo Le watched his retreating figure, his expression puzzled. Mm? What kind of answer is that?

Despite his confusion, he followed Huo Lanjing.

By the time they reached the deck, it was already crowded with people in protective suits, yet utterly silent except for Captain Lin’s commanding voice.

Upon seeing them, Captain Lin ordered the group to disembark. They filed off the ship in an orderly line.

Luo Le stared at the overwhelming yellow sand that threatened to bury them all, then turned to Huo Lanjing. Where exactly are we?

This time, Huo Lanjing didn’t hesitate. The Insect Forest. The Zerg’s experimental zone.

Insect Forest?

A flicker of realization crossed Luo Le’s eyes. The person they rescued… was one of your agents?

Huo Lanjing didn’t even turn his head. Mm.

A sardonic smile curled Luo Le’s lips. So, the entire invasion… was planned by you from the start?

Mm.

Luo Le closed his eyes and exhaled softly. Chen Wuxing didn’t come this time?

Huo Lanjing finally reacted, turning to look at him with a puzzled expression. He has other matters to attend to. Why do you keep asking about him?

Luo Le smiled. Of course. Otherwise, Chen Wuxing’s room wouldn’t have been given to him.

Besides, this place was so dangerous. How could Huo Lanjing bear to bring Chen Wuxing here?

As for keeping the invasion a secret, he understood that too.

But the moment he recalled all the foolish things he’d done that day, he couldn’t help but find himself ridiculous.

Never mind. I was just asking.

Huo Lanjing stared at him sternly. Stop fixating on him.

A layer of frost settled in Luo Le’s eyes. There won’t be a next time.

He would never inquire about Huo Lanjing and Chen Wuxing’s relationship again.

After the soldiers had disembarked, Huo Lanjing retracted the warship and ordered the troops to erase all traces of its passage.

Captain Lin led the way, the soldiers dispersed, and soon only the two of them remained.

Luo Le silently walked to Huo Lanjing’s side, but before he could even settle into place, Huo Lanjing’s cold voice cut through the air Move ahead.

Okay, Luo Le replied, striding toward the front of the group. But after only a few steps, Huo Lanjing grabbed his arm.

He turned back in confusion. Huo Lanjing repeated, Just here.

Okay, Luo Le murmured, saying nothing more.

The group moved stealthily forward, Luo Le unsure of their destination.

They finally stopped at dawn to set up camp.

Huo Lanjing had disappeared earlier, and Luo Le had no camping gear.

Watching the others busily setting up, Luo Le slowly crouched down, feeling weary after walking for hours.

Moments later, he noticed someone in a protective suit approaching him. Squinting, he saw the bold characters Captain Lin emblazoned on the suit.

Madam, I’ve set up the Admiral’s tent. Please follow me.

Luo Le slowly stood up. You mean… I’ll be sharing a tent with him?

Captain Lin looked puzzled. What was the issue? They were married, after all.

The thought of sharing such a small space with Huo Lanjing made Luo Le feel suffocated.

Is your tent ready? Or do you have any spares?

Captain Lin suddenly realized the situation. After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head. I’m sorry, Madam, there are no spares. You could sleep in my tent, and I’ll squeeze in with the others?

Luo Le sighed. No need to trouble you.

There was no point in inconveniencing anyone.

When Huo Lanjing returned late that night after discussing the plans, Luo Le was already sound asleep on the makeshift sofa, completely buried under the blanket.

Huo Lanjing approached and gently lifted the blanket. Luo Le’s face was flushed, his nose slightly red, and he was sleeping deeply.

Compelled by an irresistible urge, Huo Lanjing placed his index finger on Luo Le’s forehead, tracing down to his eyebrows, the tip of his nose, his upper lip, and finally stopping at the bead of his lower lip.

As if sensing his touch, Luo Le stirred, his lips brushing against Huo Lanjing’s hand.

Huo Lanjing’s pupils constricted, a tremor ran through his heart. He leaned closer, lowering his head.

Before their lips could meet, Luo Le’s eyes suddenly snapped open. He stared at Huo Lanjing in shock, his hand flying to cover his mouth.

Huo Lanjing froze, straightening up. You were sleeping in my spot. I was just waking you.

Luo Le fixed him with a steady gaze, finding no trace of deception on his face. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Huo Lanjing. It’s fine. I’ll just sleep here.

With that, he pulled the blanket over himself, completely covering his head.

Huo Lanjing remained half-kneeling, watching Luo Le’s movements. After a moment’s thought, he slipped one arm behind Luo Le’s back and scooped him up in a single, enveloping embrace.

Luo Le gasped in surprise, but his face was firmly pressed against the blanket, leaving him unable to move.

No matter how much he protested, Huo Lanjing refused to let go. He carried Luo Le to the bed and tossed him down.

Luo Le instinctively reached out and grabbed Huo Lanjing’s collar, pulling him down with him.

A sharp intake of breath followed.

Luo Le looked up at the man sprawled on top of him and offered an awkward smile. Are you okay?

He cursed himself inwardly for pulling Huo Lanjing down in the first place.

Huo Lanjing’s forehead was beaded with sweat. Sensing something was wrong, Luo Le sat up and pulled open Huo Lanjing’s shirt.

Beneath the fabric, layers of bandages were wrapped tightly around his torso, stained with dark bl00d seeping through.

Luo Le hesitated to touch the wounds. What… what happened?

Huo Lanjing quickly covered himself with the dark purple shirt. It’s nothing.

Recent days had been peaceful. The only possible source of injury was the Zerg invasion.

His thoughts drifted back to that moment when the light flared, and they emerged together.

They had both been injured protecting each other…

Remembering this, Luo Le withdrew his hand. Oh.

Huo Lanjing stared at Luo Le’s withdrawn hand, slightly taken aback. Luo Le had always been frantic with worry whenever he saw Huo Lanjing injured.

This time, just an oh?

Did you bring the ointment from home?

Luo Le recalled the half-used jar of ointment in his ring space and shook his head. No, the military base probably has better stuff.

Huo Lanjing stood up, shooting Luo Le an incredulous look before turning away in anger.

Just as he reached the door, Luo Le suddenly called out to him.

Huo Lanjing turned back, his expression asking, What is it?

Luo Le shifted to the left side of the bed. The sofa can’t be comfortable to sleep on, right?

Seeing this, the gloom in Huo Lanjing’s heart began to dissipate. He had already washed up before returning, so he simply put his clothes back on and lay down on the bed.

Luo Le stared blankly as Huo Lanjing completed his movements. The expected physical advances never materialized he simply closed his eyes and fell asleep.

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Le lay down too, facing the wall to avoid looking at Huo Lanjing.

The lights dimmed. In the darkness, Huo Lanjing opened his eyes, gazing at the back of Luo Le’s head.

Luo Le seemed to have changed, yet remained the same.

He slept soundly through the night.

The next morning, when Luo Le woke up, Huo Lanjing was already gone.

After washing up and stepping outside, Luo Le realized he had never used a military tent before. Just as he was about to ask for help, he saw Huo Lanjing returning from outside.

What’s wrong? Huo Lanjing asked.

Luo Le pointed at the tent. How do I pack this up?

Huo Lanjing glanced at the tent, then scanned Luo Le from head to toe. Have you gathered your belongings?

Luo Le nodded.

Captain Lin will take care of it later.

Understanding, Luo Le took a few steps before turning back. Where’s our destination?

Huo Lanjing followed behind him, glancing ahead. Two hours.

Luo Le understood they would arrive in two hours.

He acknowledged with a nod and walked ahead.

He still didn’t quite understand what help he could possibly provide by following Huo Lanjing. Why was it so important to bring him along?

After another two hours of marching, the army found a new place to set up camp.

It seemed there was still no signal from within the Zerg hive, preventing them from taking any rash actions.

They maintained their vigil for three days, during which some Zerg emerged from the hive and retreated back inside.

Some of the Zerg were peculiar, moving with strange gaits, while others had eyes that differed from their species’ norm. For example, some bees couldn’t fly, while certain pupae could. It was all very strange.

On the afternoon of the third day, news finally came from within.

They planned to send a few people in first to gather intelligence.

The military district had already broken through holographic projection technology using the Lizard as a test subject. This allowed a person to transform into various forms while remaining themselves, though to others they would appear as the transformed shape.

Captain Lin was selecting the team. Luo Le glanced at the selection process, then walked behind Huo Lanjing and called out to him.

Huo Lanjing turned his head at the sound, giving Luo Le a brief, wordless glance.

Undeterred, Luo Le stated his purpose directly I’m applying to join the team.

Huo Lanjing’s eyes narrowed slightly. Studying Luo Le’s resolute expression, he said after a moment’s thought, If you’re captured, you’ll die.

Luo Le shook his head. I’m determined.

Huo Lanjing frowned. They’ll torture prisoners with all kinds of cruel methods.

Luo Le paused, then nodded again. I can handle it.

Huo Lanjing’s gaze sharpened. Luo Le, what madness has seized you?

Luo Le shook his head. I’m perfectly rational.

Huo Lanjing’s face darkened. Absolutely not.

Luo Le pursed his lips, his voice tinged with worry. What do we do now? He’s been rescued. Doesn’t that mean our lead is gone?

Huo Lanjing looked up at him, his expression suggesting genuine concern. It was as if the earlier incident had already been forgotten, his demeanor shifting even faster than Luo Le’s.

He frowned slightly. There are other leads.

Luo Le’s brow furrowed. What leads?

Huo Lanjing opened his mouth, then closed it again, ultimately remaining silent.

Noticing his hesitation, Luo Le quietly withdrew his foot. Is there anything else?

Huo Lanjing glanced at Luo Le’s half-dried hair. Didn’t dry it properly?

Caught off guard by the question, Luo Le paused before realizing what he meant. Mm.

Seeing that Huo Lanjing seemed to have calmed down, Luo Le stood up to leave.

Over the next few days, Luo Le didn’t encounter Huo Lanjing again. Despite living across the hall from each other and Luo Le making no effort to avoid him, their paths never crossed.

If it were just coincidence, Luo Le would never believe it. How could things be that coincidental? Huo Lanjing must be avoiding him again.

But Luo Le didn’t dwell on it. After all, this wasn’t the first time.

At three in the afternoon, the warship came to a halt.

Outside the window, yellow sand filled the sky, and towering stone forests stretched as far as the eye could see. The few withered green plants hinted at the scorching sun outside.

Luo Le donned the protective suit he’d been issued, opened the door, and was about to step out when he found Huo Lanjing waiting for him.

He was alone, no one else around.

Luo Le glanced at him and asked, Where’s Captain Lin?

Huo Lanjing, also in a protective suit, paused slightly before replying, Mm.

Luo Le watched his retreating figure, his expression puzzled. Mm? What kind of answer is that?

Despite his confusion, he followed Huo Lanjing.

By the time they reached the deck, it was already crowded with people in protective suits, yet utterly silent except for Captain Lin’s commanding voice.

Upon seeing them, Captain Lin ordered the group to disembark. They filed off the ship in an orderly line.

Luo Le stared at the overwhelming yellow sand that threatened to bury them all, then turned to Huo Lanjing. Where exactly are we?

This time, Huo Lanjing didn’t hesitate. The Insect Forest. The Zerg’s experimental zone.

Insect Forest?

A flicker of realization crossed Luo Le’s eyes. The person they rescued… was one of your agents?

Huo Lanjing didn’t even turn his head. Mm.

A sardonic smile curled Luo Le’s lips. So, the entire invasion… was planned by you from the start?

Mm.

Luo Le closed his eyes and exhaled softly. Chen Wuxing didn’t come this time?

Huo Lanjing finally reacted, turning to look at him with a puzzled expression. He has other matters to attend to. Why do you keep asking about him?

Luo Le smiled. Of course. Otherwise, Chen Wuxing’s room wouldn’t have been given to him.

Besides, this place was so dangerous. How could Huo Lanjing bear to bring Chen Wuxing here?

As for keeping the invasion a secret, he understood that too.

But the moment he recalled all the foolish things he’d done that day, he couldn’t help but find himself ridiculous.

Never mind. I was just asking.

Huo Lanjing stared at him sternly. Stop fixating on him.

A layer of frost settled in Luo Le’s eyes. There won’t be a next time.

He would never inquire about Huo Lanjing and Chen Wuxing’s relationship again.

After the soldiers had disembarked, Huo Lanjing retracted the warship and ordered the troops to erase all traces of its passage.

Captain Lin led the way, the soldiers dispersed, and soon only the two of them remained.

Luo Le silently walked to Huo Lanjing’s side, but before he could even settle into place, Huo Lanjing’s cold voice cut through the air Move ahead.

Okay, Luo Le replied, striding toward the front of the group. But after only a few steps, Huo Lanjing grabbed his arm.

He turned back in confusion. Huo Lanjing repeated, Just here.

Okay, Luo Le murmured, saying nothing more.

The group moved stealthily forward, Luo Le unsure of their destination.

They finally stopped at dawn to set up camp.

Huo Lanjing had disappeared earlier, and Luo Le had no camping gear.

Watching the others busily setting up, Luo Le slowly crouched down, feeling weary after walking for hours.

Moments later, he noticed someone in a protective suit approaching him. Squinting, he saw the bold characters Captain Lin emblazoned on the suit.

Madam, I’ve set up the Admiral’s tent. Please follow me.

Luo Le slowly stood up. You mean… I’ll be sharing a tent with him?

Captain Lin looked puzzled. What was the issue? They were married, after all.

The thought of sharing such a small space with Huo Lanjing made Luo Le feel suffocated.

Is your tent ready? Or do you have any spares?

Captain Lin suddenly realized the situation. After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head. I’m sorry, Madam, there are no spares. You could sleep in my tent, and I’ll squeeze in with the others?

Luo Le sighed. No need to trouble you.

There was no point in inconveniencing anyone.

When Huo Lanjing returned late that night after discussing the plans, Luo Le was already sound asleep on the makeshift sofa, completely buried under the blanket.

Huo Lanjing approached and gently lifted the blanket. Luo Le’s face was flushed, his nose slightly red, and he was sleeping deeply.

Compelled by an irresistible urge, Huo Lanjing placed his index finger on Luo Le’s forehead, tracing down to his eyebrows, the tip of his nose, his upper lip, and finally stopping at the bead of his lower lip.

As if sensing his touch, Luo Le stirred, his lips brushing against Huo Lanjing’s hand.

Huo Lanjing’s pupils constricted, a tremor ran through his heart. He leaned closer, lowering his head.

Before their lips could meet, Luo Le’s eyes suddenly snapped open. He stared at Huo Lanjing in shock, his hand flying to cover his mouth.

Huo Lanjing froze, straightening up. You were sleeping in my spot. I was just waking you.

Luo Le fixed him with a steady gaze, finding no trace of deception on his face. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Huo Lanjing. It’s fine. I’ll just sleep here.

With that, he pulled the blanket over himself, completely covering his head.

Huo Lanjing remained half-kneeling, watching Luo Le’s movements. After a moment’s thought, he slipped one arm behind Luo Le’s back and scooped him up in a single, enveloping embrace.

Luo Le gasped in surprise, but his face was firmly pressed against the blanket, leaving him unable to move.

No matter how much he protested, Huo Lanjing refused to let go. He carried Luo Le to the bed and tossed him down.

Luo Le instinctively reached out and grabbed Huo Lanjing’s collar, pulling him down with him.

A sharp intake of breath followed.

Luo Le looked up at the man sprawled on top of him and offered an awkward smile. Are you okay?

He cursed himself inwardly for pulling Huo Lanjing down in the first place.

Huo Lanjing’s forehead was beaded with sweat. Sensing something was wrong, Luo Le sat up and pulled open Huo Lanjing’s shirt.

Beneath the fabric, layers of bandages were wrapped tightly around his torso, stained with dark bl00d seeping through.

Luo Le hesitated to touch the wounds. What… what happened?

Huo Lanjing quickly covered himself with the dark purple shirt. It’s nothing.

Recent days had been peaceful. The only possible source of injury was the Zerg invasion.

His thoughts drifted back to that moment when the light flared, and they emerged together.

They had both been injured protecting each other…

Remembering this, Luo Le withdrew his hand. Oh.

Huo Lanjing stared at Luo Le’s withdrawn hand, slightly taken aback. Luo Le had always been frantic with worry whenever he saw Huo Lanjing injured.

This time, just an oh?

Did you bring the ointment from home?

Luo Le recalled the half-used jar of ointment in his ring space and shook his head. No, the military base probably has better stuff.

Huo Lanjing stood up, shooting Luo Le an incredulous look before turning away in anger.

Just as he reached the door, Luo Le suddenly called out to him.

Huo Lanjing turned back, his expression asking, What is it?

Luo Le shifted to the left side of the bed. The sofa can’t be comfortable to sleep on, right?

Seeing this, the gloom in Huo Lanjing’s heart began to dissipate. He had already washed up before returning, so he simply put his clothes back on and lay down on the bed.

Luo Le stared blankly as Huo Lanjing completed his movements. The expected physical advances never materialized he simply closed his eyes and fell asleep.

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Le lay down too, facing the wall to avoid looking at Huo Lanjing.

The lights dimmed. In the darkness, Huo Lanjing opened his eyes, gazing at the back of Luo Le’s head.

Luo Le seemed to have changed, yet remained the same.

He slept soundly through the night.

The next morning, when Luo Le woke up, Huo Lanjing was already gone.

After washing up and stepping outside, Luo Le realized he had never used a military tent before. Just as he was about to ask for help, he saw Huo Lanjing returning from outside.

What’s wrong? Huo Lanjing asked.

Luo Le pointed at the tent. How do I pack this up?

Huo Lanjing glanced at the tent, then scanned Luo Le from head to toe. Have you gathered your belongings?

Luo Le nodded.

Captain Lin will take care of it later.

Understanding, Luo Le took a few steps before turning back. Where’s our destination?

Huo Lanjing followed behind him, glancing ahead. Two hours.

Luo Le understood they would arrive in two hours.

He acknowledged with a nod and walked ahead.

He still didn’t quite understand what help he could possibly provide by following Huo Lanjing. Why was it so important to bring him along?

After another two hours of marching, the army found a new place to set up camp.

It seemed there was still no signal from within the Zerg hive, preventing them from taking any rash actions.

They maintained their vigil for three days, during which some Zerg emerged from the hive and retreated back inside.

Some of the Zerg were peculiar, moving with strange gaits, while others had eyes that differed from their species’ norm. For example, some bees couldn’t fly, while certain pupae could. It was all very strange.

On the afternoon of the third day, news finally came from within.

They planned to send a few people in first to gather intelligence.

The military district had already broken through holographic projection technology using the Lizard as a test subject. This allowed a person to transform into various forms while remaining themselves, though to others they would appear as the transformed shape.

Captain Lin was selecting the team. Luo Le glanced at the selection process, then walked behind Huo Lanjing and called out to him.

Huo Lanjing turned his head at the sound, giving Luo Le a brief, wordless glance.

Undeterred, Luo Le stated his purpose directly I’m applying to join the team.

Huo Lanjing’s eyes narrowed slightly. Studying Luo Le’s resolute expression, he said after a moment’s thought, If you’re captured, you’ll die.

Luo Le shook his head. I’m determined.

Huo Lanjing frowned. They’ll torture prisoners with all kinds of cruel methods.

Luo Le paused, then nodded again. I can handle it.

Huo Lanjing’s gaze sharpened. Luo Le, what madness has seized you?

Luo Le shook his head. I’m perfectly rational.

Huo Lanjing’s face darkened. Absolutely not.