Chapter 2917: Town infrastructure construction proceeding happily 41/42

Friend, the relationship is quite ordinary, but hearing it from Lu Jun's mouth, in this situation it still made Yan Gugu's heart sink.

Qingyang Base?" Yan Gugu suddenly spoke, looking at the youth named Lin Xi, "I've heard they have some unique research in soil improvement; are you studying that direction?"

Lin Xi pushed his glasses, his tone excited at seeing a fellow enthusiast, "Yes, Professor Yan! My main study is exactly this; I heard things are developing well back home, and with an expert like you here, I wanted to come back and see if I could help."

Immediately, he shifted his tone, then looked at Jin Chen, his gaze even more eager, "You must be Teacher Jin Chen, right? I heard a lot about you on my way back! You're amazing!"

Jin Chen listened, raised his eyebrows, and hissed inwardly.

Now it's done.

Their research directions are highly similar, they share a passion for agriculture, and they're also old friends of Lu Jun……

However, it wasn't just Yan Gugu whose gaze toward Lin Xi grew more complicated; Huo Zhaoye, seeing Lin Xi's admiring look at Jin Chen, also furrowed his brows, wrapped his arm around Jin Chen's waist, and pulled him closer.

But after all, he's exactly the professional talent the base urgently needs.

Huo Zhaoye nodded at Lin Xi, his tone calm, "Welcome back to Peace Base. If you have any ideas, feel free to discuss them more with Professor Yan."

"Yes! I'll definitely ask Professor Yan for more advice!" Lin Xi nodded repeatedly, smiling broadly, completely unaware of the undercurrents in the air.

Yan Gugu, however, didn't really take in Huo Zhaoye's words.

Some sad emotions, the worries of the past few days, the disappointment of fruitless searching—seeing Lu Jun chatting happily with others now, all mixed together, like a lump in the throat.

"Lu Jun."

Yan Gugu looked at him, asking word by word, a thin mist veiling his warm eyes, "What's the problem that you can't come ask me about?"

To outsiders, Yan Gugu has always been introverted and gentle, like the land he studies—able to contain and digest many emotions, rarely showing them, and even more rarely displaying such sharp concern in front of others.

This was the first time Yan Gugu laid bare his implicit sense of belonging and exclusiveness in the sunlight.

Jin Chen: "……" Oh.

He looked at Lu Jun, obviously flustered by Yan Gugu's unusual attitude, then at Lin Xi beside him, who wore a blank expression, vaguely sensing that the atmosphere was off and beginning to feel uneasy.

"Lin Xi, since you're interested in agronomy, perfect—we're going to check out a new plot in the North District, and Lord Huo can also show you the base's overall layout."

Huo Zhaoye immediately understood; although he didn't really want to leave Jin Chen's side, especially with that stranger staring at Jin Chen with starry eyes, he also knew this wasn't the time to cling.

He tightened his grip around Jin Chen's waist, then loosened it, and told Lin Xi, "Yeah, come with me; we'll talk as we walk."

Immediately, he looked at Jin Chen again, "You come with me too."

Lin Xi was still a bit dazed, but also felt standing there wasn't appropriate, so he quickly nodded, "Sure! Thanks, Lord Huo, thanks, Teacher Jin Chen!"

Jin Chen then turned and led the way, with Lin Xi—full of curiosity but afraid to ask too many questions—taking three steps back for every step forward as they headed toward the north bank; Huo Zhaoye, though reluctant, still followed, but before setting off he turned back and gave Lu Jun a deep look whose meaning was clear.

"You little brat, if you don't handle this well, just wait for a fight."

——

On the bridge, only Lu Jun and Yan Gugu remained in an instant.

Wind blew from the river surface, and Silence spread between them, heavier than before.

Lu Jun turned sideways, facing the river, leaving only a somewhat cold-hard profile for Yan Gugu.

He thought that going to the Wasteland Forest to fight a few days of anomalies would calm him down and let him figure things out.

But upon returning and seeing Yan Gugu, he realized he hadn't actually dealt with it at all, and was still very upset.

Now this person is still questioning him like this.

Just as Lu Jun's thoughts were in turmoil and he didn't know how to speak, a sudden warmth came from behind him.

Yan Gugu wrapped his arms around his waist from behind, then pressed his face against his somewhat stiff back.

Lu Jun's thoughts froze; he stiffened in place, not daring to move, even holding his breath.

"I used to… not be free."

Yan Gugu's voice was very low, burying his face in his back, as if only then did he have the courage to say what came next.

"When I was at the Five Elements Base, I was trapped in those data, soil samples, and endless research conducted just to exchange for resources."

"My father wanted me to be stable, and Chu Ge and the others needed my usefulness. I thought that was all there was, until… I realized what they wanted wasn't just my knowledge, but me as a person—all my future time—to be tied down in the base, breeding more valuable exotic plants for them."

Saying this, Yan Gugu's arms unconsciously tightened a bit.

"So I escaped, bringing my father's last gift to me—the hope of land restoration—and fled here. At first, I just wanted to find a place where I could quietly continue my research."

"I wanted to try to revive a small patch of land, even if just a little bit."

"And then I met you."

As he spoke those words, Yan Gugu's voice carried a tender tremor.

"You're unlike anyone I've ever met. Lu Jun, you can be a bit annoying sometimes, and you always love saying jokes I don't quite get."

He gently rubbed his back against Lu Jun's, "But you're also the first one who, while I stayed up late recording data and complained that cultured people are a hassle, helped me close the windows and handed me a hand warmer."

"You took me to see the fields in South Town, complained about the poor harvest, and looked at me hopefully for a solution."

"The food you sent me—I initially thought it was a transaction, a calculation, but later I realized… it wasn't. You were just using the only way you know to try to be good to me."

Yan Gugu's voice grew lower and lower, yet just right to smooth the spiky defenses of Lu Jun's heart.

"In the Experimental Area, when Chu Ge appeared, I saw your gaze… my heart panicked. Only then did I realize what I feared wasn't him bringing up the engagement, nor those past coercions. I feared seeing you turn and walk away, imagining you might never again bring those strange oddities to find me, never peek into my fields, never again look at me with that expression—clearly impatient yet still forcing yourself to listen to me speak."

In the experimental area, when Chu Ge appeared, I saw your gaze…… I felt panicked inside. Only then did I realize that what I feared was not him bringing up the engagement, nor those past coercions. What I feared was seeing you turn and leave, thinking you might never again come to me with all those strange things, not peeking over my field, not looking at me with that gaze which clearly shows impatience yet you still endure to listen to me speak.

He lifted his head, his eye sockets slightly reddened, gently cupped Lu Jun's face, and let him look at him.

"I used to have only land and research in my heart, thinking that was everything. But now it's not."

He gazed into Lu Jun's eyes, summoning all his courage and tenderness, and asked, "Then… what about you?"

He gazed into Lu Jun's eyes, using all his courage and tenderness, and asked, "… then what about you?"

Lu Jun: "……"

Lu Jun stared blankly at him, at his reddened eye corners, his slightly trembling lashes, and the lips he lightly pressed together from nervousness.

For days he'd built an ice wall in his heart, but before this gentle embrace it collapsed with a crash.

For several days I built an ice wall in my heart; before this gentle embrace, it collapsed with a boom.

Lu Jun's nose tip suddenly felt sour; he forced himself to blink, trying to push back that embarrassing moisture, but it didn't help much.

He turned his face away, not wanting Yan Gengu to see him in this sorry state.

"What's the use of saying these now?" Lu Jun choked out, accusing, "You deliberately kept things from me, hiding everything from me! Not mentioning the engagement, not mentioning how badly things went before, not mentioning how upset I felt inside, treating me like an idiot!"

"What am I? Are my thoughts especially laughable in your eyes? Do you think I, Lu Jun, am just a sucker who rushes to glom onto anything good?"

The more Lu Jun spoke, the angrier he got, glaring fiercely at Yan Gengu, as if that would make him seem more in the right.

Yan Gengu brushed Lu Jun's reddened eye corners, wiping away the moisture that was about to fall.

"Sorry." Yan Gengu said softly, his voice gentle like moist spring soil, "It's my fault; I shouldn't have hidden things from you. It's not that I find you laughable—I was afraid that if I spoke, you'd think it troublesome, that I'd be a burden."

He moved closer and lightly touched Lu Jun's still slightly trembling lips.

"Lu Jun, I like you."

"I want to watch each season's crops sprout with you; can you give me a chance?"

Lu Jun's throat felt tight, "... No going back."

Yan Gengu felt a little pain from being held by him, but warmth welled up inside; he returned the embrace, gently patting Lu Jun's back.

"Mm, no going back."

Yan Gengu finally spoke the words in his heart, gazing at Lu Jun's face, then slowly, somewhat dazedly, moved his fingertips to Lu Jun's forehead, rubbing a spot of skin for a few moments.

Long ago, this was where the Dragon Spirit Horn grew.

Before the former Earth God exhausted his divine power and fell, he poured all his remaining divine power into it, summoning the soul of the Spirit Dragon Lu Jun to remain.

—

The next day, the sunlight was just right, warming people to the bone and making them feel lazy.

The newly planned observation post had its stakes driven in, and the farmland's reclamation was proceeding in an orderly manner.

The base's various affairs gradually got on track; with people in charge, there was no longer a need for Jin Chen and Huo Zhaoye to handle everything personally.

Moreover, Huo Zhaoye felt sorry for Jin Chen's recent mental and physical strain, intentionally letting him rest more, so Jin Chen also enjoyed the leisure, moving an old rattan chair to the sunniest corner behind the small building, putting on a wide-brimmed grass hat, and idly flipping through the old-world plant appraisal he had obtained.

Ling Gun Gun's fluffy fur shone sleek and smooth in the sun, he sprawled limbs out, belly up, lying on the old blanket specially placed for him, sleeping spread-eagle, occasionally twitching a paw as if dreaming of something tasty.

Until Ling Gun Gun rolled over, 【Host, a fool carrying the sour smell of love is approaching.】

Jin Chen didn't even lift his eyelids, merely catching a glimpse of a long, slanted shadow cast on the ground beside his feet from the gap in the grass hat covering his face.

After a while, Jin Chen slowly raised his hand, took off the grass hat covering his face, squinted, and looked toward the person approaching under the somewhat glaring sunlight.

This Lu Jun kid looked nothing like the resentful, stubborn figure he'd been on the bridge yesterday.

But maybe he's a little… too pleased with himself.

Jin Chen slightly raised his brow, casually put the grass hat on his knee, readjusted his half-reclining posture in the rattan chair, and asked, "What's up with you?"

Early in the morning, instead of handling his duties as Vice Leader, he came over here to bask in the sun.

Lu Jun crossed his arms, looked down at Jin Chen from above, scrutinizing him with a hint of settling scores after the fact.

"Delete the video."

Jin Chen: "?"

He froze for a moment, "What video… oh, the video."

Jin Chen sat up a bit, sized Lu Jun up and down, his eyes holding a hint of inquiry.

"Have you recovered your memory?"

Lu Jun gave him an annoyed sideways glance, "You tell me."

Thinking of that recorded segment where he foolishly admitted to Jin Chen that he owed someone a favor, his teeth felt itchy.

"And you even made me say I owed you… I owed you…"

The vulgar word at the end was swallowed back hard when it met Jin Chen's half-smiling gaze.

It wasn't because he was scared, definitely not.

Mainly because it would damage the dignity of his Spirit Dragon.

Seeing him frustrated yet unable to deny it, Jin Chen couldn't help letting out a hiss, shook his head, his tone tinged with regret.

"You should have said earlier that sleeping with the Earth God once would restore your memory."

He stroked his chin, as if thinking seriously, "If I'd seen you the first time, I should have knocked you out and sent you straight to Professor Yan… oh no, the Earth God's bed, saving a lot of trouble."

"You…"

Lu Jun's face flushed red all of a sudden.

Whether as the Spirit Dragon's long draconic life or as an employee of the Quick Transmigration Bureau, he was quite the hopeless romantic.

Jin Chen's blunt words were something he couldn't stand!

"How do you know about sleeping…" Lu Jun's words trailed off as he choked.

Seeing him trying to cover up, flustered, Jin Chen felt even better.

He leaned back into the rattan chair, picked up the grass hat on his knee, and fanned lazily, "That's totally obvious."

Ling Gun Gun also glanced at Lu Jun and gave a heavy nod.

Lu Jun: "……"

Staring at that person and pet, he only felt his temples throbbing.

He didn't want to admit it at all, but in this little world, the fool who sulked into the wilds out of jealousy, whose eyes reddened with grievance over a slight misunderstanding, and who finally needed Jin Chen's help to pierce the window paper… was himself.

Thinking that most of his black history in this little world had already been treated as amusement by Jin Chen, Lu Jun felt his dignity vanish completely.

"Cut the chatter, hurry up and delete the video."

Jin Chen stopped fanning, the edge of the grass hat resting against his chin, looking at him leisurely, "I helped you this much, got you reunited with the Earth God, even helped you pierce the window paper… and this is your attitude? What about the service fee?"

Lu Jun: "Who doesn't know you little brat are now a big spender of points in the Quick Transmigration Bureau! I'm a poor soul who sank my life savings into it, and you have the nerve to ask me for points—why don't you go rob someone instead?"

Jin Chen put down the grass hat, sat upright, hands clasped on his knees, assuming a negotiating stance.

Points? You can owe them first.

Jin Chen's tone sounded very reasonable. "However, since the Earth God has returned to his position and his power has somewhat recovered... After we finish things here and return to the Quick Transmigration Bureau, shouldn't we consider re-employment?"

Lu Jun's mind rang with alarm bells: "... What do you mean?"

Jin Chen smiled, his smile pure and harmless, yet the words he spoke made Lu Jun want to hit him.

What I mean is, the Earth God has nothing else to do back there for now, so why not take a part-time post with excellent pay and benefits?

Lu Jun: "..."

Jin Chen looked innocent. "This is a reasonable use of resources to realize the value of a god's life, and incidentally earn some points to support the family."

Lu Jun: "..."

He just knew that dealing with this guy Jin Chen, he wouldn't gain any advantage, and had to constantly guard against being sold out by him while still helping him count points.

I'll go back and ask Teng Gu.

"That's right." Jin Chen nodded satisfactorily, picked up the straw hat again and covered his face with it, "The video is stored with Ling Gun Gun; I'll delete it later, don't worry, I'm very professional."

Lu Jun swallowed his anger at being cheated, turned and left, deciding to go find his gentle and considerate Earth God for comfort, and meanwhile blow some pillow wind, letting Teng Gu definitely not be fooled by that kid Jin Chen.