Chapter 32
dark.
Sticky, cold, endless darkness.
There was also a dull ache, spreading from every part of his body, and every breath was accompanied by a sharp pain that felt like it was tearing through his chest.
Gu Jing's consciousness seemed to be struggling in the deep sea, trying hard to float to the surface, but was dragged back into the abyss again and again by an invisible force.
There was a vague sound in my ears, as if through thick glass.
"...lung infection...fractured ribs...concussion...hypothermia..."
"...Immediate surgery is necessary..."
“…The risk is huge…but we can’t delay any longer…”
Who is speaking?
Surgery...what surgery?
He tried hard to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt so heavy that they seemed welded together.
Chaotic fragments of memory tumbled and collided in his mind like sharp shards of glass—the cold platform, the hollow eyes of the viper, the deafening sound of gunfire, Qin Yu's pale face, the faint blue light of the explosion, and those red eyes that broke through the waves, filled with fear and despair...
Qin Yu!
This name splits the chaos like a bolt of lightning!
He took a deep breath, but it was interrupted by a violent cough, and his lungs felt burning with pain!
"Cough! Cough cough cough..."
"He's awake! Doctor!"
"Hold him down! Don't let him move!"
The noisy voices, the cold hands pressing on his shoulders and arms, the slight sting of the needle piercing his skin...
Gu Jing struggled hard, trying to break free from the restraints, making a hoarse sound in his throat: "Qin...Qin Yu..."
His voice was so weak that it was almost inaudible, but it was gently held by a cold and slightly trembling hand.
"I am here."
A voice so hoarse that it was almost broken, yet extremely familiar, rang close to his ear.
With a kind of suppressed trembling of surviving a disaster.
Gu Jing's struggles froze instantly. He tilted his head with difficulty, trying to focus.
In the blurred vision, an enlarged, extremely pale and haggard face gradually emerged.
Qin Yu.
He half-knelt beside the bed, his hair disheveled, his eyes a dark bruise, his chin awash with stubble. His hospital gown was open, revealing the bandages wrapped around it. He seemed to have rushed in as well. One hand tightly grasped Gu Jing's, the other resting on the bed, supporting his frail body. His bottomless eyes, now bloodshot, stared at him intently, unblinking, churning with a multitude of extremely complex emotions—fear, ecstasy, pain, and a fragile sense of loss and recovery.
"You..." Gu Jing opened his mouth, his voice very dry.
"Don't talk." Qin Yu tightened his fingers, almost crushing his bones with such force, but his voice was extremely soft, trembling with caution. "It's okay... the impact of the explosion... a little internal bleeding... I need a small operation... It will be fine soon..."
His explanation was disjointed and incoherent, totally unlike the man who was usually calm and in control.
Seeing him like this, Gu Jing felt as if his heart was being tugged at by something. A dense acridity mixed with a strange warmth surged into his heart. He stopped struggling and just watched him quietly, letting the doctors and nurses work around him.
Preoperative preparations were completed quickly.
The nurse was going to push him into the operating room.
Qin Yu still held his hand tightly, refusing to let go. His eyes were glued to Gu Jing's face, as if he wanted to carve him into his soul.
"Let go, Brother Yu, Mr. Gu needs surgery." 739 whispered a reminder with a worried tone.
Qin Yu seemed not to hear and still held it stubbornly.
Gu Jing looked at the fear and dependence that was about to overflow from his eyes, and an unprecedented impulse prompted him to shake Qin Yu's hand very lightly.
Although the force was weak, it was extremely clear.
Qin Yu's whole body trembled violently, his pupils suddenly dilated, and he looked at him in disbelief.
Gu Jing forced an extremely weak, soothing smile and silently mouthed, "...waiting for you."
Qin Yu's eyes instantly turned red.
He seemed to have exhausted all his strength before he slowly loosened his hand. His fingertips slid across Gu Jing's palm lovingly, bringing a shivering itch.
The door of the operating room slowly closed, blocking out Qin Yu's eyes that were almost staring intently.
The operation didn't take long, but for those waiting outside, every second felt like a century.
Qin Yu leaned against the cold wall, his face even uglier than before. Cold sweat continued to seep from his forehead, and his body trembled slightly, as if he would collapse at any moment. 739 and Hai Dongqing stood by, worried but not daring to offer any further advice.
Finally, the door of the operating room opened again.
The doctor came out and took off his mask: "The operation was successful, the bleeding has stopped, and the patient will need rest and anti-infection treatment next."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu Jing was pushed back to the ward, still unconscious, but his expression seemed to have eased a little.
Qin Yu almost staggered to the bedside and once again tightly held Gu Jing's hand that was not receiving the IV, as if only in this way could he confirm his real existence.
He just stood there, not eating or drinking, not saying a word, like a silent statue.
Until night fell, Gu Jing's eyelashes trembled a few times, and he slowly opened his eyes again.
This time, my consciousness was much clearer.
The first thing he felt was the cold and stubborn temperature in his palm.
He turned his head and saw Qin Yu still guarding him in the same posture, with bloodshot eyes. Under the dim light, he looked exhausted and fragile.
"You... have been here all the time?" Gu Jing's voice was still hoarse, but with some strength.
Qin Yu seemed to be awakened. He raised his eyes suddenly and saw Gu Jing's clear eyes. His tense jaw finally relaxed slightly: "Yeah."
He raised his hand and wiped the sweat from Gu Jing's forehead with his fingertips very naturally. His movements were so gentle that they were almost pious.
"How do you feel? Does it still hurt?"
Gu Jing shook his head, his eyes sweeping over his pale face and the bandages on his body: "Your injuries..."
"It's okay." Qin Yu interrupted him, his tone unquestionable, "It's much lighter than yours."
The two were speechless for a moment.
The ward was very quiet, with only the regular ticking of medical equipment.
A subtle and ambiguous atmosphere quietly flowed in the silence. After experiencing the life-or-death explosion and the underwater rescue, some things have been completely changed, and can no longer be disguised by hatred or exploitation.
"...that submarine..." Gu Jing said hesitantly.
Qin Yu's eyes instantly turned cold, covered with a layer of gloom.
"It was an assassination attempt against me," he said in a low voice. "The genetic identification device and bomb inside... must be a derivative of the 'Nirvana' project, or... a third party trying to take advantage of the situation."
He paused, looking at Gu Jing, his eyes filled with fear and deep pain: "If it weren't for you..."
If it weren't for Gu Jing's decisive collision, he would be the one lying here now, or his body would have been completely destroyed.
Gu Jing turned his face away, his tone somewhat stiff: "...It just happened to happen."
Qin Yu looked at his awkward expression, and the haze in his eyes suddenly dissipated a little, and the corners of his lips curled up very lightly, almost imperceptibly.
He didn't dwell on the topic anymore, but just held Gu Jing's hand tighter.
"Where are the mercenaries?" Gu Jing asked a different question.
"It's solved." Qin Yu said calmly, as if he was talking about a trivial matter. "Haidongqing handled it very cleanly. The clues point to a broker in Southeast Asia, and we've sent people to investigate."
He downplayed it, but Gu Jing could imagine the danger and the subsequent bloody cleanup.
"Then... the matter of genetic weapons..." This is what makes Gu Jing most nervous.
Qin Yu's expression became serious again.
"Nightingale has lost contact," he said gravely. "The last signal source disappeared in Southeast Asia. I suspect... he may have been exposed, or... met with an accident."
Gu Jing's heart sank. Nightingale was their most crucial source of information about the Nirvana plan.
"However, Qin Xiao seems to have uncovered something on Viper's side," Qin Yu continued, his eyes sharpening. "It's not much, but he's confirmed several possible test sites for genetic weapons. I've already sent people in to investigate secretly, looking for the possibility of samples and antibodies."
He looked at Gu Jing, his tone filled with determination: "This is a war. Either he dies or we die. There is no retreat."
Gu Jing saw the familiar, cold madness and determination in his eyes. But this time, the madness no longer frightened him, but instead brought him a strange sense of security.
"What do you need me to do?" he asked without hesitation.
Qin Yu looked at him deeply for a long time. Then, he suddenly leaned down very slowly and gently rested his forehead on Gu Jing's.
The blend of warm breaths.
This is a gesture of extreme intimacy and dependence.
"...Live well." Qin Yu's voice was low and hoarse, with a barely perceptible pleading, "Stay with me."
Gu Jing's heart felt like it was being burned by these words, and it contracted violently. He didn't move away, but even... very slightly, he moved forward a millimeter.
Silent response.
Qin Yu's body stiffened noticeably for a moment, and then a surge of ecstasy and excitement threatened to burst through his icy shell. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with astonishing brightness, as if filled with the entire galaxy.
He stared at Gu Jing intently, as if to confirm that this was not an illusion.
Gu Jing's ears felt hot when he looked at her. He tried to turn away in embarrassment, but Qin Yu gently held his chin with his fingers.
The force was irresistible, yet the movements were so gentle that they were almost trembling.
"Gu Jing," he began, each word ringing with a heavy tone and carrying a heavy oath, "Wait until all this is over..."
He paused, as if considering his words, but ultimately chose the most direct, clumsy, yet sincere way.
“…Let’s start over.”
"It's not an agreement, it's not forced, it's not calculated."
"Just you and me."
"OK?"
You could hear a pin drop in the ward.
Only the two people's violent heartbeats could be clearly heard.
Gu Jing looked at Qin Yu's eyes that were filled with tension, hope, and desperate sincerity, and looked at the almost clumsy vulnerability and pleading revealed by this strong and paranoid man.
All the defenses collapsed at this moment.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, there was a clear calmness in his eyes, and a hint of relief from having gone all out.
He nodded very slowly.
"……good."
A single word, light and airy, yet weighing a thousand pounds.
The light in Qin Yu's pupils suddenly exploded! He suddenly lowered his head, and his hot, salty lips trembled and pressed carefully against Gu Jing's forehead.
It wasn't a lustful kiss.
It is more like a brand, a ritual, a promise about the future quietly made in the blood and ruins.
Instantly separate.
Both of them were breathing rapidly, with unnatural blushes on their faces. Their eyes met and then quickly looked away.
The air is filled with thick ambiguity and throbbing.
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the ward door.
739 walked in with a bowl of light porridge and some medicine. Seeing the atmosphere in the room, he paused for a moment, a knowing smile appeared on his face, but he quickly concealed it.
"Brother Yu, Mr. Gu, it's time to eat something and take medicine."
The charming atmosphere was slightly broken.
Qin Yu returned to his usual calm demeanor, took the bowl of porridge, tested the temperature himself, then scooped up a spoonful very naturally and handed it to Gu Jing's mouth.
Gu Jing: "...I can do it myself."
"My hand is receiving an IV." Qin Yu's reasoning was sufficient and his tone left no room for doubt.
Gu Jing looked at his self-righteous expression, her ears turned even redder, and she finally opened her mouth awkwardly.
The porridge was just the right temperature and had a light flavor.
Qin Yu fed him slowly and carefully, watching his swallowing movements intently, as if this was the most important thing in the world.
739 retreated quietly and closed the door gently.
Outside the window, the night is deep and the sound of waves is gentle.
Inside the ward, the lights were warm, with only the occasional soft sound of the spoon hitting the bowl wall, and the silent flow of peace between the two people after surviving the disaster and the quietly growing new bond.
The storm is not over yet, powerful enemies still surround us, and the road ahead is still full of thorns.
But at this moment, they have each other and the courage to start over.
That's enough.
It is enough for them to face all the storms together.
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