Chapter 43: So far away that I feel like I am exiled from the Milky Way

"If you really think this way, your brother can worry less."

Li Ran touched his chin with his hand, crossed his legs, and said, "Think about that time when my brother was admitted to the federal military academy, my head only reached his waist when I stood up."

"I am a person who doesn't obey anyone except my brother."

Ji He smiled faintly, feeling a little envious of Li Ran in his heart.

I envy Alpha for having a family to return to and a brother who cares about him, and now he is one step closer to realizing his dream.

"You put me in solitary confinement that time, it really pissed me off."

Ji He just tilted his head slightly, looked at the young and energetic Alpha, and continued to listen to Li Ran's chatter.

"I later heard from Xu Tianyang that Colonel Huo was our assistant instructor during the field training."

Li Ran looked regretful and whispered, "What a pity! It would be so impressive if we could tell others about it."

Perhaps because he heard "Colonel Huo", Ji He's eyes darkened and he changed the subject, saying, "Well, Cheng Zhi is out too."

The test results can be seen on the spot, and the candidates' residence will be decided based on their ranking. Those who can stay on Star No. 2 are the best of the best.

Ji He was the only Beta among the recruits who stayed.

The feeling while waiting outside the examination room was even more bizarre than Ji He had imagined. It seemed that he was even more nervous than when he took part in the assessment for new recruits.

After everyone came out of the examination room, Ji He took the recruits to the reception room that they had requested in advance, which was already filled with various meals.

"Wow, instructor, you've made a fortune."

The guys, who normally can only take nutritional supplements, were so excited when they saw the table full of delicious food and wine that their eyes turned green.

"This meal is not cheap. Instructor, how is your wallet?"

"Fuck, this is so cool."

Ji He originally wanted to sit in the corner, but Li Ran pushed him to the most conspicuous place.

"Instructor, please sit here."

The azure blue sky light was just above his head, and soft white light flowed down like a waterfall.

Instructor Ji looked at the recruits and stood up.

"The assessment is over, but your life has just begun."

"I am here to meet you all, and I hope everyone can get what they want, be safe and happy."

"Instructor, you are so sentimental. It's not like we won't see each other again."

"Yes, Li Ran and Cheng Zhi will definitely be able to stay on Planet Two."

Cheng Zhi turned around and looked at Instructor Ji. He always felt that there was a subtle loneliness in the other's eyes.

"The instructor is also safe and happy."

Xu Tianyang raised a full glass of wine and almost spilled it.

Ji He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll try my best."

These new recruits will be going their separate ways as soon as the day after tomorrow. After spending so many days together, they have naturally developed feelings for each other and are suddenly feeling very reluctant to part.

"Stutter, where are you going?"

Li Ran's face was red. He put his arm around Xu Tianyang's shoulders and forced him to drink.

Xu Tianyang was choked by the wine and started coughing.

"Time flies by so fast. It feels like I just got off the spaceship and landed in Ophiuchus yesterday."

"Cheng Zhi, clink a glass?"

Cheng Zhi's overall performance is the best among this group of Alphas, which is consistent with his usual personality.

Alpha, who usually doesn't drink, was also infected by the alcoholics and drank one glass after another.

The cups, with a thin layer of wine still on the bottom, lay toppled over on the table, surrounded by a sea of ​​heads.

Cheng Zhi was drunk but his face was not red. He looked like nothing had happened. People didn't know he was drunk and kept urging him to drink.

"Cheng Zhi?"

Ji He was the first to notice that something was wrong with Cheng Zhi, and picked up the military cap that Alpha had dropped on the ground.

"arrive."

Cheng Zhi felt nothing when he was sitting, but when he stood up, the world was spinning around him, and he felt like he was sitting on the training chair again.

Alpha saluted Ji He, staggered and fell on Beta.

Cheng Zhi was really drunk, and whispered into Ji He's left ear: "Instructor, you and the colonel must be fine."

"I will wish you happiness!"

Ji He frowned slightly, not because Cheng Zhi's weight was pressing on him, but because of the words "You and the colonel must be fine."

"Cheng Zhi, are you drunk?"

Cheng Zhi was drinking for the first time, and he was not sure if he was drunk. He answered vaguely, "I don't know."

Ji He dragged the man outside, feeling somewhat worried, and asked, "What did you mean by me and the colonel?"

Cheng Zhi blinked, yawned for a long time, and said, "I saw you kiss him."

Ji He's pupils trembled slightly as he recalled all the kisses they had had, and only the one on the island had the possibility of being seen by others.

"There are so many fireworks in the sky. I'm here to look for my instructor..."

Ji He took a deep breath and continued to ask, "Are you the only one who saw it?"

Cheng Zhi nodded.

"Does anyone else know about this?"

Cheng Zhi's brain usually worked very fast, but now it was numbed by alcohol. Every screw was rusted and his speech became stammered.

"The Colonel knows."

“He told me not to talk nonsense.”

Then, Cheng Zhi covered his mouth with his hand and shook his head, as if to show that he had kept his promise.

Ji He, who was kept in the dark, stood there with mixed feelings. Huo Yubai did not let him know about this and only asked Cheng Zhi to keep it secret in order to reduce the impact of this incident.

Alpha was right to do so, but when he thought of the other person's true feelings on the other side of the wall, Ji He couldn't help but frown.

"Instructor, don't be angry."

"The Colonel said he was serious about you."

The alcoholic smell rushed into his eyes, and Ji He's nose felt sore. He said in a low voice, "It's fake."

"It's a lie."

In the end, Cheng Zhi was carried back to the dormitory by Xu Tianyang. Alpha had a blackout the first time he drank and still had a splitting headache when he woke up in the morning.

"Did I act stupid again by hugging the instructor last night?"

Cheng Zhi shook his head, and the computer sent him his ranking, and he could stay on the second star.

The next morning, Ji He saw that Colonel Huo had approved his application for home leave. He sat on the thin bed with his eyes downcast, with a suitcase that he had just packed at his feet.

Beta had very few things, and he didn't take anything useless with him. As for the diamond brooch, after checking the price, he thought it would be better to leave it in the safe.

Ever since he last heard the other party say "just for fun", Ji He has been consciously avoiding Colonel Huo.

The family leave that has never been taken is just a useful smoke screen.

In fact, he had no chance to return to Tong Planet. The spaceship would go in another direction, and Huoyao Planet was the real destination of this trip.

This planet has abundant hematite on its surface, so it appears orange-red all over, and is also called the Red Iron Planet.

Ji He had only known about Mars from books and had never been there. The planet was close to the Andromeda Galaxy and was very far away from both the capital and the Ophiuchus constellation.

So far away that it seems to be exiled from the Milky Way.

“It’s so far.”

The next second, there were two short knocks on the door.

"Colonel."

Colonel Huo opened the door and saw the packed luggage at first sight. He said, "You want to go back to Tong Planet so much."

In response, Ji He forced a smile and replied, "I haven't been back for a long time."

"It would be good to go back and have a look."

Huo Yubai walked towards Ji He, but the other party took two steps back and leaned his waist on the table.

Ji He folded his arms and tilted his head slightly, as if recalling something.

“When I was little, I didn’t like steamed cakes, but I had no choice. Now that I’ve been away for such a long time, I kind of miss them.”

"Besides this, what else do you want to do?"

"I also want to enjoy the cool under the blue paulownia tree. I wonder if there are still so many white-feathered birds now. It would be more lively if I could catch the festival."

After Ji He finished speaking, he touched his nose.

"I want to go with you now."

Ji He was stunned for a moment.

"Really?"

The tone was a little cold, like the moon falling into a deep pool.

Huo Yubai sat on the chair, propped his face with his hands, moved closer, and said in a deep voice, "Yes."

Alpha dares to say it, but Beta no longer dares to believe it.

"Jihe."

"Um?"

"I find myself beginning to miss you."

Ji He was stunned, his arms loosened a little, then he remembered something and bit his lower lip.

In fact, Ji He had thought about tearing his face off with the other person and having a clean and decisive quarrel, but his heart seemed unable to withstand the torture a second time.

If you think about it carefully, they once had a good time, so why not leave a little dignity for each other.

Although Huo Yubai's words at this moment still made ripples in his heart, Ji He no longer cared so much.

"I will see you off that day."

Colonel Huo came over and seemed to want to hug him, but was dodged without a trace.

Ji He suddenly laughed, with an indescribable weird expression on his face. He thought that Huo Yubai really wanted him to leave.

After all, he is just a medicine for Alpha to get through the susceptible period.

It must be very uncomfortable to keep such a time bomb around.

Ji He lowered his head and was silent for a long time before responding, "Okay."

By the day that Sergeant Ji was leaving, all the new recruits he had brought out had gone their separate ways, leaving only Cheng Zhi and Li Ran to see him off.

"Instructor, after I've been here for a year, can I get some family leave? I miss my brother."

Ji He reached out and stroked Li Ran's messy hair, and said with a smile, "It will happen."

Cheng Zhi stood aside, looking around as if he was looking for someone.

Isn’t Colonel Huo coming to see the instructor off?

"Instructor, why hasn't Colonel Huo arrived yet?"

Ji He did not answer, but just looked at the extremely familiar Federal Army Headquarters, his eyes slightly sore.

“Beep—”

Beta's computer received a message. Colonel Huo said that his grandmother was seriously ill and he had to rush to the capital planet first. He could not come to see Ji He off, and hoped that he would forgive him.

When they reach Fire Star, the last connection between him and Huo Yubai will be cut off.

This might be Ji He's last chance to forgive Huo Yubai. He suddenly wanted to say something to Alpha. He deleted and cut down for three minutes, leaving only three words in the end.

It doesn't matter.

"Colonel Huo is busy."

"I have to go now."

Ji He took one last look at the place that held so many memories for him, suppressed his reluctance, and waved goodbye to Li Ran and Cheng Zhi.

"Have a safe trip, instructor."

At that time, Ji He didn't know that he was boarding a spaceship with no survivors.