The room's lighting was softer than one would expect from a military hospital. Han Feng leaned against the rocking hospital bed, listening to Lin Zhengguo recount everything that had happened after he fell into a coma. His right hand unconsciously traced the folds in the sheets. Those folds resembled the shockwave patterns spreading through the air in the instant of an explosion; his last memory was of the knight's body swelling into an unnatural sphere.
"Self-destruct..." Han Feng's voice was hoarse, the taste of blood still lingering in his throat. "Those gene warriors were walking bombs."
Lin Zhengguo's expression was grave, his fingers tapping an uneasy rhythm on his knees. "What's more troublesome is that we can't predict which individuals will self-destruct. The Knight is the first you've encountered, but he certainly won't be the last."
The shadows of the sycamore trees outside the window cast on the white sheets, swaying eerily in the wind. Han Feng suddenly remembered something, his fingers tightening around the corner of the blanket: "Liu Mengran... how is she?"
"She's in the next room." Lin Zhengguo's expression softened slightly. "She was just shaken and had some minor injuries; nothing serious." He paused, a barely perceptible smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "That girl woke up two days earlier than you."
Han Feng's tense shoulders slumped slightly, and his breathing finally became easier. He remembered the feeling of lunging at Liu Mengran in the final moments, the excruciating pain of three bone spurs piercing his body, and the distorted reflection of himself in her eyes.
"How did we...?"
"Iron Tower and the others arrived just in time," Lin Zhengguo continued. "Although you ordered the Dragon Abyss Squad not to act without authorization, Su Wanwan told Iron Tower your location." The old general shook his head. "That girl is very clever; she guessed you would be in trouble."
Han Feng pictured Su Wanwan's face, always bearing a sly smile. She was indeed much more perceptive than she appeared.
"They had just arrived at the abandoned building when the explosion happened," Lin Zhengguo's voice deepened. "When they rushed upstairs, they found Liu Mengran huddled in a corner, holding you unconscious in her arms."
The monitor next to the hospital bed suddenly emitted a regular "beep" sound, and Han Feng's heart rate briefly spiked.
"That girl protected you fiercely. When Tie Ta and the others approached, she cried out like a frightened little animal, 'Don't come any closer!'" A hint of emotion flashed in Lin Zhengguo's eyes. "She only let go and fainted when Liu Xiaoran dragged his injured leg to her side."
Han Feng closed his eyes, imagining the scene: a frail Liu Mengran amidst the rubble after the explosion, using her thin body to form the last line of defense for him. This image pained him more than any wound.
"When the special plane brought you back to Kyoto, your vital signs were so weak they were almost undetectable." Lin Zhengguo stood up, straightened his Zhongshan suit, and said, "Just focus on recovering. Leave the gene research lab to others; we'll discuss everything else once you've recovered."
The sound of the door closing was like a pause. Han Feng stared at the ceiling, letting various thoughts churn in his mind: the knight's self-destruction, the hidden dangers of the gene warriors, and Liu Mengran's injuries.
When the door was pushed open again, it brought in the smell of disinfectant and several tall figures. Iron Tower was at the front; this two-meter-tall burly man's eyes instantly reddened when he saw the conscious Han Feng.
"Captain..." His voice choked in his throat, as if he had a hot iron in his mouth.
"Stop crying." Han Feng laughed and cursed, but the movement aggravated the wound between his ribs, causing him to grimace and gasp for breath. "I'm not dead yet."
The other team members gathered around the bed, these usually invincible tough guys now acting like bewildered children. Some offered fruit, others poured water, awkwardly expressing their relief. Han Feng noticed Liu Xiaoran standing at the back, his leg still in a brace and several unhealed abrasions on his face.
Suddenly, Liu Xiaoran pushed through the crowd and knelt down in front of the hospital bed with a thud. The metal brace made a crisp sound as it hit the ground.
"What are you doing?" Han Feng endured the pain and reached out to help.
Liu Xiaoran remained motionless, his forehead almost touching the ground: "Captain, thank you for saving my sister." His voice was deep and firm, as solemn as a vow.
A brief silence fell over the ward. Han Feng saw Liu Xiao's protruding spine at the back of his neck. He was kneeling here not for military orders, not for a mission, but simply for his blood-related family.
"Get up." Han Feng only said these two words in the end, gesturing for Tie Ta to help him up.
As Liu Xiaoran was helped up, Han Feng noticed that the usually stoic man's eyes were moist. He was about to say something when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the door. Liu Mengran was standing there in a loose hospital gown, sunlight streaming in from behind her, outlining her slender figure.
The men in the ward suddenly became unusually quiet and tactful. Tita patted Liu Xiaoran on the shoulder, and the group quickly withdrew like a receding tide, with the last one even considerately closing the door behind him.
Liu Mengran stood motionless at the door, twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers. She was thinner than Han Feng remembered, her face as pale as paper, only her eyes still shining brightly. There was a thin, scabbed-over scar on her wrist, the spot where she had been cut by the broken glass.
"You..." Han Feng regretted his words as soon as he opened his mouth; he didn't know what to say. Thank you for protecting me in the explosion? Sorry for getting you involved in the danger? Or explain why those gene warriors kidnapped her?
Liu Mengran slowly walked to the bedside, her movements so gentle as if afraid of disturbing something. She stared at Han Feng's chest, which was wrapped in bandages, where there were three bandages corresponding to the bone spur puncture wounds.
"The doctor said..." Her voice was softer than Han Feng remembered, trembling slightly, "Just one centimeter off and it would be the heart."
Han Feng suddenly felt a sense of suffocation, not because of his injuries, but because of the naked emotions in her eyes: worry, lingering fear, and something else he was unsure of.
"I've always been very lucky," he tried to say casually, but saw Liu Mengran shake her head.
"It wasn't luck." She raised her hand, her fingertips pausing just before touching the bandages, trembling slightly as she held it in mid-air. "I saw... those blue lines on your body, and..." She swallowed hard. "Those wounds are healing themselves."
The monitor's beeping grew more rapid again. Han Feng felt dizzy, unsure whether it was from blood loss or the exposure of his secret. How could he explain the physique-enhancing drug? How could he describe the system's existence? And how could he make her understand that the world he inhabited was more dangerous than she imagined?
"Liu Mengran, I..."
"I don't need an explanation." She suddenly interrupted him, her fingers finally falling to gently rest on the back of his hand. "I just want to know... will you be alright?"
Her hands were cold and soft, like a snowflake falling on hot coals. Han Feng looked at the shadow cast by her eyelashes and suddenly realized that he could never completely shield her from danger, because she had already entered his deepest secret.
"Yes, I will." He turned his palm over and gently took her fingers in his. "I promise."
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