Everyone was run off their feet. Brains or no brains, it didn’t matter—anyone who could be dragged into work was. Those with brains handled the thinking jobs; those without did the grunt work.
Across the entire Revolutionary Army, only You Fuzhou and Yu Yan managed to slack off for a full two months.
But the moment those sixty days were up—not a single day more—they were hit with a barrage of urgent calls and rushed back to the Main Planet.
The Main Planet in the Ares Planet system had the best location, so the Federal Main City had been established there. That was also why You Fuzhou and Yu Yan had ultimately chosen to settle in this system.
It was close enough that they could provide support at a moment’s notice if anything came up.
They arrived quickly, only to be grabbed for work the instant they landed.
You Fuzhou enjoyed getting his hands dirty, but he wasn’t entirely brainless. Administrative tasks weren’t beyond him. Still, he hadn’t expected there to be so much. He just skimmed the directory and already felt his life was miserable. “How are there still so many things after two months?”
“…Good question.”
Rong Yao let out a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose.
She felt like she needed a Guide to soothe her mental fatigue right now. “Commerce, politics, the military, education—all of that was controlled by the nobles and the Empire before. Now that the imperial system has collapsed, figuring out how to handle all that and who to assign it to is nothing but trouble.”
There were institutional templates from before the Empire’s rise to reference, but those were thousands of years old. They could only drag the frameworks back and refine them… In You Fuzhou’s eyes, at any rate, military service was ten thousand times simpler than politics.
They’d arrived just in time for a meeting.
The two of them attended sessions and handled affairs in a whirlwind. By the end of it, You Fuzhou’s head was pounding.
Sentinels really weren’t cut out for this.
Yu Yan, on the other hand, was still full of energy, reviewing files while releasing his mental power to ease You Fuzhou’s tension.
Though You Fuzhou didn’t want to leave Yu Yan bearing the load alone, he really was exhausted. “I’ll catch a nap.”
Yu Yan nodded. He picked up the file reader and a stack of data cards, took You Fuzhou’s hand, and moved to the sofa. He patted the spot on his lap invitingly.
During the war, You Fuzhou had often stolen moments of rest aboard fighters, pillowing his head on Yu Yan’s lap for a cramped but necessary snooze to recharge.
It was routine for them by now. What had once left You Fuzhou blushing had long since become natural.
The sofa was spacious and deep enough to easily accommodate him.
Under Yu Yan’s soothing mental power, You Fuzhou quickly drifted off to sleep.
When Rong Yao returned from outside to discuss matters with them, she found her dear older brother already dodging work with a nap.
She paused, exchanging a glance with Yu Yan. He said nothing, so she smiled and quietly withdrew for the time being.
You Fuzhou had a jumbled dream. One moment, he was back in his youth, training; the next, he vaguely overheard talk of an S-class Guide emerging in the Yashe Empire.
Then, inexplicably, Yu Yan appeared in the dream—as his classmate from school, even his desk mate. It jumped to the two of them training together, piloting the same fighter…
He woke in a daze.
Yu Yan arched a brow at You Fuzhou’s still-muddled gaze and smiled. “Baby, you seem to have had a nice dream.”
Thanks to their mental connection, Yu Yan could peer into You Fuzhou’s spiritual world anytime, anywhere.
He could see what he was thinking, what he was dreaming, or even browse You Fuzhou’s life like a novel so detailed it might be called bloated by critics. Yu Yan never found it bloated, though. Whenever he had idle time—when You Fuzhou was training or busy with serious work and couldn’t be disturbed—he loved flipping through it.
You Fuzhou knew, of course.
The longer they were together, the more You Fuzhou noticed Yu Yan’s deep-seated need for control.
He might say he liked letting You Fuzhou handle things, but Yu Yan had set the rules from the very start.
From the beginning, Yu Yan had held the higher ground of control.
You Fuzhou didn’t mind. He felt it was only natural.
If Yu Yan said no or that he didn’t like something, why would You Fuzhou insist? Was he sick in the head?
You Fuzhou cleared his throat lightly. He didn’t bother sitting up properly—instead, he relied on his strong core to effortlessly lever himself upright. “Probably from all those military academy regulations I was reading earlier.”
They couldn’t just leave it all to their subordinates; they had to review it carefully themselves. Plug the gaps, make sure the academy didn’t become anyone’s profit machine.
Yu Yan didn’t know much about this. He’d never properly attended school since he could remember, so You Fuzhou was the one handling it.
Yu Yan sounded a touch regretful. “I was hoping your dream would come true. Pity there’s no chance.”
Anyone else might think he regretted never going to school himself. But You Fuzhou wasn’t anyone else. Alarm bells rang in his head at those words, and his ears turned red. “Can you not… always think about that stuff?”
After nearly thirteen years together, he knew Yu Yan well enough to instantly grasp what he was after.
Yu Yan gazed at You Fuzhou with gentle warmth, setting aside the file reader as he leaned in for a soft peck on the lips.
He said nothing, merely watching him with those deep eyes.
You Fuzhou did still have a sense of shame.
He’d been young and face-conscious before; now he was older, with more at stake. “I’m thirty-three already…”
Yu Yan kissed him again, voice soft. “What do you want to see me in?”
You Fuzhou tried to resist. “A-Yan…”
Another kiss. “Officer uniform? Suit? Ancient robes? Noble attire? Or…”
He smiled. “Classmate You, mind lending me your school uniform?”
The words weren’t much in themselves, but with that devastatingly close face, You Fuzhou felt himself flushing from head to toe.
Yu Yan had worn Freedom Alliance officer uniforms before, and even imperial ones for disguise… He looked especially dashing.
Being a Guide was an identity, not a gender.
A male Guide was just that: male. Nanzi might be a Sentinel, but he had a baby face that hadn’t changed much over the years—he still looked boyish and fresh.
Yu Yan’s features weren’t the delicate, fragile sort. They were bold and aggressive, carrying an inherent pressure.
With long hair, he might have an androgynous allure; with short hair, it was pure, forceful handsomeness.
Standing with You Fuzhou, they evoked images of twin peak Sentinels straight out of stereotypes—a five-star scenic spot.
You Fuzhou loved that face.
He didn’t think there was anything wrong with being drawn to it first. People always liked beautiful things.
So with Yu Yan gazing at him like that, eyes curved in amusement as he listed off options one by one, You Fuzhou couldn’t help picturing him in them… He really was stunning.
You Fuzhou’s heart raced.
Yu Yan’s smile deepened.
He rather missed seeing You Fuzhou in combat gear, too. Back when they saw it every day, he hadn’t thought much of it. But after two months of rest, watching him in casual clothes… Yu Yan liked that too, of course.
Nearly thirteen years had polished away You Fuzhou’s youthful edges, replacing them with steady maturity.
He stood there like an anchor stabilizing the sea, inspiring utter peace.
His handsome face had gained the unique charm of a mature man.
The sharp angles of youth had softened inward, giving way to a warm depth. Especially now that You Fuzhou smiled more, tempered his impulsiveness with thought and compromise. At home in a simple T-shirt and slacks, he resembled a god descended to the mortal world—or so Yu Yan said.
But slip him into combat gear or an officer’s uniform, and he transformed in an instant.
It was like a blade unsheathing—chilling light piercing straight to the heart, then igniting into roaring flames that demanded every gaze, every heartbeat.
Yu Yan had seen photos from Rong Yao and the others: young You Fuzhou in his military academy uniform.
The academy uniform resembled combat gear, but since he’d attended the Empire’s top academy, it featured luxurious details that didn’t hinder movement—exuding an air of extravagance.
In the photos, You Fuzhou looked noble at a glance.
Even the Crown Prince back then couldn’t match that bearing.
The material was special, adapting to the wearer’s build within limits.
You Fuzhou could still fit into it now.
The You family estate and lands were still held in limbo, awaiting reallocation.
They’d visited recently; You Fuzhou had taken some belongings, including a dozen sets of his old uniforms. He’d meant to dispose of them but never got around to it.
After all, once they returned home, time with Yu Yan had grown intensely intimate, leaving no room for such tasks.
Yu Yan’s deepest regret was never having that era’s You Fuzhou.
He could only visit the memories as a quiet observer, watching the spirited young man of those days.
It only made him want it more.
He wanted it.
“Baby.”
Sensing You Fuzhou’s reaction, Yu Yan coaxed in a low voice. “Just nod, and I’ll wear all those things for you.”
He spoke words that spanned thirteen years, but the circumstances were utterly changed. “However you want to play, I’ll go along. Okay?”
You Fuzhou could barely bring himself to look at him—but he couldn’t look away either.
There had been a similar situation before. In order to dodge Yu Yan’s relentless pursuit—and to keep the smoke billowing from him from looking too alarming—You Fuzhou had averted his gaze.
Yu Yan hadn’t said a word at the time. But that night, he tormented You Fuzhou for ages.
He claimed You Fuzhou had gone just five minutes and seven seconds without looking at him back then. Now, he had to stare at their reflection in the mirror for a full fifty-seven minutes, or Yu Yan wouldn’t stop.
It was all because Yu Yan’s body took on a layer of scales after his Spiritual Materialization. The instant his eyes shifted color, thin webbing appeared between his fingers. And along with those changes came something else that left You Fuzhou utterly baffled—something he couldn’t fathom why it would manifest with the Spiritual Body too.
Which meant Yu Yan could truly go all out, over and over.
Thus, You Fuzhou was forced to watch in the mirror as Yu Yan held him from behind and…
Now, a flood of images raced through You Fuzhou’s mind: Yu Yan dressed in all those outfits he’d imagined. Sentinels could be intense about this sort of thing, after all. He couldn’t hold back his quickening pulse. “Then… you could be a little rougher about it too, right?”
You Fuzhou wasn’t some deviant.
He just genuinely loved those fleeting moments when Yu Yan’s face turned cold, or when he revealed that commanding, dominant air of a superior—every bit of that oppressive presence… because it was so damn handsome.
Rong Yao was right.
You Fuzhou was a sucker for handsome.
He couldn’t resist it, not even a little.
Yu Yan arched a brow. The softness in his eyes turned dangerous and shadowed in an instant, like a megalodon baring its razor-sharp teeth, poised to strike down its prey at any second. Even his voice carried the sharp tang of gunpowder, sending You Fuzhou’s heartbeat into overdrive—
“Of course.”
So handsome.
You Fuzhou squeezed his eyes shut.
He couldn’t help kissing this version of Yu Yan, even leaning in to deepen it himself.
Truly, so handsome.
