Chapter 22: “Why didn’t you get up?” …
The sound of the rain was loud and hypnotic. He Yue, having found a source of warmth, was overcome by drowsiness and yawned. He shifted under the quilt, curling up further, his head resting on Koeyle’s chest as he closed his eyes.
He felt the frailty of the male insect’s physique and was dissatisfied.
(I need to put exercise on the agenda.)
[What does the host need?]
He Yue, his consciousness already hazy with sleep, took a while to think.
(Whip, wooden stick, or rattan.)
[…!]
So that’s how he exercises?
The system remained silent, but still mobilized its space, searching for the tools He Yue needed within Castle’s inventory.
He Yue fell into a deep sleep, his steady breathing accompanied by pleasant dreams, his eyelashes occasionally fluttering, looking harmless.
Koeyle remained kneeling beside him, his knees so numb they were almost losing feeling. He stared at He Yue’s sleeping face, unable to look away, carefully tracing the contours of his peaceful face.
Unusually non-threatening, a stark contrast to his harsh demeanor.
Just as he was thinking this, the person in his arms seemed to have a bad dream, frowning and groaning as he tossed and turned on the single-seater sofa, turning his back to him.
Taking advantage of He Yue’s sleep, Koeyle became slightly bolder. He pulled the turned-over bundle closer, hugging him from behind, one hand resting on the exposed hands.
The soft, fluffy quilt felt good to the touch.
Perhaps because of this, despite the intense pain in his knees, a new thought arose in Koeyle’s mind.
He hoped this rain would last a little longer.
When He Yue opened his eyes, it was already pitch black outside. He could feel that he was still being held tightly from behind, the quilt still wrapped around him.
The sound of the rain had lessened considerably, now a gentle drizzle.
With a ding, the studio lights came on, and the courtyard outside was also illuminated.
“The power is back on.”
He Yue turned his head and saw Koeyle, very close to him, his forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat, his complexion looking unwell.
“How long have you been kneeling?”
“A few hours.” Koeyle hadn’t moved at all, kneeling like that, holding He Yue, for the entire afternoon.
“Why didn’t you get up?”
Koeyle was too embarrassed to admit he had been captivated by He Yue’s sleeping face, so he lowered his eyes, thought for a second, and offered an answer he thought He Yue would be satisfied with: “Because, Master didn’t tell me to get up.”
As expected, He Yue smiled: “Turn on the air conditioning, and then make dinner.”
“Yes.”
Koeyle agreed, pushing himself up from the ground. He staggered forward a step, then his numb knees buckled, and he fell to the floor.
A thud echoed through the studio, followed by a soft chuckle of amusement.
Koeyle looked back and saw He Yue’s bright eyes filled with a cheerful smile, his expression gentle and amused. He seemed to be infected by those eyes, no longer feeling embarrassed about his fall, and stood up, limping towards the door.
The villa’s central air conditioning was very effective, quickly dispelling the biting cold. He Yue finally emerged from the quilt and put on a coat.
He Yue sat at the dining table, watching Koeyle place the last steaming hot dish on the table. He was about to order Koeyle to kneel at his feet when he saw the base’s special communication bracelet on his wrist flash red.
“Master, emergency meeting.”
Some interesting ideas he had just thought of were abruptly interrupted, and He Yue lost interest. “Go ahead.”
After a few bites of food, He Yue heard the doorbell.
Who would come at this late hour? Couldn’t Koeyle enter with facial recognition?
He put down his chopsticks and went to the door.
A familiar face flickered on the video doorbell screen, his face flushed from the cold. He was bundled up in a seemingly old military coat, a plastic raincoat over it, his already robust figure looking somewhat bulky.
He Yue opened the door for him.
“Wien?”
Wien was carrying several bags, covered in rain-soaked plastic, and dragging a large waterproof suitcase with his other hand.
“I brought some things for Master,” the plastic raincoat rustled in the cold wind, icy raindrops falling on his reddened face. “I should have come earlier… but the rain was too heavy, and many roads from the base research institute were flooded.”
He shivered occasionally as he spoke.
He Yue felt a chill from the incoming cold wind.
“Come in and talk, it’s cold outside.”
“Yes.”
Wien left the raincoat outside and hung the wet military coat by the door. He was wearing his civilian major’s uniform, the epaulettes embroidered.
He Yue leaned over and rummaged through the shopping bags, finding mostly thick winter clothes and some cold-weather gear, like hot water bottles.
“The Empire hasn’t had a winter in over a decade. Where did you buy these things?” He Yue examined these now precious supplies.
Wien knelt down and opened the suitcase, taking out vacuum-packed thick quilts and coats. “The base issued them to me.”
He Yue paused.
Wien frowned as he looked at the label on the thick coat in the vacuum bag, his expression troubled. He spoke slowly: “The size might be a bit large, it definitely won’t fit well. The tailor shops outside must be closed because of the heavy rain. I’ll come back to get Master’s measurements when they reopen. Although Master might not go out often and doesn’t need to worry about the cold, the weather will be very unstable recently, and I don’t know if there will be any more sudden power outages due to heavy rain or snow…”
“Wien, have you had dinner yet?” He Yue interrupted him.
Wien fell silent, stunned, his eyes glancing at the still-steaming food on the table. He pursed his lips.
He had had nutrient solution before leaving and wasn’t hungry at all.
But…
“No.”
“Then come over and eat with me.”
Wien froze, making sure he had heard correctly. He put down the vacuum bag and followed He Yue to the dining table. He was about to pull out a chair when He Yue stopped him.
He Yue patted his knee. “Kneel here.”
Wien didn’t hesitate and immediately knelt at his feet.
He Yue picked up some food, put it on an empty plate, and placed it in front of Wien. His tone was gentle, with a warm smile. “Eat, good doggy. Put your hands behind your back.”
Wien obediently put his hands behind his back and bent down to reach the food on the plate. The plate was placed very close to him, so he had to bend over at a considerable angle to reach the food with his mouth.
The aroma of the food was right under his nose, and inevitably, some oil stained his nose. He didn’t care, using his tongue to curl the food into his mouth.
The taste of the food was unfamiliar to him. Whether in the past or now, there was no room in his life for sitting down and enjoying a good meal.
He sat up straight, chewing the food in his mouth with a curious look, secretly watching He Yue eat.
He Yue ate unhurriedly. His life was leisurely, and whether before or after transmigrating, he always had enough time to savor his food.
Wien’s gaze fell on the slender, pale hands that looked even more so under the light, and he couldn’t look away.
“Is it good?” He Yue looked down and saw Wien staring at him intently, a small oil stain on the tip of his nose.
Wien nodded with a smile. “Master’s cooking is excellent.”
“This isn’t my cooking, it’s Colonel Koeyle’s.”
