Will Drawing the “Wife Card” Turn Me Into the Group’s Favorite? 41

Chapter 41: Pain

There was no time to waste. Tang Yu’an immediately started packing.

Wei Langxing, surprised by his urgency, stopped him: “Why the rush? The materials aren’t going anywhere.”

The materials could wait, but Wang Wen couldn’t!

Every hour increased the danger. He could be struggling for survival somewhere!

Tang Yu’an had his reasons but couldn’t reveal them, so he simply said he was excited about his first long-distance mission.

Wei Langxing found his eagerness endearing. The thought of spending the long journey alone with him made him feel strangely giddy.

In that case, leaving sooner wasn’t a bad idea.

“Then let’s prepare today and leave tomorrow morning…”

“No,” Tang Yu’an interrupted him abruptly. “Today.”

“Huh?”

To counter his confusion, Tang Yu’an said logically: “I just checked the spaceship, everything’s ready. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Director Pang assigned us this mission, we should show some enthusiasm. So, are you ready?”

His words were filled with such conviction that Wei Langxing felt Tang Yu’an was radiating an aura of determination, as if he was about to charge into battle with a laser gun.

Before he could answer, Tang Yu’an answered for him: “It seems you’re ready. Let’s go!”

An hour later, Wei Langxing, dressed in his Bureau uniform, sat in the cockpit, still in disbelief.

They were actually leaving?

Tang Yu’an had practically pushed him in, the swift sequence of events making him feel like he wouldn’t live to see tomorrow.

The moment he sat down, Tang Yu’an, not giving him a moment’s rest, asked: “Ready? Let’s go!”

Despite it being a routine mission, feeling the rumble of their own spaceship’s engine, Wei Langxing felt a surge of excitement.

Pang Jin had assigned three competent officers to assist them, who readily agreed to the last-minute change of schedule.

After the system checks, the spaceship roared to life, launching into space.

The journey was long, but autopilot could handle most of it; they didn’t need to stay in the cockpit constantly.

Wei Langxing set the course and relaxed, eating some nutrient paste.

He walked over to Tang Yu’an, joining him by the special viewing window.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

In the vastness of space, they were like ants on a leaf floating on a lake, insignificant.

The endless expanse of the cosmos inspired awe even in the most arrogant hearts.

Tang Yu’an, preoccupied, didn’t hear him.

“What did you say?”

Wei Langxing turned to him, about to repeat himself, then his gaze fell on Tang Yu’an’s profile, bathed in the faint glow of the stars.

“Nothing, I said it’s beautiful.”

He held a cup of coffee, his thoughts drifting back to their first, awkward encounter.

Now, much closer, he could even joke about it: “Do you remember when we first met? I was so stupid, mistaking you for my new assistant, even drinking your coffee…”

He reminisced, but Tang Yu’an’s mind was elsewhere.

With unknown dangers ahead, he needed to prepare.

“Can you tell me more about Planet B172?”

The journey, which Wei Langxing had envisioned as romantic, turned into a work session. Although he didn’t understand Tang Yu’an’s sudden seriousness, he complied.

“Like I said before, B172 is located at the border between the Federation and two autonomous star systems. Due to historical reasons, it’s a neutral zone, with its own government.”

“Because of this, many fugitives and criminals have settled there, making it increasingly chaotic, even earning the nickname ‘Junkyard Planet.'”

“But we’re only briefly interacting with the government, retrieving the energy crystals they’re obligated to provide under the agreement. We won’t be dealing with the general population, so don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

Wei Langxing, assuming Tang Yu’an’s unease stemmed from his first long-distance mission, spoke confidently.

From his perspective, there was no reason for concern. The planet’s government was located in a technologically advanced sky city, its residents wealthy, its security tight.

The fugitives and exiled criminals lived on the planet’s surface, unable to reach the sky city due to strict airspace control.

Tang Yu’an knew he was acting strangely, forcing a stiff smile: “Mm-hmm, I understand.”

He exhaled, trying to relax, but a sense of foreboding lingered.

The month-long journey was uneventful. Wei Langxing tried to get him to explore the spaceship’s entertainment areas, but Tang Yu’an refused, locking himself in his room.

He became increasingly certain that something was bothering him, determined to find out what it was.

He knocked on Tang Yu’an’s door, finding it unlocked.

Hearing no sound from inside, he entered cautiously, his heart softening at the sight before him.

He gently removed the controller from Tang Yu’an’s hand, draping a blanket over his sleeping form.

The tablet on the table displayed information about Planet B172. So he was still worried.

Wei Langxing regretted bringing him along. He should have let him stay on the main star.

He placed the snacks he brought beside him, then sat opposite him, watching—

His face rested on the table, his cheeks squished, looking soft and inviting.

They must be so soft, Wei Langxing thought, his fingers itching.

Then he noticed the earring on his ear, pausing.

He really was… wearing it constantly.

It irritated him. He looked at Tang Yu’an’s slightly parted lips, his mood improving.

He realized this sleeping position might give him a stiff neck, so without thinking, he picked him up.

It was different from carrying him on his back. The relaxed form in his arms, the slight redness on his cheek from being pressed against the table, shifted in his sleep, snuggling closer.

He didn’t want to let go.

Afraid of waking him, he gently placed him on the bed.

Tang Yu’an’s limbs curled up slightly as he touched the mattress. Wei Langxing had read online that this indicated insecurity.

His heart ached. He dimmed the lights, sitting beside the bed.

Tang Yu’an, who had been sleeping peacefully, now frowned, his sleep restless.

Was he having a nightmare?

Wei Langxing thought he would ask the therapist about calming medication when they returned.

He wasn’t entirely wrong. Tang Yu’an wasn’t having a nightmare, but his dream wasn’t pleasant.

Another memory. He was a thin teenager, standing barefoot on the floor, afraid to look at his enraged mother.

He felt cold, a chill creeping up from his feet, but he couldn’t find his slippers. His mother had smashed everything in the room, the bookshelf toppled over, shards of porcelain scattered everywhere. He could only find a relatively clean spot to stand.

His mother paced back and forth, her expression frantic, muttering to herself.

“My earrings, my grandfather gave them to me for my wedding, they’re a family heirloom, I can’t lose them, I can’t…”

Suddenly, she picked up a book and threw it at him: “Where did you hide my earrings?! Tell me!”

Tang Yu’an dodged, the corner of the book grazing his hair. If he hadn’t moved, he would have been seriously injured.

He didn’t argue, not because he accepted the blame, but because he knew it was useless to say anything.

His father had told him his mother was ill, that she couldn’t be reasoned with during her episodes.

He had witnessed it several times, sometimes turning the stove to maximum heat while cooking, sometimes smashing things without warning.

The therapist said it was a congenital mental energy deficiency, incurable, only manageable with constant care.

He tried to understand her, it wasn’t her fault, but he still felt it was unfair.

Why was he always the target of her anger? Even when delirious, she never hurt his younger brother, Tang Ze.

And now, with his father and Tang Ze out shopping, and his mother having an episode, he didn’t know what to do, only dodging and staying silent.

His mother’s earrings were always kept in a small cabinet in her room. He had never even touched them, how could he know where they were?

Seeing her agitation escalating, he tried to explain that he hadn’t taken them, but she wouldn’t listen.

Leaving was the best option. He glanced at the door, but his arm was suddenly grabbed.

He looked up, his mother’s expression terrifying him into silence.

Her face was contorted, her eyes like a wild animal’s, making her seem like a demon wearing his mother’s skin.

Her voice was shrill: “Trying to run away? You little brat, stealing my earrings and trying to run away, I won’t let you…”

She dragged him to the bedroom, throwing him to the floor.

He instinctively tried to escape, but she blocked the door.

He was truly terrified now. He wanted to call for his father, but he wasn’t home.

His mother yanked open drawers, rummaging through them, cursing: “You little thief, living off us, showing no gratitude, daring to steal, you ungrateful wretch…”

He tried to calm down, but he was just a child, unable to control his emotions, tears blurring his vision.

His mother suddenly smiled at him, sending shivers down his spine.

She approached him, her voice menacing: “You like earrings, don’t you? You want to wear them so badly, but you don’t have pierced ears. I’ll help you…”

Only when she was close did he see the thick needle in her hand.

He tried to run, but she grabbed his shirt, pulling him back. He knew he couldn’t just stand there, but fear paralyzed him.

He could only pray she would snap out of it.

As the needle approached, he pleaded: “Mom, please don’t do this, I’m sorry, I really am, please, please don’t…”

His pleas were replaced by pain, a scream escaping his lips as the needle pierced his earlobe.

————

Wei Langxing finally managed to wake him. Seeing his eyes open, he sighed in relief, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Watching him struggle in his nightmare, unable to wake him, his own mental energy fluctuating, he had almost called for emergency medical assistance.

He was glad he was awake now.

He poured a glass of water, wanting to help him sit up, but he noticed something was wrong.

“Yu’an?”

Tang Yu’an was unresponsive, motionless, his hair disheveled, his arm hanging limply by the bed, like a discarded doll.

Wei Langxing’s heart lurched. He called his name softly, hoping to bring him back.

But then he saw a tear silently slide down his cheek, and he couldn’t speak, only mechanically wiping it away.

His touch seemed to have an effect, as Tang Yu’an suddenly gasped, tears streaming down his face, mumbling something.

His voice was soft. Wei Langxing leaned closer to hear him clearly.

Just one word, repeated over and over: “Pain.”

He didn’t know why he was in pain, but he felt it too, a sharp ache in his own chest.

“Where does it hurt?” He held Tang Yu’an’s cold hand, asking repeatedly.

“Yu’an, where does it hurt? Tell me, please.”

Tang Yu’an heard him, replying: “My ear, my ear hurts…”

Wei Langxing’s first thought was that there was something wrong with the earring.

He reached out to touch it, and Tang Yu’an instinctively flinched, as if in pain.

It was the earring!

Enraged, he quickly removed it, throwing it on the floor and crushing it under his foot.