Chapter 112: Be Gentle With Him
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
The aircraft landed within the boundaries of the Perser Estate in the East District. The downforce stirred the thick canopy of trees as it touched down between the small lake and the forest. The night was still. Only the occasional call of birds echoed through the darkness—no one would come to disturb them here. Even so, Lin Xu adjusted the windows to one-way mode, allowing visibility only from the inside out.
Outside, the stars were dense and brilliant. Their light filtered into the dim cabin through the frosted glass, forming faint halos that blurred at the edges.
He reached out to switch on the light. But the moment it came on, Heinrich raised a hand and switched it off again. In that brief flash, Lin Xu caught a glimpse—Heinrich’s lips were clamped so tightly he’d bitten them bloody, veins bulging at his temples as he endured something close to agony. No lights, then.
Lin Xu’s hand dropped back to the silver dragon tail wrapped tightly around his waist. He turned to Heinrich. “We’re down. It’s safe now.”
That subtle hint was like tossing a match into dry tinder. The temperature in the cabin spiked, the thick scent of vetiver intensifying until it nearly drowned the senses. Lin Xu had to open his mouth to breathe, gulping in air through both nose and lips. He fumbled to crank up the aircraft’s ventilation system.
A rush of cool night air swept in, bringing with it the clean scent of lake water and leaves. The fresh breeze diluted the overwhelming mixture of vetiver and honey. It was enough to snap Heinrich out of his haze—for a moment.
He scooted back into the corner of his seat, trying to distance himself from the source of that intoxicating sweetness. “I’m fine. I don’t… need anything.”
But the fire was already burning through his self-control. That last thread of clarity told him that he couldn’t force Lin Xu—not like this. That would make him no better than a beast or a bandit. Had he… had he really bitten Lin Xu’s hand earlier?
“You’re fine?” Lin Xu’s voice was dry as he reached down and ran his fingers against the dragon scales wrapped around his waist, pushing them backward against the grain. The silver-white scales flared up instantly, only to snap back into place with a hard snap. Heinrich’s muscles jerked tight. “You sure?”
He said he was fine, but his tail was still wrapped around him like a vice. Heinrich pressed his lips into a hard line and silently began to unwind the disobedient tail from Lin Xu’s body. The tail thrashed violently in protest, so he folded it and held it tightly in his arms to keep it under control.
But the drug wasn’t fading. On the contrary, it was escalating—eroding what few defenses he had left. The tail, acting on subconscious instinct, kept trying to break free, fighting him with reckless strength.
What made it worse was that Lin Xu was now crawling over the pilot seat—bracing on hands and knees, leaning over the controls toward him. The movement stirred the cabin air, wafting that maddeningly sweet scent with every breath he took.
“What are you even thinking right now?” Lin Xu pressed his cold cheek to the back of Heinrich’s feverish hand. His hearing was sharp enough to catch the pulsing rush of blood in Heinrich’s veins. He wouldn’t allow Heinrich to rile him up only to retreat the next second.
Heinrich’s hand trembled as he tried, weakly, to pull it away. Lin Xu grabbed it. “You can do this to others—but not to me?”
Heinrich’s breathing grew ragged.
“Besides… could you really get any rougher than you already have?”
The words had barely left his lips when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and twisted him around—forcing his body to face the side window of the aircraft.
“Mm—!” The sudden spin left Lin Xu’s vision swimming. Before he could react, the calm voice of the aircraft’s system cut through the air:
“One-way glass mode: disabled.”
“Hein—!”
Heinrich grabbed the back of Lin Xu’s neck, pressing the troublesome, temptingly defiant little mermaid against the glass. The dragon tail snapped tight around Lin Xu’s knees, locking his legs in place and making escape impossible.
A long-tailed tit startled at the sudden jolt of the strange iron box nearby. It hopped from one branch to another, fluffing its feathers nervously. Its beady eyes caught the shift in the glass window, now fully transparent. It saw a pair of eyes—gray, beautiful as cut gemstones. The mist inside the cabin only made the gem-like irises glisten more vividly.
Drawn by curiosity, the little bird fluttered toward the window. But its wings beat back quickly when the glass fogged up from human breath, clouding its view.
It pecked lightly at the pane. Suddenly, a pale hand pressed against the inside, palm shaking as it slid downward, smearing away the condensation. Startled, the bird darted back into the trees—leaving the trembling iron box behind.
– –
When they returned to Endymion, it was Heinrich sitting in the pilot’s seat. Lin Xu sat with his head resting against the glass window, still dizzy and numb, his throat raw. Heinrich had gotten water everywhere—after it cooled, the dampness clung uncomfortably to his skin, making Lin Xu reluctant to move at all.
At least Heinrich had the sense to activate the one-way visibility setting on the glass during the space elevator ride. He hadn’t gone completely feral like he did back by the forest. Still, the faint traces of alpha pheromones leaking through the vehicle’s vents had left the elevator personnel wearing complicated expressions.
It was early morning on the Cacamorra Plains, the sunlight still weak and filtered through a thick blanket of fog. Parked in front of Lin Xu’s house was another aircraft, its silhouette just visible through the mist.
“Do you know them?” Heinrich asked. Lin Xu pushed himself up and glanced at the license plate. “It’s Chen Jinshan.”
He sent a message to Chen Jinshan to ask what was going on and found out the man had come to deliver ancient Earth relics. Lin Xu told him to wait—he’d be right there.
Once the aircraft touched down, Lin Xu dug through their tangled clothes in search of something wearable. In the end, only a shirt was salvageable.
“Next time, don’t rip the pants,” he told Heinrich, his voice flat and emotionless, as if they were simply discussing household chores. Heinrich seemed caught off guard, the words stuck in his throat for a long moment before he finally managed to sound calm. “Okay. Want me to carry you?”
Lin Xu’s legs always shook afterward. Heinrich draped his oversized military coat over Lin Xu’s shoulders. “It’ll cover everything.”
Lin Xu considered it, then gave a small nod. He let Heinrich carry him back into the house to change before meeting with Chen Jinshan. He buried his face against Heinrich’s shoulder, the heavy coat covering his entire body.
Still, things had gotten so intense earlier that a large smear of damp white residue clung to the edge of the black uniform jacket.
Inside his aircraft, Chen Jinshan silently watched Heinrich stride toward the house with Lin Xu in his arms. After a long pause, he sighed and shook his head. “…Kids these days,” he muttered. “Really know how to have fun.”
– –
Lin Xu quickly cleaned himself up, changed into loose, comfortable clothes, and invited Chen Jinshan inside. Heinrich wasn’t on the first floor.
Blackie and Snowy weaved around Lin Xu’s legs, whining softly. The family of blue squirrels still didn’t dare get too close to the rabbit-cats, but they wanted to be near the one who fed them daily. As a compromise, they huddled together in a corner of the sofa.
Chen Jinshan, holding a box in his arms, locked eyes with the round gaze of one of the blue squirrels. “You got a new pet?”
“They wandered in on their own. I just kept them,” Lin Xu replied casually. Chen Jinshan set the box down on the table and went to gently stroke the trembling little squirrels. Their fur was smooth and glossy—they were clearly eating well here.
“Go ahead and open the box. There’s a wooden Rubik’s Cube and a fountain pen inside. Both are ancient Earth relics that were taken when the Alliance and the Ark Fleet split.”
Lin Xu first retrieved a pair of disposable rubber gloves and put them on before opening the box. He carefully removed the items from the foam padding.
The Rubik’s Cube had nearly lost all of its color, the damp wood fibers looking dangerously fragile. Lin Xu didn’t dare try to twist it. After a simple inspection, he placed it back into the foam.
He turned his attention to the pen—a fully metal silver fountain pen. The seam between the cap and the barrel had corroded, leaving reddish-brown rust. The pen bore a faint manufacturer’s mark, identifying it as a high-end brand from a pre-apocalypse penmaker. Once he’d finished, Lin Xu sealed the box back up. He planned to take it to the lab later.
Chen Jinshan’s attention shifted from the squirrels to Lin Xu, who stood bathed in the pale, bluish morning light. There was a distinct sense of distance about him. He was dressed casually. The tips of his long hair were damp and slightly messy, giving him a feral edge, like someone resisting the pull of human civilization.
Chen Jinshan had sensed that same aloofness from the first time he met Lin Xu. But this… the clothes looked new.
He looked more closely and spotted the Gorlin brand tag—immediately recalling the recent news footage of Lin Xu and Heinrich shopping together at a Gorlin boutique.
Chen Jinshan tapped a finger against a squirrel’s head. The wooden furniture and woven blankets filled the room with a warm, clean scent. The few fluffy creatures scattered around made the space feel unexpectedly soft.
Lin Xu clearly preferred a peaceful and gentle life. And now, with Heinrich in the picture, Chen Jinshan couldn’t help but hope he’d give up chasing after dangerous truths.
“So,” he asked quietly, “what are you planning to do next?”
Lin Xu answered, “Take both items for testing. Run a comparative analysis.”
He hadn’t told Chen Jinshan about the anomalies in the historical timeline of the Imperial artifacts. As far as Chen Jinshan knew, this was just some academic research.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Xu added, “I’ll be leaving Crescent District for a while. I’m heading to Thales.”
“Thales? You’re going to see the mermaids?” Chen Jinshan looked surprised.
“Yeah,” Lin Xu said. “The expedition found mermaid remains in the deep sea of ancient Earth. The findings haven’t been made public yet, but genetic testing suggests the mermaids from ancient Earth and those from Thales might belong to the same species. I need to take a look.”
– –
While Lin Xu and Chen Jinshan talked on the first floor, Heinrich walked alone into the tool room inside the warehouse. He switched on the lights and sat down. The room was filled with power drills, hammers, and leftover planks. Heinrich placed what he had been holding on the table, then reached into a corner to pull out a small box.
Two silver-white dragon scales lay quietly on the table, shimmering faintly under the light. The scale in the box looked thicker. Heinrich picked up the thinner dragon scale with a pair of tweezers. When its edge scraped across the other scale, it left a visible scratch. He had been trying to find a tool that could cut through dragon scales, but nothing had worked—so now he was trying to use another scale.
Once he confirmed it worked, Heinrich drew a ring-shaped outline on the thicker scale, then cut the thinner one into small pieces. He attached them to a micro-carving drill and began cutting. Dust scattered under the glow of the lamp.
Half an hour later, the sound of a flyer starting up echoed from the fields. Heinrich quickly stashed his tools and materials, then stepped out onto the front porch. Lin Xu was standing on the steps, having already said his goodbyes to Chen Jinshan. As Heinrich came out, Chen Jinshan lingered near the flyer for a moment.
“Marshal Chu,” Chen Jinshan said, his gaze slightly complicated. “I… I just want to say, Lin Xu’s health has never been great. He used to get sick and take leave all the time. Please, take good care of him.”
“Of course.”
Although Heinrich privately thought that Lin Xu’s current condition was good enough to tear a Zerg apart with his bare hands, he still gave a sincere reply. Chen Jinshan studied Heinrich’s serious expression and sighed. Clearly, the man hadn’t understood what he meant.
He had no choice but to be blunt. “Just… be gentle with him when you’re doing things, alright? He’s a beta. He really doesn’t look like he can take too much rough treatment.”
Heinrich: “…Okay.”
