Azure's Foremost Flower Boy

A helicopter circled in the sky. "It's the Rejecters' chopper. Yeah, borrowed it on short notice, which is why we're late and missed the fight. We're using their frequency right now just to say a few words to you guys... Good to know you're all right. Everyone was worried sick. You've worked hard... We won't land; we're heading straight back in case a mission pops up. "Liu Shiheng and the others turned back after reaching me. They'll probably head over to the medical station to find you... Right, you guys stay there for a few more days. The Shang family folks at the garrison are behaving themselves, so don't worry... Fine or not, make sure you get a thorough checkup and recuperate properly. "Oh, right. If the higher-ups call you in for a chat, remember to put in a good word for our squad. "Haha, I need to pick out our Eraser color ahead of time... What, am I getting ahead of myself? Damn right I am! It's my turn to be smug. In all my half-life, I, Lao Jian, have never had a day this glorious! The regiment is probably boiling over with excitement by now! "Anyway, great job, Qingzi! Great job, Wu Xu! Great job, Wen Jifei..." Lao Jian's hearty laughter rang out, full of vigor, and only after chattering away for ages was he finally willing to let go of the transceiver. Because they were borrowing the frequency temporarily, Rusty Sister, Milla, and He Tangtang were left with barely enough time for a rushed greeting, leaving the trio so furious they practically fumed... The transmission cut off, and the helicopter flew into the distance. "That was Rusty Sister and Captain Lao, wasn't it?" Head tilted up, Wen Jifei ambled over from behind a cluster of doctors, nurses, and wounded soldiers. He nearly tripped over his own feet, yet his face beamed with uncontainable glee. Sitting down, he sprawled straight out on the grass, cradling his head in his hands and crossing his legs as he gazed at the moon... The sheer smugness radiating from him was palpable. "What are you so happy about?" Han Qingyu couldn't help asking. "They're calling me 'Peerless Single Slash Wen Jifei,' hahahaha!" Wen Jifei burst into laughter, grinning roguishly and insolently, entirely oblivious to the awkward helplessness he had felt back then. "You know what? As long as I never make another slash... from now on, I'll be an expert who isn't far behind you two. Once that impression sticks, the fiercer you two get, the fiercer people will think I am." Wen Jifei rolled over, looking up at Han Qingyu. "So you two better keep it up. As for me... to protect my lifelong fame, I've already made up my mind: I am never, ever drawing another strike." Han Qingyu and Wu Xu exchanged helpless glances, privately thinking: *What if we get into a fight later and the enemy sends a top-tier expert straight after you...?* "By the way, I came up with a name for my slash. Want to hear it?" Wen Jifei had a knack for this. Back then, he was the one who had named Han Qingyu's Rusty Sister Vortex Slash, which Golden Shao Xuan had later altered into the Rusty Sister Dimple Slash. "No," Han Qingyu said. "It's called the God-Astonishing Slash," Wen Jifei forced it out anyway, then asked, "How about it?" Han Qingyu considered it. "Not great. I think 'Neurotic Slash' fits better." Wen Jifei thought it over. "That works too." He chuckled to himself for a bit, then added, "How about I name your moves from tonight as well?" "No." "No," Han Qingyu and Wu Xu answered in unison. "Come on, let me," Wen Jifei insisted stubbornly. "For Wu Xu's move, that strike where you crashed into the crowd, person and spear together, battering them dead and sending them flying... how about we call it the Sky Arrow? Or maybe Disperse on Sight? What do you think?" Wu Xu glanced at him and shook his head emphatically. "Then it's settled. Pick whichever one you like." Wen Jifei turned to Han Qingyu. "Qingzi, that final move of yours..." "What about Qingzi's final move?" A voice called out from the side, tinged with concern. A new row of stretchers was being laid down nearby. Since only Sector B of the medical station was currently usable, any wounded who were not critically injured were temporarily placed here after receiving treatment, waiting for daybreak and the completion of security sweeps. The speaker was Ran Qiuling. Her left leg was freshly encased in a plaster cast, and she was trying to sit up a little. Looking to the side, Xiao Li and several others had also finished having their wounds tended to and were being carried over in the same batch. Han Qingyu hurried over to help Ran Qiuling into a comfortable sitting position, fetching a quilt and a pillow to prop her up. "We were just chatting about nonsense," he said. "Are you really all right?" Ran Qiuling reached out to touch the scabs of dried blood on his face, then looked over the rest of him, her voice full of worry and heartache. In truth, his body did ache, but thanks to his physical enhancement, the sensation wasn't particularly intense at the moment. Han Qingyu shook his head with a smile. "I'm fine." Beside them, Xiao Li was still wiping away tears. Her wound still hurt, and now that she was out of danger and no longer had to act tough, she had turned quite delicate. "Go comfort them," Ran Qiuling instructed earnestly once she saw that Qingzi looked truly fine. Relieved and amazed, she added, "For the doctors and nurses of Medical Station 101, tonight was probably a massive psychological trauma... Azure's medical stations have always been safe, and they've never been through anything like this. Even after being brave, they're bound to be scarred by it." Han Qingyu nodded. "Yeah." "Then why aren't you going over to comfort them? Cheer up everyone you see. Right now, you're the best person to comfort and encourage them. That battle scene will stay etched in their minds forever. The moment you show up, they'll feel safe and at ease, you understand?" Ran Qiuling said, tilting her head with a smile to nudge him along. On the one hand, as an elder sister figure, she was speaking the truth—in the eyes of the doctors and nurses, Han Qingyu was indeed the person who brought them the greatest sense of security. On the other hand, she was still trying, in some small way, to help spark a romantic connection for him. Yet this lay entirely outside Han Qingyu's realm of expertise. Obediently, he walked over to Xiao Li and the other injured nurses and doctors, standing there in deep thought for a long time before turning back to ask, "How do I comfort them?" Ran Qiuling: "..." She wondered if she should just give up. Fortunately, Xiao Li was naturally lively and spoke up on her own. "I want to eat little sour pears." That made things simple. Xiao Li and the others had taken Han Qingyu's group to the pear trees before, and it wasn't far away. With Han Qingyu's speed, he could practically go and return in the blink of an eye. "All right, wait here a moment." Looking back, Han Qingyu called Wu Xu over. If they were picking pears, they might as well gather plenty. With so many wounded, everyone ought to get one. Perhaps a sweet and sour taste would make their injuries hurt a little less. He didn't invite Wen Jifei, afraid the guy wouldn't keep up and might trip to his death along the way. "Pick some flowers while you're at it! Spring has plenty of wild blooms; grab a bunch," Ran Qiuling called out from behind, as though only just remembering, after they had taken only a few steps. Han Qingyu turned his head stiffly. Delivering flowers wasn't something he was doing for the first time, though the outcome last time hadn't seemed particularly great... Still, his elder sister had given the order, and her reasoning sounded sound enough. After a moment of helplessness, he could only nod. He, too, felt a fond attachment toward Medical Station 101. Moonlight bathed the hills. The two made the trip swiftly. When they returned, their arms were piled high with little sour pears, and every pocket was stuffed with wild blossoms. The moment they appeared, many people broke into smiles—warm, bright smiles that swept away the lingering gloom. "It worked," Wen Jifei chuckled for a good while before summing it up with a tease: "Azure's foremost flower boy, the dead iron straight man, Han Qingyu." *** Around 4:40 a.m., before dawn. Outside the operating room, Mu Qijian was finally relieved. Her legs gave out the moment she stepped out the door, so she simply sat down on the floor. Taking off her cap and surgical mask, she held a bottle of glucose to drink, a freshly prepared boxed meal from the kitchen sitting beside her. Hearing footsteps approach, Mu Qijian looked up, brushing damp, disheveled strands of hair behind her ear... A figure appeared in her view—scabs of blood on his face, clad in a bloodstained combat uniform, a dead iron straight sword strapped across his back. "Um... thanks for your hard work." His voice sounded far too stiff and flat. Not daring to hand it directly to her, Han Qingyu set an azalea down on the chair beside her. He had been coerced into this by his elder sister. It wasn't that he was unwilling to do it; in truth, seeing smiles on the faces of the doctors and nurses on a night like this made him happy as well. He simply wasn't used to it. His steps appeared calm as he walked away. In reality, however, Mu Qijian caught the awkward embarrassment in his eyes. Thinking about it, the guy was a notorious block of wood, a dead iron straight man... Who had forced him into this? How amusing. Taking the wild blossom in hand, she looked at it and couldn't resist breaking into a radiant smile. Calling after him, Mu Qijian said loudly, "Thank you, Qingzi!" Then she murmured softly to herself, "Thank you." A nurse returned to the break room, set down the tray in her hands, steadied her swaying frame, and sat down to catch her breath. Lowering her head, she rolled up her sleeve and turned her arm over to inspect it. There was a wound under her sleeve. She had assumed the bleeding had stopped naturally, but during her work just now, the cut had torn open again. She hadn't even noticed until a patient pointed out the blood soaking through her fabric. The wound was rather dirty. Dipping a cotton swab in antiseptic, the young nurse began tending to it herself... "Hss!" She gritted her teeth and furrowed her brows in agony, drawing in sharp breaths as tears welled up and spilled from her tightly shut eyes. When she opened her eyes again, through her blurred vision, she saw someone walk through the doorway... It was Han Qingyu! "Are... are you all right?" "I'm fine... It's just a small cut, that's all." "Right. Um, thanks for your hard work today." Han Qingyu offered a faint smile, brought out a bouquet of wild blossoms from behind his back, and placed them on the small table beside her. Before she could even say thank you, the nurse watched him turn and leave through the doorway. She froze for a moment, then beamed. Glancing at the wildflowers on the table, she reached out, took a stem, held it between her lips, and resumed cleaning her wound. It didn't hurt at all.