Cat?

“Still keeping a cat even during the rainy season?”

“But that’s not the point. Song Qinglan didn’t want to run into anyone else, so he confirmed with Ji Yushi: ‘That’s good. No one will come looking for you, right?'”

Ji Yushi was puzzled: “Who would come looking for me?”

Song Qinglan said: “Those three men—”

He stopped, thinking that the term “boyfriend” didn’t quite fit those relationships, so he rephrased it: “Male friends.”

Originally, Song Qinglan thought that the “clingy person at home” was just one, which is why Ji Yushi was hesitant about joining Team Sky Seven. He didn’t plan to force Ji Yushi, leaving the decision to him. If Ji Yushi really couldn’t bear to leave his relationship and didn’t want to join the team, then so be it. But since learning that Ji Yushi had three people at home instead of one, Song Qinglan knew that these relationships were unhealthy, much like the chaotic private life of Lin Xinglan from Team Nine.

However, Ji Yushi was different. For Song Qinglan, whether Ji Yushi cared about these relationships or not, he could not approve of such a lifestyle.

Ji Yushi’s pupils dilated: “…”

Three male friends?

Song Qinglan coldly said: “No matter which one it is, no matter how clingy, it’s not advisable for him to come over.” After saying this, he glanced at Ji Yushi, “We’ll probably be quite busy tonight.”

Wait, Ji Yushi seemed to suddenly understand something: “Captain Song, do you think I’m dating three boyfriends at the same time?”

Ji Yushi was shocked.

Recalling all the interactions he’d had with Song Qinglan, he realized there were some conversations that could easily be misunderstood. But was this really because Captain Song overthought it, or are all straight men like this?

Is it really the fault of the bad reputation gay people have?

Song Qinglan found the question strange. What did “you think” mean?

Ji Yushi put away his shocked expression, pressing his fist to his lips, seemingly a bit angry but also holding back a smile: “Hmm, there were three originally. But I was just about to tell you that my three ‘boyfriends’ have become one.”

Seeing Song Qinglan’s tightly pursed lips and stiff expression, looking like he was resisting hearing anything about homosexuality, Ji Yushi helplessly witnessed prejudice firsthand in Song Qinglan.

He was starting to believe in the concept of homophobia.

“Three became one, and it’s a new one.” Ji Yushi put down his hand, saying mischievously, “I was a bit upset at first, reluctant to let go of the original three, but with the double memories overlapping, I suddenly remembered how I met this new one and how deep our feelings are. I realized I still really like it. It’s strong, looks great, and last night, it pressed down on me so hard I could barely breathe, always wanting me to hold it.”

Song Qinglan frowned: “…”

The straight-as-steel Captain Song turned and walked away: “You don’t need to tell me these things.”

Ji Yushi stood there for two seconds, and Song Qinglan turned back and walked toward him.

Song Qinglan, standing over 1.9 meters tall, already had a commanding presence with his height and long legs.

That day, with his handsome and heroic face carrying a hint of hostility, his dark eyes bore into Ji Yushi as he approached, making Ji Yushi’s heart skip a beat and causing him to unconsciously take a step back.

What was Song Qinglan going to do?

Surely he wouldn’t react violently because of some unpleasant experience related to homosexuality?

In the quiet underground parking lot, it was just the two of them. As Ji Yushi stepped back, he bumped into the door of an SUV behind him.

The streetlights stretched their shadows long.

Standing in front of Ji Yushi, Song Qinglan was nearly grinding his teeth but just barely controlled his emotions.

He lowered his gaze to look at Ji Yushi’s face and said, “Could you perhaps take better care of yourself?”

Whether it’s taking medication or falling in love, take better care of yourself.

Ji Yushi was stunned.

Before he could say anything, Song Qinglan raised his hand.

With a light “thud” behind Ji Yushi’s ear, Song Qinglan had punched the roof of the car, as if venting, though without much force.

Like a light tap on the drum in Ji Yushi’s heart.

Song Qinglan stepped back a little, ending the conversation with that punch, and said impatiently, “Let’s go.”

Ji Yushi’s heartbeat gradually returned to normal, and he heard himself say, “Okay.”

The two of them went upstairs together. In the elevator, they ran into a neighbor lady who greeted Ji Yushi: “Xiao Ji, you’re back from your business trip?”

Ji Yushi had moved out of the Ji family home before graduating from university, buying this apartment to live alone.

Although he wasn’t good at socializing, the neighbor’s children often came over to play with the cat, so he was somewhat familiar with them.

Ji Yushi politely responded that he was.

The neighbor lady had to tilt her head back to see Song Qinglan’s face and smiled, asking, “Is this your friend? He’s really tall and handsome.”

Song Qinglan looked at her, not in the best mood and barely tilting his head, appearing somewhat arrogant: “Thanks.”

Ji Yushi thought to himself, not modest at all.

The neighbor lady covered her mouth, “Oh my, and his voice is so pleasant too.”

Song Qinglan actually seemed a bit pleased: “You really know how to talk. No wonder you have such a warm and friendly aura. Is everyone in this neighborhood as aesthetically gifted as you?”

Neighbor lady: “Of course! Look at our greenery, look at our lighting, all discussed and decided by the residents. The right place for the right people. And Xiao Ji, everyone knows he’s our resident representative as soon as he steps out. Let me guess, you’re Xiao Ji’s boyfriend, right?”

Song Qinglan curled his lips: “Not at all.”

Ji Yushi: “…”

Great, Song Qinglan successfully pulled him back from his chaotic thoughts to reality.

Even if he was crazy, he couldn’t imagine such a conversation.

As they exited the elevator, Ji Yushi scanned his iris at the door.

The white door opened, and with a “meow,” a soft orange ball of fur leaped down from a high place, affectionately greeting him.

There really was a cat.

As soon as Song Qinglan entered, the cat arched its back towards him, making a strange “woo woo” sound. He found it amusing: “Is this a ‘don’t touch me’ message?”

Ji Yushi stepped forward, picked up the cat, and petted it a couple of times to soothe it: “I don’t usually have visitors here, so it’s not used to strangers.”

Song Qinglan regretted that there seemed to be no cat in the world that liked him.

While Ji Yushi took the cat to another room, Song Qinglan took a look around the apartment.

He had thought that Ji Yushi’s place would be as cold and distant as the person himself, lacking any warmth. Or, like how Ji Yushi acted in battle, the house would be sharp and decisive.

In reality, the place was filled with a homey atmosphere.

Dark brown hardwood floors, a few chandeliers that seemed to have been salvaged from some old era, and as rumored about Ji Yushi in Team Sky, the walls were lined with books. If he kept buying more, the space would soon be so full that there wouldn’t be any room left to stand.

A beige fabric sofa was piled with blankets, and the floor was scattered with cushions and Ji Yushi’s cherished black-and-white handheld game console, as if pushed off during some activity, creating a mess.

Given the messages exchanged the night before, this scene could easily lead to inappropriate associations, so Song Qinglan quickly looked away.

Other than that, there were few signs of anyone else’s presence in the house.

Song Qinglan was reluctant to sit on that sofa, but he also didn’t want to stand there like an idiot, so he wandered around the house a bit, then noticed a wall with hanging photo frames.

In this day and age, photos are a rarity.

But like the books that filled Ji Yushi’s home, these nostalgic items appeared naturally here—they also nicely illustrated Ji Yushi’s role as a recorder.

It’s said that after completing a mission, recorders are rewarded and can make legal transactions to buy their favorite items, as long as they don’t affect history. This is different from guardians, who don’t receive any rewards and often envy the recorders.

In the photo, there were four people, appearing to be a family of four.

Ji Yushi looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, far less aloof than he is now. His features were delicate, with a hint of youthful innocence, looking very well-behaved.

If he were a little younger, he might be mistaken for a little girl.

If Ji Yushi had been the one who shrank during the Chaos mission…

“Captain Song.” Ji Yushi’s voice came from behind him, “Would you like something to drink?”

Song Qinglan followed the sound.

The house was cleverly laid out, with every area connected, seemingly designed for the convenience of the cat.

In a short time, Ji Yushi had settled the cat, changed into a cotton and linen home outfit, and was now standing in the kitchen washing cups. Because his head was lowered, the soft, white back of his neck appeared long and elegant.

“Coffee, please.”

Song Qinglan said.

Ji Yushi set down the cups and found a coffee grinder, pouring coffee beans into it with practiced movements.

Song Qinglan sat on a high stool, one long leg easily reaching the floor: “No housekeeping robot, no mechanical arm in the kitchen, and even the coffee machine is semi-automatic—everything is done by hand. Consultant Ji, you really live in a retro style.”

Ji Yushi remembered something: “When we were selecting weapons for the mission on PU-31, you said the same thing. Why?”

Back then, they weren’t familiar with each other. Ji Yushi chose the Diamond Bird, and Song Qinglan had commented on it that way.

Song Qinglan said: “First, there’s the rumor that your house is so full of books that there’s no room left. Second… that day, I came to find you for training and caught you slacking off. In the Sky professional course, you weren’t paying attention, instead, you were focused on playing Tetris.”

So when Song Qinglan said he was retro back then, was he actually mocking him for being showy?

Song Qinglan was alert: “You wouldn’t have held a grudge, would you?”

Ji Yushi was speechless, not having time to hold grudges: “You came to find me for training?”

“Yes.” Song Qinglan recalled the incident and found it amusing, “At that time, I didn’t know you, didn’t know you needed to shift your focus, and thought you were just slacking off, really just going through the motions.”

Ji Yushi: “…”

So that’s where the misunderstanding came from.

Ji Yushi made two cups of coffee.

Song Qinglan casually picked up one cup, pouring a bit into the other: “Consultant Ji, it’s already late. Drink a little less. We need you well-rested and with a clear mind.”

Ji Yushi had noticeable dark circles under his eyes, and Song Qinglan wasn’t much better off.

Song Qinglan took a sip. Whether it was psychological or not, the hand-ground coffee indeed had a richer aroma: “I’ve gone three days without sleep before, it’s no big deal.”

Ji Yushi: “Four days.”

Song Qinglan: “?”

Ji Yushi had gone four days without sleep?

But Ji Yushi didn’t continue, just took a sip of his coffee: “Do you want something to eat?”

Song Qinglan said, “No, I had dinner on the train, though it didn’t taste very good.”

The high-paid chef at his grandfather’s house would probably cry if he heard that.

Ji Yushi nodded: “Then we can start discussing now.”

Based on another set of memories Ji Yushi had, he detailed how Minister Wang seconded him to Jiangcheng, how he was abducted during the A-level mission sent by Minister Wang, and then how the Chaos mission was intercepted by Minister Qi.

Apart from the initial discrepancy in who seconded him, the most significant difference in their memories was in the Chaos mission: according to Song Qinglan, the Qi Team they encountered in Chaos was indeed the Minister Qi from his memory.

It was from this point that Ji Yushi’s memories began to overlap, making it difficult to distinguish whether they were in a parallel world or a real one.

Song Qinglan pondered and said, “Let’s start by analyzing your ‘original memory.’ You said we entered the rainforest, found the remains of Team Sky Twelve by the creek, and then I told you that Team Sky Twelve had been missing for fifteen years.”

In the other memory, they also found the remains of Team Sky Twelve by the creek, but Song Qinglan hadn’t mentioned anything about the “fifteen years missing,” only expressing surprise that there were predecessors buried there.

Ji Yushi had a headache: “Yes.”

Song Qinglan continued, “Then, after destroying the mirrored world of the rainforest, Team Qi appeared. Our memories diverged here; you knew he was ‘Team Qi who had been missing for fifteen years,’ but to me, he was just a younger version of Minister Qi.”

Indeed, this was how it appeared in the overlapping memories.

Ji Yushi pursed his lips. Normally, he could easily analyze these issues, but now they felt like a tangled mess in his mind.

However, Song Qinglan, as if he could sense all of Ji Yushi’s thoughts, accurately pointed out: “Whether or not ‘Team Sky Twelve missing for fifteen years’ exists in my memory, at least we can be sure of one thing: the ‘young version of Minister Qi’ I mentioned was indeed a member of Team Sky Twelve, right?”

Ji Yushi nodded like a well-behaved child, honestly.

Song Qinglan opened a holographic projection: “But there’s still one more thing, Xie Si’an.”

Ji Yushi watched as Song Qinglan extended a finger, drawing a point on the projection, just as he had done before.

Song Qinglan said, “Xie Si’an is the key to distinguishing the timeline. He wasn’t in the rainforest because, after betraying his teammates, he accidentally entered the city, and after coming out, he met us. By comparing our time with his, we can infer that there is indeed a fifteen-year time difference between us, right?”

Ji Yushi replied, “Yes, you could say that.”

For a moment, it seemed as if their roles had switched.

It was a strange feeling. For the first time, Ji Yushi experienced what it was like to have someone lead him in clarifying his thoughts.

Song Qinglan might not have as many wild speculations as Ji Yushi, or as much knowledge stored up due to his inability to forget, but his logic was top-notch, and his mindset far surpassed that of anyone else.

Ji Yushi had no doubt that even if their analysis led to the conclusion that they had developed time-travel aftereffects and had gone mad, Song Qinglan would calmly take him to the Sky Medical Center for treatment.

Song Qinglan narrowed his black eyes: “Then—”

As he spoke, he wrote, “Let’s assume the time point when Team Sky Twelve disappeared is point ‘A,’ and the point when we arrived at Chaos is point ‘B.’ Whether we were sent on the mission by Minister Wang or Minister Qi, there are fifteen years between point ‘A’ and point ‘B.’ This means that, at least in one reality, the ‘Team Sky Twelve missing for fifteen years’ event really happened. The question is, if ‘Team Sky Twelve missing for fifteen years’ is true, and Minister Qi, as the captain, was absent during those fifteen years, then who was in charge during those fifteen years?”

At that moment, Song Qinglan’s phone rang.

He received an encrypted file.

The phone was still projecting, and Ji Yushi averted his eyes: “Is it okay to look?”

In case it’s personal, it wouldn’t be good.

Song Qinglan had nothing to hide and, besides, the only person who would send him a file at this time was one person.

He naturally said, “It was meant for you to see.”

Song Qinglan unlocked the phone and opened the file.

In the holographic projection, they both saw the content.

It was a middle-aged woman in her early fifties, wearing a pair of pearl earrings, with a gentle temperament, looking at the camera with a smile.

In a flash, Song Qinglan frowned and unconsciously answered his own question.

Song Qinglan blurted out: “It was Minister Wang.”