Nothing Unusual

[Yuan Jing made a sound that could have meant anything from 'Oh, yes, I figured everything out already' to 'No, I looked at it but haven't gotten the slightest clue yet'. Well, the answer was somewhere in between anyway so it wouldn't be completely wrong regardless of what Nangong Min assumed it to be.

Yuan Jing turned back to the plant and held his breath while examining it a little more closely. He definitely couldn't get too much of a reaction as long as Nangong Min was around. He didn't want him to feel like he was so shallow that he would want to sleep with him immediately after meeting him. Although … he did want to do that.

Well, for now, the plant was more important. Especially since it could also be that there were lingering effects after coming into contact with it. He couldn't risk that. Not when Nangong Min was the one afflicted with it.

He carefully parted the leaves and looked for anything suspicious but there was nothing there. Yuan Jing furrowed his brows. Had he gotten it wrong? Was something else up with this plant? It wasn't impossible but he couldn't think of anything right now. Well, he should probably leave that to the people in the laboratory.

Yuan Jing made a last attempt and hacked off one leaf after the other. Even if this didn't yield any result in itself, it would at least allow him to pack them all up and bring them back. After all, he didn't have the equipment to take the plant with the root and everything.

With the last leaf fallen down, a trunk as thick as a man's wrist came into view. It had the same blue veins running through it and once again that violet sap trickled out where he had cut off the leaves. Mn, nothing strange there either …

Yuan Jing knelt down next to the trunk and cut it off with one strike too. Looking at the heap of plant parts he couldn't help but furrow his brows. Shouldn't there be at least something unusual about this thing? After all, it had made Nangong Min do such things.

In the end, he could only get up and turn around to the two cadets. "Well, I have some ideas but we'll need to send this to the laboratory to get a definite answer. I'll do that as soon as I've brought you back home, Ah Min."

"Oh, alright." Nangong Min nodded well-behaved while Kang Lei frowned.

If he let things continue like this, then that Major Yuan would take Nangong Min away. And who knew what would happen as soon as those two were alone? One look was enough to see that he wanted to get into Ah Min's pants!

Kang Lei clenched his hands into fists. Whatever happened he had to make sure that he would be able to follow Nangong Min everywhere! He couldn't let him out of his sight even once.

While Kang Lei found his resolve to protect his friend Yuan Jing had already gone over to Nangong Min with a big smile. "I only brought a simple B-Model Glider so it could get a little cramped on the way back. I hope you don't mind."

Nangong Min barely held back from beaming. Being brought back by his idol Major Yuan? And it would even get cramped? Didn't this mean they would be very, very close?! Ah, what could he have against this?!

Nangong Min took a deep breath and hoped that his face hadn't turned completely red. "That … isn't a problem. I'll manage."

"Alright. Then I'll bring you over now and come back here to get the plant."

"Mn. Alright."

Yuan Jing continued to smile and took Nangong Min's hand. "Do you need more help?"

Nangong Min naturally used the opportunity and leaned more heavily against Yuan Jing. "Actually … yes, I'm still feeling a little weak."

Yuan Jing happily pulled him into his embrace. "Then I'll support you while walking. Or do you want me to carry you on my arms?"

Nangong Min was tried to ask for the latter but chickened out in the end. Even if Yuan Jing was very amicable, he was still a Major in the end. How could he just let himself be carried around by a Major the whole time? "No, I guess … this is alright." He used the opportunity to rub across Yuan Jing's flat abdomen though, feeling up the muscles below the uniform. Mn, a Major really was something else.

Yuan Jing very carefully helped Nangong Min the few steps to the Glider he had thrown aside earlier and then had him sit down. "Wait here."

"Mn." Nangong Min nodded again, his eyes registering every move of Yuan Jing. Ah, the flight back to the base would be pure bliss!

Yuan Jing went to his Glider with his head held high and pulled it up again. He took a storage box that was stowed away under the seat and went back to the plant. Now … how to get the thing inside without touching the sap?

He tried to lift one of the leaves with the knife but they were just too big. Maybe he should just touch it after all? But what if there was some side effect to that? He could hardly vent any pent up frustrations on Nangong Min afterward, could he?

He looked back and sighed. Well, he didn't have much equipment with him considering that he had rushed out. So even if he didn't want to touch the thing, he'd still have to do it. Thus Yuan Jing just grabbed the heap of plant parts and stuffed them into the box without any further thought. If it had side effects, he'd just have to trust in his ability to hold back until they reached the military base. He closed the box and carried it back to his Glider, smiling at Nangong Min while he stowed it away again.

"Alright, we can go back home now."]