117 Zhong Yun's Message

Zhang Xiao never imagined that he would become a household name overnight.

The moment the media revealed that a survivor had been found from the *Tongguang Star*, a tsunami of shock swept through the nation. The public still held vivid memories of the spacecraft disaster five months prior—a tragedy that had left all Davo citizens heartbroken. Finding a survivor five months later was, to the average person, an extraordinary event. They were deeply concerned about the survivor’s well-being.

Before he had even stepped off the transport ship, Zhang Xiao’s heart was filled only with the excitement of returning home and reuniting with his loved ones. But the moment the hatch opened, he was nearly knocked off his feet by a thunderous roar of cheering. Gazing at the dense, overwhelming sea of people gathered below, his mind went blank; he was completely at a loss as to what was happening.

It was only when a squad of soldiers arrived to clear a path that he was able to push through the surging crowd and make a hasty escape.

"Someone wants to see you," a young major sitting beside him in the military shuttle said.

"Who?" Zhang Xiao asked, feeling puzzled. The major simply pressed his lips together and remained silent.

Zhang Xiao knew better than to press for answers. Given the major’s respectful demeanor, he assumed it must be someone of great importance. He felt a sense of helplessness; while the Zhang family had some influence in the military, they did not possess the absolute, unchecked power that the Yang family did. Since he was in the hands of the military, he had no choice but to comply.

The shuttle flew directly into the military headquarters. Zhang Xiao was taken to a room on the top floor.

"You will stay here for the time being," the major said before leaving. Two heavily armed guards remained stationed at the door.

Zhang Xiao smiled bitterly as he entered the room. Was this house arrest?

The conditions in the room were actually quite decent, so he settled in, waiting calmly for his family to come for him. He knew his father would never abandon him once he learned he was alive.

Shortly after showering, he heard a knock at the door. Remembering what the major had said, he thought, *That was fast.*

"Hello..." He opened the door, but as he began his polite greeting, his voice was cut short as if his throat had been slashed.

Standing outside was a woman of peerless beauty. She carried an aura as cold as frost and snow; the bone-chilling air radiating from her made Zhang Xiao shiver involuntarily.

"You are the survivor from the *Tongguang Star*?" Her voice sounded like ice striking stone—clear and melodic, yet laced with a biting chill. There was no attempt to hide the deep disappointment on her face.

"Yes."

This woman exerted a psychological pressure on Zhang Xiao that rivaled even his instructors. He felt awkward and restricted in her presence. He was inwardly terrified; she couldn't have been more than twenty years old, yet her strength seemed to rival that of his instructors. She was even more of a monster than Zhong Yun.

"And you are?" Zhang Xiao was no pushover; he refused to be timid in front of a woman.

The woman stepped into the room naturally. As if by mutual agreement, Zhang Xiao stepped back, clearing the way. He was shocked again—the movement felt subconscious, as if he had been unable to control his own body. Could this woman manipulate people? This terrifying thought made him want to step back even further. Unlike combat-oriented abilities, mysterious and elusive support powers were far more frightening because one could never imagine what bizarre tricks an opponent might possess. Manipulating a human body was not an impossibility.

Anxious as he was, Zhang Xiao still sensed the profound sorrow emanating from this brilliant, powerful young woman. He had the surreal impression that she was a transparent ice sculpture—bone-chillingly cold, yet so fragile that she might shatter at the slightest touch.

A wave of pity welled up in him. What tragedy had befallen her? He felt an urge to comfort her, but he dared not; he knew the consequences of such an action would be unimaginable.

"Do you know Zhong Yun?" After a long silence, the woman seemed to "come back to life." The sadness in her eyes caused a dull, tearing pain in Zhang Xiao’s own heart.

A bolt of lightning flashed through his mind. In an instant, it all clicked: she was waiting for Zhong Yun. She was grieving for him. And she was disappointed because he was not Zhong Yun.

All the strength seemed to drain from Zhang Xiao's body. Indeed, only Zhong Yun was worthy of her.

"Know him? We’re more than just acquaintances." Recalling his dear brother, strength returned to his limbs. "We were brothers who lived and died together. If not for him, I wouldn't be alive today."

A dazzling brilliance suddenly erupted in the woman’s eyes. The complex emotions of surprise and fear flickered across her face, which had seemed frozen for eternity. Her slender frame swayed like a snow-flower in a storm, appearing incredibly helpless.

"He... he..." The words carried a weight of expectation so heavy it nearly suffocated her. "Where is he?" she finally asked, a sense of relief washing over her.

Zhang Xiao was transported back to those days spent on the edge of life and death. Zhong Yun’s optimistic, vibrant smile seemed to appear before his eyes. During that time, they had shared everything. He remembered the stories Zhong Yun told, the women he spoke of, and a faint smile touched his lips. "Your name is Qi, right? Zhong Yun mentioned you constantly."

Liu Yunqi listened quietly, drinking in every word about him.

"Zhong Yun also said..." Zhang Xiao’s gaze drifted through the ceiling, back to that life-saving pod. Inside that cramped cabin, two men had floated in the void, sharing their most intimate secrets. "Zhong Yun said the thing he regretted most in this life..."

"The thing I regret most in this life is never having kissed her lips, never having held her tightly in my arms, and never having told her: I love you."

Two crystalline tears slipped silently from Liu Yunqi’s eyes, falling like pearls to the floor, shattering into a thousand fragments of light.

"He also said," Zhang Xiao continued, "that if he ever saw her again, he would kiss every inch of her skin. He would hold her tightly, with all his might, and never let go. He would tell her a thousand times, ten thousand times: I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you..."

Zhang Xiao mimicked Zhong Yun’s tone, repeating the words until every bit of air was squeezed from his lungs.

Across from him, Liu Yunqi was already sobbing uncontrollably, unable to find her voice.