After I Stopped Being a Simp, My Husband Fell for Me on His Own - Chapter 19

Ji Xingxiao held zero expectations for Yu Yi. After finishing his instructions, he told Yu Yi to rest early because they had to assemble at five o’clock the next morning.

“So, we are heading straight out on a mission?” Yu Yi thought.

Yu Yi quickly sent a text message to Mr. Ruan to request a leave of absence.

Mr. Ruan replied, “You really are something. One minute later and I would have been asleep. I have successfully submitted it for you. Just do not tell people you are my student if you mess up in the Contaminated Zone.”

Yu Yi found it difficult to sleep. He had never been on a mission before. Even though Ji Xingxiao told him he just needed to stay still, he felt very nervous.

Yu Yi did not know if he actually slept at all that night; he just vaguely heard the sound of Ji Xingxiao opening the door.

When he opened his eyes, he found Ji Xingxiao already dressed in a combat uniform, standing before him looking sharp and dashing.

Pinned to his chest was the emblem of the Command Academy, a golden kite with its wings spread wide. The deep black specialized fabric outlined his already perfect physique even more smoothly. For a moment, Yu Yi could not look away.

“Get up. Hurry,” Ji Xingxiao said with a cold face.

“Oh, right, okay.” Yu Yi snapped out of it and scrambled out of bed, only to feel troubled again as he looked at his pile of rags on the floor. He did not know what to bring to the Contaminated Zone or what to wear. After a moment of thought, he simply grabbed his phone and put it in his pocket.

Ji Xingxiao saw this and said, “That cannot be brought into the mecha.”

“What?”

“The communicator is fine.”

“Oh, okay.” Yu Yi obediently took the phone out and then asked, “Is it okay if I wear this?”

He was in a T-shirt, shorts, and large flip-flops.

Ji Xingxiao scanned him from head to toe and nodded. “It is fine.”

Yu Yi was speechless. He thought it was actually okay. Compared to Ji Xingxiao, he looked like a beggar.

The massive mecha emitted a heavy roar as it landed slowly at a base station located on the edge of the Upper District.

Yu Yi followed behind Ji Xingxiao, walking down the ramp feeling somewhat cramped.

Before him was an immense hangar where thousands of tall combat mechas stood quietly in their respective berths. This was the first time Yu Yi had seen so many combat-type mechas. Unlike the ones he saw at Bai Ziqi’s birthday banquet, every mecha here emanated an indescribable scent, something similar to the smell of blood.

Perhaps these were the marks left from fighting mutant monsters in the Contaminated Zone.

Further beyond the base station, outside the protective shield of the Safety Zone, lay an endless stretch of darkness.

During his half-month leave, Yu Yi had learned that the area was the Contaminated Zone that needed purification. Because heavy toxic pollutants and radioactive dust condensed overhead year-round, sunlight could not penetrate at all, plunging that region into eternal night.

“Yes, we have arrived.” Ji Xingxiao seemed to be talking to someone. He gave a brief response and issued an order, “Prepare to depart in ten minutes.”

Yu Yi stood in place, feeling a bit helpless.

“Wear the protective suit provided by the mecha,” Ji Xingxiao’s voice rang out. He arranged things with meticulous detail. “It is a basic model, and it has already been prepared for you. Follow me.”

No wonder he did not care what Yu Yi was wearing; there were already clothes ready for him.

Yu Yi felt a true sense of relief that he did not have to appear before the other teammates in his ragged pajamas.

Ji Xingxiao led Yu Yi into the hangar and stopped in front of a mecha glowing with blue light. After scanning his iris, he took Yu Yi into the interior via the elevator in the rear cabin.

Ji Xingxiao opened a locker and took out a set of protective gear. It looked no different from ordinary clothes, but the material was smooth and form-fitting. He briskly unfolded the garment, looking as if he intended to help Yu Yi put it on.

“I will do it, I will do it.” Yu Yi was somewhat flattered and quickly reached out to take it. “I can dress myself.”

Ji Xingxiao shook his head and refused. “You do not know how to put it on.”

That was true enough. Yu Yi silently withdrew his hand.

“Strip,” Ji Xingxiao said briefly.

Yu Yi was silent. He thought, “Forget it. He has already seen what should and should not be seen anyway.”

Yu Yi silently took off his shirt.

“Take off your pants too,” Ji Xingxiao reminded him.

“Everything?” Yu Yi asked weakly.

“Of course not!” Ji Xingxiao’s gaze swept quickly over Yu Yi’s upper body. He seemed a bit annoyed. “We are on a mission now. Please be serious.”

“I was just asking. Do not get excited,” Yu Yi said.

“Who is excited?” Ji Xingxiao’s voice rose a few notches.

“No one, no one. My mistake, my mistake.”

Ji Xingxiao personally helped Yu Yi put on the protective suit. He even buttoned the cuffs for him, adjusted the buckles on the boots, and checked the seal of the garment. Although Ji Xingxiao’s expression was odd throughout the process, he worked quickly and professionally.

However, things got a bit stuck when he reached the underwear area.

There was no helping it. The protective suit was very form-fitting, but Yu Yi’s boxers were so old they had long since lost their elasticity. Furthermore, they were very thin.

When Ji Xingxiao pulled the zipper up from the feet with an expressionless face, it inevitably got caught on the loose fabric of the boxers.

Yu Yi was speechless.

Ji Xingxiao’s expression became even more unsightly.

Fearing that Ji Xingxiao would forcibly pull the zipper and damage his “old veteran” gear, Yu Yi quickly tucked the edges of his boxers into the protective suit. “Okay, okay, that should do it.”

The zipper pulled up smoothly.

Both of them tacitly stopped talking.

Before long, the team members began entering the mecha one after another.

The first to come up was a dark-skinned Alpha wearing the same combat uniform as Ji Xingxiao, though the emblem on his chest was a silver kite belonging to the Combat Academy. He glanced at Yu Yi, a flash of surprise in his eyes, but he did not ask any questions and simply greeted Ji Xingxiao.

“Captain.”

Ji Xingxiao nodded but did not introduce Yu Yi to him.

Two more people came up soon after. They had slightly fairer skin and both possessed the sharp, angular facial features characteristic of Alphas. Judging by the emblems on their chests, they were both from the Combat Academy.

Everyone who came up looked at Yu Yi with surprise, but they all tacitly refrained from asking questions.

Until everyone had entered their cockpits in an orderly fashion, Yu Yi remained standing next to Ji Xingxiao, feeling a bit lost. “Where, where should I go?”

Ji Xingxiao pointed inward, signaling him to enter.

“Go sit in the safety cabin at the back,” Ji Xingxiao ordered from the main pilot’s seat without looking back. “Fasten your seatbelt. Do not come out no matter what happens, and do not touch anything.”

“Okay,” Yu Yi responded in a low voice, obediently climbing into the narrow but seemingly sturdy transparent chamber next to the main cockpit.

He got inside, but the hatch did not seem to be manual. Yu Yi pushed it clumsily several times, but it would not close.

One of the Alphas seemed unable to watch any longer. He stood up to help, but Ji Xingxiao stopped him with a raised hand.

Ji Xingxiao stepped forward himself and closed the hatch for Yu Yi with an expressionless face.

After closing the door, he returned to the main cockpit, opened the team communication channel, and explained with a grim expression. “For this mission, he will temporarily take the place of Qin Feng. Bringing him along is my personal decision, so I will handle his share of the work. I will not make you do extra tasks, and your scores will not be lower than usual.”

“If there are any objections, you can apply to change groups now. The reward points for this trip will still be added to your credits.”

The meaning was clear: he was willing to carry Yu Yi through the mission in the Contaminated Zone by himself.

The communication channel remained silent. No one would leave. Being led on a mission by Ji Xingxiao was something all the Combat Academy students present aspired to do.

Soon, reports came through the communication channel.

The dark-skinned Alpha spoke first, “Combat Academy, Chen Yanqing, ready.”

Following him was a slightly more handsome Alpha, “Combat Academy, Gu Han, systems normal, ready.”

The other Alpha also spoke, “Combat Academy, Wen Ruxu, debugging complete, ready.”

Finally, there was Ji Xingxiao’s cold, clear voice, “Everything is ready. The coordinates for this operation are…”

The subsequent sounds were drowned out by the massive roar of the mecha starting up. Yu Yi did not hear clearly, but he could feel the mecha begin to move under Ji Xingxiao’s operation, quickly passing through the energy barrier ahead.

There was a small transparent viewing window in the safety cabin. Yu Yi felt the entire world fall into darkness the moment they crossed the barrier.

The mecha’s powerful lights pierced through the darkness of the eternal night, illuminating the twisted and broken roads of the Contaminated Zone and crushing strange, withered trees.

Yu Yi had never been to the Contaminated Zone before and was momentarily mesmerized. He pressed his forehead against the transparent glass, opening his eyes wide to try and see what the Contaminated Zone really looked like.

Unfortunately, even under such powerful light, visibility was low. Visible dust particles permeated the air, constantly drumming against the mecha’s metal shell like rain. Yu Yi could vaguely hear some muffled thuds.

It was different from what he had imagined; he did not see any of the alien beasts or monsters he had expected. Instead, the journey was very peaceful. After watching for a while, Yu Yi felt a bit sleepy, but seeing everyone else focused on their tasks, he forced himself to stay awake.

The mecha traveled for a long time. Looking at the increasingly dark window, Yu Yi accidentally fell asleep.

When he woke up again, it was still pitch black outside. He glanced at the time recorded in the cabin and realized six hours had already passed. The other Alphas in the mecha were all on high alert, which made the newly awakened Yu Yi feel a bit ashamed. He sat up awkwardly.

It was too boring. Ji Xingxiao really did not intend for him to do anything. No one spoke the entire time; everyone had their duties, and Ji Xingxiao was currently piloting the mecha.

Yu Yi felt that the safety cabin he was in was like a small prison.

After enduring for over ten hours, the transparent door in front of him suddenly opened. There was a communicator in his protective suit, and Yu Yi heard Ji Xingxiao’s voice suddenly in his ear.

“It is mealtime now. Go eat, then bring a nutrition bar back for me.” After saying that, Ji Xingxiao lowered his voice and gave a harsh warning, “Do not talk nonsense!”

“Yes!”

Finally able to come out for some fresh air, Yu Yi was overjoyed. He stood up abruptly, but his head hit the low ceiling, causing him to clutch his head in pain.

Fortunately, the hit was not too heavy. Seeing that all the team members were about to leave, Yu Yi quickly followed the last figure.

This foolish display was seen by Ji Xingxiao, who was focused on clearing the way. This path had already been opened up last month, and shallow purification had been done along the way, so there should not be any surprises. Therefore, diverting his attention for a moment to look at Yu Yi was only because this Beta was unimaginably stupid. That was all.

Ji Xingxiao felt a surge of regret for his momentary soft-heartedness.

This mecha was a professional one used for exploration. The interior was actually quite large, but it was filled with weapons, exploration equipment, and various supplies, so the living space was much smaller. The dining area was in another room.

Before entering, Yu Yi heard someone say, “Why is the Captain piloting? Does that guy not even know how to pilot a mecha?”

“It looks like he does not.”

Another voice said, “How is that possible?”

“When does the Captain ever bring a Beta along? From the Defense Academy?”

“Yes, he is,” that voice paused and then added, “Does the Captain not have a fiancé?”

“Bai Ziqi. I have seen him; he is quite beautiful.”

“No, Bai Ziqi differentiated into an Alpha. Did you not know?”

“Pfft!” The person on the other side clearly had not expected that and spat out their drink. “I did not know!”

Yu Yi did not know if he should go in for a moment. If he burst in now, everyone would know he had been eavesdropping. Yu Yi thought about it, pretended to lose his balance, and stumbled, his metal-shod leather boots making a sharp clicking sound.

The voices inside immediately went silent.

“Ouch!” Yu Yi quickly let out an exaggerated shout and stumbled inside. Upon seeing the group, he barely managed to steady himself and put on a bright smile to introduce himself. “Hello, seniors! My name is Yu Yi.”

He was older than everyone present, but he was thick-skinned enough to call them seniors.

The men all looked at him and simply nodded as a greeting. No one intended to introduce themselves to him, and everyone stopped talking.

The food for missions consisted of nutrition bars. This type of food, which could quickly replenish the body’s energy requirements, had become popular in the Lower District early on due to its low price. However, in reality, nutrition bars were originally created by the Upper District to replenish energy as quickly as possible during missions.

Yu Yi clearly felt that since he arrived, the group that had been chatting casually had stopped speaking. He did not want to make a fool of himself and spotted several rows of nutrition bars in a transparent freezer set into the wall. He said, “I will bring some food to the Captain.”

No one paid him any attention, except for Wen Ruxu, who gave him a subtle glance.

After saying that, Yu Yi took two nutrition bars from the freezer. He was still smiling brightly. “Then, seniors, I will head out first. Bye-bye!”

Not expecting an answer, Yu Yi took the still-cold nutrition bars back to the main cockpit to deliver the meal to Ji Xingxiao.

Support