Chapter 65: Into a Post-Apocalyptic Superpower Novel, Day 17

Chapter 65: The Seventeenth Day of Transmigrating into a Post-Apocalyptic Supernatural Novel

And the guy who started it all, Nails, was still behind him, doubled over with laughter. It seemed the Second Squad was in for some serious drama.

He saw Captain Ji high-tailing it, quickened his pace to catch up, and said, "Captain, you better step up! From what I know, plenty of people have a crush on An Yi!"

Captain Ji's steps halted. "What?"

Nails grinned. "What, what?"

"It's totally normal that lots of people like An Yi!"

"An Yi is capable, good-looking, has a great personality, and is young. And his vibe... well, what do you think, Captain?"

An Yi noticed the two of them in the distance but couldn't be bothered to check.

He turned back to continue his training, wanting to get stronger.

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Ever since Ji Zishi had come to terms with his "not-so-innocent" feelings, he had been caught between heaven and hell.

On one hand, a little deer was bouncing around in his chest, leaving him flustered. Every time he saw An Yi, his heart felt like it was submerged in soda—crazy sweet and fizzing like crazy.

On the other hand, an immense shame and a weird feeling of being unworthy made it impossible for him to face An Yi calmly.

After all, this was An Yi! The powerful, calm, smart, and good-looking... An Yi!

His rough and clumsy thoughts felt like a total insult to him!

So, An Yi noticed that Captain Ji, who used to casually throw an arm around his shoulder and speak bluntly, was putting on this awkward act of pretending nothing was wrong.

Whenever An Yi came within three meters of him, his eyes would automatically lock onto the ceiling, the floor, the walls, his own shoe tips, or the back of some random squad member's head—anything but direct eye contact with An Yi.

If their eyes accidentally met, he'd flinch like a startled rabbit, his ears turning red right before your eyes.

Too obvious, Captain! Did he finally realize his feelings?

When speaking to An Yi, he was as frugal with words as possible, barely saying two words if one would do.

"Mm," "Okay," "Fine," "Got it"—these became his high-frequency vocabulary, delivered in a super stiff voice to create the illusion of "I'm busy, I'm serious, I'm just arranging work normally."

Totally forgetting how he used to sidle up to An Yi asking, "An Yi, check this out" or "An Yi, what do you think?"

Unless necessary, he kept a safe distance at all costs. Where before he'd sit as close as possible during training breaks, now he'd rather sit alone far away.

This "too much protesting" act was obvious not just to the sharp An Yi, but even to the most clueless squad members.

Some even speculated privately: Did the Captain do something to offend An Yi? Or did he get a head injury on a mission?

An Yi watched Ji Zishi's obvious discomfort as he struggled to act normal, thinking it was funny and... kind of cute?

He could probably guess the reason, and out of playful mischief, he didn't call him out on it. Instead, he observed with a leisurely, amused attitude, waiting to see how long the captain could keep this awkward act going.

Quite entertaining.

This weird tension lasted for several days, until one lunch break.

Training had just ended, and the squad members were scattered around the field, resting and drinking water.

An Yi was leaning against a railing, wiping a little sweat off his forehead, when a tall, good-looking female squad member walked up to him with a bright yet slightly shy smile.

This was a member of the Fifth Squad, with a very interesting ability—she could hide her presence.

"An Yi!" The girl's voice was clear.

"Hm? Hello, something you need?" An Yi looked up, his voice flat but polite.

The girl smiled beautifully. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

Captain Ji had been pretending to be engrossed in studying his tactical gloves, but his ears perked up like radar, instantly on alert.

An Yi nodded. "Of course."

Captain Ji shuffled over casually, moving a few steps closer. Nails immediately followed.

They heard the girl take a deep breath, as if gathering her courage, and speak loud enough for everyone nearby to hear:

"An Yi, I've noticed you ever since you first arrived at the base! You're so strong, and you're a really great person! I... I really admire you! Would you be interested in dating me?"

She smiled. "You only live once, right? Wanna give it a shot?"

Bwaah—!

Nails, who had been drinking water nearby, spat it all out, coughing like crazy, but his eyes gleamed with excitement as he stared intently at Captain Ji's reaction.

The surroundings instantly fell silent. Many squad members turned to look, and started whooping and hollering.

An Yi definitely wasn't expecting such a blunt confession out in the open. He was caught off guard, then quickly regained his composure, about to respond.

But someone got there first!

Captain Ji, who had been sitting a few meters away trying to blend into the background, jumped up! He moved so fast he almost knocked over his stool behind him.

His face was black as a storm cloud, his chest heaving violently. His eyes, usually filled with cheerfulness or battle fervor, now were a mess of panic, desperation, and fierce possessiveness like someone was taking what was his.

He didn't even wait for An Yi to answer. In one stride, he was over there, shoving himself between An Yi and the girl like an angry wall.

He glared at the female squad member, his tone harsh and aggressive, almost a growl: "Training just ended! Why is everyone crowding around here?! Got nothing better to do? Don't need to recover your energy? Is the Fifth Squad's training too easy?"

The female squad member was stunned by the unexpected outburst. "Captain Ji, I... I'm just..."

"Just what?! What kind of world is this? Is this the time for flirting?! If you've got that much energy, go practice killing more mutants!"

Captain Ji didn't give her a chance to explain. His voice grew louder, almost unreasonably so. He acted like someone had coveted his treasured possession, fuming mad.

An Yi looked at the visibly agitated Captain Ji blocking him, a faint trace of surprise flickering in his eyes. Then, he gently patted the tense arm of Ji Zishi, his tone calm and flat: "Ji Zishi, calm down."

Just a simple name, a quiet reassurance, but it held a magical effect. The about-to-explode Captain Ji instantly froze, his surging anger caught halfway, neither rising nor falling.

He turned his head abruptly and met An Yi's eyes, which seemed to see right through him. All his panic, frustration, jealousy, and possessiveness were now laid bare.

What was he doing?

What right did he have to stop someone from confessing to An Yi?

On what grounds did he lose his temper like this?