Chen Yu startled, he hadn't realized that the Empire would use deadly force against Hou Yi, since he would be worth quite a bit if he was ransomed. Murong Wen's deal with the Empire had also been to abduct Hou Yi, thereby slapping him with the label of a useless person who brought trouble to the Federation and humiliating him with evidence of his incompetence.
Unfortunately, the Empire had apparently concluded that it would be more beneficial to permanently nip a future threat in the bud.
Unaware of the attack that was heading towards his back, Hou Yi was smoothly operating his repurposed Imperial mecha to join Ah Guang, vigilantly aiming his laser gun at anything that was approaching the other boy, when the battered academy mecha leapt toward him, making him smile at his eagerness. Relieved that Ah Guang was safe, as Hou Yi was about to tell him to slow down, suddenly he felt his whole body turn numb. He'd noticed Ah Guang's frantic expression.
Sensing that there was some danger behind him and what Ah Guang planned to do about it, Hou Yi reached out to push him away, but he was too late. Ah Guang's mecha slipped around him, then a heavy weight slammed him face-down into the ground.
Regardless of his shock, Chen Yu had moved the instant the plasma cannons started swiveling toward Hou Yi's back, barely making it in time to cover him. A searing pain passed from his shoulder down his back, beads of sweat poured down from the feeling of being melted down. Before it could get unbearable, however, he was flipped over to lie beneath Hou Yi, hazily staring into a pair of glacial, diamond-like eyes.
Just when the plasma cannons started blasting through Hou Yi's mecha to his shoulder, the Imperial mecha's beam shield unable to do much, the Federation soldiers finally arrived, trooping in with weapons blazing at the stationary fleet. Although both sides quickly became embroiled in an intense battle, several Federation soldiers took the time to politely escort the pair of students that they'd watched resist a far greater force, leading them to a safer distance and instructing them to head toward the assembly point before plunging back into the fight.
The two stood silently at the edge of the combat zone, Hou Yi trembling uncontrollably from the thought that Ah Guang had almost left him. The memory of how he had nearly lost this boy filled his mind, looping over and over again, until he noticed that the faint breathing sounds that he'd been desperately straining to hear through their private communication channel was stuttering to a stop. Shooting his gaze to the pilot seat, he saw Ah Guang swaying weakly, his face paler than it had ever been.
When he sprinted up to the cockpit and cut a hole through with his plasma gun, Hou Yi's heart jumped into his throat, his eyes reddened with fear. The slim figure was slumped down, what was left of his black uniform dripping with blood to form a puddle around his feet, so much of his mecha was melted away that the back nearly gaped open entirely. Reciting to himself that Ah Guang was alive, that he needed help, Hou Yi forcibly suppressed his desire to kill every one of the Imperial soldiers, hunting for a medical kit. Once he confirmed that this mecha's supplies had been destroyed in the skirmish, ignoring his burned shoulder, he moved to carry Ah Guang down.
But the moment he touched him, the seemingly unconscious boy's eyelashes fluttered open. Chen Yu frowned at the pain, then glanced around to get his bearings, mocking himself on the inside for how soft he'd gotten, passing out from merely this much, unable to even protect his lover.
When he finally regained his full awareness, he found that in front of him was Hou Yi, his signature gentle smile on his mouth as if he had never looked at him with such a freezing cold gaze. With his sight blurred by the pain, Chen Yu couldn't make out the injury on Hou Yi's shoulder, so he sighed in relief that he hadn't been hurt too much, his lips curling up at the thought. When had he become so sentimental, so sensitive?
"Just stay still, Ah Guang, I'll take you to my mecha, all right?" Hou Yi whispered, gently stroking back the hair clinging to Chen Yu's sweaty forehead.
The boy shook his head stubbornly. "I can move, I'm going to finish this assessment."
Looking into those resolute eyes, that mouth that hadn't uttered a single sound no matter how much pain he was in, an impression of familiarity flashed through Hou Yi's mind and squeezed his heart, but he pushed it aside to try to persuade Ah Guang. He knitted his eyebrows, coaxing, "Ah Guang, your mecha isn't operable, and you're not able to control mine alone. There's no way for you to reach the coordinates alone."
Chen Yu stumbled to his feet then met Hou Yi's eyes, mumbling, "I know using a mecha's out of the question. Still, it's just a couple hours' walk to the assembly point, right?"
Despite knowing that Ah Guang wouldn't yield once he'd decided, Hou Yi couldn't stand the thought of him having to exert himself even more, he suggested, "Sitting should be better than moving around in your condition, I can take you near the coordinates then drop you off there..."
Without a moment's hesitation, Chen Yu, who had checked that he had the mecha ignition keys with him and was slowly climbing down from the cockpit, disagreed, "Requiring aid will result in an automatic failing grade." Once he'd safely landed on the ground, he grinned, "Besides, have you forgotten about our bet?"
Hou Yi exhaled unwillingly, but, unable to change Ah Guang's mind, he moved to join him in walking to the assembly point, only for Chen Yu to spin around as if surprised, asking, "Ah Yi, what are you doing?"
Hou Yi was also confused, he answered, "Of course I'm going with you, what if you collapse?"
Chen Yu rolled his eyes on the inside. "But how will we figure out the directions? And if I fall, it'll be easier if there's a mecha to rush me to a doctor, right?"
Despite his reluctance, there was no way for Hou Yi to refute, after applying whatever medicine the Imperial pilot had carried and reminding him to signal whenever he needed a rest, he operated his mecha to walk backwards so that he could monitor Ah Guang's status constantly.
While the two made their way haltingly across the sands, Jin Yongguang staggering along and Hou Yi anxiously keeping his mecha's hands on either side of him, the viewers gradually put down their tense hearts that had been put through a roller coaster of emotions, from ecstasy at the two boys' victory to terror when the plasma cannons blasted and release upon the Federation soldiers' rescue.
Watching the couple's affection and their dedication to the mission, the onlookers were touched beyond measure, but this also stimulated fierce backlash against the military, both for its misleading representation of Jin Yongguang and for its failure to put adequate safety precautions in place for the academy's students. Due to Chen Yu's preparations, their love for Jin Yongguang was inversely proportional to their support for the military.
The public outrage reached a head when Jin Yongguang toppled the moment he stepped into the designated coordinates, so that he only narrowly avoided further injuries by Hou Yi's quick reaction, the mecha immediately scooping him up and dashing to find medical help. Even though his mecha was marked with the Empire's symbol, he progressed through the military outpost without any obstacles, since everyone had been notified of the circumstances.
In reality, Chen Yu's plan had depended on the fact that beneath their ingrained worship for the military and power, many of the Federation's citizens wished for a more balanced social hierarchy, and, more importantly, a less brutal reality. The suffering that Jin Yongguang was forced to endure despite his patriotism incited so much indignation because the common person couldn't tolerate such absolute self-sacrifice for the abstract concept of the Federation, such lack of respect for human life offended their sensibilities. Thus, the image of the huge mecha gingerly cupping the small, broken figure became an iconic symbol of the movement for peace and demilitarization, representing both the problem and the solution.
Although the Federation soldiers who had been stationed on Planet Z83 hadn't originally been concerned about the public's comments on the assessment, such a wave of criticism caused them to contact their superiors, who then reviewed the footage of Jin Yongguang's performance. Most of the people wouldn't dare to comment on how General Hou had handled matters, but the other generals had no need for scruples, most of them were eager to tear apart Hou Jia's power.
Therefore, leaving aside what faction they were a part of, over the next week, almost all of the generals gathered to criticize and push for General Hou's punishment. His crimes, they claimed, were that he may well have caused irreparable damage to the military's prestige, which directly correlated with the quantity and quality of recruits, and acted irresponsibly to involve a minor in subterfuge against his own parents. Unsurprisingly, the politicians, who hoped to wash themselves clean of this, didn't object.
---
Meanwhile, Chen Yu's injuries had been more severe than expected, even his organs had been damaged from the plasma cannons. The moment he'd arrived at the assembly point, he'd relaxed so that the damage to his spinal cord caused him to enter a coma, he had to be placed in a recovery pod. To Hou Yi's burning questions, the doctors could only promise that he could physically be put back together. As for waking up, that would depend on Jin Yongguang himself.
Hour after hour, day after day, Hou Yi stood by the pod as if he was guarding it, refusing treatment for his shoulder in case something happened while he was gone. Ah Guang's body was completely repaired within two days, he appeared as if he was merely sleeping. But whenever Hou Yi saw him lying so still, a deep-seated fear arose, as if Ah Guang would disappear right in front of him, so that, unable to eat or sleep, he grew thinner by the day.
Finally, a week later, Jin Yongguang opened his eyes.
Hou Yi, who had always kept his focus on the pod, noticed right away, he immediately called for the doctors and searched for a sign that Ah Guang recognized him. Chen Yu stared blankly at his surroundings, going over his memories, until he realized that Hou Yi was near him. When he tried to speak, however, he found that his mouth was too dry, he could only close his lips silently.
Thinking that Ah Guang was hurt somewhere, Hou Yi's heart trembled, he meticulously ran his fingers over every inch of the other boy, smiling as if the battle had never happened. In as mild a voice as always, he called, "Ah Guang. You're back."
Chen Yu sensed that something was off, but Hou Yi's face, his voice, his actions, everything was as it usually was, nothing was out of place. The thought jogged his common sense, and he examined him closely, only to find that his fingers were faintly trembling, his eyes bloodshot, his normally neat clothing still disheveled as if he hadn't taken time to change.
It seemed that proving his health couldn't wait. Coughing, Chen Yu sat up and asked, "Ah Yi, how long have I been unconscious?"
A dark light flashed through Hou Yi's eyes. "Today makes it a week," he replied, extending his arm to support the dazed boy. Chen Yu's eyebrows rose. He hadn't realized at first because of his confusion, but Hou Yi's uniform was burnt at his shoulder to reveal blood that was so thick it had dried to an almost solid black.
"Don't worry, Ah Guang, I'll take care of you." Hou Yi smiled, holding his hand against the pulse beating in Jin Yongguang's neck. His voice was reassuring, but a hint of madness peeked through. "I won't ever let you go alone."
Rubbing his temples, Chen Yu frowned inside. It seemed that while his lover couldn't retain his memories, certain things caused a lasting impact on him. On the surface, he solemnly gripped Hou Yi's hand, promising, "I know, Ah Yi, we'll be together always."
Before Hou Yi could respond, the doctors arrived, sending Jin Yongguang in for testing. Several hours passed, during which time Hou Yi, who wasn't allowed to accompany Ah Guang, cleaned up and treated his injuries. He'd been so excited at the other boy's recovery that he hadn't realized his state, but he didn't want to appear so messy in front of him.
Thus, having been certified to be released, the two walked to the barracks where the academy students had temporarily settled after the Empire's strike. Reaching the room assigned to Jin Yongguang, Hou Yi didn't give him a chance to separate, he followed closely over the threshold.
Chen Yu didn't comment, after all he was rather pleased to have cheated death and accomplished his objective for this assessment. Behind him, the door closed, then Hou Yi embraced him, burying his face in Ah Guang's neck. "Does it hurt anywhere?"
Shaking his head, Chen Yu turned around to face Hou Yi, tilting his neck up to beam, "The doctors said I'll be able to fight like before if I practice!"
Hou Yi closed his eyes, chuckling helplessly, and leaned his forehead against Ah Guang's, unable to say anything. Here was his Ah Guang, here was his heart.
In a somewhat anxious tone, Jin Yongguang murmured, "Ah Yi? What about you, do you need help?" Brushing aside his hospital uniform, Chen Yu exposed Hou Yi's bare, compact shoulder, squeezing it to make sure it was healed. Certain that Ah Guang was safe now, Hou Yi's blood raced at the simple touch and his eyes darkened, he wouldn't wait anymore, this incident had stirred him up too much to hold back. "I heard that you didn't let them treat it for a week, that could have—"
Chen Yu's mouth was covered with Hou Yi's thin lips, a hot tongue slipping between his teeth to tease his own. Panting, Hou Yi drew Jin Yongguang's hand down his chest to his lower abdomen, hoarsely saying, "Ah Guang, I'm okay everywhere, I only need help here. The assessment's over, you won't refuse right?"
A beat of silence passed, when Hou Yi tensely looked down, Ah Guang's face was flustered and red, his lips glistening from their kiss. Laughing at his adorable expression, Hou Yi explained, "I don't get hard with you because of the adrenaline when we fight, I get hard because I want you, I like you, I love you, do you understand?"