EM 42. Try It

“Taking bribes, currying favor, feeding corruption!” Song Feng was practically spitting with rage as he paced in circles around Wei Xiaoyan’s dorm room.

Wei Xiaoyan was squatting silently in the corner. He tore open the pack of cigarettes as fast as possible and tossed them to Duan Qing. Duan Qing took a few boxes and left them in the room, then threw the rest to Bai Xuyao, who was crouching on the other side. Bai Xuyao clutched the cartons to his chest, stuck close to the wall, and inched carefully toward the door. The moment he slipped out, he vanished without a trace.

Song Feng stormed toward the entrance.

“Comrade Xiao Bai, and here I thought you were a soldier. How can you stoop so low with your senior?”

Bai Xuyao kept sprinting, running off to distribute the cigarettes in other dorms.

Song Feng marched back in. He started counting on his fingers, looming over Wei Xiaoyan.

“Tell me. Did everything I taught you go in one ear and out the other?”

Wei Xiaoyan responded weakly. “Boss, survival comes first. That’s something you taught me too.”

“…”

Song Feng narrowed his eyes. “He’s not going to kill you. And you sold your spine for a few cigarettes? Have you forgotten? If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t even be stuck in this godforsaken place. Do you have any idea how many smokes we could be having right now? How many women we could be flirting with?”

“It’s too late. We’re already here. What can we do?” Wei Xiaoyan shot Duan Qing a look. Duan Qing tossed over the cigarettes and a lighter. He lit one up and sighed miserably. “Sometimes, when the roof is caving in, you have to lower your head. Boss, just accept it.”

Song Feng crouched in front of him and lit one for himself.

“Easy for you to say. What if he ends up fucking me?”

“You already let him f— ow! I mean, that came out wrong!” Wei Xiaoyan scrambled to correct himself, but after a second of thought, he figured it was something that was probably going to keep happening. And he couldn’t keep getting chewed out for it every time. He tried to offer something useful.

“Boss, why don’t you just give it a shot with him? I mean, you don’t hate him, do you?”

Song Feng nodded. “I don’t hate him.”

“That’s something. That’s a solid foundation,” Wei Xiaoyan said patiently. “People always make love and relationships sound so dramatic, but it’s really not that complicated. You spend enough time together, the feelings come naturally. If he hadn’t pulled strings to get you transferred here and played it this way, you probably would’ve never even looked at him that way.”

Song Feng didn’t hesitate. “Obviously. I was still doing merc work. Do you know how many women I’ve hooked up with?”

“But you can’t spend your whole life chasing women. What happens when you’re old? You think they’re still going to want you?”

That shut Song Feng up. He froze for a second and looked disturbed.

“I never thought about that. Don’t make me think about something that horrifying.”

“It’s the truth. And it’s not too late to start thinking about it now.” Wei Xiaoyan looked at him. “You’re going to need someone to settle down with eventually. And let’s be real, you’re not the nurturing type. You’d be better off with someone who can take care of you. Xiao Mingxuan’s not a bad choice.”

Song Feng gave it some serious thought. Then he asked, cautiously, “Xiaoyan, do you think he’d ever let me top him?”

Wei Xiaoyan’s mouth twitched. “Highly unlikely.”

“There you go.” Song Feng’s voice rose. “If I’m always the one getting fucked, I might as well marry a woman. At least she doesn’t have the hardware to flip me over.”

Cold sweat broke out across Wei Xiaoyan’s back. He realized, too late, that he may have talked their boss straight into the idea of marrying a woman instead. The outcome wouldn’t be awful, but if Xiao Mingxuan found out, he was as good as dead. He cleared his throat.

“Look, the only thing that matters is whether it feels good. That last time, Xiao Mingxuan couldn’t hold back. That’s why you ended up in the hospital for a few days. But think about all those pretty boys you’ve topped before. Did any of them say it hurt?”

“Not really,” Song Feng admitted. “Most of them sounded like they were loving it. Looked pretty damn pleased, too.” He tilted his head back proudly. “That just means I’ve got good technique. Obviously.”

“And how do you know Xiao Mingxuan doesn’t?” Wei Xiaoyan shot back.

Over on the bed, Duan Qing had stopped after just two drags of his cigarette. The ashtray was already full, a crooked pile of stubs forming a sad little tower. He knew this conversation was absolutely none of his business. But if he got up and left now, it would only draw attention to the fact that he’d been listening. So he just kept sitting there, silently enduring. These two really had no sense of shame.

The conversation continued on like nothing happened. Wei Xiaoyan could tell he was making progress. He kept pushing.

“Boss, just try it once. You might even like it better than being on top.”

Song Feng narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t you try it, then?” He paused, then smiled slowly. The look on his face was impossible to read.

“Actually, how about this? You give it a shot first. And if it feels good, come back and let me know.”

Wei Xiaoyan looked horrified. “Who the hell am I supposed to try it with?”

“I don’t care who. This is a military base. We’re surrounded by men.”

“…”

“That’s settled, then.” Song Feng gave him a few cheerful slaps on the cheek, then got up to leave. The moment he saw Duan Qing, he broke into a grin.

“Speak of the devil. There’s a volunteer right there. You’ve got beds and a shower. You don’t even have to pay for a hotel. Have fun.”

Wei Xiaoyan: “…”

Duan Qing: “…”

Song Feng waved as he backed out the door, then shut it behind him with a crisp click. Inside the room, the two men exchanged a single look, then quickly looked away. The air went still with an awkward silence.

After leaving, he only walked a few steps before slipping back into his own room. Xiao Mingxuan was already waiting for him.

“You still planning to move in?”

Song Feng took a look around. The dorm beds weren’t bunk beds like before, just a row of single beds, one per person. He gave a small nod and moved his belongings over, unpacking and arranging them neatly. Then he sat on his bed and looked over at Xiao Mingxuan.

“You sure this is going to work?”

Xiao Mingxuan was still straightening the bedsheets. “I’m just sleeping here. I won’t touch anything else. There’s no reason it wouldn’t.”

Song Feng thought about it. “This isn’t the final list yet, is it? There’s still one more round of testing. If a few more people get cut, I could end up with a new roommate.”

Xiao Mingxuan came over and sat beside him.

“If anyone else is willing to room with you, I’ll move back.”

“…”

They were given the day off to rest. By evening, the new recruits finally learned that this was a special forces selection program. The missions would be high risk, and participation was voluntary. After careful consideration, every single one of them chose to stay. They lined up outside the warehouse to collect their new gear.

That night, the cafeteria was loud and full of energy. Unit 1 was there too, and the tables were lined with bottles. As the night wore on, everyone got a little drunk. Song Feng, who was used to living on the edge, knew exactly when to stop. Once he hit his limit, no amount of pressure could make him keep drinking. Xiao Mingxuan, who was serving as the chief instructor, got cornered into drinking quite a bit, but still held on to some measure of sobriety, though Song Feng had no way of knowing that.

So in the end, he accepted his fate and hauled the man back to the dorm, poured him a glass of water, and handed it over. Just as he did, Xiao Mingxuan’s hand slipped. The cup hit the bed and spilled half its contents onto the mattress.

Now it was too wet to sleep in.

Song Feng went quiet for a second. Then, he tossed him onto the damp bed, turned around, and went off to shower. When he came back, he climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Xiao Mingxuan didn’t seem to mind at all. After a quick rinse, he came right back and slipped into Song Feng’s bed.

“Hey. This is a single bed, you know.”

“I know. Mine’s soaked.” Xiao Mingxuan’s voice was low. In the dark, he stared at the outline of the man in front of him, reached out, and pulled him in close, holding him tightly.

“You could always go back to your own room,” Song Feng said.

“That’s too much work.”

Song Feng narrowed his eyes. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?”

Xiao Mingxuan didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

“Goodnight.”

“You son of a—fuck, you’re messing with me—mmph—”

Xiao Mingxuan sealed his mouth with another kiss, pressing down and taking his time with it. When he finally pulled away, he spoke calmly.

“Go to sleep. Don’t make so much noise in the middle of the night. Anyone listening might think you’re moaning.”

Song Feng grumbled under his breath and gave up trying to fight.

Training resumed as usual the next morning. Over the next three days, the new recruits continued their drills, while Xiao Mingxuan never once returned to his own bed. Song Feng put up a fight at first, but nothing worked. In the end, he gave in and brought his things over to Xiao Mingxuan’s dorm. That bed was wider anyway.

Three days later, the recruits were gathered together and boarded a helicopter headed to Yunnan. Officially, it was labeled as a training. But Song Feng knew better. What waited for them was a carefully constructed trap, realistic, high-pressure, and designed to break them. Special forces were tasked with dangerous missions. It required absolute loyalty to the country, unshakable willpower, and unwavering conviction. This was the final test. Only those who passed would be counted as part of this unit for real.

Xiao Mingxuan stood with the instructors in front of a second helicopter. He looked over at Song Feng.

“Sure you’re not coming?”

Song Feng shrugged. “Nope. Boring.”

Xiao Mingxuan didn’t push it. He turned and walked away.

Song Feng and Wei Xiaoyan had come out to the airfield as well, to make it look like they would be deploying with the others. It helped maintain the illusion. What happened afterward would be up to Xiao Mingxuan. The two of them stood on the training field and watched the helicopters disappear into the distance. Then they turned back and started putting their gear away.

“When do you think they’ll be back?” Wei Xiaoyan asked.

“No idea. Tomorrow at the earliest,” Song Feng said. “The real question is, what are we doing today?”

As he spoke, his eyes shifted, then suddenly widened. His whole body stiffened.

Wei Xiaoyan frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve made a difficult decision…”

Half an hour later, after a long internal battle, Song Feng stood in front of the main building, his steps unsteady. After several moments of hesitation, he reached out and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Song Feng took a deep breath and shuffled inside.

“I—I’m here, Instructor…”

Zheng Qiyong looked up. “You didn’t go to Yunnan?”

“No…”

“Then what do you need?”

Song Feng mumbled, “Borrow… the off-roader…”

Zheng Qiyong sat back, hands folded, staring at him in silence.

Song Feng instinctively started backing away, inching toward the doorway again. By the time he reached the threshold, he was gripping the doorframe with both hands.

“I just… wanted to go out for a bit…”

Zheng Qiyong studied him for another moment, then pulled out the keys and tossed them across the room.

“Don’t stay out too late.”

“Yes, sir!”

Song Feng caught the keys and bolted, vanishing down the hallway in an instant.

Zheng Qiyong shook his head and turned back to his desk. But before he could focus, the phone rang. He picked it up casually.

“Hello—”

He stopped mid-word, frozen in place.

“What did you say?”

Zheng Qiyong was not the type to show surprise. He had sat in this position for long enough that his composure was rarely shaken. But this call had come from Wang Yizhong. He listened quietly.

“Understood. Look into it again, just to be sure.”

He hung up, rubbing his forehead slowly as he fell deep into thought.

“See that? I’m not scared of him at all.” Song Feng was riding high on confidence as he drove into the city with Wei Xiaoyan in tow. Wei Xiaoyan, on the other hand, was sweating bullets. If Xiao Mingxuan found out they were off screwing around, he’d be a dead man for sure. Thankfully, it was still daytime. Most bars hadn’t opened yet, and there wasn’t much to do. They started with a massive meal, then wandered around aimlessly for a while.

Wei Xiaoyan made a suggestion.

“Want to… go play arcade games or something?”

Song Feng gave him a deadpan stare.

Wei Xiaoyan thought fast. He suddenly darted forward and clung to his leg.

“Boss, I just remembered. There’s this movie I’ve been dying to see, but I never had the chance. Let’s go! Please, let’s go, just this once!”

He had no idea that his boss had gotten plenty of release over the past few days and wasn’t feeling particularly horny at the moment. He threw himself into the act, begging, grabbing at his leg, and rolling around like a lunatic. After enough fuss, he finally managed to drag Song Feng to the movie theater.

Song Feng kept Zheng Qiyong’s warning in mind and didn’t stay out too late. They drove back at a decent hour, and he slept like a rock. By noon the next day, the thump of helicopter rotors echoed in the distance, growing louder. He stepped outside with a smile.

Everyone who returned looked like hell. Their faces were bruised, their bodies scraped, and exhaustion was written all over them. Song Feng glanced at Bai Xuyao.

“You pass?”

“Yeah!”

Song Feng gave him a pat on the head.

“Not bad. How’d you get through it?”

“I didn’t see you two, so I figured you and senior must’ve been planning a rescue…”

Song Feng twitched at the corner of his mouth. That kind of faith was terrifying.

Bai Xuyao’s eyes turned red.

“But then they told us you were already dead.”

“And what’d you think then?”

“If I made it out, I’d avenge you. If I didn’t… I’d just die with you. Where’s senior? I need to see if he’s alive.”

“He’s in the back,” Song Feng said as he turned around, just in time to see Duan Qing standing in front of Wei Xiaoyan, ruffling his hair repeatedly.

Wei Xiaoyan snapped. “Will you quit it already? Did getting beaten scramble your brain?”

Bai Xuyao immediately lunged forward and threw his arms around him.

“Senior—!”

Song Feng watched the scene with a grin. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Xiao Mingxuan walking over. He turned to him curiously.

“What about you? How’d you make it through?”

They headed upstairs together.

“Haven’t paid off my debt to you yet. Can’t die that easily.” Xiao Mingxuan reached over and gave his head a light pat. “What’d you do yesterday?”

Song Feng raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t give me that look. I just figured there was no way you stayed obediently in camp.”

As they reached the stairwell landing, Xiao Mingxuan slipped an arm around his waist and stole a quick kiss from his lips.

“Am I wrong?”

Song Feng heard footsteps downstairs and shoved him away.

“I went out with Xiaoyan. He said he wanted to see a movie, so I went along. Wasn’t anything worth watching, honestly. But I ended up sitting next to a real beauty. Great figure, gorgeous face. Not bad, huh? Lucky day.”

Xiao Mingxuan turned to look at Wei Xiaoyan, who had just come up the stairs.

Wei Xiaoyan: “…”

He spent the entire afternoon under Xiao Mingxuan’s silent gaze. By the time he got back to the dorm, he was circling the room in a full-blown panic.

Duan Qing watched him pace. “What’s with you?”

“I’m going to die.” Wei Xiaoyan paused, then suddenly stripped off his shirt. “Come here. Bite me a few times. Leave some hickeys.”

Duan Qing: “…”

Later, Song Feng learned from Xiao Mingxuan that two people had been eliminated in the last round, which meant he was still one man short for a roommate. He was furious.

“You did that on purpose!”

“I have a dozen ways to keep people from bunking with you. If I wanted to interfere, I wouldn’t need to do it through the assessment,” Xiao Mingxuan said calmly, seated at his desk writing reports. “This was a joint decision from all the instructors. I didn’t have much say in it. Just accept it. That’s fate.”

“Fate, my ass!” Song Feng was just about to explode when a knock came at the door. He walked over, opened it, and froze in place.

“Xiaoyan? What the hell happened to you?”

Wei Xiaoyan’s hair was damp, like he had just come out of the shower. He was wearing a tank top, and his shoulders and collarbones were covered in suspicious red marks. He was slightly out of breath.

“You told me to try it, didn’t you?”

Song Feng was stunned. He hurried outside and shut the door behind him, pulling at the other’s shirt in the hallway. Beneath the fabric, his chest was covered in hickeys, all fresh.

“You—you—”

“I tried it.” Wei Xiaoyan patted his shoulder. “You should too. It felt amazing.”

“Seriously?”

“Dead serious. Think about it. Weren’t those pretty guys always moaning like crazy?”

“Well, yeah…”

“Then give it a shot. I swear it’ll blow your mind.” Wei Xiaoyan waved and started walking away. “I’ve still got time for another round.”

“…”

Song Feng wandered back into the room in a daze. He stood silently and stared at Xiao Mingxuan.

Xiao Mingxuan glanced over. “Now what?”

“Nothing,” Song Feng said, then quickly ran over to the bed, flopped down, and pulled the blanket over himself.

Xiao Mingxuan gave him a strange look, then turned back to finish writing his report.