Extras

Chapter 105: Extra 2 (Song Qinglan’s Beard)

In the summer of Star Era 1457, Tianqiong organised a special training program for the elites all across the world.

As the captain, Song Qinglan, together with Zhou Mingxuan who similarly came from the special forces, took part in this highly intense training program. It took an entire month. Once it was over, the World Time Alliance also arranged a one-week competition which was broadcasted throughout the world. The contributed efforts of all the representatives from their country allowed them to bring back first place, and Song Qinglan and Zhou Mingxuan also won individual gold medals themselves.

The Jiang City branch warmly celebrated this good news and they even had banners put up in the hall.

The people who went together with them to this special training program also included the captains and team members from the other squads; a total of seven people. One of them was Qi Lang, the captain of the twelfth squad who disappeared many years ago and suddenly returned last year.

From a certain point of view, time had stopped for fifteen years for the members of the twelfth squad. After returning to Jiang City, the members had to undergo various degrees of adaptation courses to help them reconnect with the world fifteen years later, but their abilities exceeded everyone’s expectations—-Except for Xie Sian, after they were released from the crevice of time and space, they had completed several high-level missions under the arrangement of the Tianqiong parent system. Led by Qi Lang, the twelfth squad silently went to work and when they returned, they had accumulated points that was almost on par to the seventh squad, making them a new dark horse.

Qi Lang as a result became well known in Jiang City and even in other time alliances. His peculiar experience had made him almost a legend.

Qi Lang was mature, handsome and single.

A large number of fans had gathered because of him.

The day they returned to the country, half of the people rushing to welcome them back came for him.

As for the former most popular bachelor Song Qinglan, because he had become gay and would often show public displays of affection in front of everyone, he had long fallen from that throne. Even if he was still the tallest captain in the Jiang City branch, it was no longer enough to attract everyone’s attention.

But this time, the moment he got out of the car, everyone’s eyes landed on him.

Everyone: “!!!”

With his domineering height, Song Qinglan had a strong presence, and with the addition of his long legs and short boots, the visual effect was even more out of this world. Adding to that his handsome appearance, wide shoulders and narrow waist, his external appearance was absolutely flawless.

However, after a torturing month abroad, it was unknown if it was because he was too busy to the point that he didn’t even have the time to shave, the Song Qinglan who reappeared in front of everyone had a dark stubble.

“What is it?” He swept his gaze across the people from above, “I’m so dazzling that I’ve blinded your eyes?”

Everyone: “Damn!!”

When the noisy welcoming ceremony was over, Song Qinglan picked out a colleague and asked, “Where’s Advisor Ji?”

That colleague turned around and was startled, “Cap Song?!”

Song Qinglan asked his question again.

The colleague told him that Advisor Ji was still teaching the students in the training camp and couldn’t step away, but it should almost be time for classes to end.

After being transferred to the Jiang City branch, although Ji Yushi had joined formerly as the scout for the seventh squad, he not only had the knowledge and experience surpassing that of the Guardians the same level as him, but he had also worked as a Recorder and gained extensive experience there, so he still retained the ‘Advisor’ title. As for the time anchor and how the Tianqiong parent system worked, it still hadn’t been thoroughly studied but the matter regarding Sheng Yun had basically all come to light. Everything he and the research and development team had done in order to stabilise time and space had been corrected in the archives. As the key person who linked all this, Ji Yushi became a rising star in the Tianqiong network.

Ji Yushi used to be the student who listened to the lectures given during training camps but now he had become the one who gave the lectures.

Song Qinglan had already seen how he looked when he stood on the podium. Refined and knowledgeable, smooth communicator, he was simply a person who was born to be involved with scientific research, to be a teacher.

Song Qinglan strode into the lecture hall. The classroom was already empty except for Ji Yushi who was standing alone on the podium with his head down. He seemed to be sorting out the handouts.

Hearing a knock on the door, he raised his head.

Song Qinglan who had been away for more than a month stood at the door. He teasingly called out, “Teacher Ji.”

One day apart felt like three years had passed.

It had been more than thirty days but both of them looked calm, as if they had only seen each other that morning.

Song Qinglan said, “Everyone is already gone, why are you still here? Aren’t you being too dedicated?”

Ji Yushi put away the transparent panel. Song Qinglan managed to catch a glimpse of the content on the screen—-What sorting out handouts? It was clearly a recently released sports anime. Ji Yushi liked it very much and would constantly keep up to date with it without missing a single episode.

Song Qinglan wanted to laugh. The current Ji Yushi seemed to be getting more and more lovely.

Ji Yushi’s expression didn’t change, “I knew you would come so I decided to wait for you here. What if we miss each other if I left?”

The Jiang City branch was big, but there were only two or three roads from the lobby to the student training camp.

Ji Yushi didn’t know which path Song Qinglan would take so he decided to just wait here so that they could see each other again in the shortest time possible.

It was calm on the surface, but the actual undercurrents were surging.

It was almost about to go on fire.

Song Qinglan came over. He stepped onto the podium and brought the other person into his arms.

He sniffed Ji Yushi’s hair and took a deep breath of that familiar fragrance. Before he could speak again, he heard Ji Yushi say, “You have a stubble.”

Song Qinglan, “………”

He belatedly realised, “It looks sloppy, doesn’t it?”

When the seventh squad first returned to the real world following the hijacking incident, Chief Wang had also told him to shave his beard. Recalling it now, it seemed to contain a nagging tone. Song Qinglan didn’t look in the mirror much and he didn’t have the time to check his appearance during missions or special training, so he hadn’t paid much attention to his appearance.

Ji Yushi looked up at him. His bright eyes didn’t seem to be lying, “No…..”

Song Qinglan raised a brow, “Then? Why is everyone reacting so strongly?”

Ji Yushi rubbed his chin with his thumb. Feeling those hard stubbles pricking his thumb, he said, “Looks a little fierce.”

“Really fierce.” Ji Yushi continued, “Kids will cry when they see you.”

Song Qinglan, “….Then I’ll go back and shave.”

Ji Yushi said with a black belly, “That’s not necessary. It’s actually pretty good. You can leave it and help me scare those new students.”

The scheming and vengeful Teacher Ji had already planned on using his family to intimidate his students.

That group of new students were still unaware. Before they could get up to any mischief, they had already been dealt with by the seemingly gentle Advisor Ji.

*

This time, the stubble left from the special training program surprised the three cats at home. It took them a while to confirm that the one who entered their place was really their other owner.

Song Qinglan wanted to shave it off after leaving it for two days, but Ji Yushi would gnaw at his chin when they were being intimate. He seemed to be interested in his beard and was especially enthusiastic.

This made him a little reluctant. He again endured for another two days.

A few days later, everyone gradually got used to his new image. Even Chief Wang stopped talking abut it and no longer asked him to shave it.

This continued until one day, Song Qinglan went to the student training camp to teach them combative skills. Perhaps he appeared too strict, a female student really ended up crying. He promptly went back to his lounge and shaved off his beard, revealing his clean and refreshing face underneath.

When he appeared at the training camp again, a brave student stopped him and asked, “Who are you?”

Song Qinglan was speechless, “What do you mean?”

Hearing his voice, the student was stunned. After combining it with his height and determining that he was their instructor, he was shocked, “What? Instructor Song?!”

Not only this student was like this. After Song Qinglan finished his class, everyone who had grown used to his new image were all stunned. It took them all a while to return to their senses and greet him.

Song Qinglan thought it was rather amusing. Was it such a big deal whether or not he had a beard?

He ran into Qi Lang on his way to the parking lot.

The Qi Lang in the bubble world was strategic, elegant and extraordinarily skilled, allowing him to become the Chief. Although he himself didn’t know anything about what he was like in the bubble world, but from the looks of it, he seemed to have embarked on a completely different life path in the real world—–With all those years of salary as well as bonuses, he had become a young socialite who burnt his money like crazy.

The handsome Qi Lang also drove a sports car. When he opened the door, he happened to catch sight of Song Qinglan.

He paused for a second and then nodded in greeting, “Cap Song.”

Because of the events in the crevice of time and space, the two had a pretty good relationship with each other. They had also taken care of each other when they went abroad for special training.

Song Qinglan asked, “Cap Qi, I have something I want to ask you.”

Qi Lang casually said, “Ask away.”

Song Qinglan voice his doubts.

Qi Lang laughed. He told him, “It’s because you look too different. With a stubble, you’re practically like another person. Those who aren’t familiar with you really would not be able to recognise you and as for those who are familiar, they would feel strange when facing a different you. Someone in my squad asked me a few days ago if you came from a parallel world. They knew that you’re Cap Song but you felt fierce and unfamiliar.”

Song Qinglan felt like he had just heard something extremely far-fetched, “Following that line of thought, I won’t even need to use the artificial face?”

Qi Lang sat into his car and started it up. He advised meaningfully, “Don’t be so doubtful. Some people really have that kind of talent. Why don’t you go back and ask your Advisor Ji?”

After Qi Lang drove off, Song Qinglan was thoughtful. He then suddenly smiled. He got ready to go home to find a certain someone to settle accounts with.

*

Ji Yushi sat barefoot on the carpet. His left hand was petting a cat while his right hand picked up fruits to eat. His eyes were staring at the holographic projection ahead.

He was fully engrossed with keeping up with the newest episode of his beloved anime.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Little Black slipped away from under his hand and, together with the other two cats, they rushed to the door to greet their owner, meowing loudly. Song Qinglan changed his shoes, picked one of them up and went to the living room. As soon as Ji Yushi saw his face, he asked, “You shaved?”

This tone. It was exactly the same tone he used when he said “You have a stubble”.

As if he had found a switch or something, one could hear a hint of novelty and interest in that tone.

Song Qinglan walked over, picked up the person from the ground and pressed them down onto the sofa, “Advisor Ji, was role-playing fun?”

Ji Yushi was eating cantaloupe. His eyes were even sweeter than the cantaloupe he had, “It was alright.”

He had admitted it so quickly.

Song Qinglan was both angry and amused, “It’s really that different? Or was it because you’re getting sick of me?”

If the people in the training camp saw the current Advisor Ji, they would probably be shocked speechless.

The usually cold and serious, and extremely knowledgeable person who could easily provide logical explanations was like the whitest cloud in the sky, a being that a mere mortal couldn’t reach.

But at this moment, that person was still that person, but just like the Song Qinglan with a beard, Ji Yushi’s personality seemed to have completely changed. He was willing to be subdued on the sofa, completely unable to move.

Ji Yushi, “Very different.”

Song Qinglan with a beard, not only did he appear fiercer, he also didn’t seem like the original Song Qinglan. He originally had a ruffian-like air but with the addition of the beard, that air grew a lot stronger, making people afraid to look directly at him and even feel some fear.

It was simply another version of Song Qinglan.

“Every time I saw you grow a beard, that unfamiliar feeling was always very strong. It’s like dating two of you at the same time.” Ji Yushi said slyly, “Later I realised that if a person wants to manage two relationships at the same time, it’s actually not that difficult.”

While joking, he still brought up old grudges.

Song Qinglan lowered his head to bite him.

Ji Yushi smoothly turned and pushed Song Qinglan down onto the sofa instead.

With the anime sounds in the background, he leaned down and rubbed Song Qinglan’s smooth chin with his thumb. He said a little reluctantly, “I like both of them…..Xiao Song 1.0, welcome back.”