When they emerged from the basement once again, the sky had turned pale gray.
The flashing neon advertisements had disappeared, and the bustling city had returned to a silent ruin.
The motorcycle traveled on streets filled with rubble, and the surroundings felt both familiar and strange.
“Do you remember this place?” Klet slowed down and nodded towards the square ahead with his chin. “This is where I first saw you five years ago.”
There were tall wire fences erected in the square, resembling a black-market boxing ring. Shen Siwei had no memories of it and could only say, “I don’t remember.”
Without stopping the motorcycle, Klet changed direction and arrived at another ruin.
Broken signs were scattered on both sides, barely spelling out the words “Self-Service Bathhouse” when put together.
“Do you have any memory of this place?” Klet stopped the motorcycle and asked.
Perhaps due to the destruction, Shen Siwei not only lacked memories but also any faint sense of recognition.
He pursed his lips and apologized, “I’m sorry.”
Klet let out a slight sigh and twisted the throttle, continuing forward.
“Will you blame me for not remembering the past?” Shen Siwei asked.
The gentle morning breeze on his face should have been a pleasant sensation, but the annoyance from Klet seemed to be mixed in the wind, preventing Shen Siwei from fully enjoying it.
“No, I won’t,” Klet said, looking ahead.
“You’re not being honest,” Shen Siwei said in a flat tone.
Merely finding his idol was clearly not enough for Klet. The meaning of their recognition was reduced by the fact that his idol couldn’t remember anything. In the end, Klet could only repeat, “That person is you,” as the rest held no significance.
“I’m not lying to you,” Klet slightly turned his chin and said to Shen Siwei behind him, “Having you by my side is enough.”
A wide main road appeared ahead, and the railings of a pedestrian bridge, for some reason, were detached and eerily standing on the asphalt.
Klet stopped the motorcycle under the bridge and looked at the railing. “Do you remember that?”
Shen Siwei shook his head.
“We fought the desert wolf pack and used this railing to pierce the heart of the alpha wolf.”
After saying that, Klet seemed to realize that Shen Siwei couldn’t recall, so he didn’t continue.
Shen Siwei looked at the railing and said in a plain tone, “You still want me to remember.”
Regret couldn’t be eliminated, even if one claimed not to care with their words, their actions would betray them.
“I asked Malken, and he said it’s impossible,” Klet said as he twisted the throttle again, driving the motorcycle into an alley. “Your memories are not stored in the chip; they can’t be retrieved.”
The motorcycle maneuvered through the complex maze of alleys and finally stopped at the entrance of a bathhouse.
“I won’t ask you if you remember from now on,” Klet signaled Shen Siwei to get off the motorcycle and led him into the bathhouse. “It’s enough that we can create new memories.”
The drowsy landlady sat up straight and yawned lazily when she saw customers approaching. However, as soon as she recognized Klet, she immediately became alert and greeted him energetically, “Klet? Long time no see!”
“Long time no see,” Klet replied. “Give me a private room.”
“I heard you came back yesterday,” the landlady took a key card from the wall and handed it to Klet, her gaze shifting to Shen Siwei. “And who is this?”
“My friend,” Klet didn’t say much.
The landlady gave two more keys to the changing rooms and said, “I heard rumors about the ‘Life Tree Development Agreement’ circulating in the group. Is it true?”
“It’s true,” Klet took the keys. “Help spread the word too.”
“Sure thing,” the landlady made an “OK” gesture. “No problem.”
After changing into bathrobes in the changing room, Shen Siwei and Klet entered a small room.
In the middle of the room was a circular pool with a diameter not exceeding two meters. The walls projected a realistic view of snowy mountains, giving a sense of returning to an ice field if one ignored the ruins outside the bathhouse.
Klet took off his bathrobe and stepped into the pool first, his long legs making it seem like a bathtub that could only fit one person. No matter how Shen Siwei entered, he couldn’t avoid their skin touching.
“Aren’t you coming in?” Klet turned his head and looked at Shen Siwei, who was standing by the pool.
Shen Siwei had bathed with Klet in hot springs before, but his attention had been focused on the aurora at that time, and he hadn’t cared much about Klet himself.
But now, his gaze uncontrollably swept over Klet’’s sturdy shoulders, making him quite uncomfortable.
“Still shy?” Klet’s low, smoky voice carried a hint of teasing, and Shen Siwei belatedly realized that Klet was doing it on purpose.
He calmly stepped into the pool and sat next to Klet, saying lightly, “So, this is where you wanted to go when you said ‘somewhere else’ on the rooftop?”
“Yes,” Klet stretched his arms, placing them on the edge of the pool behind Shen Siwei. “How is it?”
He didn’t explicitly mention what “it” referred to, but Shen Siwei knew he was referring to the lurking beast in a certain place.
Shen Siwei took a quick glance, feeling a stormy sensation inside him, but he casually replied, “It’s fine.”
A sense of déjà vu suddenly emerged, and Shen Siwei faintly realized that he had been startled by this ‘thing’ before.
Strange, just a moment ago, Klet took him to so many places, and he felt nothing. Why did he have a sense of déjà vu with such inappropriate things?
“Is that so?” Klet didn’t pay much attention to Shen Siwei’s dismissive evaluation. He extended his legs comfortably and said, “You used to envy my size.”
The solid legs created ripples in the water, and the toned lines tightened at the knees, as if the explosive force was being neutralized by the gentle water waves.
Shen Siwei was stunned, and his reaction was slightly delayed. “What?”
He immediately regained his composure and frowned, saying, “How could I have said such a thing?”
Klet chuckled, his voice husky. Shen Siwei narrowed his eyes. “Are you lying to me?”
“No.” Klet restrained his laughter, speaking sincerely, “You’ve even called me your husband.”
This time, Shen Siwei was completely sure. This person was taking advantage of the fact that he couldn’t remember and was talking nonsense.
He raised an eyebrow, openly expressing doubt. “Husband?”
Little did he know that Klet would continue smoothly, “Yes.”
“You really know how to push it.” Shen Siwei’s anger flared up. He turned half his body, pinching Klet’s cheek. “Why didn’t I know you had such thick skin before?”
He didn’t exert any force with his grip, so Klet easily held his wrist, pulling his hand away and then pulling him into his embrace.
The ripples in the pool gradually calmed, but Shen Siwei’s heartbeat quickened.
Although he often used words like “little kid” or “brat” to describe Klet, he couldn’t deny that whenever Klet hugged him, he felt an unparalleled sense of security, as if he didn’t have to worry even if the sky were to fall.
“Shen,” Klet called out in a low voice.
“Yeah,” Shen Siwei softly responded.
“Let’s go wandering. I’ll take you to every place on my tattoos. Let’s forget about the past and create new memories together.”
The low, resonant voice lingered in his ears, depicting a future that Shen Siwei also yearned for. But instead of responding, he fell into silence.
“Shen?” Klet called again.
“Do you have any childhood photos?” Shen Siwei suddenly asked.
“No,” Klet showed a puzzled expression. “Why?”
“In that case, I can’t go wandering with you,” Shen Siwei sighed, meeting Klet’s gaze. “I need to go back and retrieve my memories.”
Klet immediately changed his expression. “I won’t allow it.”
“When we first met, you were only five years old,” Shen Siwei said slowly. “That memory is important not only to you but also to me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Klet furrowed his brow. It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember.”
“It does matter,” Shen Siwei emphasized, his tone firm. “Including the memories from five years ago, I want to retrieve them all.”
Klet visibly grew agitated. “I finally found you, and do you understand that I can’t lose you again?”
“Now that I’m no longer under Moran’s control, don’t you have confidence in me?”
Both of their faces looked gloomy, and neither was willing to back down.
Unlike a surgery, Shen Siwei didn’t want to compromise. And Klet seemed to sense his determination, taking a deep breath and softening his tone. “Can’t we just be together like this?”
“Do you want the complete me or the incomplete me?” Shen Siwei asked.
Even though he had freed himself from Moran’s control, he still felt 1% incomplete, which made him sluggish and unsure how to reciprocate Klet’s intense emotions.
Klet fell silent again, his face clearly showing displeasure.
Sighing, Shen Siwei said, “I’ve been staying at the Technology Building, and Moran will call to inquire tonight at the latest. As long as I report back, I’ll be able to get close to the central control panel. You have to trust that I’ll be back soon.”
Klet still furrowed his brow. “Then I’ll go with you.”
Shen Siwei lost his temper. “You’re a wanted criminal. You can’t even access the second floor, so how can you go to the third floor?”
Klet’s face turned dark, and he didn’t respond.
“There’s one more thing that has been bothering me,” Shen Siwei continued. “I need to find Amor. I can’t let go of what happened after reading Amor’s diary and seeing Li’s tragic state.”
“What if you can’t find him?” Klet asked.
“If I can’t find him, I’ll come back.”
After gaining control over the chip, Shen Siwei wouldn’t be forced into sleep anymore. His skin was also impervious to blades and bullets, making it difficult for Moran to harm him again.
Klet remained silent for a while before speaking slowly, “Fine.”
Although he eventually agreed to it, his expression clearly showed his unwillingness. He was only yielding to Shen Siwei.
Shen Siwei soothingly rubbed Klet’s head and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come back.”
“If you don’t come back,” Klet said with a serious gaze, “I’ll turn the world upside down.”
“Okay.” Although he felt it was unlikely, Shen Siwei still agreed.
“I’m not joking,” Klet looked straight into Shen Siwei’s eyes. “If you don’t return to me, I don’t care if the world is destroyed.”
“Alright,” Shen Siwei responded to his words, “If we can’t be together, then we’ll bury the whole world together.”
After saying that, he added, “So, for the sake of world peace, rest assured, I will definitely return to your side.”
“Okay,” Klet’s expression finally improved somewhat.
Finally, after appeasing him, Shen Siwei had the opportunity to look at the tattoo on Klet’s chest and asked, “I wanted to ask earlier, is the tattoo here a person?”
Klet lowered his gaze and glanced at it, casually saying, “No, it’s just a despicable gorilla.
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