Fear Not, For I Am With You
Luo Lan hurried back to the castle. She rushed into her room and locked the door.
Hiding in the bathroom, she searched for news about the Dragon Blood Corps.
Dragon Blood Corps had gathered a lot of fans on the StarNet. Not long after the press conference, there were many reaction videos worshipping[1] the Dragon Blood Corps’ commander.
Luo Lan played the video and listened with her ears pricked up.
“I’m the leader[2] of the dragon blood Corps. If you want the news in it, come to me!”
All the while, she kept replaying the Corps’ Commander lines. Luo Lan closed her eyes and listened to it for the nth time. In the end, she reluctantly confirmed the reality she didn’t want to face.
It’s Dr. Mu’s voice!
There was no way that someone else’s voice could match perfectly with another person’s[3]! The leader of the Dragon Blood Corps, the mysterious commander of the strongest mercenary group in history, could only be Dr. Mu, the real Princess Luo Lan’s lover!
Luo Lan’s heart pounded.
She thought the real Princess Luo Lan had disappeared in the vast sea of stars forever and would never appear again. Yet, there she was, once again appearing in her life.
She was there, hiding behind the strong figure of Dr. Mu. She probably looked at her with scorn. How easy would it be for her to jump out at any moment and point to her, “She is a fake. A liar!”
The figure of Dr. Mu wearing armor oppressed Luo Lan’s heart like a towering mountain.
In fact, she shouldn’t even be surprised!
If Dr. Mu was not such a figure, how could he have the courage and means to graft the flower of one tree onto another[4] and steal the beams and change the pillars[5] under the eyes of the two star countries?
It was merely her wishful thinking that hoped everything was so simple.
Staring at the man who gave her new life, Luo Lan was both panicked and frightened.
Dr. Mu, the leader of the Dragon Blood Corps, and the consul’s assassination…
Luo Lan had no idea what actually happened, but she could recognize conspiracy when she saw one.
For the very first time in the past ten years, she began to really consider giving up her identity as Princess Luo Lan.
She had worked hard for ten years, but as long as Dr. Mu said a word, she would be beaten back to her true self under the disguise, a death-row prisoner that has nothing at all!
Filled with despair, she thought of Qian Xu. She was like a drowning man in the vast sea who finally saw an island. There was someone in this world who knew her as the real her! She still has Qian Xu!
Luo Lan was flustered and eagerly opened her address book.
She wanted to hear Qian Xu call her “Luo Xun.” She wanted Qian Xu to tell her, “It doesn’t matter. You’re Luo Xun. No matter what, I’ll be there for you!”
Luo Lan tapped her finger quickly on her personal terminal and was about to call Qian Xu when a “beep” interrupted her.
It was an incoming call from Chen Sha.
Luo Lan was startled and immediately regained her composure.
She answered, “Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“In my room, ah[6]!”
“You are in your room, yet you can’t hear me knocking on the door?”
“Oh! I- I… just took a nap.”
Luo Lan rushed out of the bathroom and opened the door.
Chen Sha stared at her.
Luo Lan felt guilty and smiled exaggeratedly, “What’s the matter? Did you suddenly discover that I am a beauty?”
Chen Sha said coldly, “Follow me to the training ground.”
Luo Lan was confused. “What?”
“Training!” Chen Sha turned and left.
Luo Lan had no choice but to keep up with him, “What do you mean ‘training‘? I’ve been training all day long!”
“You still could spend time entertaining all sorts of ideas, which proves that the training has not reached the limit.”
“What ‘entertaining all sorts of ideas’? What nonsense are you talking about??” Gear in Luo Lan’s mind turned quickly, “It’s that bastard Zi Yan, right? It’s him who complained about me to you, right?!”
Chen Sha paused for a moment, “It’s not him.”
Luo Lan turned a deaf ear and anxiously explained, “Don’t listen to Zi Yan’s nonsense! I just watched the leader of the Dragon Blood Corps too intently! That’s all!”
“You’re scared when you see him.”
“I…” Luo Lan wanted to deny it, but it was indeed the truth. She was really afraid.
The Butterfly Corps was able to get the support of the Dragon Blood Corps so quickly. Maybe the Butterfly Corps has the first-class crisis-handling ability, but it was more likely that they were inextricably linked. Even the two missions performed by the Butterfly Corps were at the behest of the Dragon Blood Corps.
Anyone who found out that the leader of the Dragon Blood Corps was the person behind their kidnapping and attack would be afraid. It’s just… For her, it wasn’t only because of that.
Luo Lan spoke with difficulty, “So what… It’s a normal reaction to be scared of them…”
“To the point you would lock yourself in the bathroom?”
Luo Lan sighed depressedly and obediently followed Chen Sha to the training ground.
————·————·————
It was dark and most of the training rooms on the training ground had been closed. The spacious hall was deserted.
Luo Lan changed into her training clothes, and Chen Sha took her into the pitch-black gravity chamber.
After the zhi nao confirmed their identity, the lights turned on.
Chen Sha handed a can of nutrients to Luo Lan and gave a series of instructions concisely, “Ten seconds, finish this. Gravity level 7, fight me. If you can’t hold on for ten minutes, physical punishment. Sprint, 20 kilometers.”
Luo Lan was going crazy. “Wei! Do you need to be so ruthless? I’m not your soldier!”
Chen Sha was poker-faced, “You are not my wife either! Nine, eight, seven…”
Luo Lan dared not delay any longer. She grabbed the nutrient and drank it with a big gulp..
There was still some time left! She still could finish it in time!!
“Zero!”
As soon as the voice fell, Chen Sha directly raised his foot and kicked over, and Luo Lan was kicked to fly like a kite.
Before Luo Lan could land, Chen Sha kicked again. Luo Lan smashed the unfinished nutrient jar in her hand at him, avoiding Chen Sha’s second kick as the slimy nutrient diffused.
Before she could let out a sigh of relief, the nutrient can was kicked back by Chen Sha as a weapon and nearly slammed into her face. The jar has been kicked out of shape, becoming flat and sharp, like a grotesque hidden weapon.
Luo Lan propped her hands on the ground and turned over a dozen somersaults in succession, only to watch the “hidden weapon” fly over against the tip of her nose and hit the wall of the gravity chamber. In the harsh sound of friction, the “hidden weapon” left a visible scratch on the metal wall. It shattered into two sharper “hidden weapons” and fell to the ground.
Luo Lan shivered and her face paled. She thought her task was only to avoid the “hidden weapons” and it wouldn’t do her any harm. She never expected it to be able to leave scratches even on a metal wall!
Chen Sha stamped his foot and two “hidden weapons” bounced off the ground.
He swept it with one foot, and the two “hidden weapons” whizzed towards Luo Lan again.
Luo Lan was almost in tears. She wasn’t immortal ah! Those jars should absolutely never. ever. come in contact with her body!
Like a gecko, Luo Lan ran fast against the metal wall of the gravity chamber, sometimes high and sometimes low, sometimes urgent and sometimes slow. She used the metal wall as her shield to dissipate the power of the “hidden weapons”.
……
……
When the “hidden weapons” became four, Luo Lan tried her best but still couldn’t avoid all of them.
It was hard to avoid all of them, she could only avoid three. The one from her left, her right, and behind. She could only watch the last “hidden weapon” in front of her stab her in the heart.
She thought in horror, Chen Sha must have known that she was a fake!
At the last moment when she was about to close her eyes and accepted her death, Chen Sha appeared beside her like a ghost. He hugged her shoulder, and gently pulled her. The last “hidden weapon” flew through the gap between her arms and ribs and pierced the metal wall.
Luo Lan has no strength left. In addition, she just watched the God of Death pass by. She couldn’t stand straight for her life anymore. She was completely limp in Chen Sha’s arms.
Luo Lan panted, “I see it now. You treat me as an enemy!”
Chen Sha loosened his grip and Luo Lan fell to the ground with a “thump“.
“Only lasted for seven minutes. Raise gravity level by one. Now, run!”
Luo Lan lay on the ground pretending to be dead. To hell with it, she wanted to cherish this moment of rest!
Chen Sha’s voice was cold, “Increase by one kilometer… Increase by two kilometers…”
Luo Lan gritted her teeth and stood up.
She staggered onto the track and started running.
Chen Sha yelled, “Faster!”
Luo Lan wanted to cry. It’s not that she didn’t want to run faster, but that she really didn’t have the strength anymore! She had been training all day long and had just been beaten up by him!
From the corner of her eyes, Luo Lan seemed to see the lynx. She was doubting if she was too tired to the point of hallucination, but then she heard the lynx’s majestic roar.
Chen Sha coldly ordered, “Bite her!”
The lynx rushed over like lightning. It even opened its mouth and tried to bite her ass, which scared Luo Lan to run faster with all of the strength that was left on her.
One ran, one chased. The lynx’s sharp teeth almost bite her ass several times. Only then did Luo Lan know that the lynx was just teasing her when she was on the hillside that time.
Luo Lan didn’t know how that night ended.
After she had run for ten kilometers, her mind had become a paste, but she dared not faint yet.
Because, Chen Sha warned her, “If you don’t finish it today and fainted. Double it tomorrow.”
In order to complete this impossible task, Luo Lan adjusted her breathing and muscles according to the method Su Qi taught her so that every trace of strength would not be wasted, and all senses would be focused to one point.
In the limit, she seems to have reached a delicate balance. Breathing, inhaling and exhaling, all with a certain rhythm.
She seemed to be herself, but she didn’t seem to be herself.
Until Chen Sha’s voice came vaguely but also clearly, “Done! ”
She knew that it’s alright for her to stop running, but her body was still running forward.
Chen Sha blocked her.
She looked at him blankly. She opened her mouth and soundlessly said, “May I faint?”
If it wasn’t for Chen Sha’s enchanted hearing, he would definitely not be able to hear anything. He said, “Yes. ”
Luo Lan’s eyes fluttered. Her body suddenly went limp like a withered flower.
Chen Sha hugged her and whispered in her ear, “Don’t be afraid.”
Footnotes
跪舔 – guì tiǎn; Lit. Kneel and Lick. Pleasing/Worshipping others without dignity and without a bottom line.↵
团长 – tuáncháng; Chief//Leader/Head.↵
一模一样 – yī mú yí yàng; lit. peas in a pod. Exactly the same; Striking resemblances; Match each other as if cut from the same piece of cloth; Not a fraction of difference (between).↵
移花接木 – yí huā jiē mù; Secretly uses means to replace people or things to deceive others.↵
偷梁换柱 – tōu liáng huàn zhù; To perpetrate a fraud.↵
“我的房间啊! – wǒ de fángjiān ā. 啊 (ā, Ah) could mean many things. Depends on the tone, actually. Could be a surprise, exasperation, doubt, admiration, exclamation, enlightenment, agreement, or anything. This time it’s probably closer to, “I’m in my room, where else??”↵
Amoeba’s Corner
31st October, have some treat~
Don’t worry, Chen Sha is not serious and definitely won’t let Luo Lan get harmed. It is part of Luo Lan training, anyway. It’s just… That’s definitely not how you should comfort someone ah, Chen Sha!!!
————·————·————
Sneak-a-Peek
Qian Xu didn’t end the call either. He sat on his bedside, listening quietly to Luo Lan’s breathing, gently rising and falling like a tide under the moonlight. From time to time, there was a sob or two. How sad and frightened was she, to the point that she still cried even in her sleep?
Obligatory Closing
If you like what I do, please consider checking my ko-fi! ( ˊᵕˋ)
I also put some advanced chapters there if you are interested! (づ￣ ³￣)づ
This chapter words count (excluding title, footnotes, and TL’s corner): 1942
“It’s that bastard Zi Yan, right? It’s him who complained about me to you, right?!”
It’s all Zi Yan’s fault!!
I know this is supposed to be a serious chapter, but I can’t help it when I read Chen Sha and Luo Lan’s ‘training’. It was hilariously bad. I laughed but then I feel bad for laughing.
[Luo Lan was going crazy. “Wei! Do you need to be so ruthless? I’m not your soldier!”
Chen Sha was poker-faced, “You are not my wife either! Nine, eight, seven…”]
[Luo Lan was almost in tears. She wasn’t immortal ah! Those jars should absolutely never. ever. come in contact with her body!]
[Luo Lan has no strength left. In addition, she just watched the God of Death pass by.]
[“Chen Sha loosened his grip and Luo Lan fell to the ground with a “thump“.]
[Luo Lan lay on the ground pretending to be dead. To hell with it, she wanted to cherish this moment of rest!
Chen Sha’s voice was cold, “Increase by one kilometer… Increase by two kilometers…”]
I’m just copy-pasteing but those parts really make me feel bad for laughing. Especially the last one, want to procrastinate but can’t. Must be hard for you, Luo Lan.
Also, Luo Lan instinct when in panic, danger, or any other negative emotions is too seek Qian Xu. Bae. Bae. You hear me? Qian Xu is bae.
Shouldn’t treat be sweet? The sneak-a-peek isn’t sweet enough!!!
Aren’t you too demanding???
Anyway, when in distress. Keep calm and remember, it’s all Zi Yan’s fault!
My favorite line in this chapter is still “It’s that bastard Zi Yan, right? It’s him who complained about me to you, right?!”
Luo Lan never forgot to insult Zi Yan every time he is mentioned. The grudges ran deep.
Thank you for keep giving us bonus chapter when you don’t have to.
I’m really thankful, honest.
Qian Xu didn’t end the call either. He sat on his bedside, listening quietly to Luo Lan’s breathing, gently rising and falling like a tide under the moonlight. From time to time, there was a sob or two. How sad and frightened was she, to the point that she still cried even in her sleep?
Mn. Qian Xu is the gentlest. The best.
Chen Sha is hopeless: you don’t comfort a person by making her train and run to the point of fainting.
I bet it was the consul who asked Chen Sha to go and check Luo Lan
It indeed can only be his best wingman, the consul, who asked him to check on Luo Lan!