My Partner was Assigned to me by the Country

Ryan carefully looked at the pen, mainly because of the name. If we exclude the possibility of someone else having the same name and surname, the owner of the pen with the name engraved on it must be Leo, the lover of Hanna, the flower shop owner who owns Moonlight Rose and is desperately searching for.

Harriet sighed, “I thought we couldn’t find it, but we unexpectedly discovered it here.”

Ryan nodded, “It’s a surprise.”

“Fan Lanting, look behind you,” suddenly said Auston.

Fan Lanting, who loves reading novels and has a very active imagination, froze at the scene. He thought of many classic scenes from horror novels and movies, where the protagonist turns around and discovers ghosts, bones and other abnormally terrifying things on the wall. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple rolling unnaturally in front of everyone’s gaze, and slowly turned his head, only to find nothing on the wall.

Auston said: “Below.”

Following Auston’s direction, Fan Lanting soon discovered a leather-covered notebook next to his buttocks. He had almost sat on it. If he had, he would have found the notebook’s trail even faster. As a scout, he felt ashamed that he hadn’t checked his surroundings carefully before sitting down.

He lowered his head and handed the notebook to Auston, then continued to search around but found nothing useful. He looked cautiously at Auston, surprised by how gentle the man with the same name as a general was. Beneath the gentleness was an irresistible authority built up from long-standing power and command, and sometimes he couldn’t help but feel like saluting under his gaze. Moreover, the warmth that leaked out unintentionally in his interactions with Ryan moved him deeply and made him eager to find a partner, get married, and have children as soon as possible.

Fan Lanting suppressed his envy, which was about to overflow from his eyes. He joked that he had old and young in his family, and his wife was at home waiting for him to make a child. It was a lie because he was X and had no one to make babies with except for others on top of him, he pouted.

Taking the notebook from Fan Lanting’s hand, Auston nodded in gratitude and began to browse through it with Ryan.

“This is a diary and the earliest record dates back three years and three months ago, stopping at 96 days later.” After briefly flipping through the diary, Ryan shared the first-hand information he had obtained from it with everyone.

After six days of high-intensity wilderness survival, everyone’s nerves were stretched extremely tense, and they needed something unrelated to the mission to relieve their mental fatigue. When they heard that Ryan had accepted a commission, they treated it as a unique aspect of the competition and actively helped to search for it together.

“Tell us about the contents recorded in the last few days.” Even the most calm Jack couldn’t stand walking in the dimly lit, reddish Moon Bay for too long, urging Ryan to quickly read the diary and provide some clues to find Leo.

“He entered the Ice grassland in July three years ago when the northern hemisphere entered the freezing season.” Ryan had no habit of prying into other people’s privacy and skipped the contents of the diary before flipping to the last few days leading up to entering the Ice grassland.

Leo was an young man who liked to keep a diary every day, sometimes writing lengthy entries and sometimes just a few sentences, recording the events of the day and his changing emotions like a journal.

July 6th, sunny.

The sky on the Ice grassland is very blue. Once again, I came here with old York, hoping to catch some more vintage two-horned snakes. Hanna’s father wants me to prove my ability by providing ten thousand star coins. I think I can do it, as long as I can catch enough two-horned snakes with a vintage of at least ten years. I love you, Hanna.

Leo’s handwriting was clear and light, proving that he was a cheerful and outgoing young man.

Auston turned a page, and it contained the entries from the 7th, 8th, and 9th days. Leo wrote only a few sentences, detailing their search for ten-year-old two-horned snakes, which was not going smoothly. The most experienced hunter, Old York, caught a cold and couldn’t provide them with any more guidance.

The words between the lines were filled with disappointment.

On July 9th, it was raining.

The two-horned snakes that used to crawl all over the place now seem to be extinct. It’s frustrating, we’ve been at it for four days and have only caught four, the oldest of which was only eight years old and we could only sell it for 500 star coins. Five hundred, what a good amount, but unfortunately I didn’t catch it. I talked with Hegson and we decided to take a risk and go to Moon Bay, but old York disagreed. However, I can’t go back empty-handed. I love you, Hanna.

I hope to find the Moonlight Rose. The brown-haired adventurer promised me a high price for it.

Ryan turned the page and noticed that Leo had not written in his diary for two days.

When there was more content, it was already two days later, on July 12th.

Ryan read the words on it, his calm tone belying the excitement and anxiety of a young man.

On July 12th, you couldn’t see the weather on this goddamn Moon Bay anymore.

Hegson, Wei, Andy, Kedwell, and I really had a narrow escape to reach the bottom of the valley. It’s too scary here. Kedwell was talking to me one second and the next second, he took a step back and disappeared in front of us, leaving only a scream. I love you, Hanna. May you bless me.”

After entering Moon Bay, my luck turned around. I caught two Rose Lizards, and if I catch one more, I’ll have 5,000 Star Coins!!!

Because the lighting here was poor, Leo’s handwriting became blurred. Turning to the next page, two “Roses” fell into Auston’s hands.

Auston looked at the two “Roses” and said softly, “Leo loves Hanna very much.”

Auston leaned on Ryan’s shoulder to better see the contents of the diary. Ryan naturally turned his head and kissed the top of his hair. “Hanna loves him too.”

Continuing to flip through the diary, there were only two days of content left, which meant that this guy named Leo had only two days left in the human world.

July 13th, another day where the weather conditions were impossible to see.

It should be the 13th today, I don’t even know if the sun has risen or set. Let’s just say it’s the 13th today, another day I’m missing Hanna. We lost another companion, he was bitten by a Rock Scorpion and convulsed in front of me. I think I should turn around and go home. In one more day, I’ll be ready to go home.

Oh my god!

Hanna, do you know what I found? A large cluster of Moonlight Roses, growing in the depths of the abyssal cracks. I was lying on the edge of the crack, and it felt like I could touch them. I swear, it’s only a little over a meter away, I should be able to take them home.

Ryan’s slightly subdued voice matched Leo’s words, showing everyone Leo’s new discovery!

Without pause, Auston immediately began reading the last day.

July 14th, it must be a sunny day.

I’m going to pick the Moonlight Roses and bring them home. Ten thousand star coins are calling me. Hanna, wait for me to come home.

The diary abruptly stopped after this day.

“The content of the last few days is like this. Let’s look around the area and see if we can find further clues,” Ryan said with a melancholy expression as he closed the diary and tightly held onto Auston’s hand, not wanting to let go.

The others: “…”

We want to know the contents of the diary, but we don’t want to see you take turns reading it!

Consider singletons, okay?

“What’s wrong with everyone?” Ryan, who unknowingly showed off his affection for Auston, was unaware of everyone’s complex feelings.

The same is true for Auston, who had no effective recognition of other people’s emotions, also swept a glance at everyone and said, “Action.”

“Yes!”

Derrick, Harriet, and Jack stood up suddenly, with their feet together and their right hands raised in salute. Fan Lanting was a step slower, but quickly caught up with his buddies. After speaking, he suddenly realized something was wrong, and his heart full of question marks sank a little. He… did he neglect something?

Once they agreed to take action, there should be no hesitation. Soon, Fan Lanting found a clue ten meters away from their resting place. He half-knelt on the ground and probed into the crack. There was a thriving cluster of moonlight roses less than two meters from the ground, which should be the one Leo saw three years ago. On the edge of the crack, there was a fixed climbing piton, and a wear-resistant climbing rope was tied to it.

Upon hearing the news, the few people looked inside and Ryan said, “Bring it up.”

“Okay,” Fan Lanting said, “I’ll do it. Don’t be scared if you see anything later.”

Harriet pouted, “Do you think we’re all mentally fragile?”

Well, obviously not. Everyone present was an experienced soldier who had seen all kinds of gruesome corpses.

Fan Lanting pulled up the rope, but there was no immediate weight below, so they wouldn’t see any terrifying corpses. Soon, the rope was pulled up, along with an arm that was missing everything below the elbow – fingers, palm, wrist, and forearm…. leaving only dense white bones, which would never again be able to say to the beloved girl — I love you.

Looking at the pile of bones on the ground, Ryan found a silver bracelet from the torn sleeve. The bracelet had a crescent-shaped silver plate with the name “Hanna” written on it. This was the amulet they were looking for.

Ryan said: “It’s him, the person we’re looking for.”

“After all this, is it too cruel to bring this hand back to the girl?” After a while, Fan Lanting couldn’t help breaking the silence of the group.

“Not seeing the body can leave room for imagination,” Harriet also had a sensitive side as a woman.

“But it’s just an illusion. She should face reality and find happiness again,” Auston’s words were somewhat cruel, but the living must always look forward. He looked at Ryan. Life is too short, and we should cherish every moment we have.

Ryan untied the climbing rope that was tied to the hand bone, took off the silver amulet, and said, “Bringing the amulet back is tantamount to telling her the fact that Leo is dead. Let the hand bone be reunited with its owner.”

After speaking, Ryan threw the hand bones into the crevice and quickly disappeared into the darkness without even a sound of falling. Leo loved Hanna, and his soul should have already drifted to Hanna’s side.

After packing the amulet bracelet, diary, and pen into his bag, but instead of carrying the backpack on his back, he threw it on the ground. Before anyone could react, he grabbed the climbing rope and jumped into the crevice.

Auston: “Ryan!” 

He leaned over the edge of the crevice and saw Ryan digging the clump of moonlight roses. These moonlight roses had been growing here for a long time, with a developed root system and dozens of flower branches, forming a large clump.

Ryan: “I’m fine, don’t worry.” 

Seeing Ryan digging in the clump of moonlight roses with no regard for his safety and his hands free, despite the rope wrapped around his waist, Auston felt like his heart was about to stop. He had experienced countless life-and-death moments before and could always face them calmly and composedly, but this time, he couldn’t stay calm.

He felt like he couldn’t breathe, so he took off his mask to let more air into his lungs. He held his breath and didn’t make any sound to distract Ryan.

After seeing Auston’s uncovered face, Fan Lanting looked at his other companions in confusion. They all nodded solemnly.

Fan Lanting: “!!!”

Fan Lanting: “???”

He finally understood all the strange things, everything! He remembered his success in infiltrating the Zerg and destroying their hatchery, which earned him an audience with the general. There were others present at the time, and the environment was noisy, but as soon as the general cleared his throat, the room fell silent.

The sound was etched in his mind, and he had dreamed about it for many days afterwards. General Auston was the idol of the entire Golden Crusade, the male god of his dreams.

And now…

Fang Lanting stood frozen on the spot stiffly. He, he….how many foolish things had he done in the past few days, making the General laugh at him? T^T, he has no face left.

“Why…why didn’t you tell me?” Fang Lanting asked, his voice choked.

Jack patted him on the shoulder helplessly. “You’re quite amazing.” The General took off his mask more than once in the past six days, but he didn’t see it even once, which was a remarkable physical ability, “Don’t worry, the General is very kind and won’t mind.”

Fang Lanting looked down at his fingers, feeling aggrieved. He hadn’t felt like this since he was a child.

“I, I, I…” He stuttered, unable to find the right words to say.

“Don’t worry, Harriet has done the same stupid thing as you,” Derrick enlightened Fan Luanting with the examples around him.

Harriet shouted unhappily, “Hey, hey, we agreed not to bring that up.”

Fan Lanting felt a little better.

They were not at all worried about Ryan, who was in the abyssal crack. This gentleman was so powerful that it seemed limitless. How could he not pick a cluster of moonlight roses? As the saying goes,people with high skills are bold. Ryan dared to go dig for roses because he had the strength to back it up, not acting blindly.

Auston was worried, and chaos ensued.

In less than ten minutes, Ryan pulled the moonlight roses out of the ground with their roots intact, and tossed the whole plant up in the air. “Catch!”

Auston quickly caught the rose with his sharp eyes and hands, while Ryan used the force of his legs to leap off the crack in the ground and almost landed on the ground at the same time as the roses.  The moment he landed, he was slapped by Auston, not directly on the cheek, but gently slapped him on the neck while grazing his face. Ryan looked up to see Auston with a serious expression he had never seen before, realizing that he had acted recklessly just now, he promptly apologized, “I’m sorry, I made you worry.”

Auston was so angry that he trembled all over and didn’t want to speak. He snorted coldly, put on his mask, and turned to carry the bundle of moonlight roses with their roots. As he turned around, he saw Derrick, Jack, and the other two standing stiffly, their eyes fixed and noses steady, as if they were standing at attention as a punishment.

“Let’s go,” Auston commanded without hesitation.

“Yes!” the four of them quickly responded, picked up their backpacks, and proceeded resolutely. When Derrick left, he even gave Ryan a look of ‘seek your own fortune and happiness’.

Ryan: “…” He was wrong. He shouldn’t have risked his life for the Moonlight Rose. Even if he had to take risks in the future, he would do it where Auston couldn’t see.

He quickly picked up his backpack and followed closely behind Auston, “I will definitely think twice before acting and never joke with my own life. I just made sure that the climbing nails and ropes are sturdy and undamaged, that’s why I dared to go down. Trust me, Auston. Also, I’m sorry for worrying you.”

Auston’s mood was in turmoil. He thought of many things, thinking of his mother weakly lying on the hospital bed when he was young, his father’s hollow expression sitting by the bedside, the emptiness of the big house after losing his mother….. the feeling of being unable to withstand losing something once you have it. When he thought of Leo’s death for picking the Moonlight Rose, and the moment when Ryan jumped into the crack, the air in his lungs was suddenly sucked away, and his whole body went numb like an electric shock. Even now, his legs still felt unsteady as he walked.

He bit his lower lip and suddenly turned around, crashing into Ryan’s arms. Ryan was stunned, but he opened his arms and hugged Auston, and everything was expressed in silence.

A minute or two passed. 

Auston’s voice was muffled, “Let go of me.”

Ryan was reluctant to let go.

Auston said, “You crushed my flower.”

Ryan reluctantly let go, “It won’t die. The vitality of the moonlight rose is tenacious. As long as the cut stem is properly preserved, it can survive for more than ten years. Planting and cultivating with roots, it will accompany us for a lifetime, and it symbolizes eternal love.”

“You’ve said that,” Auston pushed Ryan away and turned to continue walking. Looking at him carefully, there was a hint of redness on his ears.

Ryan grinned and took a few steps to walk side by side with Auston.

The others had already tactfully moved forward, leaving the high level boss and the new recruit on the Xingtian ship alone. It must be the best for the subordinates to treat them like this!

Ryan’s estimation was correct. Two kilometers away was the center of Moon Bay, where a large plastic basket was placed with no backpacks inside. They were the earliest group to arrive but not the first few. When Ryan and Auston arrived, they saw Derrick and Jack confronting Kage and Sierra. Sierra had gone through six days of wilderness survival and looked as fragile as porcelain, as if he could break at any moment, but his eyes were bright and piercing. When Ryan appeared, despite sitting on a steep cliff, Sierra looked at him straight in the eyes with a condescending gaze, as if he were looking at a pitiful ant struggling in his grasp.

“Ryan Smith.” Sierra curled his lips and sneered contemptuously, “Ha.”

 Auston, who was wearing a uniform and a mask on his face, shouted, “Sierra.”

Sierra laughed coldly, “Soldier, can you even say my name?”

Derrick and the others looked at Sierra strangely, while Ryan couldn’t help but smile, his joy was beyond words.

Translator has something to say:

Finally!! Fan Lanting understood everything at last

Oh my!!! Sierra is going to regret what he just said.