Invasion - Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Actually, only Nicole and Shu Jingtong had received Lin Yuan's invitations.
When Shu Jingtong came, he brought a box of flower tea as a gift. Nicole carried a large bouquet of fresh roses and was also holding the hand of a two or three-year-old little girl.
Lin Yuan had just seen this little girl this morning when she was buying pastries, and had even given her a sugar figure.
"Her name is Jiang Xiaochun. I brought her along to play," Nicole pushed the little girl clinging to her leg forward. "When I saw them this afternoon, they said that a big sister who gave out candy had come, and I guessed it was you."
Jiang Xiaochun had changed into a set of clean, old clothes. She held onto Nicole’s leg, poked her head out, and smiled at Lin Yuan, not shy at all.
Her dead older brother was called Jiang Xiaoher, her other siblings were called Jiang Xiaowa, Jiang Xiaochong, Jiang Xiaochun…
This family’s naming style was a bit simple and crude, Lin Yuan thought.
Lin Yuan opened the windows of the living room on the first floor that faced the courtyard. The three of them sat at the coffee table by the window, drinking tea and eating pastries.
Watching Jiang Xiaochun’s small figure catching bugs in the desolate courtyard.
"Your courtyard is truly… natural, full of wild charm. But it’s also quite interesting," Shu Jingtong politely commented on Lin Yuan's courtyard. "Do you live here alone, with a maid?"
Nicole immediately chimed in, "Yes, I’m so envious of you, living alone in such a big courtyard must be very freeing, right? Unlike my family, my parents control me so tightly, I have no freedom at all."
"Envious," Lin Yuan silently repeated this word.
She experienced this emotion with her tentacles, and memorized it, but didn’t quite understand.
She hadn’t expected that there would be a time when others envied her.
Shu Jingtong discreetly nudged Nicole with his elbow.
Lin Yuan sat across from them, her elbow on the table, her chin resting on her hand, leaning against the window, looking lazy.
Her thin back against the backdrop of the desolate courtyard, the orange-red afterglow of the setting sun dyed her porcelain-like face, unable to warm her expression.
Before, Shu Jingtong had thought that Lin Yuan was aloof, arrogant, frighteningly powerful, like a cold passerby in this world, and that was why she didn’t fit in with everyone.
Now he realized that Lin Yuan might just be a very lonely person.
Having lost her parents at a young age, isolated by everyone, so she had become less expressive, seeming a little different from everyone else.
In fact, she was very kind, she would help unfamiliar companions in times of danger, give a candy to a strange child on the street, and even invite him to her house.
The loneliness of living alone in such a large courtyard was perhaps not comparable to their troubles, who had grown up under the protection of their parents, who were just annoyed by their parents’ nagging.
Shu Jingtong felt ashamed of his previous inappropriate words and thoughts.
"The courtyard is so big, it shouldn't matter if we release our mental bodies, right?" Shu Jingtong suggested.
A giant, snow-white Chinchilla appeared in the desolate and silent courtyard, shaking its soft, fluffy fur in the grass.
It was larger than an adult lion.
The giant, pure white cat stretched comfortably under the setting sun, and started licking its paws.
Jiang Xiaochun cheered, pounced on it, climbing up the big cat’s fluffy back.
The large cat indulged her, letting her ride on its back.
A silver python appeared in the green glow of the setting sun, its majestic and agile body winding through the trees, its fine scales shimmering with a cold light.
This was Nicole's mental body, a silver reticulated python, beautiful and powerful.
Jiang Xiaochun, riding the fluffy big cat, saw the beautiful snake, and with a shout, happily rolled down from the cat's neck, reaching out her small hand to touch the white snake's cold scales.
The large snake coiled around her, lifting her onto its head, swiftly moving through the courtyard with her.
As the snake moved, winding and twisting, the little girl's giggling laughter echoed in the air.
Passing by the window, the silver snake’s huge head hissed, sticking out its long tongue, glancing at Shu Jingtong provocatively.
Shu Jingtong smiled softly.
Because he felt that Lin Yuan was also smiling.
Lin Yuan had both arms on the windowsill, her head leaning out slightly, looking intently at the large courtyard, where two lively mental bodies and a happy little girl were playing.
It was still that mask-like face, without much expression. But Shu Jingtong inexplicably felt that that face had become more lively, a spark in those dark eyes.
He was the Guide with the best grades in the academy, very good at capturing subtle changes in other people’s emotions.
He felt that Lin Yuan, just like him, was smiling, in her heart.
A huge, thick pink tentacle appeared, wrapping around Lin Yuan’s body, clinging to her skin, looking out the window with her.
As if this lively scene in the courtyard was a novel experience for them.
Two, then three, more tentacles appeared in the shadows of the courtyard, their bodies curved.
They raised the tips of their wrist feet, curiously looking at everything.
With a hint of hesitation, and a hint of excitement, they slowly swam over.
Nicole and Shu Jingtong exchanged a look and smiled.
Lin Yuan might not understand yet.
But they knew that mental bodies actively interacting with each other was a sign of natural closeness.
Even among Guides, only the closest of friends would release their mental bodies to play together without any reservations.
Many people said that the closest relationship in this world was the bond between a sentinel and a Guide.
Everyone almost praised the deep mental connection between sentinels and Guides as the greatest emotion in the world.
But these young Guides felt that as long as they were willing, the emotions between friends could also be just as stable, long-lasting, pure, and joyful.
Just like what was happening in this courtyard.
They talked about their experiences at their respective outposts since they last parted ways.
"There are some very annoying sentinels," Nicole said. "He was very rude to me, so I released my mental body in its largest form, and scared him so much that he wet himself."
She was a girl with very clear loves and hates.
"But most sentinels are very cute," she immediately smiled. "They were very grateful for the help I offered, very sincere and interesting. After going there, I realized that the sentinels at the outposts really need Guides, a cruel battlefield like that needs Guides. I’m actually very willing to stay there longer."
"Yes, I also met some very good sentinels. Actually, sentinels, just like Guides, of course there are good ones and bad ones," Shu Jingtong said. "After going out and seeing the world, I realized how vast it is, there are so many things happening out there, such dangerous environments, and so many different kinds of people."
His expression darkened a little. "I didn't know before, that life at the outposts was so difficult. Compared to the White Tower, it’s almost like another world, yet most of humanity lives in those outer outposts."
Nicole rested her chin on her hand. "Actually, I think we should go there more often. The situation there is so bad, sentinels and ordinary people dying in droves. Why are we hiding in the White Tower, holding banquets and dancing?"
"Just symbolically sending a few people over every year, just for show."
"I really don’t understand," she said.
She didn't understand, such unreasonable things, yet everyone turned a blind eye, treating this abnormal life as normal.
Hearing that Lin Yuan was about to leave again, the two Guides were very surprised.
"You’re saying, you’re leaving again?"
"Your Special Research Department approved your transfer so quickly? Where are you going this time?"
"You actually went inside a contaminated zone yourself? What was it like inside? Was it very scary?"
"I'm a little envious of you, Lin Yuan. Really, I don’t care what others think, but how many Guides in this world can live like you, doing as they please, free and unrestrained?"
Guo Suo, in a neat maid uniform and white apron, came over, carrying a dessert tower.
Her steps were light and graceful, her movements gentle, as she bent down to place the beautifully arranged dessert tower on the table.
Every move was very proper, befitting a maid in a noble family.
"Thank you," Nicole gave her a sweet smile.
Lin Yuan's courtyard was a mess, such a big manor with neither a housekeeper nor a gatekeeper, it was fortunate that there was such a gentle and lovely little maid.
"Ah, no, you're welcome," Guo Suo's face immediately turned red, flustered, she almost started walking sideways.
In the end, she held back, stiffly turning around, walking away in a proper manner.
She sensed the two guests’ gazes on her back, they were observing her!
That gaze, like needles on her back, made her entire body tense.
They were perceptive guests, the same type as miss, only not as powerful as miss.
Had they guessed?
Guo Suo became even more nervous, even releasing the powerful aura of a deep-sea creature.
It was over.
They had sensed it, they had seen through everything.
Guo Suo's mind was a mess, utterly dejected, she wanted to crawl away on all eights, regardless of everything, run back to her kitchen.
What kind of looks and expressions were those guests using to look at her now?
Were they starting to dislike miss in their hearts, saying that there was a monster in her house, that it was a haunted house, that they didn't want to come and play anymore?
Guo Suo almost bit her handkerchief.
She held back her tears, trying her best, under those strange gazes, to maintain a normal posture as she walked into the kitchen step by step, and closed the door.
In the living room, Nicole looked at Lin Yuan in surprise.
"She…?" Nicole pointed to the closed kitchen door, whispering.
Lin Yuan nodded, indicating that she had guessed correctly.
"My god," Nicole almost jumped up, then, smoothing her skirt, sat back down, feeling that her action just now hadn't been very ladylike.
"I knew some people kept mutated creatures at home," Nicole said, keeping her voice very low when saying "mutated creatures." "But I didn't expect you to actually have a mutated creature as a maid?"
"Not a slave, an employee," Lin Yuan said.
"An employee? Are you serious?" This time, even Shu Jingtong was surprised.
Lin Yuan nodded, "She’s quite cute, and very fragile, please don’t make fun of her."
Shu Jingtong opened his mouth, almost speechless.
This Lin Yuan, really, she could always refresh his understanding of her.
Of course, he had seen those strange creatures kept in giant fish tanks at the banquets of some top nobles.
But he hadn't imagined that someone would actually let a mutated creature live by their side.
"Of course not, I wouldn’t make fun of her," Nicole recovered. "This is your home, how could I mind your lifestyle? But are you sure she's very fragile?"
Just now, when that maid had turned around to leave, she had clearly sensed a powerful aura.
Incredible speed, sharp weapons, and a hard shell.
Nicole, who had always considered herself a very unique girl, now realized she wasn't a match for Lin Yuan.
Thinking about it, Lin Yuan was very cool, even the maid she employed was especially cool. She gave Lin Yuan a thumbs-up.
In the kitchen, Guo Suo closed the door, then went out from the back door of the kitchen, crouching down in a corner of the backyard, covering her face with her hands.
She was a failed crab, she had embarrassed miss.
A little girl, less than three years old, came running from somewhere, hugging her "leg."
The two, one big and one small, were both stunned at that moment.
Guo Suo froze the moment she was hugged.
Her "leg," one of her many hard legs, was being hugged by a pair of small, chubby human hands, through her skirt.
This might have been the first time her strange legs had been hugged by human hands.
Little Jiang Xiaochun was also stunned. This older sister seemed a little different from other older sisters.
She carefully touched it, it felt very hard, flat, maybe even a little sharp.
Looking down, she saw a sharp limb sticking out from under the older sister’s white petticoat, with a lot of fuzz on it.
Like the legs of some kind of marine creature she had seen at the market.
The little girl blinked.
Guo Suo wanted to run away, but Jiang Xiaochun was clinging to her leg, and for a moment, her skirt was messed up, revealing more arthropod legs.
"Wow, big sister, you have so many legs," Jiang Xiaochun's eyes shone with envy.
Guo Suo, still in her escape posture, moved sideways a few steps, and the little girl hanging on her leg giggled.
"You’re, you're not scared?" The little maid, her body stiff, asked.
Other than miss, she hadn't seen any humans who weren’t afraid of her, who didn’t hate her.
"I’m not scared," Jiang Xiaochun’s special skill was clinging to people’s legs. "Big sister, you have so many legs, you must be able to run very fast. Can you run and show me?"
…
When Lin Yuan entered the kitchen, she saw Guo Suo, holding the little girl, walking vertically on the kitchen wall.
She took out all sorts of desserts from the cabinets and was trying to stuff them into Jiang Xiaochun's pockets.
Seeing Lin Yuan come in, the two, one big and one small, quickly came down from the wall, smoothing their skirts, looking at her a little sheepishly.
【It’s her again.】
【Don’t let her come again.】
【I hate kids the most.】
【My candy is all gone.】
【But I like to play with kittens.】
【The little snake became friends with me.】
【Still, let her come, it’s very fun to play together.】
【Why didn’t big fish come?】
Gatherings really were quite interesting, Lin Yuan thought. No wonder everyone liked friends, liked visiting friends’ homes.
Next time she invited friends over, it would be best to hire a gardener first.
Lin Yuan looked out the window.
Night had fallen, and a bright moon shone alone in the night sky.
It was already dark, everyone was getting ready to go back, it seemed Little Fish really wasn’t coming.
Ni Ji stood in a dark alley, from where he could see the brightly lit manor.
Last night's life-or-death assassination mission, and today, a whole day spent dealing with the two high-level sentinels from the Royal Guard.
Assassination, being drugged, detoxification, maintaining a high level of mental concentration, it was only now that he could finally stop.
His body was very tired, he didn't know why he had come here.
But since he had already come, he wanted to stand here for a while, to rest.
Ni Ji didn't deliberately use his enhanced hearing as a sentinel.
He didn't need to listen, just standing here, looking at the faint light hidden in the courtyard, was enough.
He imagined that it must be very warm there, with soft lights, fragrant food, filled with laughter, a place where he could relax and casually chat.
He seemed to hear a little girl's giggling laughter.
And smelled a faint aroma of pastries.
A sentinel’s overly powerful five senses were sometimes troublesome.
The drug injected into his neck last night was too strong, disrupting his body’s various physiological functions. Even with his physique, he had suffered for a whole day.
He had suppressed all his discomfort, maintaining his best mental state to deal with the two officers from the Royal Guard.
Actually, his stomach had been churning all day. He hadn’t eaten anything, just so he wouldn’t throw up.
Now, standing in this cold alley, looking at the faint light in the distance, he inexplicably felt hungry.
Ni Ji missed the northern border outpost a little.
Although it was barren, on a night like this, if he was hungry, there were many brothers’ homes he could go to. No matter whose doorstep he stepped on, there would be warm hugs and hot food welcoming him.
Now, he almost didn't dare go back there, didn’t dare see those people’s parents and wives.
In this bustling imperial capital, he was lonely. When he was tired, it seemed like there was nowhere he could go.
Fortunately, there was still a place he wanted to be.
He could stand here, and watch that person from afar.
She had also invited him. He wasn’t completely without a place to go.
The tall, thin man stood alone in the alley for a long time.
The footsteps of two or three passersby came from the road ahead.
The night gradually deepened, the bright moon hung high in the sky, the weather was very cold, even his breath turned into white smoke.
The sentinel in black almost completely blended into the dark alley.
In the depths of that overgrown courtyard, a light came on in the highest attic.
A hazy silhouette could be seen through the curved glass window.
The sentinel in the alley couldn’t help but take a step forward.
He saw a familiar figure appear by the window. That light figure seemed to be in a good mood, twirling around by the window, her slender arm raised, holding a small, chubby orca.
The sentinel's pupils constricted, uncontrollably enhancing his vision.
It was an orca, no mistake.
He saw the girl poke the orca's face with her finger, then pinch its tail.
Finally, reaching out, gently stroking the orca’s round head.
The moonlight in the night sky gently shone down, diagonally into the dark alley.
Ni Ji kept looking at that small, lit window.
His mental body materialized in the night. The orca’s giant head emerged from the void beside him, raising its head, letting out a soft whimper.
All the exhaustion and hardship seemed to dissipate with the gentle touch of the silhouette by the window.
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