Invasion - Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Xun Hua sat high in the treetop.

It was a beautiful season. Many flowers in the courtyard were blooming, delicate willows and charming flowers, vibrant life, pleasing to the eye.

Compared to the bright flowers on the branches, Xun Hua preferred those inconspicuous little things in the shadows.

A seed growing askew – Xun Hua had been idly watching it for several days, and today, it had finally, with a twist, pushed its first tender sprout from between the stones.

A moist snail, having crawled along a blade of grass under the moonlight for a whole hour, leaving a sticky trail, finally happily reached the damp depths of the decaying leaves.

His favorite was what was beneath the soil. A groundhog had given birth to a litter of pups, the whole family huddled together, making small squeaking sounds.

Xun Hua also saw Lin Yuan, sitting under the flower trees, nibbling on her fingers.

"What’s wrong? Something bothering you lately?" Xun Hua asked her.

Lin Yuan looked up, through the gaps in the leaves, she saw a silver half-mask and a small section of a human jawline.

There was a tree here, with roots, a trunk, and leaves. She stood under the tree, without speaking, easily transmitting her thoughts through the tree trunk to the gardener sitting in the branches.

"So, you're troubled by something like this," Xun Hua, half-leaning against the branches, seemed to be smiling, "You seem much better now than when I first met you. More and more like a human."

"You’ve already learned to overthink such simple things,” Xun Hua was teasing her, but perhaps these were the words Lin Yuan wanted to hear most.

Like a human.

Someone could like her. And she now also had the ability to like someone.

"If you still can’t figure out your own feelings, you could invite him to participate in your next mission.”

"Spend some time with him, and ask your heart and body."

Body too? Lin Yuan tilted her head, thinking.

"Of course, all of life’s actions are driven by desire. Whether you like that orca or not, your body might understand before your brain does."

At this moment, the lights in the kitchen on the first floor were on, clanging sounds coming from within. Guo Suo was preparing their late-night snacks.

Lin Yuan stood under the tree. The tentacles, more excited than ever, responded,

【Like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like.】

The tentacles’ voices echoed in unison.

【We like fish very much.】

【I like the shape of his fingers. Most of all, I like watching him desperately trying to hold onto the sheets.】

【I like his voice, hee hee, so charming no matter what.】

【When there’s a little sob in his voice, I would give him my life.】

【I only like his fishtail, I'm a fishtail enthusiast.】

【I like the taste of his tongue.】

【I like the entire fish.】

…

They chattered non-stop, almost every tentacle expressing its opinion, it was like a hundred mouths speaking at the same time. It made Lin Yuan’s head hurt.

Xun Hua, on the treetop, lifted his arm, resting his head on it, getting more comfortable.

"Do you know why I agreed to come out with you in the first place?"

Lin Yuan under the tree thought about it. Actually, she knew.

It wasn't anything in particular that moved Xun Hua. Only because she had said those words to Windsor.

Those words that expressed Xun Hua's feelings.

Xun Hua’s voice, in the moonlight, through the leaves,

"When I was still human, I felt I wasn’t worthy of liking Windsor."

"After becoming a Deviant, losing human emotions, becoming a different being, I thought I couldn’t possibly like anything anymore."

"But I saw her every day. We were together for four hundred years. I discovered that, even as a monster, I had fallen in love with that girl again."

"I always wanted to tell her, the so-called moon in her heart was just a cold, heartless stone, that stone had become more and more fond of her, a rat with flesh and blood, day after day."

"Four hundred years, I really wanted to say it, I really should have told her myself, while she was still here."

"Why didn't I say it back then?"

…

Xun Hua’s voice faded among the leaves. The wind blew through the trees, the rustling leaves like endless regrets.

The gardener half-lying on the treetop didn't speak anymore.

Lin Yuan, under the tree, nibbled on her fingers for a while, and lowered her head, activating her personal terminal.

Carefully composing a message.

【This word's not right, too cold.】

【This one’s not right either, not cute enough.】

【The emoji, the wrong emoji, this means speechless.】

【Add hearts! Must add! Pink, glittering ones!】

【Send it, send it.】

A long time passed after she sent the message. There wasn't any reply, not even a “typing…” indicator.

Lin Yuan waited for a long time, sitting under the tree, and fell asleep.

A few golden branches snaked down, lifted her body, carried her up to the window on the top floor, into her attic, placing her on the bed.

And thoughtfully placed the small orca doll by her bedside, under her blanket.

…

---

Song Yuansi came to Ni Ji's office in the White Tower.

His former senior, Ni Ji, had recently been promoted to Vice-Commander of the Royal Guard, and had brought him along, giving him several important tasks, making his life much easier.

These days, Song Yuansi, beaming, went to Ni Ji's office every day, feeling energized.

"Senior, you were up all night?" Seeing the thick stack of organized documents beside Ni Ji, Song Yuansi was very surprised.

There was a royal banquet last night, it had gone very late. This early in the morning, senior had already dealt with so many things, he was too diligent.

"Senior, haven’t you been working too hard lately? There's no need to be in such a hurry to deal with some of these things," Song Yuansi said, puzzled.

Ni Ji signed the last document and handed it to him.

"I'm going to a contaminated zone. I might be away from the Tower for a while, I want to get everything done beforehand, so I can give people a definite answer.”

"To a contaminated zone?" Song Yuansi asked in surprise. "Didn’t you just come back from a contaminated zone not that long ago? You’re going again?"

Ni Ji waved his hand, not explaining further, "If anything comes up while I'm gone, you can report directly to Commander Luther."

He stood up to leave, walking to the restroom at the sentinel training camp.

Early in the morning, most sentinels hadn't woken up yet. The restroom was almost empty.

Ni Ji took off his personal terminal, washed his face while looking in the mirror.

Cold water trickled down his cheeks.

Having been up all night, the man in the mirror looked refreshed, his mind still in a state of excitement, a hint of joy hidden in his eyes.

He put on his personal terminal again. The profile picture he had pinned was at the very top, with a light tap, it opened.

The pink heart emoji at the end of their chat was clearly visible.

He didn't know how many times he had opened it, and looked at it repeatedly, throughout the night,

Such childish behavior, truly ridiculous.

But he couldn’t control himself.

He was alone in this world, doing dangerous things, where he might die at any moment, he wasn’t qualified to be this happy, to smile like this.

But because of this small symbol on his personal terminal, he had been filled with joy for an entire night.

He looked at it again, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

Someone pushed open the bathroom door, and Ni Ji glanced over, his gaze turning cold.

It was Jiang Yangshuo, who had been trying to talk to Lin Yuan last night.

Jiang Yangshuo, seeing Ni Ji in the restroom, was startled.

He stood by the door, staring at Ni Ji, by the sink, his face dark, his eyes cold.

Ni Ji looked away, and stood there by the sink, adjusting his cuffs, calmly and unhurriedly.

Without turning around, he knew what that stare behind him looked like.

"Lin Yuan said, you’re together now?" Jiang Yangshuo’s voice was very low, with a beastly growl, like a trapped leopard in the shadows, baring its fangs.

His mental body was a cheetah, and when agitated, cheetah-like characteristics would appear on his body.

Ni Ji, his hands on the edge of the cold sink, glanced at him sideways, and raised an eyebrow, a silent affirmation.

Even if he had never been given a title, he would never deny this at this moment.

The ferocious orca, perhaps, would only lower its head to one person.

"She, do you even know that she's an aggressive-type Guide?" Jiang Yangshuo, his eyes red, his golden leopard pupils appearing, asked through gritted teeth.

"Lin Yuan's mental power is incredibly strong, it can only bring pain to sentinels."

Ni Ji didn't say anything, just chuckled softly, the sound incredibly sarcastic, more piercing than any insult.

"For someone like you to be with her, putting up with her, it can only be because you’re trying to climb up the social ladder by using her royal bloodline," the cheetah, its teeth bared, its body tense, tried to provoke the orca, "You can't possibly truly like an aggressive-type Guide, you shameless bastard."

Ni Ji unhurriedly wiped his hands dry with a handkerchief and turned around.

He was much taller than Jiang Yangshuo. He approached slowly, a faint smile on his face, making Jiang Yangshuo subconsciously step back, completely revealing his half-beast form.

His face covered with leopard spots, his sharp teeth bared, a low growl in his throat.

Ni Ji adjusted the buttons of his uniform. He hadn’t transformed, nor summoned his mental body.

He came closer to Jiang Yangshuo, leaned down, and whispered into his ear, "So she never truly had anything to do with you."

His beautiful eyes held a hint of mockery, with an unspoken implication.

I have, I know how good she is.

He didn't speak the words, but the expression in his eyes conveyed everything, a blatant smugness.

The half-beast cheetah finally couldn't endure it anymore, and with a roar, lunged at him.

In the early morning twilight, a few muffled sounds came from the restroom of the Sentinel training camp.

When Song Yuansi rushed in to check, everything was over.

His gentle senior was standing by the sink, washing his hands.

"Nothing much," Senior Ni Ji smiled at him, washing away the last of the blood on his fists under the running water, "Just took care of something I've been wanting to do for a long time."

There were faint moans and the distinct smell of blood coming from the restroom stall. With a sentinel’s sharp senses, he couldn’t possibly not notice.

Song Yuansi froze, and then, realizing what had happened, cleverly pretended he hadn't heard anything.

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