Page 28

Gu Xiaoxi brushed off her hands and stood up, her gaze sweeping over the forest.

Even though she had taken one down, wasn’t there another one still?

And that one seemed to be the least approachable of them all.

Her eyes scanned the treetops and settled on a tree trunk not far away.

Leaning casually against a branch, Wu An sized up Gu Xiaoxi from a distance, while she also watched him.

To her, his posture, though seemingly ordinary, was filled with crisis.

He was like a lion sizing up its prey casually, analytically, before seizing the opportunity to pounce.

His commanding presence made Gu Xiaoxi feel irked and put her on alert.

Almost in a flash, Gu Xiaoxi darted into the bushes, leaped over shrubs, crossed a stream, and ran with all her might.

Wu An’s features, noble and handsome, were enhanced by his bronze skin, exuding health and charisma.

His narrow eyes sparkled sharply, like a cheetah poised to leap.

He pursued Gu Xiaoxi without any hesitation.

He didn’t rely on Qinggong but on the explosive strength of his body to jump, overcome obstacles, and avoid dangers.

With each landing, he left behind a series of deep footprints.

They were evidence of his power.

After running non-stop for half an hour, Gu Xiaoxi sat in a hidden patch of wild grass and began to check whether she had a tracker on her.

She searched her entire body and finally, her gaze fell on the bracelet on her wrist.

Made of a special material, it sparkled with iridescent circles in the sunlight, dazzling and eye-catching.

“Ah!

Quan Shaoqing, you son of a bitch!”

Moments later, birds and beasts in the forest were startled by the sound of Gu Xiaoxi’s voice, raging furiously!

Wu An, pursuing her, slipped and almost plunged headfirst!

To dare to curse Quan Shaoqing, this was indeed a first!

Looking up, he saw Gu Xiaoxi sitting on a pile of grass, her face ashen, her silhouette stubborn, and her whole body exuding a coldness that warned others to stay away.

For a moment, he even wondered if their revered superior officer had taken advantage of the girl and then shirked responsibility?

“You can come over!

I won’t run anymore.

Will you take me to see Quan Shaoqing?” Gu Xiaoxi used all her force to try to break the bracelet off her wrist.

She bit on it, smashed it with a rock, and even turned her wrist red, but it wouldn’t come off.

She sat on the ground, huffing in anger, with a vein pulsing on her snow-white neck against the backdrop of her green military uniform.

She was clearly very angry.

“This isn’t within the scope of my mission!” Wu An’s cool response floated over with the rustling of the leaves.

Gu Xiaoxi stopped her struggle with the bracelet, turned her head, and glared at him obliquely.

“Although I can’t beat you, I am perfectly capable of running away.

But now, I don’t want to run anymore.

I want to see Quan Shaoqing.

Call him, and if he disagrees, tell him that I will be his enemy for life!”

Her tone was one of refusal.

The thought infuriated Gu Xiaoxi!

Wearing a tracker on her body, running was pointless.

It was like jumping around like a fool on his territory, being played with by anyone he pleased, as if she were a monkey being teased.

Was he currently watching from the shadows, taking pleasure in her plight?

Was toying with her really that amusing?

Wu An pressed his lips together, watching Gu Xiaoxi’s serious profile.

Beneath her fair complexion, a deep anger was hidden.

Her voice was soft, yet carried an unshakable seriousness.

Her young, vibrant body radiated intense sorrow and frustration.

Her tenacity, mingled with a loneliness that kept others at bay, momentarily touched his heart.

After a moment’s hesitation, Wu An took out a communicator from his pocket, dialed the code for Young Master Quan, and soon made a connection.

Three hours later

Command center.

Quan Shaoqing sat on the couch reading the newspaper.

Everything in the office was made of refined steel, the windows were bulletproof glass, and even the setting sun streaming through them fell on his body without a trace of warmth.

Gu Xiaoxi stood in front of him.

Behind them were Lin Mi, Wu An, and Jiang Shichi.

“I won’t join the military!” Gu Xiaoxi looked at Quan Shaoqing with a stern face, her tone stubborn.

“I am the guardian, and what I say goes!” Quan Shaoqing didn’t even lift his head, his tone even more indisputable.

Gu Xiaoxi clenched her teeth, her big eyes brimming with crystal-clear tears, “I’ll say it again, I won’t join the military!”

Quan Shaoqing put down the newspaper, examining Gu Xiaoxi.

Her long, dense, and curled eyelashes framed her eyes, which held a pool of clear water that streamed slowly.

“Protecting the homeland is everyone’s duty, your protest is invalid!” Quan Shaoqing hurriedly averted his gaze, picking up the newspaper again as if the ice in his eyes had been crushed, somewhat embarrassedly staring at the words on the paper.

In a trance, the clear, regular script became blurred.

Seeing her tears, he felt as if his breath had been seized; that feeling, surpassing pity, gathered in his heart like unraveling silk and cocooned into a sea, sweeping through his limbs and body.

For a moment, he was still unsure which kind of unusual and sensitive feeling that was.

Just that his heart was faintly stung.

Involuntarily, his breath turned colder, also affirming his persistence.

Gu Xiaoxi glared with red eyes as the setting sun slowly sank into the horizon, staining the clouds with shades of blood.

Standing beside the window, the striking colors behind her cast her silhouette in a lonely and stubborn light.

In the grand and solemn command room, the atmosphere became tense as drawn swords and ready bows.

Just when Lin Mi, Wu An, and others thought that Gu Xiaoxi would surely throw a fit and infuriate the superior officer.

All of a sudden, Gu Xiaoxi raised her hand and fiercely wiped away the impending tears in her eyes.

She stepped forward, snatched the newspaper from Quan Shaoqing’s hand, planted herself in his lap, and tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her delicate little face deeply in the nape of his neck.

“Please!

I really don’t want to join the military.

I have my own dreams!” She was like a cat, gently nestling in his embrace, rubbing, cooing, pleading.

The four men in the room were simultaneously dumbfounded.

Quan Shaoqing was taken aback, and by the time he reacted, her small head had already burrowed into his neck.

Her black, silky hair rubbed on his skin, ticklish, his arms filled with the girl’s refreshing scent.

He stiffened his back, suddenly feeling somewhat at a loss.

Lin Mi’s eyes widened in shock.

This coquettish and cute act…

Ah!

He was about to surrender!

Could the superior officer resist?

Wu An and Jiang Shichi exchanged glances, their eyes glinting with mischief, Gu Xiaoxi’s dramatic change was just a matter of wiping away a tear.

This approach, throwing herself into his arms, acting coquettishly and cutely…

It was hopeless; any man would soften!

Jiang Shichi covered his face, peeking through his fingers, and thought to himself: “Junior Sister, you are indeed strong, just look, our superior officer is about to fall to you!

Getting played by you wouldn’t be too shameful, after all!”

Only Wu An looked at Gu Xiaoxi deeply, his eyes filled with depth.

At this moment, that’s what he believed.

She truly was an impressive person.

She would avoid her enemy’s sharpest attacks, exploiting the weaknesses of human nature, for example: When facing him and Jiang Shichi, she knew she couldn’t win, so she didn’t confront them head-on from the start.

When she knew she was being tracked, she even gave up fleeing because she realized she couldn’t escape no matter what.

A person, no matter how capable, cannot contend with an entire military.

And in dealing with Quan Shaoqing.

She was both soft and firm, knowing when to advance and retreat, acting coy and cute, every word performed to perfection.

A person like this was born to be a king lurking in the night, destined to shine brilliantly once exposed.

If she couldn’t be brought onto the right path, she would become an uncontrollable torrent.

Conversely, if she could propagate righteousness and imbue the spirit, her future and destiny would be boundless.

He suddenly understood why Quan Shaoqing was so determined to have her join the military.

Because she truly was prime material for the military.

In the future, the heights she would reach could even surpass everyone in Department Z!

However, at this moment, the king had yet to awaken!