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Gu Xiaoxi felt a warmth in her heart and nodded with a smile, "I know! Thank you for being with me all this way."

Looking back, she realized that Shao Changfeng had been the one who accompanied her the longest.

From the new recruits company to the Reconnaissance Company, and then to the Military Dog Base, and finally to the Land of Kings.

Along this journey, he had been angry with her, taken care of her, and kept her company.

This guy truly was a good apprentice.

"I’ve told you before, you should call it ’practice techniques.’ In this life, I’d climb mountains of swords and descend into seas of flames for you..."

"Stop right there! There’s no need for mountains of swords or seas of flames. I’m afraid I’ll owe you too much, and when I die, you’d come asking for my life," Gu Xiaoxi joked unmercifully.

"Am I that bad?" Shao Changfeng asked with a darkened face, speechless.

"Hurry up and practice. Otherwise, you won’t even have the chance to climb mountains of swords for me." Gu Xiaoxi picked up a tree branch in her hand, pointing at Shao Changfeng like a stern teacher.

Shao Changfeng clasped his hands together and began practicing earnestly.

Having finished giving instructions to Shao Changfeng,

Gu Xiaoxi leaned against the tree branch, staring blankly in the direction of the command center.

Just at that moment, another person broke into the area.

"What are you two doing here, not sleeping in the middle of the night?" Yi Chentian’s voice shattered the tranquility.

Seeing Shao Changfeng practicing, Gu Xiaoxi immediately jumped down from the tree and gestured to Yi Chentian to keep quiet.

Then she led him away from Shao Changfeng.

"You’re also out at night! Don’t disturb him, he’s practicing techniques," said Gu Xiaoxi while fiddling with the tree branch, her expression indifferent.

"I came for you," Yi Chentian said excitedly, clearly having something he wanted to say.

"I know what you want to ask, but I don’t want to explain," Gu Xiaoxi said as she turned and walked back. Since she couldn’t practice techniques, she could only return to sleep.

"Xiao Xi, if I had known he would treat you this way, I should not have backed down at the beginning..."

But Gu Xiaoxi cut off Yi Chentian, turned to look into his eyes emotionlessly, and said, "You all know nothing. I hope you won’t make wild guesses. He is very good..."

"You’re still speaking up for him even now." Yi Chentian couldn’t understand at all what Gu Xiaoxi was thinking. To be abandoned and still remain so calm.

Gu Xiaoxi lifted her head, locking eyes with him, and spoke firmly, "I don’t need you to feel indignant for me, because I don’t feel there’s anything wrong with this matter. Please don’t let your imagination run wild, I will not like anyone else in this lifetime."

After she spoke, she turned and walked away briskly.

Clearly, there was a trace of anger in her eyes.

Yi Chentian inhaled sharply, pursed his lips, and turned his head to look towards Shao Changfeng not far away.

Had he said something wrong again? What had made her so agitated...

He hadn’t done anything and was rejected by Gu Xiaoxi once more! Could a misstep in life really never be redeemed?

Gu Xiaoxi was upset, not because others could speak ill of her, but because absolutely no one could insult her Young Master Quan.

Because, from beginning to end, he had never wronged her.

As Gu Xiaoxi walked back to the camp, a rabbit suddenly lept into her view.

The next second, Gu Xiaoxi recognized it—it was her Little Grey.

"Little Grey!" she exclaimed happily, running over to pick up the rabbit from the ground. She rubbed her face against its little nose, feeling its coolness.

Instantly, Gu Xiaoxi’s mood improved significantly.

She sneakily brought Little Grey into the dormitory and even had Tang Yisheng heat some water to bathe it.

"Are you nuts, Gu Xiaoxi? Not sleeping in the middle of the night and dragging me to secretly heat water for bathing a rabbit!

" Tang Yisheng said as he drooled over the rabbit, "I think we should turn up the heat, peel its skin, and I’ll make you a roasted whole rabbit.

It would be enough for both of us for one meal. "

Gu Xiaoxi felt the rabbit in her arms tremble and quickly glared at Tang Yisheng, "Nonsense! Little Grey loves cleanliness. It bathes every night. Also, you can’t eat my Little Grey."

Tang Yisheng continued to stoke the fire under the basin while yawning, thinking that the rabbit lived more comfortably than people did.

"I’ve realized you really are a weirdo!"

"What do you mean by that?" Gu Xiaoxi continued patiently bathing Little Grey.

"Shouldn’t you be heartbroken after a breakup? You seem unaffected!" Tang Yisheng inquired curiously.

Without looking up and busy with her task, Gu Xiaoxi responded, "I genuinely feel nothing! I got ten billion, and I’m very happy."

Tang Yisheng turned his head with a scoff.

He didn’t believe that was the kind of person Gu Xiaoxi was.

Since she wouldn’t say, it wasn’t his place to pry further.

"I heard that in two days, we’ll begin half a month of tactical lessons. The superior officer will be teaching the classes personally. Can you face him?"

As Tang Yisheng finished speaking, he clearly saw Gu Xiaoxi’s shoulders involuntarily tremble.

Gu Xiaoxi bit her lip, his teaching meant,

They would be meeting in the military camp.

During this time, Lin Mi probably wouldn’t mention to Young Master Quan that she was in his division.

If a woman he found extremely distasteful appeared in his classroom,

She didn’t know what he would do.

Rather than meet him again,

She would prefer to stand in a corner he didn’t know, protecting him.

And so, they never spoke another word to each other.

After Gu Xiaoxi bathed the rabbit, Tang Yisheng also went back to sleep.

Actually, very few people at Department Z knew about the relationship between Gu Xiaoxi and Quan Shaoqing.

Those who did know were either very familiar with Gu Xiaoxi or were closest to Quan Shaoqing.

As for those rumors and suspicions, they were secretly spread by Zeng Yuying, intentionally ruining Gu Xiaoxi’s reputation.

If she hadn’t spread them, others would not have known that Gu Xiaoxi had once been married to Quan Shaoqing.

...

Indeed, the next day, the Special Combat Division received a notification.

Over fifty people from the Land of Kings training were to move to the headquarters’ temporary battle training center.

In the afternoon of the next day, everyone packed their belongings, took their personal items, and moved to the command center’s teaching building.

The second floor was for studying, and the dormitories were on the third floor and above.

They would live there for two months.

The first half of the month would be spent learning tactical courses.

The second half, specialized in psychological education and other supplementary courses.

Gu Xiaoxi also knew that once these final courses were completed,

They would then be dispatched to various parts of the world to carry out undercover missions, or they would wait for orders at Department Z.

*

Not far from the teaching building was the place they had once stayed while training dogs.

After everyone settled in that evening, they could freely engage in their activities.

Compared to the strictness of the new recruits and the arduousness of training,

Now that their training was over and they had experienced the bitter becoming sweet, the system was much more relaxed.

In the evening, everyone booked their spots early, ready for karaoke.

Lacking the mood, Gu Xiaoxi declined the invitation.

Seeing that she wasn’t going, Yun Xiao also decided not to go.

"I’ll accompany you for a walk instead!" Yun Xiao suggested.

Gu Xiaoxi didn’t refuse, as going out alone at night could inevitably be lonely.

It’s truly nice to have someone accompany you.

As they walked, they found themselves outside Quan Shaoqing’s office building.

Gu Xiaoxi’s face darkened immediately, "Forget it, let’s go back to sleep!"

How awkward it would be if they ran into Quan Shaoqing!

"Do you really not want to take one more look at him?" Yun Xiao asked. She felt that, in the face of someone you like, even hiding from afar and stealing a glance could feel good.

Gu Xiaoxi visibly hesitated for a moment.

Yun Xiao immediately pushed on Gu Xiaoxi’s shoulder, saying, "There’s a tree over there, we can hide in its branches. The lights in his superior officer’s office are still on. He probably hasn’t left yet."

Just then, the lights in Quan Shaoqing’s office suddenly went out.

"He’s leaving. Hurry up!" Yun Xiao urged.

Gu Xiaoxi felt somewhat guilty.

Even though she said she wouldn’t see him again, here she was hiding and watching...

How embarrassing it would be if Quan Shaoqing discovered them.

Yet still, she allowed Yun Xiao to push her, quickly leaping up onto a big tree.

Shortly after, they saw Lin Mi accompanying Quan Shaoqing out of the building.

The two of them headed toward the parking lot together.

In just half a month’s time, Quan Shaoqing had already regained his spirited and confident demeanor.

His face, more defined and captivating than ever, with sharp eyebrows and a pair of deep, dark eyes beneath them, flashed with a cold light, maintaining a degree of watchfulness toward everyone.

Suddenly, he turned around, looking towards the branch where Gu Xiaoxi was hiding, as if he felt someone was watching him, his brow furrowing coldly.

"Why do I feel like someone’s staring at me?" Quan Shaoqing pointed in the direction of the nearby tree and told Lin Mi, "Go check under that tree. See if there’s anything unusual!"

Lin Mi immediately strode towards the large tree where Gu Xiaoxi was hiding.

Fortunately, the dense foliage, coupled with the darkness of the night, meant that Gu Xiaoxi and Yun Xiao, hidden there, could not be seen by Quan Shaoqing from a distance.

But as Lin Mi approached, he spotted Gu Xiaoxi right away.

Gu Xiaoxi immediately gave Lin Mi an embarrassed smile, then shook her head.