Hello, Arknights

Texas was both helpless and used to Ling's drenched state, but since the Earl was still there, she couldn't scold him. She just told him to take a shower quickly to avoid catching a cold.

He was also holding a large scaled creature that was violently thrashing its tail fin. For a moment, she didn't know how to evaluate his "surprise".

"Put it in the kitchen...then hurry up and take a shower and change your clothes," Texas said with a headache. She would have to see what ingredients would go well with the scales in the pot later.

She herself put away her Pocky. It was a leisurely time in the Earl's absence. She didn't care about the horn that she had fought alongside him, but she wasn't a talkative person either. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two sat together in the living room to enjoy the quiet time.

"Are they done with their work?" Ling Dengxian hadn't forgotten the little mess before they left.

“Go ask Mostima.” Texas glanced at the horn, and the Earl naturally found a seat. It seemed that after going out, he had left his social airs along with his coat on the coat rack by the door. Grant, who came in and sat down, only had a hint of affability in his eyes.

Horn glanced at her father, then at Mou Ling, who looked at her, scratched the back of his head awkwardly, and said with a forced smile, "Sorry, Horn, I didn't notice you just now. The contrast is a bit too much..."

"You should go change your clothes first." At first, she was a little disappointed when she was ignored. Maybe it was just an excuse, but she was still willing to believe his explanation. In her eyes, after the Nasirsha incident, Ling Dengxian was no longer timid and submissive. He was just easygoing in his daily life, and she was more willing to believe in the sincerity of such a person.

Even the slightest doubt vanished upon seeing him carrying Da Lin, his body soaked and covered in mud, because he still wore an excited smile—a pure smile that no scheming person could produce.

Ling Dengxian finally felt relieved and ran upstairs. But as soon as he turned the corner, someone grabbed him by the collar and dragged him against the corridor wall. At the same time, the other person also instinctively screamed because the hand was wet and slippery.

The horn stared silently at the stairwell leading to the second floor, when at the same time a familiar voice, carrying the bright sunlight, rushed back into the room:

"I'm back! Is Xiaoxian awake yet—Texas sister?"

She also brought back warm soil and the tangled roots that coiled around her legs.

Upon seeing that radiant and warm figure, Horn suddenly felt a surge of warmth in her eyes. However, in an instant, those clear eyes met Horn's reddened eyes. Bagpipe stopped, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyebrows, which had just been raised in joy, froze the moment her gaze touched Horn's expression. She could see that those emerald green eyes reflected many figures... figures who had spent every day with them.

Cello, oboe, bass...

She should have known about Bass's death, but Triangle and Horn had "didn't want" her to know after the war, so she went along with that wish and focused on taking care of Ling Dengxian and Little Drum, without asking.

But how could she really know nothing? Before Mandolin retired and left, she couldn't bear to let Bagpipe down, which confirmed the pain in Bagpipe's heart.

Before that, she still held a sliver of hope that Beth's injury was just too severe, and not...

"team leader……"

Horn glanced quietly at her father, who was sitting in the dining room looking out the window. When he noticed her gaze, he simply coughed lightly and said, "I'm waiting for the Viscount to discuss some matters. You don't need to worry about me."

Rita nodded slightly and went out the door with Bagpipe.

Mostima, who had just come downstairs, patted Texas, who had been thinking after being called by Bagpipes: "Texas, what's wrong?"

"...There's something that's bothering me."

"what's up?"

"The bagpipes seem to be older than me."

Bagpipes had just called out to Texas Mostima, and after a moment of silence, she smiled again and said, "If the difference isn't significant, don't worry about it. Just let me know next time."

“No,” Texas looked somewhat confused. “Ling Dengxian said it when he was in Lungmen, back when he wasn’t even twenty yet.”

Mostima smiled with relief, paused for a moment, and spread his hands, saying, "Let's not worry about the age difference. There's still a long road ahead."

“If you really care, then some of us might have to be called ‘Auntie’ by Xiao Shuangye,” she joked. “Mouting doesn’t seem like someone who’s only twenty.”

"...Won't something happen to them?" Texas pulled out a box of Pocky sticks, thought for a moment, took out two, handed one to Mostima, and glanced upstairs. She had heard the little noise from earlier.

"Now she's pulling him outside, through the window." Mostima took the Pocky, her figure appearing as a fleeting afterimage, and when she solidified, a third of the Pocky in her hand was gone.

"That guy won't do anything reckless, I can guarantee that."

Texas nodded, and a crisp sound of a tail fin splashing in the water came from the kitchen. The two looked at each other, sighed, and prepared to deal with the large fish.

Go check the refrigerator.

"it is good."

……

After putting on his gloves, Li Boli grabbed his wet collar again, glanced at him discreetly to make sure no one else would see, then calmly stared into his eyes, his pupils slightly narrowed, and asked, word by word:

"Did you see it when we were in the bathroom earlier?"

Ling glanced away, feeling a little guilty: "No, isn't there a Frost Leaf between us?"

"If You Are the One" sneered and gestured to the height of his chest: "Is that little fox taller than you, or am I shorter than her?"

“I’m not that impatient…” Ling Dengxian sighed helplessly. “You’ve at least seen what kind of person I am from Mostima’s experience—”

"So how did you handle your relationship with Mostima?"

Li Boli's true purpose was revealed as she broke through the facade and was met with calm gazes. Ling Dengxian, understanding her intentions, paused slightly, her helpless smile turning bitter: "Don't tell me..."

"Is this something I need to tell you?" Li Boli released his grip, took off his gloves, straightened his collar, and glared at him. "If you hadn't gone too far, would I have needed to ask such a...that kind of question?"

“…I know it’s not easy to say this openly, but…I really don’t want to deliberately deal with this relationship. Given my situation, no matter who I’m with…” Ling Dengxian bit her lip, “at least for a considerable period of time, I won’t be able to have a future with anyone.”

“I don’t care what your difficulties or reasons are. Today I’ve exposed this facade for you. Think about it carefully. Mostima doesn’t take the initiative because of her personality. But what about you? After you find out, are you supposed to keep quiet?” Liboli’s pinkish-red hair reflected a questioning tone, and her gaze was as straight as a thorn.

“I will solve my problems; that’s only natural.” Ling Dengxian didn’t blindly accept the accusations; Li Boli’s attitude had already triggered his psychological defenses.

“You weren’t part of our story, so let’s give some of the narrative back to Mostima.”

The Liberian girl wanted to retort, but ultimately remained silent. She simply clenched her fists, her eyes, as bright as her hair, flashing with emotion. She took a step forward, not grabbing him, but saying each word slowly and deliberately:

“I will not repeat the same mistake, nor will I believe your promises. The price of believing is devastating. I will not let them be betrayed again—if you intend to do so, I will take care of you before she is hurt.”

Would Mostima really be sad? He had never seen, and never imagined, that such a composed and powerful fallen angel, who was indifferent to danger and challenges, would show such an expression.

Fallen angel.

Ah, that’s it.

“If you understand, I’ll reiterate what I said back in Lungmen: I will keep my eyes on you until I acknowledge you, and I won’t look away.” Li Boli stepped back, bringing the matter to a close.

"So you don't actually care about... the bathroom?" Ling Dengxian recalled the cause of this confrontation and tried to probe indirectly.

"Weren't your eyes entirely on that Volper?" The girl's disdainful expression faded, clearly showing her newfound respect for his concern for the team's safety. "What more do you expect me to do besides giving you a lecture or warning, after you've seen it all?"

"No, I didn't see it." Ling Dengxian had learned his lesson.

Li Boli was skeptical but didn't want to press the matter, so he waved his hand to indicate that it was over.

Ling Dengxian, however, didn't think so. He stopped her and said, "Hey, after this, you should at least give me a proper way to address you, right?"

"You're not too disappointing when it comes to thinking those code names are tasteless." Li Boli's eye twitched, but he didn't go along with it. "Go back to your previous joke and keep calling me 'If You Are the One'."

"At least this will remind you not to treat me as a target for your advances."

"Um, is my reputation really beyond saving?" Ling Dengxian asked, feeling somewhat helpless.

Just as "If You Are the One" was about to say something, a figure quietly appeared, and after attracting the attention of the two, politely emerged from the shadows.

"purple?"

“White Dove, there’s a new visitor from the Reunion Movement. It’s that leader. He’s acting discreetly, without attracting too much attention from the Earl. He asked me to contact you, saying it’s important.”

"Tower... What's the matter?" Ling asked seriously. Could it be that something had happened to the Reunion Movement?

"It seems so. She asked you to take care of her child, saying, 'There's no one more suitable than you.' That's what she said."

Ling Dengxian sensed that the gaze directed at him had become more complicated.