Hello, Arknights

"What are you writing?" "Salt Desert Hunter" rested his chin on his hand, watching someone holding a notebook, the pen tip making a light and pleasant scratching sound on the paper.

Just now, she also received a new code name. To be honest, this code name is more organized than "If You Are the One," but the consistent style makes her feel uneasy. "If You Are the One" sounds similar to one of the syllables in her name, and the length is also about the same.

"Oh, I should write to Lateran to report on the situation. I'm writing to her about the general situation in Victoria after the war and our current situation."

The "Salt Desert Hunter" found it strange and leaned closer to ask, "That's odd. Don't you usually pass these kinds of things to me?"

“And then you throw it back at me.” Mostima shrugged. “We still have to work together to gather information. I don’t know the situation on the entire battlefield, and I wasn’t affected by the force that caused the soldiers to go berserk. That’s your job.”

“It is indeed very important work,” Li Boli said unexpectedly, grabbing the corner of her notebook. “But you still haven’t answered why you’ve suddenly become so enthusiastic.”

The next moment, she felt a blur before her eyes. Before she could even see what she had just written, Mostima appeared two steps away with a page in her hand. He smiled and waved at her, then folded the page and put it into the prepared envelope. She looked down and saw that a page was missing from her notebook.

"My mission is complete. The rest is up to you, 'Salt Desert Hunter'~"

“Hey! I saw it. You only wrote that little bit? I’ll have to do it myself!” Li Boli said, dissatisfied.

“Well, it’s just the most crucial outcome of the war and a bit about our current situation here. They don’t like long, drawn-out stories, and there’s not much to write about. I’ll leave the rest of the situation to you.” Mostima sealed the envelope with sealing wax, and her partner’s brow furrowed slightly, which meant she wasn’t joking.

"Okay, but why won't you let me see it?" she persisted.

“I don’t know.” Mostima smiled, shrugged slightly, put her hands behind her back, turned around, lowered her head and took a few steps. “I just instinctively dodged it. Thinking about it carefully, it doesn’t seem like anything—do you want to see it?” As she spoke, she took out the envelope sealed with sealing wax.

“They’re all sealed with sealing wax.” Li Boli shrugged and waved her hand. Then, as if remembering something, her gaze shifted slightly as she looked at her partner, with whom she spent every day. The latter seemed to be deep in thought, chin in hand, staring at the envelope, unaware of her prying eyes.

...Could it be that this guy...is shy?

No, no, no, that's impossible. What does this guy have to do with that word?

I remember back in school, when that guy was confessed to, he acted completely detached. He had cried because his guard gun had broken, and when he was stabbed afterward, he just shrugged and wasn't threatened at all.

“It smells so good. I’ll go see what’s in the kitchen that can help today—are you going to the dinner table today?” Mostima was obviously referring to her formal appearance.

"No." She said firmly. Showing herself meant she would have to introduce herself in front of everyone. The timing of her first appearance in this villa was really awkward in other people's eyes. Coupled with this ridiculous nickname, she would definitely be regarded as a weirdo like the owner of this place.

"Whatever you want," Mostima said with a smile, quite pleased to see her frustrated expression.

As for that letter… let’s just assume this guy’s up to no good. Liboli thought this, watching Mostima’s light and quick retreat downstairs, remembering the young man who had caused her change, and shook her head:

"These two people..."

……

"Don't you find it incredible?" Lappland lay on the carpet, her face resting on her arm, looking at Purple who was cleaning beside her, her legs swinging, her fluffy tail sweeping over her back.

"What? A giant wolf's maw can clean? And it can coexist with you peacefully for so long?" Zi glanced at her and continued wiping the storage shelf.

"Ha, it's really nice chatting with you. You don't beat around the bush." ​​Lappland grinned, clearly enjoying herself.

"Forget it, it's not like we're staying here long-term. You've been quite sensible, so there's no need to feel uncomfortable." Zi was at a loss with Lappland's attitude. If the two of them were still in the same position they had back in Lungmen, they would have fought tooth and nail by now, but for now, they were at peace with each other.

"So aren't you curious? Why don't you play along?" Lappland said with amusement.

“You should rein in that perverse sense of humor,” Zi said, not being slow to react. White Wolf was too aggressive; he had already been testing the waters at a dangerous distance back in the mall. “Don’t let him get a headache over this kind of thing.”

"You think I'm just torturing him?" Lappland smiled, and Violet looked at her and sighed.

"I'm just a little more individualistic than the others, and I'm not kidding."

Zi stopped and looked at him coldly: "That's the problem. If you're really serious, being impatient won't lead to good results. Haven't you noticed that after this trip to Victoria, your relationship isn't even as close as it was back in Lungmen?"

Lappland grinned, but didn't actually smile as she had imagined. Zi was right.

“...But if we don’t do something, there will be no result.” Lappland removed the unnecessary embellishments, her voice calm.

The distorted ideas she instilled in herself were built on unfounded malice, and Lappland did not notice the disappearance of the malice at this time, but was still immersed in self-suggestion—becoming an unexpected 'robber' on the road to Texas.

“Take my words with a grain of salt, just for reference.” Zi turned back to continue packing her things, and the cleaning and tidying of the storage shelves was nearing completion. “As an observer, he is merely a novel and ‘interesting’ figure to you. This feeling is not love or affection, but rather the same as that of the Texas wolf. You feel that you should remind her of her own minions—she is indeed avoiding her past right now, but if you seize this position for that reason, once things get serious, it won’t be a story that can be easily returned to the past.”

“…If Mostima could win it, how am I any different from her?”

“I don’t know anything about that Sarkaz, but your dealings with White Dove are completely different. At least in terms of results, you don’t have nearly as many opportunities as you did back in Lungmen.” Purple put away her cleaning tools and gave Rupert, who was staring at the floor, one last look. “This is my opinion as an observer.”

Zi bent down and picked up the trash bag. As her footsteps faded into the distance, the white Rupert rolled over and lay down, his gray eyes fixed on the top of the attic. His chest rose and fell with his breath, and his thoughts drifted back to Lungmen.

You want me to stay at Penguin Logistics for you? You really dare to dream.

So what do you think?

“What I think…” Lappland turned to the side, the light behind her shoulder, her cheeks shadowed.

“Yes… He asked me what I thought, and I should think about what he thought too.” Lappland sat up, having found her answer. “What’s wrong with trying and failing? That bastard has altered the course of my destiny. Can’t I bear to make a few mistakes?”

The memory continues to unfold.

I get paid, and we have an empty room in our dorm, so we have a lot of freedom. Save up some money so you don't break my bed next time and I'll have to chase you for it back—

Oh, there's that thing too. They say it's settled, but it seems that bastard is still quite bothered by it...

Lappland tilted her head, thinking back to Lungmen...

If you've gone astray, start over.

……

Talulah couldn't be in Victoria's sight, so after going downstairs, she went to the backyard through the back door to find Frostnova and the others. Later, Ling Dengxian would confirm Grant's whereabouts and then make arrangements for them.

However, Count Scamander seems to have gone to retrieve something from the imperial carriage and is not here at the moment.

“Flute, you and your captain…” Ling Dengxian, who had intended to go to the kitchen to help, greeted Zi, who was coming downstairs with a garbage bag. He turned around and saw that Bagpipe and Horn had returned, so he stopped and, after thinking for a moment, decided not to ask directly. Instead, he asked with concern, “How is the scenery in Violet?”

"Scenery? What scenery?" Horn asked in confusion. "Fiona and I sat by the edge of the field in the backyard for half a day."

It's something she would do.

Ling looked away awkwardly; both of their eyes were still a little red. Feng Di forced a smile at their conversation, rubbed her face to try and cheer herself up, and was about to speak when a hug pulled her into his arms.

"..." This was the first time Ling Dengxian had taken the initiative to hug someone. He was a little clumsy. Fengdi's gaze wavered slightly as he rested his head on Wenrou.

Ling Dengxian knew this, but he didn't say anything. The scars of war couldn't be hidden. Fengdi nudged his head, and his cheeks softened again.

"Alright, Xiao Xian, thanks." Fiona lifted her head and rubbed her cheek against his, then looked back at the somewhat melancholy captain and blurted out:

"Xiao Xian, why don't you give the captain a hug too..."

In an instant, Ling Dengxian was stared at by two gazes: one was the astonished look of the horn, and the other was the straight "peeping" gaze of a certain count behind him.