"Awoo!"
A wolf howl came from afar, and before Tian Jing could get up to go out, Xiao Xiao Hei rushed to her side, rubbing its big head against Tian Jing's leg.
Li Weixin, who followed closely behind, pounced on his mother's back: "Mom, it's been a year and a half, and you're only just visiting me."
Tian Jing gently patted her youngest son, who was clinging to her back, with a smile:
"When your elder brothers came in, I only visited them after two years."
"In the early stages, you must learn to adapt to loneliness and longing. If I always came to see you, could you truly become independent?" kanδん
"Wuwuwu."
Xiao Xiao Hei, by Tian Jing's leg, glanced at Tian Jing's back and then lifted its big head to rest on Tian Jing's leg.
Tian Jing paused for a moment and raised her other hand to stroke Xiao Xiao Hei's big head. It was learning to act spoiled like Ranran, almost becoming sentient.
Li Weixin's head rested on his mother's shoulder as he complained: "As soon as Big Brother entered the dormitory, he said Mom was here to see us."
"Xiao Xiao Hei immediately jumped off the bed and rushed out. I couldn't even grab it. You're clearly my mother."
Tian Jing chuckled: "Don't you realize Xiao Xiao Hei is imitating you? Have you two been 'relying on each other' for this past year and a half?"
"Of course!" Li Weixin was unhappy. "The captain said I still have a lot to learn, and I can't go on missions just because I'm at a high level."
"I'm locked up here every day learning various skills, and only Xiao Xiao Hei keeps me company. Big Brother and Second Brother often go on missions."
Tian Jing patted and stroked him gently:
"You've made it so human-like, what will you do later?"
"We'll take it one step at a time," Li Weixin said, reluctant to get off his mother's back.
"Even people have to face separation and death. Xiao Xiao Hei can accompany us for ten or twenty years, which is already very good. Without it, I wouldn't have been able to get through this year and a half."
"So, I'll forgive it for snatching my mom away."
"Wuwuwu." Xiao Xiao Hei lifted its head, turned to whine softly at Li Weixin, and then continued to lie on Tian Jing's leg.
Li Weihao, after tidying up his things, carried the dried wild chicken and rabbit to the mess hall and saw his mother being surrounded.
He teased his younger brother: "Seventeen years old, and still acting spoiled?"
"Not at all!" Li Weixin denied. "I'm still sixteen, not yet seventeen."
Li Weihao nodded: "But there are still eight days left."
Li Weixin nudged his head towards his mother's face: "That's still sixteen. You're just jealous. You can't do this anymore like I can."
"Yes, you're right," Li Weihao said, not arguing further with his younger brother. He handed the dried game to Wang Huan, asking her to soak it and cook it all tonight to treat his teammates.
Li Weixin then sat down next to his mother: "Mom, when are you leaving?"
"This afternoon," Tian Jing replied, stroking her youngest son's head. "After eating, I'll spend some time with you."
"Okay," Li Weixin happily pushed Xiao Xiao Hei away. "That's enough now, this is my mom."
"Woo," Xiao Xiao Hei whimpered dissatisfiedly twice and lay at Tian Jing's feet.
Li Weihao sat down beside his younger brother: "You were so focused on rushing to the mess hall with Xiao Xiao Hei, did you even hear me mention the stewed meat and wild eggs I brought back?"
"Is it Grandma's stewed meat?" Li Weixin asked, licking his lips.
Li Weihao nodded: "It was stewed yesterday afternoon and frozen. We'll dig some out and heat it up later."
Li Weixin advocated for his companion: "Dig out more, Xiao Xiao Hei wants to eat too."
His youngest son's words made Tian Jing look at Xiao Xiao Hei at her feet, whose tongue was already sticking out:
"Ranran, don't give it raw meat."
"Heh heh," Li Weihao chuckled. "Unless Ranran also eats raw meat. Whatever Ranran eats, Xiao Xiao Hei eats."
"Whatever Ranran gives, Xiao Xiao Hei eats. These two play together even better than when they were at home."
Li Weixin shot his elder brother a sidelong glance: "You and Second Brother are often on missions, and only Xiao Xiao Hei kept me company. If I'm not good to it, who should I be good to?"
"Fortunately, Xiao Xiao Hei came with me. Otherwise, I would have been depressed."
"Oh, come off it," Li Weihao exposed his younger brother. "Depressed? You almost turned the dormitory upside down."
"You need to stop causing trouble. Unless you provoke someone on the competition stage and completely make an enemy of them, no one will fight you."
"You always use your high rank to bully people. My second brother and I are always complained about by our teammates."
"Hehehe," Li Weixin grinned foolishly. "It's just too boring. They only know how to go into seclusion. No one to chat with. If only Xiao Xiao Hei could talk."
"Wuwuwu."
Xiao Xiao Hei even responded, making Tian Jing chuckle: "If Xiao Xiao Hei could talk, the rules of this world would completely change."
Hearing his mother mention world rules, Li Weihao glanced at his younger brother and said softly: "Ranran still hasn't gone for mental training. I think the captain might have some plans. You should go ask him."
Tian Jing found Zeng Jingrong in the archive room. She stood at the doorway, looking at the two people quietly reviewing documents inside, and coughed softly.
Ji Shiyi looked up, and upon seeing Tian Jing, immediately smiled: "Tian Jing, come in."
Zeng Jingrong turned around: "Tiantian."
Tian Jing waved at the two of them and didn't go in. "Ji Shiyi, the one-year period has long passed. I'm here to take you out. You just need to sign a non-disclosure agreement."
"I..." Ji Shiyi looked at Zeng Jingrong. "I, I think it's quite good to stay here. It's very calming."
"In the past two years, I've painted a lot. I feel I have more spiritual energy than before."
"I want to stay. Can you sign another contract for me?"
"Okay."
"No!"
Tian Jing and Zeng Jingrong said in unison.
Ji Shiyi ignored Zeng Jingrong and stood up to walk towards Tian Jing.
Zeng Jingrong reached out to pull her.
Ji Shiyi twisted her body to avoid him.
Tian Jing casually flung out a vine.
Catching sight of the vine extending towards them, Zeng Jingrong's hands sped up and increased their force.
Ji Shiyi was pulled into his embrace.
Before they could react, they were wrapped into a large cocoon by the vine.
"Heh heh," Tian Jing chuckled. "You two discuss it slowly, I'm going to eat."
Hearing the door close, Zeng Jingrong regretted being misled by Tian Jing's words. Tian Jing's vine wasn't meant to take Ji Shiyi away at all.
Now, entangled with Ji Shiyi, in the confined space, their breaths intertwined, causing his heart to race.
He became even more annoyed. Why was his body so restless like a young boy's?
Ji Shiyi, entangled by the vine, felt panic, but then understood that Tian Jing was helping her.
Indeed, it had been two years since she entered, and she had known Captain Zeng, whose full name she hadn't even said, for over a year.
However, Captain Zeng always advised her to leave whenever he saw her.
Initially, she could still use the contract she had signed as an excuse.
After a year, Captain Zeng asked her to sign a non-disclosure agreement and leave, but she shamelessly refused.
Later, Captain Zeng got used to coming to the archive room to persuade her when he wasn't on missions.
Even later, they got used to the feeling of quietly reviewing documents in the same room.
However, secretly, she was anxious. She knew that people like her, who hadn't renewed their contracts, would eventually be forced to sign non-disclosure agreements and be sent away.
Tian Jing had arrived. Besides Captain Zeng, Tian Jing had the most authority in the entire special abilities team.
She wanted to stay. She planned to sign a ten-year contract to stay.
She felt it was good to stay in the archive room, reviewing some of the accessible documents. Coupled with her experiences living here, her paintings had gained a different feel, with more sharp edges and more smoothness.
The contradictory feelings blended into her artwork, and she felt a sense of amazement at her own paintings.