The team members, lectured by Captain Tian with a tone and method reserved for scolding elementary school students, hung their heads in shame.
"All attention," Captain Zeng commanded sharply, and all team members immediately fell into formation.
"Strictly follow Captain Tian's orders."
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The team members ran back to their respective hills.
Li Weibo ran along without looking back. His mother was angry, and he didn't dare say anything.
"Awooo." Xiao Xiaohei chased after Li Weibo.
"Xiao Xiaohei!"
Li Weixin shouted loudly.
Xiao Xiaohei didn't turn back, continuing to run after Li Weibo and playfully pouncing at him.
Unprepared for Xiao Xiaohei, Li Weibo stumbled.
Xiao Xiaohei pounced again, knocking him directly to the ground. Then, it lay beside Li Weibo, resting its large head on him.
Li Weibo could only raise his hand to pet its large head. "Xiao Xiaohei, this is the army. You have to obey orders and not cause trouble."
Xiao Xiaohei, however, stretched its head out further, acting spoiled.
When Zeng Jingrong and Tian Jing arrived, they saw Xiao Xiaohei lying comfortably on Li Weibo, eyes narrowed.
"Tiantian, why don't we keep Xiao Xiaohei with the team? Once the team members have a bond with Xiao Xiaohei, they won't be able to harm wild animals."
Tian Jing thought it was not a good idea.
Team members shouldn't kill wild animals indiscriminately, but if they developed empathy for wild animals because of Xiao Xiaohei, it would be an overcorrection.
How would they be able to carry out their missions?
Zeng Jingrong: "..."
"What if, one day, Xiao Xiaohei dies at the hands of the team members?"
"That would be its fate," Tian Jing called out to Xiao Xiaohei. "Xiao Xiaohei, let's go."
Xiao Xiaohei opened its eyes, glanced at Tian Jing, and then burrowed its head under Li Weibo.
Li Weibo lifted his lower back, allowing Xiao Xiaohei to slip inside and expose its body to the outside.
He propped himself up with his arms and legs, forming an arch to avoid pressing on Xiao Xiaohei.
"Mom, did you bring Xiao Xiaohei here because you're going to send it into the mountains?"
"Yes, yes," Li Weixin chimed in, relaying Xiao Xiaohei's reactions since their return from Kyoto to his second brother.
Li Weibo's legs pushed, and his upper body straightened.
He squatted down and stroked Xiao Xiaohei, who was still trying to hide behind him.
"Mom, Lili told Xiao Xiaohei that when she leaves home, she'll ask Big Brother to pick it up."
"But Big Brother is on a mission. You said you were sending it into the mountains, and it probably thought you were here to find us."
"Big Brother told it that we live in the mountains. Look at it now, pouncing on me like a child and not letting go."
"And it howled as soon as it came in, wasn't it looking for us?"
Tian Jing: "..."
Did she have a generation gap with her children? Decisions were made without informing her?
Li Zhengguo tugged at his wife's sleeve. "Forget it, let them have their way. You don't want to face a parting by death, and the children don't want to face a parting by life."
What else could be done if it wasn't forgotten?
Xiao Xiaohei was originally left by Xiao Hei for Lili.
Seeing his mother nod, Li Weixin rushed to his second brother and Xiao Xiaohei.
"Xiao Xiaohei, you can stay."
Xiao Xiaohei immediately stopped hiding and whimpered twice at Tian Jing.
Tian Jing sighed. The more human-like Xiao Xiaohei became, the more reluctant the children would be to part with it in the future, and the more painful it would be.
The group, with a wolf in tow, went to the office to process Li Weixin's enlistment.
Seeing Xiao Xiaohei, the secretary jumped in fright, then calmly handed the enlistment application form to Captain Zeng.
Li Weixin first scanned the form before picking up a pen to fill it out.
After the enlistment procedures were completed, the group went to the mess hall for a meal.
While getting food, Tian Jing asked Wang Xin, "Where is Shi Yi?"
Wang Xin gestured towards Captain Zeng's side and whispered, "She's been transferred to the archives."
Tian Jing, holding her tray, sat opposite Zeng Jingrong. "Where is Ji Shi Yi?"
Zeng Jingrong, eating, didn't look up. "In the archives."
Tian Jing tapped her tray. "The archives are dull and boring, and she doesn't get to interact with men. You're jeopardizing her lifelong happiness."
"Since there's no one suitable for her here, have her sign a non-disclosure agreement, and I'll take her away."
Zeng Jingrong looked up. "You've found a suitable candidate for her."
"Yes!"
"Who?"
"Your second cousin."
"Jing Chu?"
"Yes," Tian Jing nodded. "I think Zeng Jingchu is very suitable for her. Being a rich merchant's wife, what a great profession."
Zeng Jingrong: "..." A profession?
"Jing Chu won't agree."
Tian Jing grinned. "It doesn't matter, I didn't plan to get his consent. It's been so long, and he still hasn't found a partner. I'll help him."
"Shi Yi is a good girl, worthy of a man's sincere affection. Once they get together, Zeng Jingchu will understand Shi Yi's value."
Zeng Jingrong put down his chopsticks. "Are you forcing me like this?"
Tian Jing shook her head. "You're overthinking it. Your being single or not is irrelevant to me. I can't stand seeing women pine over one person, it's too foolish and unproductive."
Zeng Jingrong stood up. "I'll go and talk to her properly."
"Go ahead," Tian Jing waved her hand. "Go and ask her clearly what she wants. Don't use the excuse of doing good for others."
"How do you know your actions aren't hurting others? How do you know what you're giving is what others need?"
Zeng Jingrong paused. "Alright, I'll ask her properly."
After Zeng Jingrong left, Li Weibo asked his mother, "Does Captain Zeng really like Sister Shi Yi?"
Tian Jing nodded. "Eighty percent, because he ran away. I sent the person over, and he's still avoiding her."
"Only those who are afraid to face their feelings will run away. You and Hao Hao, you both must learn from this."
"If you like someone, like them. Face your own heart. Life doesn't have much time to waste."
Li Weibo: "..." He wasn't sure if his mother was indirectly rushing him to get married, so he didn't dare to respond.
...
Li Weixin's luggage was still in the car. Li Weihao and Li Zhengguo carried the luggage together to the dormitory for students with special abilities.
Xiao Xiaohei whined twice at Tian Jing before chasing after them.
Because of Xiao Xiaohei, Li Weibo and Li Weihao were both transferred to Li Weixin's dormitory.
The three brothers and Xiao Xiaohei shared a room.
Li Zhengguo returned to the mess hall to find his wife and praised Xiao Xiaohei's obedience.
"In the four-person dorm, Xiao Bo laid out cardboard on a lower bunk and told Xiao Xiaohei it was its bed. It immediately jumped on and lay down.
"Ranran coaxed vegetables for it, and it jumped off the bed and obediently gnawed on them.
"I think this deep mountain compound should be quite suitable for it. At least Ranran and Hao Hao can take it to run around these three mountains."
"You don't need to comfort me," Tian Jing glanced at her husband sideways.
"Although the children will miss Xiao Hei, they have the energy to embrace the next relationship.
"I'm old, and I don't want to face predictable partings. Our state of mind is different; I don't need your comfort."
"Nonsense!" Li Zhengguo chided gently. "My wife is forever eighteen."
Tian Jing reached out and tugged his cheek. "I've noticed your skin has gotten thicker. Hurry up and call Zeng Jingrong to have him bring the person down."
Li Zhengguo held her hand, which was playfully fiddling with his face. "He won't bring her down. You've already decided to pair Ji Shi Yi with Zeng Jing Chu. Does he dare to run away?"
"Hmph!" Tian Jing pulled her hand away. "You men! You're more prone to saying one thing and meaning another than women."
Li Zhengguo, who was unexpectedly implicated, immediately took out his phone and called Zeng Jingrong, saying that Zeng Jing Chu had been tricked by Tian Jing into going to Kushan.
He told him to hurry and bring the person down because they were going home.
Having a husband who would lie with her, Tian Jing felt fortunate.