Chapter 116

Chapter 116

On the way home, Xu Qiao endured Sun Fushan's "interrogation." When the black sedan stopped in front of Building 5 in Ping'an Community, Xu Qiao finally had an excuse to end the conversation: "I'm getting out now, let's grab some food first, we’ll catch up later."

Sun Fushan: "I’m still upset that you guys kept this from us for so long, but if Brother Qin treats us to a big meal tomorrow, I'll forgive you."

Qin Chi: "Alright, any recommendations for restaurants in the downtown area?"

Sun Fushan immediately sent a restaurant link.

Qin Chi: "I have classes during the day, see you tomorrow evening."

Xu Qiao specifically tagged Meng Li, who hadn't participated in the casual chat, knowing that the gathering would involve the whole team.

Meng Li: "Got it."

Xu Qiao breathed a sigh of relief.

Qin Chi got out of the car and came around to the passenger side to pick her up, as the winter rain, which had been falling for two days, continued.

They had dinner at Qin Chi’s place again. When Xu Qiao was about to leave after dinner, instead of offering to walk her out, Qin Chi simply followed her to apartment 101.

Xu Qiao: "...I’m going to take a shower, what are you doing?"

Qin Chi looked at the shared bathroom: "I’ll wash up too."

They bathed separately, and by the time Xu Qiao dried her hair and walked out in casual home clothes, she found Qin Chi sitting on the sofa, his short hair freshly washed, wearing a familiar white shirt with the top three buttons unbuttoned, his left arm resting on the sofa armrest, and his right hand swiping through the holographic screen of his wristband, scrolling through the photos taken earlier.

Xu Qiao didn’t know why, but her eyes were drawn to the three undone buttons.

It was a comfortable fabric, naturally spreading open with the weight of the collar and Qin Chi’s posture, revealing a large expanse of skin below his neck, with a hint of his chest muscles.

Before Qin Chi could look up, Xu Qiao quickly averted her gaze and casually went to get water from the dispenser.

After moistening her throat, Xu Qiao asked, "Still not tired of looking after all these times?"

Qin Chi: "I needed something to pass the time while waiting for you."

Xu Qiao: "Wait for me for what?"

Qin Chi closed the wristband screen and looked at her: "We only went through part of your family album last night, I didn’t even get to see the photos of your grandfather as an adult. I want to continue."

Xu Qiao took out the thick album from her space necklace and handed it to him.

Qin Chi grabbed her wrist and pulled her sideways onto his lap.

Sitting in the middle of his thighs, at a safe distance, but even as she stared down at the album in her hands, the sight of his undone buttons still managed to make her throat dry.

Flustered, she moved to sit beside Qin Chi, pretending to focus on the album, and said calmly, "Look properly, no funny business."

Qin Chi: "Alright, but it’s tiring to look down at the photos, you can lean against me."

Without giving Xu Qiao a chance to refuse, Qin Chi pulled her close.

With her face now even closer to his open collar, unable to hide anymore, she angrily patted it: "You used to only undo two buttons before, why so many tonight?"

Qin Chi smiled: "It’s hot after a shower. I dress like this when I’m alone. I only pay attention to my appearance when I see neighbors or teammates."

Xu Qiao: "You need to pay attention when you're with your girlfriend too. Just because you're in a relationship doesn’t mean you can become sloppy."

Qinchi cooperatively buttoned up to the third button.

Xu Qiao felt a bit more relaxed and continued from where she left off last night, narrating the photos to him. Occasionally, she wondered if Qinchi was intentionally stalling to stay the night. But he was genuinely absorbed, sometimes even holding her hand to keep her from turning the page, continuing to examine a photo.

Seeing how much he truly appreciated it, Xu Qiao set aside her worries, and time slowly slipped away under her soft narration.

Photos of Xu Qiao's parents finally appeared in the album, some from their dating period and a few wedding photos. They were natural, with minimal post-editing.

Qinchi gently hugged his girlfriend and said, "Your chin looks like your father, and your eyes resemble your mother."

Just as Xu Qiao began to feel a sense of longing and melancholy, his way of addressing them chased those feelings away. She corrected him, "Please call them uncle and aunt."

Qinchi replied, "That's too formal."

Xu Qiao glared at him and continued turning the pages of the album. After a couple of pages, there were photos of a baby, some solo shots, and a family portrait.

Qinchi smiled, "How adorable."

Xu Qiao blushed and closed the album, deliberately saying, "It's getting late, I'm going to sleep. You should head back and rest too."

The fire dragon, picking up on the signal, came out, ready to curl around the lotus flower and head to the guest bedroom.

Qinchi didn't let go of his girlfriend and asked in a scientific tone, "Was my performance last night really that bad?"

Xu Qiao immediately covered her ears, trying to escape her boyfriend's embrace.

Qinchi simply scooped her up, controlled the wind to turn off all the lights, and headed for the master bedroom.

The fire dragon paused for a moment, and seeing that the lotus flower didn't come out, it returned to Qinchi's crystal core.

Outside, the winter rain was cold and desolate, but inside, the atmosphere was warm and passionate.

With no need to leave the base for training or dates, nor go to work, and after being kept up by her boyfriend three times the previous night, Xu Qiao unexpectedly overslept, still not awake by 7 a.m.

But she had promised to visit Lv Chun's lab today and accompany Qinchi to The Second School to visit their younger brother, a cadet they hadn't seen in a month. So Qinchi got up first, took a shower, and prepared breakfast in the kitchen.

After he left, the fire dragon still wanted to sleep and stayed in bed, coiling around Xu Qiao.

At this moment, Xu Qiao wasn't wearing her battle armor, not even pajamas. When the dragon scales slid across her skin, now more sensitive from the previous night's experiences, Xu Qiao bolted upright. She frantically pushed the two-meter-long fire dragon off the bed and kicked it out from under the covers, while tightly wrapping herself in the blanket.

Her resistance was very clear. The lotus flower jumped out and swung its extended leaves angrily at the bewildered fire dragon lying on top of the covers.

Feeling very embarrassed, Xu Qiao left the lotus flower to teach the fire dragon and wrapped herself tightly in the blanket to go to the master bathroom.

The lotus flower was fierce, "When Xu Qiao isn't wearing clothes, you're not allowed to wrap around her!"

The fire dragon, "She was wearing something."

The lotus flower, "Wearing only underwear doesn't count as being dressed!"

The fire dragon still couldn't understand, "Why? Qinchi has kissed and touched her. If I wrap around her, would she still be shy?"

The lotus flower, "It's different. Even though both are partners, there are things Qinchi can do that you can't."

The fire dragon, "I didn't do anything. I just wanted to curl up and sleep with you, like in Jing City."

The lotus flower, "But when Xu Qiao isn't wearing clothes, you can't curl up with her like that. At most, you're allowed to shrink and wrap around her arm or ankle."

Fire Dragon: "Alright, I've got it."

The lotus flower added some more rules and then dismissed the fire dragon. It returned inside Xu Qiao.

Xu Qiao was showering.

The lotus flower extended its leaves and examined Xu Qiao from head to toe. Noting that Xu Qiao had already treated herself, her skin was fair and smooth, except for...

The lotus flower was delighted. No wonder she is my main body; she was as beautiful as the tips of its petals.

Xu Qiao didn’t mention the minor incident to Qinchi. From Qinchi’s expression, it seemed he was unaware of it as well.

They had breakfast in a relatively peaceful atmosphere. Afterward, Qinchi took Xu Qiao to meet Lv Chun.

Lv Chun personally assessed Xu Qiao’s mental strength and was pleasantly surprised by her progress. She also shared the latest developments in the treatment of beastification with Xu Qiao.

"At the beginning of the month, the relevant reports were sent to the other three bases," Lv Chun said. "Healers there have also conducted a series of experiments. Now, the four bases have collectively recognized beastification as a disease and endorsed three treatment plans for it, encouraging patients with beastification symptoms to seek treatment proactively."

"Moreover, psychics, especially guards who have been fighting on the front lines for a long time and professional mercenaries, often have mental health issues. For example, the high pressure from prolonged exposure to battlefield environments, the psychological trauma from severe physical injuries, and the grief of witnessing comrades die from mutant attacks. These can all be addressed by healers to improve their mental health."

"While there are still few cases of beastification, many retired or active guards are now proactively seeking help from healers. With official guarantees of their safety, they don’t need to worry about damage to their spiritual bodies."

"The military also plans to establish mental health clinics among the guard troops, starting with Class A healers. Are you interested?"

Xu Qiao was very interested, but she hadn’t obtained her Class A healer certification yet.

Lv Chun asked, "The training in Jing City has also enhanced your mental strength. Do you feel confident enough to take the exam now?"

Xu Qiao wasn't confident. "I'd rather thoroughly study the books before taking the exam."

Lv Chun thought for a moment and said, "I suggest combining theory with practice. When I first obtained my S-class healer license, the number of patients I could treat simultaneously was vastly different from my current level. After all, a healer's professional ability and work experience complement each other."

Xu Qiao replied, "I think so too, but there aren't enough patients for me to gain experience."

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have used Zhao Feng, who had shattered leg bones, as an experimental subject.

Lv Chun smiled. "Go to the coastal base. The guards there will welcome you with boundless enthusiasm."

After leaving the lab, Qinchi had to rush to the Second School for class. Xu Qiao continued to accompany him, as she had promised to treat four cadets to lunch.

After driving for a while, Qinchi suddenly said, "The coastal base will indeed help you rapidly improve your healing abilities. Moreover, every coastal base has two S-class generals stationed simultaneously, so you don't need to worry about safety."

Xu Qiao looked at him sideways. Although they had been meeting frequently at night last month, she had been too tired and had fallen asleep after only a few words.

Just returning, and now considering another trip?

Qinchi glanced at her and smiled. "Don't want to let me go?"

Xu Qiao turned her head away.

Qinchi said, "I'll come to see you. Being a healer shouldn't be as hard as fighting. We'll have plenty of time to talk at night."

Mentioning this made Xu Qiao's face heat up. "And then have to greet Marshal Lin again for entering and leaving the base?"

Qinchi said, "Or should I talk to Principal Wei and resign in advance?"

Xu Qiao replied, "...No, there's only a month left until the final exams. It wouldn't be appropriate to change teachers at this point. Since you're teaching them, you should at least finish this semester properly."

Their relationship had already been high-profile enough. Resigning early would likely lead the freshmen at the Second School to deduce the truth of why Teacher Qin had abandoned them midway.