Chapter 139

Chapter 139

After exchanging simple greetings, Lin Lie led the representatives from the three major bases to land in front of the central building.

Marshal Li Gu's gaze immediately fell on Xu Qiao's face, while Marshal Gan Lin warmly strode over to Sun Dagui and gave him a firm hug. "Dagui, it's been almost twenty years! You still look as spirited as ever!"

Sun Dagui smiled. "It's not hard to see you. You could be here in just a few minutes."

Gan Lin sighed. "I couldn't leave. Fortunately, I'll retire in a few years, and then I can come find you every day to play chess."

Seeing that the Li family's grandfather and grandson were shaking hands with Xu Qiao, he led his granddaughter, Gan Wu, over as well.

Xu Qiao smiled and shook hands with Li Gu. When it was Li Pingxi's turn, the two-meter-tall, burly young general blushed suddenly, glanced at her hesitantly, and then slowly extended his broad right hand. Probably because he was too slow, a furry white tiger spiritual entity poked out its paw and solemnly shook Xu Qiao's hand.

Xu Qiao felt the elastic tiger paw pad, but since she wasn't familiar with Li Pingxi and given the attitude of the three elder Lis, she let go after a brief handshake.

Li Pingxi retreated behind Li Gu like he had completed a task. Honestly, he wouldn’t hesitate to face a dozen S-grade mutated beasts, but the thought of trying to win Xu Qiao's favor made him break out in a cold sweat, wishing he could leave the Southeast Base immediately.

Li Gu gave his grandson a disdainful look and said to Xu Qiao, "My Pingxi, he's good at fighting, but he becomes wooden around girls. He hasn't had a single relationship since graduating from the Military Academy."

Li Pingxi: "..."

Gan Lin: "Alright, it's our turn to greet Xu Qiao."

Only then did Li Gu step aside with his grandson.

Gan Lin sincerely expressed his gratitude to Xu Qiao. The nineteen-year-old Gan Wu, lively and outgoing, praised Xu Qiao and then asked to take a photo with her and the lotus flower.

Xu Qiao, of course, agreed.

As Gan Lin was about to take the photo, a black flying snake as thick as an arm suddenly wrapped around Xu Qiao's waist, startling her.

Though she reacted quickly, she couldn’t hide her discomfort from Gan Wu. When Gan Wu checked the photo quality with her grandfather, she saw Xu Qiao's panicked face and exclaimed in surprise and regret, "So you're afraid of snakes! I wish I hadn't let my spiritual entity out."

The black flying snake slithered onto Gan Wu's shoulder and looked at Xu Qiao with a somewhat aggrieved expression.

Xu Qiao quickly said, "It's not that I'm afraid. I was just unprepared. The flying snake is a mythical-class spiritual entity. I adore it!"

The black flying snake, taking her words at face value, flew over to Xu Qiao and enthusiastically pressed its snake head against her face.

Xu Qiao: "..."

Everyone present could see her stiffness. Li Pingxi, always the voice of reason, immediately spoke up to Gan Wu, "You should rein in your spiritual entity. No normal person can stand being wrapped around by a snake."

Gan Wu, who was standing next to Xu Qiao, glared at him. Her sweet snake immediately let go of Xu Qiao and darted toward Li Pingxi like an arrow, only to be blocked by the white tiger spiritual entity emerging from Li Pingxi's body.

Li Pingxi quickly advised the white tiger, "She's just a child. Don't take her seriously."

A few seconds later, the white tiger spiritual entity, which hadn't engaged seriously, was densely wrapped from its neck to its hind legs by the black flying snake.

The black flying snake raised its head above the tiger's back, hissing at Li Pingxi while slowly sliding its body along the tiger's tall and muscular form.

Li Pingxi blushed for reasons he couldn’t quite explain.

The snake's coiling was both an attack and an extremely intimate gesture. In broad daylight, with Gan Wu's spiritual entity coiled around the white tiger like that, Gan Lin hurried over, pulling the little black snake by its neck. "Why are you coiling around it? Go find Sun Fushan later; snakes and turtles are a natural pair!"

Sun Dagui: "..."

Sun Rupan secretly messaged his nephew, "Marshal Gan brought his granddaughter to coil you. If you don’t want to get wrapped up, you’d better find a place to hide."

Gan Wu is a very likable kid, but the Sun family practices free love and doesn't follow the Lin family's tradition of arranged marriages.

After the chaos caused by Tengshe and the white tiger was settled, Qin Jiuzhou led his two grandsons to Xu Qiao's side.

This time, Xu Qiao blushed before she even opened her mouth.

Qin Jiuzhou smiled and said, "Long time no see, last time we met you were still a B-rank, and now you've already advanced to S-rank. That's really fast progress."

Lin Lie, Li Gu, and Gan Lin looked over in surprise, and Li Gu voiced the question on all their minds, "When did you come to the Southeast Base?"

Qin Jiuzhou replied, "Mid-Autumn Festival. Little Chi was on leave here, and I came to give him some family warmth on behalf of our family."

Li Gu asked, "Then how did you get to know Xu Qiao?"

Qin Jiuzhou answered, "Little Chi rented her younger brother's house; they're neighbors."

Li Gu: "..."

Unfazed, Qin Jiuzhou formally introduced his eldest grandson to Xu Qiao. "This is Little Chi's older brother, who's forty-five. He's a bit older, old enough to be your uncle. If you really can't bring yourself to call him that, you can call him General Qin or Director Qin."

The forty-five-year-old elder brother, Qin Shu: "..."

Xu Qiao's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she didn't know what to say.

Qin Chi stood beside her and whispered, "It's okay not to address him; don't force yourself."

Qin Shu added, "Yes, Little Chi rarely calls me 'big brother' either. He just gets straight to business when we meet."

Sun Rupan pulled Xu Qiao behind him and said to the Qin family, "This is an official meeting of the four bases. If you want to discuss personal matters, do it back at Xu Qiao's home."

On the other side, Gan Wu had an epiphany and smirked at Li Pingxi. "Looks like you were dreaming. Xu Qiao's already taken, and by someone way hotter than the white tiger."

Li Pingxi wasn't offended, only relieved, and said to his grandfather, "Grandpa, there's no way I can beat Qin Chi, and I'm not as handsome as him. Can we stop competing?"

Li Gu: "..."

After leaving behind two large New Year gifts, the Li family's grandfather and grandson were the first to leave the Southeast Base.

The marshals indeed disliked formalities, and Gan Lin insisted on visiting the Sun family with his granddaughter. Sun Dagui couldn't refuse his old friend's request. Meanwhile, Xu Qiao brought the three dragons back to her villa.

Qin Jiuzhou sat on the sofa, with Qin Shu sitting upright beside him. Xu Qiao was about to prepare tea, but Qin Chi took over her task.

Qin Jiuzhou teased, "Look at Little Chi, he really doesn't treat himself as an outsider."

Xu Qiao's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and she didn't know what to say.

Qin Jiuzhou looked over and explained, "Initially, Little Chi's mom wanted to come, but we thought it might be too much pressure for you. So, we decided to send his older brother instead. After the New Year, when you and Little Chi visit the Northeast Base, we'll all meet officially."

Qin Shu said, "You're really not treating yourself as an outsider, are you? Xu Qiao is just dating Little Chi, and the future is still uncertain. If you push her too hard, she might just break things off with him."

Qin Jiuzhou replied, "You don't think everyone's like your dad, do you? He lost his wife after he got her. I think Little Chi is better than all of you in this regard."

Qin Chi walked over, seeing his partner's still-flushed face, and advised, "Have some tea, and let's head back early to catch lunch at home."

Qin Jiuzhou, Qin Shu: "..."

After lunch, Qin Jiuzhou and his grandsons left, as the New Year was approaching, and it was better to spend time with other family members than to stay here and be a third wheel for the young couple.

Returning to the living room, the lotus flower dropped into the large blue vase. "Come on, let's check out what the other bases sent for New Year's!"

It likes to unwrap gifts.

There were a total of three red New Year gift bags from different bases. Xu Qiao first opened the one from the Northwest Base, which was embroidered with a white tiger pattern, and retrieved the crystal core, releasing the New Year gift.

In addition to a large number of local specialties characteristic of the Northwest Base, there was a set of the highest-grade female S-class battle armor. The most eye-catching item was a two-meter-long fluffy white tiger plush toy, with snow-white fur and black stripes that looked incredibly comfortable to the touch.

Before Xu Qiao could touch it, the fire dragon pounced, shredding the white tiger plush with its claws, sending feathers flying everywhere in the living room.

Qin Chi stared at the fire dragon with icy eyes. "Is this your idea of manners? Even if I am Xu Qiao's partner, you have no right to dispose of the gifts she receives so freely."

The fire dragon's body stiffened, covered in white feathers, and it slowly turned its dragon head, looking at Xu Qiao with concern.

Xu Qiao smiled. "It's okay. The Southeast Base has white tiger fans as well. I can buy another identical white tiger plush."

Fire dragon: "..."

Should it feel relieved that Xu Qiao wasn't upset, or disappointed that she liked the white tiger so much?

Xu Qiao's gaze had already shifted to Qin Chi.

Qin Chi smiled. "I'll buy you one as compensation."

Xu Qiao also smiled. "Okay."

She continued unwrapping gifts. The Southwest Base had sent ten boxes of hot pot base ingredients, ten boxes of Shu brocade, and a set of S-class battle armor.

Finally, it was the New Year gift from the Northeast Base.

S-class battle armor and local specialties were a given, but there was also a domestic android with the same appearance and figure as Qin Chi, dressed in a three-piece suit.

Xu Qiao: "...Your base is really something, being able to make androids like this."

Qin Chi: "...I only know that the research center is developing battle-use androids."

The lotus flower, curious, stretched out a leaf and lifted the robot's suit jacket, revealing a set of realistic-looking abs.

Xu Qiao quickly stored the robot in her spatial pocket.

Qin Chi said, "It's true that we don't need it right now. I can bring it out when I'm away on missions."

Xu Qiao replied, "I already have a white tiger plush; I don't care about your robot."

Qin Chi smiled. "Sorry, I almost forgot you have a new favorite."

In the afternoon, while Xu Qiao chatted casually with Sun Fushan, mainly listening to him complain about Gan Lin's arranged marriage plans, Qin Chi went out for a while.

In the evening, after returning from the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal, Xu Qiao went to the bathroom first and changed into her pajamas. When she came out, she saw a two-meter-long white tiger plush placed horizontally at the foot of the bed.

The lotus flower and the fire dragon were still rehearsing downstairs, while Qin Chi, who had finished bathing earlier, was leaning against the headboard, holding a book.

Xu Qiao: "...You put the plush here, aren't you afraid the fire dragon will get angry?"

Qin Chi: "You've already expressed that you like this plush. It won't dare to destroy it again."

Since Qin Chi could play it cool, Xu Qiao decided to join in, sitting on the bed and actually hugging the white tiger plush, stroking it while lamenting, "Too bad it doesn't feel as good as a white tiger spirit entity."

Qin Chi put down his book and hugged her from behind.

Although the white tiger plush was just a toy, Xu Qiao had already met Li Pingxi. As Qin Chi's hand slid under her pajamas, the white tiger plush suddenly felt awkward to her.

She quickly stashed the plush in her spatial pocket, deciding to give it to Sun Fushan the next time they met.