CH 65

Inside the tent, silence settled once again. The little dog inside struggled intensely, feeling like it might crush its teeth from all the squirming.

Outside the tent, Si Di caught every muffled sound through the fabric, a mix of regret for Si Chu and a perverse enjoyment of doing questionable things in the name of justice. In the end, he wasn’t a good wolf.

Xiao Zhenyun lay in his sleeping bag, eyes closed, maintaining the spiritual connection with Si Di. His lips curved slightly, muttering a curse directed at the wolf grandma.

“Little doggie, open the tent~”

It was an undeniable physiological state. The usually obliging and warm younger brother, Si Chu, surprisingly hesitated, struggling for a few seconds before squeezing out, “Bro, it’s too late, and I’m a bit tired… you go to sleep early too, close your eyes, don’t think about anything, you’ll fall asleep quickly…”

Si Di still had that apologetic yet amused look, sighing, “Xiao Chu, brother really can’t sleep. Brother has something on his mind.”

“Brother Di,” Ye Feiran also spoke, his voice hoarse, “What about little uncle? Is he asleep? He definitely understands you better than us. Do you want to talk to him?”

“Him?” Si Di wouldn’t miss this chance for casual banter, “Carefree, he sleeps like a log, as if he’s a pig.”

The ‘pig’ in the sleeping bag: “…”

Seeing the little dog and the chick still struggling, Xiao Zhenyun’s mind quickly fabricated various ridiculous reasons. Without hesitation, he instructed, “Just tell him, Xiao Chu, brother hasn’t been able to sleep at night lately, it’s because of the premarital fear, Brother is even thinking of eloping…”

Si Di: “…”

This man, terrifyingly imaginative! 

He cleared his throat, adopting an anxious tone to relay the information.

As expected, the two inside the tent stiffened upon hearing the reply.

The issue was indeed quite serious. Si Chu, his forehead bulging with veins, clenched his hands in agony and pushed Ye Feiran away to tidy up his clothes, saying, “…Bro, just wait, wait for me a moment, I’ll be right out.”

Ye Feiran used his eyes to signal to Si Chu that his ‘thing’ was on the verge of revealing itself—what should they do?

Lowering his head to take a glance, Si Chu awkwardly reached for it, but before he could touch anything, an unbelievable idea popped into his mind. Frowning in thought for a moment, he surprisingly just straightforwardly walked out.

Ye Feiran: “?”

At the tent’s entrance, Si Di unexpectedly met Si Chu’s little dog. The two brothers stared at each other for a few seconds. Si Chu confirmed his suspicions as his round eyes narrowed, still lacking any threatening force. Gritting his teeth, he complained, “Bro, you did it on purpose, right? I don’t believe you didn’t hear… You deliberately interrupted us.”

Si Di’s lips moved, and Xiao Zhenyun seemed to hear the gears in the sentinel’s brain spinning rapidly. But in the end, he couldn’t hold back and burst into laughter, “Getting smarter, huh, Xiao Chu…”

“What do you mean, bro?” Si Chu’s eyes were reddening. He grabbed Si Di’s wrist and pulled him aside, “Why did you intentionally disrupt me and Feiran… that? We are a match made in heaven, mutually committed.”

The underlying meaning was: How could you, you detestable big bad wolf, interfere in our romance?

“Your union application with the guild hasn’t been approved yet. Just wait.” Si Di fabricated a reason like the clash of your astrological signs and tonight’s wind direction, “It’s better to be certified before going on duty.” 

“This talk coming from your mouth has absolutely zero persuasiveness…” Si Chu muttered, “You, this feudal patriarch. What era is it? You still demand post-marital relations, yet you don’t abide by it yourself. It’s like the pot calling the kettle black.”

Si Di continued to smile, “So what? Brother was wrong. Brother apologizes to you. Want to go back and finish what you started?”

“Get lost.” Si Chu squatted down in frustration, facing the slightly cool night breeze, waiting for nature to take its course.

The wolfdog came out, not too excited. Its ears drooped as it lay lethargically next to Si Chu. Its tail, no longer wagging, portrayed a look of immense grievance. Tai Ji circled around it, then leaned against it and lay down, closing its eyes.

“Um… the premarital fear you mentioned earlier, is it real or were you just fooling me?” Si Chu suddenly lifted his head, “Bro, if there really are psychological issues, don’t hide it. Go see a doctor for counseling. If you really elope, little uncle will be very upset.”

“Silly dog.” Si Di affectionately patted Si Chu’s hair, little uncle won’t be upset, your little uncle is quite mischievous… He appears calm on the surface, avoiding worldly affairs, but privately, he smokes, drinks, and indulges in all sorts of things…

Si Chu rubbed his head against his brother’s hand, then raised his gaze, only to find a hint of desire in Si Di’s eyes.

The little dog clutched himself in vigilance, trembling as he asked, “Bro…?”

Si Di: “…”

In a display of virtue, Si Chu endured the cold wind with his brother for most of the night, fearing his brother might actually have some psychological issues.

In the end, he uttered a heart-touching line, “Bro, don’t feel any pressure. No matter what happens in the future, you’ll always be my beloved brother.”

Si Di’s conscience ached…

When he returned to the tent, clutching the wolf heart, Xiao Zhenyun was truly sleeping like a log. He had even switched to that mode where disturbing his sleep might result in him waking up ready to fight.

Si Di slowly tucked himself into his sleeping bag, closing his eyes to enter his own spiritual domain. In the borderland between the yellow-green grassland and vast meadows, Tai Ji and Tian Lu welcomed him.

Since the connection of their spiritual domains, these two spiritual bodies became companions, no longer wandering outside as they used to. The time spent within the spiritual domain significantly extended.

Si Di played with them for a while, then aimlessly wandered within his own spiritual domain.

The once shattered spiritual domain was nearing completion. It appeared flawless to the naked eye, just like its initial form, but Si Di keenly felt the difference. Every corner of his spiritual domain now had the essence of Xiao Zhenyun, traces left behind by him.

Silently, Si Di stood for a moment before disappearing from the spot.

The next afternoon, Si Di spontaneously added someone to the private discussion group about kidnapping Si Chu. He explained that this person happened to be on vacation like them, had a suitable ‘schedule,’ could be trusted, and was specifically experienced in this field. They would form a kidnapping group together, one in the light overseeing everything, the other in the shadows charging ahead.

Si Di claimed that he couldn’t bring himself to do it and recruited someone else due to a guilty conscience. However, Xiao Zhenyun understood him well. Whether it was kidnapping Si Chu or kidnapping him, Si Di was more than willing to get his hands dirty.

“Your choice in professionals is truly comprehensive compared to mine,” Xiao Zhenyun praised.

The so-called professional kidnapper with the code name ‘Hedgehog’ was actually a Fer-de-lance1 sentinel. It left people curious about how the seemingly unrelated name and the actual creature were connected.

“Chose it randomly,” The Hedgehog said, “It’s meant to keep others guessing and make it easier to hide.”

Xiao Zhenyun pondered for a moment and decided that if he ever had to give him a code name, he’d call him Grasshopper.

After the explanation, the Hedgehog went to listen to Si Di’s brief instructions for the task at hand: to pretend to be a waiter at the union ceremony, kidnap Xiao Zhenyun, with the real target being Si Chu, who would be following them.

“Isn’t Si Chu your brother?” The Hedgehog questioned, “Family conflicts in a wealthy household?”

Si Di, unwilling to come up with excuses, bluntly said, “A professional agent doesn’t inquire about mission reasons. You’re crossing the line.”

The Hedgehog showed a smirk that seemed to say, “Well, alright then.” “You’ve arranged the waiter’s identity for me, the kidnapping target will cooperate with me, and surveillance will be handled by you. I’ll make, at most, a brief appearance. Is it necessary to call me here for such a trivial matter? Besides, you won’t even explain the specific details to me. Boring. I’m out, find someone else.”

With that, the Hedgehog actually turned and walked away without giving any face.

Xiao Zhenyun thought: A bit of a show-off.

Si Di: That’s just how he is. Odd temper, but his abilities are beyond doubt.

Xiao Zhenyun: Is he impressive?

Si Di: It’s not a fair comparison. Different circumstances. He’s a Dark Sentinel.

Xiao Zhenyun: So, he’s more impressive?

Si Di firmly stated: I am more impressive.

Xiao Zhenyun: Okay, you’re more of a show-off.

Si Di: …

Xiao Zhenyun: He really left. Aren’t you going to stop him?

Si Di: I told you, he has a strange temper… if he wants to leave, let him. I’ll find someone else. There’s only you as a guide without legs, but a two-legged sentinel isn’t that hard to find, right?

Xiao Zhenyun: …

“Wait a moment,” Xiao Zhenyun suddenly spoke lightly, “I can tell you the purpose of this mission.”

As a Dark Sentinel, the Hedgehog’s attention to guides had always been low. Only now did he give the long-haired man in the wheelchair a proper glance since he entered.

“Si Di, you mentioned before that you found a guide with a match rate over 90%…” the Hedgehog looked at Xiao Zhenyun, “Is it him?”

Si Di didn’t answer. It was Xiao Zhenyun who nodded, stating confidently, “Yes, it’s me.”

A subtle raise of the Hedgehog’s eyebrow, “You know, for a mission that lacks challenge, the answer can’t be too ordinary if you want me to take it.”

At the same time, Si Di heard two voices. One, coming from Xiao Zhenyun’s inner thoughts, almost like a teeth-gritting angry curse: Fucking hell, he’s really putting on a show.

The other, spoken by Xiao Zhenyun, unhurried and clear: “Because I want Si Chu.”

The Hedgehog didn’t understand and waited for Xiao Zhenyun to explain further.

However, Xiao Zhenyun only repeated himself: “Because I want Si Chu.”

“…,” The Hedgehog finally caught on, and his pupils underwent a noticeable change. His facial expression became unpredictable. He squinted in suspicion, observing Xiao Zhenyun, who remained calm. There was no awareness from him that he had just dropped a bombshell. Instead, he seemed like he was discussing what he had for dinner.

The Hedgehog turned to look at Si Di. Si Di showed a wry smile, seemingly saying, “Do you now understand why I refused to tell you the reason?”

“Should’ve said so earlier!” The Hedgehog got excited. His cheeks flushed, and he patted Si Di’s shoulder while grinning, “Now, this is interesting… Bro, when did you develop such a peculiar taste? Quite the play you’ve got here…”

Si Di, enduring humiliation: Xiao Zhenyun, just wait. Tonight, I will kill you.

Xiao Zhenyun: …

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