The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 24

“General Yan is speaking to someone small.”

“Oh no. I wish the person standing in front of the General was me. That person is wearing Ancient Mandarin’s uniform. She must be a waitress. The General must be making some higher-level request, like ‘Bring me a pure nutrient pack.'”

“Boss has to prove herself this time.”

“Bai Xuan, could that possibly be… a wild Guide?”

“I heard Her Highness Yuzhu also came looking for a Guide. All the elite Guides from the Academy want to marry her or the General. Let’s see if either of them chooses one tonight. If they do, the others will give up, and we’ll have a chance.”

…

Qin Xiao’s head throbbed as if it were filled with a hundred overlapping voices. Conversations, laughter, shouting, and even begging all wormed their way into her skull. She held her head in her hands, wincing.

“Ugh… It hurts.”

Golden-furred Tuan Tuan wagged his tail excitedly, forcing Yan Ningjin to take a step closer to Qin Xiao. The beast circled the two of them, growling low while leaping up and down, clearly searching for something.

Yan Ningjin’s vision blurred red. She grabbed Qin Xiao’s wrist.

“Come with me.”

The moment her exposed skin was touched, Qin Xiao felt like she had been pierced by needles. Her senses exploded and she couldn’t suppress a painful gasp. But she forced herself to focus.

“I can’t go yet. I still need to find someone.”

“My stars, what a sweet scent. There’s a Guide here!”

“Hey, didn’t you just take a suppressant? How are you already entering a frenzy again?”

“Get away from him.”

The banquet descended into chaos. Several Sentinels simultaneously lost control, drawn to the same signal, all of them turning toward the direction of Yan Ningjin and Qin Xiao.

Yan Ningjin saw the frenzy erupting around the hall. Without hesitation, she took off her coat and threw it over Qin Xiao’s face, then lifted her up in a bridal hold. The first thing that struck her was how light she was.

“If you stay here, your only fate is to be sent to the Guide Academy for data matching, or to be marked by someone else.”

Qin Xiao struggled weakly, her entire body powerless. Only then did she realize something was wrong. Fragments of her memory stirred as she recalled how Eva had once crammed her full of knowledge. A Guide awakening came with fever, sensory overload, and confusion. And she was experiencing all of it. Not before, not later, but now of all times.

“I am a Sentinel!”

Yan Ningjin stopped walking.

Qin Xiao caught a soft chuckle from someone nearby. Even as she fought to keep the invading voices at bay, she found the energy to mutter, “My friend.”

Yan Ningjin could only laugh helplessly. Even now, the girl was more worried about her companion than herself.

She quickened her pace, moving smoothly through the side corridor until they reached a sealed hatch.

“Aiwei’er, neutralize the scent here and open the door. We need to leave immediately.”

Aiwei’er bounced out from her spatial capsule, executing the order with precision. While neutralizing the scent, she added a mental scan.

“Beep beep beep! Alert! Alert! Yan Yan, you’re in a frenzy again. But you took a suppressant just half a month ago. That’s not normal.”

Qin Xiao’s body went limp as Aiwei’er’s voice rang thunderously in her ears. The coat draped over her face was saturated with a Sentinel’s pheromones, and it felt like she was lying on a volcano. Her whole body was melting.

She shifted slightly, a movement so small it used up all her strength. Unbearably uncomfortable, she let out several soft gasps.

For a Sentinel, that kind of sound was like poppies laced with honey.

Yan Ningjin held her tightly. Her entire mind screamed one thing.

Mark her. Mark her.

Their mental compatibility had to be one hundred percent. There was no other explanation for this kind of reaction.

Aiwei’er scanned the air and detected the intense fragrance released by the Guide.

“Guide! Guide! Yan Yan, it’s a perfect match! Quick, mark her. If you mark her, she will be yours.”

Yan Ningjin clenched her jaw and forced Aiwei’er’s voice from her mind. She could already hear footsteps charging toward them from all directions.

“Hurry. We need to get out now.”

Aiwei’er blasted the hatch open and transformed into a small starcraft. Yan Ningjin leapt in and gave the command.

“Leave Capital Star. Set course for Sunstar.”

Aiwei’er’s entire frame trembled with excitement. Do not ask why an AI would get excited. Her master might finally escape eternal singleness. No more worrying about her dying in a frenzy and Aiwei’er being scrapped for spare mech parts. She was a high-grade intelligent mech after all. As she accelerated through space, she couldn’t resist singing the romantic tune “Love on Sunstar” in a chipper voice.

Yan Ningjin massaged her temple, throbbing with pain. She placed Qin Xiao in her resting chamber and jabbed herself with two more doses of suppressant. It barely dampened the surge in her mind, and the red haze in her vision only thickened.

Qin Xiao was soaked in sweat, twisting restlessly under the blankets like a fish stranded on land, dried out and gasping. Her ears rang with magnified noise. She groped beneath her and grabbed something, then hurled it at the control panel with a loud thud.

Aiwei’er: “…”

Sob sob sob sob. Aiwei’er whimpered.

“Yan Yan, aren’t Guides supposed to be delicate little blossoms, tender enough to bruise with a touch? Why is yours so fierce? Look, she dirtied my hull! Sob sob sob.”

In the cramped mech cabin, Yan Ningjin was enveloped by the Guide’s sweet aroma. Nearby, Tuan Tuan paced restlessly, circling Qin Xiao’s position.

Yan Ningjin knew the beast was searching for the Guide’s Quantum beast. She might restrain herself, but a Quantum beast was pure instinct. It reflected its master’s deepest desires and was difficult to control.

Hoo—

Qin Xiao exhaled a wave of hot air. In her daze, she saw someone drawing closer. The unique scent of a Sentinel swirled around her, pushing and shoving for dominance. She felt overwhelmed but still yearned for the presence to come closer.

“Don’t come near me.”

“You need hydration.”

“Do you have suppressants?”

Yan Ningjin realized how foolish the question was. One glance at the dazed girl told her she had no idea that Guides required specially tailored suppressants. All she knew was that Guides needed nourishment and fluids to survive the awakening stage.

But no one had told her that this particular Guide would be triggered by her pheromones and dragged into a binding heat.

This was the most difficult situation Yan Ningjin had ever faced.

She inched closer, her hand brushing Qin Xiao’s flushed cheek. Her mind filled with visions of pinning this girl beneath her, watching her come undone with whispered pleas. Just the thought sent adrenaline surging.

“Mm—”

Qin Xiao’s face was already crimson. Just one touch, and she felt as if she were submerged in hot water. She reached toward Yan Ningjin’s face, but when she was close enough, she slapped her instead.

“No. You must not mark me.”

She did not know what ‘marking’ entailed, but the word sounded ominous. Marking was used to describe how beasts claimed territory. Now it was being used for Guides…

Qin Xiao shuddered.

The slap snapped Yan Ningjin out of her haze. The hit wasn’t harsh, but enough to bring her back. She quickly retreated but the scent in the cabin was too rich. She growled and slammed her head into the wall.

“Aiwei’er, is there any other way to endure binding heat besides marking?”

Aiwei’er immediately began scanning.

“Yan Yan, your case is highly unusual. When a Sentinel encounters a Guide with perfect compatibility, the instinct to mark and claim is overwhelming. There are no documented alternatives. But if you do not mark her, both of you will be in serious danger. You have already used two suppressants and are still in a frenzy. You will die. If you mark her, both of you will survive. She is your match. Do you want another Sentinel to mark her?”

Sentinels were possessive of their Guides. That possessiveness went beyond life or death.

Yan Ningjin let out a furious roar and pounced on Qin Xiao, lowering her head to inhale the scent that made her entire body feel weightless.

Qin Xiao’s instincts urged her to get closer. Her mind was a chaotic blur. She wanted to push the other woman away, but her limbs were soft and weak. Her resistance looked more like an invitation.

Right now, she just wanted to curse everything. This cursed world. This cursed Guide body.

Yan Ningjin cupped her flushed face. It was a small, lovely face. Her skin was burning, glistening with fragrant sweat like lilac blossoms. As she leaned closer, she realized Qin Xiao’s breath was just as hot.

Her desire dimmed a little.

She pinched her own arm hard and spoke hoarsely.

“Don’t be afraid.”

Qin Xiao was wrapped in Sentinel pheromones. They were aggressive, invasive, pushing into her body. She trembled, trying and failing to push back.

“You promised me.”

Yan Ningjin pressed her forehead against hers and gave a bitter laugh.

“You were discovered by the headmistress. If I don’t mark you, you’ll still be sent to the Academy. Do you want that?”

What she said was true. Hiding a Guide was a serious offense. She would be court-martialed, even as a General. Everyone knew how rare and valuable Guides were.

Qin Xiao’s mind was foggy. She tried to focus. What she saw were eyes so red they looked like they might bleed. On another day, they would have frightened her, but now, she saw something gentle in them.

“I don’t want to go.”

She remembered what happened on West Street. The way they took that little boy who had just awakened as a Guide and dragged him off to the Academy. The Guides who worked at Ancient Mandarin were weak, even more fragile than ordinary girls. She did not want to become like that.

“Will you die?”

“Yes. If I don’t have a Guide, the frenzy will kill me. And I might lose control before that and hurt you. I’m sorry. If you really don’t want to be marked, I can ask Aiwei’er to take you away before I lose my mind.”

Yan Ningjin clenched her hands. The pain helped her stay lucid. Bl00d dripped from her palms. She was trying to find a way to protect Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao was still thinking about the energy crystal she needed. If this woman died, who would she ask for it?

At present, if Yan Ningjin were to die, Qin Xiao would most likely end up being hunted across the entire planet by people from the Guide Academy or Lady Luo’s forces. Her head was still a mess from the effects of her recent awakening as a guide, but she struggled to stay clear-headed and desperately racked her brain for a way to survive.

She might not even get the chance to find Ah Qin before she was either thrown into the Guide Academy or dragged back to Mercury Star. Returning to Capital Star would be nearly impossible after that.

“Guide?” Qin Xiao latched onto the keyword in the other woman’s earlier words.

“If you are willing to become my guide, to help ease my mania, then I might be able to survive a little longer,” Yan Ningjin said. She had little hope for this proposition. She believed this little guide in front of her had her own ideas and was not like those delicate, weepy girls from the Guide Academy.

Qin Xiao felt a deep wave of injustice. This cursed body and cursed identity as a guide left her with no choice but to survive. It was infuriating.

Damn this fate. One day, I will reclaim everything I lost!

Half-dead and seemingly resigned to her fate, Qin Xiao whispered, “Then mark me.”

Yan Ningjin thought she had misheard. “You are willing to become my guide?”

Qin Xiao felt like she was on the verge of death. Whether she could make it through this ordeal alone seemed unlikely. Her voice was weak as she gave up all resistance. “I do not want you to die.”

If Yan Ningjin died, there would be no energy crystals for Qin Xiao to collect. She would end up back in the Guide Academy…

But when the words reached Yan Ningjin’s ears, they became the most beautiful love confession in the world. They were the final straw shattering her self-control. In this moment, her will was fragile as paper and disintegrated with the lightest touch.

Without thinking, Yan Ningjin crushed their lips together, tasting what felt like the purest spring in the universe. She let herself indulge in this wave of warmth.

Qin Xiao’s face flushed red from lack of air. Her body instinctively leaned closer to Yan Ningjin, as though trying to absorb more of that heat. But in her mind, Ah Qin’s face surfaced against her will. She remembered those days the two of them had spent side by side in the mountain cave.

Ah Qin had said, “If I die one day, Ah Xiao, promise me you will not raise another cauldron.”

Qin Xiao had replied, “We will see. If you do not behave, I will just get another cauldron.”

Qin Xiao suddenly felt a hand wandering across her body and finally pushed back, her eyes glistening as she whispered, “Just temporary.”

Yan Ningjin understood. Her tongue lingered briefly in the warmth of Qin Xiao’s mouth before reluctantly pulling away.

Tuan Tuan let out a low grumble nearby, clearly displeased.

Yan Ningjin gently licked the edge of Qin Xiao’s ear. “This is only a temporary mark. It will be a little uncomfortable, but bear with it.”

Qin Xiao was burning with heat. That kiss had almost vaporized her. Her head was muddled, and the light prickling pain barely registered. It was the flood of pheromones pouring into her through her ear that overwhelmed her. That unfamiliar, forceful essence surged into her body like a violent storm, determined to claim everything.

Her almond eyes flew wide open. She trembled silently as the sensation continued for nearly fifteen minutes before she finally closed her eyes and passed out completely.

Yan Ningjin held her tightly, softly licking her ear, her cheek, and the corner of her lips. Once Qin Xiao calmed down, Yan Ningjin embraced her like she had found the rarest treasure in the universe. “My guide.”

Aiwei’er chimed in, “Ouch! Too bright! My mech-eyes are blinded!”

Yan Ningjin casually picked up an object and hurled it in Aiwei’er’s direction, immediately sparking a protest.

Aiwei’er grumbled, “Yan Yan, this won’t do. You’ve only formed a temporary bond. It is far too unsafe. You should fully mark her while she is unconscious so that she can never leave you.”

Yan Ningjin’s hand trembled a few times. After laying Qin Xiao gently on the bed, she opened a communication line. Bai Xuan’s projection appeared shortly after.

Bai Xuan immediately noticed Yan Ningjin’s bloodshot eyes. “Wait, Ningjin, you didn’t mark that guide? No way. The guide was already delivered to your doorstep! How could you not take the chance? Oh my god, you are driving me mad. There’s still time, don’t do anything else—”

“Do guides not have any rights?” someone nearby interrupted.

“What do you know? Get out of the way.”

“It was a temporary mark.”

With the preliminary temporary bond established, Yan Ningjin’s mania had slightly eased. Likely due to finally having a guide of her own. But it was far from being cured, and that process would not be quick. Yan Ningjin’s voice carried a softness even she did not notice. “She just awakened. She cannot yet endure a full mark. She is still very uncomfortable. Bai Xuan, tell me what I should do for a newly awakened guide.”

Bai Xuan’s jaw dropped. “A newly awakened guide triggered a mating heat? What kind of luck do you have? Let me guess, she is one hundred percent compatible with you, isn’t she? Still, I have never seen a guide enter heat the moment she awakens. This is unbelievable. Are you sure she just woke up?”

Yan Ningjin’s spiritual power was exceptionally strong. That was how she had become a General at such a young age. But precisely because of that strength, no guide had ever triggered her mating heat. Just as Madam Qin had feared, none of the students at the Guide Academy had a compatibility rate above seventy percent with her. Yan Ningjin had long believed that her mania would eventually kill her, and she had already come to terms with that.

“I am not sure. But in all these years, only she could.”

“Wow, then her match with you is definitely above ninety percent. Maybe even ninety-five. You should thank General Aige. If she hadn’t forced you to attend that banquet, you never would have met this guide. Wait, no, you should thank me and Feng Ming too. When you get back, you are treating us to a meal.”

Yan Ningjin shook her head at Bai Xuan’s scattered words, but at least she could feel the genuine happiness from her.

“How did the banquet go after we left?”

Bai Xuan shrugged. “Several sentinels lost control. You know what happens when that happens, they start throwing punches. The whole banquet was a mess. Madam Qin is now holding you accountable. Her guide students saw you personally carry someone away, and she is convinced the person you took was a high-level guide. She has already contacted the royal family demanding an explanation. Be careful. When you get back, you might be punished.”

“Also, protect your little guide well. There are not many guides who can trigger multiple sentinels’ mating heat. She is far more powerful than those pitiful things at the Guide Academy. Madam Qin won’t let this go so easily.”

“I will protect her.”

“Then we will wait for your return. Leave the rest to us. Just focus on taking care of your guide.” Bai Xuan sounded both envious and bitter. After all, no one had ever matched more than ninety percent with her.

She quickly gave Yan Ningjin a detailed lesson on how to care for a newly awakened guide.

For the first time, Yan Ningjin found the supplies in Aiwei’er’s mech sorely lacking. Aside from water and some rations, there was nothing useful. “Aiwei’er, how much longer until we arrive?”

Aiwei’er grumbled, “Yan Yan, now that you have a guide, you are neglecting me. I am your right arm, you know. While you’re busy thinking about your adorable little guide, you should spare a thought for my feelings too.”

“Stop reading those ridiculous books on the Star Network.”

“Oh no, Yan Yan, those are my spiritual nourishment. You cannot take that away from me.”

“Mechs do not need spiritual nourishment.”

“Yanyan, that is mech discrimination.”

Yan Ningjin bickered with Aiwei’er for a bit before leaning down to touch Qin Xiao’s forehead. Her temperature was still alarmingly high. “Aiwei’er, purify the air in here.”

Aiwei’er groaned and muttered while dutifully going about the task.

Yan Ningjin had now devoted her full attention to her guide. As sweet as Qin Xiao’s presence was, she did not trust herself to resist a second time, let alone a third. Fighting against her own desire was a battle of will that she did not think she could win.

Tuan Tuan seemed to sense her thoughts and let out a pitiful growl before lying down beside Qin Xiao, guarding her like a cub, refusing to leave her side even for a moment.

Fortunately, the journey to Sunstar was not long. But as soon as Yan Ningjin arrived at the port, she was intercepted by General Aige’s soldiers.

“General, we are sorry. General Aige received orders stating you abducted a high-level guide. We have been told to arrest you immediately.”

“Very well. But may I speak to General Aige for a moment?”

“Of course. We can talk while we walk.”

Though it was called an arrest, the soldiers clearly turned a blind eye to the fact that she was carrying someone off her mech. Everyone knew she was General Aige’s daughter and not someone they could afford to offend.

Their eyes lingered on the guide she held, whose face was entirely hidden. A few even sniffed the air out of curiosity, though they could not catch any sweet scent.

Tuan Tuan growled furiously at them, baring its teeth and raising its thick golden fur in warning.

“Hey, big golden furball, take it easy. We are just curious.”

“Yeah, just curious.”

Yan Ningjin did not explain. Tuan Tuan was clearly frustrated. Even now, it had not managed to locate the little guide’s Quantum beast. This was a major source of defeat for it.

Yan Ningjin was taken to a private villa guarded entirely by General Aige’s elite troops. After placing her little guide on the bed and making sure the room was secure from any disturbances, she closed the door and opened a communication channel.

The call was quickly answered. A projection appeared, showing a woman who looked quite young, perhaps in her forties. “Child, I received notice from Capital Star saying you abducted a high-level guide during a banquet without any authorization. That does not sound like something you would ever do.”

Yan Ningjin stood tall. “General Aige, it is true.”

General Aige looked astonished. “Bring the child here at once. There must be something extraordinary about her if she drove you to make such a reckless decision. You know abducting a guide is no small offense. The kids on the Star Network are in an uproar.”

Yan Ningjin herself was still baffled by her impulsive decision that day. Yet even if given a second chance, she doubted she could have stood by and watched that person be delivered into Madam Qin’s hands and sent into the Guide Academy. “Mama Aige, she is in the process of awakening. Could you send a guide doctor to assess her condition?”

The expression on General Aige’s face finally cracked. “Awakening? I thought she was a high-level guide.”

Yan Ningjin let out a cold laugh. “To the head of the Guide Academy, anyone capable of triggering a sentinel’s mating heat probably qualifies as a high-level guide. Whether she is or not, I do not know. But Mama Aige, she is the only one who has ever triggered my mating heat.”

General Aige nodded in understanding. “I will arrange for a doctor right away.”

Yan Ningjin said, “Thank you.”

Qin Xiao’s thoughts had been hazy these past few days. At times, she felt as though she had returned to that mountain cave, counting ants on the ground with Ah Qin. Other times, she drifted through the emptiness of space, surrounded by roaring winds. Sometimes, she felt someone walking around her, pressing a needle into her neck, and gently wiping the sweat from her body.

She even felt the golden fur of Tuan Tuan. It was extremely soft and comforting.

Doctor Aili, the primary guide doctor of General Aige’s Second Corps, had never encountered such a case. After observing that Tuan Tuan’s presence seemed to have a calming effect on the small guide, she exited the room and said directly, “She has been marked.”

Yan Ningjin lowered her head. The red mist in her eyes had not yet cleared. It clung to her gaze like frozen fog. “Yes.” After a moment of thought, she added apologetically, “I thought marking her would help. She was awakening and also entering heat. I still don’t understand why both happened at once.”

Aili looked at her gently. “General, do not blame yourself. Your temporary mark saved her.”

Yan Ningjin froze, visibly confused.

Doctor Aili gave a soft smile. “I heard she suddenly went into heat at the banquet, triggering a mating heat. This usually only happens when someone encounters their perfectly compatible other half, and their pheromones stimulate a strong reaction. As for why both awakening and heat occurred together, I suspect she had been feeling the signs for some time but ignored them. In that state, had you not marked her, the pheromones she released would have driven multiple sentinels into a frenzy, all fighting to mark her. Without intervention, the outcome for her… you understand.”

Yan Ningjin raised her head in concern. “Then now… how is she?”

Doctor Aili glanced into the room through the door. “The temporary mark is working, and your Quantum beast has been soothing her. I believe she will be very reliant on you for a while. Take good care of her and help her through this awakening phase.”

A heavy weight lifted from Yan Ningjin’s heart. “Thank you.”

Doctor Aili hesitated. “General, you seem to be in poor condition yourself. Should I arrange for another guide to help stabilize you? Your other half is still a newborn guide and may not yet know how to ease your mania.”

After a pause, Yan Ningjin shook her head. “She is very clever.”

Doctor Aili chuckled at that. The sentinel’s possessiveness over her guide was already showing. “Would you like me to perform a mental compatibility test and see your matching percentage?”

Yan Ningjin was tempted for a moment. But remembering they had already formed a temporary bond, she declined politely.

Doctor Aili left with a hint of disappointment.

Before long, Qin Xiao awoke from her haze. The first thing she saw was a large, fluffy head. The golden fur was a bit messy and had lost some of its usual fluffiness. In Tuan Tuan’s amber eyes, she could see a flicker of grievance.

Yan Ningjin opened the door at once. “You’re awake. How do you feel?”

Qin Xiao felt like she had just escaped a nightmare. The sounds in her dreams had been overwhelming and irritating. Yet seeing this person here made her inexplicably relieved. “I’m alright. I’m hungry.”

Yan Ningjin quickly brought over two nutrient tubes.

Qin Xiao frowned ever so slightly.

Yan Ningjin noticed her reaction and looked troubled. It was the first time she had ever tended to someone else. “For now, you can only have nutrient supplements. Once your strength recovers, I will take you to the gourmet district so you can eat whatever you want.”

That was the kind of thing Yu Jing would do.

Accepting her situation, Qin Xiao picked up a nutrient tube and drank one, though she could not manage a second. “How is my friend?”

Yan Ningjin quickly recalled the ordinary girl who had been with her. She had appeared briefly during her earlier call with Bai Xuan. “She is with Bai Xuan. She is very safe.”

Qin Xiao stared at Yan Ningjin with her large almond eyes for a long time. Then she asked, “Your eyes… are they red because of the mania?”

She remembered seeing sentinels with similarly bl00d-red eyes back on West Street. Most of them developed that condition after encountering a guide.

Seeing her so puzzled, Yan Ningjin answered plainly, “Sentinels go through regular manic phases. The more frequently they occur, the shorter our lifespan becomes. Once the suppressants stop working, death will follow.”

Qin Xiao frowned. “Is there no solution?”

Yan Ningjin thought for a moment. “If we find a guide who matches our mental wavelength, they can soothe us.”

Qin Xiao finally grasped the true nature of the sentinel-guide bond. She no longer had the energy to curse fate. Lying back on the bed, she asked, “What should I do to help you?”

Yan Ningjin’s heart softened entirely. Especially when her little guide gazed at her with such sincere focus. She even felt a kind of noble devotion, as though she could give her life for this person. She crouched beside the bed and touched Qin Xiao’s forehead. The fever had mostly broken, though it was still a bit warm. Likely a mild fever. “Once your consciousness stabilizes, Doctor Aili will teach you how to use your mental senses to soothe a sentinel. That should be enough.”

Tuan Tuan let out a low snore.

Yan Ningjin looked over. Her little guide had already tilted her head and fallen asleep.

She communicated mentally with Tuan Tuan. The Quantum beast flicked its tail in protest, clearly reluctant to leave its guide’s side. In the end, Yan Ningjin had to forcibly order it out of the room. Tuan Tuan looked back at her with a heartbroken gaze.

She patted its large head. “You have been guarding her without pause. Perhaps her Quantum beast is frightened of you and refuses to appear. Be patient a while longer.”

Tuan Tuan let out a mournful howl and flopped to the ground in despair. Its amber eyes shimmered with grievance.

Yan Ningjin sighed at her moody beast. She would need to be patient too. She would wait until her little guide was willing to form a complete bond. Until then, she would protect her with everything she had.

She called up Bai Xuan’s projection. The other woman appeared quickly.

“Ningjin, your mania still hasn’t subsided. How is the little guide?”

“She is doing well. She still has a low-grade fever. Tell me what is happening on Capital Star. Any movement from Madam Qin?”

Bai Xuan shoved Yu Jing out of the frame while she was trying to eavesdrop. “She reported you to His Majesty. Princess Yuzhu has requested that General Aige detain you. But judging by your current state, it doesn’t look like you are being held.”

Yan Ningjin smiled, but her eyes turned colder. “So the next step is for Madam Qin to pressure the royal family into taking my guide back to the Academy?”

Bai Xuan, watching her friend’s transformation, could not help but marvel. “Getting a guide really does change you. You used to never care about this kind of thing. But you are right. Madam Qin intends to pressure the royals into forcing you to return the guide. If she hadn’t heard the girl was still awakening and could not leave you, she would have stormed Sunstar by now. Honestly, I think you two should just get engaged. Let General Aige serve as witness. After a while, you can officially marry. That way, Madam Qin will have no grounds to challenge you.”

“You are not getting engaged. Qin Xiao would never agree to it.”

“Why do you care? Move over and let me talk.”

Another person had joined the projection, but Yan Ningjin clearly was not focused on that. “Qin Xiao. That is the name of my little guide?”

She repeated it a few times under her breath. “Such a beautiful name.”

Bai Xuan groaned. “Ningjin, please. Do not say it so sweetly. I am choking on dog food over here.”

Upstairs, Qin Xiao lay with her eyes closed, but her thoughts drifted out of the room. She saw Yan Ningjin in the hall speaking to Bai Xuan’s projection. She heard their conversation about engagements, the Guide Academy and Madam Qin.

She also saw Tuan Tuan sulking in a corner, only its tail visible.

Her thoughts floated farther and farther. Outside the room, she saw the sentinels stationed around the villa. There were about a dozen of them, surrounding the place, but their expressions were relaxed. They did not look like guards. They seemed to be merely going through the motions.

Her mind continued to wander. She passed many sentinels and guides. The guides all bore the presence of strong sentinels. They had likely been marked. She kept drifting until she reached a large building. The guards outside were at least ten times more numerous than those outside her villa. Their expressions were stern and vigilant.

Just as she was wondering what this place was, a deafening roar rang out. A four-legged beast lunged at her from nowhere, baring its fangs.

Qin Xiao jerked awake. Her head buzzed and the roar still echoed in her ears. Gasping for breath, she found herself drenched in sweat. It took her a long while to calm down. As she struggled to sit up, her hand landed on something incredibly soft. The texture was smooth and delightful. She pressed down again.

Squeak—