The Guide Always Wants to Run (GL) - Chapter 34

Qin Xiao noticed the clarity in his eyes. He did not look like someone in the midst of a manic episode. She stared at him for a moment, thoughtful, then suddenly asked, “Do you know what the penalty is for assaulting a Guide?”

Lu Wen said nothing.

Qin Xiao held up her palm. “Five years in prison.”

A vein bulged on Lu Wen’s forehead.

Qin Xiao added, “The last idiot who hit me had to pay compensation in energy crystals before being sent off. What do you plan to offer?”

Lu Wen thought he must have gone mad to come here today. He glared at her with fury in his eyes but decided not to engage further with this Guide. He turned to leave, only to be kicked straight out the door before he reached it. He nearly landed on a gold ingot. For a Sentinel, this was beyond humiliating. He shouted, “What the hell is your problem?”

Qin Xiao rolled up her sleeves and snorted. “I don’t like the look of you. So I hit you.”

Lu Wen scrambled back to his feet and charged at her. “Don’t think I won’t hit a woman. I—”

Qin Xiao’s gaze moved behind him. “General, what brings you here?”

Lu Wen turned just in time to feel a gust of wind. Realizing something was wrong, he braced himself, but it was too late. Another kick landed squarely on his chest, sending him stumbling backward until he caught himself on the doorframe. “You tricked me!”

Qin Xiao clicked her tongue and began scolding him. “Just now you called me a flirt and a hypocrite. Is this how you treat a delicate Guide? Do your parents know how you behave?”

Lu Wen coughed up bl00d. “Where did I lie? You’re a Guide. You should be at the Guide Academy, not running some store and flirting with Sentinels all day. If that’s not shameless, what is it?”

Qin Xiao’s expression turned curious. “Do you know me?”

Lu Wen looked like someone had grabbed him by the throat. He fell silent. “Whether I do or not doesn’t matter. You know what kind of things you’ve done. You’re a bad Guide.”

Qin Xiao gave him a puzzled look.

Lu Wen thought she was about to pull another trick and instinctively stepped back. “Don’t think that just because the General is not here, I won’t speak my mind. Guides should stay home. They shouldn’t be out here running around. No one’s ever going to like a Guide as rotten as you.”

“My Guide is someone I like.”

The moment Lu Wen heard that calm voice, his entire body stiffened. He turned awkwardly and saw Yan Ningjin standing at the door with two others. He had no idea when they arrived, and that realization made him even more uneasy. Forcing a smile, he greeted, “General.”

Qin Xiao laughed. “There you go. The General is here. Say everything you wanted to say.”

Lu Wen’s young face turned red, then green. He choked on his own breath, unable to swallow it or let it out. He nearly suffocated.

Bai Xuan also laughed, completely unrepentant. “Young Master Lu, you’re really bold. Coming to our boss’s place to scold our sister-in-law. Looks like you’ve completely dismissed the Xiao Corps.”

Qin Xiao complained, “He even hit me.”

Lu Wen shot her a glare.

She glared right back, as if trying to win a childish staring contest.

Yan Ningjin’s face darkened further. She stepped forward, brushed past Lu Wen, and gently took Qin Xiao’s hand. In a low voice, she asked, “Are you hurt?”

Qin Xiao was not actually injured. What she could not stand was taking a loss in silence. That brat had barged in pretending to be manic, making her think she had a job and some credits to earn, only for it to be a false alarm. Given all his previous antics, she figured he probably had a grudge against her. Under Yan Ningjin’s deep, obsidian-like gaze, Qin Xiao hesitated, then rubbed her thigh and muttered, “My leg hurts.”

Lu Wen, who had taken two full kicks and was still clutching his chest in pain: …

Yan Ningjin’s gaze sharpened. “If Young Master Lu is so fond of fighting, I welcome you to challenge me anytime. But bullying a Guide does not make you a real man.”

Lu Wen’s face turned ashen. He muttered an apology and left in disgrace.

Feng Ming was displeased. “Boss, that brat hit our sister-in-law and you’re just letting him go?”

Bai Xuan shook her head at her.

Yan Ningjin led Qin Xiao toward the Sentinel treatment room. “I didn’t think this through. Tomorrow I’ll send two people to protect you. Sit down and let me take a look at your injury.”

Qin Xiao quickly leaned in and whispered into her ear, “I was lying.”

Yan Ningjin looked at her suspiciously. Then she saw the small Guide smiling, eyes crescent-shaped with joy, dimples at the corners of her lips like she had just stolen candy. “I’m not hurt. That little brat is. By the way, you seemed to know him. Who is he?”

Bai Xuan, who had followed them in, nudged Feng Ming with her elbow. “Looks like the General finally blossomed. Have you noticed? She hasn’t looked away from our sister-in-law since she stepped inside.”

Feng Ming rolled her eyes. “If you had a Guide, your eyes would be glued to them too.”

Yan Ningjin had only learned what happened at Cloud Pavilion about an hour ago. Bai Xuan had been gossiping and showed her everything on the Star Network. That was when she realized what her little Guide had gone through earlier that day. “That beast from this morning, you—”

Qin Xiao made several hand gestures, mimicking how she had sliced the beast with the laser sword. She even licked her lips in satisfaction. “The meat was delicious, tender and juicy. I saved some for you. You can have it for dinner.”

She took out the roasted meat she had saved. The rich aroma filled the entire treatment room, and Bai Xuan and Feng Ming nearly choked on the overwhelming sweetness of this public display of affection.

Yan Ningjin’s lips curved upward. “You saved it just for me?”

Qin Xiao nodded. “Of course. I spent ten credits to have the roast shop’s robot steward prepare it. It’s really good. But tell me, what’s with that brat? Why did he throw that thing at Cloud Pavilion’s doorstep?”

If it had been one of those Guides from the Academy, they probably would have fainted on the spot.

Yan Ningjin carefully took the food her little Guide had saved. “Do you remember Madam Qin?”

Qin Xiao wrinkled her nose. Of course, she remembered. That woman had left a strong impression, but what did she have to do with this? Qin Xiao tilted her head, letting her imagination run wild. “Could it be that Madam Qin holds a grudge and hired a Sentinel to come teach me a lesson?”

Bai Xuan burst out laughing. “Sister-in-law, this is not Madam Qin’s handiwork. She’s strict with Guides, yes, but she would never condone harming one.”

Qin Xiao was not fond of Bai Xuan. After all, the woman had once tried to chop off her little paw. She turned to Yan Ningjin with a huff. “You explain.”

This obvious favoritism almost made Feng Ming laugh out loud.

Yan Ningjin’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Madam Qin’s full name is Qin Fu Ren. That brat who came to stir up trouble is named Lu Wen. He’s the second son of General Lu Shao from the First Corps. Qin Fu Ren is his eldest sister.”

With the family tree laid out, Qin Xiao understood. She had hit the elder, and now the younger had come for revenge. Her expression turned thoughtful, then serious. “So Madam Qin really does have some powerful connections. Yan Yan, you have to be careful.”

That heartfelt concern warmed Yan Ningjin to her core. Her gaze shifted to the robot Xiaomei, whose indicator light was still glowing. “Did someone visit today?”

Qin Xiao grew excited. “Yes, yes, a Sentinel came on his own. His Quantum beast was timid. It looked like a rabbit, but not quite. Maybe a mutant rabbit. It was huge. Yan Yan, do you know what species it was?”

“It was probably a mutated Angela Rabbit.”

“Is there anything special about it?”

Yan Ningjin thought for a moment. “They are excellent at fleeing.”

Qin Xiao recalled how fast the man had run and couldn’t help laughing. Yan Ningjin’s comment was spot on. “His owner ran like I was about to eat him.”

Yan Ningjin locked the door. “You wouldn’t eat him. Owners of mutant Angela Rabbits are usually timid and tend to have gentle jobs. They often behave that way around strangers.”

Qin Xiao hadn’t expected a Quantum beast’s personality to determine its owner’s traits. She suddenly asked, “Then what kind is my little Hunqiu?”

Yan Ningjin: …

Bai Xuan and Feng Ming had never seen Qin Xiao’s Quantum beast. Most of the time, the small round ball was hidden in Tuan Tuan’s fur and could even turn invisible.

Yan Ningjin found the question hard to answer. She had never seen a Quantum beast as strange as the little ball. It was… a ball?

Tuan Tuan circled Qin Xiao, especially around her pocket, his big head occasionally sniffing at it. Normally, Qin Xiao would think he was looking for Hunqiu, but after the whole swallowing incident, she was not so sure anymore.

She patted Tuan Tuan’s head. “Stay over there. It’s tired.”

The small round ball rolled in her pocket.

Yan Ningjin looked at Tuan Tuan sympathetically. “I’m not entirely sure. I’ll look it up and get back to you.”

Qin Xiao looked a little disappointed. But deep down, she did not believe the little Hunqiu was some lump of dough. That one five-colored crystal had been dazzling. How could her Quantum beast be something so lame?

The ball rolled twice, as if expressing its discontent.

Qin Xiao gave her pocket a gentle pat. “So you don’t know either.”

Yan Ningjin heard the hint of disappointment in her voice and felt at a loss. She did not know how to comfort her little Guide.

…

The next day, Yan Ningjin personally escorted her little Guide to Aige Street. She watched her enter Cloud Pavilion before heading off to the military department. Before that, she had Bai Xuan bring over every record on registered Quantum beasts.

Bai Xuan smirked. “Boss, I never thought I’d see the day you tried to win over your wife.”

Yan Ningjin didn’t bother explaining. In truth, she was just as puzzled by the Quantum beast. Tuan Tuan had his front paws on the table, nudging the documents with his nose.

“These are all old records. The new ones are on the Star Atlas.”

“Understood.”

Once Bai Xuan was gone, Yan Ningjin and her Quantum beast quietly began combing through records dating back a hundred years. Before long, the door knocked again. Bai Xuan returned, poking her head in with a gloating grin. “Boss, Lu Ming and Young Master Lu are here.”

Yan Ningjin gathered the documents. “Let them in.”

It had only been a day, but Lu Wen’s youthful face was already bruised. His nose was swollen, his lips were cut, and his arms were covered in lash marks. It looked like he had been whipped. When he saw Yan Ningjin, he lowered his head.

Lu Ming was a formidable woman, the type who meant every word she said.

She personally brought her younger brother before Yan Ningjin. “General, I apologize for Lu Wen’s behavior yesterday. Thank you for not reporting him, for old times’ sake.”

Yan Ningjin raised an eyebrow.

Behind them, Bai Xuan stuck out her tongue before quietly leaving.

Yan Ningjin stood up. She and Lu Ming were of equal height. With a cold expression, she said, “You misunderstand me. I never intended to let him off so easily. Any Sentinel who bullies a Guide is not a good Sentinel.”

Lu Wen exploded. “Yan Ningjin, don’t take it too far!”

Lu Ming slapped him across the face. His head snapped to the side. “Shut up, you fool.”

She showed no change in expression. “It is true that Lu Wen was in the wrong first. General, perhaps you could suggest a way to resolve this issue.”

Yan Ningjin calmly unbuttoned her coat, tossed her top aside, and flexed her fists until they cracked. “Since Third Young Master enjoys throwing punches so much, why not try a few rounds with me?”

Lu Ming’s pupils constricted. “Fine by me.”

Lu Wen bolted for the door but barely got two steps before Lu Ming yanked him back by the collar like a chick being lifted by the scruff. “Second Sister, I don’t want to fight her. I— she—”

Lu Ming felt thoroughly humiliated. She snapped at him with a fierce warning. “Would you rather Dad finds out and breaks your legs, or should I personally deliver you to a cell? Choose one. Then you won’t have to spar with the General.”

Lu Wen instantly lost all resistance, slumping like a defeated rooster.

The news that General Yan would personally “train” a newcomer spread like wildfire, just like the time she arrived at headquarters with her guide. It was rare for Yan Ningjin to personally “mentor” a new recruit, so the entire dueling room had filled with onlookers craning their necks to see which poor soul was about to be taught a lesson by the General.

Everyone knew her mental strength ranked SS, and her physical level was S. In hand-to-hand combat, even Bai Xuan and Feng Ming were usually the ones being thrashed.

“Is that the new recruit? Looks familiar.”

“Bah, he’s from the First Corps.”

“Tsk.”

Lu Ming stood in the crowd with arms crossed, watching her cowardly little brother shrink like a quail. She couldn’t help but snort. Not that anyone heard it over the murmurs around her.

Suddenly, someone patted her shoulder. She turned and saw Bai Xuan had somehow appeared beside her, smiling mischievously.

Bai Xuan crossed her arms and leaned toward the center of attention. “Lieutenant General Lu, if I manage to protect Third Young Master Lu, remember you owe me a favor.”

Lu Ming gave her a sidelong glance. “Let me guess. The General asked you to do this?”

Bai Xuan widened her eyes in mock surprise. “No way. The one being harassed was the General’s guide. If it had been you, would you let that slide?”

Lu Ming was silent.

What a mouthful of unsolicited dog food. Her teeth ached just thinking about it.

Seeing Lu Ming’s sour expression, Bai Xuan sighed. “You know, our boss is about to try a trial marriage with a guide. The entire military unit decided to prepare a congratulatory gift. However, after pooling our credits, most of it went toward various medications. You know how it is. The military consumes a ridiculous amount of medicine. It’s a big expense, but what can we do? It’s rare for our General to find someone they genuinely like. We’re willing to sell the pots and pans for her—”

“Wow! The General is amazing!”

“This newbie’s getting wrecked. The General let him take ten moves first, and he still couldn’t touch a corner of her uniform. So boring.”

Voices kept rising around Lu Ming, all ridiculing Lu Wen. Despite how disappointing he was, he was still family. Her fists clenched tight, and next to her, someone wouldn’t stop whining about being poor. Grinding her teeth, she snapped, “Bai Xuan, just say it. What exactly do you want?”

“Ah, straight to the point as always. I heard the Qin family recently developed a new type of suppressant. It’s a godsend for Sentinels but the price is outrageous. With your ties to the Qin family, I’m sure you could get it at internal rates. So…”

Lu Ming did not need more hints. She had already figured it out. All this was planned down to the last detail. She swallowed her frustration. That batch of medication cost double the previous price.

Bai Xuan chuckled. “Oh, and by the way, the General took her guide shopping the other day. They happened to run into a manic mid-episode. The guide got accidentally bumped. Guess what happened next?”

Lu Ming had already heard about the incident. If it hadn’t been for her idiotic brother, she wouldn’t be dealing with this mess. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “How much do you want?”

Bai Xuan patted her shoulder. “On behalf of all our comrades in the Xiao Corps, thank you, Lieutenant General. Not much, really. We’re not greedy. Just the usual order volume.”

With a stiff face, Lu Ming turned to look at the woman beside her whose face was thicker than reinforced steel. She swallowed another metaphorical mouthful of bl00d.

Meanwhile, Qin Xiao’s shop welcomed an unusual visitor. Not a Sentinel this time, but a Guide. A very beautiful one. Qin Xiao had seen several guides before, such as Eva, Eli, and Mara, but none matched this one’s appearance. Still, the newcomer had the typical fragile frame of a Guide, which gave Qin Xiao a small sense of balance.

She blinked her almond-shaped eyes at the woman, who stared back with wide phoenix-shaped eyes. The two of them stood locked in a staring contest until Yu Jing finally intervened. “Miss, may I ask what you need?”

The elegant Guide spoke in a gentle voice. “I’m looking for the owner.”

Qin Xiao was silent.

She brought the woman to the guide lounge, also called the entertainment room. She had designed it based on what guides usually liked, though this was the first time one had ever actually visited. She curiously eyed the guide’s Quantum beast. It was a fluffy, odd creature with black and white fur, round as a dumpling. Its head and belly were both plump, and even its eyes were black and white, giving it an absurdly cute look.

The guide looked around, clearly searching for Qin Xiao’s Quantum beast. After a while, she hesitated and asked softly, “Are you a Guide?”

Qin Xiao’s heart leapt with joy. She leaned in excitedly. “Do I look like a Sentinel to you?”

The pretty guide: …

Instead, she quickly shook her head. “You look like a Guide. But Qiuqiu couldn’t find your Quantum beast. Could I take a look? I came here to meet the Guide owner.”

Qin Xiao had thought someone finally recognized her worth, but apparently not. “What part of me doesn’t look like a Sentinel?”

The guide shrank back, eyeing her from head to toe. Her voice grew even softer. “You just look like a Guide.”

Qin Xiao sighed in defeat. She glanced at her own skinny limbs, gave up, and reluctantly pulled a small round ball from her pocket. “Here, I’m the owner. What do you want?”

The beautiful Guide introduced herself as Mo Hui. She stared at the ball in Qin Xiao’s palm, turning it over several times, still unable to tell what kind of Quantum beast it was. Her own beast tilted its round head and stared at the strange one. The pair mirrored each other’s movements, radiating a bizarre sense of harmony.

“What is this?”

“What exactly did you come for?”

Feeling the growing annoyance from her own Quantum beast, Qin Xiao shoved it back into her pocket.

Seeing the Quantum beast seemed to ease Mo Hui’s nerves. Her face flushed as she glanced around. In a whisper, she said, “I have a serious problem. I don’t know what to do, so I came to ask for help.”

“A problem?”

Mo Hui edged closer, eyes pleading. “Please, whatever we talk about, don’t let it leave this room. Alright?”

Qin Xiao thought the woman was strange, but then again, all guides were strange in one way or another. Besides, she was bored anyway. “Did you see the consultation prices posted outside?”

“What?!”

Qin Xiao immediately straightened up. “Consultations, like treating manic symptoms in Sentinels, come at a price. You didn’t forget your credits, did you?”

Mo Hui quickly shook her head, then nodded. “I will pay. I promise I will pay if you help me solve the problem.”

Qin Xiao curled her lip. This little guide seemed completely clueless. She didn’t trust her at all. “Fine. Let’s hear it.”

Mo Hui was a trial mate, just like Qin Xiao’s current status. She had spent years in the Guide Academy. Then the system matched her with a Sentinel with an 85% compatibility rating. At first, Mo Hui had been reluctant. She had never met a Sentinel before. The rumors at the academy said Sentinels were brutes with terrifying strength who broke legs at the slightest provocation.

She was scared, but her family eventually persuaded her to try. As time went on, she became increasingly attached to her Sentinel. He was nothing like the academy rumors. He was gentle and patient.

Before starting the trial marriage, they had made a promise that her Sentinel would not touch her before the trial period ended.

Now, with two months left in their trial, her parents wanted her to switch to another Sentinel with a higher compatibility rating. Mo Hui refused. So she came up with a plan to turn raw rice into cooked rice.

She got the idea from a forum on the Star Network. Apparently, once a Guide became pregnant, they had the right to choose their own happiness. Not even fickle parents could force them otherwise. While researching, she had stumbled upon Qin Xiao’s private guide-run clinic.

“I’ve never done it before. I don’t know how to bring it up with him. I want to have a baby with him now. If I have a child, then we can register for marriage.”

Qin Xiao, who had never had a baby in either of her lives: ….

This problem is beyond me.

She stared at the blushing Mo Hui, who had just laid her heart bare. Qin Xiao had to admit that the flush on Mo Hui’s cheeks made her even more stunning, with a charm that could melt steel. She was genuinely tempted to ask whether the Sentinel who had resisted this beauty might be suffering from some unspeakable health issue.

Mo Hui had summoned all her courage to say it out loud. But when she saw Qin Xiao’s strange expression, she froze. “Did I say something wrong?”

Qin Xiao clicked her tongue. After years of being brainwashed by those neurotic Guide Academy teachers, this girl had somehow come up with such a rebellious plan. She must really be desperate.

“How many credits can you pay? One session won’t be enough to solve your problem.”

Mo Hui stammered but failed to produce a coherent answer.

Qin Xiao sighed and sized her up. Her clothes were decent enough. “Fine. Since you’re among my first hundred customers, let’s say two thousand credits per session. If you agree, we’ll begin.”

Mo Hui nodded eagerly. “Yes. Please teach me. Tell me how I can have his baby.”

Qin Xiao licked her lips, digging deep into her memory for the risqué manuals from her past life. “Have the two of you ever gone through a heat cycle?”

Their compatibility was only 85%, still a high score, but not enough to naturally trigger a bonding heat. Such reactions typically required 100% compatibility, which would make them sense each other’s sweetness and enter the cycle. Mo Hui had always relied on suppressants. Whenever her Sentinel went into heat, he would keep his distance.

“We just finished a cycle recently.”

Qin Xiao detected a faint note of disappointment in her tone. “Do you two ever soul-bond?”

Mo Hui blinked. “What’s that?”

Qin Xiao pressed a hand to her forehead. Turning this innocent lamb into a seductive siren was going to be a challenge. “Do you help ease your Sentinel’s manic symptoms?”

Mo Hui had learned how to in the academy. “Only twice.”

Qin Xiao knew all too well the thrill soul-bonding could bring. She smirked and curled a finger. “Come here. I’ll teach you a more practical method.”