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As the snow beneath their feet grew thick enough to cover their calves, Xier's scattered mood gradually calmed down.
Sora hoped that she would ask questions proactively, but Seele was not in a hurry to pursue questions involving his distant past. After all, there were so many mysteries surrounding him, so she should ask about the ones closest to her first.
"Has Nata done this with you?"
…After walking less than fifty meters towards the Pillar of Creation, Xier entered torture mode.
"Huh?? Didn't we agree not to ask about other women?"
"When did I promise you?"
Seeing Kong's constipated face - even a veteran in the love field could be tortured like this by a woman, Xier, who was involved in it, actually felt a sense of accomplishment.
"...Well, not yet. Actually, I don't covet physical pleasures, didn't I say that? If it weren't for Aha's sponsorship, I, a woman, wouldn't cause any more trouble."
Sora was sincere: "It's Xi'er that you don't mind me getting along with you with such a utilitarian mentality. I feel a little guilty about that."
"——But you didn't waver even a little when Nata acted like a spoiled child?"
"...Of course I will be shaken. It's the same when I'm with you. My eyes will look at places I shouldn't look at, and I will fantasize about touch and so on. In this respect, I'm no different from ordinary men."
Kong tried his best to divert the two girls' competitive spirit towards Xier's own charm.
"In that case, tell me what's good about me?" Xier hated corny and roundabout ways, but she couldn't help but want to see Kong's annoyed expression escalate.
It’s hard to tell whether this is a revengeful mentality - or a sense of superiority from having obtained the spoils before Nata.
"…The shape of their legs is so perfect, I want to hug them and lick them."
Unexpectedly, Kong actually chose to respond to the straight ball with a straight ball, which immediately made Xier, who had been teased in various ways and thought she could take it lightly, blush.
As expected, being praised for one's figure by a gangster would only make one feel disgusted, but being praised by a guy one values is a completely different feeling.
She wanted to thank Sora for the compliment, but her words changed when she came to her lips:
"…You think I'm too small in front, don't you?"
Seele almost slapped herself when she said this - it was strange, she could be frank with Bronya, but why was she always sarcastic towards Sora? Sora obviously didn't owe her anything.
“…How could that be?”
If Sora had hesitated even a little bit in the face of this self-deprecating question, he would not be alive today:
"It's in perfect shape—"
"You didn't say it was big enough, so you still think it's average, right? It's much worse than Zhao Nata?"
"Xi'er... you don't have to be so unconfident... really." Kong was afraid that if they continued chatting like this, one of them would get stuck in the snow...
The argumentative love relationship has become a distant memory for him. Now when he revisits it, he still feels so at a loss.
“…I’m sorry.”
Seeing that Sora's constipated expression was gradually turning into an embarrassment, Xier finally softened her tone after blaming herself: "I'm not comparing myself to Nata... to force you to judge me. I just wanted to figure out what I should do and what about me can make you happy, but it made you feel worse."
She explained to herself, "You are the only man I care about besides my boss since I was a child... Usually when I deal with men, I usually use fists and feet more quickly than arguing. When I meet someone as particular as you... I don't know how to get along with you."
Xier, who grew up with Nata, often heard patients or refugees comment on Nata. There were some sincere compliments among the dirty words, but Xier received such words much less frequently than her - it might be related to her character of avenging a grudge on the spot and refusing any teasing, or it might be that she was really not as popular as Nata.
Perhaps what Nata meant by "supporting her" was that she had seen through her awkward personality and shortcomings, and didn't want her and Kong to hurt each other - she blamed herself for a moment.
Maybe you are right... Nata, I see that Kong is already sweating a little, I am afraid that it is torture for him to be with me...
"Oh, so you're just worried that you won't be able to deal with the opposite sex?"
But Kong did not fall into silence and ignore her as Xier had predicted. Instead, he suddenly realized, "It's okay, Xier. For most men, lack of experience is a plus! This is especially true for older men—"
"...Pfft, this is the first time I see someone pretending to be old."
After receiving this response, Xier looked at Kong's face, which would remain forever young as long as he wanted. She did not feel the reality of his self-proclaimed "old age" at all, and even found it funny.
"I just wanted to say that this is a cute side of you."
"……cute……"
Although Xier didn't have steam coming out of her head with a very cartoon-like bang, she immediately detached herself from the mood of teasing Kong. A lot of heat emanated from the pores on her face, giving her a strange sense of warmth in the snow and ice.
"I haven't heard this word in nearly ten years. And it came out of your mouth."
"…How come you remember it so clearly?"
This time, Kong really thought Xi'er was adorable—she longed for non-serious compliments and even remembered how long it had been since she had received any compliments... It was no wonder that she was so obsessed with this that she chose to pursue a hunting career.
"Tsk, you're really good at coaxing people. No wonder Bronya's eyes go wild when she sees you. I always thought she should have no shortage of suitors on earth, but compared to you, all her sweet talk is probably just a trick. I suddenly understand her a little bit."
It is full of tsundere meaning, but Xier did not actually play up the "tsundere" part.
She took two quick steps forward, passed Kong, and turned around to walk backwards, as if she wanted to memorize Kong's mixed expression of trouble and pampering in her heart, and enjoy his distressed look as he thought about words for her to avoid stepping on landmines.
She didn't care about the rough terrain covered by the snow at all. No matter how bad the terrain was, she could walk backwards as if it were flat ground...
"Sora, have you ever coaxed a woman older than you?"
"Of course I have...but why do you always have to pull out a target to shoot at..."
"Maybe it's because of my competitive spirit. I can't find any girls in the underworld to compare myself with. What fate has given me is far more than just the ability to fight."
Xi'er is very beautiful. It is precisely because of the blessing of fate that her hair and skin are different from those of ordinary people. Her solid physique gives her the right to wear strange clothes and show off herself...
She knew very well that although she was as devastated as everyone in the lower class, her situation was much better because she was blessed by the hunting route, and she was eager to be recognized by "different people".
For example, Bronya, or special opposite sex like Sora... She longs for their recognition.
"I only dare to speak so arrogantly to you because I know that I have good looks... Hey, but you are really too popular. I am a little afraid that if I act too late, you will be devoured without leaving any bones..."
As she said this, Xier ended the dangerous backwards posture that looked like she could easily fall, and grabbed Kong's arm without any psychological burden.
The soft part that she herself described as "too small" pressed against Sora's elbow. If one looked closely, one could also feel the more elastic muscle underneath.
Although Xier is a cadre who excels in combat, her body fat percentage is relatively low, but she still has the level that a girl should have. She can be as harsh as a wall to people she hates, but can also be soft to her loved ones.
As Xier deliberately scratched him, Kong's expression suddenly relaxed as if it had melted.
"...Look at your pig-like appearance, are you quite useful?"
Kong's comforted and moved face did not show at all that he was an experienced veteran, and at the same time, the sense of accomplishment he brought to Xier was rising - perhaps only a girl with a tough personality like her would, on the contrary, have the desire to conquer a man.
"Oh, well, I admit it's a bit comfortable."
Kong felt a little overwhelmed by Xier's display of affection, as if their genders had been swapped. However, he adjusted his mindset quickly and let Xier play with his body - even in this unstable external environment, the body temperatures of both of them were still rising rapidly.
"...If you want me to be more serious, I can also show you how an old cadre goes on a blind date--"
"No, it's fine now."
Xier laughed very wantonly, as if all the frustration she had felt from being ignored and avoided by Kong a few days ago had been swept away: "...I heard from Nata that lovers can give their other half their own surnames...and it just so happens that I don't have a surname yet——?"
Kong was startled by the smile, and then said with gritted teeth:
"...but other than Sora, my last name changes as needed...what should I do?"
By the way, didn’t Nata also tell you that only married people can put each other’s surname on the list?
Xier rolled her eyes when she heard that, and she put her arms around him further. However, since she had never taken the initiative to do such an intimate gesture to the opposite sex, she could only stick to him according to the pose in the picture. It was awkward no matter how she tried, so she just leaned on Kong:
"I don't have a last name... If I can't do it, I'll just put your first name at the end... That's not bad. Hmm, Xi'er Kong, that sounds interesting."
286. Anyone who tries to hinder everyone’s date will be sentenced to death!
"Everyone, follow us. We have to clean up all the deep pits mentioned by the Seventh Regiment before nightfall."
While Kong and Xi'er were almost stuck together as they went deeper into the Pillar of Creation, the Ranger team also arrived at the area where the most mecha wreckage was buried, which was given to them as a friendly mark by the garrison stationed in the north.
"Can we really barge in where even the locals can't enter?"
"Try this."
The leading ranger threw a "wind and snow immunity" capsule at the complaining little brother.
"Oh, this is the new medicine developed by the Earth Fire Leader? Is medicine alone enough?"
"Don't look down on it. At least it can let you have fun in this damn place for a week."
"Is it so effective?"
"Anyway, that's what it says in the manual. It doesn't consume the power of destiny, it just relies on internal organs to circulate heat or something."
"Ohhh, I feel like it's on fire!"
The rangers, re-energized, quickly climbed over the semi-permanent fortifications at the edge of the snow vortex. The deeper they went, the more astonishing the traces left by the battle between the antimatter army and the city builders, with impact craters over 300 meters in diameter and giant mechanical limbs everywhere. If they had not believed what the doctor said before, that there might be super robots buried under the ancient battlefield that were taller than skyscrapers, after witnessing all this behind the snow and fog, they no longer had any negligence towards this reconnaissance mission.
But in the snow and fog...it seemed that they were not the only ones forging ahead.
"Thermal imaging is responding - it's a humanoid."
The fleeting shadows and creatures that cannot be captured by the naked eye can be seen clearly by high-tech equipment.
"So many people, isn't that right? Aren't we already past the Iron Guard restricted area? Where did all these troops come from?"
As they approached silently, the shield of the 7th Guards was outlined by light in the fog - in order to easily identify friendly forces, they would turn on the light-emitting devices on their armor when heavy snow fell, strengthening the connection between each other like a lighthouse.
The Xianzhou man with a mustache put down the thermal imaging goggles, looked at the blue shield emblem, his expression relaxed a little, and winked at his colleague, planning to go forward together to say hello.
But what greeted them was not the enthusiastic response from the Iron Guards.
Before they got close enough to recognize each other's faces, a "javelin" suddenly flew out from the snow and fog!
The sharp spikes whizzed in like a rain of arrows and landed on their sides, causing the rangers to lie prone in the snow.
There were continuous gunshots and the roar of individual howitzers, followed by the sound of axes and guns clashing with some other weapons. Screams and shouts mixed together, making the sound of the wind even more miserable.
"Don't move, Xiao Liu!"
It was obvious that the attack was not directed at them, but the Iron Guards were fighting with something unknown. Now that their position had been exposed, they would most likely be treated as enemies and beaten by the Iron Guards.
The old ranger in the team immediately pinned the young boys to the snow and told them not to act impulsively - even though these so-called young boys were over 200 years old and had more combat experience than many fox veterans.
"Old Li, those Iron Guard brothers are in danger, why don't you go and help them?"
"First figure out what the enemy is! To prevent accidental injuries!"
Old Li gestured for him to look carefully at the sharp spike that was embedded in the snow beside him - he was very familiar with the outline of this thing.
"The Buli people's biological weapons are the people of abundance! How the hell did these beasts appear on the Yalilo VI? "
"Bu Liren?" The young rangers silently pointed their weapons in the direction where the battle broke out.